New site design coming Tuesday!

Hi there!  I’m glad you could stop by. Almost two years ago when I began writing about healthy living with essential oils my focus was very specialized. I’ve realized online and in classes I am teaching that there is a need to simplify the information overload in the holistic living community. To complicate matters further, green washing is everywhere. Words like natural, green, clean and even organic are never clear indicators of something truly PURE, unless it is certified organic food. Industries are cluttered with these adjectives and are no guarantee of a product that is safe and pure. I value your time – even though my focus is broadening, I am committed to keeping things simple and straightforward.  Think of PHB as HD for your wellness: you, your home and the earth.  Having a Pure Home and Body means aligning your whole being and continually growing to a better You, mind-body-spirit. Even if you know a bit about healthy living, I know you’ll get a different perspective or ideas about building better, more efficient habits into your life when you read Pure Home and Body, your inspiration for Natural Living.

Pure Home and Body is grounded in:

Simplicity – Being healthy should not have to be complicated.  I’ll help you cut through the clutter of a market saturated with products claiming to be Pure. You’ll find answers that are simple, organized and easy to use.

Truth –My articles are grounded in accuracy and the most current research – no fluff. I will challenge you to look for truth in your world and make decisions based on facts not emotions.  I won’t just be writing about do’s and don’ts of healthy living, I’ll equip you to think for yourselves and have discernment to make the best choices for you and our environment in any situation.

Authenticity – It’s my desire to really make the world a better place for all of us, and we can learn from each other. I am willing to be transparent with what has worked for me and what has not, my struggles and challenges, and I look forward to hearing what works for you. We are all unique beings and my perspective may help you sort through the facts and better apply simple, natural living habits that fit into your life.

Clarity –Pure Home and Body is a place where you can strip away the chaos of life and really think and begin to see where you are headed. You’ll be inspired to take initiative where you can and green up your living. An amazing “side effect” of removing chemicals from your life is clearer thinking and better concentration.

Integrity – Everything I publish and link to on Pure Home and Body will be in alignment with healthy, green, organic living principles. I will never promote or write about anything that is “greenwashed”, something portrayed as “good for you” when it really is not. The things I write about and link to are also those I have direct experience with and believe in.

Wellness – The principles I write about are all grounded in basic foundations of healthy living, many that have stood the test of time. Our culture has distorted the path to health with marketing, over the counter and prescription drugs, misinformation and  greenwashing. The many choices consumers have make things complicated. The whole living habits  you adopt will be more effective when you take time to understand yourself better, listen to your body and trust your intuition.

Direction: Pure Home and Body is your simple guide to finding the resources that will have the biggest impact in your life. Make the most of your time with real green, pure living ideas you can use every day. Because how you live in your home affects everyone – a Pure Home and Body = a Pure and Green Earth!

On March 27, 2012 I checked Amazon’s inventory which included:

• 12,766 body cleansers
• 33,953 shampoos
• 50,111 lotions
• 6,595 toothpastes
• 1,964 sleep aids
• 25,330 perfumes

After diapers, the top selling personal care product (consumable) was whitestrips for whiter teeth.

Body care in the US has gotten pretty complicated.   In 1880 there were only 67 Perfume and toiletry goods.  By 1900 that jumped to over 262 . Most recently, the Cosmetics Ingredient Review Expert Panel has evaluated 2,650 ingredients to date, that is just ingredients, not products!

Taking care of our bodies doesn’t have to be this complicated, in fact, all these products are just adding more chemicals to our environment. Every time we purchase products we are casting a vote for growth in the personal care industry.  Where are you putting your money? You can make this as simple or as complicated as you’d like:  (lotion for your face, body, hands,feet,eyes, sensitive skin, pregnant women, babies, etc). There are plenty of options if you’re looking for hope in a bottle.

We don’t spend a lot on personal care items in our home and we keep it pretty simple. I’m glad I don’t have to think much about what fragrance body wash or lotion to buy.  When you just cover the basics in body care, you don’t need a lot,  it really just comes down to  hair, teeth and skin.

For those who just want to stay clean here are 6 essentials for pure body care. And of course, organic is always best. These have no artificial preservatives or a long list of ingredients that you have to research or be a chemist to understand. You’ll most likely find that looking and feeling healthier is a nice side effect of simplifying your daily routine. These essentials are perfect for everyone, babies to adults and takes the fuss out of deciding what products to buy for every age.

