Product Review: DoTerra Essential Oils

12 Tuesday Apr 2016

Posted by in Go Natural, Product Reviews, Resources

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I’ve tried several different brands of essential oils, and I can say, in my experience only, that DoTerra makes consistently excellent products. I won’t name the other companies I’ve tried, many of whom were very good, some that were not so good. I’m not in the mood to get sued for libel.

My first experience with DoTerra was during one of my massages. I get them every other week, just a half-hour, concentrating on my neck, shoulders, and back. The therapist dropped some oil onto my back and immediately the room was filled with this really pleasant odor. I asked her what it is, she told me, then put one drop on a tissue and laid it over part of the legs of her table so I could breathe it in while she continued to work on me.

The first essential oil I bought was at our local health foods store. It was peppermint, and it was fine, but didn’t exactly wow me. After that, I asked my therapist what brand she used and she showed me her collection of DoTerra oils. I’m pretty sure I could smell my credit card burning a hole in my pocket!

The most unfortunate thing about DoTerra is that it’s difficult to source, especially if you only want to buy one or two at a time. Amazon was selling some of the line, but I’ve heard they’re shutting that down. You can go directly to their website, but as I said, if you’re buying one $10 oil and being charged another $5 for shipping, that makes the product less attractive, at least to me. I have Amazon Prime, so I’ve been buying things from there.

Oil Bottles

Image courtesy of DoTerra

My favorite products, with some of the more technical information taken from their website:

  • Deep Blue cream: This is a pain-relieving cream similar to Two Old Goats, etc. It does have a smell. I don’t find it overbearing or unpleasant, but you might feel differently. Features Wintergreen, Camphor, Peppermint, Blue Tansy, German Chamomile, Helichrysum, and Osmanthus essential oils. There’s also an essential oil using the same blend.
  • Breathe: Breathe is one of DoTerra’s proprietary blends, with includes Laurel Leaf, Cardamom, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Melaleuca, Lemon, and Ravensara. I have asthma and it does seem to help when I’m having trouble breathing or fighting a cold.
  • OnGuard: Another proprietary blend, available in a whole suite of products. I use the OnGuard foaming hand soap all over the house – replacing the antibacterial soap that’s at least partly responsible for all these “superbugs” we’re seeing these days. Antibacterial sounds like a great thing, but it’s not. YMMV
    When I feel something coming on, I start taking OnGuard beadlets, usually 3-4 a day. They’re tiny and very easy to swallow, though most of us chronic illness warriors can swallow reams of pills like a champ. Lastly, again, when I’m feeling run down or am sick, I diffuse OnGuard essential oil with whatever other oils sound good at the time.
    I’m sure there are recipes out there for “bombs” that include OnGuard, but I like to play it by ear. If my chest is bothering, I’ll add Breathe. I almost always add oregano and frankincense, which are two of the most powerful antioxidants. There are tons of “healing” essential oils. I’d suggest picking up a book or ebook with information about the oils and what they do. Just today I bought this and this. Four bucks and I have over 200 more pages of info I can scan at my leisure or when I want something specific.
  • The “heavy hitter” single oil blends: Frankincense, oregano, eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, rosemary, and tea tree oil are the most powerful essential oils in general. They do different things; some reduce inflammation, some increase immunity, and some help with energy.

DoTerra and other essential oil companies offer many, many other products. If you deal with chronic pain and inflammation, it’s definitely worth your time to check things out. If you have any oils you like, let me know in the comments!

5 Ways to Make Flares Easier

10 Sunday Apr 2016

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Flares suck. We all know that. No matter which autoimmune disease you live with, flares are a common occurrence. Especially when you’re initially diagnosed, these flares really mess with your head (and your body, of course). So what steps can you take to mitigate the impact of flares on your life?

  • Accept you’re in a flare or one is coming that you can’t stop. Don’t fight them. It will only make things worse. What might have been a minor, one-day flare could turn into a multi-day, painful, stiff experience you never want to repeat.
  • Alert friends and family that you’re having a flare and set their expectations about what you will and won’t be able to do until further notice. Cancel appointments, outings, and anything else you will not/should not take part in while you’re flaring. Do not allow them to guilt you into coming back into the world too soon. If you do, you might rebound, and all the hard work you’ve done will go for not.

