Do supplements make your head spin?

Do supplements make your head spin?

Supplements, Supplement, Supplements….

We post about all these phenomenal supplements and they all sound fabulous, but do you need all of them? How do I take them? Can I take too much? These are some common questions asked when wanting to start a supplement routine. However, with all the options, it can be so overwhelming!

Everything I am about to write is based on personal experience and my own research. I AM NOT A DOCTOR!

I am always going to tell you that you want a plant-based or whole food-based supplement. This allows your body to absorb the nutrients the way it was supposed to. I like to use our supplement Illumineyes as an example. Rather than an isolate or synthetic form of Vitamin A, this supplement contains purple carrot. These carrots contain beta carotene which convert to Vitamin A as we consume the supplement. This Vitamin A helps with the eyes ability to adjust to various light and help the eye to process it. (just one of the ingredients in that supplement).  I saw the difference with a food-based supplement vs. prescription iron meds. I had much better luck with the whole food-based supplement and less side effects.

Moving on…

You do not want to take a supplement just because it looks good! You want to do your research and take what your body needs. For instance, if I am not deficient in B vitamins, I am not going to take Super B. One, because I have B a multi vitamin (Master Formula) that contains these vitamins, and two, since I am not deficient, I do not need to load up on them. As you start to develop a supplement plan, you need to ask yourself some questions.

  1. What are you trying to target?
  2. Are you aware of any deficiencies?
  3. What does your family history tell you?
  4. Do you have any targeted areas of support that need addressing now? 

I heard Dr. Lindsey Elmore speak and she enforced a Core 4. Consider a CORE 4 based on your needs. Keep in mind, you may not take some of our supplements every day. For instance, I use Alkalime as needed, when I have an unsettled stomach, heartburn, or indigestion. Someone who suffers from chronic GI issues may take this as a daily supplement.

For example, here is what my plan looks like:

Foundational Support: Master Formula. If you want to remove multiple bottles of supplements from your countertop, go with this guy. I could write an entire blog post on how fabulous this supplement is but today, we will stick with foundational support.

Gut: Life9 Probiotic

Targeted Support: Olive Essentials (family history or cardiovascular and neurological issues.)

Those three are my constants! My fourth tends to change based on my current needs. If I feel like I need hormonal support, I will choose a supplement to support those issues. If I am doing the Whole 30 or looking to support a diet change, I reach for Juvatone. Right now, I am switching my fourth item to AgilEase. I have been running consistently and this is just what my body needs.

You may only have 2 or 3 Core supplements that you stick to. You know your body and you need to listen to it. Please look at the ingredients on your supplements. Often times, ingredients can overlap.

If someone was looking to support the immune system, their core routine may look like:

Ningxia, Life 9, and Inner Defense, Vitamin D or C

If someone was looking for hormonal support their core routine may look like:

PD 80/20, Ningxia, Master Formula, and Life 9

If someone is struggling with inflammation, their core routine may look like:

Sulfurzyme, AgilEase, and CBD oil

(All of the above are just examples!)

When to take your supplements? 

Your dosage and timing should be on the bottle. Life9, should always be taken at night, an hour after eating. If you are taking an enzyme, you will take that an hour before your meal. Depending on why you are taking your enzyme, this may be a once a day thing, before a couple of meals a day, or an as needed when you indulge thing. Everything else can be worked into your day based on the directions on the bottle.

I hope this write up helped to guide you and was not too overwhelming. Please let me know if you have any questions!!

I also HIGHLY recommend The Supplement Desk Reference by Jen O’Sullivan.

The Other F-word

The Other F-word
As we talk about hormonal support this week, it is important that we touch on the products we use in our home. You can be the healthiest eater and someone who exercises everyday, but if you aren't watching the products you bring into your home, you are still putting yourself at unnecessary risk for so much. The next topic can REALLY get me going 😊 Shall we dive in?

