If you have followed me on my health and wellness journey at all, you know that I have come a long way from LIVING out of a box when it comes to food to making the switch to whole, organic (whenever possible) REAL foods. That was a huge change for me who (Like most everyone I know) grew up on what I would now call convenience foods and KFC!
So I made this huge leap to take the whole30 challenge, learn to cook and educate myself on what foods actually nourished my body, but there was still something missing. I was feeling better, but not great. I had more energy, but not enough. I was still battling allergies, debilitating headaches and fatigue regularly and well, just not feeling optimal….let me just stop right there and say that I have learned that it is NOT normal to feel off, sick or lethargic. You should not need caffeine to wake up and get through the day.
Let me stop right there and say that I do not claim that I have it all figured out. HECK NO! But, am I taking time and investing in myself and my family by doing research and finding healthier options that work best for us. I figure if I am going to spend all of this time and effort I may as well share it with anyone else on the same journey who will listen! Sharing is caring friends….so here we are!
Okay so…why did I choose to start using essential oils and specifically Young Living Essential Oils? Well, I needed a better option than chasing symptoms and being self medicated on the daily. I decided to stop medicating and start educating myself on how my body worked and how I could use natural methods to support my body systems. Did you know your body has many intertwined systems and when they are fully supported and balanced, you feel amazing?!?!?! That may seem like a no-brainer to some, but for me this one realization made ALL of the difference. Did you also know that God created plants, herbs and flowers with all we need to support that balance? Mind blown!!!
Seem overwhelming? What if I told you it actually isn’t because if it were, I would not be sitting here writing this! It’s all about the baby steps!!
My first step was to actually listen to my friend who had been telling me for, oh I don’t know, about a year that I needed to try pure essential oils and detox my home of all of the chemical mess that was messing with my body systems from the mainstream products such as laundry detergent, fabric softener, household cleaners, dish soap, shampoo conditioner, hand soap, makeup etc. I realize that doing all of this seems like a lot and does not correlate with the aforementioned baby steps, but this is all very doable if you are willing to make changes whenever you run out of the items you are currently using. Before you know it, your whole house is mostly toxin free and you are seeing the benefits in every aspect of your life!
Here is how I got started:
To use a cliché, I was sick and tired of being sick and tired, so I gave in and took my first baby step and asked my husband for a Young Living starter kit for Christmas. I figured if he decided to buy it, I would try it and then IF IT WORKED I would have access to 24% off of everything else the company offered to aide in my wellness journey. {W?) ho doesn’t like a permanent coupon?) Well guess what? He did and I’m here to tell you, it hands down was the best purchase we have made period. I’m not here to sell you anything friends, I’m here to tell you that the oils in that starter kit and this company have changed my life in SO many ways from day one!
I started out with lavender in the diffuser at night and got better rest. I put RC on my chest and diluted it on my daughter and learned to support the respritory system that way and saw major benefits, I used stress away because…. #momlife… and I started drinking tons of water because I loved the way my water tasted with Lemon Vitality oil in it. Before I knew it, I was “on a mission” to replace as many chemicals in my home as I could with safe, really honestly natural products infused with essential oils instead of system-disrupting chemicals. I started replacing things one by one as our budget allowed and noticing huge differences in my skin health, sleep patterns, energy & stress levels, overall mood etc!
It all seemed magical, but it wasn’t magic! It was balance! My body and those of my families were finally able to start healing themselves since they were no longer being poisoned on the daily by the chemical yuck cocktail I had previously served up.
I am not here to debate which essential oil company is best. I am here to tell you to do your research and find what works for you. Have you tried oils that have warning labels on the bottle not to ingest or use topically? If so, consider this…if all that is in it is the life blood of the plant from pure/ peppermint, or lavender for example, then why can’t you put them on your skin or ingest them?? I don’t know about you but I learned in elementary school that many plants including peppermint, lemon and lavender to name a few are edible.
Consider one more thing:
Do you know if the company that makes the oil you use owns their own farms and ensures that there are no chemicals used in the growing process period? Do they weed their crops by hand and test over and over again in-house and by third parties to ensure purity before the safety of their customers? (Click here for more info on Young Living purity promise) If not, consider this one last point…
If you choose to buy organic food, why? You don’t want the yuck that comes from pesticides and other chemicals on your food right? Well, I hear you! But that is just one apple or a bowl of salad right?
It takes 75 lemon rinds to make one 15ml bottle of lemon essential oil, 1 pound of peppermint to make a 15 ml bottle of peppermint essential oil and 27 square feet of lavender to produce a 15 ml bottle of lavender essential oil. They are super concentrated which is why you only need a drop or two for each application. Now imagine if all of that plant material had pesticides and chemicals in it and then when the oil was bottled they added fillers and additives. Now do you want to put that on your skin?? Or better yet, would you put it on your child’s skin??
I know my answer!!
Stay tuned for more baby steps to start kicking chemicals to the curb, feel better and stop chasing symptoms!
Want to know more? Comment here or contact me at Essentialtolifeyl@gmail.com
TX Mommy On A Mission 