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

Be Positive

Joy Essential Oil

Joy Essential Oil

This essential oil (EO), diluted, should be used topically behind the ears, chest/above heart, wrists, temples, and neck as any normal perfume. As the name implies, this oil is excellent for bringing joy to the wearer and those in close proximity.

I use Young Living Essential Oils because they are the highest quality therapeutic—grade oils.

Young Living (YL) Blurb: “Joy™ is a luxuriously exotic blend with uplifting overtones that creates magnetic energy and brings joy to the heart. When worn as cologne or perfume, Joy exudes an alluring and irresistible fragrance that inspires romance and togetherness. When diffused, it can be refreshing and uplifting.”

Learn the different ways to use essential oils here!

Already know and love essential oils? Would you like to get 24% off your Young Living oils? Of course you would! Click here to sign up, and click here to learn more about becoming a wholesale member, where you get 24% off retail prices and can even get free oils!!

Uses for / Properties of this Oil:

• Mood enhancer
• Uplifting
• Inspiring
• Motivating
• Rejuvenating
• Encourages happiness
• Eliminates depression
• Eases anxiety and tension
• Combats negativity
• Relieves stress and calms emotions
• Promotes balance, harmony, and well-being
• Deodorant
• Cramps (roll over cramped areas)
• Lowers blood pressure

Where to buy essential oils!

So check this out… I diffused Lavender two nights ago to help me sleep, and I didn’t have a single nightmare! If I did, I don’t remember, which is a good thing, trust me. Those dreams take an emotional toll on me. So last night, I really needed my beloved Joy, so I diffused that while I slept… Again, no nightmares and a good, cleansing sleep. At this very moment, I am diffusing Release, which is now a fav!! It’s said to be the most emotionally-stimulating and healing essential oil.

How to Use Essential Oils

There are a plethora of ways to use essential oils (EOs), and I am going to give you the nitty gritty right now!

The over-arching 3 ways to use essential oils are:

1. Diffuse / Inhalation

This method if quite obvious… you can put a few drops of EO in your hands and cup your hands around your nose, inhaling (don’t get it in your eyes!). You can also put 8-12 drops of your favorite EO in a Young Living (YL) diffuser and get hours of a lovely, calming experience.

Check out what YL has to say about its amazing Home Diffuser. Blurb: “Its ultrasonic technology breaks any mixture of essential oils and water into millions of microparticles, disperses them into the air, and activates the powerful plant constituents found in Young Living essential oils.”

2. Topical

Unless told otherwise, most essential oils will still need to be diluted before being applied to the skin directly. This is because they are so highly concentrated. Some popular carrier oils are coconut oil, almond oil, witch hazel, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, and more. Before applying an oil topically, I would read about it on Young Living’s website to know what the dilution ratio should be. Always try an oil or oil mixture on a patch of skin before applying to a larger area.

3. Ingest 

This method of using essential oils is simply by ingesting it into your body. There are several ways to do this. You could put a drop or 2 (less is more!) of lemon and/or peppermint EO to your water in the morning to help flush toxins and manage weight and appetite. You could also put a few drops in a vegetable capsule and take as a pill.

Find out where to buy essential oils for 24% off! 

Now, let’s talk about different ways you can use essential oils from the above methods…

Please keep in mind that you can use any of the essential oils I state below in the examples… for instance, if I say you can make a perfume using Joy EO, you can substitute out the Joy for another favorite EO. These are simply examples. Again, I must caution, however, to research your EO to make sure you can ingest it or apply it topically without dilution. I still recommend diluting the oils with a carrier oil when applying topically.

1. Add a few drops to a dry rag and add it to your dryer load to make your clothes smell great. You can use any oil, so I like to add my favorites, such as Joy, Awaken, Release, and/or Lavender for my sensitive skin. You can do this with the washer as well. Adding a few drops to a wash cycle is another way to make your clothes smell naturally wonderful. Other scents I enjoy using with clothes are purification for stinky clothes and lemon to brighten whites.

3. Put 1-2 drops of Lemon, Peppermint, Citrus Fresh, and/or Ginger in your cold or warm water (warm is better, but it’s still difficult for me) and drink throughout the day. Shake before drinking. This will aid as a weight management tool and appetite suppressant while detoxifying and cleansing your body.

4. Cook with the oils!! There are several essential oils that are great for cooking, such as Sage, Oregano, Ginger, Lemon, Lime, and so many more! Find out more about which oils would be stellar to cook with here!

5. Cleaning! Oh my, EOs are SO great for cleaning! I don’t even know where to begin… wait, yes I do! Thieves!! More on that later because I already know that will be its own post.

