Circulation

Wolfberries &Blood Oxygen

Liz James · August 19, 2020 ·

Kristine Lucius asked me the following question over on my FB business page (The Wellness Prepper) about this picture that pops up from time to time regarding NingXia Red……

**She wrote, ” Does it (goji berries/ aka wolfberries) help blood cells receive oxygen?”.**

**Here is my response: **While I cannot say that the picture itself is accurate (although it probably is in my opinion), I can tell you that what you are looking at is acidic blood versus alkaline blood (pH). Acidic blood will be clumpy like that. Healthy slightly alkaline blood is oxygen rich (acidic blood is oxygen poor). Alkaline blood flows more freely, is not apt to be clumpy, and allows for higher oxygen content.

To better explain the effects of wolfberries on the blood, I think you all will enjoy this short video put together by a John Hopkins trained Medical Researcher and Oncologist. His video looks at the effects of goji berries on the blood, and how they effectively reduce the acidity of the blood, as well as appearing to do a bit more. I think you’ll find it fascinating! (I did!). (9minute video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40mvty0EM2o

I will add that Charlie and I both had our blood evaluated in this very same way at the clinic on the YL Ecuador farm at Platinum Retreat….. it was FASCINATING, and I learned that this type of “microscopic blood reading” can yield a wealth of information about your health!

#TheEcuadorFarmoughttobeoneveryoneslifegoallist
#NingXiaRedChallenge2020
#knowbetterdobetter
#sharingiscaring
#ThanksYL

Why the Crown?

Liz James · May 31, 2020 ·

I had a really good question brought to me this week and I thought you all might find the answer both interesting and helpful.

Q: Why are we told to apply oils to the crown of our head? There has to be a reason that is scientific and not “new agey”.

Answer: You may have heard that the reason we do this is because that area is so close to our brain. Yes… while true…. that’s not EXACTLY the reason.

Feel the crown of your head…. nearly all of us have a little divot at the very top. That is a point where skull bones meet. (In babies, it is known as the soft spot)… while we have several suture lines on our head, the crown suture is the one that is usually the easiest to find.

Skull sutures are not solid…. they are a fibrous joint… the fibers holding our skull bones together act as a buffer against stress, and they actually move (even tho it doesn’t seem like they do).

Here’s the key thing: The sutures act as access points… bypassing the skull…, allowing our essential oils to go directly to the cerebral spinal fluid surrounding the brain and on down into the spinal cord. BOOM! Y’all….. if you want to affect the brain or create an inhospitable environment for viruses (which tend to hibernate in the spinal cord), this is a VALUABLE tool and tip to hang on to 😉.

Anointing someone’s head isn’t always for religious purposes…. it can have some very therapeutically beneficial results!

Please please please….. remember, if you are using essential oils in a therapeutic manner, that you are using pure oils that have been confirmed free of toxins and other questionable chemicals. It’s exactly the reason I only use Young Living.

#ThanksYL
#SeedtoSeal
#Theindustryleader

#knowbetterdobetter

Spring Detox

Liz James · April 9, 2020 ·

Psst…… Hey there friend! I see you and your struggle between patience and frustration, perhaps even moving between anger at being cooped up and concern for the welfare of others. You are not alone in this. Hardly. Let’s chat a bit, shall we? 😘

Springtime is the season of new and pent up energy bursting forth… it’s that way in nature, and we humans also have that tendency.

Spring cleaning….

Spring gardening…..

Western medicine doesn’t look that much at seasonal changes and how it affects your body (unless they are discussing seasonal allergies),…. but it is a core feature in Traditional Chinese Medicine. TCM looks at the physical (what can be seen), and also the energy (that which might be blocked or sluggish). Too much blocked energy, and something physical will usually result. Free flowing energy results in a higher body frequency which results in a happier healthier you! #highfrequencyrules #bethelight

AT THE HEART OF THE SPRING SEASON FOR TCM ARE THE LIVER AND GALLBLADDER. THESE TWO ORGANS PLAY A TERRIBLY IMPORTANT ROLE IN DETOXIFICATION OF OUR BODY. WINTER WAS A TIME FOR STORING RESERVES…. AND SPRING IS OUR TIME FOR SHEDDING THE ACCUMULATED TOXINS THRU INCREASED MOVEMENT THAT TENDS TO COME MORE NATURALLY WITH LONGER DAYLIGHT HOURS AND A SUN THAT BECKONS US OUTDOORS….. and we need to be doing this!

