Metabolism Power

Metabolism Power
This critical function is regulated by your thyroid and your digestive health.  It's hard to say which is more important.  If you have been exposed to too many products that have hormone disrupters, your thyroid function will diminish.  If your diet contains too many processed foods, GMOs, sugar and bad fats, your digestive path will lead to physical and mental fatigue. 

It's all relative!  A slow metabolism can be the direct result of....

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The Hormone Connection

The Hormone Connection
Balancing Hormones is the key focus in my 28 Day Health Challenge - and covers 7 main hormones, including insulin, leptin and oestrogen and the foods that affects them.  

The Endocrine System is being attacked by every 'hormone disrupter' man has created.  

That includes fake food, packaging, clothing, .....

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The Power of Sleep

The Power of Sleep
Improving sleep is one of the first things addressed on my 28 Day Health Challenge - it is that important.  

Have you ever heard the saying that you heal while you sleep? well, it's true, there are hundreds of evidence based trials that prove the body heals while in sleep mode.  

Rejuvenation requires a state of rest for the body to repair.   

That's why sleep is critical to our daily replenishment of energy at the cellular level and to reduce mental stress.   Lack of rest and sleep creates...

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Gary's Great Day Protocol / The Angelic Shield

Gary's Great Day Protocol / The Angelic Shield
At the last Young Living Day on 10 July - we were talking about the special YL day promotions one of which is a beautifully boxed set of Gary's Great Day Protocol essential oils.  

As we got talking, it became apparent that no one had actually heard of Gary's daily protocol!  so I promised to write a short blog on it, and here it is.  

Gary's birthday and the International Essential Oils Day is celebrated on the 11 July.  Gary sadly died in May, 2018 but the following was his daily morning routine:


Start each day with confidence, inner strength and a peaceful heart 
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The Base Chakra in Grief & Trauma

The Base Chakra in Grief & Trauma

The Base Chakra in Grief & Trauma - Essential Oils - The base chakra and is associated with our most basic needs of survival, safety and security, including our biological need for food, water, shelter and procreation. 


It's also associated with the sense of safety that comes with knowing we belong to a community, a tribe, a place and a planet - consciously or unconsciously. 

 

The base chakra's main function is to channel energy upwards from the earth into our feet, legs and spine to help us remain grounded, stable and connected, and this is what happens when it is functioning optimally. 

 

When it isn't functioning optimally, we don't feel safe and able to trust our own experiences.  In grief, our ability to enjoy basic sensory pleasures is diminished.   

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The Chakras in Grief & Trauma

The Chakras in Grief & Trauma

I was first introduced to the chakras (which can also be described as 'energy centres'  in 1997 during my training in clinical aromatherapy.   Since then I have worked extensively with essential oils as an aromatherapist and on a personal level worked with the chakras during my yoga sessions.   Now, almost two years into my journey after the passing of my husband, I have started to work with the chakras in the context of grief and trauma.

There are seven main chakras.   Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning ’wheel’ or ‘circle’.  This word is accepted in the practice of energy work and energy medicine to be an all-encompassing term describing vital centres of energy that exist within each of us.  These vital parts of us are not visible to the human eye and are considered ‘subtle’ energy.  

However, whilst the chakras may not be visible, they are not only essential but crucial to our ongoing development and overall health as human beings, especially for those living in grief and those impacted by trauma.


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Q&A - Diffusers

Q&A - Diffusers

There appears to be some confusion regarding diffusers and their safe use, so here are some Q&As that may help to explain some areas to you.  

How many drops of essential oil should I use in my diffuser?  
I wish I could just give you a number, but it’s not that simple!  It depends on many things
  • the size of your diffuser
  • how much water you put in the well of your diffuser
  • the size of your room you are diffusing in 
  • the essential oil itself, and 
  • consideration for the person or people you’re diffusing for
As a rule of thumb use 1-4 drops per 100ml of water!   The Desert Mist diffuser holds 200mls of water in its well so you could use a maximum of 8 drops if you filled the well up to its maximum level  – and the Desert Mist diffuser is ideal for a room of about 10’ x 10’ or 3 x 3 meters.   

You would also need to consider the essential oil – so if you chose Geranium, you would choose the lesser amount of drops as Geranium is very overpowering for a small room, but if you chose Lavender or Frankincense you could choose the maximum amount of drops as Lavender and Frankincense aren’t anywhere near as overpowering as Geranium.   

Another consideration is the age of the recipient – if you are diffusing for a child or a senior and the diffuser is next to a bed for example, you could choose the smaller number of drops if the purpose of diffusing were for a calming atmosphere, or you may choose a higher number of drops (still within the 1 – 4 per 100ms of water) if you were diffusing to stay alert.  

