Essential Oils

Elsa’s Life Begins

Liz James · January 1, 2018 ·

T’was the night before New Year’s and all thru the barn,
Not a creature was stirring…….’cause it was dang cold on the farm.

The critters were nestled all snug in their beds,
With visions of warm spring days dancing in their heads.

With Charlie in his long johns and I in my leggings…..
We too bedded down for a year’s calm ending.

The morning came quickly, and someone was missing,
…. A cow named Honey had left without sleeping.

A package she left us half frozen we found…
A little calf so cold on the hard winter ground.

Shivering mightily, she lay there so weak…..
We feared our new year would begin with a valley, not a peak.

Spotted and tiny the little girl lay,
We towel dried & wrapped her in a blanket and prayed.

The temperature kept dropping, a crisis at hand,
So we brought her inside by the fire to mend.

A blanket, a fire, Frank & Myrrh on the (belly) button….
This baby girl was gonna grow up to be somethin’!

Slowly she warmed and began to stir,
And with a small ‘mooo’ we knew the coast was clear.

Two hours later she returned to her Mama,
Who was pacing the stall, clearly glad to be done with the drama.

Slowly she warmed and began to stir,
And with a small ‘mooo’ we knew the coast was clear.

Two hours later she returned to her Mama,
Who was pacing the stall, clearly glad to be done with the drama.

We hope your 2018 is filled with HEALTH, Happiness, and Prosperity! Thank you for reading my first year of blogging. You are appreciated!

XOXO, Liz

(Some of) The Science Behind Essential Oils

Liz James · October 30, 2017 ·

The inner science nerd comes out in me on a fairly regular basis. While I am most at home on our farm, I have said for decades that I could have been a professional full time student (if finances were no object). I think that is one of the things that initially drew me to pharmacy…. there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t learn something new at work. It is also one of the things I find so attractive about health and wellness in general. Every pebble you turn over reveals a boulder of information just waiting to be learned and absorbed. If you are a life science junkie (like me), you can lose yourself for hours (if not days) reading studies in Pubmed.gov. Finding this website several years ago was the game changer and light bulb moment for me. It was almost as if I had tumbled down a rabbit hole like Alice, and discovered a whole world that I had vaguely heard about but assumed must be inferior to ‘what I knew‘ from pharmacy school.

Big Pharma subsidizes the education of health professionals in the United States. They take the little fledgling professionals and give them their kool-aid and pat their egos. Well done young Dr/ Pharmacist/ Nurse/ ___________ (fill in the blank). Even today, when I read pharmacy continuing education courses on Natural Medicine, I can barely bear to read them. (Again, subsidized). I can earn 1-2 CE credit hours to learn that alternative medicine really is ‘minimally effective’ at best and/or ‘sham medicine’ at worst. It took me about 15 years post pharmacy school to deprogram my mind and begin thinking for myself. Now, with every new drug or new class of drugs, I listen to what Big Pharma says, and then I dig a little deeper to find the whole truth… not the sugar coated version. Ever wonder why those advertisements speak nice and slowly about the unicorns and puppies the drugs promise, and then speak auctioneer fast (or use 4pt font) to reveal some (but definitely not all) of the possible side effects? Me too.

After I quit drinking the kool-aid (now realizing that said kool-aid is full of high fructose corn syrup and red dye #3), and came to my senses, I simply can’t get enough of what alternative health options has to offer. Yes, there is and always will be a time and a place for modern medicine….. but there is also a time and a place for alternative health options. It behooves us all to be open to both.

If you venture in to Pubmed.gov and begin researching, take note of how many studies revealing the benefits of alternative therapies come from outside the United States. University scholars and scientists from all over the world are digging deeply into holistic care and coming up with astounding truths (with far far far fewer side effects than their pharmaceutical counterparts). The United States is slow on the uptake here. Why? Big Pharma doesn’t benefit from holistic care. Repair and restoration does not always have to come with a pharmaceutical pricetag or health consequence. Frequently, repair and restoration comes in the form of self care and simply understanding how we tick and why we do what we do or our bodies do what they do. Learning how to support our bodies instead of propping them up with pharmaceuticals. It’s a learning curve for sure… and the first step is to look at who is offering up those kool-aid cocktails.

Which brings me back to the original topic of this post. Elizabeth Erickson is a neuroscientist with a focus on applied cognition. Our brains can be our best friend, but they can also be our worst enemy. Tonight (Monday, Oct 30th), Elizabeth will discuss some very basic concepts for you to wrap your mind around. This is a free event, and even if you cannot attend the live class due to a scheduling conflict, I’d encourage you to make some time to watch it in the 24 hours it will be available for viewing. Come with an open mind and be prepared to learn. I will be there too…. learning and gleaning… one of my favorite things to do!

