Focus & Cognition

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!

Game Changer

Liz James · July 7, 2020 ·

5 years and 23 days ago I went into surgery thinking I was going to come out an amputee. Frankly, the fact that I was “only” going to lose my left foot was an emotional relief to me…. it could have been much much worse, and more important body parts could have been damaged if things had gone differently.
I know it may sound strange, but I was at peace with the future of a prosthetic (even before the actual complete removal of my foot had taken place). That may account for my literal disappointment when I woke up from surgery and saw my toes peeking out from a well bandaged lower leg…… I knew I was in for a rocky road ahead. Severed tendons, a broken bone, significant soft tissue and connective tissue damage (along with a statement from my surgeon that I’d probably walk with a limp for the rest of my life) did not give much hope for living pain free.
And yet… here I am 🙌🙌🙌…. 5 years and 23 days later…. doing all the things I did before my run in with the bull. Frankly, I’m even more active than I was. Farm chores 👩‍🌾 5K’s, regular gym Boot Camp workouts 💪 (thank you Fit Body Boot camp), hiking up a glacier, teaching yoga…. ALL these things without pain or impaired flexibility.
Diet, exercise (motion is lotion!), focusing on increased flexibility, clean water intake, toxin free living……. all these are important in recovery and also pain and inflammation management.
The icing on the cake tho….. the special tools in the toolbox…. are these: Agilease or BLM + Sulfurzyme.
Because I had significant bone and ligament damage, I take BLM + Sulfurzyme daily…. every day….. 365 days a year.
I live my life pain free. Yup. Not a day with pain for this gal. 🙌🙌🙌
2 SULFURZYME TWICE A DAY.
1 BLM TWICE A DAY.
👆Game changers for my life 👆…. Because life is too short to spend it sitting on the bench (or on the porch)! 😉
Haven’t tried these yet, and you’re sitting on the sidelines? What are you waiting for? Life is short friends …. make the most of it!
xoxo~ liz

#sharingiscaring
#BLMandSulfurzymeforthewin
#thisismylifewithYL
#ThanksYL
#whatsyourgamechanger

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

C.S. Lewis convo

Liz James · May 30, 2020 ·

As a guest writer on Liz’s good medicine blog, I, Stephanie Gregory wanted to share what I learned from one of my favorite thinkers. It is in the format of a conversation, which obviously is not exactly how it went down.

Stephanie : I love reading the work of CS Lewis. I’m listening to one of his books on audio with my 5 year old daughter now, and his writings always inspire me and cause me to reflect. So, I was curious… what fear gripped his world when he was alive? How did he recommend they handle it? After reading his essay, I replaced “coronavirus” with “the Atomic bomb” in his article to reveal his wise advice.

C.S. Lewis : “How are we to live in (a coronavirus) age?’ I am tempted to reply: ‘why, as you would have lived in the sixteenth century when the plague visited London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking age when raiders from Scandinavia might land and cut your throat any night; or indeed, as you are already living in an age of cancer, an age of syphilis, an age of paralysis, and age of air raids, an age of railway accidents, an age of motor accidents.’ In other words, do not let us begin by exaggerating the novelty of our situation.”

Stephanie : Truly, this virus is an “unknown”, but there is really nothing new under the sun. All ages have experienced dangers. Did we think ourselves too brilliant to not die or suffer?

C.S. Lewis : “Believe me, dear sir or madam, you and all whom you love were already sentenced to death before (this coronavirus) was invented: and quite a high percentage of us were going to die in unpleasant ways.”
“The first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together.”

Stephanie : OK -remain calm and don’t panic. Pull out “Stress Away” essential oil blend and inhale deeply.🌳 It will help calm the brain and slow down our racing thoughts.

C.S. Lewis : “If we are all going to be destroyed by (this coronavirus), let that (virus) when it comes find us doing sensible and human things-praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts-not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about (this coronavirus). They may break our bodies(a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.”

Stephanie : Use this time to grow! We are going through this whether we like it or not. How we respond to it is up to us. Peppermint essential oil will help clarify what this looks like for you!
Take time to be quiet and rest. Here is our chance to reevaluate our priorities and take time to think. Take deep breaths and quietly ponder what matters most to us. I’m thinking frankincense here.
Get to know the people that live in our homes or neighborhoods. Social distancing does not have to mean social isolation. Sharing a meal together or just hanging out is an important way to support one another, especially when going through a new hardship. Incorporate lemon 🍋 essential oil in diffusers, roll-ons, or drinks to lighten moods.

CS Lewis suggests that some may panic and kill themselves, while others may decide to live it up and enjoy life while they can. We can do better if we are intentional. If CS Lewis had the knowledge that we have about the power of essential oils, I believe he would have recommended Valor, “Courage” in a bottle.

