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Immune System Help

This past week, our family got hit hard. First my son was under the weather and then my husband and finally me. Usually, my husband and I generally escape the petri dish that our toddler is, but not this time. Plus, being pregnant also makes it hard to be sick ( Yes, a new Ali will be joining us at the end of Jan – another blog post of how I am supporting my system using YL oils and supplements.

Bomb OK, back to immune system. Here is what we did to support our family…..For my husband and I, we started taking Inner Defense right away. Hubby took one every few hours. I only took two for the entire day as it contains Oregano, so I did not want to over do it.

I made an Immune Boosting bomb for myself and I only put Thieves, Frankincense and Copaiba in it ( left out the Oregano). I added Copaiba for supporting over all wellbeing and helping my system recover faster.

We also applied R.C on our chest, Thieves on the foot, Frankincense on the spine. We also diffused Purification, Lemon, Thieves EO in the shared common area, not all at once, but one at a time. At night, I diffused Thieves, Purification, Oregano, Citrus Fresh, Lemon EO – similarly, not all at once, but one at a time depending on what catches my attention.

Water2 Another thing, my husband discovered  😀 is this process of ‘Steaming With EO’. Being Indian, we were used to the process of steaming when sick ( heating water up, adding herbs to it and inhaling the vapors from it by covering your head with a towel to keep the vapors in).

 

 

 

AsadTowel He suggested trying it with EO’s. He added Peppermint EO or R.C or Oregano to the steaming water. It very much supported his respiratory system. I tried it as well. Peppermint EO was quite intense, but it really supported the respiratory system and cleared my nasal passage. Do write if you try this method and let me know what your experience is.

We also upped the dose of NingXia Red, Vit D, Omega Oils, Elderberry Syrup and Probiotics to help our bodies recover faster.

 

Anish&Capsules For the kiddo, pretty much the same protocol. Left out ingesting oils other than adding Lemon and Orange EO to his water. Needless to say, he is feeling much better in no time. I am amazed at the body’s ability to heal when the right environment is provided.

This is what he does with empty vegetarian capsules – fills them up with tiny beads  :-)

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Back To School Series – Rise and Shine

I am doing a ‘Back to School’ series in the next up coming weeks.

The first one is about mornings. I don’t know about you, but waking up in the morning and getting a child / children ready for school can be a challenge. I only have one toddler to get out of the house and invariably we are fighting being late for his toddler program. Since he is in school only for a few hours, I need him to leave on time so I can maximize my working day when he is away.

Morning blues can be tough. Can oils really help with that? You probably know what I will say, right? YES….

Print Oils like Joy, Lemon and Peppermint can serve as a wake up in the mornings. I love diffusing Lemon or Peppermint when I am getting breakfast ready or getting the kiddo dressed. Adding Lemon EO to my water can also be refreshing and cleansing.

Combo of Lemon and Joy in the diffuser is uplifting and creates a positive attitude.

Try it….

 

Healthy Weight Management

Weight is not something I have ever struggled with……Well, until….I got pregnant. I was always so prideful of my genes. My paternal grandmother was less than 5 ft tall, bore 8 children and probably never weighed more than 90 lbs.  Well, that is what I was blessed with, well, until I got pregnant.

Pregnancy was actually fine. I gained only the right amount 35 lbs and interestingly enough, I gained 15 more pounds after giving birth  in-spite of nursing. All the stories about nursing makes you shed the weight did NOT apply to me. It was so disheartening. I had so much compassion for people who try hard but are unable to shed the weight. I was so depressed. I am not big into being skinny, but my energy was down and it was so hard carrying around all that extra weight.

I found essential oils that helped with healthy weight management (which I will write about below) but I was reluctant to use them as they have peppermint EO and sometimes peppermint EO can reduce milk supply. I was not ready to loose the milk supply that I had worked hard towards maintaining. So, you must be thinking – there must be something about Essential Oils that she will be writing about. Yes, there is, but not all what helped me finally loose all the pregnancy + weight.

What worked for me was a high protein diet low carb diet, exercise regularly even if just for 20 min, reducing stress ( this was BIG as I was so stressed about my son’s eating issues – another post for later) , NingXia Red (I started drinking NingXia Red everyday especially before a workout) and Lemon EO ( I started having lemon eo in my water everyday in the morning) This really helped and 2 years since his birth, I am finally back to my pre pregnancy weight.

