20+ Ways to Live a Healthier Life

1. Get educated. I know it’s sometimes easier to stay ignorant to the products you consume and the toxins being poured into your body. If I delve too deeply, I may drift off in despair and hopelessness. Take it slowly, researching more of the products you use and how they are affecting your health, such as your deodorant, hair products, etc.. I’m not saying to slay all non-natural products, but I do try to find better alternatives. I still use hair spray and eat meat. I’m going slowly, but educating myself is paramount in getting my health back in my own hands.
2. Use coconut oil. It is amazing for skin health and even hair health, although I find it makes my hair too oily to use on a regular basis.
3. Take detox baths. Our bodies need help in flushing out the toxins we are consuming, and detox baths are wonderful ways to do so.
4. Introduce essential oils into your daily routine. These oils can really amplify your health.
5. Cut down on alcohol consumption. I still drink, but I do so in moderation. This cuts down on the empty calories and a headache the next day.
6. Put a himalayan salt lamp in your bedroom to purify and cleanse. Check out this article by Don’t Mess with Mama on 6 Health Benefits of Himalayan Salt. 
7. Up your intake of water and research the benefits of certain fruits and essential oils for weight management. I make a concoction I call Detox Water that combines several healthy ingredients.
8. Drink 1-2 oz. of Ningxia Red each morning to boost your overall health.
9. Use empty vegetable capsules, coconut oil, and essential oils to create supplements to aid in your health needs. Add citrus oils and Peppermint to help with weight management. Use Lavender, Peppermint, and Lemon for allergy relief. Store in the freezer to help with leaking.
10. Use a foam roller to release built-up toxins in your muscles.
11. Download a pedometer app. If you know anything about me, you know I rarely get motivated enough to work out. This helps me see how much I’m really doing, or not doing, each day. It encourages me to take the stairs sometimes when I’ve been especially lazy.
12. Drink warm water first thing in the morning with lemon juice or essential oil. Add peppermint, ginger, or any other citrus oil based on your tastes and needs. This will help with digestion, appetite suppressant, and boosting your metabolism for the day!
13. Rub Peppermint, Lemon, and/or Ginger essential oil on your stomach in clockwise direction to aid in digestion and natural cleansing. This also helps if you are nauseous.
14. Stop using antiperspirant. I know it’s scary, but most commercially-available deodorant is awful for our health and in some cases have even been shown to cause breast cancer. Either way, the lymph nodes in our armpits and neck cannot do their jobs of excreting toxins when we block their removal system (sweating) with chemicals. So we clog up one of our largest detox centers in the body, building up toxic nastiness all over the place. Detox your pits and use natural forms of body odor control. I use organic Apple Cider Vinegar (with “mother”) in the mornings and then after that dries, I apply coconut oil and essential oils. Some of my favorites for a nice scent include Thieves or Purification. They don’t stop the sweating, but they control the smell. I sometimes have to apply once throughout the day, but that’s about it. It is also the middle of summer, so that could be a factor. Check out this article by Don’t Mess with Mama on the 7 Toxins Lurking in Your Deodorant. 
15. Diffuse Thieves essential oil to help boost your immune health.
16. Add a tiny bit of coconut oil (I use less than a teaspoon) to your coffee in the mornings to help with digestion and internal cleansing done naturally.
17. Dry brush before taking a detox bath.
18. Try oil pulling as part of your morning routine. 
19. Meditate. This is one I still work on, but it’s definitely worth it.
20. Get out in nature. I don’t work out much, but it’s easier to do when it’s fun!
21. Burn a smudge stick around your home, especially the entries and corners for cleansing and protection.

What are other ways to live a healthier life? Leave comments and this article will constantly be in work for all sorts of tips to living a better life.

Related Articles and Sources:

• 6 Health Benefits of Himalayan Salt by Don’t Mess with Mama
• Where to Buy Essential Oils
• How to Use Essential Oils
• Detox Baths
• Dry Brushing
• 7 Toxins Lurking in Your Deodorant by Don’t Mess with Mama

How I Lost 50 Pounds… Without Working Out.