6. Diffuse Thieves to fight infection and sickness while cleansing and purifying the air.

7. Put a few drops on a cotton ball… you might want a few cotton balls, because these little guys can go many places! I like to throw one in my vacuum before cleaning… it makes the whole home smell amazing! Put one in your air vent in your car (try Joy or Stress Away). Toss a cotton ball in your drawers to give your clothes a great smell!

8. Mix water with several drops of EO in a glass squirt bottle. Use as air freshener.

9. Mix 15-20 drops of EO with a base of witch hazel in a glass roller-ball bottle. Use as a perfume. Try Joy, Awaken, and/or Lavender.

10. Do another mix as we did with the perfume, but add PanAway with the witch hazel. Use as a pain-easing muscle rub. See this article for one pain relief recipe. 

11. Put a few drops of calming EO, such as Lavender or Peace and Calming in your hands and rub together. Cup your face and inhale. Take your hands and rub them over both sides of your pillow. These measures will help give you a peaceful night’s sleep! Another great EO to try for sleep is Valerian.

12. Detox Bath

13. Diffuse to ease headaches and/or migraines. Try Lavender, MGrain, and/or Peppermint.

14. Add Baking Soda and your chosen EO to a mason jar and add it to your fridge to help with odors and to freshen the air quality. 

15. I love drying flowers… if you do as well, save those dried flowers and use them as art. I have displayed my dried pieces in wine bottles and vase. Then I realized that these not only were a beautiful piece of art, but that they could be used as potpourri. Tilt the EO bottle over the dried art and let a few drops fall onto it, preferably in a location where it will drip down, into the mass. Check out a really great article on dried flower potpourri here!

16. Nightmares suck… and mine are awful. I diffused Lavender two nights ago to help me sleep, and I didn’t have a single nightmare! If I did, I don’t remember, which is a good thing, trust me. Those dreams take an emotional toll on me. So last night, I really needed my beloved Joy, so I diffused that while I slept… Again, no nightmares and a good, cleansing sleep. At this very moment, I am diffusing Release, which is now a fav!! It’s said to be the most emotionally-stimulating and healing essential oil.

17. I definitely recommend the YL diffuser because it gives the best use of your oils.. more bang for the buck I guess would be the appropriate saying. However, you can also use regular oil burners, but it will not give the experience the home diffuser gives.

18. Holy gifting heaven!! There are so many ways to make homemade, DIY gifts with these oils!!

Try a detox bath kit including epsom salts, baking soda, sea salt, ginger, your favorite essential oil(s), and one of my all-time favorite things… a mason jar. Try Lavender, Peace and Calming, Stress Away, and/or Release for a relaxing and calming bath. Another option is Eucalyptus and Rosemary for a detoxifying bath that will aid in relieving symptoms of a cold such as congestion and swollen nasal passages.

Gift a perfume like #9 and 10 above. Try out your favorite essential oils and even mix if you so desire.

When gifting anything that has multiple ingredients not listed on the jar or bottle, I normally include some information about the ingredients. Any of my blog posts can be used as information inserts with your gifts to explain the healing and detoxifying properties of all the ingredients combined!

Sew sachets of dried flowers and essential oil to be placed in drawers, shoes, gym bag… the idea is really you can place them anywhere.

Most of the ideas we are discussing here could be used in some DIY projects, so the possibilities are endless.

19. Sew a rice bag that can be heated and placed over back, shoulders, neck… anywhere you have muscle pain. It is also very relaxing when you head to bed. It is much better than a heating pad because this will naturally get cooler so you do not have to worry about 8 hours of a possible fire hazard in your bed. Simply mix the several drops of EO into the rice before putting the oil in the bag. Get detailed instructions from this awesome article here!

This is just the start to an ongoing list on how to use essential oils, so stay posted for more! Comment below with your ideas, recipes, and common practices with essential oils!

Get more information on essential oils here!

Other Great Articles:

• Where to Buy Essential Oils
• Awaken Essential Oil
• Joy Essential Oil
• Hair Health
• Skin Health
• Detox Bath

References:

“110 Uses for the Everyday Oils Kit” by an Independent Young Living Distributor

“Essential Oils Pocket Reference” by Life Science Publishing

Awaken

This is one of my favorite essential oils (EOs) so far!! I absolutely love the smell and how its fragrance empowers me. I like to wear it (diluted with witch hazel) as a perfume. As the name implies, this oil is excellent for bringing emotional balance to the wearer and those in close proximity.

