The foundation of the champagne is simply sparkling water, Soda Stream now makes it possible for you to add carbonation to your tap water if you choose.  I like San Pellegrino, partly because I love all things European, and  glass bottles. The “champagne goes together very quickly, you simply add 1 drop of  citrus essential oil to your glass champagne flute: tangerine, orange, lemon or grapefruit. Add garnishes like organic cranberries or twists of lime, lemon or orange.  Then pour in your sparkling water to mix it all together.  You could even add a couple drops of agave nectar to the glass bottom before adding the water to sweeten your drink for a pure, refreshing spritzer.

The options are endless and can suit your personal taste for the moment. You could even bring along a bottle of San Pellegrino or Perrier and a bottle of Young Living Therapeutic Grade  Tangerine, Orange or Lemon as a gift for your hosts this season. Whatever combination you choose, the citrus essential oils work to gently detoxify your system and will give your taste buds a boost.  Many citrus oils naturally have anti-depressant qualities versus alcohol which is a depressant, so you’ll be giving your psyche a lift too when you choose to go healthy this season.

1 drop of citrus oil will infuse 8-16 ounces of sparkling water~

Optional garnishes:

• fresh, organic cranberries
• lemon, lime, orange twist
• fresh pomegranate seeds

1 tsp agave nectar for a sweet drink (optional)

Cheers!

The most important steps include frequent hand washings ( Thieves foaming hand sanitizer), washing bed lines and towels (I add a drop of Thieves or Purification essential oil to my laundry soap for extra disinfecting), cleaning my bathrooms with Thieves wipes (you can make your own wipes with Thieves household cleaner and tough paper towels, store them in an old baby wipes container for convenience) and diffusing highly anti-bacterial blends like Thieves, Purification, Christmas Spirit and Frankincense to kill airborne bacteria.    Young Living essential oils are also the most important items in our medicine cabinet.  In fact, we really don’t have anything else in our medicine chest – no ibuprofen, acetaminophen,  or over the counter cough syrups with artificial flavors & colors.  This is what  we use for colds & flu symptoms:

1st onset:  For adults, make up a  capsule of Thieves:  2 drops of Thieves essential oil plus 3-6 drops of lemon in gel cap.  For kids  under 6, a spoonful of agave nectar with 1 drop of lemon essential oil added and 1-2 drops of R.C applied to the bottoms of feet.  Use Thieves hand sanitizer to keep germs from spreading.  Keep mouth clean where germs multiply with Thieves mouthwash.

Cough medicine -  1 tsp agave nectar with 1 drop of lemon essential oil.  For adults add 1 drop Thieves for extra boost. Suck on Thieves lozenges.

Fever – Adults, 3-5 drops peppermint essential oil on each foot.   Repeat as needed until fever is gone.  Children under 7 – Lavender & Frankincense on bottoms of feet or along spine – repeat as needed until the fever is gone.

Sore Throat – 1 tsp agave nectar with 1 drop of lemon essential oil (Lemon essential oil contains many more nutrients and antioxidants than just lemon juice as the essential oil is distilled from the rind – use only food grade lemon essential oil for ingesting) .  For adults and children over 6 add 1 drop of  Thieves oil to the spoonful of lemon/agave nectar.  Thieves lozenges are also helpful.   Gargle with Thieves mouthwash.

Sinus & Chest congestion – R.C. applied to the bottoms of feet, rubbed on the chest or inhaled.  Add a  few drops to bath water and breath deeply.  Frankincense supports the respiratory tract and viruses.  Apply to the chest and throat area on lymph glands.  Place a drop of frankincense on the tongue to fight viruses.  Raven is a Young Living blend made of Ravensara, wintergreen, eucalyptus radiata, lemon and peppermint.   It is especially effective when layered with the R.C blend.  Breathe Again Roll-on is a convenient blend to apply directly to the chest or Vita-Flex points for breathing relief due to cold and asthma.

Cold/Canker Sores – suck on a Thieves lozenge or apply a drop of Thieves essential oil directly to the spot to alleviate pain and speed healing.  Peppermint oil also may help when applied directly.

Headache /body aches – Raindrop Technique, apply peppermint or Panaway on the forehead and temples or  lemon essential oil on the big toe.  Soak in a mineral bath like Ancient Minerals with 3-4 drops of lavender essential oils added.

Vomiting/diarrhea - peppermint essential oil applied to bottoms of feet, on the belly and 1 drop in water to sip.  Children under 6 should not use peppermint oil, instead use Frankincense or ginger essential oil on the feet and belly.  After 1 hour of no vomiting, gradually introduce liquids. Dilute 1 oz. Ningxia Red with 4-5 ounces of water is a gentle way to start adding nutrients.

