PRODUCT REVIEW: Sambucol Natural Cold Remedy

This is Sambucol, a natural remedy comprised primarily of elderberries. These are small tablets that dissolve pretty quickly on your tongue. They taste fine and not like medicine or the dreaded NY-Quil “shot”, as I refer to it. Why not just start downing tequila? And all those chemicals? Yuck! Sambucol is made out of natural ingredients, which, as you know if you read this blog, I’m all about.

The two-pack contains 60 tablets, and you should start them as soon as you start to feel cold or flu symptoms. Then, every three hours, continue to use them until the sickness goes away.

They recommend you continue to take them for 48 hours after the illness subsides, and I’ll leave it to you about whether or not you want to do that, but it certainly can’t hurt!

There are 18 reviews of this product on Amazon, and all are five-star. Now, you might be saying – “These must be shill reviews!” If you read them, though many gush about the product, they sound genuine. Again, I’ll let you decide. I can only tell you about my experience.

I don’t always remember to take these right away, but I firmly believe they do help. And other than while I’m sleeping, I do try to stick to the recommended every three hour dosage. My cold symptoms aren’t as bad – I’m sick right now and using this product, which is why I decided to do the review. I have asthma, on top of fibromyalgia, so a cold is a BIG DEAL. I do whatever I can to get over it as quickly as possible.

If you try this product let me know!

PRODUCT REVIEW: 4 bottle carrier oil set

This is a perfect set for anyone who wants to try out different carriers to dilute their essential oils. The University of Minnesota issued the following information about diluting oils:

Common carrier oils are often available in natural foods stores or stores that specialize in natural bath and body products. Organic and cold-pressed carrier oils are preferred, and examples include sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, or avocado oil. These oils do not have a strong smell of their own. They should be kept refrigerated until used and should be discarded if they smell rancid.

What are the techniques?

• Compress: The essential oil is diluted in a liquid carrier (water or oil) and applied to a dressing or directly to the affected area. Optional heat or cold can be applied.

  For example, a few drops of ginger essential oil can be added to comfortably hot water and mixed to disperse the oil; then a cloth can be soaked in the solution and placed on a stiff joint. Additional heat can be applied as desired.

• Gargle: Drops of essential oil are added to water. You mix, then gargle the solution and spit it out. Do NOT swallow it. For example, one drop of tea tree oil in a glass of water can be gargled for sore throat discomfort.

• Bath: Drops of essential oils are added to bath water in a dispersant immediately before stepping in. This method results in absorption through the skin, as well as inhalation of the volatilized essential oil. A few tablespoons of full cream milk can be used as a dispersant.

  Remember, essential oils are not water soluble; thus they will float on top of the bath and skin passing through the oil will be exposed to full strength essential oil. Bath salts can also be used to disperse essential oils. A relaxing bath base can be made by mixing one part baking soda, two parts Epsom salts, and three parts sea salt. Add six drops of true lavender essential oil to about two tablespoons of this mixture and mix it into bath water just before entering.

• Massage: Drops of essential oil are added to a natural carrier oil and applied to skin areas with gentle rubbing. The choice of essential oils for massage depends on the desired effect.

Here are some guidelines from the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy:

Diluting massage and body oils:

For infants and young children:
.5-1% dilution = 3-6 drops of essential oil per ounce of carrier

For adults:
2.5% dilution = 15 drops of essential oil per ounce of carrier
3% dilution = 20 drops of essential oil per ounce of carrier
5% dilution = 30 drops of essential oil per ounce of carrier
10% dilution = 60 drops of essential oil per ounce of carrier

Diluting facial creams, lotions, and oils:

For adults:
Sensitive skin: .5 to 1 percent dilution = 3 to 6 drops per ounce
Normal, healthy skin: 1 to 2.5 percent dilution = 6 to 15 drops per ounce

Here are two useful charts for diluting essential oils:

There are a lot of places to find out more information online about specific oils you may want to dilute. I highly recommend essential oils, but it’s, well, essential that you know how to use them right.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystals

NOTE: The full name of this product is: Deodorant Crystal Blue Twist Up Stick

Size: 4.25 Oz

From the product description:

The only solid crystal deodorant in the world market with Aloe Vera is free of harmful aluminum contaminants. 100% pure and natural, hypoallergenic, 24 hour protection, not-staining and lasts up to one year. Highly recommended by doctors- oncologists, dermatologists, and allergists. Our elegant deodorant crystal combines all natural ingredients to eliminate odor causing bacteria. Aloe Vera is added to soothe and moisturize shaved underarms. Non-sticky, non-greasy–feels like a luxurious skin lotion.