1.  A simple soap – I like a bar soap because it lasts longer and it is less likely to contain odd ingredients to thicken, color and emulsify the mixture. I try to choose artisan soaps for a couple of reasons. The first is most store bought soaps are just detergents, chemical mixtures to suds and foam, not unlike cleaners for clothes and dishes. Most artisan soaps are made with pure oils that nourish your skin.  Other reasons I like to buy Artisan soaps is they can often be bought locally and they are beautiful.  When you buy local you can ask artisans about the ingredients they use. I love anything that is Pure and comes from REAL plants and herbs (I’m sure you’ve figured that out by now)  When I buy soap I want to choose products that are earth friendly and good for my skin.

Artisan soap from Wisconsin

2. Body oil – I only use sesame oil or an Ayurvedic oil blend from Banyon Botanicals. I’ve made my own lotion but didn’t want to worry about shelf life and storing it in my fridge, and who wants to put cold lotion on?  I put my body oil on before I shower (yes, before). Water and soaps strip away moisture from your skin, when you apply the oil (sparingly, not that you are all greased up) before a shower, you protect the skin from drying out before it happens. Just don’t scrub your skin with soap or you’ll wash away all the moisture. For warmer weather, I just use aloe vera, the next ingredient in our pure bathroom.

3. Aloe Vera - this is not to be confused with the gloppy clear gel sold in pharmacy stores for sunburn. These clear gels often have additives, fragrance and even coloring (you’ve probably seen them in varieties of orange or green which is not natural) Read the labels! The only aloe vera I use is from Aubrey Organics, it contains aloe vera and vitamin E to preserve it.  I could use Aloe Vera juice, but I don’t like to put cold things on my body ( unless it’s 90 degrees outside)  And while I use many ingredients for body care from the kitchen (like my sesame or olive oil) I’ve tried the Aloe Vera juice on my skin and it just didn’t feel right (maybe it’s psychological as I remember what happens to spilled juices as they dry and get sticky). I’ve also found Aubrey’s brand to really fit with my needs. I use it as a toner after washing, for sunburn and for itchy skin. It’s really soothing after shaving my legs and cools the skin in hot weather. Aubrey Organics is one company I have found that takes care in preparing and selecting ingredients for their line. Combine aloe vera with lavender oil and the anti-inflammatory effect to any skin (even babies) is magical.

4. Baking Soda – makes a gentle scrub for the skin, It makes a super fine polish for glowing skin when you massage it into wet skin. It makes a soothing soak for the bath tub (awesome cleanser for the tub too, no bleach!) and you can even clean your hair with it. I first read about trading out shampoo for baking soda from Good Girl Gone Green. I have not made this a regular habit, but I do use this method once a week and find it really takes any shampoo residue off my hair and gives a lift to my locks.  If it works well for you, it can be a significant cost savings.

You can brighten finger and toenails with a blend of baking soda and fresh lemon juice, simply dampen fingernails and scrub the surface of your nails with an old toothbrush dipped in the mixture. You can also brush your teeth with baking soda. It’s a bit salty, but I find I really don’t like using traditional toothpastes anymore and the mouthful of suds they generate, it reminds me of the “scrubbing bubbles” in a bathroom cleaner for soap scum (ew!) I’ve even made my own toothpaste which I like. My kids liked tangerine oil in theirs, I opted for peppermint oil.  Baking soda is a must have for any pure bathroom, the uses are endless.

DIY body scrub with baking soda, sea salt or raw sugar

5. Salt – Salt is naturally anti-bacterial so it makes a great addition to a DIY body scrub or toothpaste. It polishes the skin and purifies it at the same time. Toss a handful of coarse sea salt in the tub if you have sore muscles or need to rejuvenate from colds or flu. This tub soak is really therapeutic and will help to gently detoxify your body. If you really want to be restored, add 3-5 drops of therapeutic grade lavender essential oil and use Epsom salts (which aren’t really salts, but I included them here because most people think of them as “salt”) I use Ancient Minerals, which is the most natural form of Epsom salts, most grocery store brands are just manufactured chemicals. The Ancient Minerals brand is high in magnesium and is very soothing to the skin. My youngest had eczema as a baby and soaking in the mineral bath really alleviated the dryness and itching.   You’ll get the most benefit staying in this bath 20-30 minutes, followed by a cool shower. You can enhance the effects when you dry brush the skin before soaking and oiling up your skin after.

