Essential Oils

Sleep Week – day 4

Liz James · July 5, 2017 ·

Good morning sunshine! I hope you all woke up refreshed. This morning, I wanted to talk a little about melatonin.

Melatonin isn’t just for sleep. Small daily doses may also support our thyroid function and healthy estrogen levels (in women aged 42-62 years).

I find it so interesting that ‘natural night time light colors’… think campfires, moonlight or fireflies are acceptable to our bodies, while unnatural (ie:manmade) lighting colors are disruptive. God certainly knew what he was doing

Too much of a good thing isn’t always a good thing…High doses of melatonin supplementation can actually cause the reverse effect and aggravate good sleep.

Thank goodness Young Living knows this (those smarty pants!), and have given us ImmuPro and SleepEssence*.

Immupro is an excellent immune system supporting supplement. Melatonin alone also supports the immune system (in proper amounts of course). This is one of the reasons it is an ingredient in ImmuPro…. while it does aid in sleep, it also does so much more! Remember, healing occurs greatest while we sleep.But did you also know that if our bodies are not producing enough melatonin (see the graphic above) due to even the briefest exposure to light at night or due to aging then our thymus gland begins to atrophy. And if our thymus isn’t functioning properly…. that is bad news indeed! A shriveled up thymus means that a key component of your immune system has been compromised.

Approximately 9 million people in the USA take prescription sleeping pills regularly. Meds like Ambien, Lunesta, and Sonata (etc) are only approved by the FDA for short term use, and yet, doctors prescribe them like night time candy. I know this because they are some of the fastest moving drugs in our pharmacy.

There are significant (and sometimes long term ) side effects of prescripton sleep aids… especially when taken regularly.

Drowsy daytime driving
Depression (yes, they can both cause and augment it)
Increase the risk of infection (by 44%)
Increased risk of falls (especially a problem in the elderly)
Erratic behavior (both night and daytime)

This is why it’s so important to uncover the root cause of sleepless nights, and address that, instead of the ‘band-aid’ solution in the form of a sleeping pill.

I do not take ImmuPro or SleepEssence nightly, but I do keep at least one of these on hand…. and use them when I struggle with sleepless nights. The nice thing about these products is that you can take them occasionally, or regularly if needed without fear of addiction or side effects.

As I’ve posted throughout the week, if today’s discussed products interest you, You can have a wholesale membership with Young Living for a once a year purchase of $100 (they throw in a free oil for stress too!) and then have access to ALL their products at wholesale pricing (24% off retail prices). You can order whatever you’d like with no minimum. Places like SAM’S and Costco charge a higher annual fee, and you get nothing but access to their buildings…. so this is a pretty great deal. If you have any questions, please feel free to message me. (If you choose to sign up with a membership…. regardless of the type, I’ll send you a 400+ page hardcopy reference manual and other resources to get you started).

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Sleep Week – day 1

Liz James · July 1, 2017 ·

Hey ya’ll! I’m looking forward to helping my peeps work on catching better ZZZZ’s this week. Twenty five (+) years of pharmacy practice has given me front row seating watching our country’s health woes, and that has really fueled my desire to help people find their way back to wellness. Traditional western medicine professionals are really good at fixing acute health situations, but are sorely lacking in the ability to help people regain optimal health. “Bandaids for bullet holes” in most chronic health situations. If you haven’t already figured it out, I’m passionate about A LOT of things… but they all have a common core…. they all contribute to the wellness equation.

Two of my biggest education passions are Gut Health and Women’s Health. I teach free monthly classes online (see the link at the top of my blog page) because I believe that a little knowledge and understanding will go a long way in helping identify root causes and resources that may help you.

Adequate sleep plays a huge part in both gut health and women’s health issues, but also in so many other areas of our lives, especially when it comes to chronic conditions.

So, let’s start with the very basics here….

Chances are, we’ve all driven when we shouldn’t… when we were too tired to make good decisions. Did you know that drowsy driving is responsible for 20% of fatal vehicle crashes.

1 out of every 25 drivers has fallen asleep while driving in the last 30 days. Yikes!! (Please don’t let this be you.)

