Jo's Health Corner

Living Well Blog Hop # 29

2012-02-17T08:26:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Living Well blog hop! We’d like to invite you to share a blog post about what you do to Live Well. It could be a healthy recipe, exercise tips, ideas for relaxing, getting organized, lifestyle improvements – anything that you feel makes your life better.

Your Living Well hosts for the week are:

Laurie @ Common Sense Homesteading

Jo @ Jo’s Health Corner

Tina @ Being Made New

Lea @ Nourishing Treasures

Living Well Blog Hop guidelines:

1. Please provide a link back to one of the Living Well host blogs in your post. Grab one of the buttons below if you like.

2. Please link to a specific post in your blog, not your blog’s home page.

3. If you link a recipe, please use real foods and avoid highly processed ingredients. Recipes low in refined sugar/refined carbohydrates are preferred.

4. The hosts of the blog hop reserve the right to remove any posts that we deem inappropriate.

5. Please leave a comment below to tell us a little more about your link or share your tips if you don't have a blog. (Linked posts do not need to be from this week.)

Thanks for joining us in Living Well.

Are You Going to Attend the Paleo Summit?

2012-02-13T16:21:00.000-08:00

Sean Croxton over at the Underground Wellness is hosting a Paleo Summit on February 26th- March 4th. My husband and I first came across Sean when he just started off several years ago. It is amazing to see what he has managed to accomplish since then.

This Paleo Summit is a great opportunity to learn more about the grain free Paleo/Primal Diet from great experts. There is a lot of talk online whether or not to eat grains, some people are getting as far as to ridiculing others of their way of eating. I see no reason why we should judge each others way of living healthy, after all we are all doing what we think is right for us. We have been grain free for quite a while now and I'm convinced this is the best way for our family. We have never felt better and we scan better than ever on our biofeedback machine.

I highly recommend that you tune into this summit and learn more about a grain free diet from these experts below. Check out the Paleo Summit Page to register and to learn about the other experts attending this summit.

Mark Sisson – Author, The Primal Blueprint Ancestral Living Defined

Mark Sisson kicks off The Paleo Summit by clearly defining paleo/primal living. Are grains safe to eat? Is dairy Paleo? Did your ancestors cut the saturated fat? Mark gives us the scoop.

Diane Sanfillipo – Author, Practical Paleo Practical Paleo Implementation

Now that you know what to eat, the next step is putting it into practice. Diane explains what to expect from the Paleo Diet, how to overcome common obstacles, and the most effective ways to deal with the doubters.

Dr. Jack Kruse MD – NeurosurgeonLeptin Circadian Cycles

Dr. Kruse uncovers how leptin resistance lies at the root of inflammation, obesity, and chronic disease. He also shares how he lost 133 pounds in a single year by correcting the “biological mismatches” that were once prevalent in his life.

Sarah Fragoso – Author, Everyday Paleo Paleo, Kids, and the Family

Transitioning a family to a paleolithic diet can be challenging. Author, wife, and mother of three, Sarah Fragoso rolls out a practical, realistic strategy for having a Paleo family.

Dr. Thomas O’Bryan – Gluten Sensitivity ExpertThe Musculoskeletal Connection to Autoimmunity Disease

The most basic Paleo Diet recommendation is the removal of gluten. But did you know that gluten sensitivity goes well beyond the digestive tract? Dr. O’Bryan reveals the latest research on how gluten consumption may lead to autoimmune disease, osteoporosis, and muscle pain without digestive symptoms.

Mat Lalonde, Ph.D. – Research Biochemist, Harvard University Invalid Inferences: An Organic Chemist’s Perspective on Paleo

Are common Paleo claims as scientifically valid as we think they are? What does the research really say about antinutrients? Harvard biochemist Mat Lalonde expounds the importance of keeping the Paleo movement credible by ensuring that claims surrounding the diet are scientifically sound.

Nora Gedgaudas – Author, Primal Body-Primal MindSafe Starches: To Eat or Not to Eat?

Safe starches have received their fair share of attention — and no shortage of controversy — in the Paleo blogosphere as of late. The Primal Body-Primal Mind outlines point-by-point why she believes the concept of safe starches is flawed.

Chris Kresser – Integrative Medicine Practitioner. An Update on Cholesterol

The cholesterol hypothesis has its staunch proponents as well as its skeptics. So who’s right? Chris presents the latest research demonstrating why elevated cholesterol scores should not be dismissed by the skeptics. He also explains why a high cholesterol score is not always cause for a prescription.

Paul Chek – Founder, C.H.E.K. Institute Living Primal: Instinct Before Intellect

With so much research and history supporting Paleo principles, why do people have such a hard time living them? Paul explains how the social conditioning built into the educational system has suppressed our abilities to think for ourselves. He also details the six foundational principles of abundant health — nutrition, hydration, sleep, breathing, thinking, and movement.

Let me know what you think about the Summit.

This post is linked to:
Fat Tuesday

Stop the Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria - Three Herbal Antibiotics- Part 3

2012-02-11T16:37:00.000-08:00

This is my third post in the series about Herbal Antibiotics. I have decided to cover 15 antibiotic herbs in several posts. As mentioned in the first post, herbs are more complex than antibiotics and the bacteria has a harder to time to develop resistance to herbs. In the second post I list the 15 top antibiotic herbs based on the book, Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Harrod Buhner. Today I will focus on the herbs Acacia, aloe, and cryptolepsis.

According to Stephen Harrod Buhner:

Photo Credit

Acacia (Acacia spp.)
Acacia is part of the Mimosaceae family. All the parts of the plant can be used and they can be picked at various times of the year. The pods can be gathered when they are green, the flowers when in bloom, and the roots can be chopped into small pieces before drying. The gum can be collected by cutting a line into the lower part of the bark.

Some of Acacia's therapeutic actions are:
Antimalarial, astringent, antibacterial, antimicrobial, anticatarrhal, anthelmintic, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and sedative.

Acacia is active against:
Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, malaria, Shigella dysenteriae, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Buhner says Acacias are useful for excessive mucus, diarrhea, catarrh, hemorrhage, gum infections, dysentery and gastrointestinal ulceration. There are different species of Acacia and some species are used for parasitic infestation in some parts of the world. Acacia is not used as much in the United States, but is widely used for its medicinal properties in other parts of the world. Acacia can found in the south and as far north as Kansas and all the way between California and Florida.

Acacia can be used as powder, tea, or wash. Pods, stems, and and leaves should be used powdered. Buhner recommends 3-12 cups a day for malaria, diarrhea, and dysentery. The leaves and flowers should be used as tea for gastrointestinal tract inflammation. The roots should be used to make mucilaginous tea that is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. Tea of stems, pods, and leaves can be used to wash wounds according to Buhner.

Mesquite (Prosopis julifera) is a suitable alternative to Acacia if you can't find it. It may be used identically.

Photo Credit

Aloe ( Aloe vera and other species)
Aloe is part of the Liliaceae family. It is usually the fresh juice that is used but sometimes the dried plant is used internally. The fresh plant leaves can be used anytime. The leaves are cut open and the juice is applied to burns and wounds.

Some of Aloe's therapeutic actions are:
External use: Antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiviral, wound healing, anti-ulcer, and inflammatory.
Internal use: Purgative, and it also stimulates smooth muscle contractions.

Aloe is active against:
Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Herpes simpex 1 and 2.

Buhner says that Aloe and honey can be applied externally to speed wound healing to prevent infection. Burn victims are extremely prone to Staphyloccus aureus infections. Since Aloe is a liquid it will keep the tissue moist and restore lost body fluid. It will also soothe the damaged tissues.

Slice open the leave of the fresh plant and apply liberally to a burn or wound. Aloe stimulates smooth muscle contraction when taken internally.

Honey can be used as an alternative to Aloe. Echinacea or St.John are less desirable choices to be used for wound healing.

Photo Credit

Cryptolepsis (Cryptolepsis sanguinolenta)
Cryptolepsis is part of the Asclepiadaceae family. The roots are used and they can be harvested anytime of the year. Cryptolepsis is a shrub found in several parts of Africa.

Some of Cryptolepsis' therapeutic actions are:
Antiparasitic, antimalarial, antibacterial, and antifungal.

Cryptolepsisis active against:
Staphylococcus aureus, malaria, Shigella dysenteriae, Escherichia coli, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Candida Albicans, Camphylobacter, both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

According to Buhner, Cryptolepsis has been used for centuries by African healers in treatments of fevers, bloody diarrhea, and malaria. Human clinical trials have shown that Cryptolepsis to be potent for malaria.

Cryptolepsis can be used as powder, capsules, tincture, or tea. Crushed powder can be used externally for fungal or bacterial infections.

For malaria, Buhner recommends to use Artemisia annua or A. absinthium, Brucea javanita, Uvaria spp., or the bark of Cinchona spp as alternatives to Cryptolepsis.

The book, Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Harrod Buhner gives you detail information about each herb on how to prepare them, what parts to use, and how much of each herbs to use for various ailments.

Stay tuned! I will cover the next three herbs on the list in more detail next time. You'll find out how to use them and for what conditions they are traditionally used for.

Source: Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Harrod Buhner.

This post is linked to:
Sunday School
Fat Tuesday
Healthy 2Day Wednesday
Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways
Wildcrafting Wednesday
Simple Lives Thursday

Living Well Blog Hop # 28

2012-02-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

Your Living Well hosts for the week are:

Laurie @ Common Sense Homesteading

Jo @ Jo’s Health Corner

Tina @ Being Made New

Lea @ Nourishing Treasures

Living Well Blog Hop guidelines:

1. Please provide a link back to one of the Living Well host blogs in your post. Grab one of the buttons below if you like.

2. Please link to a specific post in your blog, not your blog’s home page.

3. If you link a recipe, please use real foods and avoid highly processed ingredients. Recipes low in refined sugar/refined carbohydrates are preferred.

4. The hosts of the blog hop reserve the right to remove any posts that we deem inappropriate.

5. Please leave a comment below to tell us a little more about your link or share your tips if you don't have a blog. (Linked posts do not need to be from this week.)

Thanks for joining us in Living Well.

Lymphatic Drainage for Lymphatic Malformations

2012-02-09T18:42:00.000-08:00

My friend Judy is a Craniosacral Therapist and a Occupational Therapist. She works with the local Elks Lodge to treat children with disabilities. The Elk Lodge pays for the treatments of the children that have been referred to her by certain qualified doctors. Children with Down Syndrome, autism or other disabilities come to see her. She also sees my son on a regular basis even though he is not in the Elks program. Judy has recently started lymphatic drainage on Robin in order to treat his lymphatic malformation on the right side of his face.

