"Grandma, Why Do You Move So Slow?"

“Grandma, why do you move so slow?”

This was the question my 4 year old granddaughter asked me a few weeks ago. Funny, I didn’t even realize that I was moving slow. In fact, as she brought it to my attention, I realized that I was in pain. Sometimes, as we get older, we just tolerate the aches and pains, perhaps incorrectly thinking that there is nothing we can do about it. Is pain just part of getting older? I refuse to accept that idea! In fact, I have found curcumin to be one of the BEST solutions to this problem. I take curcumin EVERY day and if I could afford only one supplement, it would be curcumin!

Not all curcumin is created equal, some brands work better than others. Curcumin comes from Turmeric Root, and is a well-known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Over 10,000 clinical studies have been done on curcumin. The company that I love and trust is Terry Naturally. I use their CuraMed 750mg every day. One of these soft gels is equivalent to 500 Turmeric capsules!!! It has a special molecular structure, called BCM-95, which allows it to be absorbed better. They also add Turmeric essential oil, to add to its absorbability.

Then if I have done too much in the garden, or I have rearranged the furniture, and find I am in pain, I take 2-3 Curamin tablets, extra strength. These provide quick pain relief, in 20 minutes! Terry Naturally Curamin contains the same curcumin we talked about above. Also, Boswellia, an Ayurvedic herb great for inflammation and DLPA (DL-phenylalaninine), which works in the brain. Curamin is safe, effective, and non-addictive. I love pain relief without side effects!

10 Reasons to Use Curcumin Every Day

(Information taken from a brochure from Terry Naturally *These statements have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.)

1. Healthy Inflammation Response

Curcumin supports a healthy inflammation response through multiple pathways in the body, providing remarkable health benefits.

2. Cellular Health

Multiple scientific studies have highlighted curcumin’s ability to support cellular health, protect DNA and RNA from oxidative stress, and support multiple cellular processes.

3. Mood

Curcumin supports healthy levels of serotonin and dopamine in the brain, key neurotransmitters for optimal mental health. Clinical studies show curcumin’s effectiveness for enhancing mood and well-being.

4. Kidney Support

Supports healthy kidney function.

5. Joint Health

Curcumin maintains flexibility and comfort in joints while supporting cartilage structure.

6. Brain Health

Curcumin helps maintain focus and concentration while protecting brain cells from oxidative stress. The intelligent choice for cognitive health!

7. Intestinal Health

Curcumin supports healthy bile secretion, bowel motility, and fermentation processes while supporting the gut mucosal lining.

8. Liver Detoxification

Research suggests that curcumin promotes healthy levels of the body’s own detoxifiers, such as glutathione and superoxide dismutase.

9. Cardiovascular Healthy

Scientific studies have indicated that curcumin supports vascular integrity and healthy cholesterol balance and supports heart function.

10.Antioxidant

Curcumin powerfully protects the body from damaging oxidative stress. ORAC value 1,500,000

DIY Beard Oil

Looking for something special to make as a gift for Father’s Day? Try putting together this beard oil. Enjoy the aroma and softness as you go in for a hug or kiss. So you both benefit!

C-4 Beard Oil

In a 1 oz tincture bottle add 4 drops of each essential oil:

Cedarwood – promotes hair growth

Cypress – promotes follicle stimulation

Copaiba – promotes stress relief

Coffee – promotes energy and is invigorating

Fill the rest of the bottle with fractionated coconut oil – antibacterial, antifungal.

Put a few drops on your hands and rub into the beard after your daily shower.

Summer Time Fun + Sun Without Damage: DIY Recipes!

Summer Time Fun & Sun without Damage

Enjoy the sun, but prevent damage to your skin and hair with these DIY recipes! We have the supplies you need to make them, come on by the shop!