Now my view:

I like this deodorant, overall, but there’s one major problem with it. When the weather turns hot, it doesn’t seem to work very well. I switch to another deodorant for a few months and then come back to this one.

The best way to apply the product is to wet it, roll it on, and then let it dry before putting on your shirt. Otherwise, you may end up with wet spots. Be sure you get good coverage on your underarms, as the product makes a kind of barrier against bacteria.

Also, on a random note, the crystals sometimes fall out of the bottom little by little. I just use a paper towel every few months to mop them up. No biggie, but I thought I should mention it. Some of the reviewers on Amazon mentioned they’ve used it with success on their feet as well but it doesn’t seem to be a universal finding.

This product does a good job keeping me dry, and I’m especially happy I’m not using a product with aluminum. Because of my background, I’m at a higher risk for breast cancer than most women and recent studies indicate aluminum in deodorant may be causing the large increase in cases of breast cancer. This deodorant can also be used by both men and women. The smell isn’t overly girly, in fact, since it’s fragrance free, there really is no scent.

If you use this or a similar product let me know in the comments how you like it.

PRODUCT REVIEW: RBX Cooling Sheets

Any of you who battle chronic illness know one of the primary symptoms is the inability to regulate your body’s temperature. I am always hot, and now that we’re using high-thread-count sheets, that problem has gotten worse. The sheets are so soft and feel so nice, but man, they are not cool, especially in the heat of summer.

I had heard about “cooling sheets”, so I set out to find some. I did, but balked at paying the price the store was asking for them. I pulled out my phone and went to one of my favorite places, eBay, and did a search. Lo and behold, the very sheets you see above in the picture were listed for sale at a much better price. I ordered them while I was still in the bedding department at the store.

When they came, I immediately washed them and put them on my bed. Now, the set I got, as you can see, is Twin. This is because I have a Tempurpedic bed, which requires separate fitted sheets for each of the two mattresses. My top sheet remained the high-thread-count type I’d been using. I changed one of my pillows – I use three to sleep with at night – to one of the cooling pillowcases, too.

This has been a hot summer all over the country, and Western New York is no exception. Contrary to popular belief, you can get a tan in Buffalo. But I digress.

I went to bed that night with high hopes. Then my hopes were dashed. I’ve been using 20the sheets for about a month (washing them, of course) and can honestly say I’ve seen no improvement in how freaking hot I am in bed. Now, it’s possible that’s the fault of the particular sheets or the brand, but in my research I didn’t find anything particularly bad OR good about specific brands.

So, I continue to boil like a lobster – with less squealing – every night in bed. When I came in here tonight and saw the temperature in the room was 72.5 degrees, I believe I swooned. I might actually be able to use the top sheet and single blanket I have on the bed. To give you an idea of my body temperature versus my husband’s, he’s using the high-thread-count sheets for his fitted and flat sheet, plus the blanket, and topping it all off with a heavy afghan. Just thinking about it makes me sweat.

My daughter just walked in and saw me writing this blog post. She has the flat sheet and the other pillowcase. I asked her if the sheets were working for her and she said yes. Of course, she’s a very healthy kid without an autoimmune disorder, so that might have something to do with it. Apparently, your mileage may vary.

I live on Starbucks light Frappuchinos. YUM.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Promend Prebiotic Fiber Gummies

I’ve taken several pro/prebiotic products over the past couple of years, and I think I’ve finally found one I really like.

