Super charge your Neti Pot

I know I don't post very often, but that is because I only post things that have been helpful to me. I'm not here to make money, just to help. 

That's one of the things I detest about Dr Oz and the like: they always seem to have something new to say. Is it really possible to have a handful of new remedies everyday!? 

Ok. Rant over. So the whole fam is squeezed into the car on our way across the country to visit my sister and we've been hit with the head cold virus. So imagine how super fun it is in our car right now. 

In a desperate attempt to clear us up before our final destination, I got creative. I took our Neti pot and added two packages of salt and added a healthy squirt of the nasal spray Xlear. Xlear has xylitol in it that is excellent at clearing mucous out, and it also has grapefruit seed extract, which has been used as a disinfectant, natural immune booster, and  antioxidants. 

It was amazing. 

It broke through the stuffiness. Usually when I'm that stuffy, I can't use the Neti pot, but this new mixture barreled through the gunk. Everything just came out. I could breathe again. I felt so much better and was able to drive all day. 

What do you put in your Neti pot?

Yummy chocolate peanut butter protein shake

Ok, so this isn't technically an alternative medicine, but it was too yummy not to share. It does involve essential oils, so that counts, right!?

I am not a paid endorser of doterra, but I have to say that their shake mix is the best on the market. Not only is it low in fat and carbs, it is the lowest in sugar. It uses all natural ingredients without using artificial sweeteners, colors, or preservatives. 

Seriously, check out these stats:

3.5g fat

7g carbs

5g fiber

0.3g sugar 

16g protein

Are you kitten me here!? 

And even with all that awesomeness, it tastes great. I've tried a lot of protein bars and shakes in my lifetime, and this one is the best. I've tried other shakes and they give me, forgive me for being gross...the runs. Not this one! 

When I drink this in the morning, I feel calmer throughout the day. What I mean is that I am not as hungry, not as junk food crazy, and not as snacky. 

Recently I went to Jamba Juice and got their choco banana drink. It was pretty good, but deep down I knew I could have had a couple doughnuts for the same calories and sugar. So the thought crossed my mind: I bet I could use my chocolate trim shake and make something similar.  After making it, I'd say it was better! 

So here's my recipe: 

A few ice cubes (4-8)

1 cup milk (I've tried skim, coconut and almond)

A scoop of natural peanut butter

1 whole banana

1 scoop of doterras chocolate trim shake mix

Blend. Enjoy. Be satisfied. 

I don't do shakes very often because I like the feel of something heavy in my stomach in the morning. Usually shakes just run through me without giving me a full feeling, but this recipe helps me feel full and satisfied for several hours after. 

You could add in some chia seeds for extra health benefits, or wheat germ, but, honestly, it's wonderfully healthy as is. 

Oh, I just had a thought. Take out the ice cubes and add in chia seeds to make a pudding!! I'm going to try it right now! Happy blending!

Liquid ambien

Many of you don't know this, but I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks. Over the last few weeks, going to sleep has been a daunting endeavor. As soon as I get comfortable, my mind and body wage war against each other. This happens in random spurts from time to time. It usually lasts a few weeks to a few months. I usually suffer through trying everything I can without resorting to medicine. I use ocean wave music, lavender, rescue remedy, meditation, and sometimes A even has to pound on my back to help me calm down.

 

Sometimes nothing works. 

This is one of those weeks. 

So as I lay down last night, feeling a fit coming on, I remembered a pin I saw briefly the other day: liquid ambien.

 

I dismissed it initially because I know people who take ambien and they become nut jobs on that stuff. One friend buys random infomercial products and has no idea until the purchases show up at her door weeks later! 

Being in my awful state, I was willing to try anything. I looked it up and was happily surprised that I had all the oils needed. I quickly ran to the kitchen and made this concoction. I applied it behind my ears and at the base of my skull and laid back down. 

With my eyes closed, I could feel a difference almost immediately. My thoughts were clear.  I felt as if synapses were firing that hadn't been. It was almost trippy: I could see colors flashing. Imagine a broken down fair and someone finally turns on the generator after years of decay and the lights sputter at first before blazing back to their intended glory. 

Yeah. It was kind of like that. 

 This will be my new nightly routine. 

Thanks to Brandi King for this little goldmine. 

Now for the recipe:

I put it in a roll on bottle for easy application. 

Oh Lavender (sung to the tune of Oh Canada)

I am singing lavender's praises right now! (Hence the musical tribute in the title). 

I have struggled for years with sinus infections. Essential oils have dramatically reduced the number and length of these infections, but the one thing it didn't help was the sinus headaches. Even if I don't get a full-blown infection, I still get sinus headaches all the time. 

