5 doTERRA Essential Oils for Health and Wellbeing

I am so excited to share with you this post by Brie Bradshaw from My Organic Adventure! She is sharing with us about how essential oils can help with various aspects of our health and wellbeing. It is certainly an enlightening piece and I hope you all learn a lot from it!

I remember the first time I was introduced to essential oils. 3 and a half years ago. I thought that they were a hoax and a fad that would pass as fast as they came. Oh how wrong I was! Peppermint was the first oil to come into my life and I have not looked back since. Essential oils have completely transformed my life and I am so honored that Bonnie is giving me the opportunity to share the amazing benefits of dōTERRA’s essential oils with you!

“There’s an oil for that”, is a famous saying amongst essential oil users! This post would never end if I went into the numerous uses that all of dōTERRA essential oils can help benefit and support. This is why I have chosen my favorite five to highlight for you!

1. Peppermint– Since peppermint was my first love, it only makes sense to talk about it first! 🙂 1 drop of dōTERRA peppermint essential oil is equivalent to 26 cups of peppermint tea. So yes, these essential oils are very potent and strong! A little bit goes a long way! Peppermint is really good to use when you are having tummy troubles. It provides a burst of cool relief. It also takes away that annoying head pain that seems to come all the time at the worst possible times! Peppermint is part of the infamous LLP trio (lemon, lavender, & peppermint) that helps get through those annoying season changes!
2. Lavender– Lavender is known as the number one essential oil that is the most adulterated. You can find “lavender” in almost anything and everything. Think about all of those baby products that are lavender scented. Unfortunately, that lavender is a synthetic chemical made in a lab! This is why dōTERRAs lavender is the real deal, 100% certified pure therapeutic grade essential oil. I love to put drops of lavender on my pillow every night to help wind me down before bed. It is also good to put on your kids cuts and scrapes that they always seem to get! Lavender is also known as the swiss army knife of oils, meaning if there is something going on and you do not know what oil to use, grab your lavender and it will most likely help!
3. On-Guard– This is the oil you most definitely need in the winter time to keep your immune system strong! I use this oil as a preventative to keep the sickness at bay. The University of Manchester did an aromatherapy study with On-Guard and it was found to kill the deadly MRSA bacteria. Vanderbilt Hospital in Tennessee also uses On-Guard to boost productivity and health of patients and their staff year round. Because of the amazing benefits of On-Guard, dōTERRA has made many other products that are formulated around the On-Guard protective blend. These products include On-Guard whitening toothpaste, On-Guard cleaner concentrate, foaming hand wash, laundry detergent, and throat drops to name a few. On-Guard, like the name states, is a must have in your home!
4. Frankincense– I am sure many of you have heard of Frankincense before. Remember in the Bible when the three wise men brought baby Jesus gifts of gold, FRANKINCENSE, and myrrh? Frankincense is known as a holy oil. Get this, it was valued more back then than the gift of gold. I not only love Frankincense for the rich history that it encompasses , but also for the healing properties it possesses. Cancer patients desiring to fight cancer with naturopathy typically have used Frank and have been pleased. And to all my fellow ladies, this oil is amazing at making your aging skin look younger. 🙂 Frankincense is a must have in your arsenal!
5. Melaleuca– Melaleuca has been a recent found love for me! It is best known for its purifying properties. Like lavender, it is another oil that it is so versatile. It helps support your immune system, skin and nail complexion, and is really good at helping get rid of ear and sinus issues that you may deal with during winter months.

 

The amazing part of dōTERRA essential oils is that you can use them topically, aromatically, and internally! Since not all essential oils are created equally, it is important to know how the company distills and handles their product. Since dōTERRA takes immense pride in their indigenous sourcing, they promise us that we are getting the best, most pure, essential oils in the world! Because of this, I am completely confident in using their products for myself and my loved ones. Life truly is better with essential oils!

Brie Bradshaw is a blogger, 3 years running avid essential oil user and advocate, wife, follower of Jesus, and coffee barista. She enjoys adventures and encouraging others  to step out of the ordinary to make life a world sized escapade. Find Brie’s blog at www.myorganicadventure.com or contact her at myorganicadventure@outlook.com

10 Ways to Keep a Positive Attitude in the Winter

The wintertime is notorious for making our moods tank. It happens and that’s okay, but there’s no reason we should wallow in it and give up on feeling good during the coldest months of they year. Some of the things that have helped me along the way:

1. Think positive: Keep your thoughts as positive and uplifting as you can. It may not be as simple as just thinking positive, but it can be done and is very beneficial all around. How you go about this is up to you, but some ideas are to write down a list of things you’re grateful for each day, reflect on any good that happened in a blog post or journal, or look for positive posts on social media. It can also be good to surround yourself with positive words and people.
2. Take care of yourself: Self-care is very important to our overall wellbeing. If you don’t take care of yourself, then who will? Also, who will help your loved ones if you are not first taking care of yourself so that you can help them? So rest you need to rest, take time to recharge such as reading or taking a walk, and eat healthy to fuel your body to perform its best!
3. Have a family night:  Spend quality time with your family. Whether you hold a movie night, game night, or simply a family meal together once a week, it is good for the whole family’s wellbeing. It boosts your mood to have bonding experiences where everyone benefits in some way. Not to say that it’s all a puppies and rainbows, as we all know there are difficulties getting along sometimes, but it helps in the long run!
4. Go play in the snow! If you live where it snows, go out and play in the snow on occasion. Even adults can have fun building snowmen, forts, and hills to climb or slide down. It’s also freeing and exciting to go sledding and make snow angels! So definitely try it sometime!
5. Snuggle with your pets: A good snuggle with your pets can be therapeutic and lift up your mood by simply having that closeness with them. It makes you feel happier and more positive overall to experience the contact and express your love and care for them. Go love on those furbabies!
6. Take advantage of sunny or warmer days! Whenever it is sunny or warmer, take advantage of it and get outside! Soak up the sun’s rays for the wonderful, and very necessary, Vitamin D! We lack that vitamin in the winter, especially in a snowy or gloomy climate. So those days when it is sunny or warmer are very important to take advantage of!
7. Exercise consistently: I know that our motivation to exercise often goes out the window in the colder months, but do whatever you can to keep your motivation high: search Facebook or Pinterest for inspiration, listen to your favorite music that helps pump you up, or remember why it’s important for you to continue exercising even now. Then stick with it!
8. Cuddle with your kiddos: Just like it’s good for your health to snuggle with your pets, it’s just as beneficial to hug and love on your kids. Plus, it’s good for them too! These little cuddle sessions help remind you both that you’re not alone and that you are loved, and that is a good thing anytime of the year.
9. Focus on the good: Similar to thinking positive, focusing on the good each day will teach your mind to hone in on those moments, which in turn helps lift your mood. The more you practice, the better you’ll get at it and the easier it will to keep a positive attitude!
10. Keep moving forward: No matter what else you do, keep moving forward with your goals and interests. It will all add up as time goes by. While it’s sometimes hard to see, you are making progress. It will become visible with time, trust me!

Winter doesn’t have to be a time of low mood and low energy, it can be a time of thriving and positivity. Practice some or all of these tips for the rest of the winter and see how it can change your life and your attitude!

What are your favorite ways to keep a positive attitude in the winter? How often do you take part in them?

 

~Bonnie~

5 Healthy Living Goals for the Year

This year I have a few healthy living goals. The last half of 2016 didn’t quite go according to plan, and I feel like I have some catching up to do this year in order to gain back some of the momentum I lost. Therefore, most of my healthy living goals this year are similar or the same as they were last year, and I’m perfectly okay with that! Here they are:

#1: Completing the Inspire the Best You Virtual 5K Run/Walk this Saturday, January 28th.

This race can be done from anywhere, anytime on that date. Even though I haven’t been able to train properly for the 5K due to being sick, working a lot, and then it being rainy here for the past month, I am so excited to do this 5K! I will be mapping out my route in the next couple of days, measuring it online so I know I’m going far enough without overlapping too much. It may not be a big 5K race with a finish line, but I have been planning for this for a couple months now and it’s finally almost here!

#2: Stick with a strength training routine for at least three months at a time.

In the entire two and a half years I have been on my healthy living journey, I have not been able to stick with a strength training routine longer than maybe a month at once. So I am making this three months goal for this year. Even if it takes me the whole year to achieve this three months in a row, I am determined to make it happen! I have a strength training routine that I like that has good moves for runners, which I need to get back to as well, and I plan on starting that one again.

#3: Tinker Bell Half Marathon in May!

Yippee! This is another thing I am super excited about. It will be my second year doing the race and I know I will be so much more prepared and properly trained this time, so I’m looking forward to it even more. I’m sure the nerves will set in closer to the race, but for now I’m just excited. I hope to be able to visit Disneyland while I’m down there this time as I didn’t have enough funds to do it last year. This time I am much closer and travel costs will be way down since I don’t have to use a charter bus, flight, and shuttle service all in one trip. I will only have one mode of transportation and that takes a ton of the anxiety out of it too.

#4: Two Cities Full Marathon in November.

When they had the 2016 race, I was really out of shape. We had just finished our big cross-country move and I hadn’t been able to stay on track with exercise or much of anything else because it was such an extensive and long-lasting process. I was hoping I would have at least been able to do one of the half marathon options, but I wasn’t able to do any of it at all. This coming year, I will do the whole marathon. I’m really looking forward to it, to fulfilling such an amazing accomplishment and proving how far my body can go. I know it can handle a full marathon if I train well enough, and I will!

#5: Lose the weight I gained over the summer last year.

With all the packing, clearing out of two houses, the month in hotels in the midst of our cross country move, and much more, my weight loss efforts went out the window. I gained quite a bit of weight back. Not all of it, not even half of the weight I had lost total, but it was still too much! I am still in the process of getting that weight off. It’s been a bit of a struggle as we’ve settled in and other various issues have popped up along the way, but I’m continuing to move forward and make progress, and that’s what matters.