 

 

I want to use both Orange and Cedarwood in my diffuser – should I put them in the water separately or mix them together first?  
When you choose to diffuse a combination of singles say Orange & Cedarwood in this example– the choice is yours - some people put 2 drops of Cedarwood and then 2 drops of Orange separately into the diffuser well – this is okay but you are not getting the real synergistic effect of these two oils  -  in my opinion, it  would be far more beneficial to blend the Orange and Cedarwood together first, then add drops of that blend into the diffuser well.  - Once you find a blend you love – you could make a batch bottle – so in a 5ml bottle – that holds approximately 100 drops – you could put 40 drops of Cedarwood and 60 drops of orange for example, or whatever combination you like, then use the number of drops you want to use in the diffuser – so 2 – 8 drops of this blend of two oils into your 200mls of water for this diffuser -  I have a blend like this using Orange and Cedarwood  -  I call it my Christmas Blend  and use it all year round!   So if you were using 8 drops of this blend in your diffuser, the 5mls bottle that contains approximately 100 drops would be good for about 12 diffusing sessions (that’s 96 drops! if you are checking my maths!).   

 

Do I really need to clean my diffuser?  Yes, you really do!  And it only takes a few seconds.  It tells you how to do it in the instruction book that you get with your diffuser. The important thing to remember is that your guarantee could be invalid if you don’t follow the instructions, which state that the only substance you can use to clean your diffuser is rubbing alcohol.  The instructions also state that your diffuser should be cleaned every time you change the essential oil.  

I clean my diffusers about once a month – is that okay?  
A big mistake many of us make is not to clean our diffusers enough! According to the instructions it should be cleaned after each use and after each change of essential oil.  If you do clean your diffuser frequently it will definitely work more effectively and last much longer.  

Is it okay to put my diffuser on a teak coffee table?  
A common mistake is that if you are putting your diffuser on a wooden table, you need to put it on something and not directly on the natural wood table. You could ruin the table as when the water and oil droplets lands on the table it will leave a mark over time. I bought a clear glass chopping board and put that on my table with the diffuser on top so protecting the table, without taking away the visual impact of the diffuser.  

Is it okay to diffuse two blends at the same time – for example Thieves and RC?
Each of blends were blended for a specific reason -  so if you mix two blends together you are getting a watered down effect from using them alone – does that make sense?  So you are not getting the full benefits of Thieves as you’ve mixed something with it, and you’re not getting the full benefit of the RC as you’ve mixed something with it – I would recommend you use the blends s they are – don’t add anything to them – you will get more benefit if you just alternate the blends rather than mixing them together.  

 

 

 

Pets – a small diffuser will fill a 10’ x 10’ room, a larger diffuser will fill a 16’ x 16’ room – so the larger the room the larger the diffuser.  For optimum results, your diffuser shouldn’t be on 24x7.     A good recommendation is to diffuse for 30 minutes on followed by 30 minutes off.   If a pet doesn’t like the smell, the pet will leave the room – that’s what animals do! 

They are intelligent and will move away if they don’t like something – they know instinctively what’s good for them or not.   My cat is over 20 years old and has lived her whole life with essential oils  Just make sure there is an escape route for your pet, and if there isn’t then always use the on/off system just mentioned.  I would always recommend using a water diffuser if you have pets.   Some people use a nebusiser type of diffuser where the essential oils are not diluted at all - they come out neat - so this type of diffuser is not recommended if you have pets.   

Cold water diffusing is the mildest form of diffusing so ideal if you have pets.  

Nutrition Consultant & Clinical Aromatherapist




 

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Oil Pulling

Oil Pulling
Stained and Discoloured Teeth?

No amount of tooth brushing will remove stained teeth.  The coffee, tea and red wine over the years have ingrained into our teeth and sadly brushing alone will not remove them.  However, it has been shown that oil pulling has good results.  

Oil pulling, also known as "kavala" is an ancient Ayurvedic technique that dates back over 3,000 years and involves swishing oil in your mouth, effectively using oil as a mouthwash!  

Oil pulling can be described as a remarkably simple, completely harmless and inexpensive oral hygiene treatment and is a technique taken very seriously by thousands of people all over the globe - although there are no scientific studies on it.  

The most obvious result of oil pulling is improved dental health and it’s an amazingly effective way to not only make your teeth whiter but to make your gums pinker and healthier looking and leaving your breath fresh,  all making this natural remedy worthwhile.  But what is remarkable is that the benefits don’t stop there.  Many other health problems, like congested sinuses appear to improve too but which can’t be explained scientifically or otherwise! 

Oil pulling is believed to help in the excretion of toxic heavy metals from your body via saliva. The squishing activates salivary enzymes which absorb toxins such as chemical, bacterial and environmental toxins from the blood and which are then removed from your body when you spit the oil out.  

How do you do it - you very simply put a teaspoon of coconut oil in your mouth – but any oil can be used - many people use coconut oil or sesame oil or a combination of both. 

If you suffer from gingivitis (bleeding gums) you could add 1 drop of lemon essential oil. (This needs to be a 'food grade' one, like Lemon Plus).   Lemon essential oil is a haemostatic.  Haemostatics help to stop bleeding by speeding up the coagulation of the blood.    So by adding just 1 drop of lemon will not only help the gingivitis but it will add more anti-bacterial components to the oil mixture and give it a much nicer taste making it much easier to swish, 

Oil pulling best done first thing in the morning on an empty stomach so before you eat or drink anything. If you have never done this before, then I recommend you start with just 2 minutes!     