Paraben free, Dye- Free, SLS-free, Sulfate-Free, Phthalate-free….we are seeing all of our household and personal care products try to clean up their act! Why? People are slowly waking up. They want reasons for their health issues and they are starting to become aware of the long-term impact the products we use in our homes have on our health. Unfortunately, people wait for that reason or health concern to arise before they start to do their research and pay attention.
You know what you will not see removed from most of these products claiming to be clean? FRAGRANCE.
It is in everything! From the candles we burn, the air fresheners we spray, to our dish soap and make-up. (Seriously though, why do you need fragrance in your dish soap?) There are a little over 3,000 chemicals than can be blanketed in that term fragrance and guess what… some of them are harmful! Endocrine disruptors, chemicals linked to tumor growth, chemicals that can have an impact on the respiratory system, chemicals that have been linked to cancer, and more. We often see a “green” label or “clean living” being advertised and ignore the FRAGRANCE label that is listed right there in the ingredients. The worst part about this label is none of the chemicals under this umbrella being used in your product are required to be disclosed to you. It is considered proprietary information. You could have an allergic reaction to a product, and they do not have to tell you what is under that label.

Think of the air in your home. Especially, with the holidays approaching and people wanting anything and everything to smell like pumpkin spice. It doesn’t matter what kind of wax you are using, fragrance is fragrance and you are polluting the air in your home. If the word fragrance is written on the label of your candle/spray/wallflower, it is not clean ( even some aromas claiming to be essential oils are labeled as “fragrance”). Your home is the one place that you can control what your family is exposed to. Already, your body is having to process these chemicals that are in the air you are breathing all day long before you leave the house.

Then think of your skin care products, soap, lotion, make-up, dish soap, dishwasher detergent, and your laundry products!! Laundry products kill me. When I can smell your laundry from down the street while I am running, I get concerned for your health. On top of that, you wear and smell that fragrance all day long. You sleep with that fragrance! The smell of flowers does not equal clean.

I challenge you to look at your products. Even the ones you do not think would contain fragrance. Read that label!  This is why we use oils! High quality oils from a trusted source (the regulation on the essential oil industry is an entirely different post 😊) This is why we use Young Living! You will never see “fragrance” listed under the ingredients. They tell you what ingredients are making you product smell so good. I do not have to label read and worry about transparency with them. The other thing I love, is how long the products last because they are not filled with all the junk.  From the outside it may look a little complicated, but it is quite simple to do this on a budget with the right help and resources!

Here is one of my favorite recipes to replace those nasty aerosol sprays:

5 ounce continue mist spray bottle
1 capful Thieves Household Cleaner (
Add 15-20 drops essential oils of your choice
I like Northern Lights Black Spruce and Orange right now
Top with witch hazel or vodka
You now have yourself a continuous mist “clean” air freshener/spray
Add a cute Avery label if you wish 😊

Catching Some Zzz's

Catching Some Zzz's
Sleep troubles are the reason why so many of us dipped our toes into the world of essential oils. Whether it be racing thoughts, anxiety, restlessness, interrupted sleep, or even hormonal issues, the struggle is real. I think it is safe to say that we all have, at some point, looked for support in regards to healthy sleep patterns. 

Sleep routines and support, involve so much more than a simple bottle of Lavender for some of us. There can be various contributing factors and the versatility of essential oils allow us to create personalized routines to meet our needs. 

Before we dive into routines and recipes, let's chat about the oils we tend to think of when we think of a goodnight's sleep. Tree oils always come to mind! They are warm, cozy, and grounding. Some of my favorites are Northern Lights Black Spruce, Cypress, Pine, Cedarwood, Frankincense, Grounding, and Sacred Mountain. There are also some popular floral scents that tend to calm an anxious mind! Lavender, Valerian, Roman Chamomile, Clary Sage,  German Chamomile, Ylang Ylang, and Geranium. Vetiver, Valor, Stress Away, Tranquil, Peace and Calming, Gentle Baby, and Rutavala. I always recommend picking 1-2 good blends and 2 single oils to layer and create a sleep routine with! 
At our house, we TRY ( it can be hard), to promote a sense of calm before it is even time for bed! I tend to grab some comforting oils to diffuse right after dinner. A grounding aroma helps to signal the mind that it is the day's end and it is time to chill. This is great if you are prepping kiddos for bed, cleaning the kitchen, or just lounging and watching some TV. I like to call these our " After Dinner" diffuser blends. Here are a few that we tend to rotate between. 

