If you’ve been doing your research, chances are you’ve figured out that conventional deodorant and anti-perspirants are highly toxic. Yes, yes, I know what you’re thinking – where does the mayhem end? Well, it certainly doesn’t end here, as these babies typically contain a heady concoction of chemicals which can do some serious harm in your body.
Common toxins found in deodorants and antiperspirants
Just to get you all riled up, here’s a quick list of toxic compounds commonly found in your average stick or spray-can of deodorant:
Aluminum: Used to block the sweat glands and keep sweat from reaching the surface of your skin. Preliminary research suggests that these aluminum compounds can be absorbed through the skin and cause changes to estrogen receptors in breast cells. The result, according researchers, is a higher risk of breast cancer with continued use of deodorants which contain aluminum.
Parabens: Used as a preservative to stop fungus or bacteria growing on your goods. Parabens are currently in the scientific hotseat for suspicions of contributing to breast cancer, due to their estrogen-simulating effect in the body
Propylene glycol: Keeps products from drying out. This nasty stuff was originally developed as a type of antifreeze, but is now being used in many deodorants and antiperspirants. There is no shortage of studies out there showing how propylene glycol is poison to our bodies, including this 2003 study and this 2007 study. Propylene glycol can cause dermatitis, kidney damage, liver damage, eye and skin irritation, gastrointestinal irritation, nausea, headaches, and central nervous depression. Seems like a great ingredient for your deodorant, right?
Triclosan: A synthetic compound used to kill bacteria on the skin (and inside your pits!). Triclosan has been shown to cause contact dermatitis, and has also been found to disrupt thyroid function.
The list goes on. Other nasty numbers found in your deodorant or antiperspirant include TEA and DEA, artificial colors and perfumes, and talc. Suffice to say that you need to throw those sweet-smelling cancer sticks out, ASAP.
Make your own healthy deodorant with doTERRA essential oils
You could shop around for hours, even days, trying to find a mass-produced deodorant that doesn’t contain any of these harmful chemicals. And even when you did, they’d probably have something else in them which is detrimental to your health. Admittedly, there are certain products out there which are legitimately clean, like this excellent natural deodorant stick from Green Tidings, but the cost of these products can add up over time.
When it comes down to it, your best solution is to make your own deodorant. Here’s a quick, easy set of steps to do just that. If you want to make your own deodorant bar, rather than just a paste that you rub on with your hands, add in some beeswax to harden things up.
Remember, you can buy doTERRA oils for much cheaper, wholesale prices if you sign up through our Thrive Primal doTERRA portal. More more information on how to get started buying cheaper essential oils, check out this article.
Also note that the Whisper blend is marketed “for women”, but the smell is definitely kosher for both men and women. As a man, I can confirm that it smells awesome and certainly doesn’t detract from my manliness!
Natural doTERRA deodorant instructions
There’s two ways you can do this recipe: the quick way and the fancy way. In our house, most of the time we opt for the “quick way” as we’re busy little bees. Essentially, this just involves leaving a jar of coconut oil somewhere warm (outside in the sun or beside the fireplace for a few minutes) and then mixing everything together in a glass jar. We don’t always use shea butter or cacao butter, but it’s nice to add them if you have the chance as they help to moisturize your pits. The “fancy way”, which admittedly will give you a better end product, is as follows:
Combine the coconut oil, shea or cacao butter in a double boiler, or simply a large mason jar inside a saucepan filled with 1 inch of water in the bottom. If you’re making a deodorant stick, add in the beeswax as well. I like simply melting everything in the mason jar, as it saves you having to clean hardened oils off a bowl at the end.
Bring the water to a boil, stirring ingredients constantly until they’re fully melted.
Remove oil mixture from heat and immediately add in the baking soda, arrowroot, and essential oils.
Give the mixture a good stir to ensure everything is fully incorporated. You need to make sure your oils are evenly spread throughout.
If you added beeswax for a deodorant stick, allow the mixture to cool for around 10-15 minutes at room temp. Once it hardens to a thick consistency, kind of like thick honey, carefully pour/scoop the mixture into an empty deodorant tube (you can literally just scoop out the old, nasty deodorant then rinse out with hot water) and leave overnight to fully harden. It’s better to wait until your deodorant mixture is thicker, so that you can make a mound inside the stick for ease of use.
That’s it! This should keep you and your family going for at least a few weeks, and sometimes a lot longer. If you didn’t make the deodorant stick, just scoop out a little with your fingers and massage gently into your pits.
It’s important to note that this isn’t an antiperspirant, so you will still sweat. But sweating is a healthy, natural bodily process – you need to sweat! And the good news that the longer you use this natural deodorant, the less you’ll sweat. Plus your sweat won’t smell bad, so you’re welcome.