Yes, it’s true! I lost 50 pounds and I didn’t really work out. I first want to say that I don’t condone NOT working out… I’m just lazy and aim to work out, but never really do. I’m a busy girl. I’ve made sacrifices, and I will be getting back into the gym <– see what just happened there? I will still try to work out, but anyway…

About 2 years ago I started gaining weight quickly and without cause. I had already gotten my thyroid checked, and my levels were normal. I have hypothyroidism and sadly must take medicine everyday to keep my thyroid levels normal. Well, the levels were normal and I wasn’t doing anything differently. Still drinking the same amount of wine. Not gorging on sweets (that much). What gives!?! Steadily my weight jumped to pushing 200 at 5’5 <– and a half!! That’s definitely in the BMI charts as obese. This was the heaviest I’d ever been by about 30 pounds!

When I jumped on the scale one day and saw 194 staring back at me, I knew it was time to go back to my doctor. Let me clarify before people get all huffy… 194 is beautiful if that is what you’re comfortable at. With my height, 194 just wasn’t healthy and I didn’t feel it. So for the first 15 pounds, my doctor helped me out with a medicine called Phentermene. I’m not saying it’s for everyone, but it helped me when I needed it. Once I started losing weight, I eased off the medicine and attacked my weight from a holistic view point. The remaining 35 pounds was all natural and all me.

I started doing rigorous research into the toxins we constantly put into our bodies and why detoxing is so important. The cleansing tools below were brought about over time. I did not jump head first into a detox obsession. Rather, it came about slowly because the results were obvious.

1. I immediately started taking detox baths and saw a huge improvement in my health.
2. I upped my water intake and concocted detox waters with powerful ingredients.
3. I use essential oils each and every day; they’ve changed my life.
4. I lather my body in coconut oil instead of lotion. This saves a ton of money and also moisturizes my skin naturally without all the added chemicals. Add essential oil for added benefit. Coconut oil is my favorite carrier oil. This is the recipe for my powerful skin serum base that you can add essential oils to for your needs. Read more about skin health here. 
5. I spike my water with Citrus essential oils such as Citrus Fresh, Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit, Orange, Tangerine, and Ginger to aid in weight management, appetite suppressant, cleansing, and digestion.
6. Download a pedometer app. Okay, I said no working out, but we all at least TRY to workout, right? So this is nice because I can feel like I accomplished something if I have some decent steppage on my pedometer app.
7. Take time for you. I stress a lot and even though I’m totally extroverted, I’m also quite introverted as well. I build up tension in my shoulders and neck, clenching my teeth without realizing it. This causes pain and headaches. Sometimes we all just need some alone time to de-stress and take it easy.
8. Find your passions. Delve into new and exciting interests and hobbies. This will boost your motivation, releasing feel-good endorphines.
9. Utilize Peppermint and Citrus Essential Oils for their weight management powers, including appetite suppressant and fat inhibitor. Rub the oils on stomach for digestion and tummy troubles. Diffuse. Rub on fatty areas to tighten skin and remove cellulite. Take in a capsule daily.
10. I cut WAY back on the alcohol. So this wasn’t intentional, actually, because I quite enjoyed my glasses of wine each night. But my palate changed and soon wine, liquor, and most beer tasted repulsive. I’ve been able to drink hard cider with some ease, but I don’t want much. I think this is a great thing! But I will admit, cutting back from drinking a few glasses of wine each night to maybe one drink a week helped my weight start to fall off.
11. I started eating less processed foods and more fruits and vegetables, fish and nuts.
12. I started taking certain vitamins and supplements that were right for my body. My immune system is not great, so I introduced Vitamin C to my daily supplements. Vitamin B Complex also helped with energy and immune health. Research what’s right for you. Maca root is another supplement that aids in weight management.
13. Get out more in nature. While this is breaching the “no working out” title, it’s easier to sneak in some fitness when it’s fun.
14. I learned about dry brushing and attempt to remember to do it before detox baths.
15. I also found out about oil pulling, which is where you take about a teaspoon to a tablespoon of oil, such as coconut oil, and add essential oils for flavor and health benefits, and swish it around your mouth like mouthwash. DO NOT SWALLOW. Pull the oil through your teeth for 10-20 minutes. I will admit I’m still new to this and can barely keep it in for 5, but you have to work with something. You are pulling toxins through your blood vessels and gums into the oil in your mouth. Spit it in toilet paper and throw it away. It will clog drains. Check out this article from Don’t Mess with Mama on oil pulling. 
16. I started drinking 1-2 oz. of Ningxia Red each morning to boost my overall health.
17. I stopped wearing deodorant. Seriously. I freaked out too a bit. I have a massive fear of smelling bad (weird fear, I know). So I was pretty nervous, but I was also committed to finding an alternative to all those toxins! The lymph nodes in our armpits help flush out toxins in our bodies through sweating. If we block this sweating process through anti-perspirants, we are building up toxins within our bodies. The first step was detoxing my pits. I still use Apple Cider Vinegar in the mornings, then a few minutes later apply coconut oil and essential oils. My choices for my pits are either Thieves or Purification and normally something else, like Lavender to help with razor burn and skin health.
18. I leaned heavily on certain Young Living Essential Oils for emotional balance. My world started tilting and I needed some emotional support. I received this support through the use of a diffuser necklace. I added a drop or two to a cork piece and smell it all day. The oils I use include Joy, Awaken, Release, Forgiveness, Valor, and Grounding… not at the same time. I also use these oils in the diffuser for emotional support.
19. I utilized the powerful properties of crystals for healing.
20. This wasn’t normally an issue for me, but I made sure I started getting 8+ hours of sleep each night. Sleep is important to me and thankfully, for once, it’s something that’s important for my health too!