In any case, here is a protocol that might help many of you….

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Grapefruit EO ( Helps boost metabolism)
Lemon EO ( Breaks down fat cells)
Peppermint (Helps with hunger)
Add 3-4 drops of each in a capsule and have one everyday preferably in the morning.

My invitation to anyone struggling with weight – Don’t give up, be persistent ( heard of compound effect – it works) and don’t loose hope.

 

Oil Pulling with a twist

So, what is oil pulling? Oil pulling is an ancient ayurvedic method of detoxifying your body. Basically, it is done by taking a tablespoon of coconut oil or sesame oil and swishing it around your mouth for up to 15-20 minutes every morning before you brush your teeth or eat or drink anything. You then spit it out as ingesting it = ingesting the toxins. Then after brushing your teeth with a natural toothpaste, your mouth will feel unbelievably clean.

Oil pulling cleanses out bacteria, viruses, fungi and various toxins that often reside in the mouth. Since the mouth is the home to many microbial organisms, oil pulling effectively gets rid of them before they enters your bloodstream. And not only does it cleanse your mouth, it also cleanses and pulls out toxins from your body.

It has many benefits that include but not limited to a clean mouth, reducing cavities and tooth decay, clear skin, more energy, detoxing the body, and aids in over all well being. Always use organic cold pressed oils if possible. AND most important, always spit out the oil at the end of the session into your trash as it WILL clog up your sink . If you want to read more, just google “oil pulling”.

OilPulling

So, where is the twist. I started adding a dropThieves essential oil to my coconut oil for oil pulling. Thieves is an oil blend consisting of Clove, Rosemary, Eucalyptus and Lemon. It is a great support of oral health. Not only does it leave your mouth clean and fresh, it also supports your immune system.

Thieves2

I sometimes also add Lemon essential oil to my coconut oil for oil pulling. Lemon can help with detoxing and cleansing. It does leave your mouth feeling clean.

Lemon2

Similarly, you can add Peppermint or Frankincense  or Oregano or clove to your oil pulling. They each have different benefits. For example, Frankincense can help with tooth sensitivities, Oregano can help boost your immune system – I often add this when I am starting to come down with something. Try it and see the difference.

Camping Spray

It is that time of the year again and being outdoors is something our family enjoys a lot. What I am sure no human enjoys is being the target of our friends who live outdoors – yes, I mean mosquitoes and other critters.

Here are a few versions of sprays I have tested on my family.

Version 1

10 drops – Citronella Essential Oil
10 drops – Lavender Essential Oil
10 drops – Peppermint Essential Oil
10 drops – Lemongrass or Eucalyptus Essential Oil
1-2 oz – Witch Hazel
Distilled water or Carrier Oil like Grape seed Oil or Coconut oil

Citronella

Take a glass spray bottle, combine all the above essential oils. Add a little witch hazel to it. Fill that rest with distilled water. And it is ready for use. Spray liberally on clothes and on the skin. As always, be careful near the eyes

You can also make the same using a roller bottle. Combine all the essential oils. Don’t add witch hazel or distilled water. Just fill the rest with the carrier oil like grape seed oil or coconut oil. Apply it behind your neck or any exposed skin.

Version 2

MosquitoSpray

Version 3

This is the spray that I have made for repelling ticks.

15 drops Citronella
15 drops Peppermint
15 drops Thyme
15 drops Palo Santo
10 drops Purification
2-4 oz Witch Hazel
2-4 oz Distilled Water
8 oz Glass Spray Bottle

palo-santo

Just combine all the Essential Oils in the spray bottle. Add witch hazel and distilled water and it is ready to go. Spray liberally on your clothes and skin. It is safe to use on babies. Last year when my son was only 6 months old in the sumer, we used this on hiking trips. This year, we will hopefully use on a camping trip.

Thyme

If you find a tick lodged into your skin, put a drop of Palo Santo on the tick to have it back off. It will most likely die. Apply Lavender, Purification and Peppermint on the site.

Do you have a recipe using Essential Oil for chasing away bugs? Please do share…