6. Castille Soap – Liquid soaps are some of the most toxic body products, anti-bacterial soaps contain ingredients like Triclosan and hormone disrupting fragrance. Dr. Bronners is a brand I found that is purest. I use the Baby Mild Soap for everything: body wash, shampoo for the kids, hand soap and general household cleaning. It’s really versatile and I don’t have a cache of body wash for everyone.  I don’t use the versions with essential oils in them because I can add my own and make my own scent. This simplifies my routine too because I usually buy the biggest bottle and replenish around the house as I need: one bottle, many uses.

You’re probably thinking that shampoo and deodorant would be good additions, and for most people, they are. If you use a deodorant, there are many safe alternatives, make sure you use one that does not contain aluminum. I scheduled my first traditional mammography appointment last summer (which I later changed to Thermography) and was surprised to be given directions to avoid deodorant or anti-antiperspirant 3 days before my exam. This is because the aluminum particles are absorbed into the lymph glands and can appear as “landmarks” on your imaging. I use Young Living’s Mountain Mist deodorant that has 10 different essential oils in it.  I get compliments on it all the time, especially after I teach a yoga class. Students have asked me what oil blend I used in the class and that it smells like a spa – it’s just my sweat, nice benefit from a healthy deodorant.

Before you wash your hair again, watch for an upcoming article on choosing pure shampoo.

Simple Baby & Child Care

Babies are big business, and loving parents want only the best for their newborn bundles of joy. While I don’t want to push my agenda onto anyone, I like to give you information and let your conscience and current circumstances help you make the best decisions in your home at any given moment. I do have one bit of advice to new parents, skip the traditional baby care products and start saving that money for college or some other future investment for your baby.

I’ve used this simple kid care routine for over 15 years and it works nicely for newborn babies up to teenagers. Growing bodies and changing skin requires a bit more strategy (including deeper cleansing and healthy diet for teens, which deserves it’s own post). All I use for the little ones is Castille soap for body and hair, olive oil to moisturize and lavender for any skin issues. None of my kids rarely had diaper rash  except a couple of them  I was nursing, after I ate spaghetti sauce.  Poor things got a burn on their bottom which was remedied pretty quickly with some lavender water I applied every hour, keeping them in dry organic cloth diapers in between (I waited to moisturize with the olive oil until I was sure the skin was healed which was only a couple of hours). Another point to consider, the only time (besides the spaghetti sauce episodes) their bottoms got sore was when traditional baby wipes were used.

Diaper care can be so simple!  I always used soft, organic flannel squares with warm water for when they were tiny, small washcloths with plain water as they got bigger. If you want to DIY wipes, skip all the crazy ingredients. All you need is a high quality lavender essential oil and water. Mix 2-3 drops of lavender essential oil in a cup of 8 oz. of warm water. Mix vigorously and pour quickly over a stack of flannel cloths or thick paper towels (I realize this isn’t the most “green” option, but it is much better than any disposable chemical wipes you’d buy) Store them in an air tight container or even a eco-friendly zippered pouch. Lavender is naturally anti-bacterial and anti-microbial so you don’t need to add any soaps or preservatives.  Keep it simple! These homemade wipes are wonderful for  kids of any age, grown ups too. They make very nice hand and face wipes when you are out around town and can be used to clean soft toys and surfaces that can’t go into the washing machine.

Quality is Essential  Make sure you use a food grade lavender which is the purest grade. There is no regulations in the essential oils industry so a company could fill a bottle labeled 100% essential oil with 5% lavender and 95% synthetic fragrance.  True lavender will heal a 1st or 2nd degree within 5 minutes if applied right away, yes heal. I just used this yesterday when my 12 year old burned the inside of her wrist on steam from a tea kettle – the pain and redness was gone 5 minutes after we applied some cool water, then 2 drops of lavender oil – this is a must for any kitchen!)if you put a synthetic lavender on a burn it can actually make it worse. Only time and experience will tell the purity of an oil . If you purchase ready made bath products for your family, make sure you check www.EWG.org/skindeep first to find the safest products.

Oh, and BTW, the FDA has not evaluated my statements and I cannot make any claims to healing or treating and disease or illness. I’m just sharing with you what has worked for me

There you have it!  6 simple essentials for your Pure Bathroom. What are you using? Do you already use these?