If you start to develop a rash after a few days or weeks, don’t worry – if you’ve been using conventional, toxic deodorants for a long time this can sometimes happen. Doing an armpit detox like this one once a week until the rash goes away can make a big difference.
How did it go? Do you have your own special DIY deodorant blend? Tell us all about it!
Everyone gets a parasite at least once in their life. For most people, they’ll be exposed to hundreds, if not thousands, of parasites on a regular basis. That thought alone is enough to send many people running for the hills, or at least that “happy place” in their minds where parasites don’t exist.
But to assume you’re somehow immune to parasites is a poor assumption indeed. Either that, or you tell yourself that you’ve cooked your food thoroughly enough and religiously sanitized your hands to the point where there’s no chance that you could have some nasty little worms residing in your gut. Once again, big mistake.
This post comes after concluding 14 months of travel through some of the poorest countries on earth. As Liivi and I made our way down through Mexico and Central America, then immediately immersed ourselves in Southeast Asia for a couple of months to top it off, my mind was constantly considering the possibility that the next bowl of Vietnamese pho or undercooked Mexican tacos might be the one that introduced my body to an unpleasant concoction of parasitism.
Many people would respond to these suspicions by making a quick trip to the doctor for a diagnosis. That doctor may or may not perform a series of blood, urine or stool tests, but their prescription is almost always the same: a strong dose of antibiotics. And if you’ve been following our posts on Candida, you’ll know by now that antibiotics will RUIN your gut microflora and simply put you at greater risk of future parasite infections.
You could also seek out a functional medicine practitioner to get a more holistic take on your potential parasite problem, or even procure a reputable mail-order parasite testing kit, such as this Full GI Panel. The problem is, both of these alternatives are expensive, time consuming, and despite their reputability they’re often still quite unreliable in their results. Either the practitioner or the test might declare you “parasite free”, when really you’ve got a whole host of parasites that have dropped below the radar.
The way I see it, you’re much better off knowing what signs and symptoms to look out for, performing a simple parasite questionnaire, then going ahead and taking steps to expunge those uninvited parasites living in your innards. Even if you’re unsure, often embarking upon a simple at-home natural anti-parasite regime can do your body a lot of good, whether you have parasites or not. But first, lets wrap our heads around some of the more common parasites, and their usual symptoms.
Common parasites and typical symptoms
Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm)
Pinworm is a type of roundworm (nematode) with a huge geographic range. It is prevalent throughout much of the United States, along with many other parts of the world. It is estimated that around 209 million people worldwide are infected, with more than 30 percent of children throughout the world infected. In summary, there’s a very good chance you’ve got this little blighter hanging out in your large intestine.
The eggs of E. vermicularis spread to other people via fecal residue. In essence, people who go for a poo and don’t wash their hands properly are to blame. Nasty. And considering this pinworm can lay up to 15,000 eggs per night in your nether regions, it’s highly infectious.
Symptoms of pinworm include:
itching of the genitals and anus (sorry, but we had to go there)
sleep disturbance due to constant itching (particularly bad at night, when this parasite is most active)
in some cases, rapid weight loss, urinary tract infection, and appendicitis
Giardia lamblia
If you’ve ever considered taking a drink from what you thought to be a clean river, lake or stream on a particularly long hike, you’ve probably been warned off by somebody harping on about “giardia”. Hopefully you heeded their warning, because giardia is the second most common parasitic infection in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that more than 2.5 million cases of giardiasis occur annually.
Like pinworm, giardia is spread via fecal-oral contamination (put bluntly, when you get someone else’s poo particles in your mouth…tasty). Giardia is commonly water-borne because it is resistant to the chlorine in tap water, and even survives well in cold mountain streams. For this reason, it has earned the nicknames of “backpacker’s diarrhea” and “beaver fever”.
You can even get giardia from raw or undercooked foods, and animals such as sheep, cattle, dogs, rodents and beavers can pass it on and ensure it remains almost permanently in many water bodies.
Symptoms of giardia include:
diarrhea
malabsorption
indigestion
dramatic weight loss
fatigue
depression
in some cases, arthritis, particularly in the lower parts of the body
Ancylostoma duodenale, Necator americanus (hookworm)
A. duodenale is found in Europe, Africa, China, Japan, India and the Pacific Islands. N. americanus, as the name suggests, is found primarily in the Americas as well as the Caribbean and certain areas of Asia and the Pacific. These parasites used to be a real problem in America until the early 1900s, but hookworm is still widespread throughout the world.
As usual, the means by which these parasites get into your body is a rather disgusting one. Upon hatching, larvae feed on bacteria in the soil, then enter their human hosts via pores, hair follicles and even intact skin. They then travel through your circulatory system, climb into the lungs, and make their way eventually into your digestive tract. Here, they take up residence and begin the cycle all over again.