3 Peace and Calming, 3 Orange 3 Cedarwood
-
3 Valor, 3 Frank, 4 Bergamot
-
3 Rosemary, 4 Cedarwood, 3 Lavender
- 
3 Thieves, 2 Northern Lights Black Spruce, 2 Roman Chamomile
-
3 Grounding, 3 Orange, 3 Bergamot

Do you see how I start with a few drops of a blend and then layer my singles with it? I have found that to be key in creating so many blends! 
Next up, pre-bed. 
Has it has been an REALLY long day? Do you have some kids that can't seem to stop bouncing off the walls? Are you worried about something or feeling anxious?  Consider pausing your usual night time routine and taking some time for an Rest Easy Soak! You will need Epsom salt for this. If you want to take it up a notch, grab some baking soda while you are at it. ( thank you Jessica Davis for this recipe!)
Gift idea alert! 
This is for a larger batch! Store it in a jar and have it ready to go for those nights when you don't have the energy to do anything extra :) If you find yourself scrambling, just grab 1/4 Epsom salt, add your oils (4-5 drops total), and soak! 

1C Epsom salt
1/4C sea salt
1/4C baking soda
15-25 drops Essential Oils ( cut in half for the kiddos)
Favorite oil combinations for a relaxing bath!

Stress Away, Lavender, Orange
-
Valor, Frank, Copaiba
-
Peace and Calming, Lavender
- 
Roman Chamomile, Lavender
-
Clary Sage, Vetiver, Orange



In preparation to lay your head down, I recommend creating a pillow/linen Spray! Another gift alert! This allows you to use your oils aromatically x2 if you also plan to run your diffuser. Not to mention, the oils can work their magic on anything that may be lingering on your sheets. For the kiddos, we call this "No More Monster" spray or " Sweet Dreams" spray. If you have never created one, you are missing out! Here is our favorite recipe: 

2 ounce spray bottle (find here)
10 drops Lavender 
10 drops Cedarwood
10 drops Orange

Top with witch hazel and spritz linens before bed! Tie a bow around the top and give as a gift. Have guests coming? Create one for them and leave by their bedside! 
Time to prep that diffuser in the bedroom! I recommend doing this about 30 minutes before you hit the hay. This allows the blend time to make it's way through the air. Try using the same strategy as above when creating your blend. You will also want to turn the diffuser to the intermittent setting before you fall asleep to ensure that your diffuser runs all night long. Also, do not forget to turn that light on your diffuser off. 

Favorite "Shut Eye" diffuser blends:
 
4 Stress Away, 2 Vetiver, 4 Bergamot
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3 Peace and Calming, 4 Bergamot, 3 Cedarwood
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2 Northern Lights Black Spruce, 2 Frankincense, 4 Lavender
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2 Clary Sage, 2 Cypress, 2 Cedarwood, 1 Vetiver
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3 Gentle Baby, 4 Orange, 2 Frankincense
-
3 Valor, 2 Cypress, 4 Lavender
- 
2 Sacred Mountain, 1 Vetiver, 2 Northern Lights Black Spruce, 2 Bergamot, 2 Orange

Right before you lay your head down, grab a roller or your favorite calming oils and use them topically. There are some wonderful roll-ons available through Young Living, if you are not interested in creating your own. There is Tranquil, Valor, Peace and Calming, and RutaVala ( this one works really well for us). I recommend massaging your bedtime blend into the bottoms of your feet and the back of your neck. If I am really loving the aroma, I will often apply to my wrists. If you would prefer to create your own roll-ons ( another great gift idea), you can find the rollers here.

Favorite Bedtime Roll-On blends: ( top with liquid carrier oil once oils are added to the bottle) 

10 Vetiver, 20 Lavender, 10 Bergamot
-
20 Valor, 10 Orange, 10 Northern Lights Black Spruce
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10 Grounding, 10 Roman Chamomile, 10 Cedarwood
- 
15 drops Cedarwood, Lavender, and Orange
-
15 Stress Away, 5 Vetiver, 15 Lavender
-
10 drops Clary Sage,  5 drops Cedarwood, 10 drops Bergamot,  5 Northern Lights Black Spruce

And the holy grail of all the calming blends....LIQUID CHILL ROLLER

50 Lavender, 30 Valor, 30 Stress Away, 15 Patchouli, 15 Vetiver
Dilute with 40 drops of carrier oil in a 15 mL bottle are roller fitment cap. 

 That about wraps it up! If you find yourself neededg assistance outside of your oil stash, take a peek at our CBD oil, SleepEssence ( oil and melatonin supplement), and Immupro ( melatonin and anitoxidant supplement).  All are wonderful options to work into a night time routine when sleep is difficult. Sleep well friends!! 

