• Idaho balsam fir- anti-inflammatory, grounding and relaxing to the body.  Effective against respiratory infections, fatigue and sciatica.
• Lavender – calming, relaxant physically and emotionally.  Supports skin health, speeds wound healing in cuts, scrapes and 1st degree burns.
• Wintergreen – naturally warming, muscle relaxant, highly anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic.
• Basil – anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, also anti-bacterial and anti-viral.
• Copaiba - powerful anti-inflammatory oil, antiseptic with almost imperceptible odor.
• Marjoram – relieves muscle spasms, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, promotes intestinal peristalsis, mucolytic, expectorant.
• Peppermint – cooling, anti-inflammatory, stimulating (don’t use before bed!) Synergistic and increases penetration when applied after other oils.
• PanAway - an essential oil blend of helichrysum (heals tissue & nerve damage, anti-inflammatory), wintergreen, peppermint and clove
• Deep Relief Roll-On is a convenient oil blend in an applicator bottle that you can roll on directly to sore muscles.

Joint Pain – is often caused by systemic issues.  Essential oils can bring some temporary relief, but an honest assessment should also be taken of environment, diet and lifestyle.  You can get a Healthy Home Checklist when you subscribe to the Pure Home and Body Newsletter as a starting point.  MSM can be helpful in decreasing systemic inflammation, as well as looking at your diet.  Ningxia Red is a powerful anti-oxidant that works to give your body added nutrition with whole foods rather than synthetic vitamins.  Consult an Essential Oil Desk Reference, Prescription for Nutritional Healing and your holistic practitioner for management of chronic joint pain and autoimmune disorders.

For serious back injuries, essential oils can help bring relief until medical intervention is needed.   Many individuals have prolonged or even avoided the need for surgery when they used essential oils with integrated care by a chiropractor, physical therapist and gentle exercise like yoga with an experienced instructor.  The Raindrop Technique contains many anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic essential oils that are helpful for chronic back pain and even for individuals with scoliosis.

Name That Product:  Here’s a challenge for you, a product labeled with “Natural Herbal Ingredients”.  Used by chiropractors, acupunturists, massage therapists and nurses in clinical settings to relieve muscle pain.  One of my biggest concerns is the use of menthol (made as a synthetic or watered down peppermint ),  camphor (inexpensive filler that “smells strong”, may be derived from terpentine, used as insect or moth repellant and in embalming)  and lavender “oil” (not even listed as essential oil, this is probably hormone disrupting synthetic oil) and artificial colors, and chemicals that release formaldehyde (also used in embalming):

menthol 5%, camphor 3%, water, aloe vera gel, isopropyl alcohol, lavender oil, triethanolamine, carbomer, ginseng extract, angelica extract, polysorbate 60, DMDM hydantion, imidazolidinyl urea, blue 1, yellow 5

The first person who guesses this product correctly will get a 5-pack of Ningxia Red singles to help fight inflammation from the inside out!

Buyer Beware! There is a caveat to “healthy living”:  there are a lot of products claiming to be “natural” and many are filled with toxic chemicals that many people are trying to avoid.  A study at the  University of Minnesota found many products listed as “healthy” tainted with pharmaceuticals, the biggest offenders were weight loss, sexual enhancement and body building supplements.   Read labels and go with a name brand you trust.  If a product promises unrealistic results or with no effort on your part to change your lifestyle it may be too good to be true and probably will be a waste of your money.

Switching to healthier living requires changing your perspective. Someone once mentioned they could not afford essential oils. At first glance they do seem expensive when you look at packaging size which is pretty small.  In the U.S. we are used to buying chemical loaded products filled with water in big packages to make us feel like we are getting our money’s worth.   Organic foods might seem more expensive, but so are convenient, nutritionless foods  used as entertainment.   The truth is if you compare apples to apples the healthy products win out by far.  Plus, some healthy options like Therapeutic Grade essential oils have been around for thousands of years and are still used in other cultures today, keeping people healthy without chemicals. For what they offer, essential oils are really economical.   Let’s look at a bottle of food grade lemon essential oil that costs $12 for a 15ml bottle.  This little bottle contains the equivalent of 250 bottles of synthetic vitamin flavored water, or can make 15 bottles of cough syrup.  Obviously the savings is with the essential oil – in dollars and in health value.

Where is your money going for healthcare? I thought I had gotten rid of most of the “drugs” in my medicine cabinet and to my surprise the other day I found a drawer full of unused products.  They were all expired, the oldest one a brand new bottle of indigestion medicine  that expired in 2005, another a tube of “anti-itch” medication that never worked.  And honestly, I was so thankful to toss out the chemical, red colored acetaminophen syrup for my kids that I never had to use.  So let me ask you, where is the savings in unused – expired – chemical filled products?  You might even think I’m extreme in saying you should factor in the potential cost of Chemo, ADD drugs, Anti-depressents, Thyroid medication, anti-biotics, name your medication,  whenever you use those drugs with additives, colors and products with unknown or harmful ingredients and packaged foods with controversial additives like  high fructose corn syrup, MSG and aspartame.   I can also say it’s a lot more fun spending money in the health food store and farmer’s markets than the local pharmacy (and there are plenty of them to choose from, becoming as common as those golden arches fast food restaurants)