Hookworms like these generally don’t present any major problems aside from occasional gastroenteritis-like symptoms, or if the intestinal worm colony becomes too big (yuck!). The biggest concern, however, is blood loss. These worms use anticoagulant compounds that allow them to consume around quarter of a liter of blood per day. This blood loss can produce something called microcytic hypochromic anemia, which is often associated with iron deficiency. This hookworm infection may also result in “physical and mental retardation in children” – a rather frightening prospect, if you have your own little tikes to worry about.
Entamoeba histolytica
E. histolytica is the world’s second leading protozoan cause of death, close behind malaria. Of the approximately 50 million infective cases per year, an estimated 100,000 of them are fatal. That’s a pretty high mortality rate.
Infection by this parasite occurs via the fecal-oral route (ingested poo particles), typically due to poor food preparation hygiene, use of human waste for crop fertilization (more common than you might think!), and even “oral-anal sexual practices” (their words, not mine!).
Symptoms of this nasty little number include:
malaise
weight loss
severe abdominal pain
severe bloody diarrhea
fever
inflammatory bowel disease
colitis
Many of these symptoms lead health practitioners to mistakenly diagnose appendicitis, especially in children.
Aside from those listed above, there are plenty of other parasites floating about. Other common parasites found in the US include tapeworms (which can grow up to 60 feet long in the human intestine) and blood flukes (which mature in snails then burrow through human skin to infect the host).
Suitably concerned? You should be. Which isn’t to say that you should break out in a cold sweat. But a smattering of health concern occasionally is a good thing.
Before we proceed, it’s important to remember that you will never fully eradicate all parasites from your body. Our bodies have evolved to coexist with parasites, and completely removing anything which can be considered parasitic will present it’s own host of problems.
Take Candida, for example. This yeast, when it overgrows due to stress, antibiotics and excessive sugar consumption, can be very damaging to your health. However, Candida is actually a necessary component of our immune and digestive systems, and protects against heavy metal poisoning by metabolizing heavy metals and removing them from the body. Remove Candida, and you could suffer from heavy metal poisoning.
The main thing to remember is that for animals (including humans) which are healthy, parasites don’t pose a problem. It is when our bodies become weakened due to poor diets, antibiotics, drugs, stress, and so on that parasites can become stronger and take over our bodies. For these natural remedies to work, then, you need to also get your health under control.
One of the best ways to do this is to place yourself on a health protocol such as the one we’ve put together here. While the protocol is designed for getting Candida under control, it is excellent for dramatically improving your health in general. Otherwise, spend some time reading through some of our other posts here on Thrive Primal.
Black walnut
While I couldn’t track down any scientific studies relating to the parasite-preventative qualities of black walnut, there’s bucketloads of anecdotal evidence. The dried, ground hull of the Black Walnut contains a number of compounds which have been associated with parasite die-off. These compounds include organic iodine, juglandin, juglone and various other juglandic acids. Black walnut has purportedly been used for hundreds of years to expel various types of parasites, including ringworms, tapeworms, pinworms, and malaria.
Even if it hasn’t been scientifically linked to anti-parasitic effects, black walnut has received plenty of attention elsewhere in the health community. With this in mind, you should consider taking a black walnut supplement regardless!
Oregano essential oil
Unlike black walnut, oregano has received plenty of scientific review with regards to parasites, and the results are very promising. In one study, oil from Mediterranean oregano (Oreganum vulgare) was administered orally to 14 patients who had tested positive for several different internal parasites. After 6 weeks of 600 mg emulsified oregano oil daily, there was complete disappearance of all 3 different parasites in many of the patients. For the others, their parasite count diminished considerably, and those suffering from associated gastrointestinal issues also improved markedly.
In another study, the anti-parasitic effect of oregano and thyme essential oils were tested on the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan similar to Entamoeba histolytica. Here, I’ll paraphrase, as the technical mumbo jumbo becomes rather convoluted: “extract of oregano essential oil inhibited epimastigote growth (IC50/24 h = 175 μg/ml) and also induced trypomastigote lysis (IC50/24 h = 115 μg/ml)”. The conclusion? “Oregano and thyme essential oils are effective against T cruzi”.
Garlic is a proven anti-parasitic, and from what I’ve seen it punches well above the rest. Garlic can slow or even fully eradicate more than sixty varieties of fungi and twenty types of bacteria and viruses. It owes this parasite-killing power to it’s high concentrations of both allicin and ajoene. Ajoene has been strongly associated with fungal spore die-off, while allicin is a powerful antimicrobial agent which selectively kills off parasitizing organisms in your body while leaving the beneficial bacteria well alone.