I use Young Living Essential Oil (EO) because it is the highest quality therapeutic—grade oil. This blend includes five other essential oil blends to create this unique and lovely scent; Joy (another one of my absolute favorites!!), Forgiveness, Present Time, Dream Catcher, and Harmony.

Young Living (YL) Blurb: “Awaken™ is an inspiring combination of several essential oil blends that helps bring about inner awareness and awakening. True understanding of one’s self is the first step toward making successful changes and desirable transitions. This blend may help you progress toward your highest potential.”

Uses for / Properties of this Oil:

• Enhances and awakens self-awareness
• Emotional strength; overcome grief and depression
• Balances energy center
• Strengthens one’s desires and opens the mind to reach one’s highest potential
• Letting go of the past
• Stimulates right brain creativity, amplifying the function of the pineal and pituitary glands
• Helps us identify our true desires and how to best pursue them
• Brings joy to the heart
• Helps release negative memories and move past emotional barriers; protects you from negativity
• Opens the mind
• Physical and emotional healing

Find out where to buy oils here! 

Find out different ways to use Awaken EO!

References:

“Essential Oils Pocket Reference” by Life Science Publishing

Totem Animals

Animal totems play huge roles in our lives. They aid in self-discovery and capture our imagination, giving us incredible avenues of self-expression and awareness.

Additionally, they assist in understanding our past, and if we are attentive, our animal totems can reveal glimpses of our future.

Webster’s Dictionary defines a totem as: “A natural object, usually an animal that serves as a distinctive, often venerated emblem or symbol. A means of personal or spiritual identity.”

Animals serve as harbingers of personality traits we, as humans, all aspire to achieve. This makes animals some of the most powerful symbols in our spiritual toolbox.

Animals afford us visions of how our lives could be if we lived more simply and lived with purity of thought and emotion. Therefore, incorporating animal totems into our lives affirms our spiritual goals.

By focusing on the attributes of our totems, we internalize these traits and thus begin to externalize the very character we absorb from our totems.

Photo Reference

How to Cleanse and Charge Stones

To Cleanse & Charge a Stone

It depends on the stone as to what method should be used. Some stones cannot be put in sunlight or submerged in water, so make sure you know what the stone prefers before attempting to cleanse it.

Cleansing

Cleansing Methods:

• Under running natural water, such as ocean, stream, river, or creekPoint the stone downward with the flow of water so the negative energy flows out and away.
• Full moonlight
• Full sunlight
• Buried in Earth/soilWill absorb negative energy
  • Deep cleansing
• Smudge
  • Sage
  • Cedar
• Amethyst clusters
• Herb “Baths”
  • Submerging in loose herbs
  • Rose Petals
  • Sage
  • Mint
• Sea Salt “Bath”
  • Can be used with other magical tools as well
  • Submerge in dry sea salt or salt-water bath
  • Deep cleansing

Before you use your gems and stones for magic, you should charge them to match you intent.

Charging Spell

Bless the stone with the 4 elements. Place the stone on your Third Eye Chakra and say:

In the name of the Divine,

I conjure thee,

O stone of earth, to assist me in my magical working.

By the moon and the stars,

You may be blessed and empowered to (name intent).

So mote it be.

You don’t always have to empower them with certain properties or jobs. One saying I use frequently is “I cleanse this stone of all negative energy and prepare it for my personal use.”

Henna/Medhi

Henna/Medhi

(top left: that’s me with my awesome Eye of Horus henna done at the Yellow Springs Street Fair 2014
bottom left: not me, just a really awesome google pic of henna!)

History

The word Henna comes from the Arabic word “Al-Hinna” and comes from the Lawsonia Enermis plant that grows 4-8 feet high in very hot climates, including Iran, Pakistan, Syria, Morocco, Palestine, Egypt, Yemen, Uganda, Tanzania, Afghanistan, Senegal, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and India. The leaves, flowers, and twigs of the plant are ground into a fine powder containing natural dying properties called tannins. The henna plant originally comes from Egypt and made its way to India as a gift from the ancient Egyptians. The art of applying Henna is called Medhi, a Hindu term. Henna has been used for at least 5,000 years in cosmetic and healing capacities. Ancient Egyptians would use it to adorn the mummies and Cleopatra is even known to have worn it as an adornment.

Hennaed skin is not tattooed as the practice does not require any piercing. Henna paste is a dye that leaves a more or less durable stain on the outer layer of the skin alone. Henna contains hennotannic acid that binds with cells, so the henna paste must stay moist and in contact with the skin for a while. Heat makes the dye darker, but normally, the resulting color is a dark orange/light brown/red. The stain will last anywhere from 1-4 weeks.

