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

Where to Buy Essential Oils

I have scoured the interwebs in my search for the most natural, healthy essential oil companies and one conclusion ended all doubt… Young Living (YL) is the best. After trying YL in comparison to other companies distilling the oils, I knew I couldn’t go back. I’ll let the company’s mission statement speak for itself, “We honor our stewardship to champion nature’s living energy, essential oils, by fostering a community of healing and discovery while inspiring individuals to wellness, purpose, and abundance.” Young Living Essential Oils are 100% pure therapeutic-grade essential oils. They set the standard for purity and authenticity. They carefully monitor every step of the production of their oils from Seed to Seal – from the time the first seed is planted to the time the bottle is sealed.

If you want to get the best deal on essential oils, become a wholesale member to receive 24% off retail prices! You will also then qualify for the Premium Starter Kit! You don’t have to become a wholesale member to buy the oils. You will pay more for the oils at the retail value, but you do have the option to become a retail member instead of wholesale.  Here’s what’s included in the Premium Starter Kit ($300 retail value but wholesale members can get it for JUST $160 <– that’s a great deal!:

• The Everyday Oils collection – 10 of the most popular essential oils from Young Living, including (all 5 ml bottles) Lavender, Peppermint, Lemon, Frankincense, PanAway, Thieves, Purification, Copaiba, R.C. and DiGize.
• A home diffuser (retail value $96 – this is a staple in my home)
• Essential oils user’s guide
• Stress Away 5-ml bottle
• AromaGlide Roller Fitment (to turn any oil into a roll on)
• 10 Sample Packets (for you to share with your friends!)
• 10 Love It? Share It! Sample Bottles and Business Cards
• Two NingXia Red 2-oz. samples (energy support)
• Product Guide and Product Price List
• Essential Oil Magazine (new!)
• Member Resources and Information

Remember: you’re NOT obligated to make any further purchases after this. Wholesale membership simply allows you to buy the Premium Starter Kit at a huge discount.

How to Sign Up as a Wholesale Member

1. Click over to the Sign-Up page.

2. Select “Sign up as: Young Living Wholesale Member”.

3. The “Enroller ID” and “Sponsor ID” boxes should already be filled in for you. But if not, enter 2529635 for sponsor and 2529635 for enroller. 

4. Fill out your name, billing address, shipping address, and contact info. You’ll be asked for your social security number… that’s for tax purposes. If you make over $600/year PROFIT selling Young Living products, you will receive a 1099 form in the mail, as is required by law. Young Living will never share this info with anyone.

5. Create your password and pin which you will use to log in to your account and order your oils.

6. Select your order: the “Premium”, “Basic “Plus” or “Basic” Starter Kit. I highly recommend the Premium: it comes with everything you need to get started, and it’s the best value of the three.

7. Set up your *optional* Essential Rewards Program (ER). You are NOT required to enroll in this program. This is a rewards program to earn money to pay for your oils. At this point, you can skip this step by selecting: ‘No, thank you. I plan on enrolling in the Essential Rewards Program later’.

8. Agree to the Terms & Conditions.

9. CONFIRM YOUR ORDER! I’ve had many folks miss this step and end up not fully checking out – and I don’t want you missing out on your oils!

That’s really it. Everything else is just a HUGE bonus for you. Tons of resources, free shiz, living a healthy life… you get the idea.

WooHoo!! Your life is about to change. BAM. Do you feel it? It’s exciting, I know. Your enrollment gift is on its way and I will touch base with you soon to see how you like your oils.

There’s More!!

When you sign up as a wholesale member under me, you also get the added benefits of utilizing all the great resources of Don’t Mess with Mama, who I have found to be extremely useful in learning about the oils and then furthering my oil endeavor. She also has a beneficial FaceBook page! Everyone who signs up under me will also get an enrollment gift, which will be given or sent immediately upon sign-up.

No Gimmicks! Seriously!

Here’s the thing… once you try these oils, you won’t go back either. So you can do one of two things… both of which are great!

1. Sign up as a retail member to purchase the oils individually at retail price.
2. Sign up as a wholesale member with no fees, plus 24% off retail value. You don’t have to sell anything. If you want to make this into a business, you absolutely can, but that’s up to you! All that wholesale membership requires is a Personal Value (PV) purchase of at least 50 a year… since the majority of PV are dollar for dollar, the Premium Starter Kit you get at half price for $160 upon registering will satisfy that requirement for this year. You would then want to purchase $50 worth of oils next year, but I doubt you’ll be able to wait that long! Plus, if you decide against it, your wholesale membership will just deactivate and you will lose any points you may have earned on Essential Rewards. Young Living won’t charge your card each year for however many years… if you decided next year you did not want to order, your account would simply be put on hold, in a sense.

