Author Archives: liivih

Are you and your Doctor gambling with your child’s health? Drug dangers

Posted on 11 February, 2015 | 2 comments

Thrive Primal - dangers of medicating children

This is part 1 of a 3-part series on safe remedies for children.

1. The dangers of medications for children

2. Go-to natural remedies for common children’s illnesses (How to detox your medicine cabinet and replace OTC meds with corresponding effective natural remedies). 

3. How to ensure safety when using natural remedies and essential oils for children

Many of these dangers, remedies and safety measures will be very much relevant for adults too. I will link to each article as I complete them over the next couple of days.

 

Children get sick often. Their immune systems aren’t yet fully developed and they are constantly coming into contact with new foods, people and environments which they must adapt to. Colds, flus, rashes, fevers, headaches, tummy aches, ear infections, sore throats etc are an everyday occurrence in classrooms and families with young children.

When our young ones aren’t feeling well, we want to help relieve their symptoms as quickly as possible so they can rest and heal. We go to the medicine cabinet, the pharmacy or the doctor without a second thought. We feed them whatever the product might be that we find on the shelf that says “For Kids” on it and has a colourful packaging with a smiling child on the front.

It’s a comfortable oft-repeated routine, and the carefully positioned marketing makes us feel like we are doing the right thing.

Are you exposing your children to potentially deadly OTC medications?

But have you ever stopped to think whether that product is safe, or an appropriate strength for your child, or has been properly tested on children? And for that matter, children of the right age or weight, or who have a similar constitution and health history to YOUR child. We tend to blindly trust the pharmaceutical manufacturers and the pharmacists and doctors who recommend drugs, because that’s probably how we were treated as a kid. It might not even occur to us that there are other options that might be safer and more health-supporting for children in the long run.

Children are much more vulnerable to drugs

The bodies, organs, digestive systems and brains of little ones are much more vulnerable than we are to the harsh, manipulative chemicals used in pharmaceuticals. They are also less able to communicate how they are feeling, what they’re in need of, or when something is affecting them in the wrong way.

Horen and colleagues found that pediatric outpatients had three times the risk of an adverse drug reaction, compared with adult outpatients, especially when the medication was used for an “off-label” indication – a common practice in pediatrics.

Children and adolescents are at greater risk than adults for medication errors because they have an immature physiology as well as developmental limitations that affect their ability to communicate and self-administer medications. (source)

Dr. Dianne Murphy, director of FDA’s Office of Pediatric Therapeutics, writes in this interview:

Know that children can have different adverse reactions to a drug than adults. So for a product that has not been studied in children, it is possible for an adverse effect to occur that may not be listed on the drug’s label.

Children are more sensitive than adults to many drugs. For example, antihistamines and alcohol—common ingredients in cold medications—can have adverse effects at lower doses on young patients, causing excitability or excessive drowsiness. Some [common] drugs, like aspirin, can cause serious illness or even death in children with chickenpox or flu symptoms.

Also, realize that some diseases may be expressed differently in children than in adults, and some drugs don’t work for kids even though they have been proven to work in adults.

The serious adverse events reported with cough and cold products include death, convulsions, rapid heart rates, and decreased levels of consciousness.

The FDA suddenly began recommending that cough and cold medicines not be used on young children in 2008-2009. Previous to this, and probably even now for those who haven’t heard the updated recommendations, how commonly were cough and cold medicines administered to young children? All the time! Toddlers and kids under 10 probably have the highest rates of coughs and colds out of any segment of society. Yet loving parents were/are unknowingly administering them medication containing toxic ingredients because they trust the industry that sells them.

Who knows what the next similar discovery, and sudden 180 switch, will be?

More and more drugs are being prescribed to children

Medication for children, and particularly prescription meds, is currently the fastest-growing sector in the pharmaceutical industry. Check out these details from Melody Petersen, author of Our Daily Meds, an in-depth look at the pharmaceutical industry.

DP: You write about a growing market for drugs for children. You say we know little about the long-term effects of prescription meds on kids. Let’s talk particularly about depression medications and ADHD meds, which seem to be what kids are mostly prescribed.

MP:In recent years, sales of drugs for children have been the industry’s fastest growing business. Doctors now prescribe pills to children for all kinds of conditions — from high cholesterol to anxiety. The market for ADHD drugs has long been a big opportunity for the industry. More recently, the companies have had their sales reps urge doctors to prescribe antidepressants, antipsychotics and other psychiatric meds to children. The result: our kids take more of those medicines than children in other countries. For example, a study last year found that American children take three times more attention deficit medications and antidepressants than children in Europe.

DP: Could you tell me how the prescription med industry is in bed with doctors?

MP: The industry spends hundreds of millions of dollars on physicians every year. […] The drug companies pay doctors to be their so-called consultants. They also pay them to sit on corporate advisory boards and to give lectures to other doctors. They pay for up to 80 percent of the continuing medical education that doctors need to maintain their licenses. […] The truth is that doctors are no longer independent gatekeepers who keep us safe from drugs we don’t need. Far too many of them are financially tied to the industry. They are writing the prescriptions that their financial backers want them to write. (source)

I find it extremely frightening that more and more drugs are being marketed to children. Children are showing increasing issues with attention and mood problems, yet does that mean they need medication? I think there are a number of deeper issues at play here. We should not just continue on with our day-to-day consumerist status quo, and then get upset and medicate our children when they don’t behave the way we think they should.

Drugs are rarely tested on children

According to this article from the American Journal of Nursing, most drugs are never actually tested on children, but end up being used on them anyway. The article explains that “the great majority of medications are developed in concentrations appropriate for adults; therefore, pediatric indications and dosage guidelines often aren’t included with a medication”.