This study indicates that garlic oil “has broad-spectrum activity against Trypanosoma, Plasmodium, Giardia and Leishmania”. Another study indicates that the high concentrations of allicin found in garlic have been found to:
exhibit antibacterial activity against a wide range of harmful bacteria, including various strains of E. coli
prevent fungal activity, including Candida albicans
prevent parasitic activity, including major human intestinal parasites like Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia
exhibit strong anti-viral properties
Clearly, you need more garlic in your life. Whether thats from garlic essential oil, allicin supplements or just straight whole garlic consumption (you’d need a lot of this last option to make any real difference against parasites), is up to you.
Clove essential oil
Perhaps second only to garlic, cloves are dynamite against parasites. Cloves contain eugenol, caryophyllene, and various tannins which exhibit powerful antimicrobial properties. These compounds can enter the bloodstream and selectively dispatch microscopic parasites, along with their larvae and eggs. Cloves have been proven in the treatment of malaria, tuberculosis, cholera, scabies and a range of other parasites, viruses, bacteria and fungi.
As this research paper indicates, clove essential oil has been shown to have powerful effects on several microorganisms and parasites. These include pathogenic bacteria, herpes, various Staphylococcus strains, and even hepatitis C viruses.
Another study examined the anti-parasitic activity of clove, basil and yarrow essential oils against the common parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. While it was found that all three of the oils were effective against the parasite, clove was by far the most effective.
Finally, a 2011 lab analysis of clove essential oil found that it had strong anti-Giardia (remember that “backpacker’s diarrhea I talked about earlier?) properties. Some of the study findings are as follows:
clove essential oil, and specifically the eugenol in clove oil, have anti-Giardia activity and inhibit cell attachment
clove oil promotes cell swelling, resulting in cell membrane destruction
clove oil induces an autophagic death process in Giardia cells
clove essential oil and eugenol have no toxicity on mammalian cells (meaning there’s no nasty side-effects!).
By far, the best way to get your anti-parasitic dose of clove is via topical application of the essential oil, or ingesting it as directed.
Wormwood
Wormwood has long been recognized as an effective natural treatment for certain types of parasites. It’s anthelmintic (medicinal anti-parasitic) properties were highly valued by many ancient cultures, and it continues to be used today in many parts of the world for the same reason. It’s apparent that if something continues to be used as an anti-parasitic treatment for so long, there must be some truth to the claims. In fact, many modern farmers still use wormwood for the de-worming of horses, cows and sheep…so why not humans as well?
It’s thought that the key anti-parasitic constituents of wormwood include bitter substances like sesquiterpene lactones, and an essential oil which contains a high concentration of terpenes. One study found that an in-vitro wormwood aqueous extract demonstrated strong anti-parasitic effects on the nematode Trichostrongylus colubriformis, and that the thujone in wormwood amplified this effect.
While there appears to be less scientific research of wormwood when compared to oregano, garlic and clove, there are a number of studies illustrating the effectiveness of wormwood against malaria. This study found that wormwood extract could inhibit the growth of malaria parasites in mice, while another found that cure rates were 74 percent after 7 days of wormwood treatment in human patients with uncomplicated malaria.
You can buy wormwood as an organic extract or in pill form (apparently the extract tastes pretty nasty!). But in my opinion, if you’re going whole-hog on these parasites, you might as well get the black walnut wormwood complex and kill two birds with one stone!
Thyme essential oil
As mentioned earlier, a study which compared the anti-parasitic properties of both oregano and thyme essential oils found that, while both were effective, thyme was the most powerful of the two. Considering how much acclaim oregano essential oil has received for it’s anthelmintic properties, this is certainly saying something.
On looking into the literature further, it became apparent that thyme essential oil has received a lot of attention for its anti-parasitic application in horticulture and pest control, but very little with regards to humans. Still, considering the number of studies confirming the effectiveness of thyme oil in killing a range of parasites, it stands to reason that it would also be effective for protecting our own bodies against infection. Make sure you do your dosage research before you start chugging it back by the gallon, though!
I use doTERRA’s thyme essential oil. It’s generally more expensive than some of the other brands, but it’s much higher quality. And if I’m putting oils into my body, I need to know they’re top notch.
Fennel essential oil
According to anecdotal evidence, fennel is believed to be a strong anti-parasitic. Fennel seed essential oil is used to flush parasites and their waste from the body, and has also been historically used to treat Candida overgrowth. Scientific review of this herb with regards to parasites is sadly lacking, however.
That being said, Dr Axe seems to think fennel is worth getting your hands on. According to him, fennel essential oil can help to heal wounds, relieve digestive issues and constipation, provide a host of antioxidants, and aid in weight loss. So even if it doesn’t directly attack parasites, it will certainly help out elsewhere!
