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.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Monday, January 26, 2015
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
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.
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.
Friday, January 23, 2015
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
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
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
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
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
Friday, January 16, 2015
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
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
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
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. :)
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.
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.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Sleepless Nights
So far I have posted my experiments with products, not being sure how they will affect me and, of course, being ever so skeptical that they might even work. However, tonight, as we all get ready for bed, I thought I would write about one oil that has been incredibly helpful to me over the past year. I often have a very hard time falling asleep and/or staying asleep. One way I have dealt with this is to get up and eat foods with a high sugar content. As the sugar burns and wears off, I would experience a sugar crash which would make me very tired. HOWEVER, this is not healthy, nor recommended and I have always felt ill afterwards. Not to mention, it is not something that is on my God food plan.....that is a whole other post and a whole other story. Feel free to ask if you want to know more.
But, I digress. Back to the sleepless nights. I really wanted to find another way to fight these nights so I could sleep. I consulted a friend of mine and she highly suggested I try an oil blend called Past Tense. It came in a cute little roll on bottle....it was worth a shot.
Next to peppermint, which is growing on me and quickly becoming a go to for my tummy issues as well as relieving muscle aches, it has been a favorite oil. I quickly got past my skepticism when I discovered that when I roll it on my neck and shoulders and rub it in, take a good long couple of wiffs, and pull the covers up over my head......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. It puts me to sleep. Complete dream land and blessed rest. I loved it because it worked better than my sugar crash remedy, and unlike over the counter sleeping aides or Nyquil and Ibuprofen (yeah Ibuprofen makes me drowsy), it did not take me a whole day to recover from taking it. I woke up feeling like I had actually slept.
Why do I share this with you tonight? Well, as I was getting ready for bed, I thought maybe there are some others who suffer from restless, sleepless nights and maybe someone might benefit from my experience....maybe it could help someone else also get a good nights sleep.
Try it for yourself and see if it helps you like it has helped me and let me know what you think.
Sweet Dreams to you all,
The Skeptic
But, I digress. Back to the sleepless nights. I really wanted to find another way to fight these nights so I could sleep. I consulted a friend of mine and she highly suggested I try an oil blend called Past Tense. It came in a cute little roll on bottle....it was worth a shot.
Next to peppermint, which is growing on me and quickly becoming a go to for my tummy issues as well as relieving muscle aches, it has been a favorite oil. I quickly got past my skepticism when I discovered that when I roll it on my neck and shoulders and rub it in, take a good long couple of wiffs, and pull the covers up over my head......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. It puts me to sleep. Complete dream land and blessed rest. I loved it because it worked better than my sugar crash remedy, and unlike over the counter sleeping aides or Nyquil and Ibuprofen (yeah Ibuprofen makes me drowsy), it did not take me a whole day to recover from taking it. I woke up feeling like I had actually slept.
Why do I share this with you tonight? Well, as I was getting ready for bed, I thought maybe there are some others who suffer from restless, sleepless nights and maybe someone might benefit from my experience....maybe it could help someone else also get a good nights sleep.
Try it for yourself and see if it helps you like it has helped me and let me know what you think.
Sweet Dreams to you all,
The Skeptic
Friday, January 9, 2015
The Skeptic, Her Husband, and Peppermint Oil
Yesterday I texted my friend. I told her I had done my homework. I placed my initial order for DoTerra Vitamins and Terrazymes as well as some Slim and Sassy.....Goodness knows I could use a bit more slim and maybe a little sassy too! I had opened up my personal website and had started this blog to document the journey. She thought I was on the ball and made one more suggestion....to use the oils I currently had on hand and use them on my family to see what happens. My initial thought?
"Ya, whatever. Not gonna do it. I will just wait to see what happens with the vitamins and terrazymes and go from there."
