AromaHelp Tip of the Week: Arthritis

Arthritis is a term used to describe inflammation of the joints specifically; there are 2 main types.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammation of the connective tissue around joints which causes pain, swelling, and stiffness, and is often accompanied by weight loss and tiredness. It seems to affect women more than men and, unlike osteo-arthritis, usually attacks pairs of joints. In severe cases, the joints can become crippled and deformed.

Osteo-arthritis is a progressive wearing away of cartilage which results in severe pain and reduced mobility. The connective tissue thickens and fluid may fill the joint, causing swelling.

Aromatherapy can help to relax muscles and relieve pain, but it cannot renew worn cartilage nor can it always help to relieve pain in the bone. A change in diet plus adding whole food nutritional supplements to reduce inflammation can support and nourish the body on a cellular level.

One of the most effective natural supplements for reducing the pain associated with arthritis is MSM which is an exceptionally bioavailable source of sulfur that restores flexibility to cell membranes and slows the breakdown of cartilage. Young Living Essential Oils Sulfurzyme capsules combine the power of MSM with the nutrients of the Ningxia wolfberry to enhance proper assimilation and metabolism of sulfur.

Below are just a few essential oils useful for arthritic conditions:

German and Roman Chamomile,Wintergreen

for inflammation.

Juniper, Eucalyptus, Cypress, Lemon, Rosemary, Helichrysum

are useful for swelling.

Black Pepper, Marjoram, Ginger, Nutmeg

are warming, help relax muscles, relieve mild pain.

Peppermint has been studied for its ability to kill pain by blocking substance P and calcium channels. *

*Gobel et al., "Effect of peppermint and eucalyptus oil preparations on neurophysiological and experimental algesimeteric headache parameters."Cephalalgia. 1994 Jun;14(3):228-34;discussion 182

Bath: Warm soaking baths can help to relax muscles and relieve pain. Sprinkle 2 drops each of Lavender, Rosemary, and 3 drops of Eucalyptus with several drops of carrier oil and/or a cup of sea or epsom salts in the water. If pain is severe, add a further 2 drops of Roman Chamomile.

Massage: Blend 5 drops each of Juniper, Eucalyptus, Roman Chamomile, and Lavender in 2 oz carrier oil or unscented lotion and apply a generous amount regularly to affected areas.

Caution: Apply only gentle pressure and avoid massage of painful or inflamed joints.

Be Well,

Jennifer

AromaHelp Tip of the Week: Heartburn

Heartburn is a form of indigestion characterized by a tight, burning sensation in the middle of the chest. The unpleasant taste that often accompanies it is caused by gastic acid flowing up from the stomach. This condition may stem from over-hasty eating, an unfortunate combination of foods, or an emotional reaction.

USEFUL ESSENTIAL OILS:
Peppermint and Lemon are digestive oils, while Sandalwood encourages relaxation.

Application with massage:

Acid-Regulating Lotion Recipe

2 drops each of Peppermint and Lemon
3 drops Sandalwood (optional)
2 Teaspoons Unscented carrier lotion

Mix the essential oils with the carrier lotion and apply a little of the lotion below your breastbone and the area just beneath. Use the palm of your hand and massage clockwise, circular motion, applying firm pressure. Apply as needed for relief.

Subscribe to my free e-newsletter or order pure therapeutic oils at the Oils For Wellness website.

Essentials For Your Natural Medicine Cabinet

I have been thinking about compiling a "nutshell" list of what supplies one should have on hand to become an efficient user of everyday aromatherapy. You can add other first aid items to this list of course such as bandages, etc. These are the necessary tools for using essential oils safely and easily instead of commercial products and OTC medicines. This is what I use for my family's health care!

Essential Oils:

The Young Living Essential Oils Everyday Oils Kit detailed below will provide nine basic single oils and blends needed for your medicine cabinet. It is available for purchase here at retail or wholesale prices. The wholesale kit includes a coupon for 50% off the Home Diffuser. You can also watch a video presentation on these 9 oils on the website also.
Lavender
Apply 2-3 drops lavender oil on a minor burn or sunburn to decrease pain or on a rash to relieve itching.
Apply one drop on a cut to stop the bleeding.
For nosebleeds, put a drop of lavender on a tissue and wrap it around a small chip of ice, press under middle of top lip to the base of the nose and hold as long as comfortable or until bleeding stops, careful to not freeze lip or gum.

Peppermint
Rub 4-6 drops in the palm and rub over stomach and around navel to relieve indigestion, flatulence, nausea, and diarrhea.
Add a drop to a mug of warm water to aid in digestion and relieve heartburn.
Rub several drops on the bottoms of the feet to reduce a fever.

Lemon
Saturate a cotton swab and use between toes to clear athlete's foot.
Put a drop on bleeding gums caused by gingivitis or tooth extraction.
Rub a drop on to help reduce corn, callous, and bunion twice daily-am and pm.

PanAway Blend
Apply topically on sore muscles, arthritis, or injured area to reduce inflammation and bruising.
Rub a few drops on the temples, forehead, and back of the neck to relieve a headache.

