Things that Make You Go Hmmmm......

I am going to preface this by say.....I hate pyramid companies, but I think you all know that already.  I think I have already spoken on the matter.  I also know that I may seem a little hypocritical.  And lastly, I'm only mentioning the following because it has been a somewhat happy side affect of my journey.

If you want to know my thoughts on pyramid companies, check out past blogs.  It is all in there somewhere.  If you want to know why I am on this journey being a part of a pyramid company, also check out past blogs.  It is in there too somewhere.  :)

This particular post, though, is simply to mention that thing which has made me go hmmmm.....


I've been a part of other pyramid companies.  Not mentioning names, because I know others have benefited from them.  I'm in this one as part of a personal journal for personal health issues......along the way......about four months in.....I have been pleasantly surprised by mail I receive unannounced in the form of checks.

This makes me go hmmmm.....  Why?  Cause all I have done is shared my journey.  Others wanted to try to.  They signed up.  They ordered all on their own.  If they had questions they asked.  I have done very little accept to share my journey and products if people wanted to try them.  I haven't sold a thing.  I like that.  Cause I'm not a sales person.  In fact, I loathe sales.  Not saying there is anything wrong with someone who loves sales.....it is just not me.  So this makes me go hmmmm......because I have received a paycheck for simply sharing my story.

That's not to shabby of a set up.  I can wrap my brain around that, because sharing our stories with each other is part of life and if I can receive a pay check for doing so.....well....it's makes me go hmmm.....and I kind of like that :)

Digestive Health

Many of you know my story as I have walked through finding solutions and products to support my digestive health.  I recently shared my experience with a small group of people a couple weeks ago, but thought I would add my thoughts to this blog for those who were unable to make it and who might benefit from my experience.

Following is a quick and brief run down of what I have discovered:

Digestive Health is benefited by-

1.  A healthy diet
There is no way around it.  No matter how much we do not like this answer, because it requires work on our part and personal responsibility (if you are like me, you want to have your cake and eat it too!), the truth is our digestive system is benefited best when we have a solid foundation based on a healthy diet.  The reason for this is really simple.  Our bodies were not made to deal with and process the additives and preservatives, fried foods and fat that we often consume.  We put a  lot of stress on our bodies when we consume these types of food on a daily basis.  Granted, busy lives often lead to eating highly processed foods.....its why my family still eats them sometimes.  Believe me, we are not 100% whole foods and organic at our house.  Right now in our lives, it is hard for us to sustain that every day.  However, neither are busy lives an excuse to eat poorly.  We are definitely going to have busy days, busy weeks, and crazy months, but the point is, our focus is to make as many healthy food choices as possible.  Sometimes, this change can feel overwhelming and so it is best to begin with small changes.  The next time you are at the store, instead of purchasing a container of Oreos to snack on, pick up a few of your favorite fruits....still sweet, but healthy.  Or instead of purchasing white rice, try a bag of brown rice.  When purchasing meat, buy as organic and hormone free as possible.  At a restaurant?  Choose a side salad with vinaigrette in place of a French fries and skip the dessert.  Building a base of a healthy diet can be done in "bite sizes" and over a period of time.  Instead of thinking about making this change for the rest of our life (sometimes overwhelming), think about making these changes one meal at a time.  Focus on lean proteins, fruits, and veggies that are as unprocessed as possible.  There really are only two rules ;)  Have fun exploring with food and when you do have an off day or even an off month (cause they do happen), don't beat yourself up.  Just move forward and begin again.

2.  Exercise

Ugh!  I Know.  That word is worse than saying healthy diet, right?  It's ok.  I understand!  We don't like this one either.....it requires us to make time in an already very busy world, not to mention, it makes us move and who wants to do that!?  But I can promise you, once you have gotten past the point of lacing up your shoes and stepping outside, you have won the battle of talking yourself out of it.  Often the hardest part is convincing yourself to put your shoes on!  The benefits of exercise are numerous, but for the sake of this blog, I will focus on the fact that it helps your digestive system function.  To try to say this nicely, it keeps things flowing....if you know what I mean.  It also releases endorphins which promote more energy and positive, happy feelings....something we can all use.  This task of adding exercise into your life, might feel just as insurmountable as changing eating habits, but it can be done in baby steps too.  If you have never exercised before, no worries!  Keep it simple.  Find three days in your week and in those three days find 15 minutes.  Put your shoes on.  Go for a walk.  Go for a bike ride.  Go for a swim, if it is warm enough :)  Do a rotation of jumping jacks, walking in place, leg lifts, and crunches.  It really doesn't matter what you pick as long as you are moving.  Just make sure it is something you enjoy doing, because if you hate it, you will not continue with it.  As you begin to do this, it won't be long before 15 minutes seems easy, so you bump your 15 minutes up to 20.  Before you know it, you might be up to an hour jog :)  The point is, it is doable!

3.  Digestive Aides

Often, digestive aides is the first thing we want to jump to.  Mainly because it is easier to think about popping pills or drinking an energy drink than it is dedicating yourself to making the above life changes.  However, digestive aides cannot and will not benefit your body as well on there own if you are not using them in conjunction with the first two steps.  They are aides not miracles and they come along side a healthy lifestyle in order to enhance the work you are already doing.  There are several products that I have personally found to be very beneficial to supporting my digestive health.  You might ask, if you are eating really healthy and exercising then why do you need digestive aides?  Good question.  The answer is this: in my personal life, no matter my best intentions to eat perfectly healthy, to exercise, to not take in additives and preservatives, to eat whole foods....I can't do it perfectly all the time and even the times I have been very faithful, sometimes my body simply still acts up.  So the aides help me fill in the gaps of the off days, the sick days, the days where my hours seem to just disappear and night time falls before I get any exercise in.  We all have those days.....weeks....and sometimes even months.  The truth is life happens and interrupts our best intentions.  Digestive aides fill in those gaps.   They help support our best intentions.  Digestive Aides can include but are not limited too:

-Digestive Enzymes (they help break down dairy, fat, and protein)
-Daily Vitamins which support cellular health as well as minerals and vitamins and also include Omega 3 oils (these products support overall body health and function and help us to obtain the vitamins and minerals needed for our cells to function properly.  The goal is to get these vitamins and minerals through our diet as stated above.  Vitamins support that goal.)
-Peppermint Oil (calms occasional stomach upset and discomfort)
-Digestive Blend Oil (calms occasion stomach upset and discomfort as well as aides in healthy elimination of body waste)

The Digestive Enzymes and Vitamins are something I take on a daily basis.  The oils are back ups for occasional stomach upset and irregular bowel movements (Sorry, I pondered on how to say that in a nicer way, but there just is not a nicer way of explaining it)

I hope as you read this, if you are dealing with digestive issues, that you have found some encouragement and some answers in how to better support your digestive health.  Digestive issues can be very discouraging and overwhelming and it is good to share our journeys with each other.

If you are interested in knowing more specifically which products I personally use, or if you have questions, feel free to contact me at wilson.melody.j@gmail.com.

Have a blessed day!

Another Week of Intersting Experiments

As you know, I have found that the skeptic in me has turned into the curious learner.  So, when an opportunity arises, I take it.  Don't get me wrong.  Understand well, that if myself or my family were in need of medical support, I would most definitely go see our family doctor.  I like our family doctor.  They know A LOT of things I don't know and they are a wealth of information.  In fact, I recently visited my endocrinologist at U of M.  His name is Tobias.  He has a cool German accent and he knows far more about MEN 1 than I do.  I had my blood work done and will soon follow up with a CT Scan of my abdomen.  Why?  Because, I trust my doctor.  But in the meantime, I still try some homeopathic ideas as well.  Why?  Because if they work, than I don't have to pay to go see my friendly doctor as often.  And I am all about saving a bit of money and doing things that may support the body in it's process of healing itself.  Anywhooooo, now that my disclaimer is done.....

Last week 4/5 of the Wilson's got sick.  Yours truly never came down with anything.  Just a little on again off again ear ache and that overall feeling like you might be getting sick, but then you don't.  Not sure if that makes sense, but that is how I felt.  Sore throat and fever were the biggest culprits, though we have had a bit of stomach upset and dizziness as well.  Katie and Rob got it the worst.  Kara and Colin cleared up within a few days and just struggled more with the sore throat side of things.  So, I got out my oils.  Why not.  Let's see what happens.

My memory is failing a bit, but I believe, for Kara, I started putting a bit of OnGuard on her neck where her sore throat was.  She healed up quickly.  Colin received the same treatment except, I had him gargle with warm water.  I added a small amount of table salt with a drop of  OnGuarrd and instructed him to gargle but not to swallow.  He cleared up almost immediately, although maybe that has something to do with him not wanted to have to gargle again!  LOL!  Anyway, the point is, his sore throat went away.  Katie and Rob are next, both of them starting to not feel so well around Tuesday evening, right along with the other two.  Katie was out of school Wednesday and Thursday due to sore throat and fever.  She went back to school on Friday and was great by Saturday and even better by Sunday.  Rob is still struggling a bit and it is the following Tuesday now.  Those are the facts of the timeline.  I share that with you first, because I want you to make your own decisions about this.  I'm just telling you our story.

