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Plants as Medicine

Epoch Times Mentions Young Living

Liz James · May 21, 2022 ·

Just stepped inside after a couple hours of early morning farm chores to eat breakfast (yogurt, blueberries, and YL Granola๐Ÿ˜‹), and read last week’s Epoch Times newspaper. This is such a fantastic hardcopy news source! We’ve been subscribers for about 4 years now. ย Its weekly arrival is always something I look forward to for a variety of reasons. ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿค“โค
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This particular issue has a beautiful article on essential oils, and much to my โคโคโค, Young Living was mentioned ๐ŸŒฑโค๐Ÿ™Œ.
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Before there was Big Pharma, there were plants friends. Big Pharma may attempt to duplicate that which is created by God. I suppose imitation is the sincerest form of flattery…. but imitation is still imitation๐Ÿ˜‰ and always falls short.
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As I always say, there is a time and place for Big Pharma (ex: emergent care).However, the majority of the time, lifestyle changes /choices along with the gifts God has placed on earth for our use, health, and enjoyment work wonderfully well.
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If you haven’t explored what Young Living has to offer for your particular situation, ask someone who has walked the walk before you. If you don’t have someone in your circle, book a call with me (complimentary), and I’ll help you discover your best place to start according to your personal health story.
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xoxo~ liz
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#sharingiscaring
#thanksYL
#Godgaveuswhatweneedinthegarden
#becomingyourownhealthdetective
#simplelifehappylifehealthylife
#whatsinthegardenisgoodmedicine

Raindrop Training-Farm Style

Liz James · May 14, 2022 ·

Excellent Raindrop training day at the barn!
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Though this session was for people, the dogs, horses and even the cows were asking when their turn was๐Ÿ˜. (I will be giving them their turn in the near future).
Raindrop. It isn’t just for humans and It does a body (two legged or four lagged!) goodโค.
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If you haven’t yet both learned it and experienced it, you’re missing out on a VIP wellness tool in your toolbox.
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Education is a big part of what we do. Personal empowerment is a key component of wellness.
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xoxo~ liz
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Endocrine System – part 2