OUCH! After Sun Spray

In a 4 oz spray bottle add 5 drops of each essential oil:

Lavender – cell renewal for burns, first aid for insect bites, skin conditions

Peppermint – soothe and cool skin, relieve itchy skin, regenerate nerves

Frankincense – reduces inflammation, prevents scarring, antiseptic, anti-infection

Fill the rest of the bottle with aloe vera juice – cooling and healing to the skin – you might even want to keep a bottle ready in the refrigerator/ice chest for a quick cooling mist. Use After Sun Spray as often as you like to relieve the effects of too much sun.

Meghan’s Summer Hair Care Lotion

In a double boiler, gently melt 1 cup Shea Butter. Move to a bowl and use a mixer to blend it with 2 Tbsp Almond Oil. Will need to mix it about 10 minutes until it becomes a lotion. Then gently mix in 5 drops of each of the essential oils:

Melaleuca (Tea Tree) – a strong antiseptic, antibacterial, and antifungal

Lavender – promotes balance in the body, antiseptic, useful with burns or injury

Rosemary – promotes hair growth, antibacterial, and antifungal

Cedarwood – antiseptic, astringent, reduces oily secretions, psoriasis, calming

Store in a glass jar. Apply the hair care lotion to the ends of hair daily, or apply to the scalp weekly for a deep conditioning treatment. Promotes growth and a healthy glow for your hair. May also be used on psoriasis, eczema, or dry skin.

Make Your Own Essential Oil First Aid Kit

I finally did it! You know how you sometimes have something on your to do list forever? Yep, that was me. I have intended to make an essential oil first aid kit for over a year. I even purchased all the oils and a cute little pouch to carry them in, but I just didn’t take the time to put it together.

We went on a little excursion last week and I needed my oils! One person had a headache, one a nasty bug bite, and one a sunburn…if I only had my oils with me. Sometimes we just need extra motivation. I hope you don’t wait as long as I did to make a kit to carry with you.

Here are a few suggestions for essential oils to include in a first aid kit, and ways you can use them. The oils I put into my kit are fractionated Coconut oil for a carrier, Frankincense, lavender, Lemon, Tea Tree/Melaleuca, Peppermint, Breathe, Deep Blue, and On Guard (blends from doTerra).

* Aches/pain – Deep Blue, Frankincense

* Allergies/antihistamine – Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint (work great together)

* Breath freshener – Peppermint

* Bug bites –, Lavender, Melaleuca, Frankincense

* Burns – Peppermint, Lavender, Frankincense, Melaleuca

* Cuts/bruises – On Guard, Melaleuca, Lavender, Frankincense

* Digestion/upset stomach – Peppermint

* Energy - Lemon

* Hand sanitizer – On Guard, Melaleuca

* Headaches – Peppermint, Lavender, Frankincense

* Sinus inhaler – Breathe

* Sore throat/colds – On Guard

* Stress/sleep – Lavender, Breathe

* Water purification – Lemon

I hope you find this quick reference helpful in using your essential oils on the go. I have a small book called, the Portable Essential Oils, by Anne Kennedy, which would be easy to pack into a suitcase or first aid kit for camping or travel.

Stop by the shop and I can help you put together your first aid kit. My daughter is making one to take on her mission trip this summer. I would be happy to order the cute keychain pouch from doTerra that we are using for you also, just give me a call. Essential Oil First Aid Kit - Don’t leave home without it!

Increase Your Vitality

How do you feel today? Tired, overwhelmed, depressed, sick, stressed, in pain? Or are you “on top of the world”, full of joy, energy, laughter, and just plain healthy. It is easy to let the work of daily living take its toll on your body. All at once you wake up to notice that you look terrible and feel even worse! Been there?

At the beginning of this year, I took a good look in the mirror and wasn’t happy with what I saw or how I felt. It is easy to “let yourself go”, being too busy working or taking care of others. Maybe it is time to take care of yourself for a while. Yes, it really is ok to think about how YOU are doing – you have permission to take some time for yourself. These are some of the changes I have made to take care of myself and increase my vitality.

Vitamins – I began taking DoTerra’s Vitality Pack for multivitamins, omega oils, and antioxidants. Amazing the difference! I have far more energy now. Most of us do not eat everything we should daily, yep – I am talking vegetables! So taking supplements can really make a difference. Call me if you want to save money with a DoTerra membership.

