Getting started using doTERRA essential oils can be overwhelming. You know you want to revamp your self care routine and medicine cabinet, but where to start?
I’ve put together a simple cheat-sheet on the top 15 doTERRA essential oils to provide support with everyday ailments. These include common concerns like digestion, respiratory, skin, immunity, stress, sleep and hormone balance. Do you know anyone who DOESN’T suffer with at least one of the above??
What’s the best way to start collecting essential oils?
The first 10 oils on the below cheat sheet are from the Home Essentials Kit. The price for the kit is $275 USD. When I was enrolling with doTERRA I was like whoa that’s expensive…but I later realized that these are full-size 15 mL bottles!!! The Home Physician Kit that I bought ($125) only has 5 mL bottles, and no diffuser. At the time I didn’t realize that the bottles were different sizes. If only I had known! The Home Essentials Kit and the other largers kits offer A LOT more value for not much more investment.
Best value to get started with essential oils
The Home Essentials Kit is the perfect way to make a good investment in oils without breaking the bank.
It also offers a lot of bang for your buck with over $80 of savings (free stuff!) When you enroll is the only time you have access to the Starter Kits, so I recommend taking advantage of these savings while you can.
Also, a diffuser is SO KEY to your essential oils experience, especially if you are planning on using them for mood management, stress relief, improving sleep, allergies or respiratory concerns, or with children.
Diffusing oils is the safest and easiest way to experience the benefits, plus it adds healthy moisture to your home. I don’t know about you but we have a lot of issues with dryness with all the electric heat in the winter.
Our poor cat is very staticky (ha!) and our diffuser helps keep the air moister so we are all more comfortable and breathe easier.
What oils to buy after the doTERRA Home Essentials Kit
The other 5 essential oils I included on the 15 oils cheat sheet are my favourite blends from doTERRA. These blends are amazing for everyday use, supporting detox, healthy metabolism (and weight loss), and mood management. The first oils I would buy after the Home Essentials Kit would be the mood blends including Elevation, Citrus Bliss, Serenity and Balance.
I use the Balance Grounding Blend daily for mini-spiritual escapes when I’ve had enough of traffic, screens, headlines and the noise of life in general. It’s not usually possible to escape into nature, but I feel that taking a quiet moment (even if it’s just in the bathroom!) and inhaling the beautiful plant molecules makes me feel connected to the natural world beyond our routine preoccupations.
I use the Elevation Joyful Blend or a citrus oil when I am feeling a bit blah or upset about something, and just need a pick-me-up. Serenity helps me sleep more soundly to get better quality rest.
Click the link above for retail & wholesale price buying options.
Questions? Thoughts?
I hope that this summary and cheat sheet has helped you find some clarity on how to get started with doTERRA essential oils, and all the benefits they can bring you on your everyday journey toward optimal wellness.
Get in touch via the comments below, or the Contact page if you have any questions.
If you’re interested in partnering with me to build a business with doTERRA, check out this page.
Do you stress out about getting to the gym, obsessively scheduling your days to grab that precious hour or hour and a half so you can go work out?
Do you feel the burn of guilt when you haven’t made it often enough, thinking things like “I’m never going to be fit, I’ll always stay fat and a loser because I just can’t get to the gym”.
Is your gym membership burning a hole in your pocket? Like wow, I pay 60 bucks a month for this thing, and I haven’t been for 3 weeks.
So now we’ve got money guilt AND fat guilt.
And when you finally do haul your lazy butt to the gym, do you exhaust yourself for 45 minutes or more, running yourself ragged on the machines, and getting so freakin sore the next day, that you COULDN’T go back to the gym for a week, even if you wanted to or could find the time?
Well, I want to share an idea with you. Maybe this whole gym, exercise, workout thing is a BIG. FAT. HOAX. Maybe it’s just a sad excuse for health & fitness that’s an unfortunate byproduct of our modern post-industrial lifestyle.
Unfortunately, the popular wisdom of the past 40 years – that we would all be better off doing 45 minutes to an hour a day of intense aerobic activity – has created a generation of overtrained, underfit, [flabby], immune-compromised exerholics. (extraordinarily well put, Mark Sisson!)
