Thieves for Fall

Fall is the perfect time of year to create a medicine cabinet with products, which Support the immune system, Reduce fever, Calm coughs and Inhibit bacteria and virus, Naturally.

Essential Oils are on the top of my list when it comes to creating a natural medicine cabinet and Thieves - an essential oil blend - is one that I personally include.

Thieves contains 5 Essential Oils:

1.  Clove (Syzygium aromaticum):
numbs pain, is an Antioxidant, Anti-infectious, Antiviral, Bactericidal and Warming

2.  Lemon (Citrus limon):
Anti-infectious, Antiseptic, Antiviral and an Immune stimulant

3.  Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum):
Antibacterial, Antiviral and an Antioxidant

4.  Eucalyptus radiata:
Antimicrobial, Antiseptic, Antiviral, Bactericidal, a Decongestant and Expectorant, Mucolytic

5.  Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis ct 1,8 cineol):
Antiviral, Decongestant, Expectorant and Warming

Suggested Safe Use:

• For children 1 - 5 years:  Blend 5 drops of Thieves in 1 ounce of all-natural lotion or carrier oil. Shake well before using. Massage well along the spine and feet.
• For adults:  Blend 15 - 18 drops of Thieves in 1 ounce of all-natural lotion or carrier oil. Shake well before using. Massage well along chest, spine and feet; gently inhale vapors.
• Diffusing in a cold-air Diffuser: Place 20 - 30 Total drops of Thieves essential oil blend in a cold-air diffuser.  Using a timer, set the timer to diffuse for 10 - 15 minutes on the hour every hour

Essential Oil Safety

• Avoid direct eye contact and contact with mucous membranes
• In the event of eye contact or contact with mucous membranes, flush with carrier oil
• Store Essential Oils out of reach of children and pets
• Store Essential Oils in cool, dark place - away from heat and light

What are Carrier Oils?
They are fatty oils, which help dilute Essential Oils, deliver them throughout the body, as well as protect and nourish skin.Some examples are:  jojoba, sweet almond oil, castor oil, grape seed oil, etc.

Resources

• Click HERE to buy Jojoba
• Click HERE to order Carrier Oils
• Click HERE to purchase cold-air diffusers
• Click HERE to order Thieves essential oil blend
• Click HERE to order Unscented Aromalotion (available by the gallon)

Green is the new Pink

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. For many years, Americans have spent millions on pink jewelry, pink clothes, pink electronics, even pink M&M's to raise awareness about breast cancer.

In hopes to raise awareness without earning a profit, I would simply like to share some educational websites.

As you will learn from the websites noted below, there is overwhelming evidence that links cancer to the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, the products we use on our bodies AND the chemicals we use to clean our home.

To reduce the risk in our home, we do have the power to make different choices about the products that we use to clean our home. In the long run, our lungs and immune systems are happier - kids and pets get healthier, too.
Examples of Commercial Household Cleaners

• Ajax (known cancer-causing product)
• Comet
• Mr Clean
• Lysol (registered pesticide)
• Scrubing Bubbles
• Tilex
• Windex (toxic to kidneys, live and blood cells)

Educational Websites:

• Breast Cancer & Environmental Risk Factors
• Breast Cancer Fact Sheets & Evidence
• Cancer Prevention Coalition
• Pure Prevention
• Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
• State of Evidence 2008: the Connection between Breast Cancer and the Environment
• What is Thermography

Fall Soup

Here's a recipe for a healthy fall soup. You can get all of the ingredients from your local farm stand or farmers market. Make extra for a friend or neighbor!

Ingredients:

• 5 - 8 red potatoes cubed (roasted in 450 degree oven with olive oil, sea salt, rosemary, thyme for 25 minutes)

• 1 large onion chopped

• 4 - 6 large cloves of garlic (or as many as you like) chopped

• 6 small leeks chopped

• olive oil

• 1 quart organic vegetable broth

• 1 cup of almond milk

• Spices: nutmeg, cayenne, cumin, black pepper

1. In large sauce pan, saute onion, garlic, and leeks with a drizzle of olive oil on low heat for ~ 15 minutes.
2. Add vegetable broth, roasted potatoes, and almond milk. Continue to simmer for about 15 minutes.
3. Remove 1/2 of soup mixture and blend in blender till smooth. Add back to sauce pan.
4. Add spices and simmer for 10 minutes.

• Garnish with pumpkin seeds.

Essential Oils & Lice. Happy Back to School!

Head lice (Pediculosis capitis) are parasites that can be found on the heads of people. Symptoms include intense itching and tickling feeling from movement of hair.

An investigation of Essential Oils (Lavender, Tea Tree and Lemon) on human lice showed that Tea Tree was most effective.

