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Health and Wellness: Essentials Oils - Protect Your Pets!

2/28/2020

If you have a pet and use essential oils, you need to read this article. It's a matter of life and death, for your pet. I love essential oils not only because they smell wonderful, but because they offer some health benefits.

If it is cold season I like to use Thieves essential oil in my diffuser. Thieves is good for killing air borne viruses. I use lavender or chamomile at night when I am having a hard time either falling asleep or staying asleep. When I am working I use Orange or a blend of citrus to help me focus and energetic.

The problem with Orange or any citrus oil is that it is toxic to my dog. Inhalation poisoning takes a little longer to kill your pet, but it will eventually cause lung and respiratory problems that can lead to death.

The information I am providing is from research I have done through various websites and books. I also spoke to my veterinarian and she really wasn't sure about the use of essential oils and pets.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor of any sort, the information I provide here is strictly from personal research. You can also do your own research and do what is best for your pet. Please, do research this, it would horrible if your pet became ill or died due to the use of essential oils.

Essential oils are wonderful, but please use with caution around pets.

Do you use essential oils in diffusers, on skin, or ingest? Do you have pets? Were you aware of the dangers to your pets with the use of essential oils? Share your thoughts on the benefits, uses, and your favorite oils.

XOXO

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HEALTH and wellness: Essential Oils - Fact Sheet 2

2/21/2020

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Essential oils are quite popular nowadays. They have been found to offer some health benefits, but there some things to know. Last month's blog explained what essential oils are and what they do. This week I want to give you some examples of major essential oils and what they can be used for. I picked up this fact sheet at the Novant Integrative Medicine Symposium in October, 2019. It is an excellent sheet explaining a lot of the more common and used oils.

The important points to keep in mind are:

1. Some oils are for topical use only. This means they can not be swallowed, drank, or taken internally. They are specifically for use as massage oils, foot/hand/body soaks, room diffusers, etc. NEVER take these by mouth or any other method of internal application.

2. Oils are to be used as prescribed. If you have oils that are approved for internal use, be sure not to over dose or use in any way other than what is recommended by an expert on essential oils. Read ALL instructions and warnings on labels BEFORE you use them internally.

3. Research and data are NOT widely available (yet) about the safety or efficacy of the oils. While is widely accepted that they are safe, when used as intended (internal vs external oils), time will tell if they are indeed safe.

4. Some oils may cause allergies to flare, but most of the time the oils actually help allergies. Be your own judge as to whether you should be using certain oils.

5. When in doubt, seek a knowledgeable opinion from those who sell oils or a pharmacist/doctor.

I use essential oils for various reasons. In my air diffusers I use Lavender, sweet orange, and chamomile for good sleep, Eucalyptus for congestion and allergies, Lemon, Clary Sage, Bergamot, and Jasmine for depression and sadness; Peppermint for nausea.

Some oils are toxic to pets (ingesting or inhaling). I will be publishing a whole blog on this topic in the next week or two. Look for it, I will cover the toxic oils and the symptoms of toxic poisoning in pets. Stay tuned........ (it's too much to try to cover in this blog.)

Essential oils can be great if they are used correctly. Do your research. Experiment with different oils, but one at a time until you know if they are irritating or good for you.

Do you use Essential Oils? What oils do you use? Do you see a benefit in all oils or certain ones? Which ones are beneficial to you? Have you had any negative experiences with essential oils?

XOXO

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SPECIAL: Valentine Love - Love Yourself First!

2/14/2020

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Being over 50 years old has not come without experience. Every year that I live is one more year of lessons learned, lessons practiced, and lessons taught. One of the most important lessons I have learned, the hard way, is to love myself first.

To love myself before I love someone else, makes loving someone else easier. Being happy with who I am, makes it easy to be myself with someone else. Caring about other people, doesn't require me to forget myself. In fact, if i were to try to love someone before I loved me, would only make me a hard person to get along with, make me unhappy, make me feel neglected, and make me feel alone. It is impossible to truly love another person and make them happy, if you don't like yourself. You have to like your own company, before you can be comfortable with someone else.

Valentine's Day is a day that typically celebrates "couples". But "couples" doesn't have to mean two married people or two people in romantic love with each other. Valentine's Day is really a day to celebrate love...love and love alone.