It turns out exhaustive occasional exercise won’t help you lose weight or get healthier. And by “exhaustive occasional”, I mean anything that happens in a burst, including even if it’s for 45 minutes every evening after sitting at a desk for 8 hours, or a couple of times a week sprinkled into a mostly sedentary lifestyle. Even a single daily burst isn’t enough to make up for the 95% of the time that we spend with our butts parked in a piece of furniture or a car.
The fact is, our hunter-gatherer ancestors didn’t ramp up their heart rates significantly for over an hour every day, and I don’t think we should either. They walked at a very low level of exertion, burning almost entirely stored fats. Once you get into the zones where less fat is burned [ie typical sustained “cardio” exercise] and where there’s a big dependency on glucose to fuel muscles, your body goes into a less efficient mode of fuel oxidation. […] I don’t recommend pushing this limit or even approaching it. Why bother? This kind of training (and diet) raises cortisol levels, increases oxidative damage, systemic inflammation, depresses the immune system and decreases fat metabolism. (source)
Here’s another tidbit from holistic health expert Chris Kresser, about how the typical way most of us “exercise” these days is actually leading us to poorer health and burnout.
While short, intense workouts can be great for inducing fat loss, increasing aerobic capacity, and reducing risk for cardiovascular disease, excessively intense exercise can cause a variety of health problems, especially for those dealing with other concurrent stressors. […] Another major effect that extreme exercise has on our bodies is an immediate increase in cortisol, the hormone that is released when the body is under stress. […] Chronically high levels of cortisol can increase your risk for a variety of health issues, such as sleep disturbances, digestive issues, depression, weight gain, and memory impairment. Excess cortisol also encourages fat gain, particularly around the abdomen. (source)
Chris goes on to explain that this can be the reason exercise leaves us feeling rundown, we have trouble gaining muscle mass and losing fat, and feel constant exhaustion. These can all be signs of excessive exercise of any type.
I want to share a mind-shift with you. Let’s stop beating ourselves up about getting to the gym. It’s not helping us anyway (as explained above).
I’m proposing a more loving, holistic approach to exercise, that’s less about guilt and prolonged self-torture sessions on the treadmill, and more about smart functional movement for a strong resilient body. (specifics to be discussed in a future post, for now check out great resources at this page or this page)
Why exercise is about way more than weight loss
Let’s explore some of the incredible things movement does for the body, so we can get into that holistic self-love space. Be in awe of how your body is a self-regulating organism that WANTS to be balanced and youthful and healthy. Cultivate awareness of how your body feels and what it needs, so you can move more regularly because you WANT TO, and in ways that support whole health, rather than pushing yourself toward burnout.
Lymph movement
We all know the heart pumps blood around the body, and this is called our circulatory system. Turns out there is a second part to our circulatory system, which is called lymph.
Your lymphatic circulatory system works directly with your cardiovascular circulatory system to keep blood and lymphatic fluid levels in balance and flush toxins out of the body. It also carries immune cells throughout the body to help defend against infections. (source)
I find this SO interesting: The lymph fluid doesn’t actually have an organ like the heart to pump it around. It relies on us moving our bodies to create a flow. That’s why you feel sort of “blech” when you sit around for too long – your lymph is stagnating!
SOLUTION: Get up and move around as often as you can, at least once every half hour. Jump, dance, do squats, wave your arms!
Anti aging
Exercise keeps us youthful not only through the direct effect of being toned, strong and balanced. We also actually age slower on a cellular level thanks to regular movement.
In particular, exercise appears to keep the telomeres from unraveling and becoming damaged. Telomeres are areas on DNA at the end of chromosomes. If these areas become damaged and unravel, DNA does not continue to replicate in the proper fashion and the end result is aging. (source)
Moderate healthy levels of impact during exercise also increases bone density. We actually need to walk to stay healthy. The vibrations from our feet hitting the ground travel up our bones and spur the release of minerals to build healthy bone density.
Explosive movements that use our big muscle groups spur the release of anti-aging and fat-burning hormones like testosterone and human growth hormone. When you do squat jumps, it sends a message that you should stay lean and strong, not fat and shlumpy.
SOLUTION: Try these anti-aging exercises, as recommended by the Huffington Post.