If you have any questions about retail versus wholesale membership, Essential Rewards, etc., please do not hesitate to ask! I am here to help!

Other helpful links:

1. Young Living explains essential oils with text, video, and photos.
2. Young Living essential oil guide
3. Ways to Use Essential Oils
4. 20+ Ways to Live a Healthier Life
5. How I Lost 50 Pounds… Without Working Out!!

Detox Baths

We come in contact with toxins all around us on a daily basis and they build up over time, causing a myriad of side effects.

1. Sick
2. Muscle aches; soreness
3. Migraines and/or headaches
4. Fatigued
5. Not getting enough sleep
6. Stressed

A detox bath can be amazing when you’re sick and is also nice even if you aren’t feeling under the weather.

This bath will help eliminate toxins in your body while also absorbing the minerals and nutrients in the water. I think it’s amazing how I can literally feel the salts pulling the tension out of my feet.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 cups Epsom Salt
• 1-2 cups Sea Salt
• 1/4-1 cup Baking Soda
• Ginger (fresh or ground)
• Coconut Oil (optional)
• Apple Cider Vinegar (containing “Mother”) (encouraged)
• 1-4 cups Hydrogen Peroxide (optional)
• Essential Oils
• Flowers/Herbs (fresh or ground)(optional)
• Chunk of Himalayan Sea Salt (optional)

1. Run the water as hot as you can handle it. Don’t scald yourself, though!
2. Dry brush your skin before getting in to increase detox properties. (optional)
3. When adding ginger, whether freshly grated, dried, or ginger essential oil, keep in mind that the more you add, the more you’ll sweat. That is the main ingredient in the sweating, sauna-like feeling of the intense detox bath. If you can’t handle a ton of heat (me!), tone down the ginger to an appropriate level based on your tolerance. I would say start with less, such as a dash or two of dried ginger and see how it goes.
4. Set a timer for 20 minutes. You can take a longer bath if you’d like, but 20 minutes is the minimum time for the detox to work. It is encouraged to work up to 40 minutes, if possible. I have a hard time staying in that long. I normally stay in about 30 minutes. Some sources say that the first 20 minutes are used to help your body remove the toxins, while the second 20 minutes are for absorbing the minerals in the water. I think it all kind of happens at the same time, so go with as long as you want.
5. Light candles. Turn off the lights and get in the tub. Your eyes will adjust to the darkness and the light from the candle will become enough. Feel free to light more candles if you wish. My favorite candles for this meditative bath are the wood-burning wick candles.
6. With your hands and/or feet, mix the ingredients into the hot water and relax.

Optional and Advice:

• I like to grab a clean hand towel to keep near the tub to pat my face. This bath is designed to sweat out toxins, so be prepared to sweat. That’s why I have the hand towel near.
• Play calming music in the background. I like Native American drumming meditation.
• Have water within reach during your bath. You are sweating and will need to replace those fluids with healthy, clean water to aid in the detox process.
• Wine. Ok, so this is actually NOT helping you detox, but it does help with the relaxing part, so why not?
• To further encourage the cleansing, wrap up in a robe or blanket right after getting out. You will lock in the heat and the ginger will continue to make you sweat, allowing you to detox even after you are out of the tub. I don’t usually do this, but you can if really trying to beat a sickness.
• Sometimes, if I’ve added too much ginger or if I’ve sweated a ton, I take a cool shower right afterwards to wash off the lingering toxins and salts.
• After you’re dried, apply some coconut oil to your skin with your choice of essential oil to aid in your needs.
  • Skin Health (dry skin, moisturizing, itchy, etc.)
  • Sleep
  • Meditation

*BEWARE: This bath can make you very tired and weak, as your body has been expunging itself of toxins through sweating. The removal of toxins in any way is an exhaustive process, such as massage (you know how tired you feel afterwards, even though it feels much better), dry needling, digestive detoxing, etc.

It is best to do this bath before bedtime as it can make you drowsy afterwards. It is important to drink water during and after. Any time your body detoxes, it is flushing out toxins and if you don’t replace the fluids with clean water, you could feel sick.

Other Great Articles:

• Where to Buy Essential Oils
• How to Use Essential Oils
• Epsom Salt
• Coconut Oil
• Dry Brushing