Many of the medications of benefit to children in emergency situations and in the treatment of certain diseases have been approved by the FDA only for use in adults. Testing of these medications in children has been thwarted by several barriers inherent to research in children (for example, ethical concerns about using children as clinical trial subjects, the necessity of obtaining parental consent, and the difficulty of enrolling a sufficient number of children).

I can’t help but think that the industry is basically leaving the safety of drugs for children entirely up to chance. They will release a drug on minimal evidence at best, and wait for problems to arise afterward. According to these articles from the FDA website (1, 2):

“Most pediatric clinical trials involve a relatively small number of patients,” says Dianne Murphy, M.D., director of FDA’s Office of Pediatric Therapeutics, and problems might not be detected until the products are in widespread use. And a drug or device might be studied in one pediatric age group, but prescribed and used in another age group in which it has not been studied, she says.

And here is another shocker. Only about half of the medications used to treat children have ever been tested on children, and not necessarily on the appropriate age group. This information is openly posted on the FDA website, however how many people actually know or think about this stuff?

Q: Are medications that are intended for children clinically tested on children?

A: If the product is to be used only for children, then it must be studied in the pediatric population. However, many therapies are developed for adults and then used in children without having been studied in children. Therefore, most marketed products that are mostly used in adults have not been studied in children—even though they may be used by doctors to treat children.

There has been improvement in this area in regard to prescription drugs. As of 2008, an estimated 50 to 60 percent of prescription drugs used to treat children have been studied in some part of the pediatric population. Still, the likelihood that a medicine has actually been studied in neonates—children less than a month old—is close to zero.

So nearly a decade into the 21st Century, most medicines intended for children, including many over-the-counter (OTC) products, haven’t been clinically studied in children—and certainly not in all age populations that comprise the branch of medicine known as “pediatrics.” (source)

It’s easy for mistakes to occur both at home and while in care

At Home

Parents frequently medicate children with things they pick up from the drug store that are labelled “for kids”. I certainly was when I was little! However, there can be significant risks that come with these seemingly innocuous remedies:

An April 2011 report from FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) found that confusion caused by the different concentrations of liquid acetaminophen for infants and children was leading to overdoses that made infants seriously ill, with some dying from liver failure.

So to avoid dosing errors, some manufacturers voluntarily changed the liquid acetaminophen marketed for infants from 80 mg per 0.8mL or 80 mg per 1 mL. But this is a voluntary change and some of the older, stronger concentrations of acetaminophen marketed for infants are still available and may remain available.

“There is still some on store shelves; there is still some in homes; and there is still some in distribution [continuing to be sold]”.

Why does this pose a danger?

If a pediatrician prescribes a 5 mL dose of the less concentrated liquid acetaminophen, but the parents administer a 5 mL dose of the more concentrated liquid acetaminophen, the child can receive a potentially fatal overdose during the course of therapy. [all due to a simple communication error!]

It is important to understand that there is no dosing amount specified for children younger than 2 years of age.  If you have an infant or child younger than 2 years old, always check with your healthcare provider for dosing instructions. (source)

I know it says ‘check with your healthcare provider’ for dosing instructions for kids younger than 2, but I just have to say that any human / professional / doctor / caregiver can make mistakes. It’s ultimately a judgement call, and I just don’t think it’s worth the risk when there are so many less invasive, less risky options. (to come in article 2!)

Under professional care

When a child is sick, where do we turn for trust-worthy help and care? This article from the American Journal of Nursing explains that a child is not safe under the care of hospital staff either.

Several studies of pediatric inpatients found rates of medication error ranging from 4.5 to 5.7 errors per 100 medication orders.

To me, this rate is very high! Nearly 6 out of every 100 kids are receiving the wrong medicine and therefore being put at risk of adverse effects.

The article goes on to say that doctors frequently use “off-label (sometimes called unlicensed) medications, because the majority of medications FDA approved for children don’t offer many of the therapeutic benefits of off-label medications. It’s safe to use an off-label medication in a child only when its use is fully understood by all clinicians who treat the patient. Because most medications don’t carry information on child-related dosing guidelines, adverse effects, or safety and efficacy information, using medications in off-label applications-that is, without FDA approval for children-puts children at significant risk for error.”

Due to the fact that medications intended for adults are used on children, medical practitioners go on the assumption that a smaller dose will be safe. There are various equations used to calculate appropriate pediatric dosages, however “Clinicians should adjust the dosage according to the patient’s illness and overall medical condition, such as the presence of diseases affecting metabolism of the drug.” (source)

My interpretation of this mess is that giving children medication is basically a judgement call, or crapshoot. Even if a practitioner has the best intentions and tries to take everything into account, it’s easy to make a fatal error.

Misplacement of the decimal point is a common dosing error that can lead to a tenfold error in overdosing or underdosing [of infants and children]. The consequences of such errors include transient renal failure, tachycardia, respiratory failure, and cardiac arrest. (source)

To me, this makes a MAJOR case for taking the health of children into our own hands and building strong, healthy bodies in the first place. This includes pre-conception (with our own health prior to conceiving) and also during gestation, with good nutrition to build a healthy baby. Then, after birth we can use good food and natural remedies to support a young immune system, so that there is much less chance of illness or resorting to hospital care & drugs.

Poisoning rates are rising, even from meds we used to consider safe

This articles from Forbes, called “More Kids are Dying as Prescription Drug Use Skyrockets” explains that:

According to the latest Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), childhood poisoning deaths increased 80 percent between 2000 and 2009, and prescription drugs accounted for 57 percent of the increase.

And that statistic doesn’t account for any of the issues with over-the-counter (non-prescription) medications. Earlier in this post I mentioned that the FDA stopped recommending use of cough and cold syrup products on young children due to concerns of toxicity and unpredictable effects.