My oldest son was born with a facial lymphatic malformation called Lymphangioma. He went through a 10 hour surgery at the age of eight weeks but the surgeons didn't succeed in removing all the mass from the cheek. We were informed that if was impossible to remove everything since it was so embedded in the nerves. We were also told to be thankful since it wasn't cancerous.

Robin as a baby.

So, what is a lymphatic malformation?
"Lymphatic malformations are abnormal channels and cysts filled with clear lymphatic fluid. Processing this fluid thru the vascular system is very slow resulting in swelling to the affected area. More than 70% of the time, these lesions are in the neck area or axilla. However, the malformations can form in any area of the body."

"The lesions can be defined as macrocystic, a single large cyst, or microcystic, a collection of tiny spaces and cysts. The LM’s are also described as localized, diffused, deep, or superficial. Depending on location, macrocystic are the easiest to remove. Microcystic are more difficult since they are typically a collection of small cysts which tend to be diffused decreasing the chance of complete removal and increasing the chances of regrowth. If LM’s can be completely removed, outcomes are very successful. However, if LM cannot be completely removed, vitality to the surrounding anatomical structures is critical." Liam's Land

My son had several infections every year until we became interested in natural health. Once we started eating natural foods and using natural remedies Robin's condition improved. He has become better for every year. Fortunately we haven't seen any regrowth of the removed cysts, on the contrary, it has decreased some.

"This type of therapy consists of a manual massage, performed by a lymphatic drainage therapist. Such a massage primarily focuses on specific lymph nodes and points of the body, as well as the natural flow of the lymphatic system".Wisegeek.

Judy approached me once she was done with her education. and wanted to try lymphatic drainage on Robin. She had learned some exciting information about using lymphatic drainage for lymphatic malformations. We have just started the treatment and we are anxious to see where this lead to. I will try to film the next treatment and give a detailed information on what is happening.

Lymphatic drainage is a holistic approach to promoting a healthy lymphatic system.

This is Robin after the first session. Judy put kinesio tape on the cheek shaped as a star to encourage lymphatic drainage after the session. Robin said he could feel the fluids drain.

Here is a view from his side:

As you can see, the tape is designed to encourage drainage. It is not a big hit though for a teenager to wear this to school.

I will share more about the lymphatic drainage sessions. Next week I will give you another update and some information on how the lymphatic system can be supported with herbs, nutrition and essential oils. Learn more about Robin on his Magician Website.

Related post:
When a child is different

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Johanna is an aromatherapist and an independent distributor of Young Living Essential Oils and Nature's Sunshine.She is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils,real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthierchoices in their lives. She also runs Naturally Sports & Wellness together with her husband.
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

This post is linked to:
Fat Tuesday
Healthy 2Day Wednesday

Homeopathy and Dental Emergencies

2012-02-08T17:00:00.000-08:00

I have become extremely fascinated by homeopathy lately. Not only are they inexpensive but they also last a long time. Homeopathy is based on the theory thatlike is cured by like. The law of similar states that a remedy cancure a disease if it produces similar symptoms of disease in ahealthy person.

In homeopathy it is important to pick aremedy based on the symptoms experienced, which means that sometimestwo separate remedies can be used for the same ailment in twodifferent individuals. This can cause people to mistrust homeopathic remedies since they don't experience the effect they expected right away. When I see that a condition doesn't improve with the remedy I choose, then I try another remedy. I'm getting pretty good at picking the right remedy for the family, but I'm using the remedies on my dog too. It is harder to pin point the symptoms on a dog that can't tell me everything, so sometimes I don't get it right the first time. One time I picked a remedy that I thought would work for her skin problems but it caused her symptoms to become worse. Once I stopped and switched to another remedy her condition improved.

I recommend to purchase a good book about homeopathic remedies to learn more about it. My husband read Homeopathic Medicine At Home by Maesimun Panos, M.D and Jane Heimlich in his Naturopathy studies. It is a good book to have at home for emergencies. It lists a home remedy kit that used to be available for purchase in the 70's, but you can easily handpick the remedies mentioned in the book.

However, when I was browsing through my Alternative Medicine Guide book I found some useful information about homeopathic remedies for dental emergencies. I figured it was useful information to share with my readers.

According to Dr. Fischer in the book, Alternative Medicine - The Definite Guide, "homeopathic remedies can help alleviate the pain or discomfort of dental emergencies, at least temporarily, until proper dental care can be received." He also says they are not intended to replace regular dental care but more to serve as a compliment. (So, now I got the disclaimer in too)

According to the Alternative Medicine Guide:

Abscess can be treated with dilutions of Belladonna, Hepar Sulph., Myristica, and Calendula.

Post surgical bleeding can be treated with Phosphorus, and if bruising and soreness exist, then use Arnica.

A toothache can be treated with Belladonna, Magnesium phos., Coffea cruda, or Chamomilla.

Chamomilla is good for a dry socket after an extraction.

If the homeopathic remedies are stored and handled correctly they have an indefinite shelf life. They should be kept in their original container and away from strong light, heat and pungent ordors such as mentol, camphor, and mothballs etc. Coffee may neutralize the action of the homeopathic remedy. Always take the homeopathic remedy with a "clean mouth", that means put nothing in the mouth except water 15 minutes before or after taking your dose.

Don't take homeopathic remedies at the same time as these essential oils:
Black pepper, cajuput, cinnamon, clove bud/leaf, eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary, spearmint,

Photo Credit

Sources:
Alternative Medicine - The Definite Guide
Homeopathic Medicine At Home by Maesimun Panos, M.D and Jane Heimlich

Related post:
Natural Dental Care with Essential oils

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Johanna is an aromatherapist and an independent distributor of Young Living Essential Oils and Nature's Sunshine.She is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils,real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthierchoices in their lives. She also runs Naturally Sports & Wellness together with her husband.
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

This post is linked to:
Simple Lives Thursday
Sunday School
Fat Tuesday
Healthy 2Day Wednesdays
Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways
Wildcrafting Wednesday

Using Essential Oils on Children - Fungal Infections

2012-02-06T19:10:00.000-08:00

It is not uncommon for children to pick up an infection at various places. The swimming pools and the gym are breeding grounds for infectious fungi. The children can also get ringworm from pets, contaminated soil, or person to person contact. The better the immune system is the less chance it is to get an infection. I always build health first to make sure the little bodies can handle various challenges.

Ringworm

Ringworm is not a worm, it is a superficial fungal infection of the skin. It has a special ring formation that grows outward from the center and develop a red ring appearance on the skin. It is most common on the scalp but it can also appear on the body. It is contagious and can be spread from person to person. They can be stubborn to treat, and patience and consistence are required.

Some essential oils that show anti-fungal properties are tea tree, chamomile, geranium, lavender, myrrh, patchouli, and sandalwood.

One of the most powerful anti-microbial essential oil is tea tree/melaleuca. Valerie Ann Worwood recommends to apply 1 drop tea tree neat on the affected area three times a day until it is clear. It normally takes 10 days, and after that, mix 30 drops tea tree with 2 tablespoons of massage oil. Rub this blend over the area daily.

Valerie Gennari Cooksley suggests the following blend. The blend is a 10% dilution, as Cooksley thinks a concentrated blend is needed since fungal infections can be very resistant.

Ringworm Treatment Oil

vegetable oil 2 tbls.

tea tree 25 drops

lavender 15 drops

geranium 5 drops

peppermint 5 drops

Vitamin E 400 IU

Add the essential oils and the vitamin E to an empty dark glass bottle, add the vegetable oil. Shake the bottle to mix well. Use a Q tip to apply to the area. Cover the patch.

Soaking in the ocean or taking a sea salt bath have been useful for many skin conditions.

Anti-fungal bath

1-2 cups of sea salt

lavender 4 drops

geranium 1 drop

tea tree 1 drop

Fill the bath wit water. Add the essential oils to the sea salt and mix. Add to the bath water and stir well.

Athletes foot

It doesn't take much for small little feet to get athlete's foot. Walking barefoot in places like swimming pools where someone infected has been can be enough.

Worwood's suggestions for athlete's foot are tea tree, lavender, and tagetes.

She suggests a foot bath daily. Add 5 drops of tea tree to a cup of salt and put in a large bowl of water. Let the child soak the feet for at least five minutes daily.

Worwood also suggests to make a foot powder by adding 10 drops of tea tree to a cup of dry green clay. Mix it really well, and powder the feet everyday.

A massage oil can also be made of 30 drops of tagetes to 2 tbls. of vegetable oil. Massage the feet before bed.

When dealing with fungal infections it is important to avoid food that feed yeast, change towels frequently, use only cotton socks, and drying the skin well. Consider adding immune boosting nutrients, and repopulate the friendly flora with Probiotics.

Don't forget to check the safety and dilution chart to make sure the oils are suitable for your child.

Buy Essential Oils Here

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Johanna is an aromatherapist and an independent distributor of Young Living Essential Oils and Nature's Sunshine.She is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils,real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthierchoices in their lives. She also runs Naturally Sports & Wellness together with her husband.
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

This post is linked to:
Monday Mania
Fat Tuesday
Simple Lives Thursday

Living Well Blog Hop # 27

2012-02-03T08:27:00.001-08:00

Your Living Well hosts for the week are:

Laurie @ Common Sense Homesteading

Jo @ Jo’s Health Corner

Tina @ Being Made New

Lea @ Nourishing Treasures

Living Well Blog Hop guidelines:

1. Please provide a link back to one of the Living Well host blogs in your post. Grab one of the buttons below if you like.

2. Please link to a specific post in your blog, not your blog’s home page.

3. If you link a recipe, please use real foods and avoid highly processed ingredients. Recipes low in refined sugar/refined carbohydrates are preferred.

4. The hosts of the blog hop reserve the right to remove any posts that we deem inappropriate.

5. Please leave a comment below to tell us a little more about your link or share your tips if you don't have a blog. (Linked posts do not need to be from this week.)

Thanks for joining us in Living Well.

A Simple But Delicious Salsa

2012-01-29T22:34:00.000-08:00

My husband and I are on the Paleo Diet, and it is a diet that does not include grains, dairy, and legumes. I love salsa so I make it salsa several times a week. Tortilla chips are not included in our diet, but salsa tastes wonderfully on poached eggs, chicken, scrambled eggs, salad, fish, or on a steak. Don't you agree? We like spicy things in our family so I add more jalapenos then the recipe calls for.

Salsa
2 medium tomatoes cut into chunks
1/2 small onion
3 tablespoons canned chiles ( I use fresh jalapenos)
4 teaspoons distilled white vinegar (I use raw apple cider vinegar)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and whirled until pureed. I don't use salt, but if you do, season to taste with salt.

This makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Here is a sample of a breakfast in our house. We also had left over dinner steak fried in coconut oil, poached eggs, and a handful of nuts to go with the fruit and vegetables.

This is linked to:
Monday Mania
Fat Tuesday
Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways
Real Food Wednesday
Simple Lives Thursday
Fight Back Friday
Sunday School Blog Carnival at I Butter Believer

Increasing Mama's Milk

2012-01-28T22:13:00.000-08:00

There's no doubt that breastfeeding is the best choice for a newborn baby. However, it is not always easy for new mother to provide for her newborn and problems such as lack of flow or engorged breasts can occur. Sometimes the baby is not strong enough to stimulate the flow of milk. Many times these problems can be solved, but it is very stressful for both mother and baby. La Leche League, an organization that helps mothers with nursing difficulties, can be found in most areas today.

Here are some suggestions if the supply of milk is insufficient:

Mix geranium, fennel, and/or sage 50-50 with massage oil and massage over breast. Keep in mind that fennel should not be used longer than 10 days at a time. You can also apply above the breast on the lymph area, and apply 2-3 drops on the spine, about heart level. I suggest that you wait a while to let the oils absorb, or wash them off before you nurse. Give them time to be absorbed first though.
You may consider diffusing mood lifting oils such as bergamot, ylang ylang, rosewood, geranium, and rose as well.

I wasn't able to breastfeed my oldest son, and there are times when we can't nurse and we have to accept it. I wish I would have known more about health back then so I at least could have made my own formula. Here is a recipe for homemade formula from the Weston Price Foundation if you cannot breastfeed.

This post was about using essential oils, but there are also herbs that traditionally have been used to increase the breast milk. Alfalfa, blessed thistle, and marshmallow are some of them. What kind of remedies have you used to increase your milk supply?

Source:

Essential Oils - Intergrative Medical Guide by Gary Young, ND

This information is for educational purposes only and is not meant to prescribe. Essential oils are safe to use as long as contraindications have been researched prior to use. As always, consult with your health care practitioner if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or suffer from any medical conditions. Some oils are contraindicated in certain conditions, so check out this essential oil safety page to make sure the oils are safe for you.

Photo credit

This is linked to:
Monday Mania
Fat Tuesday

Seasonal Celebration Sunday Link Up
Simple Lives Thursday

Living Well Blog Hop # 26

2012-01-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

Your Living Well hosts for the week are:

Laurie @ Common Sense Homesteading

Jo @ Jo’s Health Corner

Tina @ Being Made New

Lea @ Nourishing Treasures

Living Well Blog Hop guidelines:

1. Please provide a link back to one of the Living Well host blogs in your post. Grab one of the buttons below if you like.

2. Please link to a specific post in your blog, not your blog’s home page.

3. If you link a recipe, please use real foods and avoid highly processed ingredients. Recipes low in refined sugar/refined carbohydrates are preferred.

4. The hosts of the blog hop reserve the right to remove any posts that we deem inappropriate.

5. Please leave a comment below to tell us a little more about your link or share your tips if you don't have a blog. (Linked posts do not need to be from this week.)

Thanks for joining us in Living Well.

Stop the Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria -Top 15 Herbal Antibiotics- Part 2

2012-01-23T10:06:00.000-08:00

This is my second post in the series about Herbal Antibiotics. I will cover the top 15 antibiotic herbs over several posts. You may be familiar with several of the them already. As mentioned in the previous post, herbs are more complex than antibiotics and the bacteria has a harder to time to develop resistance to herbs.

The book Herbal Antibiotics, by Stephen Harrod Buhner shares a lot of good information about antibiotic resistance and how we can use natural alternatives to treat drug resistant bacteria. Each herb has a detailed description on history, usage and dosage and what they are mostly used for.

Buhner put together a list of 15 herbs that he considers the most powerful based on his research, but there are many other herbs that could have been mentioned too. Let me know if you miss an herb from the list.

The Top 15 Antibiotic Herbs are:

Acacia
Aloe
Cryptolepsis
Echinacea
Eucalyptus
Garlic
Ginger
Golden Seal
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Honey
Juniper
Licorice
Sage
Usnea
Wormwood

Golden seal and echinacea are both listed on the above list and it is important to know that they are the most over used herbs in the world today. I will discuss them and their therapeutic uses, unfortunately they are often used for conditions that they will not help. This has lead to echinacea in the wild is endangered. It is not easy to grow Echinacea angustifolia even though a couple of farms do, unfortunately it is not enough to meet the demand. Buhner's experience is that angustifolia root is the only herb to use for abnormal pap smear. Echinacea purpurea blossoms can be used for all other conditions where echinacea is indicated. Fortunately, Echinacea purpurea blossoms naturally renew themselves each year.

Golden seal is very expensive and when possible, use alternatives instead since it is so overused. If you need to use it, make sure you use organically grown roots and don't pick from the wild. The only time to pick from the wild is if you are a caretaker of a large population and know for sure that you can harvest golden seal without endangering the wild population.

There's no need to worry if you always grab for echinacea and golden seal when you're sick, I will share some alternatives to use instead. Stay tuned! I will cover the first three herbs on the list more in detail next time. You'll find out how to use them and for what conditions they are traditionally used for.

Source: Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Harrod Buhner.

This post is linked to:
Fat Tuesday, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways ,Healthy 2day Wednesday ,Wildcrafting Wednesday ,Simple Lives Thursday, Fight Back Friday
Sunday School
Monday Mania

Can Cancer be Prevented? Part 3. Eat Flavonoids

2012-01-20T14:23:00.000-08:00

Most of us grew up hearing that we should eat our vegetables because they are good for us. However, it wasn't until the last decade that we realized how important these are in our fight against cancer. We don't need to eat the exotic vegetables, everyday vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, and broccoli contain substances that are more powerful in inhibiting cancer than all the radiation, chemotherapy or cancer surgery together.

Indoles, coumarins, phenols, aromatic isothiocyanates and isoflavones are some of the flavonoids in produce that have been identified to inhibit cancer cell proliferation.

Indoles

Indoles can be found in vegetables such as cauliflowers, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, and cabbage. The most known is indole-3-carbinol.

60 women at increased risk for breast cancer were participating in placebo-controlled, double-blind doseranging chemo prevention study. Indole-3-carbinol showed to be a promising preventative agent against cancer.

It is important to when to use indole-3-carbinol. Animals that were pretreated with indole-3-carbinol prior to being exposed to carcinogen and continued to take it during exposure to carcinogen, were protected from developing cancerous lesions. The study shows how important to maintain these substances in the body. You see, the animals who didn't receive indole-3-carbinol prior to exposure to the carcinogen did not show any protective effect.

Isothiocyanates

Isothiocyanates are mostly found in cruciferous vegetables. According to Colgan's book, You Can Prevent Cancer, they can block the cancer process by inhibiting carcinogen activation and by accelerating the inactivation of carcinogens.

Coumarins

Turmeric is the most studied herb with coumarins. A study evaluated the chemopreventative effects of curcumin, the most active coumarin, on radiation- induced tumors in rat mammary glands. One control group was fed a basic diet while the other control group was fed a diet containing 1% curcumin. The control group fed curcumin had 28% reduction in tumors while 84% of the other group developed mammary tumors. Other studies also show that curcumin inhibits chemically-induced carcinogenesis of the skin, colon, and stomach.

Phenols

Phenols can be found in edible plants. Black and green tea contains one class of phenols.

If you haven't tried green tea yet I suggest that you try it, it is especially effective against cancer according to Dr. Colgan. Consumption of green tea reduced the lymph node metastases among pre-menopausal women diagnosed with stage 1 and stage II breast cancer. The researchers of this study of 472 patients also reported that an increased consumption of green tea also reduced the recurrence of breast cancer.

Green and black tea both reduced the incidence of tumors in rats diagnosed with esophagus tumors. The group that drank both green and black tea before the exposure to the carcinogen had a 70% reduction of the tumors while the group that was given the tea after the tumor growth had 55% reduction in tumors. As you can see, prevention pays off.

Tea is not just for women, men should drink it to take advantage of its benefits. Research shows that green tea inhibits tumor formation by controlling the ornithine decarboxylase, an enzyme which is high in men with prostate cancer. This enzyme stimulates the growth of normal and tumorigenic prostate cells.

Another class phenols is proanthocyanidins found in pine bark, bilberry leaves, and grape seeds. Not only are they important antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, they also seem to be promising anti-tumor substances according to recent research.

Colgan's book also covers isoflavones found in soy. I am not confident in promoting soy since I don't want to eat it myself, but I just wanted to mention that evidence show that soy isoflavones may inhibit or reduce certain cancers.

There are plenty of flavonoids found in fruit and vegetables. Citrus fruits contain flavonoids for example. Bottom line is, include plenty of fruit and vegetables in your diet.

What's the Big Deal About Flavonoids?

Can Cancer be Prevented? Part 2. Eat Carotenoids

Can Cancer be Prevented? Part 1.

Is Paleo Anti-Cancer?

Source: You Can Prevent Cancer, Michael Colgan, PhD

Photo Credit

This post is linked to:
Fight Back Friday, Fat Tuesday
Monday Mania

Living Well Blog Hop # 25

2012-01-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

Your Living Well hosts for the week are:

Laurie @ Common Sense Homesteading

Jo @ Jo’s Health Corner

Tina @ Being Made New

Lea @ Nourishing Treasures

Living Well Blog Hop guidelines:

1. Please provide a link back to one of the Living Well host blogs in your post. Grab one of the buttons below if you like.

2. Please link to a specific post in your blog, not your blog’s home page.

3. If you link a recipe, please use real foods and avoid highly processed ingredients. Recipes low in refined sugar/refined carbohydrates are preferred.

4. The hosts of the blog hop reserve the right to remove any posts that we deem inappropriate.

5. Please leave a comment below to tell us a little more about your link or share your tips if you don't have a blog. (Linked posts do not need to be from this week.)

Thanks for joining us in Living Well.

Essential Oil Profile - Jasminum officinalis

2012-01-19T22:50:00.000-08:00

I love the smell of jasmine. It is a very sensual, exotic, and relaxing aroma that makes you feel good. It eases any negative feelings and makes me feel so relaxed. Jasmine has long been used for its effect on the reproductive system. It is used as an aphrodisiac and to assist in childbirth. It is considered one of the most effective essential oils for depression, nervous anxiety, and restlessness.

The aroma of jasmine is quite intense, and it doesn't change much in character during a smell test. To best describe the aroma I would say that the top note is rich, sweet, floral, and exotic but not overpowering. The middle note is floral, sensual, sweet and summery. Finally, the base note is sweet, floral, quite strong, pleasant, round and full-bodied. It is of course a very feminine aroma.