When the oil is in your mouth, you simply swish it around your mouth, teeth and gums.  Once the two minutes are up, spit the oil out in some kitchen towel, and dispose in the rubbish – do not spit it in the bathroom basin or any other basin really! as it will clog up your pipes and drains! 

Once you can do 2 minutes gradually build up to 5 minutes and longer and longer until you reach 20 minutes.  

At the same time as you lengthen the time you are squishing, you are going to increase the amount of oil from a teaspoonful to a dessert spoonful and finally a tablespoonful.   You could do your oil pulling whilst lying in the bath, or when under the shower or whilst waiting for the kettle to boil or reading a book (reading a book is good once you hit the 20 minutes)  but remain mindful of what you are doing so you don’t swallow it.  

If you do swallow it, it won’t do you any harm, but it will defeat the objective of doing it in the first places, which is to take harmful bacteria and other toxins out of your system.  

When the oil blend is in your mouth it will double in size over the time you squish, it doubles in size because of the saliva you will produce.  If it gets too uncomfortable, you can spit some of it out in kitchen towel and then carry on swishing until your time is up.  

Don’t be alarmed of the colour as the saliva and oil squished together will change to a white colour - the longer you squish, the whiter it will become.  

Everyone can benefit from oil pulling – it's not just for whitening teeth, there are so many other benefits - so if this interests you, go and do some research, and let me know how you get on!  

There are lots of articles online and many books on it in Amazon.



I started a 30-Day challenge on 29 April - I took a photo of my teeth and will take another one after 30 days and post the difference!  


Stay Safe and Take Care


Suzie Webb
Nutrition Consultant & Clinical Aromatherapist 
Suzie Webb Wellness



 


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How to Make Hand Cleanser using Thyme Essential Oil

How to Make Hand Cleanser using Thyme Essential Oil
You can make make a really simple hand cleanser (that won't dry out your hands!), in seconds! using just 2 ingredients! Aloe Vera gel and an essential oil of your choice - some oils are better choices than others for a hand cleanser.  I used Thyme and you will find a little information about it below.  This purpose of this hand cleanser is to keep in in your pocket when you are out and about and where it may be difficult for you to access soap and water!  This isn't a replacement for washing your hands - especially at this time (April 2020).  

There are over 300 species of Thyme and many species produce their own unique variety of essential oil which are called chemotypes.  They are all Thyme oil, but their chemistry is different depending on the climate and other conditions the plant grew in, giving them different characteristics and uses.   I am going to use Thyme (Thymus vulgaris ct. thymol) for my hand cleanser recipe.

Thyme has been used for thousands of years.  The Ancient Greeks used it to disinfect the air to prevent the spread of disease* and Thyme essential oil was used in World War I to medicate gauze and wool for surgical dressings.  It resembles carbolic acid in its actions but it is less irritating to wounds and its germicidal action is greater **

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris ct. thymol) is probably the most well known of the Thyme chemotypes and is the one used in the Raindrop Technique. It contains high percentages of the chemical component 'thymol' which contributes to its potent, sharp aroma. It can reduce germs (on hands, in the air via a diffuser and on household surfaces) and there are many studies that states it supports the immune system***

Safety Note:  This chemotype of Thyme essential oil is too strong to be used undiluted for people with a sensitive skin, children and pregnant women.  

Recipe for Hand Cleanser:
40mls Aloe Vera gel  
20 drops of Thyme essential oil  (Thymus vulgaris ct. thymol) 

Add the Aloe Vera gel to a 40ml flip top bottle
Add the essential oil
Mix well.  Always shake the bottle before use



only used Thyme essential oil in this hand cleaner, as I consider it to be the most efficient at this present time (April, 2020) when most of us are self-isolating because of Covid-19.  

I didn't put a label on this bottle of hand cleanser, as it is just for my personal use and the only place it is
going to be is in my coat pocket!  

When I am making products for other people, I would label the container with the ingredients in
the bottle, the date I made it and any safety precautions if necessary. 


References: 

* Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit by Gabriel Mojay
* * The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy by Salvatore Battaglia
***  Antimicrobial Properties of Plant Essential Oils against Human Pathogens and Their Mode of Action: An Updated Review. 





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Oils to Help All 4 Areas of Health - Physical, Emotional, Mental & Social

Oils to Help All 4 Areas of Health - Physical, Emotional, Mental & Social


In the hustle and bustle of today’s world, it can be difficult to maintain all those good intentions about living a healthier lifestyle. But adopting a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be hard! Check out our favourite oils to help in all four areas of health: 
Physical, Emotional, Mental & Social 



What are some of your favourite oils for a healthy lifestyle? 


Suzie Webb
Suzie Webb Wellness
Clinical Aromatherapist & Nutritionist 
 


References:  this was an original Young Living post - but a particularly good one I thought!  lol 



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