Upon further research I found that it’s estimated that 10% of children don’t have the enzyme required to metabolize the common active ingredient in cough syrups, and there is no way to know whether your child is one of these. It’s essentially playing Russian Roulette with your child’s health, yet 61% of parents still use cough syrup on their children (source).

And all this risk is being taken when honey has been found to be more effective (and much less risky) than cough syrup. It’s time to educate ourselves on natural remedies that don’t present risk of poison or overdose, and support the body to heal itself without creating side effects, resistance or addiction.

Here is another resource which you can check out on your own: 9 medicines not to give your toddler

Are your children at risk? Protect your children by using natural remedies

Sorry for all the doom and gloom, but I hope that this article has given you some valuable food for thought!!

Stay tuned for the next 2 articles in this series; they will be much more action-oriented and optimistic! I will link to them as they are completed over the next few days. (Here is Part 2: Safe Natural & Effective Remedies for Kids, and How to Detox Your Medicine Cabinet)

We will look at safer, more natural remedies that help support the health and growing bodies of little ones.

 

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3 Surefire Ways to Take Charge of Your Sleep Naturally

Posted on 6 February, 2015 | 3 comments

Thrive Primal - natural remedies for sleep

When was the last time you got a good night’s sleep? Do you drag your arse out of bed every single day cursing your alarm and dreading the day ahead?

I’m here to tell you that there are 3 little- known factors that are keeping you from a restful sleep.

I’m not going to waste your valuable time telling you how important sleep is. Well OK just these 2 mind blowing facts.

Losing sleep destroys your health

1. According to this 2009 study people who expose themselves to light at night don’t produce enough melatonin for proper restful sleep. A lack of melatonin production causes us to be

not only immune suppressed, but … also at an increased risk of developing a number of different types of cancer. […] Sleep disturbances can lead to immune suppression and a shift to the predominance in cancer-stimulatory cytokines.

2. This 2010 study had one group sleeping 8.5 hours a night and the other sleeping 5.5 hours a night, while eating a healthy diet in an effort to lose weight. The results showed that:

Sleep curtailment decreased the proportion of weight lost as fat by 55% and increased the loss of fat-free body mass by 60%

Meaning that it’s 55% harder to lose fat, and 60% harder to keep your healthy lean muscle. Those are pretty shit odds!

So, in a nutshell, losing sleep makes you fat and cancerous. Ready for better sleep??

Let’s get straight to the action plan.

3 little-known factors which hugely impact how you sleep

Magnesium
According to Marek Doyle, a nutritional medicine practitioner who writes for the Huffington Post, magnesium is rarely mentioned in conventional recommendations, but it effectively cures 90% of his insomnia patients within 24 hours.

Magnesium plays a vital role in over 325 basic reactions in human biochemistry, but in regards to sleep specifically:

Magnesium is vital for the function of GABA receptors, which exist across all areas of the brain and nervous system. GABA is a calming neurotransmitter that the brain requires to switch off; without it, we remain tense, our thoughts race and we lie in bed staring at the ceiling. (source)

How do you know if you’re short of magnesium? (it’s estimated that at least 80% of us are). If you have trouble falling asleep, wake easily, or wake at odd times. Also any of the following:

If you get cramps regularly, find that fluids pass through you easily, have cold hands and feet, experience tightness in the neck and shoulders or notice twitches in small muscles (the eyelid, for example)

There’s no harm in trying it, and certainly a lot to gain. So what’s the best way to replenish your magnesium? Oral supplements are often poorly absorbed, so I recommend a magnesium bath, lotion or spray. The lotion being the easiest, fastest and least fussy.

Be aware that magnesium may sting your skin slightly at first while you are recovering from deficiency. I would recommend using it 30-60 min before bed so it has time to absorb.

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Calming Essential Oils for Better Sleep (Knock yourself out naturally)

This month I am so excited to try this blend from Megan Card.

She calls it the “better than ambien” blend since she suffered from insomnia for years, having tried numerous medicinal sleep aids. She never had such effective results (without the scary side effects and addiction risk of sleep aids) until she tried this essential oil blend.

It contains the most naturally relaxing sedative oils which will help calm your thoughts and prepare your body for sleep.

Here is the recipe:
(Combine in an amber or blue glass bottle)

  • 25 drops Serenity blend
  • 20 drops Ylang yang
  • 15 drops Vetiver
  • 15 drops Marjoram

Get the best oils HERE – this is where I buy mine from.

Apply several drops of the blend to the bottom of each foot before bed. The soles have the largest pores to allow oils to safely and rapidly enter the bloodstream.

Check out more about essential oils, or grab some and get started now at this page.

Blue-blocking Lenses
So you may have heard that the blue light from TVs and devices tricks your brain into thinking it’s daytime and keeps you awake. This is absolutely true.

However the problem is that most recommendations are along the lines of don’t use your phone past 9pm or don’t watch TV two hours before bedtime, etc. I’ll be the first to admit that most of the time in our modern lifestyle this is just never going to happen. It’s just not realistic. Although I do think it’s vital to practice ‘technology cleansing’ and not be glued to our phones every moment, especially not in the bedroom, I acknowledge that turning off all tech a few hours before bedtime is a bit of an idealistic notion.

Luckily I’ve discovered a way around this.

Grab yourself some of these babies and you will be effectively blocking the blue light that inhibits your natural melatonin production. I’ve heard a number of wellness experts discuss this simple and effective technique including Dave Asprey (The Bulletproof Executive), Katie the Wellness Mama and Chris Kresser.

I’ve read that it takes 3-4 hours of no-blue-light exposure for melatonin production to kick in, so try to wear your sweet orange or yellow specs from the time the sun goes down.

Grab some for your whole family or your flatmates and be awesome silly orange-lens-wearers together. Will and I rock these every night and we find it really helps. I can literally feel my brain kicking into “rest mode” when I wear them, and switch back into “alert mode” if I take them off.