Well, not anymore! A friend of mine said that she puts a little lavender on the bridge of her nose when he nose is runny, and it clears it right up. I figured if it worked for that, it might just help my headaches. It did!! I can't tell you how much relief I've gotten over one drop of lavender. One drop, people!! 

So from now on, instead of reaching for sudafed, grab the lavender!

The pits!

Have you seen what's in a run of the mill deodorant lately!? Check this out:

Now, I will say the evidence for aluminum causing Alzheimer's is a little sketchy, but look at all those chemicals! We are putting that on our biggest, most porous organ! 

My skin is so sensitive that I can't wear deodorant—remember I make my own shampoo!? I have tried every alternative out there: Tom's, those funky crystal, but mostly I just went without. Sure, I could get a little funky at times, but it was better than the alternative...red, swollen, itchy, painful pitts. 

I was mostly ok with my pepe lapew pitts, but there are times when deodorant is nice, even appreciated. I have come across several different recipes in the past. I've never made any if them because they called for weird things or required weird techniques to make it. Until recently. The recipe I will share with you today caught my eye because it had simple ingredients like coconut oil and I could add EOs. 

Now before I tell you the positive things, let me tell you the drawbacks. First, it had coconut oil in it, so the consistency changes—sometimes it's solid, sometimes it's runny. That also means that it doesn't do well in an old deodorant container. I'm still working on a solution for that. Also. a little goes a loooong way, so if you use a scent combo you don't like, you're stuck with it for a while. Finally, you have to get two fingers covered in goop. 

Now for the good things. A little goes a loooong way, so not only is it natural, it's cheap!! Seriously, I use a piece a little bit smaller than the size of a pencil eraser per pit. Because of the coconut oil, it melts as soon as it touches your skin. Not only does it help deodorize, it draws toxins out! I find that it keeps me incredibly dry. 

So here a the recipe: 

(The original pin can be found here-http://pinterest.com/pin/64809682111684726/

1/4 cup baking soda

1/4 corn starch

6 tbs coconut oil

EOs of your choice

Mix everything together and store in an airtight container.  

Hopefully, this will no longer be a stinky subject. 

Sick of being sick!

Holy cow! I was so sick this week! It was the worst I've had in a long time. I felt like my body was being tortured by an inexperienced torturer. It. Was. Awful. 

I tried all my usual tricks and finally resorted to Tylenol and that didn't even help. Time just had to tick away. I started feeling better a few days later but I was still stuffy. Finally I remembered a good little helper for such times: Xlear

It's a nose spray. One that doesn't use nasty chemicals that actually wreak havoc on your sinuses after short lived relief. No! This product uses xylitol a natural sugar (sugar that actually helps your teeth regrow minerals and keep them from getting cavities...I'm not kidding! http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylitol) 

and it works quickly without side effects. 

A few squirts later and the pressure build up subsided and I was actually able to blow my nose. This stuff is amazing!! This is a medicine cabinet staple, especially if you have sinus issues. 

Mish mash

It's been awhile.  Who missed me!? Well, I'm back.  I don't know what happened really except that life get busy.  Oh, I know what it was: we got a new foster placement.  She's an adorable 1year old.  Did you know that 1year olds are very needy? Yep. I just found that out.

Anywho...

We did some spring cleaning around our house this past few weeks.  We found that a bunch of gasoline spilled in our shed over the winter, peeling paint off a piece of furniture. As I was stripping the peeling paint off, my hands reeked of gasoline.  I hate that! I tried dawn, I tried regular hand soap, nothing took the smell away.

Guess what worked? Lemon essential oil. Are you surprised? I wasn't.

The best part is that it didn't mask the smell (lemon scented gasoline) it eradicated it.

Another great tip for essential oils:

My SO hates orange air freshener.  I think it works great, but she doesn't.  A lot of air fresheners only mingle with the offending odor making it smell more like "shittrus." Doterra makes an oil called citrus bliss.  I put one drop in the toilet before....you know, "dropping off some timber" and it keeps the bathroom smelling fresh.  It's amazing. I bet lemon would work too, but I haven't tried it.

If you have some tips for us, please leave them in the comments!

'Poo Free for Me

I've debated what to post about next.  I finally decided that you should know a deep, dark secret of mine: I don't use shampoo.  Ever. Well, not really; I do when I am traveling because it's easier, but I notice the difference every...single...time.

