Another yummy vinaigrette!

Here's another delicious way to incorporate essenial oils into your day!

FRESH ROSEMARY & ESSENTIAL GRAPEFRUIT VINAIGRETTE
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. white wine vinegar
2 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary
2 drops therapeutic grade essential oil of grapefruit

Whisk together and enjoy over a fresh leafy salad!

Dress up your salads with essential oils!

Did you know that one of the best ways to make delicious salad dressings is with essential oils? Think about this: with essential oils as the flavoring, you get not only awesome taste but also therapeutic benefits!

Check out this recipe from my friend and fellow oil user, Carolyn Gallos: it is fabulous!

TARRAGON & DILL VINAIGRETTE
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 white wine vinegar
2 drops essential oil of tarragon
2 drops essential oil of dill

Whisk together and toss with leafy greens. Yummy! And it goes down easy, too, since the oils of tarragon and dill have been used for centuries to assist with digestion.

Amazing wolfberry juice

I know, this is an essential oils blog...but I have to share my recent amazing story about NingXia Red, the amazing nutritional infusion produced by Young Living. Made from wolfberries from NingXia province in China, this juice combines high anti-oxidant power and astounding nutrition with no junk juices and a glycemic index that's about as low as beans. There are so many testimonials out there about how NingXia Red has helped people -- here's mine:


My son (now 30) broke his wrist at age 9. It was apparently not set correctly at the time because he has had intermittent pain ever since. He's now the chef of his own restaurant (www.padthaiphilly.com) and spends many hours chopping,dicing, slicing and otherwise making motions that involve wrist action. He had gotten to the point of being in bad pain most of the time. He used several anti-infkammatory and analgesic oils such as wintergreen, peppermint, and PanAway blend...all helped to varying degrees but the pain always came back.

About a month ago I asked him how his wrist was doing, and he told me it never hurts any more. What did you do? I asked him. "I drank a whole bottle of NingXia Red over 2 days' time, and the pain went away and never came back." WOW.

I would not suggest this kind of mega-dose but it certainly seems to have made a profound difference on my son!

Learn more about NingXia Red by clicking here. You can order yours by visiting my web site.

Myrrh Miracle

I just had to share this amazing story! I have a 75 year old client who came in 2 weeks ago and showed me a really nasty-looking wound from where she had scraped her arm when she fell getting out of bed the week before. It looked like a really bad brush burn and it was still oozing a little. I offered her a couple of drops of helichrysum to put on the wound, thinking it would help promote healing.

Last week when she came in the wound had scabbed over with a heavy thick scab, but 1/4" around the entire sore it was really red under the skin. She said it was itching like crazy. I gave her a couple of drops of lavender and told her to pat it on the wound, thinking that would at least help with the itching/inflammation and would promote healing. Then "out of the blue" I suddenly thought "Myrrh!" (antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, soothing to the skin) and so I gave her a couple of drops of myrrh and had her put that on top of the lavender.

She came in today and reported that the very next day after she applied the lavender and myrrh "It was gone!" No way, I thought! Then she rolled up her sleeve and sure enough, the only thing I could see was what looked like the very, very faint shadow of a scar of a very old wound. THIS HAPPENED IN 24 HOURS' TIME!!

I never cease to be amazed at the power of these oils! And what a blessing to have a "myrrh miracle" just before Christmas!

Holiday Survival Guide: Part 3

Spiritual Centeredness: the message of the season is Peace.

This year, pledge to focus on peace, hope and joy--the true theme of this time of year. One of the best ways to do this is to "go inside" and experience the stillness within. How to do that? Here are some suggestions:

Get a nurturing, soothing massage once a week (or as often as your budget will permit) from Thanksgiving to New Year's.

Set aside at least 30 minutes every day to sit quietly, away from the hubbub of seasonal activities—perhaps with a cup of herbal tea, perhaps in meditation, perhaps with an inspirational book.

At least once a day, read sections of scripture or inspirational books that remind you of the "reason for the season." Regardless of your religious affiliation, this season is about peace, hope and joy. Read things that enliven that message in your heart.

Weather permitting, get outside at least 15 minutes a day and soak up some sun. Just 15 minutes of sun a day can help combat Seasonal Affective Disorder which affects so many folks this time of year. Even when it's cold, if the sun is shining just bundle up and turn your face to the sun!

If possible, take a long, warm bath every evening before bedtime. Even better, mix 8-10 drops of essential oils such as lavender, chamomile or Peace & Calming into 1/2 cup of sea salt or Epsom salt and stir it into your drawn bath. Light a few candles in the bathroom and hang out the "Do Not Disturb" sign!