If you are single, alone, widowed, separated, or divorced, you can still celebrate Valentine's Day and enjoy it. Don't let the lack of a mate make you feel that you are unloved, because someone, somewhere loves you ... even though you may not even know it.

Take care of yourself emotionally, physically, and mentally. If you can be happy with only yourself, you can be happy with another person. If you are not happy with yourself, you will never be happy with another person.

If it's physical unhappiness, you will bring that into your relationship with another person. It will show itself as jealousy, envy, and selfishness. You will always be comparing yourself to someone else, thinking they are prettier or more handsome than you are. If the truth be told, to the one who loves you, you are the most beautiful or handsome in the world - flaws and all.

If it's emotional unhappiness, you will also bring that into your relationship with another person. It will show itself as jealousy, envy, greed, selfishness, and often fear. The fear of not being good enough, fear of losing someone, and other ways that fear shows itself. If you realize your own self-worth, then you will be emotionally happy and you will bring happiness to your relationship.

If it's mental unhappiness, that will be harder to deal with. Often mental unhappiness is the result of a chemical imbalance, hormone imbalance, a side effect of medication, trauma, and a host of other causes. If it is a mental unhappiness, you need to talk to your doctor about causes. It might be as simple as changing a medication.

If you are alone through the death of a partner, divorce or breakup, or you have chosen the single life doesn't mean you can't celebrate Valentine's Day. A valentine can be anyone. It is someone you love ... a niece, a nephew, a friend, your dad or mom, anyone .... including yourself.

I had a friend a few years ago who was alone by choice, she has since passed on. She used to treat herself on Valentine's Day by doing something she never usually does.

Here are some of the things she did during the time I knew her:

1. Spend the day at a spa being pampered.

2. Take a day trip someplace she had never been.

3. She bought herself a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

4. She bought herself an expensive bottle of perfume she loved.

5. She bought herself a new outfit.

6. And other things, like take in a double feature at the movies, then eat someplace she had never been or her favorite place, and a lot of other little things.

If you are alone, here are some other ideas that would be a way of celebrating Valentine's Day:

1. Prepare your favorite meal and binge watch a Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, etc., series.

2. Get your favorite snacks that you never eat (because you are trying to eat healthy, lol) and make it a pajama and movie day.

3. Visit someone who is also alone, like an elderly neighbor, a nursing home, someone in a hospital, take a homemade lunch to someone, etc.

4. Get out of the house and walk. Walk in a park, a mall, your neighborhood, or anywhere you feel like walking. Take in the sunshine and pay attention to all the birds singing, dogs barking, and people chatting.

5. Go to a bakery and indulge in a forbidden treat.

6. Get a massage.

7. Get a real book, with actual paper pages, sit with a cup of hot tea, iced tea, coffee, and read, read, read.

There are so many ways you can treat yourself. You can be with other people or completely alone and still celebrate this day of love.

You must love yourself first! Always take care of yourself!

If you are alone this Valentine's Day, what are you doing to celebrate? What have you done to celebrate this day of love in the past? Most important question...do you love yourself?

Happy Valentine's Day!

XOXO

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Health and Wellness: Essential Oils – Part 1

2/7/2020

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What are essential oils?
Essential oils are concentrated liquids (hydrophobic liquids) that contain aroma compounds from plants. They are also known by other names such as: volatile oils, etheral oils, aetherolea or oil of the plant. (Courtesy: Wikipedia)

These oils are referred to as "essential". However, don't confuse this term as meaning "indispensable" as in essential fatty acids and other needed nutrients. In this case, "essential" refers to the "essence of" the plant's fragrance. This "essence" is the characteristic fragrance of the plant from which the oil is derived. (Courtesy: Wikipedia)

The Merriam-Webster dictionary definition:
any of a class of volatile oils that give plants their characteristic odors and are used especially in perfumes and flavorings, and for aromatherapy.

Dictionary.com definition:
any of a class of volatile oils obtained from plants, possessing the odor and other characteristic properties of the plant, used chiefly in the manufacture of perfumes, flavors, and pharmaceuticals.

Essential oil: An oil derived from a natural substance, usually either for its healing properties or as a perfume. Some pharmaceuticals, and many over-the-counter or 'holistic' remedies, are based on or contain essential oils.