Inner Defense is a supplement that contains 4 different types of Oregano.  This is highly antibacterial, research shows this blend is as powerful as some antibiotics.  When using Inner Defense, 10-12 hours later take a probiotic likeLife 5.   For example, Inner Defense in the morning, Life 5 at bedtime to replenish healthy intestinal flora.

In addition to some of these suggestion make sure to add some homemade chicken soup, drinking plenty of  high quality fluids, rest and some common sense to ensure a quick recovery.  Always seek the advice of your doctor for serious illness.

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are meant for educational purposes only, they are not a substitute for medical care.

• 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!

• Food, the good and the bad – This is a no-brainer and there are enough articles written on foods to banish belly fat to occupy you for years.  It’s also something many people are already doing.   Bottom line is there are best choices in foods and those I’d avoid at all times.  Whole foods, fruits &  veggies are best, blueberries, grapefruits and avocados among some superfoods (not slathered in sugary, fat laden sauces though).  Limit meats, balancing protein intake to include beans, legumes and grains like quinoa.  Learn the good and bad fats, my favorite is Coconut oil, I use it for sauteeing veggies, baking, and even as a moisturizer – it melts with your body temperature.  No No’s?   Anything in the traditional bakery/deli department, white bleached flour breads & pastries,  processed deli meats with nitrites and preservatives,  high fat pasta salads guaranteed to expand your waistline, packaged, processed frozen foods, chemical vitamin waters and diet drinks (more chemicals for the cells) and sugary sodas .  Ningxia Red is an excellent natural option instead of chemical energy drinks.
  
• Curb Your Appetite Naturally – Watch your portions.  Drink a cup of tea 30 minutes before eating.  Find healthy ways to deal with stress instead of eating to comfort your mood.  Prepare your own foods when you can,  rather than rely on take out or restaurant food where you may be inclined to eat more.
• Move It and You’ll Lose It  – As we get older our muscle mass diminishes.  When you build strength movements into every day you can fight your body’s tendency to accumulate fat as you age.  You can exercise and fit movement into every part of your day, not just a couple times a week.  Pilates is a great form of body strengthening and you can benefit from the principles in between regular exercise.  Make active movement a part of your everyday routine, whether you engage your backside as you stand in line at the grocery store or walk briskly to your car parked in the back of the lot.   If you slump in your chair or seat while you drive, your body’s muscles will support this posture, even more so if it’s done on the couch for hours at a time.  Research shows that those who watch TV more than an hour a day tend to gain weight more readily.
• Keep your Digestive System Healthy   – Slowed plumbing equals toxin build up.  Keep your body moving regularly to allow toxin removal and enhance nutrient absorption.   Enzymes help breakdown foods so vitamins and minerals  can be better assimilated.   Chew your foods slowly and completely to assist the body’s digestive process.  Drink 8-10 glasses of pure water and eat enough foods with fiber.
• Banish Chemical Laden Body Products That are Stored In Your Fat – I feel like I’m becoming a broken record on this subject matter, but this element is so critical.  I have experienced this firsthand, especially in my weight loss from pregnancy.  My weight loss was very tough my first couple of pregnancies because I was surrounded by toxins and didn’t know it.  I was applying chemicals to my skin in the form of “natural” body products,  cosmetics and scented home products.  It is proven that the synthetic fragrance in many of these products is affecting your ENDOCRINE system.  In brief, the endocrine system regulates metabolism, hunger, thyroid function, hormones, literally every body system is affected by the Endocrine!  Would you knowingly put something on your body that may disrupt this essential system?  Read your product labels and eliminate anything with the term FRAGRANCE in the ingredients.  This is just a combination of chemicals.  Would you put caramel syrup on your frisee?  Don’t put FRAGRANCED products on your skin, instead massage on some cellulite dissolving Therapeutic Grade essential oils like Grapefruit or Lemon (not before sun exposure though).  Check out www.EWG.org to see how your products rank for toxicity.
• Be realistic about your goals  Be honest with yourself about what your lifestyle is really like and what habits you are willing to change.  Losing some extra weight often involves letting go of emotional baggage and seeing what influences the food and lifestyle choices we make each day.  Healthier living is rewarding not just because your clothing will fit better, but because you’ll have more energy, you’ll sleep better and you’ll have a healthier perspective on life when you exchange poor habits for life-enhancing ones.

I’d like to challenge you this week to read your body product labels and comment back with what you are finding.   As a thanks for your input, I’ll send the first 5 comments back with what you found , a sample of the new Slique Tea from Young Living – an immune boosting, sugar stabilizing tea that can help curb your appetite.  This “weight loss tea” was introduced  in late September at the Young Living Convention in Florida and is already out of stock~   Limit 1 per address.

