Category Archives: Oils For Life

Oil Pulling and Why You Should Start Now!

I’m sure we all have our own versions of stories that our parents would share with us as children. You know, the stories that started out like….”when I was your age”.  I genuinely loved hearing these stories growing up.  Of course, my dad’s version of his childhood always portrayed him as the hero in some way.  We giggle about them now, but the lost art of story telling is missing in our families today.  We need to put the iPads and cell phones down long enough to hear from our elders about the past.  There is wisdom in those stories.  After all, I believe the greatest teacher of all is history.

My mom grew up on a dairy farm.  She was out of 11 children and worked hard every day of her childhood.  There are no ‘fish stories’ when it comes to her relieving her childhood.  Her mom died when she was 11, and with her being the oldest girl in the house, she resumed the role as ‘mother’.  With having four girls of my own, I have stopped and pondered this very hardship every time one of them has had an 11th birthday.  It’s hard to picture any of them running a household at that age.

Both my mom and dad lived in very rural areas.  Calling it ‘simple times’ is putting it lightly.  They didn’t have the luxury of Amazon or Pinterest to solve their problems.  What they did have was handed-down home remedies that I would frown upon.  Now, I feel foolish for not listening to some of their home remedies.  Oh, simple times…..where apple cider vinegar and baking soda could fix anything!

One particular convenience my parents didn’t have was toothpaste.  They simply used baking soda and at times, hydrogen peroxide.  I laugh at the thought of giving that combination to my children.  We use a natural toothpaste already that has a lovely mint flavor and they still squirm at it…..total first world problems!

Another home remedy that has fallen through the cracks is oil pulling.  I am so happy that this therapy is beginning to pick up speed.  Which is hard to do in our society of, ‘I want it now or not at all’.  Oil pulling takes time, effort, and a lot of patience, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you will see the benefits.  Like so many other natural remedies, people give up too soon.  I challenge you to stick with this.

What is oil pulling?

Oil pulling simply refers to the way you work the oil in your mouth.  Think of it as ‘pulling’ all the harmful bacteria out of your mouth.  Once you place oil in your mouth and work it through all the gaps and hard-to-reach places of your teeth, it will strip the bacteria where bacteria likes to hide.  The fatty molecules in the oil attract and bond with the fatty membrane that surrounds each microorganism cell.  It will strip your teeth from the harmful bacteria and you get to spit all the bacteria away!  This case study showed great results in the reduction of plaque and gingival indices in just 30 days!

So what oil do we use?

Many oils have been used with this technique but the more we learn about all the health benefits of coconut oil, it is clearly the right choice.  Organic coconut oil  facilitates the absorption of calcium, allowing our teeth to become stronger.  It also helps to stop tooth decay.  Because the oil has antiviral and antibacterial properties, it can remove stain-causing bacteria that will then produce whiter teeth.  Some studies have even shown that body inflammation is reduced simply because of the reduction of bacteria in the mouth allowing a detoxification of the body.

How do we oil pull?

Now this is where stamina and patience comes into play.  The thought behind successful oil pulling is that it needs to be done on an empty stomach, so first thing in the morning is the obvious choice.  Take about 1-2 tsps of organic coconut oil (some people like to add essential oils to their oil) and start swooshing away.  If the oil is not softened then just start chewing; the heat of your mouth will have it melted in no time.  You will need to do this at least 20 minutes, 3x a week.  Don’t worry, you will need to work your way up to this time.  The best way to start is to oil pull while you are in the shower.  This saves time and keeps your mind off the fact that you are swooshing oil in your mouth for what seems to be hours.  When your mouth has had it, spit it out and DO NOT SWALLOW.  Remember, the oil is now packed with bacteria from your mouth.  You want it all out of your body.  Just spit it out in the trash, rinse throughly and then brush your teeth like normal. I finish it off with a homemade mouthwash that is amazing.  You can read my blog entry on how to make your own mouthwash here.

Once you have gained this habit, you should start to see a noticeable improvement in your overall dental hygiene in 3-6 months.  This is such a cost-effective way to clean up your mouth.  It’s a shame more people do not have the discipline to develop this habit.

Again, people like to add in a drop of essential oils too.  We just can’t seem to get away from our mint addiction when it comes to dental hygiene.   Thieves  is a great choice for its antibacterial properties or Peppermint  is great EO choice for its popular ‘minty’ and tingleing sensation.

Further reading on the benefits of oral health and essential oils read this link on sore throats and essential oils.

Happy pulling!

Sources:

  1.  https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/oils/health-benefits-of-coconut-oil.html
  2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25838632

Easy-To-Make Liquid Hand Soap

If you’re like me, you want to rid your home of as many toxins as you can.  One of the simplest changes you can make is your hand soap.  With this easy, 4-ingredient recipe for liquid hand soap, you’ll be setting your own custom-looking jars around each sink of your house in no time!  Not only will you be eliminating harsh hand soaps, you will be saving money with this very inexpensive method.  WIN!