Digestion and detox
Exercise is a great way to improve the major detoxification pathways through the skin and the digestive system. Sweat isn’t nasty and dirty, it’s beautiful and healthy! If you stink when you sweat, it just means you’re not sweating often enough – and when you do, there’s too much nasty junk coming out.
SOLUTION: Get a light sweat going, and heart rate boosted, once a day if you can! Even jogging up a couple flights of stairs will probably do it. Or try doing 30 jumping jacks! Phew! You can even do these in the bathroom at the office, or in an empty meeting room ;)
Exercise also promotes a faster travel time through the gut, meaning you’ll have healthier poops. Movement helps resolve bloating and gas, and moves things along to prevent constipation.
SOLUTION: Try this simple detox yoga flow to help your tummy feel super.
Pelvic floor and organ health
Your organs are suspended in a bouncy, stretchy network of tissue within your abdomen. If you sit still all day, your cortisol rises, your body gets cranky and kicks off an autoimmune response. This network of tissue actually begins to slowly calcify and harden.
SOLUTION: Move as often as you can to relieve tension, and keep your tissues soft and flexible! Practise deep squatting and as much walking as you can.
Stress, anxiety & mood
Have you ever watched a nature show, where the antelope gets chased by the lion, and after it gets away, it sort of “quakes” for a while? This is an instinctual, automatic way that animals actually physically discharge the stress hormones released during a ‘fight or flight’ situation.
We can use the same chemical pattern by purposely moving our body, or even by imitating the antelope and actually SHAKING ourselves. (source)
SOLUTION: Try it right now – just stand there and SHAKE your body for 20-30 seconds. It feels good right? This chemically shuts down your stress response! It’s a great way to relieve anxiety fast.
Exercise also releases endorphins – we all know that right? It feels GREAT. The body feels alive and well, the blood is flowing, the thoughts are clearer. Research shows that it’s as simple as moving those large muscles, like the glutes and quads. Just going for a quick walk helps tension resolve rapidly. (source)
SOLUTION: Again, even just something super quick like popping 10 quick squats or jumping jacks is enough to get that blood and lymph moving, and lift a storm cloud that might be hovering over your head. It’s so quick, there’s no excuse!
Memory and mind connection
Although this seems like a bit of a no-brainer (PUNNY!), exercise also helps protect a healthy memory and ability to learn. Studies show that getting your heart pumping “appears to boost the size of the hippocampus, the brain area involved in verbal memory and learning.” (source)
SOLUTION: The study involved just 120 minutes of brisk walking per week. That’s only 17 minutes a day! Get walking!
Has this inspired you to move because you love your body?
I find that when I learn the amazing things my body can do, I appreciate it more, and want to take better care of it! Please share some of your favourite awesome effects of movement and exercise below. Or maybe you have a story about how you quit chronic cardio and started a more self-loving approach to movement. Share in the comments!
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.
In part one of this series we talked about the majorly risky practice of giving babies and children over-the-counter or prescription medications. Despite the best intentions of parents and medical practitioners, medicating young ones is often a shot in the dark with unknown repercussions. Children are being given drugs more and more, despite the fact that they are rarely tested on children. Check out that article here.
In part 2 we’re going to get super optimistic and reformative, looking at how to detox your medicine cabinet! I’ve put together a pretty extensive list of go-to natural remedies for common children’s illnesses. Please feel free to contribute more remedies that you’ve found helpful or effective in the comments at the end of the article.
I’ll be matching up the typical conventional medications with natural alternatives.
A quick disclaimer before we get right into it:
This should pretty much go without saying, but please always do your own research and only use remedies you feel comfortable with. Consult a practitioner if ever in doubt. The information here is for education only, and you should never delay seeking in-person care from a professional if your child is seriously ill.
