Wellness

Joy Comes In The Morning

Liz James · December 3, 2017 ·

One of my passions in life is pursuing all manners of sustainability. I believe that whatever you are passionate about overflows into all areas of your life.

I was sitting in an airport back in June watching people. Summer is a huge family vacation time. Vacation should be synonymous with Happy, right? And yet…. the vast majority did not appear to be all that happy. Granted, flying isn’t necessarily fun anymore, but still… where was the joy in the journey? During the flight, I had a growing conviction that I needed to do more in life to spread Joy and Happiness to others. I started researching and found that I am not alone in this. Did you know that there are actually college classes now on finding happiness? Seriously. Are we that bankrupt on happiness and joy as a country that college classes are needed to find it?

This month, with the help of some friends, we’ve got a Facebook event called Project Joy and Happiness! If you’d like to join us, feel free to do so. Our goal is to spread holiday cheer this December, and hopefully teach others how to spread both where ever they go year round. Let’s make Joy and Happiness contagious emotions! We’ve got science, psychology, posts that bring a smile to your face, and even weekly giveaways.

But wait, aren’t Joy and Happiness the same thing? Uh….no. Happiness is an emotion reserved for moments in time. Joy is the sustainable emotion…. once you choose Joy, it stays with you as long as you continue to choose it. (You’ll learn all about the nuances of Joy vs Happiness in the Facebook event).

Yesterday, I saw the greatest testimony to the difference between Joy and Happiness. It came in the form of a funeral.

You see, a friend within our Young Living family lost their daughter Layla last month to childhood cancer. Her parents, Bryan & Sara, held her celebration of life service yesterday. It was a true celebration, with balloons, snow cones, fun for the kids that attended, bright colors and happy music.

No, this was not a happy event. Happy is not a word that describes a funeral. Ever. And yet….. the service was filled with smiles, laughter, and many many tears. Tears that were joy filled and sadness filled simultaneously. This is the difference between Happiness and Joy. You can’t be happy and sad simultaneously, but you CAN be joyful and sad simultaneously.

Biblically speaking, deep within Psalm 30 you see the words “….Joy comes with the morning”. Joy also comes TO the mourning when a child of God meets Jesus face to face. I believe that celebrating the beautiful life of a beautiful girl who is now sitting on the lap of Jesus is worthy of Joy. Nobody is happy that she is gone, but thousands of her friends are filled with Joy that she is now in the presence of her heavenly Father and is healed.

I can think of no better example of Joy than this.

In all my researching these last 6 months, I found that one of the things that boosts your happy and joy quotient is giving without respect to what you might receive in return. If you’d like to help Stamp Out Childhood Cancer (a 501c3 nonprofit), please consider donating in memory of Layla Stamp (nothing would bring her parents greater Joy than that). Please visit LaylaStrongFoundation.org for more information. I am 100% in favor of practicing what I teach….. so when donating to LaylaStrongFoundation, please reference The Wellness Prepper (in the message section of your paypal donation), and we (Charlie and I) will match donations up to a cumulative amount of $1000.

Find your Joy today my friends, and celebrate! Joy lasts a lifetime. Happiness comes and goes depending on the situation.

Hugs and Love, Liz

How Safe?

Liz James · October 25, 2017 ·

About 6 months ago, we got infested with ugly crickets. I am a farm girl and used to all kinds of crickets and grasshoppers, but these guys are just plain ugly and creepy looking…. and for whatever reason, they began migrating to the inside of our home. Cave crickets have super cricket power… and so in addition to being so ugly only their mother could love them, they can jump like nobody’s business. The night one jumped on me IN THE BED…. well, that was it for me.

Herein lay the the problem tho. Our farm is organic. I’ve figured out a way to manage cucumber beetles and other garden pests organically, but none of those ways work well inside our home. I mean, who wants white DE powder scattered everywhere and poultry running freely in the house?? I tried peppermint on cotton balls with limited success. It seems that I just couldn’t get the staying power I needed to consistently keep the bugs out.

So, back in July, I heard an ad on an Organic Gardening program about a company in the Dallas/Ft Worth area called Eco-Safe Pest Control. I was dubious about their being truly safe, but the crickets in the bedroom had put me at my limit. We had our first appointment soon after…. at which time I asked a gazillion questions about product labeling and ingredients. This is no small thing…. allowing someone to come into your home and spray God knows what everywhere….. something that purportedly has staying power of at least three months. I didn’t want to make a colossal mistake. We’ve worked hard to eliminate chemicals from our home so that our turf (both inside and outside) is safe for us, and our pets… including Henri! Lo and behold, they use a great deal of essential oils as ingredients for pest control. Praise God! I knew they worked (after having had the battle of the century with those dang beetles this summer), but couldn’t figure out how to make them work long term. Eco-Safe uses a safe base oil (I believe it is a nut base) that extends the activity to about 90 days.