As with all my articles, I’m not a nutritionist or a doctor and these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.  But I am a fitness instructor and a mom who has gained and lost about 240 pounds over the past 15 years.  I’ve been at my current weight for 2+ years and look forward to maintaining my weight for many more.

Within minutes of taking my prescription I felt lightheaded and knew things were moving around.     4 hours after taking my chelating medication, I began to feel severely nauseous, on the verge of vomiting.  I started with Young Living’s enzyme blend Detoxzyme- taking 2 capsules and within 15 minutes the discomfort passed.  I needed to repeat this again 2 more times (about 2 hours apart) after finally getting relief from extreme symptoms so I could sleep for the night. Detoxzyme  contains several enzymes as well as essential oils to bind with toxins and simultaneously soothe the digestive tract and the liver.  Supplementing with enzymes during a cleansing program is very important, especially with a heavy metal detox.  The effectiveness of many enzymes is compromised by interaction with heavy metals so it is important to have the proper formulation to ease you through toxin removal.   I’ll give you an update on my heavy metals toxicity once I receive my results. 

Detoxzyme is made up of:

• Amylase – digests carbohydrates.
• Invertase – shows higher activity against heavy metal exposure than other enzymes, performs well in a wide range of PH levels, important during toxin removal when the body can become acidic, making it more difficult to purge toxins.
• Protease (Bromelain) – digests proteins, including oxidized proteins that can cause free-radical damage. Protease enzymes specifically can help with removal of heavy metals from the digestive tract and bloodstream.
• Glucomylase – digests starches and carbohydrates including those found in nuts, seeds & beans.
• Phytase – breaks down grains and releases phosphorus.
• Lipase – breaks down fats (lipids) decreasing stress on the liver.
• Cellulase – hydrolyzes cellulose fibers, including the removal of waste cellulose and unwanted byproducts.
• Lactase – digests lactose, also works with amylase to digest starches.
• Cumin seed – digestive aid, liver protectant and antioxidant.
• Anise seed -diuretic, antioxidant and digestive stimulant.
• Fennel seed -anti-inflammatory, digestive aid, antiseptic and improves metabolism.
• Alpha-glactosidase – decreases gas and bloating

You can see the ingredients in Detoxzyme are a combination of powerful enzymes to help break down food matter and help eliminate toxins in the digestive tract.  These enzymes are paired with herbs that soothe the digestive tract lessening the severity of unpleasant symptoms from the cleansing process.  Young Living recommends the use of Detoxzyme in conjunction with a detox program.

Detoxzyme 90 capsules   Whlse  $39.75     Retail   $52.30

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!

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and this information is for educational purposes only.  It  is not the intent of Pure Home and Body LLC to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.

5 T organic cocoa powder

3/4 C butter

1 C sugar (I use Rapadura or Coconut Sap)

1 tsp vanilla

6 beaten eggs

3/4 C sifted coconut flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

optional add ins:  2-3 drops Young Living essential oils of choice: orange, peppermint, or cinnamon

1 C chopped walnuts or pecans

In a saucepan heat chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted.  Remove from heat and mix in sugar, eggs and vanilla.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Spread in a greased 8X8X2-inch pan for thick brownies, 9×13-inch pan for thinner brownies.  Bake at 350 degrees F (175 C) for 30 minutes.   Cool slightly before cutting.

Enjoy!

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.

You can even let the kids taste a little sugar as you are making them (after they taste the bitter ingredients and talk about Psalm 34:8, “Taste and see that the Lord is good”, a simple child’s devotion I first heard from a dear friend of mine, Theresa Freiding, when I was a new mom volunteering in Lambs preschool) Let me know if you found any substitutions that work for you. I hope you can share these with friends and family and have a blessed holiday!

There are a number of methods of determining what your body needs:  blood tests, hair analysis, biofeedback, etc.  Since many of these are pretty complex, I will be only focusing on one area at this time:  Biofeedback.  In the simplest explanation, biofeedback collects biological data from your body, analyzes it and then provides information about what your body needs at that given time.   There are differing views on biofeedback so if you do some research, make sure you gather all the specifics to make sure you are comparing apples to apples.  There are processes in our marketplace called “biofeedback” that are not comparable to the information included in what I am discussing here.  For clarity, I will be focusing on the Zyto Compass technology in this article.