improve nutrition with less sugar/more fat & protein – corrects insulin balance
correct neurotransmitter imbalances by supplementing with magnesium/B-vitamins/whey protein
reduce use of electronics especially at night (yellow/orange glasses are recommended)
introduce a little movement in the morning to boost serotonin
Vetiver essential oil, Cedarwood essential oil, InTune essential oil blend ** ensure any oils you use on your family are pure therapeutic grade, not just made for good smell. ** Here’s where I shop. (a 2001 study using brain scans to evaluate essential oil effectiveness for common behavioral challenges in children showed improvements in 100% of subjects with Vetiver and 83% effectiveness with Cedarwood)
local raw (un-pasteurized) honey – contains enzymes that are like a natural allergy shot with no downside. Local honey to where you live is said to help your body adapt to local allergens in your environment. Buy from a local shop or market, dose kids with 1/3 to 1/2 teaspoon (adults a full tsp) one or more times a day
nettle tea or capsules – nettle is a natural antihistamine. When the leaves are dried they don’t sting anymore!
other probiotics such as raw capsules, unpasteurized kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut. Safe and beneficial in small amounts for babies and kids.
peppermint, lavender, lemon essential oils, doTERRA TriEase softgels (get pure, safe essential oils HERE). These oils bring down inflammation and calm an overactive immune response to allergens. For young children dilute the 3 oils in coconut oil and rub on the feet and along the spine.
heal leaky gut syndrome to prevent undigested peptides from damaging the brain (here is an article for reference, and this gut healing program is, in my opinion, the best out there)
asthma is considered an inflammatory condition, so soothe inflammation in the body by eating a whole real food diet (click the link for meal plans!) focusing on organic vegetables and animal protein, healthy traditional fats, fermented & cultured foods
For prevention or during an attack, instead of an inhaler (if it’s safe) try doTERRA Breathe respiratory blend essential oil – a blend of laurel leaf, peppermint, eucalyptus, melaleuca, lemon, and ravensara. Helps to soothe inflamed tissues, support the elimination of bacteria and viruses, and opens airways. I’ve read many articles and testimonials saying people no longer need asthma medication after starting to keep the Breathe blend on hand. Only $26.67 retail, or get a 25% wholesale discount. Get some HERE.
avoid sugar, caffeine, chocolate, not only for their direct effect but also because they promote Candida Albicans yeast overgrowth in the gut, which can cause anxiety
magnesium drink/rub/bath, and other mineral-rich foods such as homemade organic chicken broth, green smoothies (blend up cucumber, romaine lettuce, spinach, lemon, banana, berries), organ meats (try organic chicken livers made into gluten-free “nuggets”)
herbal teas such as chamomile, fennel, catnip (brew tea, steep with a cover on for 10 minutes, then let cool before putting in a safe bottle or cup for the child to drink from)
amber necklace – raw natural amber contains succinic acid, a natural analgesic and healing agent. Amber warms when worm against the body and the succinic acid is absorbed through the skin helping relieve anxiety, pain and other symptoms. I personally wear one 24-7!
Natural remedies for bacterial infections (alternatives to antibiotics)
Conventional treatment: Doctors frequently prescribe antibiotics just in case even if they don’t know that an illness is caused by bacteria, or which bacteria is causing it (source). This is leading to major damage to gut bacteria which regulates our digestion, immunity and much of our mood and mental wellbeing. It also leads to antibiotic-resistant bacteria which is a major threat to global health today. (source) I would highly recommend reading these articles for insight as to why your child probably doesn’t need antibiotics: Article 1, Article 2. As someone who has been a “victim” to likely unnecessary antibiotics MANY times in my life, and have struggled to re-balance my body in my adulthood, I would encourage you to seek alternatives and consult with a practitioner who treats antibiotics in a cautious and holistic manner.
oregano oil – please ensure you use a high quality pure oil from a brand that stands behind medicinal / internal use of their oils. This is the only place I buy therapeutic essential oils. Apply 1-2 drops diluted with coconut oil topically, in a bath, in a steaming bowl via inhalation, or by consuming in a vegetable capsule. You can also use a small amount in a neti pot with water.
garlic is a strong natural antibiotic which does not destroy beneficial gut bacteria. Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride (of the GAPS protocol) recommends consuming an entire head of garlic daily as an effective internal antibiotic. I would recommend doing this by eating finely chopped raw garlic in something tasty like pesto, hummus, real-food ranch dressing with veggies (recipe ideas HERE). Freshly chopped garlic is best, let it sit for 10 minutes before using/consuming as the allicin content will increase.
