Eyes

Health Clues in Your Skin #1

Liz James · January 26, 2021 ·

We’ve moved on to new terrain! Skin holds sooo many clues friends. Please continue to be mindful of the difference between a singular clue and a diagnosis! A clue by itself may mean next to nothing, but if you can pair multiple clues together, the savvy personal health detective can often head off big health concerns by being proactive and using the right tools and lifestyle habits to get back on track!

Bags and Circles around the eyes👀 are separate clues, but often paired together. Common causes of dark circles include stress, anemia, dehydration, fatigue, allergies, nasal congestion, a parasite load, chronic eye strain, thinning of skin, and unhealthy habits.

Chronic stress and fatigue often (and usually) go hand in hand. It’s awfully hard to get a good night’s sleep if you are under a great deal of stress. Conversely, if you are missing out on sleep for whatever reason, a chronically stressed body will ultimately result. We, in the Young Living community, have an arsenal of tools to help us sleep and keep our bodies and minds balanced even during stressful seasons. My bedtime regimen always includes oils (Tranquil or Rutavala are my go to!) to support healthy sleeping habits, and my nightly pre-bedtime ImmuPro supports both sleep and immune system function. I also mitigate stress with regular exercise, plenty of time outdoors, prayerful meditation time and faith based yoga.

Thinning of the skin happens naturally as we age simply because collagen production begins decreasing after about the age of 25…….the older we get the less our body produces! A couple of key ingredients that our body needs for collagen production include Vitamin C complex (hint: Super C Chewables for the win!) and elemental sulfur (hint: Sulfurzyme ). Pair this clue with a quick look at your fingernails and make note of any evidence of pitting!

Perhaps you are feeling your dark circles might be clues related to allergies or chronic congestion? Allergies always have a digestive dysfunction component, and it may behoove you to look into Young Living’s AllerZyme capsules for digestive enzyme support. I’ve personally also found several essential oils that work quite well in our home for seasonal respiratory support when used topically, diffused, or taken internally (in vitality form)….. What have you found that works for you?

As we discussed over in the fingernails section, parasites are not an uncommon first world problem. Check your fingernails for Beau’s lines for an additional clue!
Puffiness under the eyes is often a sign of inflammation or water retention. How might you pair puffiness with other signs of inflammation in the body?
Xanthelasma is the formation of cholesterol deposits around the eyes. While it can occasionally be hereditary, most often it is a clue that cholesterol levels are high. Recent research has also linked xanthelasma to type II diabetes. If you have found this clue around your eyes, I suggest reaching out to your favorite healthcare provider to schedule labwork to evaluate both cholesterol and blood sugar levels. (If you don’t have a healthcare provider handy, message me, and I can walk you thru setting up labwork analysis!) Both high cholesterol and type II diabetes are largely correctable with changes to lifestyle and eating habits….. So be encouraged! You are the CEO of your own body, and that gives you the power to make healthy changes!

Are you starting to put clues together? It’s kinda fun, isn’t it? Agatha Christie would be proud!
Stay tuned for more skin clues coming your way…..
xoxo~ liz

(holler if you need labwork or are interested in any of the above mentioned products. I’d love to help you help yourself!)

#caringissharing
#applicationofknowledgeispower
#skininthegame
#goodmedicine
#goodmedicineisknowingthyselfwell
#ThanksYL

Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Liz James · December 1, 2020 ·

🎶🎶 Sleeeeep in heavenly peace……🎶 🎶

Roughly 1/3 of the US population has at least occasional problems either falling asleep or staying asleep, and over time, sleeplessness will become a tremendous health problem if not addressed properly. (emphasis on the properly!)

There are more than 2 handfuls of common reasons why people have trouble sleeping (way more than I can cover here today).

What’s concerning are the number of people who ultimately turn to prescription medication to help get a “good night’s ” sleep. We have been conditioned to believe that if a doctor writes a prescription, the benefits surely outweigh the risks. While this is sometimes true, it’s not always the case. “Sleeping pills” are what we call ‘fast movers’ in pharmacy…. ie: they are a popular item.