Leave a comment and share how you’ve been inspired,

Thanks

Essential oils and pure, truly natural fragrance are today what organic foods were 25 years ago.  Decades ago, those eating organic foods were thought of as radical, tree-huggers, paying too much for organics for no reason.  A frivolous luxury that wasn’t really necessary.  At least the organic food industry was self-regulated.  Today, the U.S essential oil industry is unregulated – no standards.  A company could include 5% pure essential oil and a chemical filler for the rest and still call it “100% essential oil”.

Greenwashing is when a company uses words like “natural”, “pure” and “green” in products that also contain questionable ingredients, many companies are not even required to disclose all ingredients. For example, one of the most common questions I get is what do I think about Aveda? For a while, it made me uncomfortable to answer specifics about another company’s products because I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.  But this is not about sharing with you what I “feel”, it’s about facts that are written on product labels.  No one can dispute that.  Unfortunately, there are many who are uninformed about what they are consuming. All you have to do is read the labels on your products , look up a few ingredients at www.EWG.org and you’ll have the answer.

A lot of this is a personal process, and not everyone is ready to let go of products, because they have an emotional connection. Often, love is blind.  It may be just a matter of time before you can open your mind to seeing the truth in the labels, and that’s ok.  I see my site as a place to direct you to resources that will answer your questions. It’s up to you to take action.  I have had my share of personal battles over things I was using, but knew they weren’t the best choices. And I haven’t figured it all out,yet. I am still looking at ways to continue to improve, downsize and remove hidden chemicals in our home.   All that said, when you replace chemicals in your personal and home care products, make sure it is with products of quality.  Otherwise you may just be replacing one inferior product for another. Here are some simple steps to take when you’re ready to minimize your consumption of home and personal care items:

1. Clean out the cabinets – just what do you have lurking under the kitchen sink or in the linen closet?  Toss out anything that is expired, broken or leaking. Start a box of products that you do not use that can be disposed of properly at a local waste management facility. Many communities have special collection sites for toxic cleaners, solvents, prescription and over the counter drugs.  DO NOT dump anything down the drain. Antibiotics, drugs and household chemicals dumped down the drain will eventually enter the water supply.

2.  Take inventory of what you have left and plan on using up and donate unopened products you want to get rid of. Start to research what you will replace.

3.  Be authentic  with yourself.  Why do you love that mango body wash or Brazilian scented room spray (who exactly determined what that smells like, anyway?). Are you drawn to the graphics on the labels or was it an ad that first caught your eye? Marketing giants reach us through our senses and an entire industry is built on the Psychology of Scent. Starbucks isn’t a coffee giant by chance, they serve coffee with atmosphere, including sandalwood infused coffee cup insulators. Sandalwood essential oil is an earthy fragrance that has been used to uplift the senses. It’s also an ingredient in perfumes as a musk-like stimulant. If you want to minimize your consumption,take this critical step to realizing why you purchase products so you won’t be tempted to just replace one chemical cocktail for another. When you see advertising for what it is, you can better understand your true needs and desires and make the best choices for what you really need. You’ll naturally reduce your consumption.

4.  Choose healthy alternatives to chemical products. Better yet,  do without when you can.

5.   Enlist your family. Change is never easy, and may be grounds for a mutiny if you instill too many changes, too quickly, without everyone’s enthusiasm. Use this opportunity to have real conversations about what is important in your family.  Lorilee at Loving Simple Living has some great points on minimalism and it’s dynamic in relationships. She also just released her first book, 3-2-1 Stop. Check it out if the concept of minimalism is new to you.

6.   Enjoy the extra space you have and breathe deeply the purer environment you’ll have by eliminating some more chemicals in your home.

What are you eliminating in your home right now? Has it been easy or difficult? I’d love to hear about what you are discovering!

Watch for my upcoming posts for more simple tips to continue creating a Pure Home and Body.

Lavender – spray your pillow at bedtime, freshen your bathroom, spray on sun-burned skin

Purification essential oil blend – neutralizes odors from shoes, kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms.  Kills bacteria in the air and on soft surfaces like furniture.  Spray on the skin to soothe insect bites.