Dance – I always wanted to learn how to dance, you know, like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. So my husband and I have been taking ballroom dance lessons. What FUN! It is great exercise too. Next, I want to learn line dancing – anyone know a good place to learn?

Cleanse – Any time my vitality is lagging, I know the toxins have built up in my body and it is time to do a cleanse. Many people are afraid of cleansing, thinking it will be too uncomfortable. I like to use a simple herbal box cleanse, like the Tiao He Cleanse from Nature’s Sunshine. It helps support the liver and bowels to remove toxins and even addresses parasites. The herbal cleanses I carry in the store are designed to allow you to continue with your daily life and work without being too interruptive. You eat normally, just try to eliminate junk foods. It is just like changing the oil in your car, it keeps you running smoothly.

Ketogenic Diet – My husband and I both committed ourselves to losing weight this year. The keto diet is a challenge to get started, but once you learn how it works, it is easy to maintain. I have lost 24 pounds and hubby has lost 40 pounds in just 3 months! I feel great, have energy, and am not hungry. I always have struggled with low blood sugar and the grumpiness of not feeling good if I didn’t eat in a timely fashion. This new diet is changing that. I no longer feel a slave to needing to eat and find I don’t have to think about food all the time. Stop into the store and buy my favorite book on the subject, Simply Keto, by Suzanne Ryan. She has a simple, easy to understand explanation of the keto diet and great, easy to make recipes!

Reiki and Yoga Practice – I am trying to establish a daily practice of meditation, Reiki, and yoga. Reiki is a light touch healing technique which helps you find balance and maintain the energetic flow in your body, mind, and spirit. This spring I took the Level 2 Reiki class so that I could offer Reiki sessions to others (Call me for an appointment). For myself, I have set up a simple yoga mat in a quiet corner of my home to make it easy for the daily practice of both of these. Keeping a positive energy feels amazing, but it doesn’t just happen, we have to work at it. That is why they call it practice.

Aromatherapy and Essential Oils – I have attended several essential oil classes this spring and am learning how amazing they are! Not only physically, but emotionally. I now run a diffuser every night as I sleep, all day here in the store, and I love to wear my diffuser necklace too. I want to know how to use these wonderful herbal oils in my daily life!

Daily Skin Care – Wrinkles, puffy or dark circles under eyes, brown spots, dry skin, these are not healthy looking. Growing older is not fun, but it does inspire us to take better care of ourselves. I was at the shopping mall, when one of those expensive vendors grabbed me and put me in front of a mirror. She started talking about some of these skin problems and how her products could help (for a cost of $250). Yikes! After a good look at the difference I saw in the mirror, I knew it was time to take better care of my skin. Rather than spend a lot of money, I ordered DoTerra’s Essential Skin Care kit and got started with a daily routine. I also found a wonderful Eye Cream on my store shelf that makes a huge difference. My skin feels soft, moist, and smooth – all it takes is a few natural products and a little time to take care of myself.

Grandchildren – I now have 5 beautiful grandchildren. If I need a little positive energy, I just give one of them a hug or a smile, even just seeing a picture of them or hearing them laugh will increase my vitality and mood. Children are a blessing, make sure you have a few in your life.

These are a few changes I have made in my life so far this year! I hope this simple list inspires you to take better care of yourself. Summer is a great time to give a little extra time to YOU. As your vitality goes down, your disease goes up. Prevent disease by increasing your vitality. It is that simple! Call me for a personal consultation, I would love to help you through this process.

3 Steps to JOY this Holiday Season

I have had an unusual number of people come into the store with depression this month. Are you one of those who are struggling to find JOY this year? Maybe it is the dreary weather, maybe it is too much stress, maybe it is the demands of family, or financial pressures. We all have things which can weigh us down and make daily life hard to face, much less try to put on the happy face for the holidays! If you are looking for a little natural help this season, I have some suggestions for you.