Jasminum officinalis is grown in certain part of India, China, Morocco, Italy and Egypt. It is also grown in South of France. 14 different species exists but the most commonly used in aromatherapy are Grandiflorum (officinalis) and J. sambac.

Jasmine has been used for thousands of years, and is called the Moonshine in the Garden in India. It has also been used in Hindu medicine for a long time. Liver cirrhosis, hepatitis, and dysentery are treated with jasmine in China.

Jasmine blends well with bergamot, clary sage, frankincense, geranium, lavender, orange, mandarin, neroli, palmarosa, rose, rosewood, sandalwood, and ylang-ylang.

Jasmine is a great oil for emotional problems, and it is a known anti-depressant. It is also helpful in childbirth and will assist in labor. It is massaged in the back and the lower abdomen, and may relieve pain in the lower abdomen.

Jasmine will also assist in the expulsion of the placenta. It's hormonal activity is useful in menstrual problems. It may relieve spasms of the uterus. Jasmine is also a good oil for for the skin and may help in conditions such as eczema, dermatitis, and dry aggravated skin.

Except for the use in labor, jasmine is contra-indicated in pregnancy and breast-feeding. It should not be taken internally unless it is a steam distilled oil. Long term use may cause sensitization.

Some therapeutic actions of jasmine: analgesic, anti-fungal, aphrodisiac, carminative, anti-inflammatory, emmenagogue, expectorant and a uterine tonic. Some of the therapeutic actions are explained here.

Stop the Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria - Use Herbal Antibiotics

2012-01-17T18:41:00.000-08:00

I thought it was very scary the first time I heard about the antibiotic resistant bacteria back in the 90's. At that time I didn't know anything about natural health, I had no idea on how to boost my immune system naturally or how to use herbs when I was sick. This was in the mid 90's when I lived in Sweden. Already 15 years ago, the Swedish doctors offered free return visits for parents who decided to deal with ear infections without the use of antibiotics. They did this to control the drug resistant bacteria. Research have found that when bacteria do not encounter antibiotics on a regular basis, they forget how to resist them. Sweden is one of the countries that limits its use of antibiotics, and they found that the research is true in practice.

Many people are dying of bacterial infections that used to be curable a few years ago and the amount of drug resistant bacteria is growing. About three million people with antibiotic resistant infections are admitted to the hospital every year. Two million people are infected while visiting the hospitals for routine medical procedures every year. The number of people infected by resistant bacteria is increasing.

Protect Yourself

Keep your immune system healthy
Eat as much organic food as possible to avoid exposure to antibiotics
Use herbs and essential oils as antibiotic alternatives
Eat your Probiotic food or supplement

The healing power of plants

Plants have been used as healing medicines before history was even recorded. Throughout the world indigenous cultures have taken advantage of the amazing healing powers of plants. Modern medical researchers have confirmed the healing powers of plants that have been used for thousands of years.

The World Health Organization passed a resolution in 1978 that adopted the contents of a report initiated by the WHO. The report noted that resources other than technological Westernized medicine would need to be used for all people to have adequate health care in the year 2000. This resolution inspired modern medical researchers outside United States to explore plants that have been used for thousands of years as primary medicine.

The research initiated from the WHO resolution revealed that many herbs are indeed just as powerful, or even more powerful than antibiotics. Scientists in Europe and Asia found many herbs to posses powerful antibacterial properties. Plants also have a more complex chemistry than antibiotics and this makes it harder for bacteria to figure out how to become resistant. Garlic contains 17 amino acids, at least 33 sulphur compounds, and several other compounds. Yarrow contains over 120 different compounds. When someone ingests yarrow they are actually ingesting 120 different medicines. While penicillin is just penicillin and made from a single component, herbs have a complex chemical makeup that makes it more difficult for invading bacteria to figure out.

As you can see, we are better off by limiting the use of antibiotics so that we can stop the antibiotic resistant bacteria. We can start by learning to use natural remedies, minimize the food with antibiotics, and boost our immune system naturally.

This is the first post in my series about Herbal Antibiotics. In my next post I will cover the Top 15 Antibiotic Herbs.

Source:
Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Harrod Buhner.

Related Posts:
Stop the Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria -Top 15 Herbal Antibiotics- Part 2

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Johanna is an aromatherapist and an independent distributor of Young Living Essential Oils and Nature's Sunshine.She is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils,real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthierchoices in their lives. She also runs Naturally Sports & Wellness together with her husband.
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

This post is linked to:
Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways
Wildcrafting Wednesday
Simple Lives Thursday

Monday Mania

Sami Slow Food - Part of A Sustainable Culture

2012-01-17T14:09:00.000-08:00

The Sami people are native indigenous people of the northern Scandinavia. The Sami believe in what they call "slow" food. Reindeer plays an important role in this . They use every part of the animal. The meat and fat is for eating. The fur and skin is used for clothes. The antlers are used for tools and knives.The diet of the Sami people does not rely on fruit and vegetables as the main part of their diet. Especially in winter. Instead, they use root vegetables such as potato, angelica, and beets. Furthermore, they use herbs, mushrooms, berries, and every edible part of the reindeer as the base for most meals during the winter. Hop over to our main site for the rest of the story.

Photo: Magnus Skoglöf

This post is linked to:
Wildcrafting Wednesday
Fight Back Friday

Young Living's Most Popular Products for Aromatherapy

2012-01-17T10:23:00.000-08:00

Thieves®: University tested for its cleansing abilities.
Abundance™: Believed to attract positive energy.
Purification®: Excellent for cleansing the air of impurities.
Peppermint: Diffuse or apply topically for an energy boost.
Lemon: Revitalizing and uplifting, this essential oil is high in antioxidants.
Orange: Good for relaxation, this oil brings peace and happiness to the mind.
Grapefruit: Has a great citrus aroma that is refreshing and uplifting.
Citrus Fresh™: A relaxing, calming blend—great for adults and children.
Joy™: Diffuse this oil for a refreshing, uplifting effect.
Lavender: The most versatile of all essential oils, lavender oil is good for quieting the mind before bed.
Peace & Calming®: Helps calm tensions and uplift the spirit.
Essential Oil Diffuser: Disperses essential oils without heating so they retain their therapeutic benefits.
Ultrasonic Diffuser: Atomizes cold water and essential oils, breaking up molecules into a microscopic mist.
Travel Fan Diffuser: Introduces convenience and portability to essential oil diffusing.

Buy Essential Oils Here

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Johanna is an aromatherapist and an independent distributor of Young Living Essential Oils and Nature's Sunshine.She is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils,real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthierchoices in their lives. She also runs Naturally Sports & Wellness together with her husband.
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

Living Well Blog Hop # 24

2012-01-12T21:32:00.000-08:00

Your Living Well hosts for the week are:

Laurie @ Common Sense Homesteading

Jo @ Jo’s Health Corner

Tina @ Being Made New

Lea @ Nourishing Treasures

Living Well Blog Hop guidelines:

1. Please provide a link back to one of the Living Well host blogs in your post. Grab one of the buttons below if you like.

2. Please link to a specific post in your blog, not your blog’s home page.

3. If you link a recipe, please use real foods and avoid highly processed ingredients. Recipes low in refined sugar/refined carbohydrates are preferred.

4. The hosts of the blog hop reserve the right to remove any posts that we deem inappropriate.

5. Please leave a comment below to tell us a little more about your link or share your tips if you don't have a blog. (Linked posts do not need to be from this week.)

Thanks for joining us in Living Well.

Can Cancer be Prevented? Part 2. Eat Carotenoids

2012-01-12T18:11:00.000-08:00

We all know that fruit and vegetables are nutritious and contain many nutrients. They play an important role in cancer prevention. The 600 identified pigmented compounds responsible for hundreds or red, orange, and yellow leaves in the autumn, were until recently not considered very important to us. Six of these carotenoids have been identified as major players to our health and are considered along with vitamin E as our main fat-soluble antioxidants. These are beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, alpha-carotene, cryptoxhantin, and zeaxanthin.

Animal and human research shows that carotenoids enhance the immune response as well as protect the skin from UV Radiation damage.

Lower cancer risk with a diet high in carotenoids

According to Dr.Colgan in his book, You Can Prevent Cancer, resent research shows that carotenoids have an important anti-cancer function. By increasing the flow of regulatory signals, carotenoids can enhance the communication between cells. Normal cells can use this enhanced communication to talk to cells damaged by carcinogens, this will prevent the damaged cells from turning malignant. This communication also inhibits proliferation of already malignant cells. Our bodies produce malignant cells daily that can proliferate into cancer. According to Colgan's book, carotenoids provide strong protective mechanism to keep these cell under control.

Studies

Cancer research confirms the power of carotenoids. According to 60 recent studies, cancer patients have very low level of carotenoids. It is interesting to note that the lowest risk for numerous types of cancer are the people with the highest blood levels of carotenoids due to high intake of carotenoid-rich vegetables and fruit. For example, the breast cancer risk in women with a family history of breast cancer was dramatically reduced by high levels of beta-carotene and/or lutein and zeaxanthin. High serum levels of total carotenoids in women shows that cervical cancer risk is reduced. Patients with stomach and digestive tract cancers have low beta-carotene levels.

Where to find the carotenoids

Colgan writes that a diet that includes carrots, tomato juice, water melon, pink grapefruit and broccoli provides about 11,000 IU per day of beta-carotene and over 20,000 mcg of other carotenoids. You would only consume 1,000 IU if beta-carotene and 50 mcg of alpha-carotene per day if you eat ice berg lettuce, cabbage, white potato, a pear, and an apple instead. This would not be enough for protection.

Orange juice is not a good choice, but raw fresh oranges are great. Red bell peppers are a lot better than yellow. Pears, plums, and raspberries are low in carotenoids but tomatoes are loaded. Carrots are a good choice while cabbage is not. Romaine lettuce is a good choice while ice berg lettuce is not.

Fruits high in total carotenoids. (mcg/100 grams)

Apricot - 6,665
Grapefruit, Pink - 2,129
Papaya - 1110
Tomato Juice - 9,688
Tomato, cooked - 4,850
Tomato - 3,660
Watermelon - 5,315
Orange - 375

Vegetables high in total carotenoids. (mcg/100 grams)

Broccoli, steamed - 3,265
Spinach - 12,600
Spinach, cooked, - 12,250
Squash, butternut - 5,700
Squash, Zucchini - 2,535
Carrot - 13,500
Kale, steamed - 22,000
Lettuce, Romaine - 3,925
Peppers, red - 2,660
Pumpkin, baked, 7,400
Sweet Potato, baked - 9,500

Colgan says in order to inhibit cancer, research shows that you need higher intake of carotenoids than what can be consumed in a diet. He recommends to include plenty of carotenoids from fruit and vegetables in your diet, and supplement with 20,00-30,000 mcg of mixed carotenoids.