Thieves essential oil blend – Create your own disinfecting spray powerful enough to kill bacteria in the kitchen and bathroom.  Replace harmful bleach (linked to cancer) with this spray.Use this spray to disinfect sinks, toilets, countertops and produce.

Watch this video to see how quick it is to make your own spray with ingredients you trust:

The Longevity Blend can be used in a number of ways.  Applying a couple of drops of the  essential oil blend to the feet can increase the absorption into the system through the reflexology points.   Since all of these individual oils are food-grade, the Longevity Blend can be taken as a dietary supplement.  Taking the blend internally can help combat systemic inflammation which contributes to premature aging and disease.  Simply put 2 drops of the blend into a gel cap and swallow.   If you mix up your own gel cap, often made of a digestible cellulose plant material, take the capsule immediately or it will begin to dissolve.   Young Living also has a gel cap formulated with the Longevity Blend that is more portable than filling your own gel caps.

Longevity Essential Oil Blend 15ml    Whsl  $29.75      Retail   $39.14

Longevity Sofgels   30 ct                         Whsl  $ 27.75   Retail  $36.51

You can order Young Living oils at wholesale (select Independent Distributor and order a $40 Start Living Kit for lifetime wholesale pricing, and no monthly minimums)  or retail (select customer).  If your cookies is not enabled, enter #1003003 in the sponsor & enroller columns to support the Pure Home and Body website.  Thanks!

pomegranate seeds

kiwi – peeled, sliced  and quartered

blueberries – washed and dried thoroughly

mango – peeled and diced

pineapple -cut into 1/4 size cubes

honeydew – balled or cut into 1/4 size cubes

cantaloupe – balled or cut into 1/4 size cubes

lemon zest

orange zest

Honey Marinade:  mix up ahead of time, then toss with fruit just before serving

4 T honey

1 T agave nectar

2T fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4 C fresh squeezed orange juice

1 drop Young Living tangerine essential oil

1 drop Young Living orange essential oil

1 drop Young Living lemon essential oil

process in a blender until smooth.  Chill 20 minutes before adding to fruit.

Health is not an endpoint, a one time goal to be achieved.  Rather, it is a lifestyle built upon choices made every day.  Being a healthy person is also not just about weight, but encompasses your entire being -  your physical, spiritual and emotional being including your attitudes toward others, your personal confidence and outlook on life.  Health is a full package deal, not just the wrappings on the outside.   Achieving health also means being real with yourself and setting realistic goals.

1. Healthy people practice moderation and self-control in all they do whether in the foods they eat or the activities they participate in.  Their perspectives are balanced, not living on either end of the spectrum: either oblivious to risk factors in their lives or fearful of exposure to anything questionable so they are paralyzed to really enjoy life.
2. Healthy people are aware of what they put into and on their body:  eating nutritious foods, making low-toxin choices in home, health & beauty products.  
3. They exercise regularly  3-5 times a week.  Ideally, a variety of exercises:  cardiovascular and mind/body (yoga, pilates, tai chi, qi gong)  to keep the heart healthy and to manage daily stress.
4. Healthy people have a positive outlook on life.  They think of the glass as half full.  Research continues to show stress can have a negative effect on our bodies, this includes self-induced stress from negative thinking.   Anything is possible if you just put your mind to it!
5. Healthy people have Common Sense . They are not quick to try trendy diets and gimmicky supplements.  Healthy people look before they leap and research some before they jump into a new program.   They don’t just participate in the latest trends because “everbody is doing it”.
6. Healthy people only do what is best for their bodies.  We have so much information in our culture to know what is harmful to us.  Healthy people do not smoke, drink excess alcohol or use drugs.  Healthy people get help when they need it and build support in their lives to overcome past addictions to harmful substances and behaviors.  This includes choosing friends who are healthy and limiting time spent with those who influence unhealthy behaviors.  Surround yourself with positive people if you want to be healthy physically and emotionally.  Healthy people listen to their bodies and respond when they are tired, hungry, stressed or injured.
7. Healthy people make no excuses.  They choose a course of action, then do it.  This may be related to exercise or just life in general.  Healthy people make goals and follow through on their plans with perseverance.  Are you living a life of excuses?  What are your goals?  What is holding you back from achieving the goals you desire?  If they are important to you, make them a priority.   Write down your goals and leave them where you can see them.  Look at every choice you have in a day.  If any of those choices are optional and they do not align with your goals,  don’t do it.