Not so fast…. let’s take a look at a few lesser known truths about some common (Ambien, Klonopin, Lunesta, Restoril, Xanax, Sonata) prescription sleep aids:
😴None of these are approved by the FDA for long term use, yet people are on them for years.
The sleep achieved using any of these is not natural, refreshing, or restorative. The sleep you get is an artificial sleep and your body recognizes the difference. Our body does its repairing and recovering during “natural sleep”, and that doesn’t happen to any appreciable degree when using the above medications. (In addition, by their very definition, they are an additional toxin the body must now work extra hard to clean out.)
😴All of the above prescription meds also block the body from being able to produce melatonin (the very hormone that helps us sleep). This is one of the reasons this group of prescription medications become addictive…. because your body produces less and less melatonin the longer you are on them.
😴Melatonin “deficiency” is a bigger problem than just not being able to sleep without a pill…. normal melatonin levels are necessary for immune function, having energy throughout the day, having healthy breast tissue, effective brain function, supports healthy cardiovascular function, improved GUT (yes!) health, eye health, and pancreas function (Just to name a few! 😍)
😴Additionally, several of these prescription sleep aids also deplete a body’s stores of Calcium and Vitamin D over time (which will ultimately affect your bones and about 400 other necessary functions in the body) 😬

I am thankful that we have natural choices instead of that which is advertised as ‘simple’ solutions in nearly every form of mainstream media you see.
My favorite Young Living products that help me have a restful restorative night’s sleep are RutaVala (on the base of the big toe and in the belly button! and Immupro …. it’s back 🙌). I also love Frankincense and Peace & Calming!)
What’s your “go to” for a good night’s sleep?
xoxo~ liz

#goodmedicine
#goodmedicineisagoodnightssleep
#ThanksYL
#Godgaveuswhatweneedinthegarden

Wolfberries for the Win

Liz James · July 14, 2020 ·

About 6 1/2 years ago, I ripped open the two oz NingXia Red packet that was in my YL Starter Kit and drank it. It was tasty, but I didn’t yet understand the significance, or the science behind what I had just consumed (other than that it was mighty tasty! ☺️). It wasn’t until I read the book you see in this picture, that I got a fuller understanding of just how much purpose was in that packet.
If you are a science nerd like me, this book will make your heart go pitter patter. (You can find it at www.DiscoverLSP.com)

I’ve heard soooooooo many personal stories about NingXia Red since I started drinking it myself. One of my health stories is this….. see those glasses on the table beside the book? They aren’t for reading and they aren’t for driving. I started wearing glasses when i was a Junior in college for nearsightedness.Well, the longer I drank NingXia Red consistently, the more my glasses started bothering me…. like my prescription was too strong. 😳 About 5 years ago, I went to my optometrist and had to get a weaker prescription. A couple years ago, I pretty much quit wearing glasses entirely.
I still carry them in my truck and do wear them if it is night time and I’m driving in an area I’m not familiar with…. but 99% of the time, I am glasses free. (The glasses you see on the table are blue blockers for protecting my eyes from the computer screen).

Can we talk science and genetics for a second? My family has a strong history of age related macular degeneration. My grandmother went blind from it and other older family members have it now. Protecting my eyes is high on my priority list.
Wolfberries are loaded with zeaxanthin and lutein, both of which have been shown to help support eye health in dramatic ways. Wolfberries are one of the main ingredients in NingXia Red.

A sweet friend of mine once said to me:
“You can pay the farmer 👩‍🌾 now, or you can pay the pharmacist 👩‍🔬 later.”
Truer words could not be spoken.
Is NingXia Red worth it? Are my eyes worth it… not to mention my brain and heart health? Absolutely.
Everyone’s NingXia Red story is different than anyone else’s because we are uniquely made…..I’d love to hear your NingXia Red success story!
xoxo~ liz

(If you’d like to try NingXia Red and do not currently have a Young Living membership, please message me!)
#allthingswolfberryYL
#ThanksYL
#productswithapurpose
#whatsyourstory
PS: see that little cardinal peering thru the window? I didn’t notice him until I had taken the picture. Cardinals were my grandmother’s favorite bird ❤️. I’d like to think she just gave her nod of approval to this message!

this Might Just Be Your Missing Puzzle Piece

Liz James · February 11, 2017 ·

Our bodies. We are a mega city of cells that never sleep and never vacation: 24/7/365. Our cells are shift workers, simultaneously creating and destroying depending on our body’s needs. That makes me tired…. just thinking about how hard our bodies work around the clock!