Liivi and Will wearing blue blocking glasses for better sleep

If you’re worried about them ruining your sex life, that is a valid concern (ha). Although sorry to be a smartass but I’ll just point out that not sleeping well and being tired and grumpy, and/or getting cancer, will also do that. Solution: Use beeswax candles, low-blue lightbulbs, or salt lamps as it gets closer to bedtime or on evenings when you don’t want to wear your glasses! These all emit warm-spectrum light that won’t shut down your melatonin production.

A couple of other tips:

  • install f.lux on your computer
  • light your home with salt lamps at night (they clean the air and reduce EMFs too)
  • get bright natural light as soon as you can upon waking in the morning to signal your brain that it’s awake time. This helps regulate your circadian clock.

What about melatonin supplements?

You might be wondering about melatonin supplements. It’s natural right, so it must be safe?

Well, according to The Sleep Solution by Emily Benfit, exogenous melatonin may make you feel sleepy, but it’s merely inducing limpness in your body where blood is restricted to the brain and heart and your general cognitive function is impaired.

Emily outlines the possible side effects of melatonin consumption:

  • Vasoconstriction of the brain, organs, and heart.
  • Shrinks and involutes the thymus gland
  • Shrinks sex organs
  • Increases heart rate and perpetuates the stress cycle
  • Inhibits fertility

This insight is thanks to this article from Hollywood Homestead.

What helps you get restful sleep?

Have you tried any of these techniques? Did you find success? Share your experiences below so we can all support each other!

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Natural Remedy: How and why to drink Chaga tea

Posted on 4 February, 2015 | 2 comments

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Chaga tea is the king of teas. It has so many freaking awesome benefits.

First things first, chaga is a mushroom that grows only on birch trees. It’s not soft and mushy though, it’s actually quite hard, almost as hard as wood. The outside is slightly crumbly and black.

The best chaga comes from the northern forests of Canada. Will and I were lucky enough to find some on a birch tree when we were in the French River area recently!

Chaga is usually wild-harvested and then dried and split into chunks. When you buy it make sure the company you choose harvests their Chaga sustainably. They should leave 20% of the mushroom intact on the tree so that it can grow back.

Why Chaga is so awesome

  • Chaga is the number one rated healing plant on Earth according to Traditional Chinese Medicine
  • It has been used as a remedy for thousands of years by Native Americans and Europeans
  • It is so powerful because it harnesses the strength, nutrients and longevity of living trees into a concentrated form, making chaga mushrooms one of the most nutrient-dense and powerful superfoods on Earth
  • IT TASTES DELICIOUS: if you’ve ever tapped a maple tree in the late spring to collect sap, it tastes like that. A light, watery, sweet, earthy taste. I really enjoy drinking it and think it’s delicious. It’s caffeine-free too of course, so you can safely enjoy it anytime.

Benefits of Chaga tea

  • over 200+ phyto nutrients
  • abundant vitamins and minerals
  • supports the adrenal glands (which produce your stress hormones – the adrenals are easily exhausted / disregulated these days with stressful lifestyles and over-consumption of caffeine)
  • slows the aging process through anti-oxidant and detox action
  • supports the immune system and healthy digestion
  • supports the flushing of radiation, heavy metals and toxins
  • slows or stops the development of pre-cancerous cells
  • one of the most potent anti-oxidants in the world

Where to get Chaga tea

I’ve seen Chaga teabags around here and there, but I wouldn’t recommend them. Since it’s ground up and packaged, you can’t see the quality or how much Chaga is actually in there.

The best way is to buy a jar of “Chaga chunks” and just steep it into a tea (instructions below). It’s pretty affordable, I bought a big jar for about $30. The bag below is around $20. You can re-use the chunks multiple times so it lasts ages!

Here is a good source for your Chaga chunks!

 How to make Chaga tea

  • Simply grab a chunk that fits in your palm, anywhere from the size of a walnut to a clementine (roughly). They are irregularly shaped so I’m generalizing! This size of chunk is enough to make about 2 cups of tea. Use more than one chunk, or a bigger chunk, if you’re making lots.
  • Put 2 cups of filtered/purified water into a small pot, and pop the chaga chunk in there.
  • Bring it to a rolling boil for a few minutes, then quiet down to a simmer for a while. Total time should be at least 15-20 minutes to extract lots of good chaga-ness.
  • Your liquid will turn brown-black, the darker the better. Pour and consume!
  • Afterward, keep your chaga chunk (let it dry out on a plate). You can use it 6-8 times over, until it stops giving brown colour when you boil it. At that point just chuck it in the garden or whatever, it’s pooched. Then on to a new chunk!

Have you tried Chaga tea?

What was your experience? Do you like the flavour? Are you digging the multiple health benefits of Chaga?

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doTERRA Balance Essential Oil: Benefits & How to Use

Posted on 4 February, 2015 | Leave a comment

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Don’t we all need a little more balance in our lives? This is definitely something that I’m seeking in my quest for a slower, more natural lifestyle.

Even if you’re rushing around in the city, at the office, through the supermarket, in and out of appointments and vehicles, you can maintain a little bit of connection to the Earth with the grounding, woodsy scent of Balance.

Balance is one of my favourite essential oil blends. To begin with I know it’s pure and safe for the one precious body I have to care for, because of where it comes from. Whenever I inhale it, I immediately get images of beautiful shady trees, dappled sunlight and warm earth. My lungs open, I breathe deeper, and I feel muscles that I didn’t even know were tense begin to relax. I feel clearer like I’ve just taken a mini little mental walk in the forest.

The blend is made up of 5 different essential oils in a base of coconut oil. Frankincense, Blue Chamomile, Blue Tansy, Ho Wood, and Spruce. Each of these have potent molecular activity on the brain and cell processes, however even just the pure aroma itself, and the act of taking a quiet moment to yourself to inhale it, is very therapeutic.