turmeric extract in doses of 400-600 mg 3 times daily, or as directed on the package (source)
support the immune system with rest, fluids (with pink salt and raw honey for electrolytes), fresh lemon, fresh herbs such as parsley and rosemary, and homemade organic broth
melaleuca (tea tree) essential oil – add 3 to 6 drops to a teaspoon of coconut oil, keep this in a small container for first aid use. This is where I get quality essential oils free of additives, synethetics, or pesticides.
make a compress with a mix of cool water and a little white vinegar to lift the heat
lavender essential oil takes the sting out of a burn and has been shown to help skin heal much faster without scarring or scabbing. Use generously straight onto a burn without using a carrier oil, as carrier oils can hold the heat inside of the burn. You must purchase a pure high quality lavender essential oil to get good results. Many cheaper lavender oils contain fillers that smell like lavender but don’t have the medicinal effect. Here is where I buy top-shelf essential oils.
use raw honey as an antiseptic cream to speed healing
homemade organic crock pot chicken broth with finely chopped garlic, onion, celery (instructions in this post)
warm lemon water – make it with fresh squeezed lemon, and let it cool a bit before adding some raw honey to leave the enzymes intact
cinnamon – mix 1 tablespoon with 1 teaspoon of raw honey and stir into hot water to make a spicy and very effective tea that helps relieve cough and congestion and lower fever. Another option is to use capsules.
facial steam – a bowl of hot water with 3 drops each of oregano, thyme and rosemary essential oils (here is where to get essential oils good enough to use medicinally: link) Place the steaming bowl under the face and drape a towel over the head to make a “tent”. Inhale for several minutes, but be sure to supervise a child to make sure they don’t get too hot.
1 drop of oregano oil diluted with a little coconut oil and rubbed under the feet a few times a day
Conventional treatment: Dicyclomine hydrochloride, simethicone, Anaspaz, Bentyl, Donnatol, Buscopan, Zantac, leaving your infant with other caregivers for respite. Not many treatments recommended other than suffering through it as it usually rectifies after a few months.
removing allergens from the mother’s diet (if breast-feeding) – these could include things like wheat and grains, pasteurized dairy, corn, soy, eggs
removing excessive stimulation and stressors from the environment, since this could stress the baby and hinder a healthy digestive process (ie noises, lights, screens, etc)
massage and movement to help release gas
cooled ginger or peppermint tea in a bottle – these assist digestion
belly and back massage with a digestive blend essential oil (DigestZen is the one I use and love) – dilute 5 drops of oil in 1 tsp of coconut oil, warm the oil until the coconut oil is melted (24 degrees C) and place a couple of drops in the belly button, then work outward in gentle circular motions
apply a warm compress like a cloth from the dryer over the essential-oil covered belly to help the oils penetrate and to help the belly feel comfy
Conventional treatment: medicated shampoo, ketoconazole, anti-dandruff shampoo containing tar, selenium sulfide, hydrocortisone cream, petroleum-based mineral oil or jelly
According to this article, cradle cap is associated with overgrowth of yeast, so probiotics for both mum and baby will be helpful. For mum I use and recommend the doTERRA brand PB-Assist product since it’s double coated to make it past the stomach, and also contains prebiotics with the probiotics feed on; this encourages them to colonize the gut rather then just pass through. If you would like to buy doTERRA products, here is my page with simple instructions.
dietary adjustments in the mother – increase good fats and omega 3’s (avocados, fish, walnuts etc), increase alkalizing foods (vegetables, greens, lemon etc)
coconut oil with essential oils applied to the scalp – coconut oil is naturally anti-fungal so will help bring balance to the skin. Add a maximum of 5 drops of lavender or melaleuca essential oil to 1 tsp of coconut oil.
add 1/4 tsp slippery elm to a bottle, this encourages a healthy gut lining to prevent further yeast overgrowth
Conventional treatment: inhaled medications such as racemic epinephrine, oral corticosteroids (prednisolone, dexamethasone)
Use a cool mist machine or steam up the bathroom and crack a window to create cool, damp mist. Going outside at night also often helps if the air is damp. 10-15 minutes minimum. You can also fill a bowl with ice and make a tent with a towel, and inhale the cool, wet air.