This is another purported anti-parasitic natural remedy which lacks any scientific basis. But I’m well aware that just because a product hasn’t been studied, doesn’t mean that it’s not effective. And the anecdotal evidence suggests that it certainly is effective against parasites, their eggs, and yeast overgrowths like Candida.
Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring substance that is high in silica, which our bodies use to create hair, nails and skin. While diatomaceous earth is beneficial to us, it’s particles are so small that they can get in between the joints and exoskeletons of parasites and literally kill them on the spot. Thus when you ingest diatomaceous earth, it flushes out all those parasites living in your digestive system, and simultaneously removes heavy metals and other toxins from your body.
The reason why I’m inclined to believe these claims is that diatomaceous earth is still widely used in the agricultural sector for pest control. Farmers and food manufacturers swear by it, and if it can kill pests on food and plants, why not in our bodies as well?
Make sure you only use food grade diatomaceous earth, and take it easy – one to two tablespoons per day is enough. Here’s a reputable food-grade diatomaceous earth product.
Main points to remember
As discussed earlier, parasites are more likely to be a problem for you if your health is lacking. Improve your health, and you’ll dramatically improve your chances of overcoming them. One of the best ways to do this is to clean up your diet, but also to get plenty of high intensity exercise (sweating helps expel toxins and removes the by-products of parasites from your body), and try to keep stress to a minimum where possible. And don’t forget to get plenty of sleep!
If you’re looking to stock up on essential oils for your parasite cleanse, you can save a lot of money by signing up to doTERRA through Thrive Primal. For more information, click here.
If you’re keen to learn more on the subject, Paul Check is one of the world’s leading experts on parasites. He’s put together a series of DVDs and other resources to help people identify their problems and find a harm-free solution. Click this link to find out more.
And finally, if you’re unsure whether you’re suffering from a parasite infection, it’s always best to consult a medical practitioner first. If you’re on other medications, it’s also good to consult your doctor to determine whether the natural remedies listed above will clash with them in any way. Remember, we’re not doctors, we’re just here to provide useful information and helpful tips!
Ok, so you’ve got your paleo/primal/Bulletproof eating down to a fine art, you’ve thrown out all your chemical-based household cleaners and replaced them with a simple spray bottle of white vinegar, you’ve thinned out the ranks of your cosmetics and personal care products, and you’re on the home stretch to becoming the healthiest human in a 10 mile radius. Nicely done.
But, and I hate to go picking holes in your otherwise impressive suit of health, do you have your laundry detergent sorted? Are you still using store-bought detergents? You know, the one’s filled with artificial fragrances, toxic cleaning agents, chemical stabilizers, ammonia, brighteners and phosphates? The one’s which are dousing your clothes (and therefore your skin) in a poisonous concoction of illness-inducing, disease-causing chemicals?
If the answer was “yes”, that’s a pretty big hole I just picked at, sorry to say. And don’t think that because you’re buying a purportedly “natural” or “plant-based” detergent from your local supermarket that you’ve somehow skipped the chemicals and found the real deal. Even the “healthy” store-bought detergents have their share of nasty ingredients, meaning you’re infinitely better off making your own.
This recipe is a slightly modified version of that provided by our friends over at mommypotamus.com. I know you’ve got places to go and people to see, so I’ve also fast-tracked it so you get that hole in your health suit patched up quick-smart and start living your life and being awesome again. You’re welcome.
Cut the bars of coconut oil soap into rough chunks, then add to a kitchen food processor along with the washing soda.
Blend on high until the mixture forms a fine powder. Consider placing a towel or cloth over your food processor during blending to prevent any powder from escaping.
Allow the powder inside the processor to settle, around 2-3 minutes.
Slowly pour the powder into a clean glass jar with lid.
In a top load washing machine, add 2 tablespoons of the detergent for a medium load and 3 tablespoons for a large load. If running a cold wash, consider dissolving the powder in a cup of hot water before pouring into the washing machine.
Add half a cup of white vinegar to the fabric softener receptacle, and 3-5 drops lemon essential oil in with the laundry detergent as a degreaser and natural fragrance.
This recipe was created by Liivi Hess, ThrivePrimal.com
Thoughts? Comments?
If you tried this recipe out, let us know how it went! Did you have to modify some of the ingredient amounts, or the ingredients themselves? If you’d like to mix things up a little, the folks over at morningchores.com have very conveniently gathered up 28 more DIY laundry recipes!
[This is part of an ongoing series which looks at how to naturally, effectively and permanently beat your candida problem using methods which don’t compromise your health in the process. We’ve compiled all this information and more in a 30-day protocol in our comprehensive ebook]
Candida albicans. Hearing its exotic-sounding name triggers feelings of either anxiety or confusion. Anxiety, because you’ve heard about it, suspect you have it, and have no idea how to get rid of it. Confusion, because you’ve been living under a rock and somehow haven’t even heard about it. For you poor, confused souls, perhaps you should check out this article to see whether you’re suffering from it (hint: you probably are).