Source: You Can Prevent Cancer, Michael Colgan, PhD

This post is linked to:
Simple Lives Thursday
Fight Back Friday
Fat Tuesday

Real Food Wednesday
Monday Mania

Traditional Tuesdays

Spring Cleaning Naturally

2012-01-11T13:52:00.000-08:00

Via

It is beautiful weather here in California so I''m cleaning out and airing out the place. Soon the weather is getting warmer and the days longer everywhere. It will be time to open up the house and clean out the winter. Yep, it's time for spring cleaning again. Unfortunately most cleaning products in the stores are not good for us. I used to get a cough and headache every time I used strong cleaning products, but fortunately I discovered that I didn't need to use them to clean my home. The problem is that regular cleaning products in the stores are full of toxins that not only mess with the immune system, but they mess with the hormones too. Many of the toxins found in cleaning products are endocrine disruptors, and as such they contribute to glandular problems, PMS, reproductive cancers and infertility.

Inside pollution

Did you know that the pollution inside our homes from using these cleaning products are often greater than from the pollution from the outside environment? Yes, that's true. Several health problems such as allergies, liver and kidney toxicity, and respiratory irritation such as coughing, asthma, sneezing, and allergies are associated with the use of harsh chemicals in our homes. The products' neuro-toxic effects result in headaches, depression and lack of mental concentration.

Fortunately it doesn't have to cost a fortune to clean the house without toxic chemicals. I like to use lemon, baking soda, vinegar, salt, and essential oils when I clean.

Lemons

Lemons have antibacterial properties so they make an excellent choice as disinfectants for your home. You can cut lemons in half to remove stains from counter top or to clean the chopping board. Let it sit for a while before wiping it clean. Dip a cut lemon in coarse salt and use to scrub copper-bottom pans. Half a cup of lemon juice can also be added to the rinse cycle to brighten white linens and clothing.

Vinegar

Vinegar is not only economical but it is also very powerful. Luckily the odor disappears as it dries. You can add lemon or essential oils if you want a more pleasant smell while you clean. Mix one part water with one part vinegar and add to spray bottle, and use as an all purpose cleaner around the house. Pour 1 cup of vinegar in the toilet bowl and let sit for hours for a sparkling, odor free toilet. You can apply vinegar straight on mildew and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before rinsing. You can also wipe down the kitchen with a sponge soaked in vinegar, or add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle to soften clothes.

Baking soda

Baking soda is used by many to absorb odors from the fridge, but is is also excellent at dissolving grease and dirt in water. Mix baking soda with 10-20 drops of essential oils and sprinkle on the carpet to refresh it. Make sure you use oils that don't stain the carpet. Mix 1 part water with 3 parts baking soda to remove stains or sprinkle baking soda on pots, pans and dishes and soak in water to clean off burnt or caked food. You can also add 1/2 cup of baking soda to the laundry to remove dirt and grease.

Salt

Table salt can be used as an abrasive cleaner. Use coarse salt to remove stains, caked-on food, and on stove tops or other place such as the bath tub where there's no concern for scratching. Kitchen salt can be used on caked-on food pots and pans, soak the pots and pans with 3 tablespoons of salt in a couple of inches of water. Let sit for a while.

Essential oils

It is much safer to use essential oils when you clean than harsh chemicals. Essential oils can be used as a deodorizer to clean the air, as disinfectants for surfaces, for laundry and much more.

Disinfect: Add a few drops of oil to the dishwasher to help disinfect and purify. Essential oils can also be added to the sponge or the cloth for extra freshness. Common oils to use are fir, lavender, Melaleuca Alternifolia, pine, spruce, bergamot, orange and lemon.

Dishwashing soap: Add several drops of essential oils like orange, tangerine, pine, lemon, and peppermint to a bottle of liquid soap. Use un-scented or natural soap if possible. Liquid castile soap can be used too.

Laundry: Add 25 drops of eucalyptus oil to each load for an effective dust mite control. You can also add 1 tablespoon to a bottle of liquid laundry detergent. A few drops of oils like spruce, lavender, fir, juniper, rosewood, wintergreen/birch, cedarwood and juniper can also be added to the rinse cycle. Use a dampened wash cloth with 10 drops of lavender, bergamot, lemon, or melaleuca instead of a softening agent in the dryer.

Room deodorizer: Make a room spray to deodorize, freshen, and disinfect the bathrooms, work areas, sinks, tiles, woodwork, carpets, cupboards etc. Add 10-13 drops of essential oils to 1 cup of water and put in a spray bottle.

Floor and carpets: For non-carpet floors, add 1/4 cup of white vinegar to a bucket of water and add 5-10 drops of essential oils such as pine, spruce, lemon, or tea tree. For carpet floors, add 16-20 drops of essential oils to 1 cup of baking soda and keep in a container overnight. Sprinkle over the carpet and then vacuum.

As you can see, you don't need to purchase expensive organic or natural cleaning products in order to safely clean your home.

Essential oils are antiseptic and they add a nice touch to your cleaning. I like to pick refreshing oils for cleaning in the springtime. Lime, lemon, geranium, bergamot, grapefruit, rosemary and lavender are great oils for the lighter and warmer time of the year. Make your own recipes or use my essential oil cleaning recipes.

This post is linked to:
Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways
Your Green Resource
Fat Tuesday

Can Cancer be Prevented? Part 1.

2012-01-10T17:29:00.000-08:00

I ordered Michael Colgan's book, You Can Prevent Cancer a couple of years ago and I decided to read it again the other day. Cancer is a hot topic and if affects a lot of people.

In 2000, a major study of 44,788 twins performed by the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm showed that heredity was a minor cause of cancer. Prostate, breast, colorectal and lung cancer were the cancers with a heredity component. 42% of the prostate cancer was genetically influenced while the other three cancers mentioned were 33% genetically influenced. The researchers concluded that the environment is the major cause of cancer. In 2001 the Karolinska Institute after more research was done, stated that most cancers are caused by lifestyle and environmental factors that we have the power to modify. If we have the power influence it, than we can prevent it. European cancer specialists also agreed with the Karolinska Institute.

Robert Hoover of the Us National Cancer also stated:

" From this work has come the widely accepted estimate that 80-90% of human cancer is due to environmental factors"

Even though all these experts agree that many cancers are caused by environmental and lifestyle factors, only 1% of the cancer dollars are spent on prevention. European Cancer Journal compared the large reduction in cancer deaths from cancer prevention programs that targeted environmental causes, with reductions in death from advances in cancer treatments. There was no questions about it, prevention is superior!

It is crazy that so little is spent on prevention when the specialists predict that effective application of prevention could reduce cancer deaths by 29% by 2020. Advances in treatments would only achieve 4%! Simple prevention strategies reduced the cancer deaths by 13%, while screenings, early diagnosis etc only reduced the cancer deaths by 6%.

Naturally, we cannot prevent cancer by exposing ourselves to toxins, eating junk food and live a sedentary life. As you can see, there are some positive news that we can minimize our chances of developing cancer by working on prevention. Stay tuned for my next post when I share some more information from Dr.Colgan's book, You Can Prevent Cancer.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Johanna is an aromatherapist and an independent distributor of Young Living Essential Oils.She is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils,real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthierchoices in their lives. She also runs Naturally Sports & Wellness together with her husband.
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

This post is linked to:
Fat Tuesday

The Amount of Sugar in Fruit

2012-01-10T13:26:00.000-08:00

There is nothing that says that you should avoid fruit on the Paleo diet, but Cordain says in his new book, the Paleo Answer, that it is wise to avoid dried fruit and eat sparingly of the high sugar fruits if you're overweight and/or suffer from type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and abnormal blood lipids.

As you will see below, dried fruit is a lot higher in sugar than fresh fruit and should be eaten in limited amount for most us. Fresh fruit is by far the best for us. Children are more active and don't need to limit their carbohydrate as much as adults. Just make sure that the dried fruit is unsweetened. Read the rest of the post on my Paleo Blog.

Our Health and Coaching Services

2012-01-09T15:42:00.000-08:00

When I don't write for Jo's Health Corner I run Naturally Sports & Wellness together with my husband. Here is some information about our company. We are currently working on a family package to make it affordable for families to be able to seek help from natural health practitioners.

Alongwith our coaching and training services Naturally Sports &Wellness runs a Naturopathic Service. Naturopaths are trainedspecialists in a healing art, which uses non-invasive naturalmedicine. They are not medical doctors (M.D.s). Naturopaths aretrained in subjects such as anatomy, physiology, counseling, dietaryevaluations, nutrition, herbology, acupressure, homeopathy,iridology, and exercise therapy. Traditional Naturopaths do not treatdisease. Rather they educate their clients to activate and maximizethe healing properties of their own bodies.

Health consultations or sport coaching are done in person, on Skype or via email. You can pay for the consultations on each individual consultation page. Once we have received payment we will contact you to set up a time for the consultation.

NaturallySports & Wellness offers the following services:

Paleo - An Anti-Cancer Diet?

2012-01-08T18:31:00.000-08:00

Paleo is more than a diet, it is a lifestyle that means a more natural and minimalist approach to living. People eating the Paleo way clean up their diet by removing grains, sugar, legumes, and dairy and replace them with meat, fruit, and vegetables. The absence of packaged food means less exposure to toxins linked to cancer. This way of eating seems extreme by many, especially by people still promoting a high carbohydrate diet low in fat.

Loren Cordain states in his latest book, The Paleo Answer, that The Paleo Diet can greatly reduce your risk of getting cancer due to the many nutritional elements that it contains. With the focus in the media about breast cancer it is interesting to note that lung cancer is responsible for almost twice as many deaths as breast cancer and prostate cancer. Read the rest of the post on my Paleo blog.

Living Well Blog Hop #23

2012-01-05T21:56:00.000-08:00

Your Living Well hosts for the week are:

Laurie @ Common Sense Homesteading

Jo @ Jo’s Health Corner

Tina @ Being Made New

Lea @ Nourishing Treasures

Living Well Blog Hop guidelines:

1. Please provide a link back to one of the Living Well host blogs in your post. Grab one of the buttons below if you like.

2. Please link to a specific post in your blog, not your blog’s home page.

3. If you link a recipe, please use real foods and avoid highly processed ingredients. Recipes low in refined sugar/refined carbohydrates are preferred.

4. The hosts of the blog hop reserve the right to remove any posts that we deem inappropriate.

5. Please leave a comment below to tell us a little more about your link or share your tips if you don't have a blog. (Linked posts do not need to be from this week.)