Even these small gestures can help re-set your stress level to zero, which enables you to feel more peaceful. And the more peaceful you feel, the more peacefully and joyfully you can relate to others. It’s contagious!

To support a peaceful, centered frame of mind and an uplifted spirit, try these oils:
Peace & Calming
Sandalwood
Frankincense
Lavender
Bergamot
Citrus Fresh
Grounding
Gathering

May this holiday season be healthy, happy, relaxed, peaceful and joyful!!

Holiday Survival Guide: Part 2

Mental Balance and Centeredness: Don’t try to be SuperHuman

Remember that the most important thing—maybe the ONLY important thing--about the holidays, is being with people you care about. Everything else is optional!

That being said, we all have gifts to buy, places to be, goodies to bake, homes to decorate, and on and on. This year, think about being a bit more realistic in what you think “needs” to be done. A few examples:

Do you really need to bake 12 dozen of 6 different cookie recipes?

Do you need to accept every holiday invitation that comes along?

Do you really need to go to the mall on the weekend, or can you wait until Monday? Better yet, can you get what you need online or through catalogues? (Check out Young Living’s great holiday ideas! or check out the beautiful gifts available online at Aromawear!)

Along those lines, try to approach each day with a sense of gratitude for what you have, what you’ve gotten done, and what you can accomplish in the day ahead. Some of the oils that can help with this are:

Abundance
Gratitude
Present Time
Valor
Believe
Magnify Your Purpose
Clarity

Diffuse them in your home, put a drop in your hands and inhale it, wear it on your skin, or put a few drops in one of AromaWear's gorgeous aromatherapy jewelry items and carry it with you all day!

Tomorrow: keeping your spiritual center

Holiday Survival Guide, Part 1

The holidays can cause extra stress on your immunity and your psyche:

More contact with people carrying cold & flu germs--at parties, gatherings, the mall, etc.

Tempting sugar-laden goodies everywhere!

Stress of holiday gift-buying, meal preparation, home decoration, etc.

Tendency to put your own self care at the bottom of the “to do” list

And many other subtle ways!

Today's post and the next few days' posts will share some ways you can support your physical, mental and spiritual well-being during this joyous, wonderful time of year using essential oil products from Young Living.

Physical: Immune & energy boosters

Inner Defense® once a week. These capsules contain the powerful antimicrobial Thieves® blend, plus oregano, thyme and citronella essential oils, all of which are high in anti-microbial compounds. If you start feeling like you’re coming down with a cold, increase your intake to as much as 3 times a day.

ImmuPower® essential oil blend on the soles of the feet every morning.

Thieves® Hand Sanitizer carried in your purse or pocket at all times, to keep your hands clean and germ-free throughout the day.

Life Five® Probiotic every evening to support healthy flora in your intestinal tract, where the immune system has its “headquarters.”

MultiGreens® capsules, 3 capsules twice a day. These little green capsules are packed with energy-boosting stuff! I’ve found my energy level has been greater since I started taking them with breakfast and dinner.

NingXia Red®, 2-5 ounces a day depending on stress and activity level. This phenomenal antioxidant, anti-inflammatory infusion of wolfberries from NingXia, China is enhanced by essential oils--it's one thing I can’t manage without!

Raindrop Treatment®. Detoxify, relax and boost immunity with a Raindrop session just before the holidays, in mid-December, and after New Year’s Day. The antimicrobial, anti-spasmodic, purifying oils used in Raindrop are wonderful for your overall wellness.

Be on “Sugar Alert!” I’ve found that sugar makes me angry, depressed and irritable in a matter of hours. It’s also a known fact that sugar contributes to inflammation in the body, leaving our immunity compromised. So be on your guard this holiday season when it comes to all those yummy, tempting but unhealthy goodies that seem to be everywhere at this time of year! Go for the veggie trays first, and before you leave the party, allow yourself ONE “no no” so the little kid in you won’t throw a temper tantrum! (and yes, make sure it’s a good one!)

Speaking of sugar… Young Living’s Blue Agave is a fantastic sugar alternative. It’s natural, it’s delicious, and it’s low-glycemic—so much better for you than sugar. And it tastes great! In baking, I can’t tell the difference. If a recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, substitute 2/3 c. of agave. (FYI: Make sure your agave is high quality, like Young Living's: there's a lot of inferior agave out there that doesn't even pass the low glycemic test.)

Tomorrow: Staying mentally centered & balanced in the middle of it all!