Rob is not that excited about the smells of the oils and so I administered them to him minimally.  He took over the counter meds to help fight off what he was dealing with.   Katie kind of likes them, so she received them more often, knowing full well that she was free to take ibuprofen whenever she wanted.  I have made it very clear to my kids that a mixture of holistic and modern medicine is a great way to support our systems when they are run down.  (This is the conclusion I have come to.  It is not doctrine :) and I encourage you to make your own conclusions.)  For Katie, I had her gargle just like Colin did...that was Tuesday evening.  By Wednesday, she had started a fever.  I had her continue to gargle every few hours, put a dab of OnGuard on her throat topically where it hurt.  I made a mixture of Coconut oil, a drop of Breath, a drop of Peppermint and rubbed that on her chest and feet as well as a dab of peppermint rubbed into the same spot on her throat as the OnGuard.  I found it curious, that each time I administered this combination, her temperature would drop and her sore throat would lessen.  Mind you, her fever was low grade, and nothing I would have even given her an over the counter medicine for.  But never the less, it dropped and her throat felt a bit better.  The fever would gradually go back up and her sore throat would get worse again.  So, I would do the same routine and her fever would go back down and her sore throat would feel a bit better.  By Friday, her fever had been gone long enough that she was able to go back to school and her throat was a bit sore still, but tolerable.  She asked for ibuprofen once during this process which I happily gave to her.

I am not going to sit here and make any claims.  Maybe, Katie would have gotten better by Friday anyway.  Maybe Rob is still struggling because he had a worse case of it.  Maybe, Colin's sore throat and Kara's sore throat would have cleared up anyway with just a salt water gargle and no oils involved.  Maybe I just didn't get sick.  The only difference for me that I know of, is I started putting OnGuard on that past weekend, because I knew we would be in close quarters with a lot of people all weekend long.  I did not put it on anybody else until they started complaining of things hurting.

It does make me wonder a bit, though; and it is curious to me that those in our family using the oils more consistently seem to mend quicker and that Katie's temp seemed to fluctuate with the administration of the mixture I made.

It's like this for me.  Can oils heal?  I don't know and I'm not going to make a claim like that.  I'm not a doctor.  Just a mom trying some things out.  My experience, though, is that they seem to support the bodies natural processes and systems.  They seem to support it enough, that I would try this same thing again and see if we get the same results.  It's curious to me and interesting.  What do you think?

If you have thoughts or questions you would like to share with me, feel free to contact me on Facebook or by email at wilson.melody.j@gmail.com or for more Essential Oil information you can visit my website at http://www.mydoterra.com/melodywilson/

That Nasty Three Letter Word......Multi-Level-Marketing

One of the things I have struggled with the most in being a part of doTerra was the fact that it is an MLM (Multi Level Marketing) Company.  I have been a part of these things before.  You will make lots of money, they said.  It will give you more time with your family, they said.  You will live in a MLM bubble, they said.....they said a lot of things that never came true.  I did not have lots of money.  I had less time with my family.  And that MLM bubble....well, it popped.  So, why in the world would I want to become a part of another one?

And not to mention, being on the other side of the sales person.  The side of all the party invites and the "will you come and help me earn money so I can buy my favorite product" side. 

Yeah, it all had left a bad taste in my mouth.  In fact, for several years or longer, I have actually all but sworn off all parties.  No thanks.  If I want what you have, I will contact you.  But you don't need to contact me.  I'm good.

You can imagine where this left me when once again I was confronted with another MLM in the form of oils.  No thanks.

As I found myself getting more involved, I began to struggle.  I struggled with feeling like a hypocrite, I actually still struggle with this a bit.  All the friends that I said no thanks to about their parties, I now find myself inviting to classes and doTerra events.  Yeah, I have struggled hard with that one. 

I struggled in general with being a part of something I felt like a really didn't agree with....that just doesn't even make sense.  I mean, I had to have a membership which at the time translated to:  this is just another way for them to leech more money out of me.  I had to order so much money in order to receive bonus points.....another way to take more of my money.  And, if I wanted to do really well, I needed to sign people up underneath me....insert a heavy sigh.  I've been there.  Done that.  It doesn't work, at least not for me.  And yet, like I have mentioned before, I found myself drawn back over and over again.  Cause the products were working.  I was finding healing.  You can understand my struggle.

As I struggled, my perspective began to change.  One day, as I was shopping at my local, large, grocery store, scrolling through my mperks :) and fighting with myself about being a part of an MLM....I noticed myself doing a weird thing.  I came across an mperk that said:  "purchase $400 this month and earn $12 off of your next visit"  I clipped it.  Who wouldn't?  Sure, sounds good....to....me.....

uh, yeah.  I stopped for a second.  I smirked.  My favorite, large, retail grocery store was doing the same thing that doTerra was doing.  And yet, I had never questioned it.  It had never crossed my mind that Meijer was trying to leech money out of my wallet.  They were, after all, offering me a discount and that was nice of them.  Hmmmm.....it made me think for a bit.  If I, without question accept offers like this from a retail store, then why would it bother me to accept it from an online MLM?

Something to ponder.

Soon after that, I was browsing through Christian Book Distributors catalog.  I was looking for a Bible.  They offer good discounts, so I often purchase through them, because my .....ahem....membership allows me to do so.  Again.  I smirked.  Never once did I question CBD's integrity when they asked me to purchase a membership in order to enjoy their discounts.  Why would I question the integrity of doTerra when they ask the same thing?  For me to be a paid member in order to enjoy their discounts?

Another thing to ponder.

I often find myself sharing my life with others.  We all do.  We talk to our friends, swap stories, encourage each other.  If we find out someone has a need we suggest a product or a solution to them; not because we expect anything in return, but because we desire to help them with their problem.  Funny that I have a hard time wrapping my brain around doing that when it comes to the subject of oils that might benefit a friends health...simply because it is a part of a MLM.  I struggled with the fact that I would make money off of my suggestion.  Somehow it spoils the suggestion.  How could I worked through this one?

Well, this one was hard.  But it was worked through from this perspective.  I will share my life with others...whether or not I receive anything in return, because that is who I am.  In other words, my perspective had to change from "how will this benefit me" to "how might this might benefit others".  Basically, as I share who I am, whether spiritually or with my time or with how I have learned to cope with health issues, or with my struggles, I do so with the heart of blessing others and not with the heart of making money or receiving anything in return.  When it comes to doTerra, I don't care if I make money.  I do however, care about whether or not someone is finding healing.  Might I make money?  I might.  But that is not my focus.  That is something I have learned in all of this.  It's not about the money.

Somehow, all of my biggest MLM concerns were addressed and dealt with.  There is nothing wrong with a membership.  We pay them all the time without question.  Costco, Christian Book Distributors, SAMS Club.  The membership offers perks and discounts.  Sign me up. 

Most companies offer rebate programs.  You spend this much money with us and as a thank you, we will gift you back $12.  There is nothing wrong with rebate programs.  We participate in those, too, a lot, without question.  And a lot of companies offer referral programs as well and we never question that either.  When we bring them customers, they offer us a gift.

I realized I was struggling with things I did on a daily basis and I was struggling with them because they were attached to a company that had that nasty three letter word tagged onto it.

Silly.

That nasty three letter word doesn't seem so nasty to me anymore.  When I began to realize that I have been participating in memberships, rebate programs, and referral programs anyway with other companies on a regular basis.  Why, then,  was I allowing a business label to trip me up with this company? 

Just another part of my journey with all of this I guess :)    

More Than Just an Oil

If you had asked me last summer if I would be writing a blog like this, I would have laughed at you....hard.  Not just a little giggle, but a gut-jiggling belly laugh that would send me to the floor in fits of hysteria!  And I'm not over exaggerating either.  I'm not.  Seriously, I can't even now really believe that I am writing this.  But.....I am.

Here's the deal, never in my wildest imagination, would I have thought I would become sold on this product and company.  I will not rehash my concerns.....If you have been following my blog, you know what they are and you know where I have come from in this journey.  No matter how many times I scoffed and tried to prove that these products were not for me, something kept me coming back.  Researching a bit more.  Trying out another product.  Reading.  Listening.  Most of the time with a bit of an attitude.  But none the less, I found myself intrigued.  I never thought it would be bring me to say what is now my newest saying, "there is more to this than just oils".  (At this point in the blog, I give you permission to call my crazy.  Not that you need my permission to do so, but well, I understand how you are feeling).