For the anxious masses, we’re here to help. Because despite what you might have heard, Candida is really just a misunderstood bacterial overgrowth which simply wants to be loved. And we have just the right ingredients to shower it with love and send it back down to where it belongs (in your gut!).
As we explore in a lot more detail in the ebook, Candida is actually an important part of your gut biome, playing critical roles in nutrient absorption and protection from infection. For this reason, embarking on a kill! kill! kill! mission of destruction against Candida really doesn’t do you any good – you’ll be wiping out something which is necessary for healthy functioning of your hot bod.
Do antifungals or antibiotics work against Candida?
Yup, they work. But, they’re not selective, and essentially wipe out your entire intestinal flora, including the good bacteria which are critical for digestion, nutrient absorption, immune function, hormone balance, and numerous other vital roles. If your doctor puts you on a round of antibiotics or antifungals to get rid of Candida, you’ll possibly get rid of it but you’ll severely damage your health in the process. And it’s very likely that the reason you have Candida in the first place is because of antibiotics, as they kill the bacteria which normally keep Candida in check. What’s more, if you want to keep Candida away after your first round of antibiotics, you’ll have to keep taking them, as your body will no longer be able to naturally regulate it’s growth.
Does starving your body of sugar work against Candida?
Yes and no. Yes, reducing your sugar intake helps to starve Candida of a primary food source and in this way can help to curb it’s growth and expansion. This is what most “natural” anti-Candida diets propose, however they almost always take it too far – starving your body of sugar actually puts it into a state of stress, increasing Cortisol levels and weakening your immune system. Thus you may cut out one of Candida’s food sources, but you also reduce the body’s ability to fight it via natural means. The best approach is to reduce sugar intake and limit it to “safer” sources like raw organic honey or a couple of servings of fruit a day (max).
Do natural antifungals work?
They certainly seem to! And the leader in this area is none other than little old apple cider vinegar. Mixing raw ACV into your water once or twice a day sends this glorious antifungal through your digestive system, bringing it into contact with your Candida overgrowth and letting it work it’s magic. It somehow possesses the ability to support a healthy gut biome by fighting bad bacteria, controlling bacterial overgrowth or infections (i.e. Candida), and backing up good bacteria. Essentially, it fulfills the same role as pharmaceutical antibiotics or antifungals but has the decency not to kill everything like they do.
Are essential oils effective against Candida?
Yup, certain oils are very useful in your fight against Candida. Lemon essential oil, for example, has a strong detoxifying effect on your body, helping to cleanse your blood and support your liver. It also supports healthy immune function, and in this way provides a strong building block upon which your body can start to control the Candida overgrowth on it’s own, without the assistance of drugs or fancy schmancy diets. Other anti-Candida oils include frankincense and oregano essential oil.
Does diet matter?
Ah….let me think about that…YES!!!!! Of course it does. Diet is one of the key reasons why most people fail to bring their Candida overgrowth under control. It’s not rocket science, but eating a diet rich in saturated fats, healthy organic vegetables (lots) and fruits (not so many) and good quality protein sources (grass fed or pastured organic meat and eggs) will help your body re-balance its hormones and rebuild its immune system so that it can get to work on your Candida problem. Another big step is avoiding processed foods, grains, and most dairy products. There’s a whole lot more information on this (38 pages on diet alone, to be exact!) and how to structure your diet in our ebook.
Stick with it and let us know if you have any questions. You can do this!
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
All the women in my family have bunions. And that freaks the crap out of me.
I don’t want yucky claw feet that look freaky in sandals, and more importantly that hurt all the time!
This is exactly the sort of thing I love to investigate a natural prevention or cure for. We don’t have to be victims to these sorts of conditions. A bunion isn’t something that attacks and we just have to succumb to. Although it’s true that some people are more prone to them (like my family) and some people can wear pointy shoes to their heart’s content and never get them.
But generally speaking a bunion happens over time, and it’s something we can prevent and even reverse naturally.
I want pretty, pain-free feet forever
Probably around age 25 I started to notice my feet would be kinda achey if I wore pointy shoes for the day. The pain was mainly in the big toe joint. Eventually I made the connection that this could eventually result in bunions. I started researching prevention immediately!
When you’re naturally more pre-disposed to getting them, you can’t just avoid pointy shoes, you have to proactively reshape your feet to keep them flexible and youthful.
1. Get some toe stretchers! Mine are called Profoot Flex-tastic Toe Relaxers and they are TOTALLY AWESOME. At first I wore them every night for 5-10 minutes just when I was eating dinner or relaxing for a bit in the evening. I did that for maybe a week or 2.