CS Lewis : “We must resolutely train ourselves to feel that the survival of Man on this Earth, much more of our own nation or culture or class, is not worth having unless it can be had by honourable and merciful means.
The sacrifice is not so great as it seems. Nothing is more likely to destroy a species or a nation than a determination to survive at all costs. Those who care for something else more than civilization are the only people by whom civilization is at all likely to be preserved. Those who want Heaven most have served Earth best. Those who love Man less than God do most for Man.”

Stephanie :
Let us do more than just survive! Let us look beyond ourselves and make a difference in our world for eternity!

Schooling at Home

Liz James · May 29, 2020 ·

I, Stephanie Gregory, am a mom of four wonderful people ranging in ages 5 years old to 28 years old! I am PASSIONATE about the subject of children and their well-being and as a former home-school teacher strengthening their emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical health is the priority.

We are all in a boat which we did NOT choose. Are you Excited? Frustrated? Scared? It really doesn’t matter….. The only thing that matters is:

Are you going to lead your family through these unchartered waters or.. sit back and watch the ship go down? 🆘

I am going to be so bold as to predict that you ❤️love your children too much to sit back and watch the ship go down. But how? It will take patience and grit.

To successfully navigate these unknown waters, the following skills must be applied with INTENTION and 😀A POSITIVE ATTITUDE:

1. Have a Command Center – Depending on your kids’ skills/age, it may be in one central place or an individual space for their workspace. Either way, you/they need to be able to put their hands on their work easily and consistently. Organize the priorities! “A place for everything & everything in its place.”😉

2.“All Hands on Deck” the family meeting 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦- Communicate with a positive attitude. Have your diffuser going with Young Living’s Citrus Fresh, Clarity,or Lemon and Peppermint to keep brains thinking clearly. This is where you set the ground rules, schedules, tasks, consequences, and ⏰time blocks. This is also where you problem-solve. You can receive feedback about what works and what does not work. However, only allow problems to be discussed if accompanied by a suggested solution.💡

3. Establish Respect – This means MANNERS. Yes, Miss Manners is alive and well on this happy ship. If you have let things slide in the past, time to start a new program or someone will have to walk the plank. Being around one another 24/7 requires patience, slowing down and listening👂 to how we communicate. If you fail to do this, your happy ship 🚣‍♀️starts taking on water.

4.“Be the Captain of your own Boat.” A negative attitude trickles down.
*Be the number one encourager in your home!
*Honor each child’s learning style.
*Be flexible

5. Home Economics just got on the books! 📕This long forgotten art is back in town! Here is your chance to instruct on the “how-to’s” of cooking, swabbing the deck, maintenance, pet/child care, and healthy self-care. Using Thieves Household Cleaner assures your family is safe from toxins! Never has it been more obvious than now how taking care of our bodies and minds impacts our lives, as well as the lives of others. No matter how much education you have or how much money you make, if you are not healthy…..your boat sinks!

6.Make It FUN!!! 🎤Sing – Laugh – Be Silly! Making memories last a lifetime! Your kids may tell you to quit, but secretly they want permission to be silly too. Hug and kiss and tickle! Sailing with your family is fun!

7.Take Breaks Often. Getting outside is part of the curriculum. 🌞 Vitamin D is essential to our well-being. The outdoor time is as necessary as the seat work.

8.Incentivize – We all have areas of weakness. Recognize your child’s struggles and help them strengthen 💪those areas by offering incentives for their effort in these areas. It will be different for each child or adult.

9. God gave your children to you specifically! No one cares more about them than you do. Great teachers are great facilitators. This is your chance to be a great facilitator! Help your children learn for themselves. Equip them with the tools and skills required to find the answers. It is a life skill everyone needs. Look at our situation now. We are all having to learn new ways. Teach them while they are young how to learn, and they will be able to adapt easily to situations they encounter.

10.Focus – There are two types of focus that I would like to present. Diffusing certain essential oils helps with both! One is the ability to stay on task. This takes training. Staying focused takes intention, consistency, incentives, and grit. The second focus is our attitude. This is a place where we, as parents, can model a positive attitude toward every situation. Bad and good things happen to everyone. It is part of humanity. Having a positive attitude equips us to be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem.

11.Patience with yourself and others is imperative. Squalls happen. We all make mistakes. Oil up, put your oars back in the water, and do better next time. Lead by example by NOT getting discouraged with failure.

12.Carefully select who and what you let in YOUR head and theirs. What are you and your children listening to in the way of conversation, music, and screen? Is it encouraging and helpful? If not☠️, just say “No”. Again, go back to #4 if this is questionable.

13.Establish a bedtime routine. 💤 Sleep is so important for overall health. Turn off devices, as well as Wifi before bed. Baths🛀, reading, yoga or stretching can also help relax the body and mind. See what works for your ship. Diffuse Peace and Calming, Lavender, Raven, or Cedarwood in each bedroom throughout the night so that everyone wakes up refreshed and recharged!

😄Above all….
ENJOY EACH OTHER!
Cherish this time together! Ride the waves! 🏄‍♀️
It will be over before you know it!
⛵️ HAPPY SAILING!