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  • Find your happy place and get to it. If you need supplies – painkillers, DVDs, creams – whatever helps, gather them. A friend of mine keeps a “flare basket” that she regularly refills (when she’s feeling well) with all the things she needs in case of a flare. That way, she doesn’t have to go hunting while she’s not feeling well, she’s putting a little less stress on her family, and she knows she’ll have everything she needs. I don’t have a basket, but I do have Netflix and Hulu in my bedroom, a couple of creams etc on my nightstand, and pills a couple of feet away in the bathroom.
  • Settle in for however long it takes to get better. It may take a few hours, a few days, or a week. Don’t rush the process. Sleep. Binge watch Reign if you like historical fantasy. If you’re into gore, binge watch Game of Thrones. If you’re not nauseous, go for the 12 seasons of Top Chef on Hulu. Read. Sleep some more. Take detox baths. Color. Do whatever it takes.
  • Use whatever means necessary to make the pain go away. Creams, essential oils, Himalayan salt lamps, magnesium flakes in a hot bath, lots of fluids. There are tons of different ways to treat the seemingly millions of symptoms of autoimmune diseases, so figure out what works for you and go with it.

The main point is, yes, we all have responsibilities, some of which we have to battle through no matter the circumstances. But you’d be surprised at how few of those you actually have no choice to attend. Especially once your family and friends begin to understand your limitations, you’ll be under less pressure to push yourself.

How do you take care of flares? Any tips? Leave them in the comments!

Recipe: Magnesium Body Butter

07 Thursday Apr 2016

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Many of the recipes in this chronic pain and illness world fly from place to place. This recipe was originally found on Amazing Oils, then copied onto Natural New Age Mum, which is where I found it.

Magnesium is a crucial mineral for every body, but especially those with autoimmune diseases. And one of the quickest and most effective ways to get magnesium into your body is through the skin, which is why magnesium spray is so popular amongst anyone battling these diseases.

Sometimes you can’t spray oil all over your body, though. This body butter is something you could transport easily and use as a body lotion. It can be a little greasy, so you’ll probably want to wash your hands after applying it. Without further ado, the recipe!

Magnesium Body Butter

Ingredients:

1/4 cup organic extra virgin coconut oil (like Viva Labs, which I prefer)

1/2 cup unrefined cocoa or shea butter (Better Shea Butter is a good product)

1/4 cup magnesium oil (BioActive Nutrients is available on Amazon and an excellent value)

5 – 10 drops of essential oils (if you’re looking for energy and vitality, try a blend with some of the following: Rosemary, Basil, Lemon, Lime, Peppermint, or any others that make you feel good. A good blend is Age Defy from Edens Garden.)

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Image courtesy of Creative Commons

Directions:

1. In a double boiler or over low heat, melt coconut oil and butter.

2. Pour into medium-sized bowl and let cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or until it begins to get opaque.

3. Using a stand mixer or hand blender with the whipping attachment, start to whip together the oils.

4. Ever so slowly, begin to add in the magnesium oil until well combined. At this point you can also add essential oils of your choice. If you are pregnant, check the safety of your essential oil.

5. Place in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes until it is semi-solid and then re-blend. It is best to set the lotion in this way so that it whips up optimally- giving it a divinely fluffy texture.

6. Scoop into glass jars and store in the refrigerator. The body butter will be firm when you first start to apply, but melts nicely into the skin and absorbs rapidly.

 

I will do an entire post soon about the benefits of magnesium for all sorts of chronic illnesses. It’s a mineral tons of people, “healthy” or not, are severely deficient in, and it is needed by practically every cell in your body. But for now, make this awesome butter and enjoy the benefits!

Product Review: Bionica Pain Relieving Gel

05 Tuesday Apr 2016

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I’m in pain all the time. That’s a consequence of having fibromyalgia. As a result, I have tried more painkillers, pain relief balms/gels/lotions/tinctures, plus detox baths, which I spoke about in my last post. I have quickly become an expert in what works and what doesn’t.

Today I’m going to review Bionica, a pain relieving gel. It’s homeopathic, with no capsacin or menthol. The first ingredient is arnica, and many of the others have been officially monogrammed by the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States. In actually understandable terms, that means those ingredients stimulate the individual’s body to correct imbalances, eliminate waste and maintain equilibrium without the use of large amounts of chemicals.