Now, I only use them every couple of months if I feel a bit of tightness in my toe joint. They feel sort of pressurey when they’re on, but not uncomfortable. And then when you take them off your feet feel oh so flexy and lovely, like you want to do a twinkle toe dance. Very rejuvenating!
Another suggestion for relieving any pain and inflammation is to use some Deep Blue pain-relieving essential oil. It’s great for muscle and joint pain of all kinds. You can also rather conveniently get is as a rub.
We don’t realize how much stress our feet take every day and we should thank them and take care of them! If we don’t they will turn on us and make our lives hell! :)
2. Do some yoga!
I’m not saying you have to spend an hour every night practicing or get a membership or learn how to do a headstand. I’m just saying use your toes mindfully when they are out of shoes. Use them to balance, spread them and grip the floor, and feel the power of each little tiny hard-working toe.
I’ve noticed since I’ve been practicing yoga semi-regularly my toes get sore a lot less often. I love balance poses like Tree, Chair or twisting lunges and arching upward while in downward dog to really feel the toe power!
Here’s a nice half-hour video with Yoga with Adriene that you can try. See how your toes (and obv your whole body!!) feel afterward!
And finally, yeees, you do want to avoid wearing those pinchy pointy shoes every day. Maybe keep them just for a sexy date night or when you need an extra confidence boost. It doesn’t mean you have to wear granny shoes, but a more natural toe shape that doesn’t literally re-shape you foot into a sad, cramped, diseased state is probably a good call. Your future self will thank you when you can still go for a nice nature hike when you’re 80 ;)
Please share below…
How do you show your feetsies some love? What tricks have you discovered for lasting foot health? Let us know in the comments so we can all help eachother out!
Over the past couple of years, Will and I have been getting more and more “crunchy”. Eschewing commercial cleaning and self-care products, and instead making our own, or sometimes just foregoing them altogether :)
The time that I didn’t wash my hair for 3 months…
I tried that foregoing thing with shampoo for awhile – I was determined to make my hair self-cleaning. I stuck it out for about 3 months, which I thought would surely be enough to let it adapt. Some days it looked ok, but mostly I looked like a drowned rat and felt pretty darn un-sexy.
The classic no-poo method
Previously to that I tried the no-poo method, which is baking soda mixed with some water and poured onto the scalp to cleanse, (rinse out), followed by some apple cider vinegar mixed with water and poured over the hair as a conditioner to balance the pH.
I didn’t mind this, but felt that after awhile it made my hair kind of dry and brittle. This is a common review if you google around a little bit.
Effective DIY natural no-poo alternatives; aka washing your hair with breakfast
Most blogs I’ve read lately have shared the most success with occasional baking soda/ACV washes, alternating with various natural food-based rinses and cleanses in between.
You could basically walk into a diner and rob some unsuspecting person of their breakfast, smoodge it all over your head, and walk out with clean hair.
You can wash your hair with:
kefir
rye flour
egg
coffee
honey
And any number of other items. Personally I’ve had great success with both rye flour, and an egg-honey mixture.
How to make DIY non-toxic egg & honey shampoo with essential oils
This is such a quick and easy process, just grab a bowl and get mixing.
crack a free range egg, grab the yolk with your fingers and put it in your bowl. (keep the white for something else if you like)
whip it up a bit with a fork, then mix in a heaping teaspoon of raw honey (if your honey is creamed, you may want to dilute it first with some warm water to soften it)
use comfortably warm (rather than hot) water in the shower so the egg doesn’t cook on your head
You will find your hair is silky and infused with protein to make it stronger. The honey is a good gentle cleanser, and the essential oils add strength, cleansing power and a nice scent as well.
My no-poo routine
Lately my routine looks something like this:
baking soda/ACV wash once a month
egg wash once every 1-2 weeks
rye flour wash 1-2 times per week
In between I just rinse my hair with water, or preen it using my natural boar-bristle brush, or use a little dry shampoo (I just use baby powder).
Pretty easy, non-toxic, and it keeps your hair healthy with a variety of different nourishing, natural cleansers and conditioners.
One last tip: coconut oil for hair
If you find the ends of your hair get dry, try this:
Wet your hair in the shower
Scoop out a little bit of coconut oil and rub just through the ends of your wet hair
Continue with your chosen no-poo cleansing method and rinse well
Your ends should be just conditioned and moisturized enough, without getting a greasy ratbag head from too much coconut oil. The key is to put it on the ends only!
How is no-poo shampoo working for you?
Have you been experimenting with any DIY non-toxic natural shampoo alternatives? What’s working for your hair type? Are you finding balance in your routine? Please share so we can all help each other out!