As I stated above, I don’t do all these all the time, but I like to incorporate as many as I can into my regular routine. I’m now to a weight I’m comfortable at and the scale doesn’t mean much to me because I feel great! And that’s what should really matter.

Related Articles and Sites:

• Tutorial on How to Do Oil Pulling by Don’t Mess with Mama
• Where to Buy Essential Oils
• How to Use Essential Oils
• Detox Baths
• Dry Brushing

24+ Uses for Peppermint

There are so many uses for this versatile oil and I wanted to share its incredible health powers! There is no denying that this is a must-have oil for your daily routine! At first I didn’t like the menthol scent, but its plethora of healing properties is impossible to deny. So I’m going to start a list of the different ways to use Peppermint, whether fresh, dried, or in essential oil form.

1. Peppermint essential oil (EO) is amazing for all things inflammation and pain. Add a few drops to your hands and rub on sore muscles to ease tension.
2. While it’s on your hands, rub behind your ears, at the base of the skull, temples, neck, and forehead to ease headaches and migraines. (Be careful when getting close to eyes!!)
3. Add anywhere from 3 leaves to a handful of fresh peppermint to a pitcher of detox water.
4. Add fresh leaves to detox bath to help with sore muscles and to give you a boost of energy.
5. Add fresh leaves to ice cubes for a refreshing and unique twist.
6. Use mint leaves as part of a smudge stick to aid in protection, purification, and cleansing.
7. First thing in the morning, drink a glass of hot water or tea with Peppermint EO, ginger, cinnamon (optional), and honey (optional). This will aid in digestion and internal cleansing. It will also boost the metabolism and give you loads of energy for the day.
8. Dry mint leaves. Ground down as much as you can using mortal and pestle. Add to mason jar, adding your purposeful energy to the ritual by saying a protection spell or chant, such as, “Peppermint, plant of protection, I call on you now to protect this home and hearth from all who seek to harm. Cleanse this home while banishing all negativity.” or you could even say something as simple as “Peppermint, protect.” over and over while you add sea salt to the semi-grounded peppermint. You can then add something about the powerful properties of sea salt and cleansing, but just do what feels right. Take this mixture and sprinkle at all entrances to your home and all corners of each room. If you have some left, great, keep it! This is what I call Protection Salt. The great thing about this empowered Salt is that it also…
9. Repels insects, especially spiders!! Add Protection Salt (above) to all doorways/windowsills and the corners of each room. You can also add Peppermint EO to ribbons and hang around the home and porch to repel insects. Rub on your body to help with the biting insects.
10. Inhale Peppermint EO to boost energy and motivation.
11. Peppermint helps relieve upset stomachs. Diffuse for nauseousness and apply peppermint EO to the torso in clockwise direction to ease tummy issues. This has helped me in tons of situations!!
12. Inhale deeply to ease car-sickness.
13. Add Peppermint EO to an all-natural toothpaste of baking soda, coconut oil, and water. This will also help with dental health overall.
14. Mix together EOs Lavender, Lemon, and Peppermint to help ease allergies. Add to a roll on bottle with witch hazel as the base and shake before use.
15. Add Peppermint EO to a spray bottle of water and vinegar for a healthy cleaning product free of chemicals. Add other essential oils to add even more cleaning properties! (Lemon, Thieves, Purification, etc.)
16. Hang dried leaves or sachets in windows to repel negativity.
17. Add several drops of Peppermint EO, along with other oils of your choosing and coconut oil as a base, to vegetable capsules. Freeze and take to aid in digestion, weight management, and as an appetite suppressant.
18. Diffuse Peppermint EO, along with other minty oils such as Eucalyptus and R.C., to aid in sinus congestion and cold symptoms.
19. Add 5-10 drops to coconut oil, coffee grounds, brown sugar, and other essential oils (Lemon, Ginger, etc.) and apply mixture to body as exfoliator to and help tighten skin, removing cellulite. 
20. Inhale Peppermint EO before an exam or stress-inducing scenario to calm your mind while boosting your memory and cognition.
21. Diffuse to purify your home and remove stale odors.
22. Add a drop or two of Peppermint EO to a cotton ball and drop it in the canister of your vacuum cleaner before you clean. It will make your home smell amazing effortlessly while you clean!
23. Add a drop or two of Peppermint EO to a cotton ball and insert in your car’s air vent. This will help your car smell great!
24. Add a few drops to Ningxia Red to boost your health.
25. Add fresh peppermint leaves in a mason jar nearly filled to the top. Then add a 40-60 proof vodka to the top of the leaves. Keep in cool, dry place for a few months, shaking every few days. Eventually, you will have a peppermint-empowered tincture.

