Archives for January 2017

Toxins In Your Pits?

Liz James · January 13, 2017 ·

t’s me again… Your Wellness Prepper…. getting a little personal early on today! I’m going to talk about one of the most toxin laden sites on our bodies…. a site that needs some desperate help and is oft’ overlooked when it comes to health and wellness.

So, today’s the day we start thinking about detoxing ….our pits (yes, armpits!). Using standard commercial deodorant/antiperspirants are one of the most toxic things you can do to your body. Why?

Because of the chemicals in most commercial deodorants (especially the aluminum based ones,)
Because our armpits are highly populated with lymph nodes…. lymph nodes help remove and transport toxins and fight infection in our bodies, and they cannot work well if they are clogged with the ingredients in your current deodorant.

Why put a toxic product so close to your breasts?….. We need to be protecting and supporting our “girls” instead of hurting them! Right??

My challenge to you as we begin cleaning up our lives is to give an alternative product a chance, but first… DETOX! When switching over to safer deodorant, most of our initial body odor comes from not detoxing first, so when you first switch to a healthier deodorant… your switch may be short lived, simply because (without detoxing), odor will erupt from your pits!! So let’s do this right…..and begin by detoxing. THEN, after you have done this at least once (it may take more than once), begin using an alternative and CLEAN deodorant. Here is a great article on how to detox effectively.. And after you’ve done that, it’s time to clean up our act and give our pits a little love. How?

Make your own safe deodorant! (there are tons of EO deodorant recipes on line to try, but these will get you started).
Use Thieves Toothpaste…. yes people, a little dab will do ya’! What’s good for your mouth is also good for your pits! It is like free flying at first (very cool), but no odor and works like a charm if you don’t mind the initial cool feeling after first applying. If you are an uncomplicated traveler, you will find this solution to be ideal! One product = two jobs
Young Living sells clean deodorants too… , Citriguard Deodorant, and now several more!

The challenge today is that we all become healthier this year, and this is a great place to start!

In Health,
Liz James, RPh

NSHC Certified Health Coach & Wellness Educator

YL Brand Partner #1602257

“Making Wellness A Contagious Pursuit”

Some Of My Best Friends Are Bacteria!

Liz James · January 12, 2017 ·

How do you feel about your gut? Did you know that you have roughly 100 trillion bacteria (3-4 lbs worth!) sharing your personal space with you?…. more to the point…. inside you? Our “friends” within us are terribly important to our health. They keep the bad bacteria (aka: the bullies) in check. When our gut is healthy, approximately 80-85% of our bacteria is good, and 15-20% are bad. At this ratio, the good bacteria are able to keep the bad bacteria “in check”. The good bacteria are team players. When they are healthy, and there are enough of them, they are able to keep the bad bacteria from overpopulating and causing damage, dysfunction, and disease.

In addition, good bacteria in the gut play a major role in many body functions…. including digestion and pooping, preventing inflammation of the intestinal wall, AND helping prevent leaky gut syndrome. Surprisingly, our little bacteria friends also play a large role in our mental health. Poor gut health has been found to be directly correlated with OCD, ADHD, depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, learning disabilities, memory, and mood…. not to mention general poor gut health. Our gut population is also responsible for approximately 80% of our immunity, AND not having enough good bacteria can lead to autoimmune disorders, allergies and infection. Good gut bacteria is also important to our weight!

Gut health plays a huge part in overall body inflammation. When your intestinal lining is compromised, total body inflammation or inflammation in certain parts of the body… including the brain is virtually guaranteed. Inflammation within the brain is painless, and yet it is a factor in Parkinsons, Alzheimer’s, MS, and Autism.

Finally, as we age, our good bacteria tend to naturally die off… and this is not good…not good at all. (Everyone “of a certain age” should be on a probiotic for optimal health). Go back and re-read the paragraphs above…. is it any coincidence that the elderly have regular issues “being regular”, having brain fog/memory lapses, sleep disorders etc?

There are many ways we unintentionally damage and abuse our gut bacteria on a regular basis:

Overuse of antibiotics. If you must use them…. Always, always always use a heavy round of probiotics both during and following antibiotic use (making sure to separate the antibiotic and probiotic dose by at least 2 hours).
Alcohol, processed foods, refined sugar, and refined carbohydrates. All of these products feed bad bacteria and promote inflammation
NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). They cause gut inflammation, damage the gut lining, and recent research indicates that their use induces gluten sensitivity.
Antacids and Acid Reducers. (Did you know that most of these are not FDA approved for use longer than 8 weeks). Long term use promotes Candida (yeast) overgrowth.
Minimize and control your stress levels. High levels of stress can cause major GI damage over the long term.

And finally…. when we reach ‘a certain age’, our good gut bacteria begins to naturally die off. When this happens, our overall body health is compromised unless we supplement!
Young Living offers one of the finest probiotics on the market: Life 9. And no, not all probiotics are created equally. Case Adams PhD, wrote a book: Probiotics-Protection Against Infection. In his book, he outlines what to look for in a good probiotic….. The type of capsule (HPMC), the diverse strains of bacteria (YL has 9 strains: 4bifido, 4lacto, and 1 strepto), the quantity of bacteria per capsule (10-15 BILLION Colony Forming Units is recommended for maintenance dosing), the container itself (glass with a metal lid…not plastic), and a moisture control (calcium carbonate). All of these requirements are so important… and they cumulatively make Life 9 the powerhouse for our health that it is. I know that there are tons of probiotics on the market, but MOST do not follow this advised criteria. Do your homework and then pick up a bottle of Life 9!