Just like any mega city employees, our cells need adequate and proper tools to do their jobs and keep things running smoothly. Without proper tools, production and destruction may become delayed or dysfunctional, and for a mega city, that can result in a real crisis.

Enter Young Living’s product Sulfurzyme. In my opinion, this is one of the most important powerhouse products that YL offers us. It is one of the supplements Charlie and I use daily to support our bones, ligaments, and joint health. We both have had some significant “wear and tear” on our farm weary bodies and this product helps us function at our best. (and no….neither one of us walks with even a limp). After doing a little research, I came to realize it supports a whole lot more than just our musculo-skeletal system, and now covet this product even more than I already did.

You see, the mineral sulfur is critically important to our body’s function. Unfortunately, roughly 75% of the US population is deficient. It hasn’t always been this way….current farming practices (ie: stressing soil by not rotating crops, soil overuse, artificial fertilizer use, herbicide use etc) that have evolved since the early 70’s have robbed our food supply of many minerals, and sulfur is no exception. Organic sulfur comes from the plants we eat, and also from the animal proteins we eat (unless vegan). In its most elemental form it is called MSM (methylsulfonylmethane).

MSM is utilized by our bodies to create 2 of the 20 essential amino acids we need in order that we may live and thrive: methionine and cysteine. Amino acids are necessary building blocks required to create protein. Aside from water, protein is the most plentiful substance within our bodies.

Adequate availability of both these amino acids and bioavailable sulfur are known to play a large role in:

Breaking down fat (especially in the liver and arteries)
DNA/RNA synthesis
Detoxifying harmful accumulations of lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic within our bodies
Supporting muscle strength and tone
Aids in the production of collagen and provides elasticity in the skin
Supporting hair, skin, and nail health
Facilitating cellular energy production
Facilitating carbohydrate metabolism, especially important for those with insulin production issues
Glutathione production: The principal function is waste disposal in our cells, but it’s also known to promote good eye health. Nearly every type of eye disease has the hallmark characteristic of low glutathione levels. (Coincidentally, our levels tend to drop naturally as we age)
Glucosamine production: the building block for ligaments, tendons, joint lubrication, digestive and respiratory membranes, heart valves, eyes, nails, skin and bone. It gives cartilage strength, structure, and resiliency.
Facilitating normal digestion and bowel movements/ helping to neutralize sour stomach.
Alleviating discomfort from bone & joint pain, muscle soreness

When MSM is combined with a diet rich in Vitamin C….. well, this is when some additional magic happens. There is a synergistic effect between the two, and our cells and body tissue becomes more flexible and more permeable, making the above list happen to a greater degree.

Sulfurzyme is a deceptively simple product, containing just MSM and dried Wolfberries. However, the wolfberries are a powerhouse in their own right (to be discussed another day) and in addition to vitamin C, also contain minerals and coenzymes that further support sulfur metabolism. Taking this combination is much more powerful than simply consuming MSM alone, and the effects of MSM appear to be magnified.

There is no way I can feasibly condense “how” and “why” MSM works as it does in this article. If you’d like to dig deeper on this subject, I’d encourage you to read The MSM Miracle by Earl Mindell, RPh/PhD. It is a small book that would be well worth your time!

** Side note: do not confuse Sulfur with Sulfa (as in the drug class). Nobody is allergic to Sulfur in its elemental form. In fact, if we were to be completely without sulfur, we simply would not exist. So, yes, even if you have a sulfa allergy, you can still take elemental sulfur. **

If you’d like to learn more about Sulfurzyme or Young Living’s other products, please contact me. You (and your body!) won’t be disappointed.

Enjoy your day!
Liz

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Ningxia Red

Liz James · February 1, 2017 ·

Goji berry nutrition drinks aren’t all created equally: NingXia Red® and our other healthy drinks with wolfberry juice are created using Young Living’s proprietary Seed to Seal® process,

Ensuring high quality beverages that deliver goji berries’ health benefits. To do so, we work directly with Chinese vendors to grow wolfberries—another name for goji berries—on land that is rigorously tested for pesticides, heavy metals, and other potential contaminants. In this video, learn about the process that ensures our antioxidant drinks harness all the goji berries nutrition goodness we can!

Learn more about this beverage by selecting “Ningxia Red” under Categories.