Peace and Calming Blend
Diffuse in the room to calm autistic, ADD, overactive or hard to manage children.
Diffuse while sleeping to help stop nocturnal teeth grinding.

Purification Blend
Put a drop on insect bites to neutralize the poison and stop the itching.
Rub a drop on the outside of a sore throat when it is first beginning.
Rub a drop on a blister, cut, or scrape to cleanse and disinfect.

Thieves Blend

Place 2-3 drops in honey or a capsule or apply to the bottoms of the feet for immune system support especially during flu season.
Diffuse to eliminate bacteria, mold, allergens, and odors in the air.

Valor Blend
Massage into neck, chest, or shoulders to release tension.
Drop onto the wrists to ease anxiety and encourage confidence.

Frankincense
Massage several drops on the temples and back of the neck for stress relief.
Drop onto the skin to minimize or soothe scarring and stretch marks.
Apply on the face to minimize oil production and acne.

Other essential oils and items to keep on hand:

Melaleuca alternifolia (basic antiseptic/fights super germs)

Eucalyptus globulus (fights super germs/respiratory infection)

Eucalyptus radiata (for kids-respiratory illness)

Young Living Essential Oils Di-Gize Blend (stomach flu and food poisoning)

Young Living Thieves Antiseptic Spray (for cleansing minor abrasions and wounds)

Young Living Thieves Waterless Hand Sanitizer

Young Living Thieves Hard Lozenges (sore throats)

Young Living Essential Oils LavaDerm Spray (minor burns and sunburn)

Young Living Essential Oils Inner Defense softgels (for flu, candida, and infections-instead of antibiotics)

Young Living Essential Oils Life 5 Probiotic (restores intestinal flora-to be used with Inner Defense

Order Young Living products at the Oils For Wellness website, click through to enter the site and Get Started Now to access product catalog.

Aromatherapy Supplies You Will Need:

Storage case to hold at least 16 essential oil bottles

Cold air ultrasonic Home Diffuser

Glass droppers/pipettes for filling bottles, samples, or capsules

2 ounce amber or blue glass bottles for mixing/storing blended oils

2 and 4 Ounce solid white plastic bottles for creating bath gels or lotions.

Preprinted Young Living essential oil labels for bottles/samples.

Glass roll on applicators-great for applying diluted oils/blends for perfume and therapeutic use.

Half ounce plastic dropper bottles for administering EOs blended in a carrier oil

The aromatherapy supplies listed above are available at Abundant Health.

Carriers To Blend Essential Oils:

Pure jojoba (*my favorite-doesn't go rancid), grapeseed, almond, or Young Living V-6 Massage Oil (for topical use)

Pure aloe vera jelly or juice (burns, skin abrasions).

Honey or organic agave nectar, olive oil (dietary use)

Empty vegetarian capsules for dietary supplementation of essential oils.

Alba Botanica Unscented Body Lotion for creating your own scented lotions using EOs.

Young Living Essential Oils Bath Gel Base for making your own bath gels.

Epsom or sea salts for baths or foot soaks (injury, bruising, sore muscles)

Subscribe to the Oils For Wellness free e-newsletter to learn more about using therapeutic essential oils! Call me if you would like to order or need more information on becoming an everyday oiler! 715-381-6979

Be Well,

Jennifer Nordin

Facing Influenza With Essential Oils

You have probably seen the billboards and the TV ads asking the question "Are YOU the face of influenza?" To me, this question has victim written all over it. Don't get me wrong, we should definitely be concerned about contracting the flu, but should not fear it. With its dramatic tone and ominous black and white photos, the influenza awareness campaigns really play up the fear factor in a very subtle way. If one pays close attention, this campaign is actually an advertisement for vaccines.
My question would be "Is your immune system ready to face influenza?" Powerful bacteria and virus fighting essential oils are a great asset to your medicine cabinet for supporting the immune system. Here are some of the simple things that can be done to assist the body's natural defenses:

#1 Pray for your immune system and for the protection of your loved ones health many times daily. Do not be afraid, only believe!

• Wash hands often, and avoid using unwashed hands to touch eyes, mouth, or nose. Cover nose and mouth with a sleeve or tissue if possible when sneezing or coughing. Avoid close contact with individuals that are not well.


• In between washing, use a natural hand sanitizer with germ fighting essential oils such as Young Living's Thieves Waterless Hand Sanitizer. Avoid Purell, Dial, and many other common commercial sanitizers since soaking up all those synthetic chemical antibacterial agents and perfumes through our skin isn't promoting good health!


• Get enough restful sleep.


• Avoid sugary foods, this is especially tough during the holiday season. Sugar promotes acid and mucus production in the body. This can throw off proper ph levels which then creates a welcome environment for bacteria and viruses to thrive. NO high fructose corn syrup! Daily probiotics before bed encourages healthy intestinal flora with good bacteria.


• Be aware of psychoneuroimmunology, the study of how emotional and other psychological responses influence the biochemistry of the brain, hormone production, and the immune response. Our thoughts affect our bodies' immune system responses. Stress, fear, and worry can lower the production of the cells needed to fight disease.