Large caffeine loads are never a good answer, and the effects that that practice has on a neurotransmitter called GABA isn’t pretty. You see, GABA helps us feel calm and peaceful, and its natural release into our body is inhibited by caffeine. And THAT results in anxiousness, jittery feelings, and poor sleep.

I found this great article on ways to stay awake while driving…. it is one written for truckers… and guess what, even that article suggests avoiding caffeine!

The following are some great options that can be used to perk you up any time! I use all of these at various times (in addition to many of the tips mentioned in the article above).

NingXia Nitro– I’ve never felt jittery when using NXN. It is a quick little pick me up, and easy to stash in your purse, pocket, or laptop case (or tractor!). There is no ‘crash’ following taking it. I don’t take it past about 5pm, but I know others who do without recourse to their sleep.

Most people never think about fragrances having energy boosting potential, but surprisingly they do! It’s really kind of crazy (in a good way) how well they work. When I’m not working on the farm, I spend a large amount of time working at the pharmacy, studying at home, and writing. Pharmacy requires you to be on your game 100% of the time, with no room for being sleepy. Sleepy = errors…. and in pharmacy, that’s NEVER a good thing. Here’s a list of some very cool oils that have constituents that have been proven scientifically to both improve mental alertness and clarity.

I keep these on hand at all times to help in times of feeling woozy.

En-R-Gee essential oil blend– A blend of Rosemary, Juniper, Lemongrass, Nutmeg, Balsam Fir, Clove, and Black Pepper essential oils. I diffuse it in my office at home, or apply to my temples or back of the neck.

Peppermint Vitality essential oil – Most people think of peppermint as flavoring, and not as a tool to enhance mental performance…. but peppermint can do just that. I drink water flavored with peppermint oil at work, and whenever I need a little extra focus boost. I also diffuse it alone or combined with other oils frequently.

Lemon vitality essential oil – Lemon fragrance is another mental acuity booster. It is also a happy scent and (don’t laugh… there are tons of studies!), its odor actually promotes happiness. OK, maybe you should laugh! Happy people are less sleepy during the day, but when they do sleep, they sleep better. Really! Happy odors can actually cause changes in your brain that make you an overall happier person over time. Maybe that’s why the traditional smiley face is lemon yellow…. just the color makes us happy!

Rosemary vitality essential oil – Rosemary. I LOVE rosemary. I have it planted in various places throughout our garden and farm. When I catch a whiff of it I know I’m home. For me, it is a very secure and grounding scent. But I’m mentioning it today, because it too has some potent mental alertness boosting capabilities. This is a great article if your interest has been piqued.

But back to driving while sleepy…… You can use all of the above fragrances in your car in many ways. Peppermint in your drinking water like I do is a great one!

A car diffuser is a powerhouse way to help you get you from “A to B” safely if sleepy driving plagues you. I’ve tried several out, and finally settled on this one. It runs like a beast for about 5 hours before you have to refill the water reservoir. Both my husband and I each have diffusers in our trucks, and they make all the difference. My husband is a reformed sleepy driver, and had fender benders years ago because of it. We take sleepy driving VERY seriously in our home. (I have a membership to this particular company (Life Science), so if you’d like the diffuser and want the 10$ discount, please message me and I’ll help you get it a bit more cheaply).

I’ll be talking about several products from Young Living this week, and at some point I may mention something you want in your possession. Wholesale pricing is available by ordering $100 or more just one time. (If you choose to sign up with a membership…., I’ll send you a 400+ page hardcopy reference manual and other resources to get you started).

Question: I’m curious to know how many of you get 6 hours or less of sleep at night? And secondly… what is your current ‘go to’ for energy during the day? Anything…. Is it an oil or a cuppa’ Joe? Stay tuned….. more surprising facts about sleep coming ‘atcha!

Staying In The Game

Liz James · June 2, 2017 ·

I got back from my boot camp workout this morning, and although I’m feeling a bit sore, it’s a good kind of pain….. the kind that lets you know you’ve accomplished something…. not the other kind… the one that is your warning signal of something gone awry. Like me, I’m sure you’ve experienced both kinds of pain, so you know what I’m talking about. Our bodies certainly do speak to us.