In another study, all of these oils were found to be effective (blended with vinegar and water) in vitro against lice....

• Aniseed, Cinnamon leaf, Nutmeg, Peppermint, Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia), Red Thyme

According to Jean Valnet, MD, he recommended the following essential oils for lice...

• Cinnamon, Clove, Eucalyptus, Geranium, Lavender, Lemon, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Thyme

And in another study, Eucalyptus globulus was found effective against lice.

Other:
In Jane Buckle’s, Clinical Aromatherapy, suffocating agents (carrier oils) such as olive, sunflower or vegetable oil can be effective if used for more than 12 hours.

According to Valerie Ann Worwood, an excellent preventative blend would be equal parts of Rosemary, Lavender, and Lemon. Add 2 drops to the final rinse after shampooing. If lice are present, the following blend should be rubbed well into the scalp and sit overnight: 27 drops each of Rosemary, Geranium and Lavender; add to 1 oz beeswax (melted) and 2 oz of Castor oil.

More Information:
Please consider these guidelines for blending essential oils safely:
http://www.organicajane.com/essentialoils/howtouseessentialoils.html

Health Effects of Lindane Exposure
http://www.headlice.org/lindane/health/health_effects.htm

Win the Fight Against Head Lice without Toxic Chemicals
http://www.quantumhealth.com/news/fight_lice.html

Order Essential Oils:
https://www.youngliving.org/amy

Resources:Complementary Therapies in Nursing and Midwifery, Volume 2, Issue 4, August 1996, Pages 97-101http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17662541?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=2http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20496586
photo resource: flickr.com by albertogp123

11 Ways to Save in 2011

1. Borrow books, movies, magazines, music from your local library (see if yours has a service, which allows you to hold something you've been wanting to read, listen to or watch)
2. Turn off your cable
3. Buy in Bulk!... beans, nuts, flours, etc.
4. Get a supply of kitchen / bar towels to use in place of paper towels
5. Use white vinegar instead of Windex
6. Use baking soda instead of Comet, Ajax, Soft Scrub
7. Unplug appliances and electronics when you're not using them
8. Grow your own vegetables or herbs
9. Bring your own, most coffee shops will give you a discount for bringin' your own mug
10. Save by using a filter at faucet or a pitcher for drinking water
11. Pay in cash whenever possible

photo source: flickr.com by CCAC North Library

From the Dr. Oz Website: Viewer Beauty Secrets

One day last month, Dr. Oz asked his facebook fans to post natural remedies that they swear by. So, I did.

That night I received a phone call from one of their Production Assistants. I was shocked! She said that they loved my remedy for dry, cracked hands and feet. And she asked if I would be interested in presenting the remedy on the show during the taping of his show Friday morning!

Two days later they flew me to NYC! Friday morning, their driver picked us up from the hotel at 7:30 am and drove us to NBC studios. I was so nervous!

It was such an opportunity to see all of the detail that goes into taping, experiencing a TV make-up and hair makeover, watching his staff behind the scenes and meeting Dr. Oz himself. What a kind and patient man. 
I am so grateful to have had this experience. I just wish I hadn't been so nervous.  Here's the taping, if you'd like to see it.
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/viewer-beauty-secrets

You can make the remedy at home with just a few ingredients
(dry, cracked hands and feet and buttocks, too)In a glass jar combine:
2 cups of sea salt
1 cup of organic olive oil
10 drops of Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
10 drops of Lemon (Citrus limon)

Shake well to mix. Massage a heaping tablespoon into nails, fingers and wrists, rinse well, pat dry. Avoid direct eye contact.

A visit to a magical distillery in France

The essential distillery, Verdon Roses et Aromes is about 4,000 feet up on a peaceful mountain top in a tiny little hamlet called Les Chauvets.

The drive up from base village, la Palud sur Verdon was a white-knuckle ride. A one-lane, winding road (no guard rail or shoulder) with views so intense we were just about sick to our stomachs.

Once you arrive at Verdon Roses et Aromes, all you sense is clean air, crickets, stillness and dry, hot sun.

The distillery is run by just two very hard-working and endearing souls: Evelyne and Jacky. Jacky and Evelyne distill Lavender, Carrot Seed, Mountain Savory, Thyme ct linalol and Peppermint as well as create herbal oils: Calendula, Yarrow, St. John's Wort, Chamomile and Rose - all with Agriculture Bio standard (Certifed Organic)!

We arrived just in time to see them filling the still with lavender, which they had hand harvested with sickles. It is amazing to see all of the plant material that is filled in the still and yet what little essential oil is yielded - not even a quart (as you'll see in the video).

If you are ever in France and in their neighborhood, ring them before you go - and don't forget your ginger essential oil for the drive!