Thanks for joining us in Living Well.

Cleansing with Essential Oils

2012-01-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

Essential oils can be a great addition to herbal cleanses or used alone.

They can be used in several ways:

mix with bath salts, vegetable oils, or apple cider vinegar for a great detoxifying bath.
add to vegetable oils for a massage
add to the brush when dry brushing
add to the wash cloth and used in the shower
add to a tissue and inhaled
add a couple of drops on your hand, rub your hands, and inhale
add essential oils to the appropriate Vita Flex points (liver, kidney) on the feet
make a compress and put over a specific organ that needs to be cleansed

Alteratives are remedies that cleanse and purify the blood, and they are also called detoxifiers or blood purifiers. They assist the body’s own eliminatory channels by stimulating the liver, lungs, kidneys, bowels, sweat glands, and the lymphatic system to excrete toxins.

Essential oils with lymphatic, diaphoretic, expectorant, diuretic, hepatic, laxative and emmenagogue properties are considered alteratives. **( Explanation at the end of the post)

Most commonly used essential oils with alteratives properties are angelica root, black pepper, carrot seed, cypress, everlasting, fennel, grapefruit, geranium, juniper, lemon, orange, peppermint and rosemary.

Some of my favorite alteratives are:

Cypress
Cypress, (Cupressus sempervirens var. stricta) has a bitter, acidic, sharp, spicy and balsamic-woody top note. The middle note is balsamic-woody, sweet and spicy. The base note smells more like cypress with a forest scent and is not as sweet. The aroma clears the head and is very relaxing.

Cypress was used by the Romans and the Greeks. Sempevirens means ever living, and the tree was dedicated to the gods of the underworld.

It has a calming, balancing, refreshing and clearing effect on the emotions. Cypress is useful in anger and will also restore calm. In France, Dr.Valnet used cypress for bronchitis and coughs at hospitals, and the cough was stopped by putting drops of cypress under the pillows. It also has astringent and vaso-constrictor properties, and is therefore useful in circulatory problems.

Grapefruit

Grapefruit, (Citrus paradisi ) has a sweet, fresh, intense citrus and fruity top note. It is a clean and refreshing smell. The middle note is softer and milder with sweet and pleasant orange-citrus aroma with some bitterness and slightly earthy tone. The base not has the same characteristic scent but is a lot weaker. Grapefruit is uplifting and positive, and it is a very energizing and reviving scent.

Grapefruit has a very uplifting, reviving, and energizing effect on the mood. It is therefore a good choice when feeling stressed, depressed, or suffering from nervous exhaustion. It is very balancing.

Due to its diuretic and detoxifying properties, grapefruit may be useful in cellulites. Grapefruit also stimulates the liver and gallbladder, which may help regulating eating disorders. Grapefruit is also often used for oily skin and acne. It has also historically been used for stretch marks, fungal infection, wounds and bruises.

Lemon
Lemon, (Citrus limonum) has a sharp, clean and refreshing aroma. It smells like the zest of the fruit. The aroma is very relaxing, but at the same time it feels like it clears the mind and sharpens the senses. It is obvious it is a top note because the scent doesn’t last long.
Lemon increases the ability to concentrate. It lifts the spirit and clears the mind. It is also a powerful antibacterial.

Lemon stimulates the action of the white blood corpuscles, and it also counteracts the acidity in the body. It also has a tonic effect on the circulatory system. It is well known for its detoxifying and astringent properties.

Here are some other tips of how essential oils can used.

Some people cleanse several times a year, but it also important to keep cleansing all through the year. Eat a wholesome diet with fresh vegetables and fruit, avoid as much toxins as possible, drink lemon water, exercise, and add the essential oils mentioned above.

Lymphatic - Assist the tissue cleansing action of the lymphatic system.
Diaphoretic - Promoting sweating, assisting the excretory functions of the skin.

Expectorant - Promoting expulsion of mucus, assisting the respiratory system.

Diuretic - Promoting urination, assisting excretory functions of the kidneys.

Laxative - Promoting bowel movements, assisting excretory functions of the large intestines.
Hepatic - Enhancing liver functions, assisting the liver's detoxifying functions.

Buy Essential Oils Here

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Johanna is an aromatherapist and an independent distributor of Young Living Essential Oils and Nature's Sunshine.She is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils,real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthierchoices in their lives. She also runs Naturally Sports &amp;Wellness together with her husband.
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

This post is linked to:
Fat Tuesday

Jo's Health Corner Top 10 Posts of 2011

2011-12-30T12:25:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe it is the end of the year again! Time flies when you are having a lot of fun and I have a lot of fun blogging. I teamed up with some great ladies and I co-host a Living Well Blog Hop every weekend. Don't forget to link up your Living Well posts.

Unfortunately I have not had time to write as many posts as I'd like to, but I plan to change that in 2012. I have some great posts coming very shortly. Some new things happened this year, we moved from Texas to California, and my husband and I have been working full time with our company Naturally Sports & Wellness. It has been a lot of hard work setting up our business but it is so rewarding to help people feel better. My husband is a traditional Naturopath and Master Herbalist and we work together as a team. We now offer consultations online.

I always enjoy looking at the most viewed posts at the end of the year and I'm always surprised when I see which posts are the most popular. Some of the posts on the most viewed list are not the ones I expect, some of them seem to get a lot of attention without any promotion. Four of the top 10 posts are about Paleo and a Grain Free diet. I highly recommend that you read them, many people have improved their health when they excluded things such as grains/gluten and dairy.

photo credit

Jo's Health Corner's top posts of 2011 according to my stats are:

Children on a Grain & Dairy Free Diet
Is The Paleo Diet Beneficial For Autoimmune Diseases?
Natural Homemade Gift Ideas
Sore Throat Spray and Gargle
Getting Started On The Paleo Diet
Just Some Quick and Easy Soap I Made In Less Than 30 Minutes
Things that Mess With The Hormones and What To Do About It. Part 1.
Do We Really Need Grains?
Tips - How I Replaced Refined Sugar In Our House
Thyroid Health and Essential Oils

Happy New Year!
Thanks for being part of my blogging community! I appreciate your support.

Check out the Top 10 Posts of 2010
.

Photo Credit

This post is linked to:
Living Well Blog Hop

Living Well Blog Hop # 22

2011-12-30T09:18:00.000-08:00

Your Living Well hosts for the week are:

Laurie @ Common Sense Homesteading

Jo @ Jo’s Health Corner

Tina @ Being Made New

Lea @ Nourishing Treasures

Living Well Blog Hop guidelines:

1. Please provide a link back to one of the Living Well host blogs in your post. Grab one of the buttons below if you like.

2. Please link to a specific post in your blog, not your blog’s home page.

3. If you link a recipe, please use real foods and avoid highly processed ingredients. Recipes low in refined sugar/refined carbohydrates are preferred.

4. The hosts of the blog hop reserve the right to remove any posts that we deem inappropriate.

5. Please leave a comment below to tell us a little more about your link or share your tips if you don't have a blog. (Linked posts do not need to be from this week.)

Thanks for joining us in Living Well.

Living Well Blog Hop #21

2011-12-22T22:35:00.000-08:00

Your Living Well hosts for the week are:

Laurie @ Common Sense Homesteading

Jo @ Jo’s Health Corner

Tina @ Being Made New

Lea @ Nourishing Treasures

Living Well Blog Hop guidelines:

1. Please provide a link back to one of the Living Well host blogs in your post. Grab one of the buttons below if you like.

2. Please link to a specific post in your blog, not your blog’s home page.

3. If you link a recipe, please use real foods and avoid highly processed ingredients. Recipes low in refined sugar/refined carbohydrates are preferred.

4. The hosts of the blog hop reserve the right to remove any posts that we deem inappropriate.

5. Please leave a comment below to tell us a little more about your link or share your tips if you don't have a blog. (Linked posts do not need to be from this week.)

Thanks for joining us in Living Well.

Living Well Blog # 20

2011-12-15T21:40:00.000-08:00

Your Living Well hosts for the week are:

Laurie @ Common Sense Homesteading

Jo @ Jo’s Health Corner

Tina @ Being Made New

Lea @ Nourishing Treasures

Living Well Blog Hop guidelines:

1. Please provide a link back to one of the Living Well host blogs in your post. Grab one of the buttons below if you like.

2. Please link to a specific post in your blog, not your blog’s home page.

3. If you link a recipe, please use real foods and avoid highly processed ingredients. Recipes low in refined sugar/refined carbohydrates are preferred.

4. The hosts of the blog hop reserve the right to remove any posts that we deem inappropriate.

5. Please leave a comment below to tell us a little more about your link or share your tips if you don't have a blog. (Linked posts do not need to be from this week.)

Thanks for joining us in Living Well.

Sore Throat Spray and Gargle

2011-12-15T15:17:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit

I woke up with a sore throat the other day. I have dealt with a sore throat in various ways over the years but this time I decided to make a throat spray.

Things I've done in the past:

add a few drops of tea tree, lavender, geranium, or pine to a tiny amount of water and gargled.
a few drops of Thieves oil blend and use as a throat spray or gargle.
inhale or apply to throat,chest, back of neck, essential oils such as cypress, lemon, thyme, oregano (dilute well since oregano is an irritant), frankincense, peppermint or myrrh.
add a few drops of lemon essential oils to honey water.
drinking slippery elm tea with some added raw honey, lemon, and or essential oils
Echinacea spray
apply warm essential oil compress
apply essential oils to the lung Vita Flex Points on the bottom of the feet

A sore throat spray is great when more than one member in the family is suffering from a sore throat. It is also applied straight to the area for extra soothing and healing effect.

Throat Spray
1/2 cup of Chamomile herbal tea
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon raw honey or sage honey - see below for instructions
3 drops of lemon
1 drop frankincense
1 drop of tea tree

Or use your own essential oils combination. Other oils traditionally used for sore throats are:
Geranium, pine, cypress, thyme, peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender, cajuput, sandalwood, niaouli.

Make sure that you use high quality essential oils that has been recommended as dietary supplements.

Instructions:
Brew the herbal tea and strain it well. Add the vinegar to the herbal tea, mix the essential oils with the honey and add to the tea mix. Pour it into a glass spray bottle and shake well before each use. One to two spray is enough each time. Use wisely three times a day. Don't eat within 15 minutes after using the spray.

Honey
1 1/2 cups of raw honey
1/4 fresh sage leaves

Heat honey over low heat. Add the sage leaves and heat gently until the sage leaves become dry. Strain with a slotted spoon or sieve. Pour the honey into a clean glass jar. You can add a fresh sage leaf or two to the final honey.