Here are some details about the 5 essential oils which make up Balance: (source)

  • Spruce: Spruce is found to ground the body and balance our ability to give and receive. Its herbaceous scent helps expand the bronchials to deepen breathing and release tension or emotional blocks that may reside in the throat, jaw and chest.
  • Ho Wood: Ho Wood is slowly taking the place of Rosewood. Rosewood is becoming endangered and so good companies are choosing to remove it from their blends. It is very similar in composition, just simply more sustainable. Ho Wood is a powerful sedative, offering grounding and calming effects on the nervous system and emotions.
  • Frankincense: This oil has been used for centuries in physical and emotional healing. It contains sesquiterpenes, which oxygenate the pineal and pituitary gland, passing the blood brain barrier to promote brain health. It strengthens skin and nails and promotes cellular regeneration to prevent the appearance of aging. It also balances mood and strengthens a person’s spiritual connection and sense of understanding. See more on this incredible essential oil here.
  • Blue Tansy: This is a detoxifying oil, thought to help detoxify the liver and lymphatic system, which is closely related to the emotions of anger and depression. The mind-body connection allows this oil to aid in promoting self-control and well-being.
  • Blue Chamomile: A calming and sedative oil, Blue Chamomile has also shown properties of being pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory, which helps when dealing with stress, joint support and muscle health.

Why buy ready-made essential oil blends?

It’s fun to make your own blends too (I’ve collected lots of recipes on Pinterest) but when you buy a pre-made blend you know that it has the correct and unique proportions which make the plant constituents interact and compliment each other effectively. With so many incredible properties in one bottle, the Balance blend from doTERRA can take a lot of the guess work out of worrying about which oil to use.

The therapeutic-grade quality of each individual oil and the particular proportion of each is what makes Balance such a valuable and effective tool for grounding techniques.

When and how to use the Balance blend

These are suggestions gathered from various essential oil resources and success stories. Use them as inspiration to see what works for you and your family. If in doubt or if you’re using oils on babies / children / during pregnancy or breast-feeding, please dilute your oils with a carrier oil such as coconut oil, and research first.

Topical uses for Balance

Use topically for the following conditions. Apply 2-3 drops to the bottom of the feet in the morning, at bedtime, or when experiencing symptoms. You can also apply oils specifically to reflex points on the feet that are associated with particular organs or systems in the body.

The reason that oils are recommended to apply to the feet is that the feet have the largest pores, so applying oils here lets them enter the blood stream quickly (20-30 seconds). The feet also have hardy skin which won’t be irritated by any hot or tingly oils (although Balance is not a hot oil – this is more for oils like cinnamon, clove, oregano)

The throat, back of the neck, wrists, around the ears on the lymph nodes, and on the solar plexus are also good places to apply oils topically.

Note about topical use: If you ever feel that an oil is too intense on your skin, do not apply water – water and oil don’t mix so it won’t help. Just apply more clean carrier oil (ie coconut oil) to the area. This will dilute the oil and relieve the sensation quickly.

  • ADHD or lack of focus
  • Anxiety, stress and mental or emotional balance
  • Back pain and muscle pain (you can also use a blend such as Deep Blue)
  • Bursitis
  • Brain healing and regeneration
  • Convulsions and seizures (after seeking medical attention)
  • Hot flashes
  • Jet lag
  • Lupus
  • Metabolism balance
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Patience
  • Vertigo
  • Spirituality

Aromatic Uses

Using a diffuser is the best way to breathe the benefits of essential oils. The Home Essentials Kit comes with one plus lots of oils to get started with, at a hefty discount.

You can also inhale straight from the bottle, put a few drops in your hands and inhale, use a diffuser necklace.

  • ADD / ADHD and Focus
  • Anxiety
  • Depression – you can also use an elevating blend like Citrus Bliss
  • Dizziness
  • Energy
  • Grief or a feeling of loss
  • Grounding
  • Hot flashes
  • Hyperactivity
  • Jet lag
  • Mood, balance and stress-relief
  • Vertigo
  • Spirituality

Internal Use

The Balance blend is not recommended for internal use; most blends are not (other than OnGuard and Slim & Sassy which have been tested as safe for consumption). It’s easy to check by just glancing at the back of the bottle – if it doesn’t have a “Supplement Facts” table on the back, that means you should not consume that oil internally.

Want a free bottle of Balance?

During the month of February 2015 my doTERRA team is running a promotion. If you grab a kit with us this month, you’ll be entered for a chance to win!

Balance doesn’t come in some of the smaller kits so it would be great to grab a free bonus one. Or even if you do choose a kit that contains Balance, an extra bottle is great to have on hand to send to school or work with your loved ones, lend to a friend in need, or to replenish your supply quickly since it’s such a versatile, use-many-times-a-day sort of blend.

Go HERE for more info on essential oils, and why I choose to use the doTERRA brand

Go HERE to get started and buy your oils. doTERRA’s Balance is also available for $22 on Amazon.com

Go HERE to learn about partnering with Dani and I in our heartfelt holistic business

Go HERE to get in touch with questions!

 

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Real Food Recipe: Guilt-free Choc-Banana-Chia Cakelets

Posted on 3 February, 2015 | 1 comment

Thrive Primal - paleo chocolate banana chia cake recipe

Ok, not gonna lie friends, I’ve been coming up with some winners lately. The zucchini pancakes were delightful, and the easy 5-ingredient pork & pea soup was out of this world.

Today we have reached new heights in the easy quick paleo/primal-friendly dessert category. These paleo banana chocolate chip chia seed cakelets are pretty freakin scrumpsh.

You could also get away with having cake for breakfast if you’re feeling indulgent. They’re pretty high in protein and fiber, plus some healthy fat and not much sweet stuff at all. Just 1 ripe banana and 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (divided between 6 servings).