What you need for your liquid hand soap:

– Mason Jars
–  Foaming Pump attachments
– Distilled Water
– Castile Soap
– Vitamin E Oil
– Anti-Bacterial Essential Oil

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If you don’t already have your jars and pumps, hop on over to Amazon and get them ordered.  They are super affordable and you can choose the designs from the comfort of your home.

When I make soap, I make a large batch and refill my jars once a month unless we run out before then.  This recipe will make one jar.

– 1 cup distilled water
– 1/3 cup Castile Soap
– 1/2 half dropper Vitamin E oil (this oil has Avocado oil and Jojoba oil in it)
– 10-15 drops of your choice of anti-bacterial essential oil (I prefer Thieves or Purification).

Pour water into jar.  In a measuring cup add soap, vitamin E oil, and EO (adding in the vitamin E oil gives you a moisturizing hand soap).  Pour mix into water and attach lid.   After you have attached the lid, give the jar a couple shakes and you are all set.  I told you it was simple!  The foaming hand pump attachment really allows your soap to go a long way.  You will never buy commercial soap again!!

Happy Pumping!!

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Are you new to the Essentil Oil world?  Click here  and let’s get started!!

 

Disclaimer
All material on this website is provided for your information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this information; instead, readers should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being.

*This post may contain affiliate links for products I love. This means I earn a commission if you make a purchase through one of these links.*

 

 

The World’s Best Homemade Ice Cream

My favorite treat growing up on the ranch was my mom’s homemade ice cream.   We didn’t get it very often which made it even more special!  It seemed like it took days for that old ice cream maker to work its magic.  My sister, dad, and I would watch my mom fish out the paddle attachment knowing that she would soon be handing it over to us to get the first lick…..heaven!

My mom very willingly shared her recipe but mine just never quite tasted the same.  I am convinced it was because she made her ice cream with absolute love.  Love is a secret ingredient, you know!

I just recently mastered her recipe.  Now my children beg for homemade ice cream as much as I did as a kid.  Of course, I use all organic ingredients now.  I have even dabbled into a couple different flavors and have found a family favorite!  I felt guilty about keeping it all to myself, so here it is.  Enjoy!

MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM

Recipe:

– 6 large organic eggs

– 3 cups organic sugar

– 15 drops Peppermint Vitality  EO (if you do not use Young Living EOs then DO NOT   ingest EOs.  Use an extract instead)

– 1 Tbsp vanilla

– dash of salt

– 2 quarts organic half and half

– 3 pints organic heavy whipping cream

-1 10 ounce bag organic mini chocolate chips

You will also need:

Homemade Ice Cream Maker (I highly recommend this one)

– Ice Cream Salt

– Ice

 

Directions:

  1.  Beat eggs in mixer until fluffy.  Add sugar, flavoring, and salt.

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  1.  Turn mixer on low and add cream one pint at a time.  This will fill the entire mixer  bowl.  Pour mix into ice cream container and add remaining half and half.
  2. Attach container to ice cream maker and turn on.
  3. Add layers of salt and ice until ice reaches the lid of container.
  4. Half way through the process, when you see the ice cream starting to thicken, shut off machine and carefully pull lid off (DO NOT LET ANY ICE WATER GET INTO ICE CREAM).  Pour bag of chocolate chips in and start machine back up until finished.
  5. You will know it’s finished when the motor is slowing down.
  6. When finished the ice cream will be soft.  Store in freezable containers in the fridge.

 

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This recipe makes 6 quarts so you will need to adjust your recipe if your ice cream maker is smaller.

*RAW EGG WARNING… This recipe contains raw eggs.  Make sure you are using the freshest eggs possible.

 

 

*This post may contain affiliate links for products I love. This means I earn a commission if you make a purchase through one of these links.

Homemade Mouthwash

Dental hygiene….the very habit that can make or break a date.  So many people go to extreme measures to cover up offensive mouth odor instead of fixing the problem. After all, minty-chewing gum and breath mints are in high demand.

What about knowing how to eliminate the bacteria that is growing inside your mouth? Two great solutions you can utilize are:  using a bacteria-killing mouthwash and oil pulling (we will get to oil pulling in another blog).

Give your mouth six months and you will be amazed at the improvement in your oral hygiene.  By eliminating the growing bacteria, you eliminate most of your hygiene issues.

First let’s talk about a good, alcohol-free mouthwash.  Better yet, let’s talk about making your own for merely pennies.  By making your own, you are in complete control of what goes into your mouthwash.  I have eliminated all toxic home and body care products in  the past year.  I can feel my body responding positively and my hair and skin have never been so soft!  When choosing a mouthwash, it is very important to me that I am not putting anything harmful into my body for the sake of ‘covering up oder’.  There is no alcohol or any other toxic ingredients that you will need to worry about in this recipe.