Several months ago or longer, I can't remember how long ago actually, I saw a post of a facebook friend that said something to the affect of how doTerra has changed her.  Not just cause of the use of the oils, but that it was a deeper, emotional, almost spiritual sort of change.  I thought, "whatever".  I don't need a company to be my self-help guru.  I have Jesus.  I don't need anything else.

And yet, here I am today......standing in agreement with her.  In my last post, I think I said something about the more I researched and listened to webinars and trainings, the more I found myself digging out some ugly things about myself.  Strange, since the trainings were about business and how to be a better business woman/man.  I found myself having to really search out some areas in my life, that quite frankly were a little ugly.

For instance:
I can be fairly selfish and self-centered. 
I can't say no.
I am fear driven.
My priorities are all out of whack.

As I began to process these things about myself, I found that I began to change my thought pattern.  I don't want to be selfish and self-centered.  I want to be giving and caring, generous and loving whether I get anything out of it or not.  I want to freely give.....no strings attached.  I also decided that because I am a people pleaser, I have a terrible time saying no.  So, I over commit myself.  Which drains me.  I do this because I am fear motivated....I don't want to let anyone down or disappoint them.  I don't want to be left behind and forgotten.....so my response to almost everything is yes, YES, and YES!    I also discovered the dearest things to my heart are often the things and the people that I put on the back burner.

All of this realization, came out of about 4 hours of listening to some webinars.  They were not necessarily about faith, family, relationships....well at least not from the titles and yet these topics were all woven in, and they challenged me in these areas.  I hope this is making sense.  When I first listened to them, I actually felt kind of angry.....mainly my first response to seeing some things about myself that I did not like admitting to.  However, as hours began to pass, I realized how important it is for me to deal with these issues.

To focus on giving of myself.....freely.
To say no to the things which distract me from my purpose and calling in life.
To not allow fear to be my motivator.
And to straighten out my priorities......

This last one really sets the tone for all the others.  God, family, church, ministry, work.....I am finding when I keep those five things in the correct order, everything else begins to work itself out. 

And you know what?  All of this was discovered listening to these silly, little webinars about business and oils.  Did I need self-help?  Maybe.  But more so, I feel God used this as an open door to expose some things in my life.  Sure, He could have shown them to me in other ways.  I am by no means saying doTerra is some sort of magical company.  But what I am saying, is that as I began opening myself up to the idea of this company, I found myself being opened up to some other areas in my life....areas that needed changing.

I have discovered God can use anything to work out His good in our lives......even something as small as a little bit of oil.

(Again, you can call me crazy. I would have done the same thing.  But it's ok.....it's my crazy journey to be on ;) )

Strange and Interesting Things are Happening in DoTerra Land......Things That Make You Go Hmmmmmmmmm

Today I was cleaning my kitchen....no biggie, right?  And I thought that I would make up a little spray bottle of water mixed with OnGuard to clean my counters.  They say it is good for fighting infection, so why not?  I made my little bottle, about 8 oz mixed with 4 or 5 drops, sprayed my counters, wiped them down, and went on with the rest of the day.  After lunch, I happened to walk past my spray bottle and noticed a dark ring had formed at the top of the water line.  Interesting.  So, I thought, maybe it was the oil.  I shook the bottle and the line went away.  Interesting.  I opened the bottle to find little black specks all through the water.  Well that is gross.  I poured the water out into a glass and looked again.  Sure enough, it looked like dirt specks all throughout the water.  It seems the oil (I'm no scientist so I don't know for sure....just my best hypothesis), attached itself to dirt and minerals and impurities inside the water and the bottle and made itself a little dirt ring.  Hmmmmm.....call me weird, but I think that is kind of cool, and gross, and interesting all at the same time.  Cool cause it as a bit of an accidental science experiment, gross because that is my kitchen water that I drink on a daily basis and because I was using that apparently very dirty water and spray bottle to clean my kitchen counters, and interesting because it appears that OnGard attaches itself to impurities and cleans them up.  It made me go Hmmmmm.......and I thought it might make you go Hmmmmm too ;)

I Have A Lot to Learn

Never before in my life, have I been a part of an organization, outside of the church, that has made me reach down and take a good hard look at myself.  This week, I have embarked on a bit of a journey listening to 5 webinars, not out of the motivation to learn, but simply because I could earn about $100 worth of free oils.  I mean, who doesn't like free things, right?  Yesterday, I found myself actually getting a little mad about the time it was taking for me to sit and listen to each one.  However, since I started....I hate not finishing things I start....I decided to move forward, bad attitude and all.

Most of these webinars are supporting and encouraging the growth of  your doTerra business, however they have a lot of good practical points in them that can be useful in every day life.  Things like being confident, don't be afraid to be different, know your mission and go for it, things like that.  As I have worked through the videos, I have come to an honest conclusion about where I am at.....and that is....I am at the very beginning, becoming frustrated because I was trying to be at the end or the finish line, if that makes more sense.  It has made me aware that I still have ALOT of hang ups when it comes to companies like these.  It has made me aware that before I move to quickly, I need to better educate myself about their mission...maybe it will help me to understand mine better.

Why am I sharing this with you all?  Because, I promised myself that I would be open and honest about where I am at for myself, but also for those that are around me AND since this blog is to help me document my journey....well this is a part of it.

So, I have made myself a promise.  I am going to go back to the beginning.  I have done outside research, which has been quite compelling.  I have experimented on myself and on my family with a, I would say, 90% success rate (one must make sure they are using the correct oil for the correct issue.  And as I found out yesterday, using Cypress oil NEAT on a hemorrhoid isn't probably the smartest idea I have ever had.  Enough said other than that I would more highly recommend combining it with Epson salt in your bath water and just soak)  Anywhoooo, moving along. 

I believe the next step for me is to begin research inside of the company.  To hear the heart of the company and to do it in baby steps.  One thing I am learning about myself, is to compare myself with those around me that are spending more time on this than I am, and holding myself up to them as the measure of my success is detrimental to my mental health.  In other words, I need to stop comparing myself and move forward at my own pace and without fear of being left behind.  (I've always had that fear, so it isn't new in this situation.)

Like I said at the beginning, I have never been a part of an organization, outside of the church and the conviction and work of the Holy Spirit in my life whom of course isn't an organization, but I hope you understand my point, that has made me dig deep into who I am, what I stand for, and find it changing me.  That intrigues me a bit.  There may be more to this than just oils and I have admit, right now, that is propelling me forward with all of this.

Testimonial Time

WARNING:  This post might be redundant....but when I come across it again for myself, it will be a good reminder for me.

I often wonder how well extra nutrition is really working.  I know I have sung the praises so for of the multivitamins and the terrazymes, but I guess I didn't realize how much they really were affecting me until I started to run out this week and my new order had not come in yet.  For about 48 hours, I was unable to consume my normal amounts of terrazymes.  No biggie, right?  WRONG!  The stomach upset came back, the pain....the abdominal pain is the worst.  It starts in my belly and climbs up into my chest cavity.  It all came back including  the heavy-in-your-stomach feeling....ugh!  Last night, it got really bad.  Thankfully, yesterday the new shipment arrived.  I took two-three terrazymes at supper, but since I had not been taking them, I still had all the abdominal pain.  Thank goodness for peppermint and digestzen....I drank that last night and it helped resolved the pain.  This morning, I feel ALOT better.  The point?  I don't ever want to run out of those bad boys again.  That was miserable and even though I can cut the pain with some of the oils, I would rather just have the pills on hand all the time so I don't go without. I didn't realize going off for such a short time would affect me that much, but apparently it does. 

I will say this, I was already convinced these products were helping me, but after last night I have been 150% convinced.  Whatever my hang ups still are with MLM's (multilevel marketing companies) and whether oils are just another fad that might fade away, and whether or not they work all the time,  I cannot argue with what happened last night.  There is something behind the science of what this company has put together.....and I'm sold.

An added note to self:  It has been really easy, when I am faithfully taking the terrazymes, to get carried away with eating whatever I want, because now I can.  It doesn't hurt me anymore.  I can have ice cream and sugar and I don't get sick, PRAISE GOD!  uh, yeah......well, while terrazymes have regulated my tummy and digestive issues, it doesn't stop the fat and extra calories from said ice cream and sugary treats from depositing themselves onto my hips and affecting my blood pressure, my heart, my sugar levels, my health.......  Yes, the terrazymes help, but they are not an excuse to eat in an unhealthy way.  It reminds me of how the Bible talks about the grace of God.  The grace of God is amazing and a beautiful thing!  But it doesn't give us a license to do whatever we feel like cause after all God's grace will catch me when I fall on purpose.....Nope, it doesn't give us a license to walk all over the grace of God....terrazymes are like that ;)  They are amazing and beautiful little pills, but they do not give me or anyone else the license to eat whatever I feel like....the I-can-eat-whatever-I-feel-like mentality will eventually catch up with me and those consequences I still have to deal with.....like having a muffin whose top is getting just a bit larger and having to do funny little stretches once I'm in my now-painted-on-jeans in order to get them to fit a bit more comfortably.....and who knows, over time, other health issues that simply come from eating an unhealthy way.

