Increase Your Energy Naturally

I know I am not the only one, at least around here, that tends to want to hide-out and hibernate in January and possibly February. I believe that most of it has to do with a slight aversion to chilly weather. My house just feels so cozy compared to the chills I'll get outside. I can't complain about it too much because I live in Texas and it certainly isn't bone chilling or frost bite causing weather. Besides the cold, I think the holidays tend to be a bit overwhelming. I may not feel like that while I am preparing or enjoying them, but I certainly feel that way in January when I just want to take it easy.

Because of this slower pace, I think it is the perfect time to do a post on natural ways to boost your energy.

1. Don't Skip Meals (especially breakfast)

It is not a good idea to skip meals on a regular basis. I know several people that skip breakfast and lunch every day and then go overboard from 3 to 9 pm, because they are starving. Keep your metabolism revved up with protein and fiber. Start your day off with eggs and fruit. Several years ago, I read a study about how adding an egg to your morning meal lowers your calorie count for the day.  People tend to eat less throughout the day if they have had an egg for breakfast. After that, I became a much bigger fan of eggs for breakfast. I am also a huge fan of fruits and vegetables in a person's diet. Juice them, eat them raw, cook them or whatever you can to increase your plant intake all day long. Those macro-nutrients are vital.

2. Get Plenty of Sleep

The average adult should be getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. Your body needs that time to relax, heal and regenerate. I know that there is never enough time in the day to get everything done, but at least shoot for 7 hours of sleep even if that means you leave a few things undone until tomorrow.

3. Stay Hydrated

I have to admit that this is a huge challenge for me. I think I spent most of my school years training myself not to drink so that I didn't have to take many bathroom breaks. There just wasn't enough time.  Now, I feel like I have to make conscious efforts to even remember to drink water. Adult ladies need roughly 8 - 11 cups of water a day. Warm weather or exercising would of course increase that requirement. Adult males need about 10 - 16 cups.

4. Take a Brisk Walk

A little walk is a quick way to get the heart pumping and the blood flowing.  I think it is even better if you can do it outside so you get the benefit of fresh air and hopefully sunshine.

5. Consider Supplements

Deficiencies in magnesium, iron, iodine, niacin, vitamin B & D, and several others have been linked to lower energy levels along with many other issues. I have been taking supplements made by the essential oil company that I use. I take half of the recommended dose and they still really boost my energy levels. I shared some with my sister last summer and she noticed the increased energy immediately. She now takes them too.

6. Avoid things that cause a spike and then crash

When aiming for an overall more energetic way of life, it is best to avoid things that cause a spike or rush of energy because a crash usually follows. This includes caffeine, cigarettes, drugs, and even sugar (10 Disturbing Reasons Why Sugar is Bad).

7. Essential Oils

In case you were beginning to wonder, there are certainly oils that help with increasing energy levels.  Energizing oils include lemon, peppermint, sandalwood, white fir, spearmint, and wild orange. Applying them topically or diffusing them can really enhance a persons energy level.

Happy New Year!

May 2015 be full of amazing opportunities and healthy habits.

Truly Wise Gifts

For many years, I have heard and loved the story of Christ's birth.  It is a time in history that continues to warm our hearts and inspire Christ-like love during the holidays.  Over the last few years, the part about the wise men bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh has become much richer and more meaningful to me.  I now realize that the frankincense and myrrh were actually more valuable than the gold.  These strangers from afar truly blessed this humble little family.

Here are a few things you may not have known about the oils: 

Frankincense ~ Some people refer to this oil as the King of Oils.  I am sure that it is related to the association with Jesus. It has been known to help with feelings of abandonment, spiritual darkness, and unprotected.  It is associated with a love of our Father in Heaven and feeling his divine love.

Myrrh ~  This oil has often been called the oil of Mother Earth. This oil helps establish trust, feelings of safety, and maternal connections.

I find it interesting that frankincense represents fatherly love and myrrh represents motherly love.  What wonderful gifts to assist this family in feeling connected to each other and God.  Their lives were terribly difficult.  I can imagine these gifts were seen as true blessings at a time when they needed them most.

I found the picture for the above clip at the Market Place. 

Treating a Sore Throat - Doctor Oz

I just received the January 2015 edition of the Oprah Magazine.  Dr. Oz has an article on page 42 that I found very interesting.  The title is "What's the Best way to Treat a Sore Throat? At-home cures for a common winter woe."

According to the article, "A recent study in JAMA Internal Medicine found that physicians prescribe antibiotics for 60 percent of the patients they see with sore throats - even though research indicates that only 5 to 15 percent of cases actually require meds."  Isn't that interesting?  I have mentioned some of my sore throat natural remedies in past posts (sore throat links).  People have been using natural remedies for thousands of years. Doctor Oz apparently uses some to.

Dr. Oz's Favorite Natural Sore Throat Remedies:

1. Spray with Sage and Echinacea 

According to the article, "In one small study, nearly two-thirds of patients reported that their sore throat symptoms were lessened by at least 50 percent after just three days of using a spray composed of sage and echinacea extracts - a response nearly equal to that found with an anesthetic spray."

2. Gargle with Licorice

The article says that licorice contains a number of ingredients with anti-inflammatory and healing properties.  It also mentioned that sipping licorice tea may help.

3. Lock In Moisture

This recommendation is for a humidifier. Dry throats are a common culprit and adding moisture to the air can help.  

4. Pop a Lozenge

Dr. Oz recommends trying a throat lozenge.  He states, "certain ingredients known as demulcents may ease the pain that comes with swallowing by coating the throat with a protective film."  He also mentions that honey is an excellent demulcent.  "And hothe anesthetic properties in menthol lozenges gently numb throat tissue."  Of course, not all lozenges are the same.  Some are full of sugar, so it is important to choose wisely.