Therapeutic essential oils – With 6 – 12 drops of coconut oil apply 2 drops each Respiratory Blend, Frankincense and Peppermint to the child’s chest area (dilute more for infants). The blend of oils may also be applied to the bottoms of the feet and back as well. Repeat every 1 to 3 hours until the coughing stops. Protect small children from transferring the oils from their chest, etc. to their eyes. Get essential oils good enough to be used medicinally HERE.
castor oil chest compress – apply castor oil to a cloth, place on the chest, and put a hot water bottle on top to help the castor oil penetrate. Castor oil is an expectorant which means it helps loosen phlegm, so the child will cough it up and get rid of, being able to sleep peacefully again. Check out this awesome testimonial. Get castor oil HERE.
plantain herb – a common backyard “weed” with many medicinal properties – read more here. Make a poultice of fresh or dried plantain leaf and bentonite clay with water to form a paste. Or you can buy a ready-made plantain salve. Also a good remedy for bites and stings, rashes, poison ivy.
witch hazel – apply a small amount of soothing witch hazel distillate directly to a wound. More info here or get some witch hazel for your non-toxic medicine cabinet HERE.
coconut oil is naturally antiseptic, antibacterial, antiviral and very soothing & protective to the skin. Apply this completely non-toxic remedy with confidence. Get some good coconut oil HERE.
homemade neosporin – check out this recipe from Wellness Mama
Diaper rash may be “common” but that does not make it “normal”. It’s caused simply by prolonged skin contact with urine and feces, with too much dampness and not enough ventilation. The skin gets very sore and can become infected. The simplest remedy is to allow baby to be diaperless for at least 20 minutes 3 times a day between diaper changes to allow the skin to breathe
Use non-plastic diapers that breathe better, such as these (imagine your butt wrapped in plastic all day, you wouldn’t be very happy either! Plus there is evidence plastic diapers can cause hormonal & fertility problems. If you need disposal diapers, Nature Baby Care is the best option)
Use less toxic wipes and ointments, or just use a warm cloth followed by some coconut oil each time. You can keep all the baby-bum-cloths in a separate odorless storage bucket with a few drops of tea tree oil in it, then wash them in their own hot water load (with unscented laundry soap)
Make natural ointment with coconut oil, lavender and melaleuca essential oils. Frankincense and Grounding Blend (Balance) also work well on some babies if they don’t tolerate lavender or melaleuca. (more info here) You only want to use the most safe, pure, effective essential oils on your baby’s sensitive young skin, so I strongly recommend investing in good essential oils. See mine HERE.
Conventional treatment: Though the majority of ear infections are viral, most doctors treat ear infections as if bacteria were present just in case, and will prescribe antibiotics (amoxicillin, cephalosporins, clavulanate, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, azithromycin). Other common treatments include Tylenol and other OTC medications, puncturing the eardrum to drain fluid from the middle ear, tube insertion surgery, adenoidectomy
Fill a cotton or wool sock with oatmeal, rice or sea salt/pink salt (antimicrobial properties) and bake until it’s very warm but not burning. Use as a heat pack under the affected ear.
Cut an onion in half and bake until you can just start to smell it. Let it cool until it’s a tolerable temperature to touch, then apply to the ears (lying down) and hold it on gently by tying with a natural fabric like wool or cotton (ie a scarf or old t-shirt). The antiviral properties of the warm onion enter the ears. Leaving a chopped onion in the child’s bedroom overnight is also a great cold remedy.
Drop 1-2 drops of slightly warmed garlic and mullein oil into each ear (one at a time, let it rest a few minutes then let that ear drain onto a cloth while you do the other ear, then drain again)
Dip a cotton ball in some of the ill person’s urine, add a couple drops of rosemary or basil essential oil, and put the cotton ball gently resting in the ear. You may use a bandaid or masking tape to hold it in the ear overnight. (Think this sounds WHACK? Read more about the awesome medicinal properties of urine HERE)
the skin is the mirror of the gut, therefore healing the digestive system will heal the skin. Increase bone broth and organic veggies, decrease and eliminate processed/coloured/flavoured foods, wheat/grains, commercial pasteurized dairy, soy, non-organic corn.
use coconut oil as a soothing moisturizer, and add 10-20 drops of essential oils such as lavender, melaleuca, geranium or a topical blend. HERE is where I get essential oils good enough to use medicinally.
