Category Archives: Holistic Health & Personal Development

doTERRA essential oils: what we’re using right now

Posted on 11 November, 2017 by | Leave a comment

thrive primal best doterra essential oils

Having jumped on the essential oil bandwagon 3 years ago, I still remember what it’s like at the beginning. doTERRA, along with rival companies like Young Living, offers hundreds of oils and a whole heap of other essential oil-based products, supplements, and of course diffusers.

Where are you supposed to start? How can you get the most from your essential oils, without putting a gaping whole it your wallet? Essential oils aren’t cheap, so you really want to make sure you’re making the right oil choices, rather than just taking an aromatic stab in the dark.

These days, it’s fair to say that we’re very much up with the play when it comes to essential oils. We’ve spent the big bucks on oils (and made them back tenfold) and we now know what works best and what’s not really worth the money. We’ve definitely got our go-to doTERRA oils and other products, and I thought I’d share those with you right this very second.

Our favorite doTERRA oils and products

As doTERRA affiliates, we always make a point of trying out all the oils and products that doTERRA produces – it would hardly be fair otherwise! The benefit of this is that we know exactly what we like, and what we don’t like…and chances are this information can help you as you sit down to make your next doTERRA oils order. Here’s what we use almost every day in our household.

Lavender essential oil

Of course this oil had to be on the list! Lavender is easily the most versatile of all the doTERRA oils – it smells amazing, it’s gentle (unlike “hot” oils like oregano or peppermint), and it can be used on both humans and pets! Here’s what we use lavender for:

  • diffusing in the bedroom of our 3 month little girl, Isla, as she naps during the day – but a VERY DILUTED concentration! Lavender is one of the safest oils to use with infants, as it doesn’t irritate their respiratory tracts, but we’re always very careful with it anyway. The lavender soothes her and helps her sleep better, and the diffuser helps to alleviate the dryness of the air and enable her to breathe better.
  • dabbing under our noses when we’re stressed or putting a drop or two on our pillows to help us sleep better through the night
  • diffusing in the living room to make the place smell a whole lot nicer, relax us while we work, and neutralize smells from all the nutritious cooking we do!

On Guard essential oil

We like doTERRA’s On Guard oil for two reasons: it smells fricken amazing (making it a nice oil blend to put in the diffuser) and it’s loaded with potent antibacterial, antifungal, and antimicrobial essential oils – trust me, I’ve done the research. We use it:

  • while traveling, especially flying, as a hand sanitizer and as a way to boost our immune system and protect us from all the colds and illness that flies about in public places!
  • at home in bathrooms and other damp areas that might have a risk of mold
  • whenever we feel a cold or sore throat coming on – a dab or two on the neck and behind the ears does the trick!

Melaleuca (tea tree) essential oil

The quintessential “first aid” oil, the potent antimicrobial agents in tea tree have made it a go-to antiseptic agent for centuries – and why mess with a good thing? We’ve always got a bottle or five of this stuff on hand for anything that needs sanitizing – be it a toilet bowl, shallow wound or graze, or questionable surfaces in and around the house. I’ve even put it in a spray bottle with some water and used it to kill mildew on grape and squash leaves!

Frankincense oil roll on

I’ve recently started using frankincense essential oil a lot after I did some research on it and discovered it’s anti-inflammatory, pro-immunity, and anti-oxidative powers…they’re pretty impressive! I’ll use it on knee joints that are a bit sore, questionable developments on my face, and on any moles that I think might be up to no good – frankincense essential oil has been shown to kill cancer cells, making it a good failsafe for any parts of the skin that seem inclined towards melanoma.

doTERRA MicroPlex VMz

I was actually pretty impressed when I read the list of ingredients in doTERRA’s MicroPlex VMz – while some of their products can contain certain things we neither need nor want, this one seems very much top quality. I pop 2 to 4 per day as a broad-spectrum multivitamin, and I certainly feel like it fills in all the nutritional gaps in my otherwise bulletproof diet. I especially like that it doesn’t have carrageenan as a filler – more of that, please!

doTERRA TerraZyme

As I mention a lot (probably a bit too much, if I’m honest), we eat a ridiculously nutrient dense diet – sort of like a hybrid Paleo and Primal way of eating, with certain biohacks thrown in for good measure. But I don’t always feel 100%, and I’m beginning to suspect that maybe my digestion isn’t as good as it should be – meaning I’m not absorbing all the nutrients that I’m putting my stomach.