The Night of the Henna has been a tradition since 1000 BC at least. In the Night of the Henna, a girl is purified, dressed, bejeweled for her wedding, and then marked with henna.

Uses / Healing

Henna can be used as a hair or skin dye, and is even used on fingernails. It acts as a cooling agent on the skin during hot weather. People used to dip their hands and feet into the henna paste to aid with cooling their bodies. Even after the paste flaked off and the reddish stain was left, the cooling agent was still active. As a healing plant, Henna conditions, cleanses, colors, and cools the skin. It is used as a coagulator for open wounds, and a poultice made with henna leaves works to soothe burns and certain cases of eczema. Since the palm contains numerous nerve endings, when hennia is applied to the area, it helps to relax the system and cool the body. Henna mixed with vinegar and applied to the head is reputed to heal headaches.

Spiritual

Henna has a strong connection to the Spirit and is seen in many religions, including Paganism. Varying designs have a different meaning for members of each culture, such as good health, fertility, wisdom, protection, luck, and spiritual enlightenment. Henna is believed to attract good luck and dispel bad luck. Henna has also been used in bathing rituals for purification.

Making Henna Paste

There are some main ingredients when making your own henna paste. The henna powder is obvious. Essential oil is added to help darken the dye and through the EO’s ingredient terpinol. Some of the best essential oils for henna are lavender, tea tree, clove bud, ravensera, eucalyptus, and/or cajeput. These are used for consistency and acceleration. The coffee is used to pull the color out of the crushed henna leaves. Dark tea will provide the same effect; just make sure it is hot. Lemon juice adds acid and acid breaks down the cellular structure of the henna powder to bring out the color. Peppercorns, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, and whole cumin seeds can be used to darken the dye. White sugar adds the stickiness that the henna paste needs to stay on the skin long enough to leave a nice stain. You can also use honey instead of sugar.

When making yourself, if a brown crust forms on top, the henna is near its peak. If the paste has become dark brown throughout, it’s probably degraded and will not stain well. When you see drops or puddles of dye, the henna is at or passing its peak. Timing henna takes practice as low pH and heat speeds up the process.

The longer you leave the paste on your skin, the darker the stain will be. Try to leave the paste on at least 4-8 hours. Look for henna that is a brownish-green color. Henna loses potency over time, so when the powder has lightened and turned brown, it won’t leave a good stain. Store leftover powder in the freezer for up to a year. Measure out powder for how much you want to use. For body art, use a teaspoon for a few small designs and several tablespoons for 10-50 designs.

You can also use henna on any natural, porous surface; untreated wood is ideal. Leather also takes henna designs very well. Any items made out of animal skin works nicely.

You can purchase fresh henna at most health food and Asian markets. Stay clear of anything that states “black henna” as this is not natural or safe. The dyes claiming to be black contain a toxic chemical called paraphenylenediamine or PPD, which can cause severe allergic reactions, blisters, scars, and even life-long damage to your health.

Tips

• Do not use lotion or sunscreen for at least 24 hours before the henna is applied.
• Henna paste should remain on the skin for at least 4-8 hours before removing. It is best to let it naturally flake off. If you can leave it on overnight, this is best. The longer the paste is on, the darker the stain will be.
• Do not get your henna wet for at least 24 hours. If done on your hands, I understand that this will be impossible, but just realize that it will fade faster and may not be as dark.
• Sift henna powder before mixing paste to remove any clumps. When mixing, make sure to mix thoroughly to remove clumps. Clumps can get caught in the end when applying, causing a design to mess up.

To Make Henna Paste:

1. Measure ¼ cup henna powder into a bowl.
2. Add ~ 1/8 to ¼ cup room temperature lemon juice while stirring consistently until consistency is that of thick mashed potatoes.

OR

3. Boil 2 packets of instant coffee singles hard in about 1½ cups of water until it boils down to about ¾ of a cup of dark liquid. Mix just enough coffee into the powder to create a thick paste. The hot liquid will make the powder ball up a little, so be sure to mix until well blended and smooth.
4. Add ~ 2 T lemon juice.
5. Cover the bowel tightly with plastic wrap/foil/lid and let sit in warm (not hot) location for 12 hours.
6. Add 1 ½ to 2 t sugar.
7. Add ~ 5 drops lavender essential oil.
8. Mix well, recover, and let sit an additional 12 hours.
9. You want thin yogurt consistency (should ribbon off spoon, but not be too runny). Add lemon juice until consistency is right.
10. Pour mixture into applicator and freeze until ready to use. Best if used within a few days as the dye will not work as well if later than that.