fighting colds and fatigue with doTERRA

Wednesday morning I woke up with the worst stuffy nose, sinus pressure, watery eyes, and headache! I could not smell or taste any food which made life even more miserable because I gotta have my taste buds ramped up due to my love of food! I frantically searched the medicine cabinet for some sort of quick cold medicine to relieve my symptoms as I had to be in to open the gym, along with dragging my two boys with me (both age 2 and under). I took daytime nyquil which did not take the edge off at all. By mid afternoon I had called my mother to come and get my kiddos because the headache seemed to get worse while working and taking care of the boys. Thank goodness she took care of them! After she left with the boys I remembered that I had some doTERRA On Guard in my gym bag. I rushed over to my bag, opened the bottle, empty... Good thing we carry it at Trapper Fitness Center! I ran over to the display cabinet and grabbed a new bottle and took 2 tablets before tossing the bottle into my gym bag. In the past on more than one occasion when my son and husband had a stomach bug I took the OnGuard softgel tablets 3x per day during their sickness and I never got the bug. I figured maybe it could help me kick a head cold as well.


Here is the info on the OnGuard tablets

On Guard+ Softgels

"Get the immune support your body needs when facing winter threats or elements that can weaken your immune system with the proprietary blend of dōTERRA On Guard and Black Pepper, Oregano, and Melissa essential oils.
• Features a unique blend of essential oils in an easily dissolvable, vegetarian softgel.
• Provides additional immune support when needed.
• Protects against environmental threats."

 https://www.mydoterra.com/ShoppingCart/index.cfm?FuseAction=CategoryShop&CategoryID=1140

A doTERRA order was supposed to arrive that same day with both the TERRA GREENS and the MITO2MAX supplements. I was sure rejoicing when it did arrive. TERRA GREENS is a fruit and vegetable supplement mix that comes in a powder form. You mix it with water and drink it.  Here is the info. on TERRA GREENS

"

TerraGreens dōTERRA TerraGreens is a proprietary blend of whole food fruits and vegetables combined with superfruits and dōTERRA CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade® Essential Oils. This powdered mix packs a daily boost of fruits and vegetables into a mix that can be stirred into 8 oz. of liquid for easy and convenient nutritional supplementation."

https://www.mydoterra.com/ShoppingCart/index.cfm?FuseAction=CategoryShop&CategoryID=1436

 A skeptic of such supplements I have been reluctant to try the TERRA GREENS. However I know that along with the OnGuard the past 2 days I have taken it 2x per day and I feel a lot better! Both helped me get over this head cold within 2 days I can breathe out of my nose, taste my food, and I do not have near the sinus congestion or headache that I have had!. Other people I talk to who have had the same symptoms have been sick for over a week!

Today I felt really good so I decided to get a workout in. The supplement MITO2MAX is supposed to help with cellular energy and I had heard that it is a great supplement to take prior to a workout. A lot of body builders, strength trainers, and other athletes prefer to take a pre-workout  supplement to boost stamina, bloodflow, energy, etc. Some of those pre-workout supplements are not all natural. All doTERRA products are natural which is appealing to me due to my interest in whole foods, natural wellness and healing. I was able to take MITO2MAX tablets before a full body circuit routine. Keep in mind again I used to be a skeptic of these types of supplements. If you read my blog post about caffeine you know what I'm talking about when I mention the "pump" feel is real! MITO2MAX did that for me! I could feel it working as I got into my workout. Thus proving to me that my money was well spent on this product! Here is the info. on the MITO2MAX supplement 

Mito2Max (Original Formula)

dōTERRA's Mito2Max is a proprietary formula of standardized plant extracts and metabolic cofactors of cellular energy. Mito2Max supports healthy mitochondrial function and aerobic capacity, and improves stamina naturally without the use of harmful stimulants. Use Mito2Max as a healthy long-term alternative to caffeinated drinks and supplements for increased energy and vitality.

 https://www.mydoterra.com/ShoppingCart/index.cfm?FuseAction=CategoryShop&CategoryID=621

My promise to you is that I'm giving you my cold hard truth about this line of supplements. doTERRA has proven to work for me and I would recommend this to anyone that is interested in natural wellness, natural remedies, and/or natural supplementation. 

I use other oils/oil blends from doTERRA for cleaning (LEMON and WILD ORANGE), wellness for my kids when they have a cold (oil blend BREATHE),  Disinfecting the office, cuts, or laundry (oil blend OnGuard in oil form), and much much more! 

Again this is all my testimony on the doTERRA products. I am writing this blog to share the good news! Please be encouraged to try some of these products! If you need more information on such supplements or oil blends please contact me! 

Thank you ALL! Happy Memorial Day!

ASHLEIGH N. SEELY, RDH

        

 

always thirsty never satisfied

Human nature tells us to never be satisfied. As Americans we drive the best cars, have the best food, water, and homes. Most of us have jobs that sustain our way of life. Too often we are bombarded by the constant pull to upgrade to the latest and greatest smart phones, laptops, GPS systems, etc.This type of living can be somewhat consuming unless there is a re-route to how we go about our daily lives.

There must be areas where we can use such attitudes to our advantage. How about we use it to the body's advantage? What would health look like if we were always thirsty for fitness and nutrition. What would we reach if we were never satisfied with our performance?

To be complacent is to stop on a plateau, never to go down or back up. Who wants to stay where they are at? I do not want to stay the same. Life is ever changing. Life is real. Our bodies are our temple. Progress is our driving force.Stay thirsty and keep the satisfaction bar higher than you can reach. You won't regret it.