Being a ‘gym rat’ is a fairly new concept for me… a late in life one at that. I always felt like I got my workouts in simply by working on the farm and ‘doing life’. And up until the age of 48, I felt like that was enough. Midway thru that monumental year, I had a very significant run in with our bull, and ended up in the hospital. I’ll give you the cliff notes version …. I very nearly lost my left foot, and spent about 6 months in intensive recovery. The experience taught me a great deal, not the least of which is this….. Regardless of your health situation, it is important to keep moving. My injury involved broken and dislocated bones, severed tendons, and soft tissue & nerve damage. I now have hardware in my leg that is a permanent part of my recovery. And yet, I do not walk with a limp. I give credit where credit is due, and in this case, the EMT’s, a great surgeon, and our wonderful God all blessed me with great care and healing. But I had to do my part too. That part involved working hard to get past the initial discomfort of intensive physical therapy after having to be mostly sedentary for nearly 4 months. It also meant that my ‘new normal’ necessitates that I move certain joints regularly, or like the tin man, I simply won’t be able to move easily. This is where my new ‘gym rat’ moniker comes in…. (although my workout buddies and I typically meet in a parking lot!). What I’ve found is this:

If you don’t move it, you WILL lose it
if you don’t use it regularly, you’ll have to ‘work the rusty parts’ loose or they will get so rusty they won’t function at all (painful and annoying)
If you’ve significantly damaged some part of your body in your life, you will have to work extra to keep those parts in good working order
Unless your doctor tells you differently, you’ve got to push thru the pain to get thru to the other side of recovery.

Whether you’re like me, and have to occasionally push thru discomfort in order to make ‘it’ (whatever ‘it’ is for you) happen or you are a weekend warrior, I’d encourage you to give Cool Azul a try. Just as it sounds…. this blend provides cool relief. Young Living has given us 3 oil infused options in the Cool Azul Family to help us with our daily locomotion.

Cool Azul Pain Relief Cream : Oh. My. Goodness. Young Living rolled out the red carpet for our achy joints and muscles… and enlisted the help of wintergreen, chamomile, peppermint, sage, oregano, copaiba, tea tree, lavender, blue cypress, elemi, dorado azul, and more…..a little goes a VERY long way. It is the first oil infused FDA approved OTC product of its kind. You can watch a short video that explains how Cool Azul works: Cool Azul Pain Relief Cream Video
Cool Azul Sports Gel : This is the original gym bag version. Some like cream… some like gel. You pick.
Cool Azul Essential Oil Blend: Feeling the urge to make your own topical roller bottle blend but not sure where to start? No worry… just get this instead, add the carrier oil of your choice, and you’ll be good to go!

I don’t need to use my Cool Azul every day, but on the days that I do need it….. I’m thankful I’ve got it on hand. I use it to augment the benefits I reap from Agilease and Sulfurzyme(supplements I take daily).

A quick reminder: one of the active constituents of wintergreen oil is methyl salicylate. It has amazing pain relieving properties, but like another salicylate (Aspirin), it should not be used without a doctor’s approval if you are currently on prescription blood thinners. As with all oil products, be sure to avoid eyes and mucous membranes.

Make today a great one for yourself, and get to moving! Your body will thank you

If you’re ever interested in learning more about these or other products you’ve seen mentioned on my blog, feel free to message me! I’d love to have you join me in health.

Sheep…Er, Sleep 101

Liz James · May 23, 2017 ·

As much as this oily farmgirl loves her animals, counting sheep as I lay in bed is NOT my favorite thing to do. In fact, it’s downright annoying and, over time, it can actually become destructive to the body. Usually, I have no trouble falling asleep, but there are times when I wake up with some thought that is front and center in my brain and refuses to leave. That’s a problem. Thankfully, it isn’t a chronic issue for me, but when it does happen, it sure makes the following day a little more challenging.

If you do suffer from chronic sleep dysfunction, ultimately your health will be affected. Heart disease, cancer, mood disorders, immune system function, the healing process, memory loss, diabetes, and increased speed of aging….. all of these (and more!) become more likely to occur with chronic insufficient sleep.