For example, products containing camphor or eucalyptus essential oils can help relieve congestive coughs, and many essential oils are used in the practice of aromatherapy.

Essential Oil University definition:
the term "essential oil" actually goes back to the days of the Alchemists in the Middle Ages. Alchemists searching for the "elixir of life" and "the philosophers stone" made many chemical discoveries. In the Hippocratic system of medicine it was said that the four temperaments, nervous (hyper), sanguine (cheerful), lymphatic (slothful), and bilious (grouchy) correspond to the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water and that disease is due to an imbalance of these elements. (http://bit.ly/2fo3bhF)

How do they work?
Aromatherapy is the most common use for essential oils. Aroma mean scent and therapy means treatment. When we inhale a particular fragrance that we find enjoyable, such as a kitchen spice or a flower, we feel good. It can lift our spirits and make us feel happier. It can also invoke hunger, calmness or easier breathing.

While some claimed benefits have not been evaluated, the effect of a scent on our mind and body is clearly evidence of the power of smell.

Essential oils can also be applied directly to the body through the skin.
Usually applied with a carrier oil such as coconut oil or olive oil. The safety of applying essential oils directly to the skin with out a carrier oil is debatable. Therefore I choose not to apply directly to my skin. (Some massage therapists use essential oils in their massage practices. Check with them on the safety and possible side effects before using essential oils in this way.)

There is a grey line as to whether essential oils can be ingested.
While some take essential oils regularly internally, the safety of of digesting essential oils internally has not been determined. Personally, I choose not to ingest them. I would rather be on the side of safe caution than to risk internal damage that I may experience years from now. More research is needed in this area.

What is the "hype" about essential oils?
Essential oils have some definite benefits and more is being learned about their effect on our minds and bodies everyday. Everyone is looking for a natural method to treat ailments such as joint pain, depression, insomnia, skin problems, and many more.

Essential oils have benefits to them for these ailments and many more, but you have to use them properly. If not used properly, they can cause harm. As with all "natural" methods of health treatments, do your research. Don't believe all the hype that is out there.

What are the "facts" about essential oils?
The facts are this. Aromatherapy is fairly safe. We breathe spice and air fresheners all the time, there is no reason to believe that inhaling essential oils is harmful, if done properly. Other uses such as applying directly to the skin or ingesting needs more research and should be researched thoroughly before doing. There is not a lot of proven testing or facts on the use of essential oils.

How to determine good quality oils from cheaper oils?
There are no current standards or governing testing done to determine the quality of essential oils. This doesn't mean they are not safe, it just means that their safety has not been researched. Of course, the quality of the oils will impact their effectiveness; however, there's no method to determine quality level as of yet.

Conclusion: Are essential oils beneficial or a waste of money?
We have proof that certain smells can affect us either in a negative manner or in a positive manner. When we smell a yummy dinner cooking in the kitchen, we are affected emotionally and physically; emotionally, childhood memories may be aroused by certain food smells, and physically, we become hungry. It is also known that if we smell rotten food, we are turned off by it and it ruins our appetite. Aromas affect us, this is a fact.

Whether essential oils do more for us than just smell good or bad, is debatable. No solid research has been gathered to proof any benefits. However, when we smell something good, we usually feel better.

Using a diffuser can create a warm and pleasant scent throughout our home. Other than that, we need more research.

Personally, I would rather use a diffuser and essential oils than to spray a room deodorizer or air freshener in my house where I will inhale more than just aromas. There are many chemical compounds in those items that are not in essential oils, so I choose to avoid them.

Have you ever used essential oils? How do you use them? Have you experienced positive effects that you would like to share with the rest of us? How do you determine the quality of your essential oils? Please share your experiences.

XOXO

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Health and Wellness: Essentials Oils - Protect Your Pets!

HEALTH and wellness: Essential Oils - Fact Sheet 2

SPECIAL: Valentine Love - Love Yourself First!

Health and Wellness: Essential Oils – Part 1

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Health and Wellness: Essentials Oils - Protect Your Pets!

HEALTH and wellness: Essential Oils - Fact Sheet 2

SPECIAL: Valentine Love - Love Yourself First!

Health and Wellness: Essential Oils – Part 1

My mission​

Categories

Archives

About

Blog

Contact

My mission