Bionica Pain Relieving Gel, 3 Ounce

Image courtesy of Amazon

Bionica is a clear gel which dries quickly and has a light scent of essential oils. It lasts about four to six hours and then will need another application. Compared to other similar products, the odor is less and the effectiveness is about the same. As far as cost goes, Bionica falls around the middle of the spectrum, though the size is somewhat small for the price at three ounces. You can find Bionica here on Amazon if you’d like to try it. If you do, definitely let me know in the comments!

Detox Baths – why you should take them

03 Sunday Apr 2016

Posted by in Disease Management, My life

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Much has been made lately of the concept of the detox bath. Some people like to make you think a detox bath will cure what ails you (which we all know isn’t true), and others suggest them as one more cog in your illness management wheel. I’ll explain the concept of the detox bath, why you should consider making them a part of your week, and how to actually go about drawing one.

The concept: Certain compounds naturally pull toxins from the body. In a detox bath, you combine a few and then let them do their job.

Why you should take them: Our world is filled with chemicals and pollutants. Even the healthiest eater is still breathing in the air around them. Detox baths help your body fight back against the things trying to do you harm. Besides, most of us love taking baths. Personally, I’ll take a bath over a shower any day. Showers tire me out and my balance isn’t always great in the tub, but it’s much harder to slip and slide when your body is more or less horizontal.

How you make a detox bath: The “recipes” for detox baths are endless, and you can find several on my Detox Your Body board. The basic detox bath only needs two things, though (besides you and water) – baking soda and either epsom salts or magnesium flakes. To find out where to get these items, check out my Product Reviews page.
Turn on the tap to the hottest temperature you can stand, since the point is to sweat out the bad stuff, much like a sauna. Plug the tub and then grab your baking soda. Generally speaking, you want about one-half cup per bath. I put some into my hand and then dump it directly into the bath toward the end where the tap is.
Now you need your epsom salts or magnesium flakes. Magnesium flakes may cause your skin to tingle, and not everyone likes that sensation, so epsom salts are often used in place of them. Again, dump some into your hand and scatter it in the same place as the baking soda. Swish everything around with your hands to help combine the additions, and you’ve got yourself a basic detox bath.
There are also variations, like adding lavender or peppermint essential oil. Not only will your bath smell lovely, but both help with that whole “sweating” idea. And like I said, countless recipes exist, and I’ve pinned at least a couple dozen to the Pinterest board I mentioned above.

What do you like to add to your detox baths? Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments!

3 tried-and-true homemade cleaners

31 Thursday Mar 2016

Posted by in Go Natural

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With the chemicals in our environment, rates of a bunch of diseases are skyrocketing, from cancer to MS to pretty much every autoimmune disease. After my fibromyalgia diagnosis, I did research, which should surprise no one who knows me and my penchant for looking at every angle before making a decision.

I went through scores of recipes for everything under the sun, and thought I’d start with washing machine detergent, dishwasher detergent, and a general de-greasing citrus cleaner. You can go down a rabbit hole looking for a recipe that works on a consistent basis, though. Sometimes trial and error is the only way to find a combination you like, but here are the three I like, with attribution to the original posting sites.

Washing Machine Detergent: http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2012/10/homemade-laundry-powder-3-ingredients-10-minutes.html

If you want to make a bigger batch, simply double or triple the ingredients.

Step 1: Grate the entire bar of soap as finely as possible. Basically, you just want to blend it until the pieces are cut more finely.

Step 2: Add the grated soap to your blender, with 1 cup of either the washing soda or the Borax (it really doesn’t matter which one). If you don’t have a great blender, you might want to process this in smaller batches. In my NutriBullet, I did it in two batches, which was perfect. Be careful if you use a glass blender because they’re much harder to clean, and though these ingredients are much healthier than the processed brands, they’re still derivatives of a washing machine detergent.

Step 3: Add the blended mixture to a bowl, and mix in the remaining 1 cup of either washing soda or Borax. Use a spoon to mix it thoroughly and break up any large chunks.