If you struggle with chronic illness, you probably take a lot of pills already. I know I do. So when I find any kind of gummy supplement, I give them a try.

Adults take 3 of these a day. They’re not small, but they’re gummies, so that doesn’t bother me. They taste good, too. They’re a little softer than my Flintstone Complete Gummy vitamins, which I also like. Here’s some information about them, straight from the label:

Wow, it looked larger before I added it here. Hopefully you can read that. If not, try checking them out on Amazon, which is where I buy them. You can do a one-time purchase of 120 for $14.99, or add it to your Subscribe-n-Save items.

Subscribe-n-Save is a great thing for chronic illness sufferers. Basically, you pick products and get a mailing once a month of them. You can actually choose one, two, three, four, five, or six months between deliveries. This saves me invaluable time and energy. Also, you get a discount from 5-15 percent off the price of each item. SCORE!

Anyway, I recommend these prebiotic gummies. They make all the pills I have to take a little easier to swallow. 😉

FitBit Charge HR

I got my FitBit several months ago, and I’m thrilled with the information it provides me. There are many different models of FitBits, but I chose Charge HR because it had some extra features that others lacked. FYI, on Amazon, the Charge HR is around $125.

Mine is a prettier purple color. 😉

The main product features are:

Doctor’s Best D-Ribose

I add a ridiculous amount of supplements to my smoothies, but one of my favorites is Doctor’s Best D-Ribose. Here’s a pic of the container:

A one-time purchase of this product is $24.49. I do Subscribe and Save for a lot of the products I use on a regular basis, and pay a little over $20. One container lasts me for about 2-3 months. I put two scoops in my smoothies, though the serving size is one scoop. I did research and determined it wouldn’t hurt me to increase the dosage.

So when you’re looking for things to improve your energy levels, no matter what autoimmune disease or other malady that affects you, try D-Ribose.

You may think, at first blush, that reviewing Roku is an odd choice for a chronic illness blog. Really, though, it isn’t. We all need places to escape when we’re not well. The cycle of sleeping versus not sleeping wreaks havoc on your body, making it difficult to even get out of bed on some days.

On those days, having some ways to distract yourself from the pain, depression, anxiety, and other myriad things going through your head. Different people enjoy different distractions, but one of my favorite means is through watching TV and movies.

A few years ago, my husband and I decided we were done with cable. It was costing a ridiculous amount each month for many services we didn’t need or want. So we started looking into alternatives, and settled on the Roku.

Roku, in essence, is a computer that supplies streaming content to your TV. It needs an Internet connection of some sort, whether wireless or through an Ethernet cable. There are “channels” you can subscribe to, such as the obvious – Netflix, Hulu, but also lesser-known ones like Crackle and tons more.

You pay for each Roku box once, and then monthly for each channel. The boxes are around $95.00 through Amazon, and each channel runs between $8-20 a month, roughly. Of course, you also pay for your Internet connection. Even so, the overall costs are far less than cable, and as long as you don’t mind waiting a few days for new episodes of your favorite shows, primarily through Hulu, it’s a good option for those looking for a widespread entertainment venue.

From PC Magazine:

Room Deodorizer using essential oils

My daughter loves essential oils, and when she saw this recipe, she wanted to make it immediately. She loves it so much that we’ve got to make another batch! You can also use this spray to freshen linens.

What you’ll need:

• 30 drops of Essential Oils – whatever you like, but most common are citrus oils and lavender
• 3 oz. rubbing alcohol or vodka
• 1.5 cups distilled water
• Spray Bottle
• Funnel (or mix in a glass measuring cup for easy pouring)

Directions:

1. Mix 30 drops of essential oils to 3 oz. of rubbing alcohol or vodka into a glass. (Either will work.) I used 15 drops of lemon oil and 15 drops of lavender oil.
2. Add 1.5 cups of distilled water to the mixture.
3. Pour into a spray bottle.

Shake the bottle before each use.

Source: http://www.livinglocurto.com/2015/02/lemon-lavender-linen-spray/

Have you ever made a spray like this? Which oils did you use? Tell me in the comments!