Fast forward a few hours to lunch time when my husband came home from work for a bit of food. He told me his back was hurting again. Not uncommon for him. He has chronic back pain. I thought of the peppermint oil, which I have from an order sometime last year, and remembered that I had heard alleviates muscle pain. I asked him if he would like for me to rub some on his back. He was not overly excited, although his excitement and non excitement often look the same to me. ;) Needless to say, he decided that maybe bedtime would be a better time to apply and left to go back to work.
Fast forward several more hours to bed time. My stomach had been upset most of the day yesterday. As in, pain on the right side of my abdomen. I felt sluggish, grumpy, swollen and was having major hemorrhoid problems (sorry, I guess I should worn you that my physical issues are not always pretty, but if I am going to document this journey, I need to be honest about the issues). I was pretty grumpy about it all yesterday. About an hour or so before turning out the lights, I decided to take some peppermint. I had also heard it was good for stomach upset. What could it hurt? I went out to the kitchen, filled a glass with water, dropped one drip of peppermint oil into the water and chugged it down. Uh, yeah. It isn't entirely tasty and I discovered it burns ones lips. But, oh well. I was willing to see what would happen.
I went back to knitting and watching tv with the family. And a few minutes in, cause I like to give things due amount of time to work, I noticed my stomach pain was still there. So much for peppermint oil working. I was ready to throw it out as one more attempt to use oils that have not worked for me. However, within about 20-30 minutes, I realized the pain on the right side of my abdomen seemed to have gone and that my stomach seemed to have relaxed. Hmmm.....maybe there is something to this thing after all? Maybe. It was enough to peak my interest to try this experiment again the next time I have stomach pain. I felt pleasantly surprised, though I think I will be on the look out for capsules or something to put the oil in for consumption since the sensation of my lips being on fire is not something I would like to experience again :)
Now, on to my dear husband. Around the same time, he made some smart remark about how I had not rubbed oil on his back yet. (Don't worry, it wasn't mean. Sarcasm is his middle name and it has brought a lot of laughter to our marriage.) I was a little surprised he remembered, but sure, I was willing to oblige him. I prefaced the back rub with reminding him that the oil will not cure his back, but might alleviate the pain, much like taking some ibuprofen, tylonal, or advil. He showed me right where the pain was the greatest and I anointed :) his back with oil, rubbing it in well to the afflicted area. I told him it might burn a bit, but both of us agreed, that "burn" on an achy muscle resembles the burn of an Icy/Hot pack and is quite welcoming. Awhile later, a little afraid to ask but curious all the same, I asked how his back was feeling. He said, it still hurt, but not as bad. It seemed to have helped a little. I asked if it helped enough that he would use it again to help buffer the pain he often feels. He said, "yeah, maybe", which translate to yes, I believe :) His yes was confirmed, when a short time later he said, "you might want to rub that on my neck and shoulders as well." :)
The conclusion and verdict to last nights experiment is this: While I don't want to make any fast and hard claims about the health benefits of peppermint oil nor would I be able to explain why it helped my stomach or why it helped Rob's back, I would say, I was pleasantly surprised to find my stomach pain was gone and that my husband seemed to be relieved a bit from his back pain. It was a good enough experience, that the next time I have tummy pain and Rob has back pain, I would definitely try it again.
I am curious to know what others have experienced when they have used peppermint oil. What did you use it for and what were your results? If you have never tried it then maybe you could join me in the petri dish, try it once, and let me know what you think. What verdict and conclusion would you give?
"Ya, whatever. Not gonna do it. I will just wait to see what happens with the vitamins and terrazymes and go from there."
Fast forward a few hours to lunch time when my husband came home from work for a bit of food. He told me his back was hurting again. Not uncommon for him. He has chronic back pain. I thought of the peppermint oil, which I have from an order sometime last year, and remembered that I had heard alleviates muscle pain. I asked him if he would like for me to rub some on his back. He was not overly excited, although his excitement and non excitement often look the same to me. ;) Needless to say, he decided that maybe bedtime would be a better time to apply and left to go back to work.