These pills are a support system behind an already healthy life style.  I need to keep that in mind.

The Proof is in the Pudding

I am going to start this off by saying, I realize there are a million and one mommy bloggers out there blogging about essential oils....the blessings and the evils.  It's hard to know in the millions of voices out there, who to listen to.  I realize, I possibly am contributing to the noise :)  I want you to know....as I post things, I am in no way trying to sway you one way or another.  These are my experiences.  This is my journey.  This is what I am learning.  More than anything, if you are curious about oils, I encourage you to not take the word of others, though testimonials can be powerful, instead do your own research.  Try the products.  Give it a whirl.  That is all I am doing.  I have chosen to blog it as a way of journaling my experience for myself.  It is helpful to others along the way then that is just an added bonus.  On to the blog...... :)

It has almost been one month since I have started using the vitamins and terrazymes along with a minimal amount of oils.  I have swayed back and forth a million times....but I am finding, overall, I have been convinced.  I have seen my body change.  I have seen my husband change.  I have watched the affects of the oils on my children.  There have obviously been some things that have worked better than others and some things that take time to notice a difference, but in short here is what I have experienced with the vitamins, oils, and terrazymes:

-I sleep better
-My husbands snoring is noticeably quieter
-My digestive issues seem to have been sorted out
-My menstrual cycle has evened out
-My libido has come back from the grave

And with Oils:

-Peppermint and DigestZen without fail ease my stomach discomfort (I have had mixed reviews from my daughter, but generally it also seems to be relieving her pain)
-OnGuard seems to catch the beginning of a cold and keep it from turning into a full blown illness
-Past Tense relaxes me and helps me to sleep better
-Peppermint aides in relieving congestion and also has a cooling affect on shoulder pain....which in turn relieves headaches
-Orange (though my tummy doesn't tolerate this ingested) is fun to smell and actually is a bit energizing, though I might still just go take a nap if I feel tired :)

These are a few of my results.  There are things still out on the table that I want to experiment more with and I will continue to experiment with them and blog on the effects we as a family have from using them.  A few of the upcoming ones are:

-ClaryCalm:  I am on a new commitment to use it daily to see if it helps with menstrual cramping and PMS headaches if used on a daily basis throughout the month
-Breath:  We are going to see if this oil blend helps to clear up the rest of Rob's snoring
-Face Cleaning Products:  I have not ordered these yet, but will also be testing these out eventually

The list really could go on forever.  Now that a few products have had positive affects on us, I want to see what else might be beneficial.  I look forward to continuing on this journey.

In closing, I would like to address what I started with.  I have read a lot of blogs trying to find proof that doTerra is superior.  I can't find a single bit of proof, outside of doTerra itself, that proves to me it is the best.  There are blogs for it and blogs against, so I have been left with personal experience.  In my own experience, I have not once received oil burns from using the oils NEAT.  I have ingested them, and other than the awful taste, they have been healing to my body.  I leave you with this.  I have come to trust this company and it's products.  The claims others have made about the dangers of using oils, I have not personally experienced.  I encourage you....EDUCATE YOURSELF.  KNOW YOUR BODY.  AND RESEARCH THE PRODUCT.  There are of course different uses for different oils and proper application....please know these things before using them. 

If this feels overwhelming to you, please contact me....and while I am not a doctor, I can share with you what I have learned and hopefully point you into the right direction.

Disclaimer:  DO YOUR RESEARCH!  In no way am I diagnosing or able to treat illnesses.  The above comments are purely my own research using doTerra products.  Make sure you pick a pure essential oil and do not settle for something you are not sure about whether it be doTerra or any other product.

Vitamins and You: A Skeptics Point of View

The following is what I presented at the oil class last Saturday: 

Vitamins and You

First and Foremost I want to thank you for coming out today to join me in exploring the benefits of vitamins and minerals.  Secondly, I want to emphasize that I am NOT a doctor…simply a mom, wife, and woman who has embarked on an exploratory journey into more holistic living.  If you have been following my blog at all, you will know this journey has been a little hard for me to admit to and that I am highly skeptical.  However, I have opened myself up to trying some things out in order to see if they would improve the health of myself and my family.  I will say, that my trying  of these products took a bit of arm twisting for me ;) and when I was approached by a dear friend again about trying them to see if they would help me, my response was something like…”well, I don’t think they really work for me, but if I was going to try something else I will try the vitamins and digestive aides and go from there.”  I was very prepared to call her in a week or so and tell her that none of it had worked.  I was not fixable.  J 

A little about myself:  Food has always been a large part of my life.  I have struggled with eating disorders, found healing, got stubborn, went back to hold habits….anyway, you get the picture.  So, eating healthy and doing the best for my body has been a life long journey.  Several years ago, I had my gall bladder taken out and about 18 months ago or so I was diagnosed with MENS 1 which is a genetic disorder of the endocrine system that often can reak havoc on your digestive system.  Basically, since then, I have always been searching for the answer to help with some of the symptoms I struggle with.  I have taken supplements throughout my life, but never have really stuck to one thing or another, even though some of them, I found helpful.  Basically, I had just given up on finding much relief.

Several weeks ago, due to the prompting of a friend who wanted me to try ONE MORE THING to see if it would help, I began digging a bit deeper into the aspect of using supplemental vitamins.  This is nothing new to me and because of my health issues I have been on a search for a long time for something that would help my digestive issues.  I would find things here and there that would help, but nothing I ever stuck with.  I have tried everything from eating clean, including gluten free, to supplements, to giving up!  About four weeks ago, I started again and have had some positive results both with supplements and oils.  Keeping in mind, there are some things I have tried that haven’t worked while other things have.  My health issues, which take on the form of upset stomach, body aches, diarrhea, constipation, hemorrhoids have seemed to been improved since starting on vitamins.  Since beginning taking supplements, my potty issues have evened out and though, I still need to watch what I eat (lets face it, my body REALLY doesn’t like sugar, refined flour, corn, potatoes) the supplements have offered relief.  I have also found healing in other health related areas (these were not areas I was looking to fix by taking the vitamins as I didn’t realize I could find a solution for the issues.  It was more of a happy side affect.  I would be happy to share more about that privately after the class if you are interested in knowing more.)   I still take a vitamin d, because I only take a half dose of my vitamins (it’s an experiment and my husband is on them too, we wanted to save some money) and a half dose doesn’t offer enough vitamin D for me because of my hyperparathyroidism, but I have not had to take added calcium or magnesium for the leg cramps as the new supplements have been enough to deal with those issues.   Soooo, because I’m a skeptic, I had to ask why, but; because I am a skeptic ;), I wanted third party information. This is the way my mind worked as I received information from specific companies:  “Their doctor says it is the best, but of course he does.  What else is he going to say about a product he wants to sell?”  So,  I began looking up some information and this is what I have found:

 

In short, vitamins and minerals help our bodies work properly.  There are two kinds of vitamins.  Fat soluble (A, D, E, K) which are dissolved in the fat and stored in our bodies and water soluble (C and B complex vitamins) which are dissolved in water before being absorbed.  Water soluble do not store in our bodies as well and need to be replenished.  Vitamins and minerals boost the immune system, support growth, and helps cells and organs do their jobs.  For example, vitamin k helps blood to clot and carotenoids, found in carrots, are converted to vitamin A which helps prevent eye problems.

Vitamins and minerals are best obtained through the food we eat.  However, these foods need to be high quality foods.  In other words, you can get vitamins and minerals in processed foods, but they will not affect your body in the same way you would get them from eating whole foods.  The quality of food is important.  And in my experience, the more whole a food is the better.  An example of obtaining vitamins through food would be vitamin c.  In order to receive vitamin c through food is low fat yogurt, low fat cheese, sardines, salmon, perch, soybeans, spinach, and oatmeal….to name a few.  Getting everything you need through food takes careful meal planning.  As I looked at some of the meal plans suggested in order to get the proper vitamins, I had to ask myself, realistically, do I eat like this?  Is this a sustainable plan for me?  Honestly, for me, though I do what I can to eat healthy and for my family to eat healthy, the truth is we are busy, life gets crazy, food becomes fast, family meals become less, and meals become more processed.  One of the concerns I have found as I researched, was that too much of a good thing, including vitamins, can be also detrimental to ones health.  However, as I look at my current lifestyle, I am beginning to doubt that I or my family get too many vitamins at this point.  But, I will say, I think it is something to be watchful of just like you would be in eating too many cookies…..I think it would be safe to say that too much of anything is harmful to us.