Food for thought

Coffee

Did you wake up needing a little boost this morning? Our neighbor's dog barked ALL night long. Naturally I am a light sleeper and wake up to the sound of a pin drop, so lets just say I did NOT sleep well. This morning I managed to press the snooze button on my alarm 2x before I decided to shut if off completely. The first thing I did upon getting out of bed was kiss my husband before making a mad dash for the coffee pot. He of course already had it brewed and ready because he can go through an entire pot alone in one day.

How much is too much?
There have been countless studies on the effects of caffeine. Remember when there was a push against caffeine? Now some reports state that coffee can aid in the prevention of type 2 diabetes, it can enhance athletic performance, and it has even been thought to prevent Alzheimer's, depression, and skin cancer.

The old saying "too much of a good thing can be a bad thing," probably rings true for coffee. It is not recommended to drink a pot a day! 1 cup per day is my usual dose of caffeine but on occasion I indulge in 2 cups depending on if  I let the first cup get cold before I get to finish it!

It was not until recently that I tried drinking caffeine before a workout. The "pump" is real! Many athletes such as bodybuilders take a dose of caffeine before a workout to provide the body with a natural boost. This boost is due to caffeine's antioxidant properties that release fatty acids into the bloodstream which allows for the body to burn those fatty acids for energy (see article below). The actual "pump" is most likely from the Theobromine found in coffee that acts as a vasodilator, which means the blood vessels widen, providing more oxygen and nutrients to the muscles.

Check out more information on the benefits of caffeine to see if there is reason for you to jump on the coffee train! Research shows many good properties. Coffee has become part of my daily routine. Believe it or not, the benefits most likely out weight the negative effects.

See the article here to get info. On my above claims.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/17/coffee-health-benefits_n_4102133.html



Here is an article taken directly from sciencedaily.com



New research has brought us closer to being able to understand the health benefits of coffee.

Monash researchers, in collaboration with Italian coffee roasting company Illycaffè, have conducted the most comprehensive study to date on how free radicals and antioxidants behave during every stage of the coffee brewing process, from intact bean to coffee brew.
The team observed the behaviour of free radicals -- unstable molecules that seek electrons for stability and are known to cause cellular and DNA damage in the human body -- in the coffee brewing process. For the first time they discovered that under certain conditions coffee can act as an antioxidant, a compound found in foods that helps stabilise free radicals.
The findings, published in PLOS ONE, will lead to a deeper understanding of the brewing process, as well as the potential health benefits of coffee.
Chief Chemist of Illycaffè, Dr Luciano Navarini, approached Monash physicist Dr Gordon Troup, School of Physics and Astronomy, and his team in 2012 to conduct the research using state-of-the-art EPR (Electron Paramagnetic Resonance) Spectroscopy.
"Dr Troup was one of the first scientists to discover free radicals in coffee in 1988 and so it made sense for Illycaffè -- a ... coffee roasting company actively involved in coffee research -- to collaborate with Dr Troup and his team on this significant piece of research into free radical and antioxidant behaviour in coffee," Dr Navarini said.
"The most important aim of this research was to better understand the development of stable free radicals during the roasting process and the possible influence exerted by developed radicals on the well-documented coffee antioxidant properties. We also wanted to evidence possible coffee constituents as a source of antioxidant activity."
Dr Troup worked with a team of researchers including Monash alumnus Dr Simon Drew from the University of Melbourne, who carried out the spectroscopy at the University of Melbourne.
"Our research studied both the Arabica coffee bean itself and what happens to its stable free radical and antioxidant properties during the brewing process," Dr Troup said.
"The findings provide a better understanding of the potential health benefits of coffee, as well as a deeper knowledge of the roasting process -- ultimately leading to the highest quality cup of coffee."

What's your medicine

Yesterday as I browsed facebook I came across many disturbing facts about perscription drug use, heroin, and methamphetamine.

Methamphetamine has been a problem in my town for a number of years. I know people who have used the drug. This drug grabs people early in life. Out of 160 ish students that were in my high school class I knew at least 8 people who tried methamphetamine. That's just the people I knew who admitted to trying it. That's a scary # for such young people.

The amount of perscription drug use is also very frightening. It seems as though everyone you talk to is on some sort of perscription drug. Don't get me wrong here, in some cases there is a need to medicate with perscriptions! The abuse of these drugs just seem to be sky rocketing!

Yesterday I read confirmation of heroin use in the county I live in. How many young people is heroin going to swipe up and gain control over? To me this is heartbreaking and terrifying especially in such a small community.

Where does this need for stimulants come from?

There is a sense of control in me that is too terrified to even try such drugs. Drugs that might make me feel out of control. To be in control of my mind and body is something I need to feel safe. Workouts have become a stress outlet as well as a way to get my mind and spirit in line. It has become a healthy outlet when controlled and managed in healthy doses. Like a drug, exercise can be addicting. There is harmful addictive and healthy addictive. However, I do not have an addictive personality so it takes just the right amount of exercise to keep me hooked on it. Looking back to my middle school and high school days where a lot of people I knew became slave to drugs and alcohol, I'm grateful for athletic organizations such as girls basketball, soccer, softball, and track. All of which I took part in as I grew up. If it weren't for that foundation of Athletics, my life would look totally different. That's not to say I dodged harmful things completely or lived healthy all of the time. To be honest I went through a bout of tribulation that I managed to escape when I found a nook in weight training.

A firm believer in exercise is the best medicine, my hope is that if you have not found a routine and eating plan that works for you, I hope you find one! Find it fast because I promise it will be the best health decision you've ever made. Find something you enjoy ie: swimming, tennis, hiking, biking, lifting, running, you name it. If you enjoy it you are more likely to keep doing it!  Exercise is a medication! A natural one! Think about it: if you have arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high body weight index, high anxiety. Exercise has been proven to help manage all of the above. Try it!