• Educate yourself about vaccine risks and think twice about getting the flu shot. As with many vaccines, the often permanent damaging effects to our health can be much worse than getting the disease/virus.


• Maintain proper Vitamin D and antioxidant supplement intake as well as eating a healthy diet rich in essential fatty acids, fiber, and antioxidant fruits and vegetables.

Diffuse, diffuse, diffuse!
If you don't have a high quality cold air diffuser in your home yet, now is the perfect time to get into the practice of diffusing essential oils daily to create an unfriendly environment for the flu virus to hang out. Heating essential oils can damage the fragile therapeutic molecules, so candle burners, light bulb rings, and a pan of hot water on the stove are not good methods for diffusing. Some cold air diffusers like Young Living's Ultrasonic model have a built in timer. Running a diffuser in a central room of the home for 15 minutes every hour works well to disperse the micro fine oil mist and circulate it through the air where they can remain suspended for days. In very large homes, one diffuser is needed on each level for maximum therapeutic benefit.

Below are the essential oils that should be stocked in every home's medicine cabinet this fall!
Top virus-fighting essential oils for diffusing:
Young Living's Thieves Essential Oil Blend (see the full Thieves line of products)
Lemon
Ravensara
Tea Tree (melaleuca alternifolia)
Eucalyptus radiata
Top virus-fighting essential oils to apply topically:
Young Living's Thieves Essential Oil Blend
Young Living's Di-Gize Essential Oil Blend
Young Living's ImmuPower Essential Oil Blend
Peppermint
Mountain Savory
Oregano
Top virus-fighting essential oil supplements for internal use:
Young Living's Inner Defense Softgels
Young Living's Digest and Cleanse Softgels

DILUTE one EO single or blend 50:50 with a carrier oil and massage 2-4 drops on the chest, stomach, or lower back 2-4 times daily. Rotating singles and blends for each application works well so there aren't too many scents combining at the same time!
COMPRESS: Apply diluted oils above to lower abdomen and place a very warm damp towel 1-2 times daily.
Influenza Recipe for bath (from Essential Oils Desk Reference, 4th edition)

• 2 drops Eucalyptus radiata


• 6 drops frankincense


• 3 drops blue cypress


• 6 drops spruce


• 15 drops ravensara


• 1 drop wintergreen

Stir above essential oils thoroughly into 1 cup of Epsom salt or baking soda, then add mixture to hot bath water while tub is filling. Soak in hot bath until water cools. If you have very sensitive skin do a hot foot soak with a quarter of the mixture instead of full bath.

Every person's immune system responds in its own unique way when exposed to a bacteria or virus. There are no guaranteed silver bullets that will make us invincible, however essential oils have proven to be very beneficial and effective before, during, and after illness. To get the full therapeutic potential, essential oils MUST be therapeutic/medicinal grade products and MUST be used consistently. Playing around casually with them here and there just won't be effective especially in the face of a tough virus like H1N1. Learn as much as you can and arm yourself with these powerful, natural virus-fighting gifts from nature! Ask me about getting a Young Living wholesale account so you can save 24% off Customer prices on all your purchases.

These tips are for educational purposes only and not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. Anyone who has a compromised immune system or thinks they may have the flu should consult with their health care provider.

AromaTalk Tip of the Week: Removing Adhesives

" Those waterproof adhesive bandages really stick to the skin, and after taking one off my son's knee, a lot of adhesive was still there. I just gently rubbed Young Living's Lemon Essential Oil on the adhesive and it came off instantly! Thank you Young Living!" ~ Sally McKenna

Essential Oil Lemonade Recipe

The theme this week for the Mcklinky Blog Hop is "Favorite Recipe or Dish" so here is a super simple recipe for a very healthy, economical ,sugarfree and caloriefree summer drink that adults and kids love!
Essential Oil Lemonade
Fill a glass pitcher (not plastic since EOs can dissolve some plastics)with ice cold water.
Add 10 drops of Young Living Lemon Essential Oil Supplement(do not use any other brand of EOs unless they are labeled as a supplement).
Add 1 tsp of pure stevia powder to sweeten.
Stir vigorously and taste. Add more drops of Lemon EO or stevia to your preferred flavor.
Fill glasses with ice, and stir lemonade well before pouring each glass.
Enjoy!

Aroma Help Quick Tip: Athlete's Foot

Rub a cotton swab saturated with Lemon essential oil between toes or apply to other affected areas to help clear athlete's foot.

Lemon-Essential Tip of the Week

Use a drop or two of Young Living Lemon essential oil to remove stubborn tar, paint, goo, or scuff marks from floors. Drop oil directly on mark or scuff. Also works well on hands after a messy project. Let it sit for a minute then rub out the spot with a paper towel. Reapply oil if needed. Lemon oil may rub off some varnished surfaces so test in an inconspicuous area if planning to use on wood flooring.

Then when you are done put a drop of Young Living Lemon essential oil ( other brands are not safe for internal use) in a glass of water for a refreshing and purifying drink!