Sleep issues are incredibly diverse, and this post will certainly not do the topic justice. Some of the most common reasons for not falling asleep, not achieving deep sleep, or nocturnal awakenings (my occasional complaint) can be blamed on everything from health conditions to bad sleep habits.

vitamin (D) or mineral (magnesium or potassium) deficiency
decreased melatonin production
hormone imbalances (especially common in menopause and ‘man’opause)
thyroid or adrenal imbalances
pain
diabetes
cardiovascular disease
heartburn and reflux (GERD)
kidney disease and/or bladder dysfunction
respiratory disorders (including sleep apnea)
poor gut health (our gut bacteria is largely responsible for neurotransmitter production that facilitate sleep)
a bad mattress or pillow (or one that doesn’t suit your body’s needs)
stress, depression, and/or anxiety
the result (a side effect) of many many medication’s side effects
caffeine (especially in the afternoon/evenings)
not enough exercise during the day (preferably early in the day)
money! (this is actually THE #1 reason people lose sleep)
poor sleep hygiene habits:
- not dark enough in the bedroom
- temperature of the bedroom is not cool enough
- light emitting technology (TV’s, ipads, phones) in the bedroom
- heavy meal at dinner time
- not enough ‘downtime’ (including technology) before bed

Recognizing that one or more of these factors may be affecting your sleep quality is the first step to achieving a better night’s sleep. Many of these factors are physiological dysfunctions and the ’cause and effect’ can become cyclical very quickly. For example, pain can prevent sound sleep. Conversely, lack of sleep can magnify pain and lower the pain threshold. It is situations like these that can easily develop into chronic sleep pattern disruptions.

Lest you think “My doctor can give me a pill for that, right?”, let me lay out some facts. I see far too many people at the pharmacy assume that taking a pill is an easy fix for a sleep disorder, and this group of medications is a classic example of cause and effect.

Prescription sleeping pills are designed for short term use only. None of the narcotic sleeping aids are approved by the FDA for daily longterm use (Ambien, Lunesta, etc).
Narcotic sleeping pills increase the risk of:
- developing a rapid tolerance to the prescribed strength and bear the risk of addiction (if you have been using them regularly, tapered discontinuation is generally recommended because of this)
- falls
- drowsy driving
- erratic behavior/ memory issues
- DEPRESSION (can cause and actually make existing depression worse)
- increasing the risk of infection

I am all about sustainable living in all aspects of life. Long term nightly use of prescription sleep aids is not sustainable, safe, or approved by the FDA….. and yet nearly 9 million Americans take prescription sleep aids on any given night.

By far, the majority of sleep dysfunction can be corrected by simply improving sleep hygiene habits, improving diet ( and adding a probiotic like Young Living’s Life 9), adding activity and exercise to a life schedule, and most importantly managing stress in a holistic manner. The limbic system within our brain is a powerful tool we can utilize to help us fall and stay asleep. If you have been around oils for any length of time, you understand the important role that the limbic system also plays in memory and in our body’s physiologic response to odors…… odors including those of our beloved Young Living oils. There has been a tremendous amount of research on this topic, especially regarding fragrances with very specific constituents that have therapeutic properties. Fascinating stuff. So, in addition to modifying your sleep habits, it may behoove you to experiment with a few of the Young Living oils or oil blends known for their sleep support:

Any or all of the above may support your sleep in ways you never imagined possible. Tranquil and Rutavala are designed to be used topically, and come in a roller bottle ready for use. I use Tranquil nightly at the bottom base of my big toes (vitaflex points) to help me sleep at night. All of the other oils can either be applied topically (same location) or on the wrist or neck, diluted and spritzed on a pillow, or diffused.

Two other products, Sleep Essence and Immupro are Young Living sleep support supplements that may also keep you from having to count sheep. Both are oil infused and contain melatonin, a key hormone needed for healthy sleep patterns. Additionally, 1-3 drops of Lavender Vitality oil under the tongue may also prove to be your best nighttime friend.

As mentioned previously, there is a tremendous amount of information on sleep, and I always feel like understanding a body process (or dysfunction) is key to finding a solution that affects the root of the problem…. not a band-aid to simply address the superficial symptoms. Moving forward, I will be offering an online class on Sleep at least every 6 weeks if you’d like to learn more. You can watch for class dates (as well as other classes) here on my blog, where upcoming classes are posted regularly.

I hope that this post has encouraged and inspired you to give your sleep a little support. So put that flock of sheep away, and work towards getting at least 7 hours of quality ZZZZZZ a night!