Step 4: I stored mine in a glass mason jar. One recipe made almost 1 quart of laundry powder.
Dishwasher Detergent: http://wellnessmama.com/12217/homemade-dishwasher-detergent/
  • 2 parts Borax
  • 2 parts washing soda
  • 1 part citric acid
  • 1 part salt
  • essential oils for scent (completely optional)

Step 1: Combine all ingredients and store in an air tight container.

Step 2: Use 1 tablespoon per load as needed.

Step 3: For an extra boost, add a few drops of dishwashing liquid (only a few!!!) to the powder before closing the soap container in the dishwasher.

Step 4: You can also add white vinegar as the rinse agent, though honestly, I forget this most of the time and it still works.

Notes:

1 Part= any measure you want
In other words, if 1 part=1 cup, you would use 2 cups each of borax and washing soda and 1 cup each of citric acid and salt. If 1 part was 1/4 cup, you’d use 1/2 cup of borax/washing soda and 1/4 cup of citric acid/salt.
You can store this in a glass mason jar too.

 

Citrus De-greasing Cleaner: http://myhealthygreenfamily.com/blog/wordpress/homemade-citrus-vinegar-cleaner/

Step 1: Place any leftover citrus rinds you have around into a glass jar.

Step 2: Pour white vinegar over top of the rinds until vinegar covers them.

Step 3: Put a lid on it and let it sit for 2 weeks.

Step 4: Remove rinds, strain liquid through a sieve, and store in a glass jar.

Step 5: To use, dilute 1:1 water to citrus vinegar and store in a spray bottle.

 

Got any recipes you love? Tell me about them in the comments section!

The Fatigue Factor and 5 ways to beat it

27 Sunday Mar 2016

Posted by in Disease Management, My life

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It seems like every chronic illness comes with a few of the same components, including debilitating fatigue. For some people, it’s not that bad and a short nap each day takes care of their needs. But others find they literally cannot get out of bed because their energy is so zapped.

To fight back against fatigue, you need a plan. Below are five ways to overcome fatigue, or at least make it easier to handle.

  1. Accept that fatigue is now a part of your life. It won’t go away. You can fight it, but chronic means all the time. You aren’t going to wake up one day bouncing with energy and be able to sustain that. Once you accept that you aren’t the person you once were and need to let go of old expectations without guilt, you’ll be able to really tackle the fatigue factor of your illness.
  2. Although insomnia is common amongst people with chronic illnesses/pain, try to get some decent sleep at night. Whether that means going to bed earlier, using meds to help you get to sleep, or taking a bath with magnesium (which helps you feel sleepy), is up to you. Even four or five hours of sleep at night helps.
    I bought a ridiculously expensive bed that I’m paying off over something like three years because it’s more comfortable and my quality of sleep has improved with it. Not everyone can afford that, but you can put down the book, turn off the TV, put the phone on the charger, lower the lights, and other things that signal your body that it’s time to sleep.
  3. Schedule at least one nap into your day. Don’t wait until the fatigue catches up with you and your body starts going into self-shutoff mode. Even if you work outside the home, even if you have children to care for, you’re setting yourself up for a crash/flare if you try to push beyond your limitations. Take a nap in your car during lunch, find a quiet conference room you can commandeer for a little while – do whatever it takes to give your body a chance to get through the rest of your day.
    If you’re home, figure out when you can nap. Nap when your small children do. If you have older kids, tell them not to disturb you when the bedroom door is closed unless it’s an emergency. Ask your spouse to run interference for you or take the kids out for lunch and a few errands.
  4. Be aware of your weekly calendar. For instance, if you have a wedding to attend on a Saturday, you know you’re going to be tired. In that case, try to take a nap that day if you can. If you are unable to, do the best you can. Borrow some spoons from the next day (if you don’t understand the concept of spoons in chronic illness, go here for an explanation), when hopefully you won’t be as busy and you can recharge your energy stores.
  5. Remember that rest doesn’t always equal sleep. Lying in bed reading, binge-watching Netflix, or simply closing your eyes on the couch while your favorite music plays softly counts as rest. Being in a horizontal position and not expending energy are the keys here.
    You aren’t resting if you’re cleaning your house or making dinner or shuttling kids to soccer practice or running errands. Your family must accept that you’re doing the best you can and that they may have to lower their expectations for what a “clean” house looks like or learn to like frozen pizza for dinner.
    Use friends – perhaps you drive to soccer practice one week and they drive the next, or they can bring you a meal every now and then when they know you’re flaring. Friends and family sometimes just need to be asked. Many of them won’t understand what you’re going through or what they can do to make your life easier, but if you can swallow your pride and your guilt, oftentimes they’re more than happy to help.