You can also use herbal teas as a base for a gargle when the lymph nodes are swollen.
1 cup thyme or sage herbal tea. Water will work too. You can also combine the thyme and sage.
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sage honey
1 drop geranium
1 drop pine
1 drop lemon

Brew the herbal tea and strain. Add apple cider vinegar. Mix the essential oils with the honey and then add to the warm herbal tea. Stir well and pour into a dark glass bottle. Shake the bottle before use and gargle three times a day. Don't eat right after you gargle. You can of also gargle with just the herbal tea and honey, and you can also choose your own essential oil combination.

Thyme and sage are antibacterial and astringent and apple cider vinegar is said to alleviate sore throats and colds. The essential oils in this blend are anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antiphlogistic, astringent and antiviral.

Make sure that you look over the safety page.

References
Aromatherapy Soothing Remedies to Restore, Rejuvenate, and Heal, Valeri Gennari Cooksley, R.N, Prentice Hall Press, 2002.
Essential Oils Intergrative Medical Guide, Gary Young, ND, Essential Science Publishing, 2006
The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy, Salvatore Battaglia, The Perfect Potion Pty Ltd, 1997

Buy Essential Oils Here

Living Well Blog Hop #19

2011-12-08T21:24:00.001-08:00

Your Living Well hosts for the week are:

Laurie @ Common Sense Homesteading

Jo @ Jo’s Health Corner

Tina @ Being Made New

Lea @ Nourishing Treasures

Living Well Blog Hop guidelines:

1. Please provide a link back to one of the Living Well host blogs in your post. Grab one of the buttons below if you like.

2. Please link to a specific post in your blog, not your blog’s home page.

3. If you link a recipe, please use real foods and avoid highly processed ingredients. Recipes low in refined sugar/refined carbohydrates are preferred.

4. The hosts of the blog hop reserve the right to remove any posts that we deem inappropriate.

5. Please leave a comment below to tell us a little more about your link or share your tips if you don't have a blog. (Linked posts do not need to be from this week.)

Thanks for joining us in Living Well.

Using Essential Oils On Infants - Teething

2011-12-04T22:24:00.001-08:00

I think we all have had our share of crying babies that were in pain due to teething. Roman and German Chamomile, lavender and yarrow are suitable teething oils. Some people use clove essential oil. I like clove essential oil myself, but be aware that it is a strong oil and may cause irritation itself. Therefore, I avoid it in small babies.

Add one drop of chamomile to an egg cup full of cold water and stir well. Dip a cotton - wool ball in the mixture. Rub very gently around the baby's gums. Keep the mixture in the fridge. Aloe vera can be used instead of water.

5 drops of lavender can be mixed with one tablespoon of vegetable oil. Mix well and use 2 drops of the mixture and massage around the baby's neck area and exterior jaw.

Please read my safety page and dilution chart. Remember that this is for educational purposes and it is not meant to diagnose. Seek professional help when needed.

Buy Essential Oils Here

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Johanna is an aromatherapist and an independent distributor of Young Living Essential Oils and Nature's Sunshine.She is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils,real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthierchoices in their lives. She also runs Naturally Sports & Wellness together with her husband.
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

This post is linked to:
Fat Tuesday
Simple Lives Thursday
Your Green Resource

Living Well Blog Hop # 18

2011-12-02T13:53:00.001-08:00

Your Living Well hosts for the week are:

Laurie @ Common Sense Homesteading

Jo @ Jo’s Health Corner

Tina @ Being Made New

Lea @ Nourishing Treasures

Living Well Blog Hop guidelines:

1. Please provide a link back to one of the Living Well host blogs in your post. Grab one of the buttons below if you like.

2. Please link to a specific post in your blog, not your blog’s home page.

3. If you link a recipe, please use real foods and avoid highly processed ingredients. Recipes low in refined sugar/refined carbohydrates are preferred.

4. The hosts of the blog hop reserve the right to remove any posts that we deem inappropriate.

5. Please leave a comment below to tell us a little more about your link or share your tips if you don't have a blog. (Linked posts do not need to be from this week.)

Thanks for joining us in Living Well.

Receive Thieves, Citrus Fresh, and Christmas Spirit!

2011-11-29T19:12:00.001-08:00

Receive Thieves, Citrus Fresh, and Christmas Spirit!

Place a single order of 250 PV or more from December 1–31 and receive a 15-ml bottle of Thieves®, Citrus Fresh™, and Christmas Spirit™ absolutely free—
a $81.91 retail value!

Thieves
Thieves combines clove, cinnamon bark, rosemary, lemon, and Eucalyptus radiata essential oils. This proprietary blend not only smells great, but has also been proven to have tremendous effect against airborne bacteria. Thieves is one of the best ways to stay healthy this holiday season!

Citrus Fresh
When diffused, this proprietary essential oil blend purifies the air and adds a clean, fresh scent. The combination of orange, grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, mandarin, and spearmint energizes the spirit, boosts creativity, and increases clarity of thought.

Christmas Spirit
Fill your home with the stimulating aromas of evergreen, citrus, and spice. Diffuse liberally or add a few drops to your firewood prior to lighting. This essential oil blend will inspire feelings of comfort, peace, and happiness.

Buy Essential Oils Here

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Johanna is an aromatherapist and an independent distributor of Young Living Essential Oils and Nature's Sunshine.She is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils,real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthierchoices in their lives. She also runs Naturally Sports & Wellness together with her husband.
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Rosemary

2011-11-26T13:00:00.000-08:00

We love roasted sweet potatoes in our family, and it is also a perfect replacement for the potatoes. Potatoes has a high glycemic index we don't eat it as often.

Sweet potatoes are packed with the antioxidants beta-carotene and vitamin C and E. They are part of the morning glory family and they don’t belong in the same family as potatoes. They are rich in complex carbohydrates and low in calories. A four oz serving of sweet potatoes will provide more than 14 milligrams of beta-carotene. Sweet potatoes are high in fiber and suitable for people with diabetes. The fiber indirectly lowers blood sugar by slowing the rate at which food is converted to glucose and absorbed into the blood stream. Sweet potatoes also contain vitamin B6 and folate.

I found a new recipe on a Paleo diet website and we tried it for the first time on Thanksgiving. It is a really easy and delicious recipe.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Rosemary

1 pound sweet potatoes or yams cut into cubes

1 large sprig of rosemary

3 tbsp. lard, duck, or goose fat

5 cloves of garlic, smashed

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
( I added more garlic and rosemary than the recipe called for)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring the sweet potatoes to a rolling boil in a pot with salted cold water. Remove when it boils. Melt the fat in a roasting pan/dutch oven, and add the garlic and rosemary. After a couple of minutes add the potatoes and mix. Remove from the heat right away and season with freshly ground black pepper. Put the roasting pan in the oven until the sweet potatoes are done.

This post is linked to:
Sunday School at Butter Believer!
Fat Tuesday

Living Well Blog Hop # 17

2011-11-24T22:10:00.000-08:00

Your Living Well hosts for the week are:

Laurie @ Common Sense Homesteading

Jo @ Jo’s Health Corner

Tina @ Being Made New

Lea @ Nourishing Treasures

Living Well Blog Hop guidelines:

1. Please provide a link back to one of the Living Well host blogs in your post. Grab one of the buttons below if you like.

2. Please link to a specific post in your blog, not your blog’s home page.

3. If you link a recipe, please use real foods and avoid highly processed ingredients. Recipes low in refined sugar/refined carbohydrates are preferred.

4. The hosts of the blog hop reserve the right to remove any posts that we deem inappropriate.

5. Please leave a comment below to tell us a little more about your link or share your tips if you don't have a blog. (Linked posts do not need to be from this week.)

Thanks for joining us in Living Well.

The Beautiful Colors of Fall

2011-11-22T15:22:00.001-08:00

Autumn is my favorite season and I'm fortunate to experience the wonderful colors of fall here in the Sierra Foothills. We enjoyed a beautiful walk this afternoon.

Happy Thanksgiving

Using Essential Oils On Infants - Colds and Coughs

2011-11-20T10:13:00.001-08:00

Infants - Two to Twelve Months

Naturally you have to use your judgment and make sure that you go to the doctor if the baby shows sign of a serious illness. A baby under three weeks old with a cough should be checked by a doctor. A baby that is feverish, not eating, and crying a lot should be checked by a doctor as well.

The most simple but yet effective solution to colds is to put a small bowl of hot water under the bed. Add 3 drops of eucalyptus.

You can also mix 10 drops each of lavender, eucalyptus, and tea tree. Add 3 drops of this blend to a diffuser and let it run all night as well as the following day. Add 2 drops of the oil blend on a piece of cotton and put it under the pillow.
Worwood suggests that the same blend can be used as an massage blend. Mix 3 drops of the blend with 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil. Massage the baby's chest and back. Don't use this blend more than a week.

Worwood recommends the following formula for severe cough, whopping cough, severe bronchitis, or other respiratory complaints.

Eucalyptus 3 drops
Hyssop 1 drop
Thyme 1 drop

This formula can be added to a bowl of hot water that is placed under the bed away from the head during the night. It can also be used in a diffuser. se this blend for three nights, take a break for two nights, and if needed use it again. Dilute the essential oils in some water before using them in a diffuser for babies.

Please read my safety page and dilution chart. Remember that this is for educational purposes and it is not meant to diagnose. Seek professional help when needed.

Reference:
The Complete Book Of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy, Valerie Ann Worwood, New World Library, 1991

Photo credit

Buy Essential Oils Here

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Johanna is an aromatherapist and an independent distributor of Young Living Essential Oils and Nature's Sunshine.She is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils,real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthierchoices in their lives. She also runs Naturally Sports & Wellness together with her husband.
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

This post is linked to:
Monday Mania
Healthy 2day Wednesday
Simple Lives Thursdays

Living Well Blog Hop # 16

2011-11-18T07:30:00.001-08:00

Your Living Well hosts for the week are:

Laurie @ Common Sense Homesteading

Jo @ Jo’s Health Corner

Tina @ Being Made New

Lea @ Nourishing Treasures

Living Well Blog Hop guidelines:

1. Please provide a link back to one of the Living Well host blogs in your post. Grab one of the buttons below if you like.

2. Please link to a specific post in your blog, not your blog’s home page.

3. If you link a recipe, please use real foods and avoid highly processed ingredients. Recipes low in refined sugar/refined carbohydrates are preferred.

4. The hosts of the blog hop reserve the right to remove any posts that we deem inappropriate.

5. Please leave a comment below to tell us a little more about your link or share your tips if you don't have a blog. (Linked posts do not need to be from this week.)

Thanks for joining us in Living Well.