 Click on the following link to see a recommended diet for getting your vitamins and minerals through diet:

http://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/getting-your-vitamins-and-minerals-through-diet

 

 

As I have done a bit more research, I have found that minerals and vitamins do help our bodies heal because they support our cells and cell function.  The stronger our cells are, the better they can function and therefore help our bodies heal.  They can do their jobs much better.

In light of my inability to eat completely clean all the time, I am finding that supplements are helpful for me.  THOUGH SUPPLEMENTS ARE NOT a substitute for a healthy diet, but they can help fill in the gaps we have.  I listened briefly to a woman named Melissa Guthrie who has studied nutrition for 20 years and is a triathlete.  I think what she said kind of sums it up…..Our bodies can heal themselves because of our lifestyles and choices.  Not saying that doctors are not beneficial!  They are!  I need my endocrinologist. But  His plan of attack for me though in dealing with MENS 1, hemmroids, diarrhea, upset stomach, and hyperparathyroidism?  Eat clean, take Vitamin D supplements (this fall I had added Magnesium and Calcium to help with painful leg cramps I was getting) Sounds familiar and quite holistic.  Be healthy and take what you need to fill in the gaps.  What I have been finding over the last several weeks, is the taking a supplement has been helpful to some of my issues.  My husband has also noticed a difference in his energy levels.

 

Out of curiosity, I also looked up  links between depression and proper vitamin and mineral levels in our bodies.  I have heard testimonies of others who have gone off of anti depressants as they began using supplements (though I would treat this as an experiment as going off of anti depressants, from my experience, can be hard business.  I suffered greatly for about a week when I went off cold turkey in my 20’s.  This was a spiritual choice.  That might be a different class)  But, I did find there is a connection low levels of b-12 and other b vitamins as well as vitamin d.  A study was done on women with low vitamin d levels we were severally depressed.  For 12 weeks, they were given vitamin d orally which brought their vitamin d levels up to normal.  The women reported that they felt better and were markedly less depressed.

Another study I recently read about the use of essential oils involved a study by the USDA on chickens.  96% of the antibiotics used in the US are consumed by livestock and 70% of them are considered medically important for human beings.  A resistance to these antibiotics are beginning to emerge and according to the CDC, 2 million illnesses in 2013 were due to antibiotic resistance along with an estimated 23,000 deaths.  This amounted to an extra $20 billion spent on healthcare.  The study I mentioned already, was to help find an alternative to the amount of antibiotics that are being given to chickens.  The study that was conducted was published in Poultry Science and their findings showed that chickens who consumed feed with added oregano oil had 59% lower mortality rate due to ascites, a common infection in chickens, compared to their counterparts who do not receive the oregano oil.

All of these studies I found to be very informative and pointed me into the direction that this oil “obsession” and alternative to health care might actually have something to offer me.

My next question has been…..why one company over another?  How do I know I am getting the best of the best?  And you know, the best answer for this that I have come up with is my own personal experience which I have shared with you a bit already.  I have tried several different supplements and companies and so far, the product I am currently on has been the most successful for me.  I have vacillated so much, especially in the use of oils, because if you google oils you come up with articles for it and articles against it.  You find success stories and you find horror stories and each company says it has the best and most pure of the essential oils.  It left me at a place of not knowing what I should believe  and, quite frankly, even more skeptical.  The best research I have done on this has come from the experiments I have done on my own family and they have been successful.  Now, I will add, ONE MUST KNOW THEIR BODY!  There is one oil in particular, because I have a more sensitive stomach, that I cannot ingest, but I have not had a problem with using it NEAT which is using it in an undiluted form, when I rub it into my skin.  So, again, why one company over another?  Go with the one that works.  Go with the one that you have researched and tried.  It is just like anything else in this life.  We have to be responsible.  We have to do our research.

 Overall, my point of view is this.  Supplements are beneficial to help fill in the gaps.  Diet is of foremost importance with quality foods, but supplements are helpful in giving us a good foundation for our health.  Just as our food must be of high quality, so must our supplements.  Just like in the study on children’s vitamins, just because it says vitamins on it doesn’t make it a healthy vitamin to take.  Just cause a processed food says it contains a daily dose of our vitamin and mineral requirements, doesn’t make it a healthy food to eat or a good source of those vitamins and minerals.  Also, I believe I is paramount to know your body well and to know what the root cause of your issues are in order to treat them affectively either through modern medicine or through a holistic approach.  I personally like the idea of bringing the two together…..I believe they can go hand in hand.  As far as oils go, I have also found them to be beneficial and therapeutic.  Lets be honest, there are certain scents that help reduce stress….Calgon did a good thing and were headed in the right direction when they coined the phrase, “Calgon, take me away.”  Why, because there just is something about certain scents that relax you.  I for one, love peppermint and lavender….I smell them and they instantly whisk me away to a Mexican spa and an hour and a half massage in view of the ocean.  But, like I said about the vitamins, one must know there body and their product.  I have read articles about people who have used or ingested oils only to find themselves in the ER.  Scary stuff for sure.  But what I don’t know from those articles is What kind of Essential Oil were they using?  What kind of quality was it?  Was it pure?  Was  it for incense or was it for holistic health care?  Did it have additives?  How long did they ingest it? (there are limits on that just like there are limits on how many asprin you should take in a 24 hour period and for how many days it is recommended that you use it.  I am finding oils are the same way.  In my experience, you use the oils like you would a medicine….you don’t take pain killers a daily basis in hopes of keeping headaches away, neither do you take Nyquil every day in hopes of warding off a cold.  You use it as you need it.  I am finding it is the same with oils.  Joanna, might have a bit more to add about this.)  My opinion on the topic of oils?  Be educated.  I for one, would not go to Walmart and purchase their Peppermint oil they sell in the candle aisle, add a drop to my water, and drink it to help my tummy or even rub it on my tummy.  That is not what that oil is intended for.  It would hurt me, but that doesn’t mean that all essential oils are detrimental to my health.  I would however, go with a company I have researched and experimented with.  I would also do my research and find out the proper way to use oils.  I have personally found a company that I am learning to trust.  If you are interested in learning even more about oils and how to use them and/or are interested in obtaining vitamins and oils to try in your own home….there was not enough time today to address that topic, please talk to me afterwards. 

 

Resources:  www.mayoclinic.org

www.webmd.com

www.psychologytoday.com

www.healthykids.org

www.familydoctor.org

www.greenmedinfo.com

www.theatlantic.com

www.health.harvard.edu.com

OnGuard

This morning I woke up with a bit of a sore throat starting and stuffy nose.  I have been using On Guard with seemingly good results already, but I thought I would kick it up a notch this morning and try something new.  I had heard you could gargle with OnGuard to help with sore throats, so I did.  I also inhaled  peppermint to clear my nasal cavity, anointed my toes with Onguard to work with my sinuses, and dabbed some on the side of my neck where I could feel the sore throat beginning to start.  For extra measure, :)....why not, I was on a roll anyway this morning, I added about 4 drops of the oil blend into my tea kettle with water, brought it to a boil, and let it steam for awhile..... I don't have a diffuser yet.  The verdict?  The sore throat seems to have lessened and is completely gone, however; I can still feel the left overs of it....if that makes sense.  I am pleased, though, with the way it seems to have helped already this morning.  Since the suggestion for using EO's is small amounts, but frequent application, I think I will continue to dab it on.  I am looking forward to good results!  By the way, a friend posted this on my facebook page yesterday and I thought it was hilarious, mainly because it is so true...... LOL!  Also, keep in mind, for those of you who would like more info, I am teaching a class on Saturday Morning at the Nottawa Township Library at 10:00.  Feel free to join us and if you bring a skeptical but curious friend along with you, you will both receive a free sample of oil ;)

Well......Here Goes Something I Said I Wouldn't Ever Do......Again

Seems like I often find myself in these situations where I will say something, like, "well, ok I will try it, but don't expect me to have a party, or a class, or for that matter, even come to one."  Hurrumph....and yet, here I am AGAIN, doing what I said I wouldn't do.  I am going to hold an oils class.  I struggled with this.  Mainly because I'm a skeptic.  And I don't want to stand up in front of a bunch of people of pretend to know or to be something I'm not.  So, as I pondered about doing this and, if I were to do it, how I would do it....I decided that I refuse to stand up in front of people and pretend to know something or be something I'm not.  I have decided, if I am going to this, that I am going to be me.

This class will be approached in the same way I have approached everything else on this journey....as objectively as possible.  So, if I were going to a class promoting oils and vitamins, I would have a few questions. 

Why are vitamins and minerals important and how do the support a healthy immune, digestive and brain system?

Do vitamins and minerals help our bodies to heal themselves?