Obviously this is not a comprehensive list, and as fatigue IS such a huge part of chronic pain and illness, I’ll be revisiting this topic in future posts. If you have a strategy for combating fatigue, let me know down in the comments. Conversely, if you’re at your wit’s end and don’t know how to get the rest you need, comment. The community of chronic illness warriors is very supportive and we’ll try to help you find a solution.

My Favorite Paleo Main Dishes

24 Thursday Mar 2016

Posted by in Recipes

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I adopted the Paleo diet last year after my diagnosis. Paleo is based on no refined foods or sugars, no white carbs, and a few other healthy eating tenants. There are tons of Paleo recipes online, including on my Pinterest boards at http://www.pinterest.com/BooksByCassCarr. I divided the recipes there into categories, including main dishes, sides, desserts, and more.

These are a few of my favorite Paleo main dishes:

http://acalculatedwhisk.com/slow-cooker-carnitas-lettuce-wraps/ – the pork in these wraps is fork-tender, and full of flavor. It adds a pineapple and avocado salsa, and since the recipe uses lettuce, there’s no carbs to make the recipe non-Paleo friendly.

http://everydaypaleo.com/chicken-bacon-salad-sweet-potato-boats/ – sweet potatoes are an awesome part of the Paleo diet. White potatoes should be eaten sparingly or not at all, but sweet potatoes are not only delicious, but versatile. They can be used in main dishes, sides, soups, and desserts. In this recipe, the sweet potato is the vehicle for the rest of the delicious things, like chicken and bacon. Bacon is one of the best parts of the Paleo diet, though you should try to find sugarless bacon free from nitrates. That most likely means it’s going to be organic.

http://www.generationyfoodie.com/2013/06/paleo-almond-chicken-fingers.html – thinking you can’t eat chicken fingers on the Paleo diet? Well, you can! Instead of bread crumbs, use nuts! This particular recipe calls for almonds, but we often add a mix, since we always have nuts around. They are a staple snack on the Paleo diet, after all.

If you’re looking for a list of five surprising foods you are supposed to avoid on the Paleo diet, you can get one here. For a more extensive list, check out Paleo Grubs, a great resource for all things Paleo. Find it here.

 

Hire me!

22 Tuesday Mar 2016

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One thing I’ve learned over the years is that I can write. Not just “Hey, that’s readable!”, but pretty decent stuff. I write both fiction, as you’ll see on the About Me page, and nonfiction, on a variety of subjects.

I’ve been freelancing for years for both small and large publications, and I’d love to write something for you. Chronic illness is such a misunderstood subject and anything I can do to help inform people or make them more aware of the particular challenges of sickness and changes that come with it.

To find out more, send me an email at contact@chronicillnesswarriorsite.com.

My 3 favorite products for chronic pain and illness

22 Tuesday Mar 2016

Posted by in My life, Product Reviews

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For years I’ve been battling pain. For years I’ve wondered what I could do to end my agony. Finally, I found three products I could rely on time and time again. I want to share the information with you.

  1. A heating pad: I use a king-sized (large) Sunbeam heating pad. I’ve been through several over the years. The one I use now has four settings: warm, low, medium, and high. It also has an auto-off, which is important, especially if you tend to fall asleep (and don’t we all?) with them still on.
  2. A Nutri-Bullet: The blender I love! One of my first purchases after my fibro diagnosis. I use it to not only make smoothies, but also to chop small objects like nuts and seeds. I add several supplements and serums to my smoothies; I’ll discuss those in another post.
  3. A Tempurpedic bed: This was a purchase my husband and I didn’t take lightly. But one of the things that aggravates chronic pain is pressure points, and they get irritated by spring mattresses. Ours have no spring and are individual beds, so each of us can make adjustments as needed. Both the head and the foot can be raised or lowered at will.

What are your favorite products to deal with your chronic illness and pain? Tell me in the comments.