The Zyto Compass technology relies on Galvanic Skin Response technology, (similar to lie detector tests) sensing how the body is responding to outside stressors in this case the stimuli is generated from the Compass unit.   Data is collected from 76 different body markers and ranked by priority to determine what needs a body has.   From this data, the Compass unit can further recommend specific products from Young Living that will balance the body out.  I have used this technology myself and found it accurately assessing what I needed to bring balance to my body.   I’ve also used it on everyone in my family including assessment for acute situations like colds & flu.  I have personally used the Compass in my family to determine what Young Living products to use for acute situations like headache, nausea, earache, sinusitis and flu. 

The Zyto technology has 95% proven accuracy and is used by over 5,000 doctors in various medical settings.  The Zyto technology can be used by people of all ages, including children, to detect what oils and supplements they need to bring them back into balance.    If you are interested in learning more about this technology or to have an assessment , you can contact me via email at http://purehomeandbody.com/contact-information/.   If you would like to purchase your own Zyto Compass for home use, check out my Resources page.

In yoga, there are lifestyle principles to guide people to better choices.  One of these “limbs” of yoga is to not be influenced by outside sources.  That is, outside of our true selves, our values and morals.   We live in a sensory environment:  billboards, commercials, smells in movie theaters, shopping malls  and restaurants beckon us to eat whatever we desire.   If we did this whenever the thought arises, we would be obese.  And as a nation, America has an obesity problem.  You can avoid becoming one of the statistics if you are aware of what senses are influencing your food choices.  Are you using food to deal with your emotions?  Are TV commercials influencing your diet?  Do you make excuses for eating fast food because you don’t have the time to cook healthy food?

I may have struck a bit close to home for some of you, and I was at that point years ago.  I would not trade what I had in lifestyle for what I live now.  I am not perfect, though.  Just last fall I fell into the busy parent schedule and didn’t take care of myself  like I should have.  I thought a few days wouldn’t make a difference, but  1 week of substandard eating  continued into a month and pretty soon I hit the wall.  It’s taken me a couple of months to recover, and now I know it is essential to stay on top of my choices in food, it is a priority to me.  I  choose real foods that will supply me with the best nutrition, energy and immune support.  I don’t want to live my life on pills and supplements either.  Don’t get me wrong,  there is a place for high quality supplements – but I don’t want to be popping vitamins all day long.

So how do we live in our society when there is so much processed food, parties and  social gatherings where unhealthy choices are offered?  One tool is moderation.  I am trying to teach this to my own kids, because I don’t want them to feel guilty for having candy or cake once in a while.  If we eat well 90% of the time, the 10% of the time we might be consuming  anti-nutrients will not throw us off balance.  Anti-nutrients take energy away from our body that could be spent processing good foods and absorbing essential nutrients.  When you are out of balance, sickness occurs.  Think of it as a bank account for health.  Every time you eat junk you are taking a withdrawal.  You need to keep that account in the positive with good quality food.  If you withdraw more than you are putting in, you’ll get sick.

All that said,  look at your diet and see what you can eliminate (or what you want to eliminate).  Don’t feel you need to eliminate everything at once or you’ll feel deprived.    It’s also nice to have a favorite food that is delectable to us – my favorite  is dark chocolate.  I’ve found that I am satisfied with just a square or two, not needing a whole bar when it’s 85% cocoa.  And my kids don’t like it, so when I buy it,  I know no one else will eat it!  Chocolate is also full of anti-oxidants, as long as it’s not loaded with sugar like milk chocolate.  White sugar actually makes you crave more food.  You can do an easy experiment with this.  Keep a journal and write down the foods you are eating for a few days.  Ten minutes after eating a food, whether snack or meal, write down if you are satisfied or craving more.  You can also note any other symptoms:  headache, nausea, fatigue, or positive results like more energy and clearer thinking.   You’ll be able to see the results in writing then.

This is my list of  products I will never consume because there is no nutritional benefit and I know for me they are toxic.  They are just not worth the symptoms I will later suffer.

• White bread, white sugar/corn syrup
• Hydrogenated oils – in just about every packaged food plus any items in the bakery department at a grocery store
• Artificial dyes
• MSG (Monosodium Glutamate – found in almost every canned soup, flavored snack chip and ranch dressing)
• Nutrasweet
• Bleached flour (carcinogenic)
• Candy (real dark chocolate not included)
• Hard liquor -too rough on the liver, brain and blood sugars (I will have red wine once in a while, full of heart healthy  resveratrol).

If you want to do more research on your own regarding these individual items, you’ll find plenty of reasons to avoid them as well.  I challenge you to make your own list of things you’d like to eliminate as part of cleansing.  This step requires discipline as many unhealthy choices we have made are deeply rooted in our lives.  But I know you’ll be pleased with the results in the long run if you can stick with it for a few weeks.  Eliminating anti-nutrients is going to help your total body cleansing for the long haul so your body can work as it was designed to without being  clogged up with artificial ingredients.