Fighting The Dark Side of Nature... On It's Own Turf

My first foray into essential oils began with making my own cleansers for the house. I liked the scents as well as the anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and other properties that came with them. And frankly the cleansers themselves were dirt cheap compared to store bought. More than the lower cost, though was my focus on reducing the use of various and assundry chemicals used within my home. If I can make something with an identifiable list of 4 ingredients, why buy something with a list of 20, only being able to identify a few?

So- that is where it began. As I became more cognizant of the various oils and their uses I began to realize that I could infuse coconut oil with essential oils as a moisturizer. I learned I could use peppermint oil for headaches, fevers, or even indigestion. And so on...

As opportunities (symptoms to some :) ) would present themselves over the last week of illness I would pull out my copy of :

to see if I could find a treatment inside for the ailment. I must admit, I'm impressed.

This last week I have been dealing with a severe cold. It's the worst cold I've had in years. It began with a stiff and sore neck with a mild migraine, then a fever. I had a day where I felt I was rebounding only to then be dealt what felt like a sinus infection, a deep productive cough, laryngitis and continued fatigue. My oldest son contracted it, as did my 2yo daughter.

I have dealt with this cold strictly with essential oils and I have to say- I'm very pleased with how they've benefited me.

When I first began to feel ill I diffused a mixture of eucalyptus oil, thyme, and lavender. As I felt the fever and chills coming on I incorporated a bath infused with 5 drops of Tea Tree, 2 drops Lavender, and 2 drops Thyme. I didn't think to incorporate the other suggestions in the book for flu. I just wanted to sleep. :) I did use "Tension Tamer" on my very sore neck and around my hairline for the slight migraine the virus brought me and it was a huge help. Tension Tamer is an essential oil mixture sold by Beeyoutiful that contains a few carrier oils and wintergreen, eucalyptus and peppermint oils.

As the cold symptoms and sever sinus issues set in I felt the benefits of the oils even more. (I did also utilize a NeilMed sinus rinse 2- 3 times at the beginning.)

For sinusitis (an overabundance of mucus in the sinus') I put 2 drops of Rosemary, 1 drop of Geranium and 1 drop of Eucalyptus oil on a tissue when I felt the need and when I went to bed I placed it next to my pillow.

Once I noticed my throat feeling tender and sore I diluted 5 drops of Chamomile, 1 drop of Thyme, and 2 drops of Lemon in a tsp of Sweet Almond Oil and rubbed it all over my neck and behind my ears. I did this at night and when I woke I was very surprised that my throat was not sore at all with all the post nasal drip. I re-applied as necessary.

As the cold moved into my chest I continued to use the oils on the tissue and I made another mixture of oils (1 drop Lemon, 2 drops Eucalyptus, 3 drops Rosemary in 1 tsp sweet Almond Oil) and rubbed that on the chest, neck and forehead, nose, and cheekbones. This was a great help! It was especially helpful with my 2yo. This particular 2yo is VERY resistant to any liquid form of medicine. So for her chest cold and sore throat I used the oil mixtures/rubs and couldn't be happier with the results as well as the lack of struggle they required.

I think by far the most far reaching help was the cough treatment- once I found it. I had a cough set in that was so deep it prompted a friend to say I needed a breathing treatment. I had a cough 2 years ago that was similar to this one. It held on for weeks and did not abate until I received a couple of prescriptions. This cough seemed headed in the same direction and I was not liking the idea as convulsive coughing fits are not exactly my idea of fun. :) I combined 2 drops of Eucalyptus, 1 drop of Thyme, and 1 drop of Tea Tree. I used 1 drop of that mixture in half a mug of hot water with a TBSP of honey. Within a day I felt the cold lessening and breathing became more free. I hadn't realized my breathing had been compromised. Oh, and the cough backed off significantly as well. :)

I did not use all the methods the book lists for Influenza, Sinusitis, Laryngitis and the Common Cold. Nevertheless, I'm feeling much better and all without the need, cost or side effects of pharmaceuticals.

The last little gift of the cold ( I hope!) are ear aches. Fortunately there is an aid for that as well that I've used previously with great success- a warm tsp of olive oil with 1 drop of Lavender and 1 drop Chamomile and put on a cotton ball and plug ear. After one treatment last night at least the pain in my one ear is no longer a stabbing one. :)

Why The Chicken Pox Vaccine is Nuts!

As I was perusing my Face Book news feed this AM I ran across this article about the chicken pox vaccine written by a microbiologist, JoAnn Farb. This is my first encounter with any of JoAnn's writings but I thought she did a good job of concisely laying out the argument of those of us who remain unconvinced about the Chicken Pox vaccine in particular, or vaccines in general. I have felt for years that it really makes no sense for one to circumvent the body's natural defense mechanisms and introduce a form of a virus and it's accompanying toxins straight into the blood stream. I also found it interesting that vaccine makers/marketers do not often follow the vaccinated once they get the shot past 90 days, if that. So how then can the manufacturer then say in good conscience there are few adverse reactions (or just a few) and the dramatic rise in autoimmune diseases have no correlation??

Makes one wonder...

"The Oiling of America" talk by Sally Fallon

So I've heard of Sally Fallon for years, and knew she had SOMEthing to do with diet and nutrition. But I have never investigated deeply. Or at all, really. I found her talk quite interesting.

I have often wondered about a correlation between diet and health. I'm convinced there is a huge one, partly through my own experience as I've changed how I eat and partly due to logic. I think there is great truth to the saying "You are what you eat".

One fact that stuck out to me was that the first recorded MI (heart attack) was recorded in the early '20's. I think it was 1921. I was also unaware of how some things were connected (and have become interconnected) throughout history such as the agency's that deal with heart disease/ health and diet.

I find the discussion of cholesterol/stain drugs fascinating in light of all the processes' cholesterol is required for within the body, yet "too much" cholesterol has become a huge talking point today amongst the public and the medical establishment. I have old cookbooks. 100 year old ones. I can clearly see how the diet of yesteryear differs from today's eating habits. I also see the dramatic increase in diseases of all sorts. I do not think this is coincidence. I think we are poisoning ourselves, in many cases, by the things we consume.

The genesis of the 'edible' oil industry, it's marketing practices and the impact upon health is well worth the view. I have been moving more and more towards the perimeter of the grocery store over the last few years being of the persuasion that the closer it is to how it grew- the more likely it is it'll make it into my cart. This pushes me more towards the perimeter, still. Of course, this also means that less snack type foods in the house require my children to actually prepare snacks or meals to some degree if they want something more than an apple. They are not thrilled. Now I do buy some snack things and likely will continue, but I'm much more selective than I used to be.

It is a 2 hour talk, but well worth the time.

The Oiling of America