Fast forward several more hours to bed time. My stomach had been upset most of the day yesterday. As in, pain on the right side of my abdomen. I felt sluggish, grumpy, swollen and was having major hemorrhoid problems (sorry, I guess I should worn you that my physical issues are not always pretty, but if I am going to document this journey, I need to be honest about the issues). I was pretty grumpy about it all yesterday. About an hour or so before turning out the lights, I decided to take some peppermint. I had also heard it was good for stomach upset. What could it hurt? I went out to the kitchen, filled a glass with water, dropped one drip of peppermint oil into the water and chugged it down. Uh, yeah. It isn't entirely tasty and I discovered it burns ones lips. But, oh well. I was willing to see what would happen.
I went back to knitting and watching tv with the family. And a few minutes in, cause I like to give things due amount of time to work, I noticed my stomach pain was still there. So much for peppermint oil working. I was ready to throw it out as one more attempt to use oils that have not worked for me. However, within about 20-30 minutes, I realized the pain on the right side of my abdomen seemed to have gone and that my stomach seemed to have relaxed. Hmmm.....maybe there is something to this thing after all? Maybe. It was enough to peak my interest to try this experiment again the next time I have stomach pain. I felt pleasantly surprised, though I think I will be on the look out for capsules or something to put the oil in for consumption since the sensation of my lips being on fire is not something I would like to experience again :)
Now, on to my dear husband. Around the same time, he made some smart remark about how I had not rubbed oil on his back yet. (Don't worry, it wasn't mean. Sarcasm is his middle name and it has brought a lot of laughter to our marriage.) I was a little surprised he remembered, but sure, I was willing to oblige him. I prefaced the back rub with reminding him that the oil will not cure his back, but might alleviate the pain, much like taking some ibuprofen, tylonal, or advil. He showed me right where the pain was the greatest and I anointed :) his back with oil, rubbing it in well to the afflicted area. I told him it might burn a bit, but both of us agreed, that "burn" on an achy muscle resembles the burn of an Icy/Hot pack and is quite welcoming. Awhile later, a little afraid to ask but curious all the same, I asked how his back was feeling. He said, it still hurt, but not as bad. It seemed to have helped a little. I asked if it helped enough that he would use it again to help buffer the pain he often feels. He said, "yeah, maybe", which translate to yes, I believe :) His yes was confirmed, when a short time later he said, "you might want to rub that on my neck and shoulders as well." :)
The conclusion and verdict to last nights experiment is this: While I don't want to make any fast and hard claims about the health benefits of peppermint oil nor would I be able to explain why it helped my stomach or why it helped Rob's back, I would say, I was pleasantly surprised to find my stomach pain was gone and that my husband seemed to be relieved a bit from his back pain. It was a good enough experience, that the next time I have tummy pain and Rob has back pain, I would definitely try it again.
I am curious to know what others have experienced when they have used peppermint oil. What did you use it for and what were your results? If you have never tried it then maybe you could join me in the petri dish, try it once, and let me know what you think. What verdict and conclusion would you give?
Thursday, January 8, 2015
The Skeptic
Yep, so I am going to do something I said I would NEVER do. I am a skeptic at heart and when it comes to my health and taking supplements and things, I am even a bigger skeptic. I think if I were to pick someone to relate to well, it would be doubting Thomas....yep that is me.
However, due to the encouragement of a friend, I decided to try just one more supplement company to see if it would help with some of the health issue I have. I have tried EVERYTHING, I'm not going to name what I have tried and has not worked, because that is not fair to those companies or to the people that have benefited from their products. But, believe me when I say, I have tried just about everything with no satisfactory luck.
So, this blog is dedicated to my journey....maybe it will be a short lived month....maybe it will turn into something. I don't know, but I am dedicating myself, for a month, to take these products and see if they help.
What do I suffer from, you might ask? Well, I suffer from the normal mom-of-three ailments. You know, I'm always tired, a little lazy when I can get away with it, and am gaining back part of the 60 pounds I lost about 6 years ago simply from that lazy thing and from an often fast paced life that doesn't allow for eating healthy.