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1. Simplify, delete, and cleanse! We overload our life with too many commitments, too much stuff in our homes, too many ideas in our heads, and too much sugary junk food. We simply don't have to say "yes" to it all. Give yourself permission right now to just say "NO, thank you". What can you eliminate from the calendar? It really is ok to spend the evening alone with a book! Give yourself spending limits, a simple homemade gift can be just as nice and maybe even mean more to those you love. Do you really need all of the decorations from the past 20 years in your house? Delete. If you don't love it, donate it to someone else and make their holiday brighter. Food, food, and more food, at every party! If you try it all, you will feel sick, you know you will. I suggest you pick one special goody to enjoy, and leave the rest. You won't feel deprived or overloaded or guilty, and you can plan to do a total body cleanse in January.
2. Take care of yourself! Stress can eat you alive. Try drinking a Cup of Calm tea, wonderful for settling down and it will help you sleep better too. Really feeling anxious? We have an herbal formula called Anxiety Free, which helps you to handle it all better, without the side effects of drugs. Make sure you are covering the basics in your diet with a good multivitamin and maybe some added B vitamins to help your nervous system.Extra Magnesium is also needed in times of stress.
3. Concentrate on giving JOY to others! Are you feeling grumpy in that long line at the store register? Give a smile to those around you. Is the family cranky and demanding? Put on some music to lighten the mood and use some essential oils in the diffuser to improve everyone's mood. If you are feeling sorry for yourself, find someone who has a bigger need and fill it. The holidays are all about giving to others. I was in Walmart a couple of weeks ago and I was feeling grumpy. There were 2 ladies ahead of me in line and one of them had more than 20 items. Ugh! The older and a bit confused lady in front of her had forgotten her credit card. So she said she would have to leave everything and come back later. The woman in front of me, the one with too many items, offered to pay for the older woman's purchases. She had to be convincing, because the first lady was a bit embarrassed. By the time it was paid for, I think everyone in line had tears in their eyes. Simple kindness. Sometimes we forget how much that can mean to someone.

I hope these simple, natural suggestions help you to have the best holiday ever! If you are out shopping and finding the stress is too much, stop by Healthy Life Solutions and have a cup of tea with me. Maybe all you need is a different perspective to find your JOY again.

Chronic Eczema

I hope you had fun at the county fair this year. I know we enjoyed seeing all of you at our booth. It is nice to get away from routine, have a little fun, and of course eat fair food. I especially enjoyed hearing some of the success stories that customers took time to share with me. One in particular stood out to me, a child around 5 years old with severe eczema, a problem since birth. 

Her mother shared the exciting news of how essential oils were making all the difference. She uses Dragon's Blood in coconut oil applied daily. I was pleased that she had no visible signs of eczema, what a blessing! Essential oils are amazing!

Chronic skin problems such as eczema are challenging. They can be hereditary, allergies, or the result of toxin exposure. Always try to eliminate the cause if you can. In children, the most common allergies are cow's milk and eggs, so you might begin with eliminating those. Use very gentle soaps and shampoos, such as castile, to eliminate chemicals. Many find it nice to make their own skin care products using healing essential oils and leaving out the chemicals. You also could do some internal cleansing with herbs such as burdock or red clover. A deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids may also contribute to the condition. Also, be sure to drink enough water. Try these blends for relief from dry, itchy, irritated skin and keep the skin moisturized so it doesn't crack and weep. (Recipes are from the book: the Complete Aromatherapy & Essential Oils Handbook for Everyday Wellness, by Nerys Purchon and Lora Cantele.)

DRY ECZEMA OIL BLEND

8 tsp. grapeseed, almond, or hemp oil

10 drops evening primrose oil

10 drops chamomile essential oil

5 drops myrrh essential oil

5 drops lavender essential oil

CREAM BLEND FOR WEEPING ECZEMA

¼ cup shea butter

15 drops lavender essential oil

15 drops frankincense essential oil

15 drops myrrh essential oil

10 drops chamomile essential oil

2 drops vitamin E oil