Your time is valuable.  Make choices that will help lead you to the life you’d like whether in business,  personal, emotional or physical.  Being healthy is not just about your physical body, it is also about our emotional health: discipline, self-control and balance.  Grace is involved because healthy people are not legalistic about how they live their lives.  They do not let the daily ebbs and flows of life throw them off course in their journey to wellness, purpose and abundance.  They don’t make excuses, they just make the best choices they can every minute of every day with whatever options they have.  This is an art, something acquired over time with practice and experience.  These are not skills you can just order through Amazon, but they can be learned.  The key to many of these is to be true to yourself.  If you have a herd mentality and go with the crowd on many things, you need to start listening to your own self.  Only then will you be truly healthy.  You can make reasonable goals and a plan to achieve those goals that are personal and meaningful to yourself.   Your health is your wealth, so spend it wisely.

In the 90′s , scientists realized the dangers of consuming hydrogenated oils even though they continue to be used in many processed foods.  The general public has been quick to embrace a healthy alternative in Omega -3 fish oils yet many remain uninformed of the importance of quality.  In addition to being susceptible to heavy metal contamination, fish oils are highly volatile.  As soon as they are exposed to oxygen they begin to break down becoming rancid.  By the time a consumer ingests a fish oil, it is most likely rancid having a negative impact on the body as a free radical.  In Asian countries, fish are consumed so fresh that at many markets the  fish are labeled with the time of day they were caught.  In the U.S. standards for fish oil supplements require little if any disclosure of purity, hence the resulting lawsuit.  It is expected that many more manufacturer’s fish oil supplements may fail tests of purity specifically because of contaminants like PCB’s.

Young Living’s Omega Blue is the purest fish oil on the market for a number of reasons.  First, Young Living thoroughly tests the purity of all their products and holds them above industry standards.  Secondly,  Young Living’s Omega Blue fish oil is derived from small fish:  sardines, mackerel and anchovies.  These  smaller fish have little or no heavy metals and what fish are used for YL’s Omega Blue are tested to ensure no contamination.   Larger fish tend to accumulate heavy metals in their bodies as they grow bigger – often the bigger fish like tuna have large amounts of contaminants.   Thirdly, the fish oils in Omega Blue are combined with therapeutic grade essential oils of Myrrh, Thyme and Clove.  All of these oils are anti-bacterial and act as natural preservatives to prevent the Omega-3 oil from going rancid.  Thyme oil in particular has been researched for it’s ability to maintain the integrity of a fish oil.  In addition, these essential oils increase the effectiveness of the omega-3 absorption, they offer additional anti-oxidants  and nutrient potency.  Omega Blue also contains Lemongrass essential oil which is highly anti-bacterial and gives a pleasant flavor to the oil preventing a fish oil aftertaste.  Lastly, Omega Blue contains German Chamomile, an anti-inflammatory oil which rounds out  the anti-oxidant effectiveness of this blend. 

Omega -3 fish oils have shown promise in lessening the incidence of heart attack.   50% of people who die from heart attacks were given a clean bill of health by their doctors and had shown no symptoms of heart disease before the attack.  In one study,  the blood of physicians who fell in this category was studied and found low levels of Omega -3 in their blood increased their risk of sudden death from heart attack by 81%.   You can significantly reduce your risk of sudden heart attack by taking a quality Omega-3  fish oil supplement like Young Living’s Omega Blue.   I am confident with the purity of Young Living’s Omega Blue simply because of the attention they put into using only the purest ingredients.  Adding their therapeutic grade essential oils makes a good thing even better.

This information is for educational purposes only,  I am not a medical doctor and am not diagnosing, treating or curing any disease.

Omega Blue fish oil 90ct capsules       $29.75  wholesale           $39.14 retail

You can purchase your own Young Living Omega Blue oil at wholesale (as an Independant Distributor with no monthly minimums, just purchase  a $40 Start Living Membership Kit)or retail (select customer).  If your cookies is not enabled, enter #1003003 as your sponsor & enroller.  Thanks for supporting the Pure Home and Body website.

Another way we manage headaches in our family is with some simple exercises. Try some of these the next time you start to feel a headache come on and maybe you can save the medications for more intense situations. Cold compresses and retreating to a quiet place when possible may also be helpful. Find what works for you and do it before the pain gets out of control.