Liz James · May 4, 2022 ·

Have you ever:
  • Been given medication without thorough labwork?
  • Been told you are โ€œfineโ€ by a healthcare professional, but you donโ€™t feel fine?
  • Felt like youโ€™ve been doing โ€œall the thingsโ€ to care for your struggling thyroid, but still felt unwell?
If youโ€™ve answered โ€œyesโ€ to any of these questions, the next series of clues might just be for you.
Weโ€™ve covered the northern endocrine family members (hypothalamus, pituitary, pineal, and thyroid). ย Iโ€™m hopeful that youโ€™ve been piecing clues๐Ÿ”Ž together. Remember, cluster clues, including your personal โ€œlife experienceโ€ history, both physical and emotional, are where your answers most likely reside. Only you, and perhaps your parents if some events predate your memories, know these VIP clues. Keeping a journal ๐Ÿ““is often a key component to uncovering the root cause of a health situation.
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There are more interesting members within the endocrine system family tree. Just south of the thyroid is a gland called the thymus. The thymus sits right behind the sternum (breastbone) in front of the heart, and is the โ€œbootcampโ€ for the immune systemโ€™s T-cells, where they mature and turn into specialized agents of protection against bacteria, viruses, and cancer. The thymus is strongest and most active in children and teens. There is chronological aging as well as biological aging. Interestingly, if severe or chronic stress is part of a bodyโ€™s environment, the thymus will rapidly โ€œageโ€ and begin shrinking, ultimately turning into a pocket of fat (literally!). Clues indicating๐Ÿ”Ž a โ€œtiredโ€ thymus include being easily fatigued, lack of motivation, susceptibility to catching colds or flu, persistent chronic illness despite โ€œdoing all the thingsโ€, slow wound healing, and outward signs of an accelerated aging process.
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As you may guess, thymus deterioration affects lifetime immune system function, so keeping this hidden gem healthy is a good idea! Supportive measures include:
  • Keeping toxin load low
  • Learning techniques to mediate physical and emotional stress. Imagine the health benefits if this was learned at a young age!
  • Eating nourishing foods that are high in micronutrient content
  • Restorative sleep
  • Exercise daily for improved blood flow throughout the body (cleansing and nourishing the thymus). Yoga is particularly beneficial for supporting thymus function.
  • Thymus thumping/tapping. Thump or tap gently (with either the tips of your fingers or the palm of hand) on your sternum for 30-60 seconds a couple times a day to stimulate the thymus.
  • Olive Leaf (YLโ€™s Olive Essentials)
  • Melatonin – A 2003 study๐Ÿค“ found a correlation between melatonin supplementation and a notable increase in thymus weight (size) and function. Additional studies๐Ÿค“ have found that even when melatonin supplementation begins late in life, age related thymus โ€œdecayโ€ is reversible and immune system function often improves. A 2006 study๐Ÿค“ in the Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine found that supplementing melatonin during times of acutely severe or chronic stress prevented atrophy of the thymus. I am an enormous fan of Young Livingโ€™s Immupro for a good nightโ€™s sleep, and this is an additional reason to keep several bottles of this melatonin containing supplement on hand! (Great news for those of us who know and love it alreadyโ€ฆ. It is scheduled to be back in stock later this month!). Sleep Essence is another night time product that also contains melatonin.
Further south, the twin adrenal glands show up in the endocrine family. These are two smallish quesadilla shaped glands that sit atop each kidney. God designed us masterfully well. These two glands sit remarkably close to the abdominal aorta (our major artery) and vena cava (our major vein). This close proximity allows for a quick dump of influential chemicals that facilitate acting quickly ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿƒ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™€๏ธ when the need arises. I call this โ€œrunning from the lionโ€๐Ÿƒโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿ… time. These two glands produce a very precise mixture of adrenaline, cortisol and other steroid hormones (DHEA, pregnenolone, estrogens, testosterones) and aldosterone (a steroid hormone that regulates potassium, sodium and fluid volume in the body). The mixture is uniquely compounded according to the event at hand. When a person feels any amount of stress, whether that be a mile long โ€œto doโ€ list or narrowly escaping being eaten by a lion, the hypothalmus and pituitary work together to signal the adrenal glands. The mind๐Ÿง doesnโ€™t differentiate between a too long โ€œto doโ€ list and a lion in terms of stress, and stress becomes the squeaky wheel. Other mechanisms in the body slow down so that the squeaky wheel can be addressed.
  • Thyroid hormone production slows down
  • Reduced conversion of T4 (inactive) to T3 (active) thyroid hormone occurs
  • Thyroid receptors become less receptive to receiving thyroid hormones. This is important because even if you happen to be on thyroid medication, it wonโ€™t be utilized properly during a stress response. Recall that thyroid receptors are located throughout the body and must function properly in order that we may function optimally day to day. (Go back and read the section on thyroid and the gallbladder for a refresher!)
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Chronic stress puts the adrenals on overdrive, flooding the body with cortisol, until the adrenals can no longer keep up, and adrenal fatigue (adrenal dysregulation) develops. Cortistop is another one of my very favorite Young Living supplements. It is designed to address the way womenโ€™s bodies react to the cortisol produced when under stress. When too much cortisol is released regularly, it can have some hefty health consequences which include feeling deep fatigue and often the addition of abdominal fat that seems to defy losing. Recall that those are also two very common symptoms of thyroid disorder. Odds are high that clues like these may have more than one culprit, and both will need to be addressed if thatโ€™s the case.
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Cortistop is not designed to be taken continuously (Suggested use is 8 weeks on, 2-4 weeks off). Although the directions state to take two capsules in the morning before breakfast, my body responds favorably to one capsule a day. And although Cortistop is formulated for women, I do know some manly men who have found this particular supplement to be quite helpful during times of stress too. PRO TIP: I also recommend making a plan so that your Cortistopโ€œoff โ€œ times do not correspond to anticipated times of high stress (such as tax season or project due dates!).
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Interestingly, the vast majority of western healthcare practitioners do not recognize adrenal fatigue. While there is currently no black and white way to test for adrenal fatigue in a laboratory, there are many clues that point towards this very real condition that you, the discerning sleuther ๐Ÿ”Ž, may uncover on your own or with the help of a health professional who does understand adrenal fatigue.
Next upโ€ฆ. A solid list of clues๐Ÿ”Ž useful for identifying adrenal fatigue, and ways to support the adrenal glands!
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xoxo~ liz
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#sharingiscaring
#adrenalfatigueisreal
#theapplicationofknowledgeispower
#goodmedicine
#BYOHD
#becomingyourownhealthdetective
#ThanksYL