Garden Warfare

Liz James · May 7, 2017 ·

I’m not gonna lie. Gardening can be an exercise in exasperation. I think that’s probably why God put certain strains of bacteria in the soil that actually boost our serotonin levels and decrease our anxiety (ie: mycobacterium vaccae)….. otherwise, we’d probably have thrown in the trowel and starved to death long ago!

In years past, my gardening nemesis (aside from too little or too much rain) has nearly always been squash bugs . They are pervasive and will ultimately kill or severely cripple anything that resembles a squash plant. They also stink to high heaven when you squish them (the only way I know to kill them organically). My proboscis so sensitive that I can smell them (dead or alive) before I see them.

I’ve been gardening for about 10 years…. honing my skills every year. Successful gardening is definitely an acquired skill….and you can’t quit learning or something will eat your lunch. Literally! Prior to this year, I didn’t think I could hate a garden pest more than squash bugs, but clearly I’d never met the cucumber beetle. I’m glad I know Jesus, because if I didn’t, I’m fairly certain that my personal h*ll would include these garden pests.

I planted in early April. This last North Texas winter was a mild one, and all the signs indicated that the last frost was behind us. I watched my rows carefully, waiting for the little seedlings to pop up out of the soil. I always get a little extra heart pitter patter when I see them emerge. This year, each morning when I went out to do a quick check and spot weed, my seedlings started completely disappearing nearly as fast as they came out of the ground. What the what??? It took me several days to identify the culprit. While we do have a few of the spotted variety (see above left), the majority of these evil suckers look like the ones on the right. Striped destruction. Right there. They have eaten every single plant in the cucumber, melon & watermelon family, and THEN they started on my squash. Are you kidding me?? Even the squash bugs have their gustatory boundaries.

If you’ve stuck around here for any length of time, you know that we go as organic as possible on the farm. In the garden, we are 100% organic all the way down to our heirloom seeds and homegrown cow manure compost. Unfortunately, all of the resources I found on organically managing cucumber beetles required some serious forethought and planning….. the kind of planning that you do in the fall and winter. Helpful information, but too late in the game.

Organic gardening isn’t so much about destroying the enemy as it is repelling and reducing the numbers of ‘feet on the ground’. In my search, I found a few different general gardening ‘bug be gone’ recipes, but I didn’t have all of the ingredients on hand for any single recipe. Time was short. The cucumber beetles had systematically moved on to my young squash plants, and there were beetles everywhere. Complete and utter destruction of all things cucurbit was eminent.

I decided to take the ingredients listed in a few recipes, and combine them for my recipe:

“Bug Be Gone” Brew

1 big deep bucket or ‘under the sink’ style trash can
1 old fashioned flour sifter
about 3 gallons of food grade Diatomaceous Earth (DE)
about 1 cup of premade minced garlic (I will make my own in the future, but urgency required the premade stuff)
about 2-3 mls each of the following oils. I use Young Living Oils because I know they are potent, pure, and full of health benefits! …. and once again, we are striving to be 100% toxin free, especially in the garden.

I added the oils to the garlic and then added that mixture to the bucketful of DE. Make sure you have enough room in the bucket to mix thoroughly without spillage. It is some pretty potent smelling stuff!

I then began sifting the mixture over the plants, making sure to get the ground around the plant well covered too. Honestly, that part went way faster than I anticipated. I did notice that the beetles seemed to scurry when I started applying the dust, but I decided to withhold my assessment for a few days.

I also went back and replanted seeds on the same day that I spread the initial application. I put some of the DE mixture in each little hole I made for the seeds, and then put some on the top of the rows for good measure.

It’s now 6 days later, and I’m happy to report that the cuke beetle population has definitely made a dramatic turn. While I still find an occasional straggler, for the most part, it appears there has been a retreat by the enemy. My new seeds are coming up, and I am being vigilant about dusting them once they pop thru the upper crust of the soil, and re-dusting them after watering. So far so good….. but for now, I’d call this battle a victory.

My garlic is nearly ready to harvest and I will be making more of my Bug Be Gone with my own cloves in the future. The sifter is a key piece of equipment for this endeavor. Mine came from my kitchen, but you can find ones like it in junk stores, or just buy a new one on line for about 10$.

Enjoy your day!…. and I hope you win whatever battle you’re currently fighting.