Grab a bottle of Juvaflex or Helichrysum, Lemon, Orange, Peppermint, Basil, Rosemary, Frankincense, or Geranium and apply over the liver or use the vitality versions and add a drop or two to your water.

Movement is critical to all parts of the body… but in the Spring season, it’s especially important to your liver. Exercise can be done anywhere… even in the comfort of your own home and neighborhood!

Grab a bottle of the amazing essential oil blend, Motivation, and go for a walk today. Your liver will thank you. Promise!
Failure to move makes blood sluggish, and accumulated toxins just don’t have the opportunity to leave the body as they should.

Signs that you’ve maybe not incorporated enough movement in your life recently?
frequent headaches
sluggish metabolism
frequent sighing
stress related digestive issues
chronic stress you can’t seem to shake
an odd feeling of a “lump in the throat “
irritability, anger, or frustration

The liver is also the organ that holds stress. One of the best ways to help your liver emotionally is to practice expressing your feelings. Express… and then let go of them. Don’t dwell on them unless they are positive ones! Holding on to your negative emotions ultimately will cause outward irritability, frustration and anger. One sign that you might be holding on to something is feeling like you have a lump in your throat (almost like the feeling you get in your throat right before you cry).

Remember…. different emotions live in different organs….. Anger is held in the liver. But for the “negative” emotion an organ holds, it also holds a good one too…. and we have the free choice to decide which one is going to be expressed. The “positive” emotion associated with the liver is compassion. ….. and ya’ll… I’m thinking right about now…. our world could use a little less anger and a little more compassion.

If you are wanting to get rid of anger, first have some compassion on yourself. These are stressful times and stress feeds anger. Instead, try looking for ways to express compassion to get your liver energy flowing:

Offer to go shopping for someone who needs to avoid people due to a health concern.

Clean out your bookshelves and donate books or games to an assisted living community library.

Offer to walk someone’s dog for them.

Share what you have with someone who has less than you do at this moment.

Call people to check on them… don’t forget about your extroverted friends. They are probably climbing their curtains right about now 😉.

And finally….. seek out ways to nourish your liver… Lemon vitality oil in your water….. beets, broccoli, asparagus, and goji berries are all very helpful ways to support your liver.

Goji berries….. hmmm, where have we heard of those before? You probably have some in your house….. at least I HOPE you do. 😉… Goji berries are also known as wolfberries… and the best, healthiest ones in the world can be found in our NingXia Red! Who knew?

Love your liver, and show some compassion to yourself and to others. We’re gonna make it thru this time alone together just fine. You’ll see. 😘
xoxo~ liz

#strongertogether
#ThanksYL
#youvegotthis

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Not sure about the science of TCM? If you are like me, you’ll want proof. Go do some digging on your own… perhaps start here with a really interesting study:
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hindawi article

Dolphin MPS…Another Tool For The Toolbox

Liz James · February 19, 2017 ·

Every craftsman (or woman) has tools. The longer the trade has been plied, the more diverse the tools.

As I work towards filling my ‘toolbox’ with health and wellness minded tools, sometimes I find something that just shouts out to me. There are some things EVERYONE should know about and partake in……if they want to manage their health in a sustainable way. Taking medication daily for pain is NOT a sustainable solution to a potentially long term problem. As a pharmacist, I witness the after effects of chronic pain medication use. If opioids (codeine, hydrocodone, fentanyl etc) are used long term, pain tolerance decreases, addiction/chemical dependance inevitably occurs, constipation becomes a separate and treatable disease entity, and liver and brain changes (damage) are likely.

If something ‘milder’ is chosen as the daily treatment of choice…. like an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) or Tylenol (acetaminophen), the list is shorter, but not necessarily better. Both have the ability to cause long term problems with the kidneys or liver depending on your drug of choice. NSAIDS like Motrin (Ibuprofen), Aleve, Celebrex, Meloxicam etc are now being tied to the induction of Gluten Sensitivity , not to mention the eventual GI upset and erosion that will occur after longterm use…. again, causing a separate dysfunction that will also need to be treated by an additional med. It is a cycle that is inevitable if pain is managed long term this way.