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Real Food Recipe: Guilt-free Choc-Banana-Chia Cakelets

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 6 cakelets

Real Food Recipe: Guilt-free Choc-Banana-Chia Cakelets

A tasty gooey gluten-free cakelet that's perfect for dessert and healthy enough for breakfast too, once in a while ;)

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. Mash the banana in a mixing bowl.
  3. Add in all the other ingredients and mix well.
  4. Pour into 6 silicone muffin cups (you NEED these, they will change your life!!!! especially if you bake with a lot of coconut / rice / almond flour).
  5. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 F.
  6. Enjoy sliced in half with grass-fed butter on top. YUM.
https://www.thriveprimal.com/real-food-recipe-paleo-chocolate-banana-cake/

If you try these, let me know what you think! Did you use all good-quality ingredients? Would you alter the recipe at all? Do you think these are healthy and nutritious enough to fit in with your paleo/primal-oriented diet? Or are they just for a rare treat? 80-20 rule! ;) Enjoy!!

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How to Make Sauerkraut in 3 Steps: DIY Probiotic!

Posted on 2 February, 2015 | Leave a comment

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Eating fermented foods is a must if you want to optimally digest and absorb everything you eat. Our ancestors ate cultured and fermented foods constantly, so we would have a steady stream of friendly bacteria coming into our system. Nowadays these traditional foods have mostly fallen by the wayside, along with their plentiful benefits.

Everyone should eat fermented and cultured foods, but particularly if you suffer from any sort of chronic health issues. I find it really helps my digestion!

Why it’s worth it to DIY instead of buy

Store-bought probiotic foods or capsules will never be as fresh or contain as many friendly bacteria as what you make at home. Plus they are super expensive.

They are also frequently pre-pasteurized, and then the culture is added back in. This is a crappy unnatural way of doing things according to the requirements of the food industry. Making things yourself gets you the biggest health benefit and saves you the most cash.

FACT: The fermentation process of sauerkraut causes the vitamin C content to multiply by 10 x! Sailors historically ate sauerkraut to avoid scurvy because it was so nutritious and didn’t spoil easily.

How to make sauerkraut in 3 steps

First collect your stuff.

  • Cabbage (any size and type will do, organic is best)
  • Knife and chopping board
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Large glass jar (bigger than your cabbage. I normally use a medium-size cabbage and a 2L jar)
  • Another smaller jar that fits inside the mouth of your large jar. I normally use something like a tall skinny olive jar or sauce jar.
  • Salt (Pink Himalayan Salt is best, but sea salt is still better than table salt)
  • Whey (optional. You can buy this from a local farm or make your own from yogurt)

If you use whey, your sauerkraut will be ready in 3-4 days. If you don’t, it will take 1-2 weeks.

Step 1: Chop

Take off the outer 2 leaves of your cabbage and set them aside – you’ll need them later. Then go nuts and chop your cabbage as small as you can be bothered chopping it. The pieces definitely shouldn’t be any bigger than 1cm x 1cm, but they can be as small as you want (but not puree!). If you have a good food processor you can use that too.

how to make sauerkraut - step 1

Step 2: Salt and Sit

Get your bowl and plunk in about 1/3 of your cabbage, then sprinkle a big tablespoon of salt over it. Put in another 1/3, then another tablespoon of salt. Last 1/3, then 2 tbsp of salt. The rough guideline here is 4 tbsp salt per 1 kg of cabbage. Generally this would mean 3 tbsp salt for a small cabbage, 4 tbsp for a medium cabbage, 5-6 tbsp for a large cabbage.

Then let your salted cabbage sit for about 20 minutes. The salt draws the moisture out of the cabbage.

how to make sauerkraut - step 2

Step 3: Knead and Pack

Spend about 5 minutes or so kneading, squeezing and punching your cabbage to get as much juice out of it as possible. The goal is to get enough juice out to cover the cabbage once it goes in the jar.

how to make sauerkraut - step 3

Pack it into the jar as tightly as you can, pushing it down to get any air out. Add a few tbsp of whey if you’re using it.

how to make sauerkraut - step 3

At this point see how much liquid you have – you might need to top up with a little more whey or water (filtered/purified if possible). The liquid should be 1-2 cm above the top of the packed cabbage surface.

It’s imperative that the liquid covers the cabbage bits since we are going for anaerobic fermentation (no air contact allowed!).how to make sauerkraut - step 3

Grab the cabbage leaves you saved earlier, fold them and place them on top to make as good of a ‘lid’ as you can. This is to keep the cabbage below the liquid. Weigh down this lid with your smaller jar. Put some water in the smaller jar to keep it weighed. Check that all of the chopped/packed cabbage is below the liquid. This is important to avoid mold. It’s ok if the cabbage leaf ‘lid’ pokes above the liquid, because you won’t be eating it.

how to make sauerkraut - step 3

how to make sauerkraut - step 3

How to check that your sauerkraut is ready

That’s it! Now place it in a cupboard or a cool dark place out of the way somewhere. Wait for 3-4 days if you used whey, or 1-2 weeks if you didn’t.

It’s always safe to taste, as long as there is no mold. You’ll know it’s ready when it starts to taste kind of sour, fizzy, and a lot less salty. When it’s lost enough saltiness for you, take out the weight and the leaf lid, put the lid on the big jar and keep the sauerkraut in the fridge.

A few tips:

  • If your big jar ends up being pretty full, I recommend putting it in a big bowl while it’s fermenting. There will be gases produced and the liquid level might rise. The big bowl is in case of overflow.
  • Keep checking it to make sure everything is below the liquid. Add a little water if it’s looking a bit dry.
  • If you see mold, most articles I’ve read recommend throwing out the whole batch. If you’re not sure whether it’s mold (ie a small white floating patch) you could scoop out a significant area surrounding it, and then continue fermenting. If the white stuff / mold doesn’t come back after a few days, it should be safe.
  • As a general rule, if there’s no mold it’s safe to eat. Mold is a risky area and if in doubt, just get rid of it and start again. Next time make sure you pack the cabbage down really well, put enough liquid in, and keep everything consistenly below the liquid level.