Eyelash Enhancement

Last spring, I read a tip about adding 2 drops of lavender to mascara.  I love mascara and wondered if it would alter it in a way that I wouldn't like.  I mentioned the tip to my mom, but never tried it myself.  A week or two later, I told to her that Rosemary is great too.  About 3 months ago, she told me that she loves how her eyelashes look now.  She had added two drops each of lavender and rosemary.  I was surprised.  It seemed strange to me that putting mascara with drops of oil on eyelashes would change anything.  I decided to try it though and was glad I did.  Right away, I actually liked how the oils changed the mascara.  Within 2 weeks, my eyelashes looked healthier and a little thicker. 

If you want to take this a step further, Dr. Axe has a recipe for making your own non-toxic mascara. Here is the link: Homemade Mascara

Perking Up Your Immune System for the Holidays

Yesterday, I came across this article:

Flu Shot Effectiveness

Apparently, the flu predictions weren't very accurate this year.  Whether people chose to have the flu shot or not, we all need to enhance our immune system.  This is especially important with the holidays when we are busier than ever and want to enjoy it in full health.  We can perk up our immune system in a lot of ways.

Some things that might be hurting your immune system during the holidays include:

1.Skimping on Sleep

This is one that I am definitely guilty of quite often, even when it isn't December. I put my kids in bed and go back to work emails.  Mount Sinai School of Medicine has found that less than 7 hours of sleep causes sluggish T-cell (white cells that defend against infections).

2. Eating too Much Fat

I am not saying to cut fat out of your diet, it certainly has benefits.  However, high-fat diets make certain immune system cells more sluggish and functioning at a lower capacity.  Researchers at Tufts University studied the effects on the immune system of diets containing 38% fat (which is a typical Western diet) compared to diets with 28% fat.  People with the lower fat diet had enhanced T-cells, which is a type of white blood cells.

3. Stress Overload

This one, of course, is difficult to avoid. Bruce McEwan, PhD from Rockefeller University said "ongoing stress suppresses circulation of immune cells, as well as inhibiting the activation of the immune response, which is key to clearing viruses and bacteria."

4. Repressing Feelings

Quite a few people complain about spending time with their dysfunctional families.  I think family time is great.  I never get enough of it.  If family time is stressful for you, remember that repressing your feelings isn't healthy either. "Writing or talking about an unresolved trauma helps you put the event into perspective, organize it, and ultimately get through it" according to the author of The Secret Life of Pronouns: What Our Words Say About Us.  If discussing it with the person that you have the issue with doesn't help, talk to someone else or even write it down in your journal.  The author also said, "Afterwards, people sleep better, feel and think better, and have richer social lives."

5. Drinking too much alcohol

I don't happen to drink at all, so "too much" isn't a problem for me.  If you do, you might want to consider cutting back.  Besides the fact that it is never bad advice for down-playing your drinking at company holiday parties, there are also health benefits for not over-doing it.  According to the University of Massachusetts Medical School who reviewed studies from 2000 - 2008, "Too much alcohol can leave you vulnerable to infections, poor wound healing, and heart, liver, and pancreatic diseases."

In addition to avoiding the five things listed above, there are some proactive measure we can take using essential oils.  The Top 5 Oils I am using are:

1. Protective Blend

This oil blend contains wild orange, clove bud, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus radiata, and rosemary.  These oils have been studied for their abilities to combat bacteria, mold and viruses.  It is commonly used to support bladder function, cleansing, colds, coughs, gum issues, halitosis, mold, and more.

2. Respiratory Blend

This oil blend contains laurel leaf, peppermint, eucalyptus, melaleuca, lemon, and ravensara. These oils have been known to soothe the tissues of the respiratory system.  It is commonly used to support anxiety, congestion, cough, respiratory system, sinus issues, and more.

3. Holiday Blend

This blend includes wild orange, nutmeg, pine, cassia, cinnamon bark, and vanilla absolute.  It lifts your mood, which is good for your whole body.

4. Melaleuca 

This oil is more commonly called Tea Tree Oil.  It is commonly used for pimples, colds and flu, gum problems, skin disorders, and more.

One of the ways that I like to use it is for throat tickles. Just a drop in your mouth does wonders.  It tastes awful for a little over 60 seconds, but the taste quickly disappears. Every time we feel a little tickle in our throats in the evening, we put a drop in our mouths. When we wake up in the morning, there is no sign of a problem.  Despite the taste, my kids ask for it when their throats are scratchy.  

5. Grounding Blend

This is known as the grounding blend. It contains spruce, rosewood, blue tansy, frankincense, and fractionated coconut oil. This is primarily used for anxiety, attention deficit, hyperactivity, nervousness, and balancing hormones. Balance is definitely what we all need more of during the holidays!

Christmas Clips by AromaTools

One of our favorite resources for oil accessories (AromaTools) has 2 cute little Christmas clips:

Santa Clause:

Scrooge

 

I don't make money from AromaTools. I just like their products.

Roller Ball Recipes

Once someone really gets excited about oils, they usually like to try to make their own roller ball blends using 10 ml roller bottles, various oils, and topping it off with fractionated coconut oil (FCO).  I found different recipes and put them into this arrangement to share.  

Happy Thanksgiving 2014!

Dry Brushing & Essential Oils

Dry brushing is an amazing way to rejuvenate your skin. I found this great demonstration video online and thought I'd share it with you.  She even ends it with an oil blend to apply to your skin.