Our skin is our biggest organ.  It is the gateway to our insides and the back door out.  What we put ON it is just as important as what we put in it.  I have really sensitive skin.  I have a hard time using any kind of deodorant, shampoo, lotion, or conditioner.  In fact, the day I decided to give the poo free lifestyle a try, I had a nasty spot of eczema on my thigh that wouldn't go away.  Why do I mention a patch on my thigh when I'm clearly talking about shampoo? Just wait my friends! I mention it because after the first time using the baking soda mixture (See recipe below) the eczema was so better!  BETTER.  Nothing before was working, not the steroidal creams from the doc, not lotion, nothing. Could my suffering really be from things like shampoo? With in a few days, the patch was completely gone and I haven't gotten another one like it since: that was two years ago.

I've been 'poo free ever since.  So.  I know you have questions.  I'll try to answer them.  I get a lot of the same questions from people.

1. But doesn't your hair smell bad? Nope. Not at all.  I even use apple cider vinegar (ACV) as a rinse/conditioner a few times a week and it doesn't even smell then. I think it's funny when people ask me this because I'm like, "Has my hair ever smelled bad?"

2. But my hair is really greasy, it wouldn't work for me. Oh yes it will!  Most likely your hair is greasy BECAUSE you use shampoo.  See, what modern day chemical shampoos do is strip every last bit of oil from your hair AND scalp. Your scalp freaks out and produces more than you had before to protect itself.  Plants do the same thing.  They have essential oils that protect it from the elements, disease, and predators.  Imagine if you stripped a plant of those things.  Oil is ok people.  It might take a week or so for your body to figure out what's happening, but then you shouldn't have any problems.  Although, I didn't have any adjustment period.  Again, I ask my friends, "Has my hair looked any different?"

3. How often do you use the 'poo free stuff?  Everyday.  It's not going to do much good if you don't do it everyday.  However, I have found that my scalp doesn't like the vinegar treatment everyday.  I do it a few times a week, sometimes less.  Others may only use it on the tips of their hair.  Experiment.  See what works for you.

4. Don't you miss the lather and the bubbles? Uh...no.  I don't know why we, as a society, get so excited about lather.  The bubbles aren't doing the cleaning.  And I'm pretty sure our ancestor's soap wasn't all that bubbly.  Get over the bubbles people!! You're not three.  ;)

5. Won't my hair be really oily if I do that? Nope. I can literally feel the baking soda dissolving the grease on my hair now.  It's crazy.  But, it won't rob you of all it.  It will leave enough to keep your scalp and skin calm.

6. Did it really help your eczema? YES! Sometimes I even use the baking soda mixture as a body wash...I don't have flare ups hardly ever anymore, and, if I do, it's because of overwhelming stress.

Those are most of the questions that I get.  If you think of others, please post them in the comments and I will do my best to answer them.

So here's the recipe:

'Poo
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 cup of water

Conditioner
1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1 cup of water

I usually mix up a double batch at a time because that's what my containers will hold. But you can triple, fourple, or fiveple the mix as you so desire. (Yes, I know fourple and fiveple aren't really words).

The best part of being 'poo free?  It is sooo cheap!

Let's get personal right off the bat, shall we?

I should probably ease into this new blog and my new audience by talking about the benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar or something equally tame, but it's best you get to know me right away.  I typically don't hold back and am not shy, especially when it comes to health.  Ask anyone that knows me and you will find that, more than once, they've said "TMI!"

Here's how I see it: sometimes we need to compare and share the all the gory details to make sure that we are healthy.  I once had a doctor tell me that you should look at everything that comes out of your body.  I have taken that to heart and plan on sharing some of those things with you.  Aren't you excited!?

So, with that said, let's talk about the biggest thing on my mind right now: Hemorrhoids.  Hopefully you don't have any.  A lot of us do.  I have suffered with one (I call it Mike) for years now.  Actually, I suffered long before I even knew what it was.  I tried all the creams and cooling pads and nothing seemed to work very well.  I learned to breathe and relax more allowing nature to take its course.  That helped a little, but there were times that Mike got cranky and nothing helped....until the other day.  I use Essential Oils on a daily basis.  Mike and I were in a fight.  I went to my oil remedy book and looked up the solution.  The first recommendation on the list was Cyprus oil.  I didn't have that one, but I had the second oil listed: Geranium.

I don't like geraniums and the oil is awful smelling, IMO, but I was ready for a solution.  I applied one drop, ONE DROP PEOPLE, to the affected...area, and seriously, the results were instantaneous.  I ended up applying one drop the next day, just to be sure, and I haven't had a problem since! I was so excited, I told my bestie, who also applied one drop with the same miraculous results.  She mentioned that it was as if the hemorrhoid was retreating back to where it belonged.  I felt the same thing happening.  (With how bad Geranium stinks, I would too!).

So there you have it.  If you are tired of suffering from Hemorrhoids, give geranium a try.  I can't imagine what cyprus would do!