I want to hear all the ways YOU use Peppermint as well! Comment here and I will update periodically!

References:

• “Essential Oils Pocket Reference” by Life Science Publishing

Related Articles:

• Where to Buy Essential Oils
• How to Use Essential Oils
• Detox Baths
• Headaches / Migraines
• Joy Essential Oil

FREE SHIT!!

  

Look what I got FOR FREE!!! Ask me how! No, this isn’t a ploy nor trick. This essential oil and supplement is great for weight loss and seriously helps curb appetite!! 

LIVE FB Event and Giveaways!!

Join me on Friday, May 15 at 7 pm EDT. 

Have you been interested in learning more about the cool stuff I post on essential oils, how they’ve cleansed my body and soul, and benefit my life on a daily basis? Did you know that we consume, in one way or another, a plethora of toxins all around us each moment of every day? From the makeup we use to the cleaning products we clean our homes with, we are consuming these chemicals all the time. Our bodies are crying out for some natural relief!  

Here’s the roll on I made for pain.  

Learn how simple it is to make beauty products and natural remedies using all natural essential oils! Want to get rid of toxins in your home? Clean up your act by choosing to begin your journey to a healthier lifestyle! Spend an hour from the comfort of your own home learning all about the amazing uses for Young Living Essential Oils. Learn what sets our oils apart and understand the amazing benefits of the oils most used in my home! This is going to be a jam-packed hour so make sure to have a pen and paper handy to take notes! Also, save the shared links and articles to a browser folder to refer back to later.

  Tummy Roll On

 Yup, that’s a hard cider bottle. Because I’m gangster like that. Emptied, cleaned, filled with vinegar, water, and essential oils.  The top doesn’t fit great, obviously, but I thought it was smart when I needed to improvise. Make sure to hold the top on tight. You know what? It’s safer not to try the above at home. It could get interesting. 
  These are some great roll ons for various needs. 

 I have tons to skin issues, so this is applied daily. 

We are going to post a TON of information, so please feel free to come to us before, during, and/or after the event if you have any questions. We encourage active participation if you’re comfortable asking questions IN the posts as well to generate discussion and new ideas. 
Get started with essential oils here! –>  http://bit.ly/WhereToBuyEO

Join me on Friday, May 15 at 7 pm EDT to learn how to add to your oily arsenal and find new uses for essential oils. I’ll share some ways you can save money and get free promotions from Young Living. WIN!
This is a LIVE Facebook class – which means all you need to do is tune in from your computer in the comfort of your own home. Just join this event page on Facebook to tune in. We’ll start with a welcome post and then will follow with information every few minutes. 

Here’s all YOU need to do: ask questions and participate in our posts. You’ll qualify for AWESOME prizes. Tune in anytime but we start promptly at 7 pm EDT and we’ll have special prizes for those who are here at the start time.

Can’t make it at 7 pm? It’s ok, tune in later and catch up on the posts. 
We’ll have information on Young Living, the quality oil they provide, why we use oils, how we use oils, the most popular oils and how to best use them, where/how to order, Essential Rewards, how to get huge discounts, learn new recipes, and tons more!!

Invite your friends and family and have a splendid evening with me (virtually), a glass of wine, in your pjs, learning about essential oils and winning great prizes. I think yes.