This is a follow-up to my previous post on anxiety. In addition to breathing techniques, music and other strategies I’ve talked about before, I’ve recently discovered the wonderful potential of essential oils.
Not just a pretty scent…
We all understand that smelling something pretty, like inhaling the perfume of a rose for example, makes you feel happy. But it’s worth understanding a little deeper, because the therapeutic power of essential oils goes a lot further than that.
Without going too deep into the sciencey part, when your nose detects a scent, it means that tiny molecules have evaporated from an object, and entered your nose. The molecules interlock with specialized receptors and communicate with the brain through the olfactory bulb. This captures information from the scent molecules, and actually helps to form and record memories.
Ever had a sudden flashback from smelling an aroma wafting from a restaurant, or the perfume of someone walking by? I can totally recall the moldy, nasty but comfort-inducing scent of my parents’ old minivan, for example (lol). When you think about it, scent has a profound effect on our memories, feelings and emotions.
What you inhale affects your health
We all understand that inhaling bad molecules from the air can negatively affect our health. Car exhaust, glue fumes, poison gases, cigarette smoke, mold spores and airborne viruses for example. We easily acknowledge that these things, which we can’t see with our naked eye, wreak havoc on our health when we smell and inhale them into the body.
So what if good, happy, healthy airborne molecules could do the opposite? Re-program our system for better balance and energy, and help prevent and reverse illness? Well surprise, they can! Essential oils are the lifeblood of plants; they are the substances that help protect and support the successful growth of the plant. When they are harvested through gentle methods from excellent quality plants, they form wonderfully rich natural medicines for the human body.
And it doesn’t stop there…
Out of all five senses, smell is the only one directly linked to the limbic system in the brain, which is our emotional control center. The limbic system is directly connected to the parts of the brain that control heart rate, digestion, blood pressure, breathing, stress levels, arousal, and hormone balance. What this means is that essential oil molecules can impact not just emotion, but the body’s physical function.
All of these physical functions compile to form the body’s sympathetic and asympathetic nervous systems. The asympathetic system is the one you want to activate to calm down and turn off the stress response. Influencing the limbic system with essential oils is one way you can directly activate the asympathetic nervous system, like pressing a “chill out” button.
In summary, the use of therapeutic grade essential oils can have profound effects on our physical and emotional well-being. Recent research is showing that essential oils may help relieve symptoms just as effectively as medication, but without the side effects of anxiety drugs.
The best essential oils for anxiety and stress relief
Frankincense
Frankincense is a beautiful, warm woody oil distilled from the sap of the boswellia tree. The sap is sustainably harvested in crystal form, as shown here. Then it’s steamed and the distilled oil is collected.
The sesquiterpene molecules in frankincense help calm anxiety and create feelings of joy and happiness, by stimulating healthy neurotransmitter and hormone production from the hypothalamus, pituitary and pineal glands.
I like to rub frankincense on my face as it helps smooth and heal the skin, and that way I can inhale its calming scent and get a prettier complexion while I’m at it.
Lavender
Lavender oil is distilled from the flowering tips of the lavender plant. Hundreds of pounds are collected and steamed to make the precious essential oil.
Lavender oil has been commonly used for centuries as an antiseptic, a natural antibiotic, an insect repellent and a calming sedative.
Lavender is well-known as a natural sleep aid to bring relief from insomnia. I like to put a few drops on my pillow before I go to bed, or add some to my epsom salt bath water.
During the day I also mix a few drops with a little bit of frankincense and rub on the back of my neck. This is a nice stress-relieving ritual; take a few deep breaths as you massage your neck and clear your mind a bit. The warmth of the skin helps waft the calming aroma into the air.
Citrus Oils
Citrus oils are made by distilling the oil-rich peels of fruits such as Sweet Orange, Bergamot, and Lemon.
They are excellent for the purpose of uplifting the mood, creating a sense of well-being and chasing away those dark shadows in the corners of an anxious mind. They are said to aid in the body’s ability to respond to stress and also help with circulation and detox.
I like to diffuse these oils at home for a freshening and uplifting vibe. You can also add a drop of therapeutic-grade citrus essential oils to your drinking water or to recipes.
Quality is important
Please take into account the quality of the essential oils you purchase. By using natural medicine you are already saving a huge amount of expense on conventional medical care, plus the lost time you would have wasted with being sick, plus the side effects and toxicity that medications place on the body.
So it’s worth investing in the best quality essential oils to apply and inhale into your one precious body.
Drug-store or health food store grade oils are often laced with synthetics and they have very few quality standards applied. I choose to respect my body and my health, and in turn get the best results (!) by only using the best essential oils. Here is where I buy mine.
Please share your tips…
What oils do you like to use to relieve stress and anxiety? What strategies do you combine with essential oils? Please share so we can all help each other! :)