And mostly, why do I need to take a supplement?

Since these are my questions, these are the things that I will try to present from the research I have done.  The thing is, I have experienced a good result taking supplements, but I kind of want to know why.  Why is it so important?

To be honest, I have found some things I like and some things I don't like, but as I have stated at the beginning of this experiment, my goal is simply to be honest about the results of my experience and now also, the results of my research.

The class will take place on Saturday, February 7 from 10 am- 11 am at the Nottawa Township Library.

I look forward to seeing you there.

A Quick Survey.....

 As most of you know, especially if you have been following my blog, I am a skeptic on a journey to find out more information about essential oils, putting the oils to the test, seeing how they work and if they work for our family.  My question is this, how many others feel skeptical about the oils?  How many have questions they would like answers to and how many would like to find out more?  Are you curious enough that you would be interested in coming to a class in order to ask questions and find out more about how oils can be beneficial? 

The reason I am asking these questions is because I am debating on holding a class geared towards skeptics just like me....the fellow eye rollers.  I have to admit, I have learned a lot in the several weeks that I have been on this journey.  I have learned, but I am still curious.  I would like to know more about the medical side, from someone in the medical field, what they think about oils and have they found them to be beneficial.  I would like to know more about the history of oils, how they were used in the past and what for.  From the bit of research I have done, my understanding is plants and oils were used in our first pharmaceuticals and were used for treatment before we had over the counter drugs....Not bashing those at all, because last night I had the mother load of a headache and was out of the ingredients for my Headache Buster.  I tried my best with the oils I had on hand, but to no avail.  It just got worse.  I finally gave in and took ibuprofen....leaving me, this morning with a residual headache, and feeling sluggish and tired.  My point is, in my opinion, I am finding oils to be helpful, BUT if I need an over the counter drug to take care of a massive headache, I will take that as well.

I digress, back to learning more about oils....so my question is this....if I were to hold a class, geared towards people like me who are curious, but hesitant, who would like to learn more, but don't want to be pressured, who would like feed back from someone in the medical profession, who would like to know more about the history of oils and how and why they were used in the past and how they helped, and who are curious to see if these oils would be beneficial for their own health issues and the health issues of their family....would you come?

I look forward to hearing back from you!  Maybe I am the only one with these questions, and if so, GREAT!  I will keep hunting out the answers, but I thought I'd put some feelers out there for others as well....maybe there are more people than just me who have some of these same questions.  If that is you, let me know and maybe we could pursue the answers to these questions together in the form of a class. 

Blessings,
Melody

An Accidental Experiment

It has been three weeks since my husband and I started taking the multivitamins sold by doTerra.  We have been taking half doses as a way of trying them out and also to help cut down on the cost.  If I remember correctly, even with a half dose, you are still getting about 100% of the vitamins you need per day.  Last week, we stumbled on an accidental experiment.  Rob forgot to take his vitamins for two days.  He kept coming home from work and saying how exhausted he was and he couldn't figure out why.  Nothing had changed in our schedule or lives, accept he had not taken his vitamins.  So, the following two days, he decided to make up for lost time and took two days worth of full doses.  I asked him yesterday how he was feeling since he had started back on the vitamins and he said he could tell a noticeable difference.  He wasn't feeling as tired and felt that the vitamins were definitely making a difference for him. 

As for me?  I have not thought I can tell a huge difference one way or another in how I feel, however; I have not gone off of them and I have no idea how I would feel if I did.  There has been one area that I have noticed a difference in though.  Before taking these vitamins, I struggled ALOT with digestive issues, hemorrhoids, constipation, and diarrhea.  In order to keep myself straightened out I had to eat clean, take either flax seed mixed into my food or extra fiber.  And while the flax seed worked well, the extra fiber gummies I was taking also added extra gas....not necessarily a happy side affect for me or for anyone in my family.  If I didn't eat clean or take one of the other supplements, I would begin to suffer again.  It has been a constant battle.  However, since taking the vitamins and the Terrazymes (they help to break down the food you eat which is helpful to me since I no longer have a gall bladder), I have not had the digestive issues.  I did seem to take some time to get things to even out.  The first two weeks I really felt frustrated, however; I am wondering if it just took some time to get into my system and get things evened out.  As of the last week, I have been pleased with how things have been "flowing" ;)  Pardon the pun!  Having these kinds of issues resolved for me is a big bonus!  I look forward to continuing with these products and see if they continue to help with my tummy issues.

The other product I was taking, Slim and Sassy, I have decided to discontinue using.  I have friends that love it, so in no way am I slamming the product.  I simply have found, that because of the grapefruit oil that is in it, I cannot take it.  It creates too much acid for me which I know is tied to MENS 1.  I would be curious what experience others have had with it though.

Finally.......A Third Party Review

Once again today, I found myself vacillating....back and forth....

Use oils

Don't Use oils

Ingest Oils

Don't ingest oils

Oils are good

Oils are bad

I found myself having mini discussions with myself.  (Please don't think I'm crazy, but I talk to myself a lot...sometimes I'm the only person who will listen to my rambling!  LOL!)

I swayed to the side of, "yeah, it can't be good to put an oil into your body" to "why is it such a big deal to put something from a plant into your body?  Why are people questioning it so much when on a daily basis we put all kinds of man made and synthetic substances into our bodies without a second thought....like pop!"

I felt really unsure.  Is this wise?  Is this just another at-home-party business thing that will blow over in time?  Is this legit?  Is it really good for me?  Where is the scientific proof that EO's are the best way to go? 

So back to the internet I went.  Searching and searching for an article, a post, a blurb, something that would answer some of my questions.  I found ALOT of opinions, but nothing solid, scientific, or concrete.  Nothing that could prove to me, one way or another, that I should continue to press forward or give it up.  I didn't want an article written by doTerra or Young Living or any other EO company.  (Because, let's be honest, if are trying to sell a product, you are going to put a positive twist on everything, say it is the best, and well, to me....that is a biased article.)  I wanted a third party.  I wanted science.  I wanted proof.

I looked for awhile, coming up empty handed and dissatisfied with my search, I gave up and started supper instead.  I could wrap my brain around making bean soup!

And then, several hours later, not even thinking about oils, in fact actually getting a little annoyed every time I saw another post about essential oils, I stumbled across this article.  It is long.  I didn't read it all.  I browsed it.  But, what I found in it were some of the answers I was looking for!  And finally, it was from a third party.  It was not opinion.  It was scientific research.  FINALLY! 

I had to share it with you, cause if felt like it brought a bit of clarity to me and maybe it will do the same for you.....

....you other fence sitters  :) 

I know you are out there and I'm glad I'm not the only one!  Take 5 minutes or so to read it and see what you think. 

I found it to be very interesting.

http://www.businessinsider.com/essential-oils-may-be-the-new-antibiotic-2015-1

Finding the Root Cause

As with most things in life, finding the root cause in order to fix a situation, seems to be also true with oils.  I mean, I was told this at the oil class I took, but I'm strong willed and stubborn...I don't tend to believe things until they work for me as well.  For instance:

OnGuard....I am finding that OnGuard seems to work very well for colds and the prevention of colds especially if you begin using as soon as you begin having symptoms.  However, I tried taking OnGuard to clear up my excess phlegm and that didn't work so well.

Digestzen....Since my phlegm decided to stick around, I thought I would check some other options out.  I looked up sinusitis.  It said to take two drops of peppermint under the tongue, dab a bit on either side of your nose, and rub digestzen around your belly button and then do the hokey pokey and turn yourself around.....actually it didn't say the last part....that was just how I was feeling about it at the time.  How digestzen might help around my belly button was beyond me, but hey, its worth a shot.  And woozers!  While it did dry up my nasal cavity in a crazy way, it did not take care of the excess phlegm. 

HeadAche Buster....Last night I had a MASSIVE headache which is normal for me about once a month and seems to be tied into hormonal issues.  So, I started with rubbing past tense on the back of my neck.  It didn't seem to touch it.  I dabbed some on my temples....it still didn't seem to help.  I broke out my last few drops of Frankincense and covered that with peppermint.  Grrrr....still not working.  Out of sheer desperation, I got out Clary Calm, a blend specifically for women to help with hormonal balance.  I rubbed that on the back of my neck as well.  Pretty soon, I noticed the throbbing in my head was lessening and before I knew it 6:30 pm turned into 8:30 pm.  I had slept for two hours and woke up with only a slight remnant left of my headache.