Young Living is a referral-based business. Sign up with the person who referred you to this event OR if you don’t have a referral you are welcome to join: http://bit.ly/KellyYLEOSignUp

Note: We will not attempt to diagnose your condition or prescribe anything to you. We are not medical professionals. Comments that ask for medical advice or questions on a medical diagnosis will be deleted. 
The statements made have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products and recipes are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. These posts are for informational purposes only.

Tummy Roll On

If you are new to following me in any fashion, you should know up front that I love my roll ons… for everything. They are just so perfect. Moving on.

When my tummy hurts, I turn immediately to Peppermint Essential Oil for easing nausea, supporting digestion, and relieving gas. I rub clockwise wherever it hurts. So I thought, why not make a roll on, duh! I know that Citrus Fresh is also great for tummy issues, so it was only common sense that urged me to pair the two in a roll on.

Start with your base of witch hazel. Fill almost to the top, but leave about, I don’t know, enough to put 10-20 drops in there. For this one, I did 8 drops Peppermint and 8 drops Citrus Fresh. Easy peasy.

Related Articles:

• Pain, Pain, GO AWAY!!
• Cold Diffusions
• Ningxia Red
• Detox Water
• Detox Bath
• Skin and BooBoo Roll On
• How to Use Essential Oils
• Where to Buy Essential Oils

Cold Diffusions

 I’m diffusing these wonder oils to help rid me of an upper respiratory nasty. 

Great oils to diffuse when you have a cold: 

• Lemon
• Peppermint
• Eucalyptus
• Thieves
• Putification
• RC

Ningxia Red

Ah, I adore Ningxia Red! What’s so great about Ningxia Red is that it contains so many nutrients in just 1-2 oz.! Some great things it does for me… Keeps me on a regular, healthy eating schedule, craving healthy food, drinking lots of water, flushing toxins, holds a migraine off like fucking superman if one is creeping up, keeps my bowels moving regularly, and I feel so incredibly happy, wishing strangers good days, smiling and jovial. So I’d say it’s a winner 😊

This is what Young Living says about Ningxia Red, “NingXia Red® is a powerful antioxidant drink that contains whole Ningxia wolfberry puree—a super blend of blueberry, aronia, cherry, pomegranate, and plum juices, natural stevia extract, grape seed extract, pure vanilla extract, and orange, yuzu, lemon, and tangerine essential oils. Its health benefits include support from head to toe, via a whole body nutrient infusion. NingXia Wolfberries have been cherished for centuries for its health, energy, and longevity benefits. Whole Ningxia wolfberries and other nutrient-dense fruit juices make NingXia Red the perfect choice for optimizing wellness and stepping up to a whole new level of health.” Find out all it’s amazing benefits at the Young Living website.

Find out how to get 24% off your Young Living orders!

More Tips:

1. Drink chilled
2. Take a detox bath to aid the flushing out of those toxins!
3. Drink lots of water to stay hydrated
4. Add essential oils to boost the power

Detox Water

Word up to the delish detox water I concocted today. There are 3 other to go cups with the water. It goes a long way with flavor and nutrients. It contains: dandelion root tea, positivity tea blend from Yellow Springs, natural maple water, local honey, strawberry slices, lemon juice, lemon EO, tangerine EO, filtered water, apple cider vinegar, cranberry juice, and ginger slices! This is so great for your body! You get a huge detox boost, helping your body rid itself of toxins while absorbing all the great nutritional properties of the ingredients. The juice I made is photobombing in the back 😉 Kale, red cabbage, carrots, lemon and tangerine EO, ginger root, and strawberries make that beauty. Update: so the juice was way too tart and I ended up toning it down with filtered water, which helped, but it still wasn’t great. I think I’ll just stick with Ningxia Red for my juicing needs.

Find out how to get 24% off your Young Living orders!!

More Tips:

1. Take a detox bath to help your body rid itself of toxins.
2. Try dry brushing to boost lymphatic system.
3. Drink hot water and lemon juice and/or lemon EO first thing in the morning to give your digestive system and metabolism a kick start.

DIY Skin Serum

Coconut oil, castor oil, olive oil, 6 drops lavender EO, 4 drops frankincense EO, and 6 drops valor EO. Mix and add more of above ingredients until desired consistency.  Great for dry skin, eczema, psoriasis, boo boos, scratches, itchy skin, and pretty much anything skin-related.

Where to buy essential oils

How to use essential oils