So there you have it, my five healthy living goals of 2017. Goals that make me excited and will be fun to accomplish! I will achieve every one, or at least give it my all to achieve them. I just know that this year will be an amazing one full of growth and progress in all aspects!

What are your healthy living goals for 2017? How are they going so far? Just because we’re nearly a month into the New Year, doesn’t mean you have to let go of your goals if they’re not going according to plan. Recommit and adjust as needed and then keep moving forward!

 

~Bonnie~

How I Find Healing In Food (Plus My Top 3 Recipes!)

I am so excited to share with you this post by Alexa Federico from Girl in Healing! She is sharing her story of how she changed her eating habits to treat her Crohn’s disease and how much it has helped her!

Eating for Crohn’s Disease

Food. We need it to survive, to sustain us. It gives us energy and nutrients. But, the wrong foods can also hurt us. They can cause inflammation, pain, and fatigue.

When I learned that drastically changing my lifestyle was the only way to begin healing my Crohn’s disease, I was devastated. I was only thirteen years old and one year before I was given my diagnosis. I had been following the diet that my gastroenterologists advised me to eat, which was comprised of white bread, bagels, crackers, plain meats, and little to no fiber. But, I had no progress to show for it. I couldn’t control my flare-ups. My parents knew there had to be some missing puzzle piece we weren’t getting. Even though they persistently asked the doctors if food could be the culprit, they denied that what I was eating was resulting in my symptoms.

When another doctor tested me for food sensitivities, my world turned upside down. It was the best thing that has happened to me since being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.

When I am strict, I am in my best health. In my day-to-day meals I don’t include gluten, most cow dairy, refined sugar, corn, soy, peanuts, tomato, and most nuts in my diet. When I am feeling good and I can deem one of those foods a valid “cheat,” I will indulge. Some foods bother me more than others, but creating a balanced system where I treat myself once in a while works best for me. It sounds very limited at first, and people often gawk when I tell them what I cannot eat. But in reality, there is so much I can eat.

My diet is comprised of high quality meats, eggs, most fruits and vegetables, some gluten free grains such as millet and white rice, and brown rice pasta. I use olive, coconut, and avocado oils and grass-fed butter and spices to flavor my food. If I need a sweetener, I use raw organic honey, real maple syrup, or coconut sugar. I also buy organic foods as much as possible. I feel that my body has to work extra hard already, so eating conventionally grown foods with pesticides will only add extra stress to my system.

Self Care

Although a nourishing, anti-inflammatory diet is a huge part of staying well, I have learned that taking time for myself is just as important.

Resting is crucial for people with autoimmune diseases because we can tire easily. Sometimes I need to say “no” to certain tasks or activities. It’s not always an easy thing to do, but it’s definitely the right thing for my body. Listening to my body is key.

I take time to write what I am thankful for in my gratitude journal weekly. I try to include light exercise when my energy is up. Reading, crocheting, and coloring in a coloring book are some of my favorite relaxation activities and are also great if I am not feeling well.

I think that there are many, many, conditions that are affected by the SAD (Standard American Diet), which ironically, is sad! My hope everyday is to reach more people through my blog to encourage everyone to go back to the basics of simple, real food.

 

My Top 3 Most Popular Recipes

Eating natural, clean foods does not have to be complicated or very expensive. I make recipes that are doable for any level home cook or baker. Below are my three most popular recipes on my blog!

1. The Ultimate Golden Milk: Bulletproof Style

My Golden Milk recipe rapidly took the lead as my most popular recipe.

Golden Milk is a healing, anti-inflammatory drink. Dairy free milk and ground turmeric are the stars of this recipe, but other spices and healing foods can take it up a notch! Turmeric is a strong anti-inflammatory spice that is bright orange in color. It has been most widely used in Indian cooking and as a healing remedy for years.

I mimic Bulletproof coffee in my version to enhance it with healthy fats.

Think of it as a healthier hot chocolate. (You could even add in cocoa powder and I won’t tell!).

2. Grain Free Cherry Amaretto Cookies

I’m not surprised that my Grain Free Cherry Amaretto Cookies are my second most popular recipe.

The combination of cherries and amaretto makes them taste and smell like the perfect holiday cookie. These cookies are chewy and light and best of all they do not crumble. My family requested that I make these for Christmas Eve, and of course I had to oblige!

3. Gluten Free, Sugar Free Blueberry Muffins

If someone is looking for an easy to prepare recipe that can be taken on the go, I recommend my blueberry muffins. Sweet breakfast items are something I missed a lot after transitioning to a gluten free/paleo lifestyle. I am so happy with how this recipe turned out. They are sweet enough but they don’t use refined sugar!

When I make a batch, I leave some on my counter and freeze the rest. I will let one defrost over night to have for breakfast the next day or add them to my lunch box!

I hope my story and tips come in handy for you. Let me know if you try any of the recipes!

 

Alexa Federico was born and raised in the Boston area. She is an avid reader and green tea drinker. She blogs at Girl in Healing, where she creates healthy recipes and shares her life experiences living with Crohn’s disease, a form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), which there is currently no cure for. She is a firm believer that “food is medicine.” You can follow Alexa on Facebook and Instagram.