Secondly, I have a genetic disorder called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 1. In short, it affects the endocrine system and makes it difficult for my body to properly absorb calcium. Because of this, it can cause calcium build up in other areas of my body causing tumors. Gastronomes are also common. There is a lot more involved with it, but that is kind of a quick over view from what I understand about it. I often deal with tummy issues, food sensitivies, painful leg cramps, and unexplained body aches all of which are up for debate about whether they are symptoms of MENS. My doctor says they are not, but the people suffering from MENS (some of the comments I have read from others with the same diagnosis) say they are.
In order to help counter these symptoms, I am to drink a lot of water to flush out my system from extra calcium (I think), exercise to strengthen my bones to fight off osteoporosis due to the hard time my body has absorbing calcium, eat right (whole foods, dairy free, and gluten free have been the most effective for me, but eating like that on a daily basis has proven to be rather difficult), and take Vitamin D, Calcium, and Magnesium. The vitamin supplements, which I get from Meijer, have been the most effective for me so far.
Long story short? Because of the encouragement of a friend last year, I started one more supplement. DoTerra Oils. Here is where the skeptic comes out. I tried them. I had two oils that I found helpful. One was Digestzen which I took for about a month. It helped a lot with my digestive issues, but stopped taking them because I ran out and didn't want to order more cause of the cost. The other oil I found helpful is called PastTense and, when I rub it on my back and shoulders; it helps me to fall asleep on sleepless nights. However, the other oils I have tried, I was not overly impressed with. I thought my friend might be a bit of a loon (sorry friend, but I know if you read this you will understand and laugh at that statement) :) and I went on with my life.
Out of deep concern for me and not wanting to me get left behind in my friends endeavor to pursue optimal health for herself and others, she encouraged me once again to get a bit more involved with the company. Reluctantly, but slightly curious and hopeful, with a bit of an eye roll and a lot of skepticism I made the decision to order yet one more set of products. I thought if I was going to try one more thing, I would try their vitamin supplements and digestive aid. After all, one month of a lot of vitamins can't hurt me, and who knows, maybe they will help.
So, out of deep skepticism I am going to start taking the supplements, stop taking my added Calcium and Magnesium vitamins...... (the vitamin D I have to continue taking as there are not enough IU's in the new vitamins and I cannot be vitamin D deficient when I go in for blood work to check my calcium levels, because they will not consider the calcium levels and parathyroid levels legit if my vitamin D is low).... and start on these supplements and see what happens. I can only hope they help with the fatigue, the weight gain, the laziness, the leg cramps, the tummy issue, calcium absorption.....but we will see.
If you like, feel free to follow me as I take this little journey. I am not selling anything. I hate sales. Ask my friends, they will tell you I would more likely give something away then sell something. I am simply starting a little journey that I will document in case it might help others. I will do my best to post any results that I encounter. If you are already an oil lover and would like to know more or maybe you are just curious about the company, feel free to visit my website http://www.mydoterra.com/melodywilson/ and ask me any questions you may have. (Why do I have a website if I am not selling anything? Good question. It comes a long with what I signed up for and it has good information and blogs attached to it that might be helpful during this experiment and might be interesting for you as well.) I do not know much, but I do know people who can tell you more and also teach informative classes on this subject, none of which I have been to due to my eye rolls and skepticism. :)
I am very curious to see what will happen to me. I hope that it works and if it does that I can share this journey with others that might be suffering from health issues. But if it doesn't, no lose either. Consider me the guinea pig or the experiment in the petri dish for you to observe.
Here goes nothing :)
However, due to the encouragement of a friend, I decided to try just one more supplement company to see if it would help with some of the health issue I have. I have tried EVERYTHING, I'm not going to name what I have tried and has not worked, because that is not fair to those companies or to the people that have benefited from their products. But, believe me when I say, I have tried just about everything with no satisfactory luck.