Conventional treatment: Tylenol, Advil, Motrin. Tylenol can cause altererd liver function in children and can even spur Febrile seizures. (source)
a fever in itself is not a bad sign – it shows that the body is fighting off bacteria or viruses, and the increase in temperature is one of the body’s main weapons. It heats up to make the body less hospitable to these invaders. It’s more important to keep the child hydrated and comfortable, using natural approaches to support the immune system, and not worrying about the number of the fever too much. As long as the child is still drinking, urinating and responding well, the fever can be monitored at home (read more HERE and HERE)
Don’t wake a child to give medication, sleep is more important.
Keep the kid hydrated and comfortable using remedies such as natural popsicles (recipe), homemade chicken broth (instructions), room-temperature water with lemon/pink salt/raw honey for healthy electrolytes
Apply cloths soaked in apple cider vinegar, lemon juice or egg whites to the feet (and put socks on top). People still swear by these age-old remedies; if they bother to still do them then they must work!
supplements such as calcium lactate (gives the body raw materials to make white blood cells, which it normally has to withdraw from bones, so by supplementing you get less of that achey feeling), a cup of raw apple cider vinegar added to a warm bath
Consider taking further action / visiting the hospital if an infant under 8 weeks old has a fever higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, or if any fever has no known source or symptoms, or lasts longer than 5 days (source)
See remedies listed above for colds and fevers – in general, keep the ill person hydrated and comfortable, support the immune system, use smart herbal remedies listed above
How to support and heal food intolerance & digestive problems
a diet and lifestyle protocol to help remove bothersome foods without feeling overwhelmed or deprived, and healing the gut (I highly recommend this gut healing program)
DigestZen essential oil – a safe and very effective blend that you can get HERE
Conventional treatment: Most people just ride this out until they vomit or poop so much that they need to go to the hospital and get an IV to get re-hydrated. Over-the-counter medication to treat vomiting and diarrhea (which may be counter-productive because this is the body’s only way to rid the poisoning)
as soon as any stomach pain starts, prevent it from progressing by sipping a mixture of equal parts raw apple cider vinegar and water with 1/2 tsp activated charcoal mixed in, or use activated charcoal capsules. Drinking this strange black drink will absorbs and de-activate the invading bacteria, and should help within minutes.
Conventional treatment: Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, Aleve, Nurofen, Panadol, escalating to more serious interventions such as prescription drugs and injections for migraines
food intolerances are a common source of headaches, see the tips above for resolving this
ensure the diet is low in sugar and processed foods
essential oils such as Peppermint, Deep Blue and PastTense are totally awesome for headaches. Be sure to keep minty or wintergreen ones away from the eyes. Here is where I personally buy these high quality medicinal oils.
ensure enough movement and hydration, and don’t use screens too much
if a headache is due to jaw tension, PastTense oil (above) and an amber necklace can help calm the tension
mineral imbalances can cause headaches, try using pink salt instead of regular salt, and adding a magnesium drink/rub/bath
accupressure – squeezing and rubbing the fleshy part between the first finger and thumb quite firmly/aggressively for 5-10 minutes
Conventional treatment: as referenced in the first article in this series, children are frequently prescribed behaviour and mood-altering medications these days. Ritalin, Adderall, Wellbutrin etc.
balance sleep patterns with these excellent tips, trust me you need these!! – helps balance hormones and neurotransmitters for normal behaviour
improve nutrition with less carbs & sugar/more fat & protein – corrects insulin balance for less “hangry” times. Try these paleo-friendly kids snack ideas.
correct neurotransmitter imbalances by supplementing with magnesium/B-vitamins/whey protein
reduce use of electronics especially at night (yellow/orange glasses are recommended)
introduce a little movement in the morning to boost serotonin
Vetiver essential oil, Cedarwood essential oil, InTune essential oil blend ** ensure any oils you use on your family are pure therapeutic grade, not just made for good smell. ** Here’s where I shop. (a 2001 study using brain scans to evaluate essential oil effectiveness for common behavioral challenges in children showed improvements in 100% of subjects with Vetiver and 83% effectiveness with Cedarwood)
Soaking a chamomile tea bag in warm water and placing over an eye for 15 minutes every 2 hours will relieve pink eye in less than 24 hours. (source)
How to Treat a Seizure Naturally
I will work on expanding this section, however anecdotally I have heard that high quality frankincense essential oil is an incredible cure for seizures (source) Comment below if you have knowledge/experience of this?