Sniffles and Sinuses

Sniffles and Sinuses
In our member Facebook group, we recently held a Q & A. We had a question pertaining to sinus issues! I am sure we can all relate to this. Especially with the seasons changing, issues with seasonal sniffles and upper respiratory support may be a struggle.  Here are some tips and recipes to help you through your struggles!

Diffuser Ideas:  Equal amounts of each oil in each diffuser blend: 

Lemon, Lavender, Peppermint
Melrose, Lavender, Lemon
Copaiba, Raven, Lemon 
Rosemary, Peppermint, Eucalyptus 
RC, Lavender, Cedarwood( great for bedtime)  

 #protip: If you have any citrus oil on hand for these issues, let it be lemon! I like to refer to it as the "drainer" :) 

Roll-On Ideas:  
Top 10 ml roller bottle with carrier oil after oils are added. Apply over sinuses, back of neck, and downward over neck and chest. Breathe Again Roll-On ( already made for ya!) 

15 Lemon, 15 Lavender, 10 Copaiba, 10 Peppermint ( may vary from person to person. )
10 Lemon, 10 Digize, 10 Copaiba, 15 Lavender, 5 Peppermint
10 RC, 5 Pine, 10 Lemon, 10 Lavender, 5 Ravintsara 

Nasal Swab:  Grab a teaspoon of Rose Ointment OR Coconut oil ( coconut oil may be a little greasy when it warms up.Add: 
2 drops of RC+ 2 drops Lavender
 OR 2 drops Melrose + 2 drops Lavender
Take a cotton swap, dip it into mixture and swab the inside of each nostril. Dispose of cotton swab. 

Steam Tent:  
Grab a mug of hot water. You want steam! Have a towel ready to drape over head and mug once oils are added to steaming water. Have the tissues ready! To mug of steaming water add one of the following combinations: 
2 Tea Tree, 2 Lemon, 2 Peppermint 
2 Melrose, 2 Peppermint, 2 Lavender
 2 Oregano, 2 Eucalyptus, 2 Lemon
 2 RC, 2 Rosemary, 2 Lavender 
Once oils are mixed in water, drape towel over head. Breathe in and breathe out for several minutes. Close your eyes as vapors will be strong.  

I leave you with another favorite recipe! We love a good Epsom salt soak in this house. This is a favorite when we are suffering from the seasonal changes. 

Hope you have found these recipes and tips helpful! 

DIY AND BUY: Thieves Honey Drops, Lozenges, Cough Drops, and Throat Spray

DIY AND BUY: Thieves Honey Drops, Lozenges, Cough Drops, and Throat Spray
The season is slowly changing which can often time bring a tickle to the throat, a nagging cough, discomfort in the throat, and an unwanted scratchy feeling. Lucky for you, you have many options whether you like to DIY or BUY your Young Living items. Our family does them all!! Let's start with the DIY!

Honey Drops
This staple recipe can be turned into anything you would like! Seasonal Sniffle bombs ( Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint, & Copaiba) , Immunity Drops, Tummy Tamer Drops ( Peppermint, Ginger, Lemon) . Today we are are using Thieves, Lemon, and Peppermint to make throat soother drops. You can find that DIY in my video here! you will need to adjust the drops for children and I know plenty of adults who increase the number of drops for themselves! 
You can use a silicone mold to keep them in a nice shape! 
Let's chat the BUY options! 

Thieves Lozenges vs. Thieves Cough Drops


 I am a BIG DIY gal and these drops are worth every stinkin' penny. The Thieves Lozenges are Thieves, Peppermint, and Lemon wrapped in one. They amaze me ( and my husband)! The difference between the lozenges and the Thieves Cough Drops is that there is additional menthol in the Thieves Cough Drops.  The cough drops are FDA approved and labeled OTC. Since both contain the Thieves blend, you are also reaping the benefits of those immune support oils. You will NOT find artificial flavors, sugar, or dyes in these drops!
Both are wonderful for a cough, scratchy throat, and to open the airways.  I love popping one before I put my mask on or even before a run. They are so refreshing and last forever compared to the drops I am used to from the store. We just stocked up for the season as these items tend to FLY off the come fall and winter. 

So what do you think? Are you a buyer or diy-er this season?

 
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