Do you want to be healthier but don’t know where to begin? Einstein said “Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results”  What are you trying to change in your life?  health? weight? energy? less toxins?   There are essential oils that can help with all of these issues and more.  The great thing is the essential oils are versatile, many are antibacterial and they don’t expire (unless they have chemicals or fillers in them).  You can use peppermint oil for joint and muscle pain, headaches, energy, cold sores, fevers and more.  Each essential oil can replace dozens of over the counter products that have 1  use.  Are you ready to clean out your medicine cabinet and invest in products that will support your immune system?  I’m glad I’ve made the transition to investing in our health and I can help you do the same.    In the weeks to come I’ll be sharing specific ways to save money on health care costs including my next article, a video post on my favorite uses of lemon essential oil.

MSM can be used by children and adults.  It is listed as one of the least toxic elements, compared almost to water.  Sulfur is the 8th most abundant mineral in all living organisms and our bodies are in constant need of sulfur to synthesize proteins.  Natural sulfur can be found in foods like garlic, onions, avocados, fish, eggs, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.   Young Living has combined an excellent quality MSM with the Ningxia Wolfberry.  This product, Sulfurzyme, combines the anti-inflammatory power of MSM with the nutrient dense Ningxia wolfberry.  The nutrients and anti-oxidants in the Ningxia Wolfberry help to decrease inflammation and deliver the MSM deeper into the cells.  The Ningxia wolfberry is also high in Thiamine which is excellent for supporting the liver,  which detoxifies the body and helps keep inflammation in check.

How does MSM work?  MSM is a natural pain reliever and analgesic.  It helps reduce inflammation, muscle spasms and scar tissue.  MSM dilates blood vessels and increases blood flow.  When combined with the nutrient dense Ningxia Wolfberry, you are getting antioxidants delivered deep into your cells.  MSM is safe with no side effects documented to date.  Dosages of Sulfurzyme may vary from one person to another.  Young Living recommends up to 6 capsules per day.  Dr. Lawrence and Dr. Jacob recommend taking just enough MSM for benefit.  MSM does help relax the GI tract and can be helpful with moving the bowels.   If elimination becomes too frequent, decrease the dosage of Sulfurzyme.   For even more anti-inflammatory power, combine Sulfurzyme with daily usage of Ningxia Red.  Using  Sulfurzyme is an excellent way to get your system regular before doing a gentle cleanse like the 5-Day Cleanse.

Essential oils are highly concentrated, therefore requiring only a drop or two to be effective.  This makes them very economical and portable to use.  An oil that is therapeutic grade can often be applied NEAT, which is undiluted, without irritation to the skin.  If you use an oil that is not therapeutic grade and it irritates your skin, it is most likely the chemicals or fillers that are causing a reaction.   Some oils like clove, cinnamon, cassia, lemongrass and thyme should always be diluted before using.  Consult your Young Living User’s Guide, Essential Oils Desk Reference or other aromatherapy source for guidelines on diluting specific oils.  If you suspect skin sensitivity, do a test on the inside of your arm an hour before applying.  Skin on the face and neck are more sensitive than the palms of the hands or bottoms of the feet.

Essential oils can be applied to the soles of the feet to Vita-Flex points.  The bottom of the foot has points corresponding to many parts of the body.  You can apply oils to specific points on the foot to target those areas.  Applying oils to the feet is useful for persons with asthma and young children as inhaling essential oils could be irritating to their respiratory tract.  Make sure feet are clean before applying oils as the oils will draw in any dirt with the essential oil.  Applying essential oils to the feet is not only an effective method for administering essential oils, it is very soothing and calming.

Essential oils can also be applied directly to point of injury or need.  Essential oils should NOT be dropped into the ear canal, nose orifice, or into the eyes.  Use caution when applying a strong oil like Peppermint to the sinus area or temples, it causes a sensation similar to cutting raw onions and may be a little uncomfortable, but will pass in a few minutes.  PanAway, for example can be applied directly to a bump, bruise or sore knee.  The essential oils go directly to the point of injury and can start reducing inflammation.

Essential oils can be administered in the Raindrop Technique, applying oils along the spinal column.  There is research showing viruses migrate to the spinal column, and when therapeutic grade essential oils are applied to the spine it can attack those bacteria and viruses where they may be harboring.  Young Living has a Raindrop Kit with some powerful oils for detoxifying your body, but the technique can be used with any oils.  We use the Raindrop Kit oils for back injury, first sign of flu and for times the immune system needs an extra boost.  The Raindrop technique can be applied to the feet along the spinal Vita-Flex points effectively as well.

The topical application of therapeutic grade essential oils is not meant to be a substitute for serious medical treatment.  Consult with your doctor or holistic practitioner if you have medical concern.

One reason I like Young Living products is Gary Young has formulated some great blends like Panaway, Deep Relief Roll-on and Aroma Siez that contain some expensive oils like helichrysum.  You don’t have to purchase all the different oils to mix up a recipe and you get synergistic blend of powerful oils that is greater than the individual oils themselves.