Thyroid – part 6: Recap & Strategies

Liz James · April 26, 2022 ·

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Perhaps by now you are thinking, โ€œLordyโ€ฆ.is this information on the thyroid ever going to end?โ€ The trail of clues (and ah-ha moments for each individual) touches pretty much every aspect of the body, and there are many wonderful books and resources that go much deeper than I am here. Please, go research! You are worthy and capable of more than you may think. My goal here is to ignite the โ€œah-haโ€, and spur you towards digging deeper on your own, and perhaps that may even need to include finding the right health professional who will partner (key word there!) with you in your personal wellness journey.
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Recall that the thyroid has a symbiotic and synergistic relationship with many organs and glands in the body. (We havenโ€™t even covered the adrenal glands and sex hormones yet!๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿค“). There is a math phrase, โ€œThe whole equals the sum of the parts.โ€ This applies in biology as well: Our body cannot work wholly unless each part is well maintained and works!
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Before we head further southward in the endocrine system, letโ€™s take a look at a cliff notes version of supportive measures designed to keep your thyroid healthy and happy:
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๐Ÿ”ŽFood has the power to heal or kill. Choose wisely and know your sources! Nutrients are best received by the body if in natural form, and if supplementation is needed (often the case in our imperfect world! ๐Ÿ˜•), choose naturally sourced supplements! Synthetically derived supplements are unfortunately the most common ones found in the marketplace and do not do the job well. This is what makes having our naturally sourced Young Living supplements a beautiful, safe and effective one stop shopping experience!
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๐Ÿ”ŽThe thyroid needs very specific nutrients to produce sufficient levels of thyroid hormones:
๐ŸŒฟVitamin D: found in YLโ€™s Super Vitamin D and Master Formula, Balance Complete, MightyVites, MindWise, OmegaGize and Super Cal Plus.
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๐ŸŒฟVitamins B2 (riboflavin),B3 ( niacin) , and B6 (pyridoxine): found in YLโ€™s Super B, Master Formula, MightyVites and Balance Complete
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๐ŸŒฟIodine: found in YLโ€™s Multigreens, Master Formula, Thyromin,
Balance Complete, NingXia Nitro and Slique Shakes). Recall that it may be a good idea to have an iodine loading test done to see if your body needs more than it is currently getting in your diet and current supplementation.
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๐ŸŒฟVitamin E: found in Master Formula, MightyVites, Thyromin and IlluminEyes
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๐ŸŒฟIron: found in Master Formula, Balance Complete and Femigen
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๐ŸŒฟZinc: found in Master Formula, Immupro, PowerGize, Balance Complete, Slique Shakes, Super B, AminoWise, MegaCal, and MightyVites
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๐ŸŒฟSelenium: Master Formula, MightyVites, Immupro, Super B, Balance Complete
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๐ŸŒฟTyrosine: found in Thyromin and Multigreens
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Additional ways to support and love on that beautiful ๐Ÿฆ‹butterfly within your throat include:
๐Ÿ”ŽKeeping the toxinโ˜ ๏ธ load to a minimum! Thank goodness we have the entire Thieves Household Cleaner to keep our homes, cars, ourselves, and our pets spiffy, clean, and healthy! Butterflies (and your thyroid!) are so very sensitive to their environment. Recall that toxins include toxic emotions and unresolved drama and trauma. Toxins also may include gluten in susceptible individuals.
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๐Ÿ”ŽBe alert for chronic low grade infections that create systemic low grade inflammation, and mediate accordingly. Common sites for these to occur may be within joint replacements, root canals and other dental infections, sinus cavities, breast implants, and parasitic๐Ÿ‰๐Ÿฆ  infections (usually undiagnosed!…. I personally do a parasite cleanse at least twice a year using Parafree along with major liver support)