The supplies you need to make your own mouthwash are:

1.  1 pint Mason jar with lid
2.  Distilled water
3.  Colloidal Silver (Research Colloidal Silver)
4.  Stevia
5.  6 EOs (we will talk about later)

Using colloidal silver has so many benefits.  According to the Global Healing Center, “Silver kills harmful organisms and this is why colloidal silver is used to disinfect water. Historically, silver was used to preserve milk.  Settlers would drop a silver dollar in the milk jug to keep it from spoiling.  Babies were fed with silver spoons because those that did were generally perceived to be healthier.”  Read more on the specifics of how colloidal silver combats harmful organisms.  Needless to say, if you don’t have colloidal silver in your home, you need to!

The 6 essential oils you will use are:

1.  2 drops Peppermint (Vitality)
2.  2 drops  Lemon (Vitality)
3.  2 drops Cinnamon Bark (Vitality)
4.  1 drop Clove (Vitality)
5.  1 drop Spearmint (Vitality)
6.  1 drop Eucalyptus Radiata
(Click on each oil to learn about the benefits) Not all essential oils are the same so be aware of using oils that have synthetic ingredients or are anything less than 100%  unadulterated essential oils.  It’s critical to your health.  These are the only brand of Essential Oils I trust!

Let’s make some mouthwash!

Fill mason jar with:
-1 cup distilled water
-3 Tbsp Colloidal Silver
-2 Tbsp Stevia
-Add essential oils

Shake well each time you use and use within 10 days.

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You can adjust the ingredients to your own tasting.  Make sure to use the mouthwash after you brush and floss your teeth (at least twice and day).  Swoosh your mouth for 60 seconds each time.  DO NOT SWALLOW!  Remember we are combating bacteria so we do not want any of it to go back into our system.

Let me know if you made your own mouthwash and if you adjusted the ingredients in any way.
Happy Swooshing!

 

Disclaimer
All material on this website is provided for your information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this information; instead, readers should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being.

How to Help a Sore Throat

It never fails.  The little voice coming from the bedroom exclaiming, “Mommy!  I have a sore throat!”  What’s a mom to do?  I don’t know about your kids, but mine can milk a sore throat for all it’s worth.  Luckily, I have found a method that works wonders on those hurting throats in my household.

I have a cabinet in my house that is just for ‘cold’ emergencies and my kids know the routine.  At the first sign of a sore throat, we immediately put in action a salt-water gargle routine.  They will do this 3x a day for as long as their throats are hurting.

Sore Throat Gargle

-4 oz. water
-2 drops of Thieves Vitality EO
-2 tsp. of sea salt

(Lavender lip balm applied first will help with chapped, cracked lips)

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Stir well and gargle right away.  I ask them to count to 10 in their head each time.

Call me old-fashioned, but I still don’t think there is anything better than a spoonful of organic honey to smooth that throat.  After they have finished gargling, they get a spoonful of nature’s candy.

I also keep a 10ml Roller bottle filled with a blend that warms and soothes the throat.  We rub this right below their ears and down their throat.  As with any EO, if you get it in your eye, DO NOT WASH OUT WITH WATER.  Use a carrier oil like olive oil and flush the eye out.

-20 drops Frankincense
-20 drops Peppermint
-20 drops Lavender
-15 drops Wintergreen
-15 drops Eucalyptus Globulus

– 15 drops Copaiba

-Then fill bottle with equal parts of a carrier oil.  I prefer organic jojoba oil, or grape-seed oil.

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Diffuse Purification  morning and night, especially as they are going to bed.

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Boosting the immune system is critical here.  Whenever there seems to be a ‘bug’ in the house I give them extra Liposomal Vitamin C and Nano-Silver (energetic form) to help boost immunities.

To learn even more on how to boost your family’s immunities naturally and how to help drive sickness out of their bodies:

Book a family health consultation.

A few topics I cover during a session:

  • Immune Support
  • Colds/Flus
  • Nausea/Vomitting
  • Fever
  • Throat Discomfort
  • Cuts and Scrapes
  • Burns
  • Joint and Muscle Pain
  • Sprains and Strains
  • Insect Bites
  • Mineral and Vitamin Deficiency

 

 

Wonderful Tips for EOs

With the Seed to Seal  process, I know the oils I use are 100% pure and nothing harmful is going into our bodies.  Please do not be fooled by synthetic oils that smell amazing.  The whole reason EOs are attractive to people is because they want to eliminate toxins in their bodies.  Make sure you know what’s in your EO.  Learn more about our Seed to Seal commitment.

Do not let the world of EOs scare you.  They are simple amazing tools to have in our holistic tool belt.  At any time you may join my team and learn from some of the best holistic dietitians.

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Disclaimer
All material on this website is provided for your information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this information; instead, readers should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being.