Carrier Oils…Essential Oils..What’s the Difference?

Liz James · September 13, 2017 ·

I really never gave too much thought about carrier oils until recently. My standby has always been fractionated coconut oil. Coconut oil can be great for certain skin types, and I’ve just never felt the need to venture beyond FCO….. until recently. Oh sure, I’ve dabbled here and there…. stepping out on my old friend, but always coming back home to my tried and true love. I was well aware of carrier oils for skin types (see above), but did you know that…. just like essential oils…. carrier oils have attributes that support and affect body systems beyond the integumentary system/skin?

Y’all know the difference, right? A carrier oil is a fatty oil base. They can go rancid over time and although they may have some health benefits, carrier oils generally don’t hold a candle to those benefits seen with Essential Oils. Essential oils, on the other hand, are not fat based…. nor do they feel oily. With the exception of the cold pressed citrus oils, they have an incredibly long shelf life (provided they are cared for properly). Essential oils can be diluted with carrier oils without affecting their effects on our body.

Young Living Essential Oils help support virtually every single body system. We typically choose which oils we are going to diffuse, apply, or ingest according to the body system we wish to support. We may or may not use a carrier oil along with our oils depending on personal choice. Regardless of which carrier oil you choose to use, begin with these tenants:

Use organic whenever possible.
Never use mineral oil or petrolatum or petroleum jelly as a carrier. They clog pores and are toxins themselves (made from petroleum). Additionally, they prevent toxins within us from escaping, and will prevent essential oils from being absorbed into the skin.
Be very wary of using a cosmetic or commercial skin care product as a carrier for your essential oils. Rashes and adverse reactions have occurred when combining the two. Remember, nearly all mainstream skin care products contain toxins themselves, and the mixture of both good (essential oils) and bad (that skin care product) may not end well.

However, there are some distinct benefits to using carrier oils with your essential oils:

Hot oils (ex: Thieves, Lemongrass, Cinnamon Bark) can feel just that…. HOT….. if applied undiluted.
Diluting your oils with a carrier oil definitely gives you more bang for your buck. We should ALL be frugal oilers… a little goes a long way, and our oils are a precious commodity.
Adding a carrier oil to your essential oil can, in effect, create an ‘extended release’ component to your essential oil. Most of our essential oils are volatile. This means that they are released into the air fairly rapidly. What is not absorbed into the skin becomes airborne. The addition of a carrier oil to your essential oil will increase both the amount of oil that is absorbed into your skin AND the duration that the absorption takes place. This is a good thing!
Many carrier oils can act synergistically with essential oils. Whoa. Really?

Yep. Here are a few examples:

Coconut Oil – This oil is well known as the ‘go to’ for hair care and skin care when used topically, but did you also know that when ingested, this oil is also very supportive of the cardiovascular system, helps balance blood sugar, strengthens the immune system, and is helpful in dental care? For real!
Jojoba Oil- This is an ‘external use’ only carrier oil that most closely resembles human sebum (the waxy substance produced by glands in our skin) making it one of the best moisturizing carrier oils available. It comes from the seeds of the Jojoba tree. Jojoba oil is also known for its antifungal properties, making it exceptionally well paired with Tea Tree oil. It can be used as a natural makeup remover or as a moisturizer for cracked feet and hands.
Sweet Almond Oil- Really, any of the tree nut oils (Walnut, Almond, Pecan, etc) make amazing oil and vinegar salad dressing bases (especially when paired with lemon, basil, marjoram, oregano, and thyme oils), but you can use this oil topically too! It has been found to be helpful in repairing damage to collagen within the skin. When ingested, it may help limit inflammation and promote vascular health. Sweet Almond Oil also gets bonus points for being high in vitamins E and K.

If you are curious about a specific carrier oil, do a little research. You may get more than you bargained for (and I mean that in a really good way!).

Young Living has a complete line of carrier oils too, available in 8 oz bottles. Each one is a synergistic blend of carrier oils and essential oils designed for a specific purpose. (You will want to read the ingredients closely if you happen to have a sensitivity to a particular oil.)