My point?  For someone like me, I think it is really easy to try something and when it doesn't work, quickly proclaim that the product is bogus and never use it again.  However, since giving some time to these experiments, I am finding that it seems to be of the upmost importance to make sure you are using the correct oil for the symptom you are experiencing.  In other words, you need to know what is really wrong.  I can't say onguard doesn't work just because my phlegm didn't clear up or that peppermint and digestzen don't work, which by the way, I would highly recommend for being stuffed up and/or having a runny nose, but I can say it does seem beneficial for colds and flu and the later is good for congestion and runny nose.  They just don't work to get rid of excess phlegm because that is not what they are made to do.  The issue with excess phlegm, which I knew before trying to clear it up with oils, is mine is around because I insist on continuing to eat dairy products and wheat products.  I was hoping to be able to have my cake and eat it too by using the oils.  But the oils only seem to be effective, when used to treat the root cause.  My experience last night speaks to that. 

My normal head ache routine didn't seem to work....but when I applied something that helps with hormonal issues...it cleared it up.

I guess the point of this post is to say, I'm learning to make sure I know what I am treating.  Just like in life, if I am having an emotional day and I try to fix it by eating a donut, I have fixed nothing.  If I am having an emotional day and I try to fix it by stepping back and taking a moment to breath and rest and pray, the emotions are dealt with much better.

Finding and then treating the root cause seems paramount to the success of using oils.

What have your experiences been with this?  What oils have you tried that have been successful for specific symptoms?  Have you tried some that you have felt have not been successful?  What did you use and what were you trying to treat?

Blessings,

Melody

The Cost of Essential Oils

Before I get into what I am going to share, I want to say a couple of things:

1.  I am searching for answers.  I am not saying anything about essential oils or any oil company one way or another.  But I did dedicate this blog for journaling an honest journey as I look for health answers for myself and my family.  As a favorite pastor of mine says, chew the meat and spit out the bones.

2.  Well, I guess I just wanted to say one thing, because I can't remember what the second thing was that I was going to say  lol!

Onto the blog:  :)

If you had told me one week ago today, I would spend over an hour online researching essential oils, their effects on the body, and the effects of NSAID prescriptions on the kidney's and the liver, I would have called you crazy.  Yep down right crazy.  I mean, who takes the time to look stuff like that up?  Apparently, I do.....Maybe I'm the crazy one.

It started for me yesterday.  The questions.  Wednesday night Kara, my youngest, was almost in tears from a pounding headache and she was complaining about a sore throat.  And since I am on this journey to see if essential oils are a medical answer for our family, I decided I was going to have to use them to figure that out for myself.  So, I oiled her up with what I am now referring to as The Headache Buster, which I referred to in a previous post:  1 drop Frankincense, 1 drop Peppermint, and Past Tense administered to the forehead, neck, and shoulders respectively.  I sent her to bed where she fell asleep almost instantly.  The next morning she woke up and said she felt better, but still had a sore throat and upset tummy.  So once again, I went to the oils...how am I going to know if I don't try them out.  One drop of Peppermint in warm water for her upset belly which seemed to clear up within minutes AND (I'm shaking my head that I did this and am actually admitting to it) On Guard administered to her chest and throat area and on her piggy toes and bottoms of her feet per reflex points.  I sent her to school.  And I got a phone call 3 hours later. 

"Kara has a fever and sore throat.  We need you to come pick her up."

Groan.  I guess it doesn't work.  But I did remember hearing at one of the classes, low dose, high frequency of application.  Alright.  I'm not going to throw it to the wind yet.  Let's try again.  I picked up my darling Kara and brought her home.  Re-administered the Headache Buster and the Piggy Toe treatment , applied Peppermint to the bottoms of her feet (I had heard it helps with fevers), fed her a Lunchable (Don't judge me.  I realize that is a bit hypocritical when one is trying to put only natural and healthy things into their children!) and put her to bed.  She slept for 2 hours and said she felt better.  Hmmmm....maybe it does work?  As the evening wore on, she would seem to start feeling bad again.  Each time I did the same oil treatment.  Each time she said she felt better.  This morning, her fever was gone though she mentioned her throat still hurt a tad bit and her tummy was a bit upset.  I put more on her Piggy's and left her tummy alone.  She didn't think it felt bad enough to take more Peppermint (or maybe she was sucking it up cause she didn't want more Peppermint lol!)  I thought again, maybe this stuff is working?!  Just to be sure, I made my older two put on some On Guard....to see if they stay well.

Why do I tell you all this?  Because it started a line of questions for me.  Why am I turning to oils?  Is it cost effective?  Is it healthier for my family?  Is it better than taking over the counter pain and fever reducing medications?

So, I spent time this morning researching a bit.  I am already growing weary of how long this post is getting.  I have other things I want to do today ;), so I will try to sum up quickly what I found.

Over the counter pain meds, as in ibuprofen and acetaminophen, do not tend to cause liver problems, however; with extended use and overdose can cause severe kidney issues.  We do not use it for extended periods of time, but when I have a bad headache, I take 800 mg....which is over the suggested amount.  I found this information on two separate web pages.  I made a point of only looking at websites that were not tied to any Essential Oil company so I could have an unbiased opinion. One being a blog written by a Dr Sharon Orrange MD MPH and the other from the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse.  I also found another web page that I thought was very interesting.  It had more information on it then I could quickly convey, so I will post it here for you to take a look at if you would like to.

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/mdmama/2013/01/did_you_know_ibuprofen_can_cause_kidney_damage.html

To be fair, I had to also look up the effects of essential oils on the body.  Due to the products of essential oils not being regulated, many sites that I found said that under no uncertain terms should anyone consume oils, without first consulting a physician who has been trained in these areas.  Keeping in mind, the oils they mentioned that should never be used because of their toxicity are NOT sold by doTerra.  HOWEVER, I also found other websites saying that it is really hard to say one way or another about oils because no clear study has been done, but the testimonials are that Essential Oils have been successful for many people.  The last website I looked at for this side of things, my favorite one that I found, was NIH or National Center for Complementary  and Integrative Health.  You could type in an essential oil and it would tell you all about it.  For instance, one I found, (sorry I can't remember the name for it, but it is NOT sold by doTerra, so no worries there) said it was toxic and should never be used.  So, I looked up Peppermint and Peppermint seemed to be ok.  Insert sigh of relief because it has helped so much with my tummy and Kara's tummy.

I also was curious, not only about the physical cost of using essential oils, but also the financial cost.  Lets be honest.  It isn't cheap, though, at least with doTerra, when you become a member, much like becoming a member of SAMS Club, there are perks and you do receive points, comparable to rebates, in which you can order free oils....which of course, brings your overall cost done.  While I can't say I compared apples to apples necessarily (because I am not a money or math person), I was curious how the cost of treating my daughters symptoms over the last couple of days with ibuprofen and tylonal would compare with treating her with oils.  I found that the over the counter drugs are cheaper for headaches, but not cheaper for treating fever. 

So, I guess, in all of my research this morning which I realize was time consuming, but not exhaustive, I would conclude with this:

In my own experience, I am finding some oils to be very beneficial to our family.  In the case of myself and my children, the Head Ache Buster works miracles.  It is external use and doesn't take the chance of stressing the kidneys.  It costs a bit more, but when weighing out financial cost and physical cost, I would personally prefer to pay a bit more for something that I know is natural, effective, and doesn't have the chance of stressing the body.  The same seems to be true for On Guard.  I used it externally and it actually seems more effective then this skeptic thought.  Again, the physical cost out weights the financial cost.

Over all, the answer I am coming to is this.  I believe essential oils are beneficial.  I believe modern medicine is also beneficial.  I personally prefer to go as natural as possible and if essential oils can provide that for my family, then I am willing to continue to pursue this.  So far, they have.  I also believe that one must use common sense about how to best use them.  Do your research.  But then, that is the truth about everything in life, right?  Use your God given common sense and search things out.

I believe the cost, physically and financially, is proving to be worth it for us with essential oils.  And while I still don't have all the answers and am finding that some oils work for me and others do not (that is a separate blog and I believe all of us might have a list of oils that really work for us and others that don't work, but might work for someone else), I am willing to continue searching for oils that might benefit the Wilson household.

I hope this is not just mere rambling on my part and proves to be helpful to you :)

Continuing to Pursue Oils,
Melody

The Oil Class

Tonight, I went to my first oil class.  I wasn't sure how I felt about going.  Some mixed emotions were involved.  Because of the success I have had over the last week dealing with headaches and tummy aches, my curiosity to find out more had definitely been aroused.  And yet, I hate these things.  And I will admit, with no intention to offend my committed oiling friends, being perfectly honest; I wasn't too fired up about going to an oil "party"....errrr....class.  Yeah, I called them a party, (and I apologize in sack cloth and ashes for doing so) but after tonight, I'm not sure I will refer to them as parties anymore. 