Natural remedies for Teething / Tooth pain
amber necklace – raw natural amber contains succinic acid, a natural analgesic and healing agent. Amber warms when worm against the body and the succinic acid is absorbed through the skin helping relieve anxiety, pain and other symptoms. I personally wear one 24-7!
clove essential oil is said to work wonders for teething and tooth pain, but some babies might be sensitive. If you don’t feel comfortable using clove, go for German Chamomile instead. Frankincense is also great for tooth pain. These essential oils are pure and safe enough for use on babies and kids.
How to treat an Upset Stomach / Constipation / Diarrhea Naturally
a diet and lifestyle protocol to help remove bothersome foods without feeling overwhelmed or deprived, and healing the gut (I highly recommend this gut healing program)
DigestZen essential oil – a safe and very effective blend that you can get HERE
mineral imbalances can cause digestive issues, try keeping the person hydrated using electrolytes like pink salt instead of regular salt, and adding a magnesium drink/rub/bath
drinking a teaspoon of lemon juice or raw apple cider vinegar in a glass of water a few times a day can help stimulate better digestion
How to get rid of Plantar Warts and Skin tags Naturally
Conventional treatment: Salicylic Acid, Compound W, liquid nitrogen – scary chemicals that eat the skin away
oregano oil! Get a good one here. Apply 1-2 drops directly to the spot at least once a day for a month. If the oil is too “hot” on the skin, dilute with coconut oil. You can cover the spot with a cotton ball and/or bandaid to keep the oil on. I’ve had success with this personally on a recent wart! I didn’t even remember to use it every day and it went away in about a month, without having to endure any discomfort or cutting or burning or anything.
What do you have in your natural medicine cabinet?
What are your go-to natural remedies? Do you find they work as well as conventional treatments? Have you or your loved ones been able to stop using medications thanks to natural remedies? Share your experiences below, you could change someone’s life!!
We all have memories of those delicious naughty foods we used to eat care-free in childhood. Things like chicken fingers, pizza, chips and candy.
Although I know better now and definitely don’t buy those things anymore, nor would I feel them to my children, I don’t think it’s a reason to deprive ourselves of tasty, health-conscious treats.
I’ve engineered this real-food Oreo-inspired cookie sandwich recipe with high quality ingredients and only a little natural sweetener. You can make them paleo or primal, it’s up to you!
Personally we buy raw organic grass-fed dairy from a farm nearby in Ontario (check out this post for how I found it) so I used some nice fresh mascarpone for the filling. Use the cleanest ingredients you can get your hands on!
2-3 cups of either coconut whipped cream (recipe here) OR raw grass-fed organic whipped cream, sour cream or mascarpone (I used mascarpone)
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F / 180 C.
Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
Make your chocolate chunks, if you didn't buy ready-made ones. Basically attack a block of dark chocolate until you're happy with the size of your chunks :)
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until smooth.
Make golf-ball sized balls and flatten them - they will not spread in the oven so make them look as you want them to look.
Bake about 15 minutes or until the tops spring back.
Let the cookies cool a bit, then scoop on your whipped cream (coconut or dairy). Eat right away, or you can put them in the freezer for 1-2 hours if you want them to be like ice cream sandwiches! They are also delicious with some warmed frozen raspberries spooned over them.
Notes
You could add some essential oils to the cream to make mint oreos, or orange oreos!
This recipe was created by Liivi Hess, ThrivePrimal.com
If you make these, let me know how they turned out! Did you adjust the recipe or make it with whatever you had in the pantry? Do you find these as satisfying as “real” Oreos, and do they feel better in the belly? Do the kids like them?
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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!
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?
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