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How did it go?

Share your tips, questions, comments, experiences below. Is your digestion better? Skin clearing up? Immunity boosted? Sauerkraut rocks :)

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The Best Clean Paleo Primal Protein Powder

Posted on 29 January, 2015 | Leave a comment

Thrive Primal - best paleo protein powder

Scary junk in commercial protein powders

First things first, let’s start with why you don’t want to go buying that typical protein shake from Walmart or GNC or Herbalife or Isagenix. As explained in this article by leading natural physician Dr. Mercola, commercial protein powders often contain concerning amounts of heavy metals like mercury and cadmium.

Also if you read the ingredients, you will find a long list of things like artificial flavours, sweeteners, thickeners, texturizers, gums, and waxes. Plus the protein is from non-organic milk, so you’re getting all the hormones and pesticides from that. Consider that in making the whey the milk gets concentrated, so those chemicals get concentrated too.

Finally, they are high-heat processed so the protein molecules become denatured and aren’t as useful to the body. Basically commercial protein powders are a massive waste of money, and could actually be toxic.

But isn’t whey isolate best?

When we were initially researching the best protein powder, Dave Asprey the Bulletproof Exec was recommending cold-processed cross-flow microfiltered whey isolate. This was supposed to be the cleanest, purest source of protein to eliminate all those nasty toxins & ingredients mentioned above.

However, excuse my dumb non-sciencey language, but whey isolate is basically a “chemistry molecule”. Kind of like taking a vitamin C supplement instead of eating an orange. It’s just one constituent of the food and the body doesn’t quite know what to do with it. When you eat the whole orange (or get all the proteins from natural milk), your body understands how to use it most effectively. (Dave Asprey has now changed his recommendation to a less-processed form, see more below – his product is my second best go-to)

Ok, so real-food protein powder is better

Will gets all the credit for finding our current favourite, and in my opinion the Best Paleo Protein Powder. He wanted to get more muscley and wanted to do it in a healthy way. Sounds good to me! ;)

He found that Protein 17 is the most minimally-processed, well-sourced, real-food based protein powder on the market right now (that we know of!). When they use minimally-processed complete milk proteins, you’re getting all the goodness of the milk, (not just the “chemistry molecule”! ha.) This includes enzymes like lactase, and minerals like magnesium. Protein 17 is actually a pretty good source of magnesium, which is something our diets often lack.

From the Protein 17 website:

protein 17 best paleo protein powder

I like how Protein 17 gives the most information about exactly how the whey powder is processed. There are a number available that say they are organic and grass-fed, but they don’t specify nearly as much about how the delicate immune-supporting proteins from the milk are minimally processed so that they remain intact.

They even explain on the container how there are no additives to make it blend with water (like most protein powders have), so it’s necessary to use a mixer or magic bullet.

It currently has 207 five-star reviews on Amazon which I found pretty dang impressive and clearly those folks are super-discerning customers. The only grass-fed organic whey on Amazon that has more reviews (Tera’s Whey, 275 reviews, 4.5 stars) doesn’t specify their processing methods, so I’m not as apt to trust it.

The second best choice for Paleo protein powder

If you see anything on your protein powder that says it “mixes easily with water” or “dissolves instantly”, that should be a red flag for additives. However, if you can’t deal with having to blend Protein 17 every time, my next best recommendation is Upgraded Bulletproof Whey.

It also contains coconut MCT (a healthy fat) for brain-power and colostrum for immunity.

Dave Asprey is a badass and does his research to the max, so I would be open to trusting and buying his products. In fact I have his Upgraded coffee beans, toxin-free vanilla, and MCT oil.

If whole foods are better, why would you use protein powder at all

Good question, and totally valid point. Generally speaking we certainly stick to whole foods 95% of the time, (and real food 99% of the time! except maybe the very occasional hung-over McDonalds feast. GASP! Yes, I said it!)

However, as discussed above, Protein 17 is pretty darn close to a whole food. And 3 other things come into play here:

  • convenience – sometimes we just need grab-and-go nutrition!
  • cost – having protein as a supplement helps save a bit on buying whole meat, poultry and fish
  • “eatability” – Will wants to consume more protein for muscle-building, but a normal person in a normal daily life can only physically eat so much. While lean muscle is awesome, neither of us really want to eat 1.5 lbs of meat at every meal. And that would get mighty expensive.

What we use protein powder for:

  • to add nutrition to our “paleo treats” recipes like muffins, loafs and pancakes, as well as to smoothies. We make baked stuff for easy breakfasts sometimes (see one of my recipes here)
  • Will has a protein shake every day after working out (raw organic grass-fed milk and Protein 17) for manly muscley purposes

That’s basically it. What do you use it for?

Share your experience with paleo protein powder

What are your thoughts on using protein powder as a smart nutritional supplement? What protein powder do you think is best? Has protein powder helped you achieve your goals? Has this article enlighted you to reconsider your approach to protein powder? Let me know your thoughts below!

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How to not get overwhelmed with healthy lifestyle changes

Posted on 29 January, 2015 | Leave a comment
Thrive Primal - how to avoid getting overwhelmed with healthy lifestyle changes
When you have chronic pain and digestive discomfort and headaches and anxiety and you’re tired and your hectic week just keeps rollin’ on, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the healthy changes you’re trying to make.
You might be spending hours a day researching what to avoid and what to buy and what to eat, and then realise you’ve gotten away from what you’re trying to do in the first place, which is chill out, and love yourself, and let your body heal.
I’ve been there, and I still go there at times. I call it a ‘brain full of butterflies’. You’re trying to catch one, but then another pretty one catches your eye so you go for it, but then you start going after a better one, and they’re all just flying around driving you crazy.

