Avoiding sickness

Every year, like clockwork, it seems like I get sick in February and October.  Normally I have to miss a few days of work because I feel terrible – stuffy, coughing (and the deep chesty gunky cough that sounds like I’m dislodging something deep within my body), headaches, etc.  I rarely have a fever, but definitely feel like poo.  From start to finish it almost always lasts about 6 weeks.  I have a lingering cough for what feels like forever.

 

This last October I really only “suffered” from a runny nose and a meek but persistent cough.  The cough was about as strong as a mild throat clearing, but it was happening ALL THE TIME.  Enough where I didn’t sleep for almost five days.  This was during Young Frankenstein and that weekend my voice took a vacation.  I used my oils – the few that I had – and it definitely helped, although I did take off two days to sleep and did end up getting a cough suppressant prescription from the doctor.  However, it all lasted a WEEK.  A WEEK!  What?!  Not that I was complaining, but I was shocked.  I do think that using the oils along with attempting to be more healthy helped a great deal.  By the following weekend I was all better.

Now, it’s February and guess what – yep, I can feel myself catching something.  I’m using an oil called OnGuard on my throat every morning (it’s a good immune booster) and another one called Breathe on my nose.  By the time I get to work, my nose is no longer runny and my throat doesn’t hurt.  

During the last half of the day the left side of my face felt funny.  There was pressure on my cheek bone and down into my cheek, and kind of around my jawline and up around my ear.  I’m a little afraid I may have caught the flu from Kacey (fingers crossed that’s not it) and used some of the oils I let her use.  Basil around the hear for that pain, OnGuard & Breathe, and peppermint for the achyness.  While I feel much better now, I decided to just do it – make my own pill.  

I bought veggie caps (empty pill capsules that are vegetarian friendly) with my last oil order and am starting to use the zpak protocol.  OnGuard, oregano, and frankincense in a capsule.  They’re a bit bigger than I’m used to.  I’m awful at swallowing pills and was afraid these might take some getting used to, but I had no problem taking it, surprisingly.

I await to see how it all turns out.  It’s been about 15 mins and I can feel my sinuses drying up and just this feeling of wellness.  It’s really strange.  As I mentioned before (I think) I was totally skeptical about all of this, but I totally believe in it.  I hope this oil ‘zpak’ works.  Stay tuned!

Natural Healing

So about seven months ago I was introduced to doTerra essential oils.  Extremely hesitant at first, I signed up.  I didn’t expect things to really work.  Yet each month I paid the minimum amount for an order of oils.  And guess what?  I’ve not only begun to use them regularly, but I’m slowly phasing out my medicine cabinet of pills and other pharmaceuticals.  

I firmly believe in this and the benefits they can provide for my body.  I only have a bottle of Advil for the really bad headaches that are persistent little buggers.  I’ve almost bought all the oils, so now I can focus on just getting replacements.  

I didn’t believe at first how oils could help.  I’d read about it and did think that there were remedies out there that didn’t involve drugs, but I didn’t REALLY think about how they’d work.  Or that the really would work.  So I was pretty shocked when my headaches would disappear in nearly 10-15 minutes after applying peppermint oil.  Or how my nose would dry up almost instantly using Breathe or eucalyptus.  Or how my throat would almost immediately stop hurting using OnGuard, or how using it in various ways would quickly clear up any impending cold.  Or that lavender would stop my insane mosquito bites from itching.  Or that cypress oil would help with my circulation in my feet.

I’m a total convert.  I’m even being nutty enough, or “granola” as Aly would say, to start making my own cleansing products.  Bath, kitchen, laundry… you name it.  If I can replace it with natural remedies instead of the chemical laden products I currently have under my sink, than I want to do it.

It’s not something I thought about a whole lot growing up, or even much until recently, and really, not until I started reading the Young House Love blog regularly.  There are so many chemicals in every day products, many of which are dangerous to our health.  I just wonder how much better I would feel if I could eliminate that from my life, or at least from my house – whatever I can have control over.  I’ve started with just the oils and I can already tell a difference.  I haven’t been sick in months, aside from a brief stint in October.

I’m looking forward to seeing how this can continue to transform my life!