This was no run of the mill, sell things from your home party.  In fact, it wasn't even in someone's home.  It was at Centreville Elementary.  It was different and I was impressed.  While there was definitely an element of sales involved, it took up about 2 minutes of the 2 hour class.  The focus was on informing and educating.  It was interesting, to say the least.  I felt no pressure whatsoever to purchase anything, but was encouraged to hear testimonies of how oils have affected others and their health.  Instead of doing what most parties do for me "well I came, I supported you, and I have all of that product that I want now....I'll call you if I need anything more, please don't call me", this instead grew my curiosity.  I would go to another class.

The cool thing, is that while some of these classes repeat themselves, more often than not, each class has a different focus.  For instance, next Thursday evening there will be another oil class, but this one will be about oils and children.  Sounds interesting.  I wish I could go.  (what a difference from dragging my feet a bit about tonight's class)  Unfortunately, I can't make it next week due to other plans.  But I find it interesting that the classes aren't so much about sales and convincing people that they need another product to sit on their already full shelves, but very honestly, are about bettering the health and well being of yourself and your family and passing along information that might help with that.

This is where I am at, I know I am only a few days into my experiments with these products.  I am not ready yet to say I am 100% convinced....I might be at about 60%...., but I will say, I think it is worth checking it out.  To all of you, my friends, who are like me:  The eye-rolling skeptics who dislike at home sales parties and shake your head a bit at tree hugging oil lovers ;)....I say that affectionately and with all the love I have for my oiling friends....you know who you are, you know me, and you know my heart ;).....I encourage you, no I challenge you, take one night out of your week and visit an oil class.  Just check it out.  See what you think.  Absorb the information and listen to the testimonials.  Keep an open mind and go with the possibility of gleaning some information that may improve your health and/or the health of your family.

If you are interested in going to a class, but are not sure where to go to find one, feel free to contact me and I can point you in the right direction.  Who knows, maybe we will end up at one together....and maybe we will learn something new.....together.

Blessings!

AND PS:  Please understand, it isn't that I don't like the at home sales products.  They are nice, fun, and often good quality.  I have many of them.  What I don't like, is the pressure to sell, to buy, to sign up, to get others to sell underneath you......  It's why I made an awful Mary Kay consultant.  In fact, I think I talked people out of buying the product!  I was kind of like, "well, I mean it's good, but if you don't have the money, PLEASE don't buy anything from me!  Feed your family, pay your bills, wash your face with soap and water, but please don't spend it on something you don't actually need."  See what I mean?  I couldn't sell for the life of me!  For those of you who know me, and I am putting this here to do exactly what I said I would do in this blog, be perfectly honest....I am still an MK consultant.  I know, I know.  After EVERYTHING I just said, it sounds hypocritical.  Not that I need to justify myself to anyone, but I do....never mind, yes I do....I'm overly concerned that people might misunderstand me and whisper behind my back and well, you know, dislike me.....(I know.  All that needs a psychologists couch!  LOL!  That is an entirely different subject.)  I'm still a consultant, because I know a few people who love the product, it has helped their acne or skin issues and so I do it as a service to them....at my cost.  I make nothing, except from my mother because she insists on paying the retail price to bless me.

There....my disclaimer is done now.  You have more information about me then you really needed to know and I feel better because I have explained myself.  :)

Headaches, Vitamins, Phlegm.....Oh My!

HEADACHES
Yesterday, the experiment officially began.  I came home from a full day of volunteering, picking the kids up from school, an orthodontic appointment (I'm sort of wishing they made an oil to straighten out teeth.  That would save a bundle of money! LOL!), and grocery shopping to find my doTerra order sitting on the counter.  Yeah!  Time to get started!  But before I had a chance to dive into the contents of the box, I was confronted with a 14 year old with a headache.  Unlike, my eye rolls a few days ago, I now find myself somewhat excited to have a subject to experiment on, other than myself.  I remembered a Facebook post from earlier that day where someone had used peppermint, frankincense, and past tense to take care of a headache and it worked for them....so why not? 

"Katie come over here.  I have something for you to try"  :)

Past Tense and Peppermint I have on hand and thankfully, due to an oil sharing friend of mine, I had a small vial of frankincense as well.  I took a drop of Peppermint and spread it on her forehead, a drop of frankincense over top of the Peppermint and rolled Past Tense on her neck and small dabs rubbed in on her temples....in a matter of minutes she said she was feeling better...not completely headache free, but better.  Several hours later, when asked if she would prefer over the counter meds or oils for her headaches (something she suffers from often), she said oils.  Hmmmm.....I had a slight headache too, so I thought I might as well try the same treatment on myself.  I was surprised at how well it made me feel.  I don't mean to sound weird, I realize it might be a bit late for that, but.....it was almost euphoric.  It definitely relaxed me, my headache dissipated, I felt sleepy (it was ok to feel sleepy, it was 7 pm and I was okay with that) and good.  I have to admit, this is another point for the oils.....

So far that makes it, Oils 2 and the Skeptic 0

VITAMINS
Last night I also took my first dose of vitamins (a half a dose as my hubby and I are sharing right now), terrazymes (to help my belly since I lost my gall bladder several years ago and to deal with MENS symptoms) and a Slim and Sassy, to which my children quickly informed me that I do NOT need anymore Sassy!  I wish I could say I woke up 10 pounds lighter with a ripped abdomen and no cellulite and TONS of energy, but I didn't.  I'm assuming I need to be patient and take it for more than 12 hours to see how it affects me :)  Patient I will be.  One thing I have learned already from it, though, is if the package says to take it with food....do so.  They aren't kidding.  I felt rather funny until I put something in my stomach along with the vitamins.  The food quickly took care of the funny feeling.

AND.....PHLEGM.....YUCK
I have struggled forever with a post nasal drip that begins in the fall and goes until....well....until the sun finally shines in MI and the temps hit 80 or so.  In the past, I have found that eating a dairy free, wheat free, gluten free diet has helped immensely with that.  But, like I mentioned in a previous post, I have found it hard to balance that diet with a family who loves dairy, wheat, and gluten and do not seem to suffer from the same things I do....Thank you Jesus.  For a while, I made two separate meals, but this grows weary after so many months.  We got busy.  I didn't have time, or maybe I should say, I didn't take the time anymore to prepare two meals and I started consuming those things again.  But, in the effort to try these oils out, I thought, why not....lets see if I can dry this up with an oil.  The only other thing I have on hand that I thought might work for this is a product called On Guard.  It is one I have turned my nose up to in the past.....Rubbing it on your chest and feet will make your cold and flu go away?  Yeah right.  Maybe the antibiotic I take will help, but oil?  Ahhh well, I do have to admit, when Katies turn came to be sick, I put Peppermint on her feet and On Guard on her chest.  She was not as sick for as long as the rest of us were, though I had tried oils on myself when I had it too and didn't notice a huge difference other then when ill, some of the oil scents made me more nauseous, or maybe I was just nauseous anyways, I don't know....She did have the highest fever.  I did still treat her with Ibuprofen and Tylenol.  This momma doesn't usually freak out about fevers, but hers was a little over 103...I will admit, I started to freak a bit.  I used everything at my disposal.  Over the counter meds, frozen wash rags on the forehead and oils.  I can't definitively say that the oils helped, but I can't say that they didn't....I would try it again.  I would try it on myself again as well, just to see.  HOWEVER, sorry that was a bunny trail, I decided, if On Guard is supposed to help build your immunity, then maybe it can help with this post nasal drip I have going on and take care of whatever it is my body is still fighting.  My regime?  One drop of On Guard in a Tbsp.  of honey every morning.  It goes down hard, you burp orange for a while (better than garlic as one of my friends pointed out).  This is day two of that.  I haven't noticed a difference.  To be fair, I don't even know if On Guard is supposed to help with something like this, maybe some of my oiling friends could give me some insight on it.  But, I'm willing to give it a few weeks and see what happens. 

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST
This is a quick follow up about Peppermint oils.  Kara, my youngest, has an Ouchy tummy a lot.  I pray it is not symptoms of her struggling with what I have struggled with, however; the Peppermint oil really helped my stomach the other night, as I have already mentioned.  So, I thought I would try it on her as well.  I did notice, that for children, one must dilute the oils more than for an adult.  My choice of dilution?  Honey.  One drop of peppermint in about 2 Tbsp honey.  She made a face as it went down...I'm beginning to accept this as a natural side affect....she mentioned it felt hot.  For a moment I panicked.  I'm trying to help her, not harm her.  What if I did something wrong?  I gave her a cup with water to wash it down....and within a few moments, she said her belly was feeling better.  Peppermint is fast becoming a favorite of mine for tummy issues.  If only I could figure out how to get it into the system better.  I have ordered some veggie gel caps to try.  When they come in, I will let you know how those work.

I know this post got a bit long.  But in my journey with this, I want to be perfectly transparent and honest about my experience and the experience of my family.  I hope as we look for some answers, some alternative medicine if you will, that you, the reader, will be able to glean from it, find answers of your own, and be blessed.