Living Well Blog Hop # 15

2011-11-11T11:54:00.001-08:00

Your Living Well hosts for the week are:

Laurie @ Common Sense Homesteading

Jo @ Jo’s Health Corner

Tina @ Being Made New

Lea @ Nourishing Treasures

Living Well Blog Hop guidelines:

1. Please provide a link back to one of the Living Well host blogs in your post. Grab one of the buttons below if you like.

2. Please link to a specific post in your blog, not your blog’s home page.

3. If you link a recipe, please use real foods and avoid highly processed ingredients. Recipes low in refined sugar/refined carbohydrates are preferred.

4. The hosts of the blog hop reserve the right to remove any posts that we deem inappropriate.

5. Please leave a comment below to tell us a little more about your link or share your tips if you don't have a blog. (Linked posts do not need to be from this week.)

Thanks for joining us in Living Well.

Essential Oil Roll-Ons

2011-11-10T20:01:00.001-08:00

Roll-Ons

Roll- Ons are convenient, quick and a portable solution when you are on the go. The roll-ons are perfect for the car, the purse, the desk and at home.

Breathe Again Roll-On 10 ml

Breathe Again™ Essential Oil Roll-On is a proprietary blend of oils specially formulated to support respiratory health. Breathe Again contains four powerful eucalyptus oils: Eucalyptus staigeriana, Eucalyptus globulus, Eucalyptus radiata, and Young Living's original Ecuador single, Eucalyptus blue. Eucalyptus oils contain high amounts of cineole, which has been studied for its potential to support healthy lung function. The essential oils peppermint, myrtle, and copaiba also play an integral part in this blend.

Deep Relief Roll-On 10 ml

Deep Relief Essential Oil Roll is a proprietary blend of oils specially formulated to relieve muscle soreness and tension. Peppermint, Wintergreen, Copal, and Palo Santo essential oils as well as others play an integral part of healing in this blend.

RutaVaLa Roll-On 10 ml

Young Living's RutaVaLa Roll-On is a proprietary blend of Ruta graveolens (rue), lavender, and valerian essential oils that promotes relaxation of the body and mind, soothes stressed nerves, and induces sleep.*

Caution
Keep out of the reach of children. If you are pregnant or have a medical condition, consult with a healthcare professional prior to use. Topical use only. Possible skin sensitivity. Do not apply to sensitive tissue. Keep away from eyes and mucus membrains. Avoid direct sun or UV rays up to 12 hours after applying product. Not intended for children under six years of age.

Stress Away Roll-On 10 ml

This unique blend of vanilla, lime, copaiba, and other pure essential oils relieves daily stress, encourages relaxation, and reduces nervous tension.

Caution
Keep out of reach of children. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, please consult a health care practitioner prior to use. Possible skin sensitivity. Do not apply to sensitive tissues. Not intended for children six years of age or younger.

Tranquil Roll-On 10 ml

Tranquil essential oil roll on is a proprietary blend of lavender, cedarwood and roman chamomile essential oils formulated to calm and relax the body and mind. Using the new roll on application, Tranquil provides convenient and portable relaxation.

Valor Roll-On 10 ml

Valor® Essential Oil Roll-On is an empowering combination of therapeutic-grade essential oils that works with both the physical and spiritual aspects of the body to increase feelings of strength, courage, and self-esteem in the face of adversity. Renowned for its strengthening qualities, Valor enhances an individual's internal resources. It has also been found to help energy alignment in the body.

One of Young Living's most popular blends, Valor is now offered in the portable convenience of a roll on application.

Buy Essential Oils Here

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Essential Oil Stress Soothers

2011-11-10T05:30:00.000-08:00

Stress plays a part in health problems such as headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions as well as anxiety and depression. From 75 to 90 percent of all doctor's office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.

Young Living has many wonderful oils that are supporting the nervous system. Here are some of them:

Stress soother #1

Ocotea essential oil
This essential oil is from Young Living’s farm in Ecuador. Distilled from the leaves and stems of a large tree, Ocotea has a history of use dating back over 500 years.

Natural cleansing and purifying properties.
Helps combat the negative effects of stress on the body with the highest levels of alpha-humulene of any known essential oil.
Dilute with V-6 Oil for internal or topical use to avoid possible skin sensitivity.

Ocotea is a key ingredient in the Young Living essential oil blend that follows.

Stress soother #2

Stress Away essential oil roll-on
Calming and relaxing scents of lime, vanilla and ocotea are available at a moment’s notice
when you have Stress Away essential oil roll-on. Portable and spill proof, Stress Away is a
must for road warriors and everyday heroes alike.

Stress soother #3

SleepEssence sleep aid
SleepEssence is a natural way to enable a full night’s rest. It contains four powerful Young Living Therapeutic Grade™ essential oils which have unique sleep-enhancing properties:

• Lavender affects the body similarly to powerful sedatives.
• Valerian has a long history of reducing stress and anxiety.
• Vetiver has been shown to improve sleep quality.
• Ruta, another Ecuadorian oil, helps promote the onset of sleep.

Sleep Essence also contains melatonin, a naturally occuring sleep aid. When combined with essential oils, melatonin is also useful for restless leg syndrome.

Stress soother #4

RutaVaLa essential oil roll-on
This the roll-on to reach for when sleep is elusive.
All three ingredients – Lavender, Valerian and Ruta – are known to increase relaxation and
drowsiness.

Now these are four, all-natural products to ensure you are calm, well-rested and feeling your your best every day.

As always, these products are made with Young Living therapeutic grade

essential oils, so they work WITH our body systems to rebuild and revitalize. They don't mask or suppress symptoms.

Buy Essential Oils Here

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Johanna is an aromatherapist and an independent distributor of Young Living Essential Oils and Nature's Sunshine.She is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils,real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthierchoices in their lives. She also runs Naturally Sports & Wellness together with her husband.
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

Stay Warm with Essential Oils

2011-11-09T09:47:00.000-08:00

Essential oils can be used to increase the circulation to keep the body warm. You can blend the oils in some massage/vegetable oils and apply before you are going outside, or if you are cold inside. A warming foot bath may be easier than taking a bath when cold, add 4-6 drops of essential oils to a small tub and soak your feet. Dispersion is important because most essential oils will float on the surface and may burn the skin. Here are more ideas on how to use essential oils.

Suitable oils are bay, black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, eucalyptus, pine, rosemary, thyme, peppermint. Black pepper and cinnamon should be used in low dilutions only and eucalyptus should not be applied to the face of children.

Chilblains
Chilblains are reddish, blue discolorations of the skin and accompanied by swelling affecting parts of the body exposed to cold. Children are more prone to chilblains on their feet in winter. Poor circulation increases it.

Rubefacient oils will help stimulate the local circulation and can be used if the skin is unbroken. Most effective oils are ginger, nutmeg, black pepper and Spanish marjoram. Use a 3% dilution and massage the affected area. These oils are stronger and caution must be used. Baths and massage with lemon and rosemary are also recommended.

Please refer to the safety post

Stay warm!

Buy Essential Oils Here

Jo's Health Corner

Living Well Blog Hop # 29

Are You Going to Attend the Paleo Summit?

Stop the Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria - Three Herbal Antibiotics- Part 3

Living Well Blog Hop # 28

Lymphatic Drainage for Lymphatic Malformations

Homeopathy and Dental Emergencies

Using Essential Oils on Children - Fungal Infections

Living Well Blog Hop # 27

A Simple But Delicious Salsa

Increasing Mama's Milk

Living Well Blog Hop # 26

Stop the Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria -Top 15 Herbal Antibiotics- Part 2

Can Cancer be Prevented? Part 3. Eat Flavonoids

Living Well Blog Hop # 25

Essential Oil Profile - Jasminum officinalis

Stop the Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria - Use Herbal Antibiotics

Sami Slow Food - Part of A Sustainable Culture

Young Living's Most Popular Products for Aromatherapy

Living Well Blog Hop # 24

Can Cancer be Prevented? Part 2. Eat Carotenoids

Animal and human research shows that carotenoids enhance the immune response as well as protect the skin from UV Radiation damage.

Studies

Fruits high in total carotenoids. (mcg/100 grams)

Apricot - 6,665Grapefruit, Pink - 2,129Papaya - 1110Tomato Juice - 9,688Tomato, cooked - 4,850Tomato - 3,660Watermelon - 5,315Orange - 375

Vegetables high in total carotenoids. (mcg/100 grams)

Broccoli, steamed - 3,265Spinach - 12,600Spinach, cooked, - 12,250Squash, butternut - 5,700Squash, Zucchini - 2,535Carrot - 13,500Kale, steamed - 22,000Lettuce, Romaine - 3,925Peppers, red - 2,660Pumpkin, baked, 7,400Sweet Potato, baked - 9,500

Colgan says in order to inhibit cancer, research shows that you need higher intake of carotenoids than what can be consumed in a diet. He recommends to include plenty of carotenoids from fruit and vegetables in your diet, and supplement with 20,00-30,000 mcg of mixed carotenoids.

Source: You Can Prevent Cancer, Michael Colgan, PhD

This post is linked to:Simple Lives ThursdayFight Back Friday Fat Tuesday

Spring Cleaning Naturally

Can Cancer be Prevented? Part 1.

The Amount of Sugar in Fruit

Our Health and Coaching Services

Paleo - An Anti-Cancer Diet?

Living Well Blog Hop #23

Cleansing with Essential Oils

Jo's Health Corner Top 10 Posts of 2011

Getting Started On The Paleo Diet

Living Well Blog Hop # 22

Living Well Blog Hop #21

Living Well Blog # 20

Sore Throat Spray and Gargle

Living Well Blog Hop #19

Using Essential Oils On Infants - Teething

Living Well Blog Hop # 18

Receive Thieves, Citrus Fresh, and Christmas Spirit!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Rosemary

Living Well Blog Hop # 17

The Beautiful Colors of Fall

Using Essential Oils On Infants - Colds and Coughs

Living Well Blog Hop # 16

Living Well Blog Hop # 15

Essential Oil Roll-Ons

Essential Oil Stress Soothers

Stay Warm with Essential Oils

Apricot - 6,665
Grapefruit, Pink - 2,129
Papaya - 1110
Tomato Juice - 9,688
Tomato, cooked - 4,850
Tomato - 3,660
Watermelon - 5,315
Orange - 375

Broccoli, steamed - 3,265
Spinach - 12,600
Spinach, cooked, - 12,250
Squash, butternut - 5,700
Squash, Zucchini - 2,535
Carrot - 13,500
Kale, steamed - 22,000
Lettuce, Romaine - 3,925
Peppers, red - 2,660
Pumpkin, baked, 7,400
Sweet Potato, baked - 9,500

This post is linked to:
Simple Lives Thursday
Fight Back Friday
Fat Tuesday