After I had my ‘run in’ with our bull , I was acutely aware of my need to solve the pain puzzle quickly….. not just short term, but long term too. Our farm does not run by itself, and my husband and I are the sole caregivers of our ‘farmily’. My accident very nearly resulted in an amputation, and the likelihood that I would live with pain and a limp at best was high. For the record, I was on prescription pain medication for exactly 3 days before transitioning over to herbal and alternative pain management solutions. Today…. 20 months later, I walk with no limp and have only occasional pain that is managed herbally, with exercise…. and this interesting little magic tool: the Dolphin MPS . I learned about it quite by accident (or Divine Intervention!) at a convention I was attending 3 months after my accident. I was still on crutches at the time, and a Dolphin practitioner offered to do a quick treatment simply while we sat waiting for a seminar to start. Admittedly, I was a little dubious sitting there with my leg in a stranger’s lap as her little instruments chattered back and forth to each other. We sat there for about 15 minutes and while she worked, she gave a quick overview of how and why the Dolphin worked. Whoa!!! It worked on me, and THAT caught my attention. The Lord says we shouldn’t covet, but I was sinfully coveting both her tools and her knowledge. So, in October of 2015, I drove 6 hours and attended my first intensive class and bought my Dolphin units.

Many of you are probably asking what is this and how does it work? So I’m going to try to answer some of the most obvious questions here:

FAQ’s:

Is this a TENS unit? No. Although it is approved by the FDA in the category of electronic stimulation, it is resoundingly NOT the same thing as a TENS unit. A TENS unit provides short term relief of pain using high frequency (100-200 Hz), low intensity electric current. It is non specific in application location, and…. in essence…. simply masks the pain for a short period of time (ie: in a physical therapy setting, pre-treating with a TENS unit will allow you to complete the therapy with less pain). It is something that your body can build resistance to over time.

In comparison: the Dolphin provides LONG term relief of pain using low frequency (2.5Hz), mid intensity electric current. It is used on very specific locations…known acupuncture points… unless treating a scar. Treatment with the Dolphin usually provides relief much longer term… usually for several days, but frequently for much longer. (For example, after the course of healing, I now only do ‘tuneups’ on my ankle about once a month.) Additionally, endorphins are released during Dolphin treatment, accentuating the feeling of wellbeing. You can read more about Dolphin VS traditional TENS units here.

How does it work? Open your mind a minute to the concept of Eastern Medicine. Everything in our world has an electric current, and we are no exception (unless you’re dead!). Pain is the result of trapped energy in a certain area of your body. If you can release that trapped energy, the pain will subside or even completely go away. The Dolphin device (and manuals) help you identify which pathways (meridians) would be most beneficial in unblocking the energy. As soon as the ‘block’ is removed, pain nearly always either subsides, diminishes significantly, or completely disappears. For people with chronic conditions, this ‘resetting’ will likely need to occur as often as weekly or monthly.

Does it hurt? Although it is a teeny tiny bit of electricity, depending on the situation or acupuncture site, it may feel like a small prick all the way up to a bee sting. The reality is that the more intense the sting, the greater benefit you will feel when the treatment is over!

How do I find someone who will treat me? You can find a certified practitioner worldwide here: http://www.mpscourses.com/directory/ , but the good news in the United States is that this device is approved by the FDA for sale as an over the counter (OTC) item. Basic treatment can be done at home by you or a family member with a little training, but more intensive treatment (involving the back or neck) really requires at least one two day class. My advice is to find a practitioner, and try a round of treatment… if it works for you (and it probably will!) it would be worth your time and investment to learn a new wellness skillset! It is not an inexpensive wellness tool, but if you look at the long term ramifications of chronic pain med use, this tool could be PRICELESS for your life long health and wellness goals.

(PS: most insurances will pay for Dolphin treatment as an approved/billable PT/OT therapy AND some insurances will even pay for a home unit with a prescription from your doctor.)

I’ve found that the Dolphin works synergistically with my Young Living oils….. (ie: 1+1 = 3 or 4 or 5!), and don’t need ‘resets’ nearly as often as I likely would otherwise given my injury. I’ve given several friends and family members some major relief by using this combination as well & have spoken to many practitioners who have seen similar results, so I know my results are not an isolated incident.

If you’d like to learn more about oils or the Dolphin, please feel free to contact me!

This is not a paid endorsement of the Dolphin… I just know it works, and I believe in it enough that I’m now working on my own certification training…. it may take me a year or two, but I’m committed to this vision of health and wellness without chemicals.

The Dolphin: just another sustainable tool for my health and wellness toolbox!

Have a blessed and WELL day,
Liz