V-6: a general all purpose topical oil blend containing Coconut, Sesame, Grape Seed, Sweet Almond, Sunflower, and Olive oils.
Ortho Ease–: a muscle and joint blend of carrier oils that also contain wintergreen, juniper, marjoram, eucalyptus radiata, and peppermint.
Ortho Sport:– a slightly more intense muscle and joint blend of carrier oils that also contain wintergreen, peppermint, thyme, eucalyptus globulous and oregano.
Cel-Lite:– a great firming and toning carrier oil blend that also incorporates the benefits of grapefruit, cedarwood, and juniper. I love to use this one on my thighs and hips when I get out of the shower!
Dragon Time: a carrier oil blend designed for balancing emotions (ie: calming your inner dragon!). This carrier oil is designed for women and also contains lavender, ylang ylang, jasmine, fennel and clary sage.
Relaxation–: if you are looking for a relaxing carrier oil blend, this is it. While it does contain lavender, spearmint, coriander, bergamot, and tangerine, feel free to add any additional oils if needed. This is a great blend to massage on little feet right before bedtime :).
Sensation: oooo la la! This carrier oil blend is created for romance and love. It can be applied anywhere…. (I will leave that up to your imagination). It does not disappoint. In addition to the base oils, this carrier oil blend also contains ylang ylang, bergamot, jasmine, and geranium.

Do any of these carrier oils tickle your fancy? Give one of them a try and let me know what you think.

If you are an oil carrying aficionado, I would encourage you to also keep a small bottle of carrier oil on hand to dilute in the unfortunate circumstance that you get an oil in your eye. Should that ever happen, don’t flush with water (it will only make it worse). Instead use a little carrier oil in the corner of your eye to immediately dilute the offending essential oil. If you failed to heed my advice and have no carrier oil on hand, simply use any fatty substance (butter, milk, or even a piece of bacon fat!) in place of the carrier oil. I hope you never need this piece of info, but if this has never happened to you, you’ve simply not used oils long enough!

Take care, and have a blessed September day!
Liz

Sleep Week – day 7

Liz James · July 11, 2017 ·

OK ya’ll….. I’m coming clean here… Sleep is important to me. I’ve researched sleep for several months now, and the more I researched, the more I appreciated its value. These last few days have been ginormously busy for me…. so much so, that I have not had a moment to catch my breath except when it’s time to head to bed.

By 9:30 each night, I had to make some decisions…. what was more important? Sleeping or blogging. I know that many of you have hung out and reached out to me during sleep week, but I also knew that none of you would lose sleep if I missed a blog posting day.

So….. I chose to make a good example of myself, and picked respecting my bedtime hour over blogging and sharing with you all.

There is much more to sleep than I could cram into 7 days anyway, and I’d love to share more. If you’d like a more in depth class I’m happy to schedule one at some point.

In the meantime, I leave you with this video about simple habits you can either break or create to gift yourself quality sleep.

If I’ve piqued your interest in any products that have helped me and thousands of other people sleep please let me know, and I’ll show you the most economical way to own your own stash. Everyone deserves healthy restorative sleep!

Enjoy!

Sleep Week – day 6

Liz James · July 8, 2017 ·

Good morning friends! I hope you all got your rejuvenating, anti-aging 7+ hours of sleep last night! There is so much to cover, and so little time left in the week.

Blood sugar fluctuations… we all have them…. some people have a much larger span between high’s and low’s but more than 86 million Americans are fast approaching a ‘diagnoseable condition’ because of these fluctuations. Only 1 in 4 are actually aware of this ‘oncoming train’ that will ultimately affect their life in big ways.

As I head off to farm chores this morning, I leave you with these thoughts. I see people with newly diagnosed conditions daily at the pharmacy. Often, they are blindsided by the diagnosis of a PREVENTABLE condition, and so the first trip to the pharmacy for their new prescription I see their ‘deer in the headlights’ look. This tells me that likely (in these instances) the person had not ‘listened to his/her body’ for an extended period of time, and a symptom finally forced him/her to the doctor.

We’ve got to learn to be the CEO’s of our health. Your restless sleep (and other signs) may be trying to tell you something, and it’s up to you, the commanding officer of YOU, to decipher the clues.

There is nothing more important than this.. The richest people have nothing if they do not have the health to enjoy life. I hear patients complain about the price of medication and healthcare at work. On top of that, they are now having to deal with a new ‘condition’. That condition may also cost them time and quality of life.

We can choose to address our health PROACTIVELY (diet, SLEEP, exercise, avoiding toxins, man-made chemicals in the form of skincare, cleaning products….even hygiene goods, and chronic stress whenever possible, etc) and ‘pay for our healthcare’ by doing things to be well…. OR we can be REACTIVE and pay for our health later in the way of doctor visits, medications and healthcare related expenses, quality of life, and perhaps shortening of life. Life is full of choices, and this is a big one.

I hate to leave you with such a heavy topic this morning, but if it resets at least one person’s thinking, then I think it’s worth it!

Make it a great one! Tomorrow is our last day, and then it’s back to business as usual! This is such a huge topic… I’ve realized I can’t cram it all into 7 posts. I think I’ll ultimately have a longer online class later in the year for this topic if there is enough interest.

Take care and make it a great day!
Liz