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๐Ÿ”ŽSupport your toxin clearing organs so that they may do their job efficiently and effectivelyโ€ฆ. Pay close attention to how well your liver and kidneys work! If you have an MTHFR gene variance, youโ€™ll want to support your liver function on the regular. The liver has to work that much harder to remove toxins from the body! Studies have shown that carriers of a MTHFR gene variance have a higher risk of developing hypothyroidism if left unmanaged. Conversely, if you have a sluggish thyroid and a normally robust MTHFR pathway, the sluggish thyroid will eventually affect the MTHFR (methylation pathway) that is needed to clear toxins (and fighting inflammation) efficiently from the body.
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๐Ÿ”ŽStrive to live as medication free as possible. While it may not always be possible, make it a goal to aim for. Youโ€™ll never succeed in something if you donโ€™t create a plan and work towards a goal!
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๐Ÿ”ŽThyroids love exercise! Incorporate an appropriate exercise routine into your daily habits.
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๐Ÿ”ŽRemove all possible sources of fluoride and chlorine saboteurs from your world. Check your local water source for fluoride content and filter your water. Remember that Thieves Toothpaste and Mouthwash is your thyroidโ€™s friend!
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๐Ÿ”ŽAddress Autoimmune Diseases holistically and reduce chronic systemic inflammation in the process.
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๐Ÿ”ŽChronic stress is among the gang of enemies hellbent on destroying the thyroid. Protect your thyroid as you would a small child๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘งโ€ฆโ€ฆ seriously. Use your skills weโ€™ve talked about and work on improving your stress quotient.
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๐Ÿ”ŽProtect your Gallbladder! Recall the synergy between those two unlikely organs. If youโ€™ve lost yours, make sure you are supplementing with digestive enzymes such as EssentialZyme or EssentialZymes-4 to help break down the fats needed to assist in the conversion of inactive T4 to active T3.
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๐Ÿ”ŽSleep! 7-9 hours a night to allow the body to reset and heal.
Use supportive essential oils: YL Endoflex, Brain Power, and Clarity blends all have properties which are beneficial thyroid health as does Spearmint, Ledum, Myrtle, Peppermint, and Myrrh.
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๐Ÿ”ŽAshwaghandha: Although not a nutrient, it is an adaptogenic herb that has strong scientific credibility as a supportive measure for thyroid function. This herb is found in EndoGize and PowerGize.
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Supporting and managing thyroid health isnโ€™t just for those with altered thyroid function. Itโ€™s for everyone. We protect what we love, right? We are each a work in progress, and our work is never done because our personal lifeโ€™s circumstances change daily. We tend to live in one of two ways. God has given us free will to choose throughout our lives, and we can choose to actively live or passively die. Iโ€™ve known people who (even despite dying) chose to proactively live. Itโ€™s a beautiful thing to see, and their lives have glorified God. Our body is a temple created to serve and worship Him. Treat yourself as though you are a precious gift๐ŸŽ worth fighting for.
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xoxo~ liz
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(link for purchase of Volume I, BYOHD: https://goodmedicine.info/my-book/ )
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#sharingiscaring
#becomingyourownhealthdetective
#goodmedicineisthyroidlove
#ThanksYL
#weareourownbestadvocate
๐Ÿ”Ž
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Thyroid Clues Part 5-Medicine Cabinet Culprits