So, this blog is dedicated to my journey....maybe it will be a short lived month....maybe it will turn into something. I don't know, but I am dedicating myself, for a month, to take these products and see if they help.
What do I suffer from, you might ask? Well, I suffer from the normal mom-of-three ailments. You know, I'm always tired, a little lazy when I can get away with it, and am gaining back part of the 60 pounds I lost about 6 years ago simply from that lazy thing and from an often fast paced life that doesn't allow for eating healthy.
Secondly, I have a genetic disorder called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 1. In short, it affects the endocrine system and makes it difficult for my body to properly absorb calcium. Because of this, it can cause calcium build up in other areas of my body causing tumors. Gastronomes are also common. There is a lot more involved with it, but that is kind of a quick over view from what I understand about it. I often deal with tummy issues, food sensitivies, painful leg cramps, and unexplained body aches all of which are up for debate about whether they are symptoms of MENS. My doctor says they are not, but the people suffering from MENS (some of the comments I have read from others with the same diagnosis) say they are.
In order to help counter these symptoms, I am to drink a lot of water to flush out my system from extra calcium (I think), exercise to strengthen my bones to fight off osteoporosis due to the hard time my body has absorbing calcium, eat right (whole foods, dairy free, and gluten free have been the most effective for me, but eating like that on a daily basis has proven to be rather difficult), and take Vitamin D, Calcium, and Magnesium. The vitamin supplements, which I get from Meijer, have been the most effective for me so far.
Long story short? Because of the encouragement of a friend last year, I started one more supplement. DoTerra Oils. Here is where the skeptic comes out. I tried them. I had two oils that I found helpful. One was Digestzen which I took for about a month. It helped a lot with my digestive issues, but stopped taking them because I ran out and didn't want to order more cause of the cost. The other oil I found helpful is called PastTense and, when I rub it on my back and shoulders; it helps me to fall asleep on sleepless nights. However, the other oils I have tried, I was not overly impressed with. I thought my friend might be a bit of a loon (sorry friend, but I know if you read this you will understand and laugh at that statement) :) and I went on with my life.
Out of deep concern for me and not wanting to me get left behind in my friends endeavor to pursue optimal health for herself and others, she encouraged me once again to get a bit more involved with the company. Reluctantly, but slightly curious and hopeful, with a bit of an eye roll and a lot of skepticism I made the decision to order yet one more set of products. I thought if I was going to try one more thing, I would try their vitamin supplements and digestive aid. After all, one month of a lot of vitamins can't hurt me, and who knows, maybe they will help.
So, out of deep skepticism I am going to start taking the supplements, stop taking my added Calcium and Magnesium vitamins...... (the vitamin D I have to continue taking as there are not enough IU's in the new vitamins and I cannot be vitamin D deficient when I go in for blood work to check my calcium levels, because they will not consider the calcium levels and parathyroid levels legit if my vitamin D is low).... and start on these supplements and see what happens. I can only hope they help with the fatigue, the weight gain, the laziness, the leg cramps, the tummy issue, calcium absorption.....but we will see.
If you like, feel free to follow me as I take this little journey. I am not selling anything. I hate sales. Ask my friends, they will tell you I would more likely give something away then sell something. I am simply starting a little journey that I will document in case it might help others. I will do my best to post any results that I encounter. If you are already an oil lover and would like to know more or maybe you are just curious about the company, feel free to visit my website http://www.mydoterra.com/melodywilson/ and ask me any questions you may have. (Why do I have a website if I am not selling anything? Good question. It comes a long with what I signed up for and it has good information and blogs attached to it that might be helpful during this experiment and might be interesting for you as well.) I do not know much, but I do know people who can tell you more and also teach informative classes on this subject, none of which I have been to due to my eye rolls and skepticism. :)
I am very curious to see what will happen to me. I hope that it works and if it does that I can share this journey with others that might be suffering from health issues. But if it doesn't, no lose either. Consider me the guinea pig or the experiment in the petri dish for you to observe.
Here goes nothing :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)