How to get past overwhelm when you’re working on healthy lifestyle changes

Here’s a quick 5-minute pen and paper exercise to get all those butterflies out of your brain, nail them down, and get your shit together so you can take a deep breath and have some peace.
Get out a pen and a piece of paper or a receipt or a napkin and do this RIGHT NOW. Don’t click to another tab and start googling another shiny solution. Do the work. Do it now. This will help you. Take a deep breath.

STEP 1:

Scribble down all the health and wellness goals you want to achieve. I’ve decided to get raw, real and vulnerable here, and share mine.
  • solve anxiety
  • doTerra 30 day reset / cleanse
  • get rid of Candida
  • lose 10 lbs of fat
  • clear and improve skin
  • solve constipation
  • avoid wheat & sugar, break addiction
  • sleep better
  • move more
  • yoga daily
  • meditate daily
  • less caffeine, or none
  • make & eat fermented foods
  • heal my gut
  • get enough magnesium
 It would be nice to have all of those things wouldn’t it! But think about all the steps I need to take, OMG. So overwhelming. If I chase all of those butterflies how many will I catch – NONE!
But what’s awesome about the body is that everything is connected and interdependent. So you will find that many of your health goals will be inter-connected, and some big ones might end up being tipping points for a bunch of other ones.
I mapped them out like this all over a sheet of paper. This whole exercise took me maybe 5 minutes. If you still haven’t gotten your pen and paper out, DO IT NOW!
Thrive Primal - how to prevent overwhelm with lifestyle changes

STEP 2:

Start drawing arrows between ones that might cause or naturally lead to another.
 For example, I want to improve my skin, and I know if I consume more fermented foods and get more sleep those things will cause me to have better skin. So I draw arrows from those 2 things pointing to better skin.
I know that if I avoid wheat & sugar, that will help heal my gut. I know that if I get rid of Candida, that will solve my anxiety and constipation. I know if I can sleep better that will help me lose fat. etc etc.
Keep doing that until you can’t think of any more.
Thrive Primal - how to prevent overwhelm with lifestyle changes

 STEP 3:

Look at all the things and notice which ones don’t have any arrows pointing into them, ie which ones are just plain ACTIONS that you must take.
Mine were:
  • Get enough magnesium
  • Make and consume fermented foods
  • Move more
  • Do an essential oils cleanse
These are the things you actually need to straight-up do, which will lead to all your other goals eventually rolling out as by-products. I’ll call them Actions.
Go over the other items on your page and just checkmark each, so you know that one of your big Actions is going to help you achieve each of your smaller goals. Check out my work below:
Thrive Primal - how to prevent overwhelm with lifestyle changes

 STEP 4:

List out the specific little steps that will lead you to be able to do the Actions you determined in step 3, ie Buy magnesium oil, get a spray bottle, buy the cleanse supplements, buy a cabbage, etc.
List how much time daily or weekly it’s going to take. For example, eating fermented foods is only going to take me let’s say an hour bi-weekly to set up a new batch of sauerkraut and kombucha, and then only a couple of minutes daily to consume a little bit of each.
Once I’ve bought and prepared the items I need for 3 of my 4 Actions (Magnesium, Cleanse and Fermented foods) each of these things will only take a couple of minutes daily (apply magnesium body spray, take my cleanse supplements and have some sauerkraut & kefir with my lunch).
The only thing that actually takes time or scheduling is to move more.
So now I’ve determined really there’s only ONE thing that’s kind of a pain in the butt that I need to figure out. NOT 25 things. 1 butterfly, not 25.
Yes, I still have to find 15-20 minutes a day to crank out some high-intensity intervals or power yoga with a youtube video on my mat in the living room in my undies. But now I know that all my goals are accounted for, and I can just take that 20 minutes and relish it and not stress about whether I’m taking care of everything I should be.

Why this is so powerful

Once you’ve figured out your Actions, don’t question them or think about anything else or let the butterflies start flying again.
Do these 4 things (or whatever number you’ve determined but 3-4 max!!) and do them CONSISTENTLY for at least 2 weeks. You can do them mindlessly and just shut off. You’ve done the mental work and the leg work by buying and preparing your stuff. Now stop over-thinking it and just go, on auto-pilot for 2 weeks.
Doesn’t that feel great? Isn’t it awesome being told what to do sometimes, especially when it’s by your own smart self :)
Flipping back and forth to different solutions and doing partial moves and attacks won’t actually result in any big succesful change. It’s like telling an army to advance, wait no retreat, actually let’s bring in the cavalry, actually wait a second where’s that catapult….you’re never going to win that battle!
You have to make the well-considered decision and then go for it whole-heartedly.
After 2 weeks maybe you want to re-evaluate, and that’s ok. If it’s going great, AWESOME, and maybe your 4 things have become automatic and now you can incorporate a few more actions, if you need to.
Maybe your list of a few things is still too overwhelming and you’re floundering. In that case the trick is to pick ONE thing that takes the least effort but has the most impact.
For example in my case I could reason that consuming fermented foods will end up helping me absorb, digest and eliminate my food better, so I won’t need to do a cleanse or take supplements.
Make that ONE thing happen each day and give yourself a HUGE pat on the back for sticking with it!! It’s a VERY important step in the right direction. Not only the actual action itself, but the fact that you’ve subconsciously affirmed that you care about yourself and love yourself.

 How can I help you with this?

Do you have a list of goals but aren’t sure which are the big tipping-point Actions? Are you trying to whittle it down to which is going to take the least effort but have the biggest impact? Let me know below, I’d love to help!
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