Liz James · April 20, 2022 ·

Remember the fable about the Princess๐Ÿ’ƒ and the pea๐ŸŸข? You may recall that the true princess felt the effects of a pea beneath twenty mattresses and had a terrible nightโ€™s sleep because of it. After all weโ€™ve discussed, you well understand that the thyroid๐Ÿฆ‹ is the discerning princess in the bodyโ€ฆโ€ฆit feels everything!
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Itโ€™s hard to pin down exactly how many people use medication chronically in the USA, but a rough estimate in 2017 was 66%. (I believe that number has risen significantly since 2020, but to date, official data has not yet been released).
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I will forever and always say that there is a time and a place for medication, but that it should be used as a last resort whenever possible. Pharmaceuticals by very definition are a toxin to the body. While they may be performing their โ€œFDA approved taskโ€ within the body, behind the scenes they are likely setting up trip wires, snares, and grenades elsewhere. Many commonly prescribed medications are quietly sabotaging thyroid hormone function as they outwardly โ€œplay niceโ€ in their appointed tasks of lowering cholesterol, quelling aches and pains, placating gastric reflux symptoms, smoothing out moody days, etc.
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Certain medications have the ability to affect thyroid hormones in at least four ways:
1. Some may alter the actual production of thyroid hormones.
2. Some may affect the release of of thyroid hormones from the thyroid gland.
3. Some may affect how well thyroid hormone attaches to (or utilized) at receptor sites.
4. Some may interfere with the conversion of inactive T4 into active T3 in the liver
Who are the thyroid accosting culprits?๐Ÿ•ต๏ธ As I hinted above, the gang is quite diverse. Nearly โ…“ of this gang of thieves bears a similar โ€œtattooโ€โ€ฆโ€ฆ.. They contain fluoride within their chemical structure. Youโ€™ll recall (hopefully!) that fluoride (and chlorine, another โ€œtattooโ€ found in many medications) blocks iodine from its job helping the thyroid produce thyroid hormones. These small doses add up over time with chronic use medications.
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Medications known to inhibit healthy thyroid function (in one of these four ways) with chronic use include:
๐Ÿ’ŠLipitor, Crestor, Vytorin, Zetia (cholesterol meds)
๐Ÿ’Š Prevacid (stomach acid / GERD)
๐Ÿ’Š Betamethasone, Clobetasol, Dexamethasone, Fluocinolone, Fluticasone (topical, oral or inhaled steroids)
๐Ÿ’ŠCelebrex, Ibuprofen, Naproxen (NSAID pain)
๐Ÿ’Š Lexapro, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Zoloft (mood stabilizers)
๐Ÿ’Š Haldol, Risperdal, Lithium (mood stabilizers)
๐Ÿ’Š Levaquin, Cipro (antibiotics)
๐Ÿ’Š Synthetic hormone replacement therapies, birth control pills
๐Ÿ’Š Amiodarone (treats ventricular heart arrhythmia)
๐Ÿ’ŠFluconazole (antifungal)
๐Ÿ’Š Interferon Alfa, Sutent, Sorafenib (chemotherapy agents)
๐Ÿ’Š Pramipexole, Ropinirole (for Parkinsonโ€™s)
๐Ÿ’Š Metformin (Type II Diabetes)
๐Ÿ’Š Furosemide (diuretic)
๐Ÿ’Š Phenytoin and Carbamazepine (for seizures)
๐Ÿ’Š Excessive Niacin (Vit B3) intake
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(Note that this is a short representation of a very long list of medications!)
I am in no way inferring that you should stop taking medication that you may be currently on because it may be affecting your thyroid function. That is a conversation between you and your trusted health professional. According to an article by the Natural Health Research Institute, almost 75% of chronic illness can be improved or cured with improved lifestyle choices. Has your health professional talked to you about this as part of your treatment protocol?
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Statistics like this are meant to empower you. Chronic disorders are generally where chronic medication use comes into play, and changing lifestyle habits can have a huge impact on health outcomes and on pharmaceutical needs.
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Five significant ways your choices can impact your health include:
1. Reduce exposure to toxins (thank goodness for our YL Thieves Household Cleaner, essential oils that do โ€œall the thingsโ€ in a natural gentle way, Savvy Minerals cosmetics and the ART, Bloom, and Orange Blossom skin care lines!)
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2. Making better food choices (and ditching the toxic processed foods)
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3. Exercise. There is an exercise program / type out there that will work no matter what health situation you may be living with! (NingXia Nitro or Zyng 15-20 minutes prior to workouts elevates my gym workout routine!)
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4. Sleepโ€ฆ.Make sleep a priority. Improve your sleep hygiene habits! Some of my favorite sleep aids are YLโ€™s Tranquil or RutaVala Roll-onโ€ฆ. Give โ€˜em a try and load your bedtime diffuser with oils like Cedarwood, Lavender, Peace & Calming, Frankincense, Orange )
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5. Manage stress. Recall that chronic stress is as dangerous as a regular cigarette habit to the body. Even simply working on the four previous suggestions will have a profound impact on better management of stress.
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In addition to making healthier lifestyle choices that lead to a healthier version of you (and protecting your thyroid๐Ÿฆ‹ in the process), hereโ€™s an added bonus: Annually, direct health care costs average $6032 out of pocket๐Ÿ’ฐ for an individual with one chronic disease (that number goes up with each additional disorder). Indirectly, chronic disorders also have a profound impact on education, occupation opportunities, income, and social interaction. If your health professional has not offered up these five recommendations as part of protocols for any chronic disorder you may have, they are working as a dis-ease maintenance advocate instead of that as a healer. Ultimately though, itโ€™s our personal responsibility to be our own advocates and in doing so, choosing whether to live in a space of dis-ease maintenance or healing. Care for that thyroid โ€œprincessโ€ within your personal kingdom friends! Itโ€™s often the first organ in the body to recognize that something is amiss.
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xoxo~ liz
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#caringissharing
#becomingyourownhealthdetective
#BYOHD
#goodmedicine
#applicationofknowledgeispower
#supersleuthhealthclues
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