So, in a nutshell… we truly ARE what we ingest! But the zoo within us needs regular TLC and protection. Without that, you may end up with a gut gone rogue…. and that, my friends, is one of the worst things that could happen to your overall body health.

Feel free to contact me with any questions~

In health,
Liz

YL member#1602257

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Help…How Do I Know What To Use?

Liz James · January 11, 2017 ·

Everyone is built and wired differently.We each have our own physical and emotional baggage that we add to on a regular basis, and that makes us all very unique. The therapeutic grade oils and supplements that are exclusive to Young Living’s product line are unmatched for whatever body system or emotional support you need.

I have a few answers for that…

Let me help! With my unique background as a pharmacist, certified Health Coach, and holistic lifestyle specialist I can help you find your way. Please feel free to use me as a resource to find the oils and supplements that will support your health & wellness goals for your entire family. Our lifestyles are also unique. Although, as a fellow prepper, we should have some similarities, including becoming adequately preparedfor what is UNIQUELY important to you and your family’s health.
One of the great things about Young Living’s starter kits is that they include a variety incredibly versatile oils that will go a long way towards supporting virtually every body system. There is no better way to start adding to your health & wellness preparedness plan.
As a prepper, it is not just about gathering tools and supplies… it is also about learning to use (and even master) a new skill that will help you when the SHTF….all the tools in the world will be useless you are equipped to use them beforehand.
Remember, when purchasing a premium starter kit, I will also gift you a 400+ page Bug Out Bag ready manual to help you with your education and mastery. And of course, I am here to help you along the way :).

Can Oils Support Our Emotional Health?

Liz James · January 11, 2017 ·

Using essential oils is not a new found fad… it is something that has been used for thousands of years in most countries to help balance emotions. When Big Pharma entered into the picture, oils fell by the wayside in the United States. Young Living was and is key to reversing that trend, and you see inferior oils in many stores now. Do not be fooled by the others….. Young Living is THE world leader of Essential Oils… the oldest essential oil company in the world…. AND the only with with its own farms and Seed to Seal guarantee.

Survival tools should be multifunctional, and YL oils are no exception to this rule. Every single one of them has health promoting abilities and many have powerful emotional support.

Can you imagine how the spritz of fragrance from a fresh orange peel can brighten your day? Within the oil of the peel lies a constituent called Limonene. This is a naturally made chemical that works almost magically on our Limbic system as described above to promote feelings of calm and happiness. I encourage you to do some research on your own as each of the citrus oils (Lemon, Lime, Tangerine, Bergamot, Orange) do this very very well. Other oils can be very helpful with different emotions and feelings…..

StressAway: a blend of 5 oils known for their abilities to relieve daily stress and tension. This is a blend unique to Young Living, and is a personal favorite of mine. I carry it in my lab coat at work, and use it daily.
Lavender: probably the most well known of essential oils, and best known to create a calming and relaxing environment. When you are preparing your bag, this is one oil you won’t want to be without due to its many functionalities.
Anger is another emotion that can be difficult to harness and manage and can often lead to escalated issues. You may find that some or all of these oils of benefit if this is something that is struggled with: Tranquil (a blend), Bergamot, Lemon, Ylang ylang…. and many more…
Lack of concentration and focus can be detrimental, especially when focus is of utmost importance. Oils that may help with this would include Lemon, Rosemary, Peppermint, Clarity (a powerful blend) .
Grief and sorrow are both something we have to deal with on occasion. Oils that may help with this would include Bergamot, Joy (a blend), Juniper, White Angelica (a blend), and Gentle Baby (also a blend).
Fear is an emotion that none of us enjoy experiencing, and we all feel it on occasion…. whether that be thru our jobs, as we drive, or simply as we prepare for the unknown. Oils known to help alleviate these feelings may include Bergamot, Cypress, Geranium, and Valor (a blend)

Many of the oils mentioned above can be found in the Premium Starter Kit. If you’d like to learn more about managing emotions with oils, I’m happy to help!

In Health and Preparedness,
Liz James, RPh

NSHC Certified Health Coach & Wellness Educator
YL Silver Leader #1602257

It’s Time To Get Serious About The Planning

Liz James · January 10, 2017 ·

Let’s talk for a minute. You have been reading for about a month now, and hopefully you’ve now embraced the notion that you need to be preparing on a level that is unique to you and your family’s personal health concerns. If so, call me… email me… it’s time to get serious about the planning.

Health preparedness is not as simple as just storing product.

While product is nice to have on hand when you need it, the ability to apply knowledge that you’ve accumulated thru personal experience and thru experience of others could be a gamechanger. Proficiency in anything requires practice. It is my personal goal that every single person who joins my team have access to as much education as they desire (in the form of private Facebook groups, books, education here… thru my blog and emails, and also direction to science backed resources)….. so that they (you?) can become proficient in their unique health and wellness plan BEFORE a crisis situation dictates that it must be implemented. However, when a crisis happens (and it WILL happen someday), what if you don’t have access to your internet, phone, or your “go to person” when a “how to” question arises? Then you must rely on what you have stored in your brain, what you have in your Bug Out Bag to implement your plan.

Today’s the day… make a commitment to do this. Let’s pack your bag with the essentials that will be pertinent to YOUR health, (along with the 400+ page essential oil manual you’ll get for free from me) AND begin training your brain to think a bit differently. Let’s get some practice under your belt! Who knows…. by implementing what you learn now, you might become healthier for it, and THAT itself could actually save your life… even if the SHTF doesn’t happen anytime soon.

Let’s do this!

In health and preparedness,

Liz James, RPh