Fast forward to today. I can honestly say that I’m sold on Eco-Safe. Jeremy came out today to do our quarterly treatment. I haven’t seen a single cave cricket in at least a month or more (we were seeing them daily). It does seem like it took about 2-3 weeks to get the full effect of the first treatment, but after that, we could definitely tell a difference.

Did you know that the life expectancy of a traditional (non-organic) pest control technician is statistically lower than the national average? In speaking with Jeremy and with the owner of Eco-Safe, I found out that the lifespan of a technician is typically about 60-65 years. What in the world does that tell you about the chemicals a standard pest control company is putting in and around your house?

Ya’ll, daily micro exposures add up. It fills that life bucket up, and once it’s full…. well that’s when the overflow makes the appearance in the form of autoimmune diseases, cancers, and other body system dysfunctions. (Attend one of my gut health classes if you’d like to learn more)

Another thing I found out today is that Organic Pest Control companies like Eco-Safe struggle with the same problem that Young Living faces with its oils (I’m seeing them at Wally World, grocery stores, and the truck stop of all places!). You see, as people wake up to the dangers of hazardous chemical exposure and want something safer, other ‘sham companies’ jump on the band wagon and begin calling themselves ‘GREEN’ in order to gain business. In Dallas, a company is legally allowed to call themselves ‘green’ if only 30% of their chemicals are nontoxic and/or organic. Folks, there is a word for this…. it’s called Greenwashing. It’s not fair to consumers, and it’s almost worse than lying in my book. Eco-Safe does NOT greenwash…. they are certified by the Texas Organic Research Center.

They are the real McCoy… legit. In speaking to Greg, I heard the passion about his product in his voice. He walks the talk. He and his company are committed to safely controlling pests in our homes and yards without simply trading the pest for a toxin. Priceless if you ask me.

I’m not receiving any sort of discount or free services for this blog post by the way…. I just think it’s a good idea that when we find the real thing, we should share. Many of you are like me… and are seeking alternatives so that we can make intelligent choices when punting harmful chemicals out of our homes, and this is one more way you can do it!

Blogging reaches all ends of the earth, and of course, Eco-Safe isn’t a world wide company (I wish they were!). That said, I am sure there ARE safe pest control companies in your area provided you do your research well. Ask your pest control people hard questions about the chemicals they use. Listen to them talk. Are they passionate about keeping you healthy? Do they have some sort of organic certification? Will they let you see the labels on their products? Do their employees look healthy to you (That matters!)? If they can’t answer all of these questions with passion, move on. Chances are high that they are greenwashing if they cannot back their claims with proof. This little test applies to every company …. transparency and passion. I love it! …. who knew I could fall in love with a bug company!

If you are local, give them a try :). You won’t regret it, but I think your bugs will.

Email: info@ecosafepest.com

Eco-Safe: (214) 358-5201

Blessed, healthy, and bug free…. ~liz

Sleep Week – day 5

Liz James · July 6, 2017 ·

Sleep! The saga continues…. so many pieces must fall into place for us to get a well rested night of ZZZZZZZ. (and I’m keeping this one short so I can hop into bed!)

Both men and women need balanced hormones. A LOT can go wrong within our bodies if our hormones go wackadoodle (I know…..not a scientific term, but it’s FDA compliant !). Sleep pattern disruption is just one of those things.

While this post focuses mainly on ‘The Change’, be aware that ‘wackadoodle’ hormones can happen at any age , but especially during puberty, pregnancy/childbirth, and ahem….. the aforementioned time.

Disturbed sleep patterns caused by hormone imbalance aren’t just for women… men can have their own issues when testosterone levels begin fluctuating.

At the age of 50, I’ve found that my personal sleep is best supported by Tranquil on my toes at night, Progessence Plus on my forearms at night, and Estro drops in my NingXia Red the morning. These are all products that are available to you at wholesale pricing from Young Living.

Signing off for the day…. but know that I’m here for you if you’ve got any questions about some of these products I’ve just mentioned. Looking for a sheep herder? I’m happy to help!

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.