With this in mind, I’ve been taking 2 TerraZyme capsules with each meal, and while the results aren’t exactly spectacular (I’m not THAT sick!), I definitely feel like I’m digesting my food more efficiently and getting more goodness from what I eat. TerraZyme has decent concentrations of all the major digestive enzyme strains, and it has the added bonus of betaine HCL, which directly stimulates stomach acid production – a very good thing!

doTERRA PB Assist

Even the healthiest of people need a good probiotic to ensure their gut is in ship shape, and as such I usually make a point of taking one at least every other day with a meal. I like doTERRA’s PB Assist as their enteric coating seems quite strong – meaning the live bacterial cultures actually have a chance of making it through your harsh stomach acid intact, ready to make their new home in your gut! I also like that it doubles as a prebiotic, which ensures that the good bacteria you’re feeding your gut with can get settled in and start thriving faster – prebiotics are a type of fiber that acts as food for gut bacteria.

Ready to get started? Find out how to get the most from essential oils AND make money doing it by clicking here.

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The importance of getting outside into nature

Posted on 24 July, 2017 by | Leave a comment

As a species, we’ve become laughably disconnected from the world around us. As we evolved from our apish ancestors, our growing intelligence and sense of self increasingly contributed to a burgeoning arrogance. Simply put, humans began to think that they were better than all other life.

With our slow progression through the ages, new discoveries and innovations enabled us to further seclude ourselves from what we came to call “nature”. Nature was this thing separate from ourselves, filled with untamed beasts and untrustworthy variables outside of our control. To announce that you were going outside into nature was to announce your potential impending doom.

Even today, with our increasing awareness of ecological connections and the intricacies that join everyone and everything on this planet, we still divide our world in two. There’s the human or anthropocentric world, and then there’s just “nature”. We might plan the occasional weekend excursion out into nature, armed with bug repellants, synthetic camping equipment, and perhaps a can of bear spray, but for the most part we live within this insulated world and pretend nature doesn’t exist.

Personally, I think this mentality is killing us. With an increasing disassociation from the outside world over the course of our species’ history, our collective health has plummeted. Coincidence? I think not.

You see, at the end of the day, we’re still just animals. And we can only truly thrive when we step outside of our anthropocentric bubble and into the real world…the world that isn’t encased in concrete and glass.

My experience with nature

I grew up in the small town of Queenstown, New Zealand. In hindsight, I was unbelievably lucky – Queenstown is widely accepted as the adventure capital of the world, offering almost any outdoor pursuit one can imagine – skiing, skydiving, bungy jumping, mountain biking, boating, fishing, ziplining…few thrillseekers could ever manage to get bored in Queenstown.

Beyond the thrills and spills, however, was an underlying drive that governed my developmental years – get outside as much as humanly possible. At that time, mobile phones were the size of watermelons and I could only play Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego so many times on our tiny Apple Mac.

Outside, then, was a world of possibilities that would keep me and my buddies entertained for hours. We’d race around on our bikes, float down the river on air mattresses, go fishing or swimming, foolishly play around with the patches of quicksand around the river margins, hunt for lizards and bugs, and generally just do stupid boyish things. It was fantastic.

But then, as my life shifted to adulthood, the urban environment became my proving grounds. As a young professional, cities were the only places where I could make a decent living and enjoy the cultured high life I thought I wanted to live. I spent 2 years in London, England and another 4 in Toronto, Canada, and eventually discovered that a pattern was emerging: I was unhappy.

With a growing sense of discontent came new health issues. I had trouble sleeping, was constantly tired, my joints began to ache even though I was still in my 20s, and my immune system went away on vacation and never came back.

Realizing that I was becoming increasingly disconnected from the natural world that had nurtured me as a kid, I did what everyone else in the city did on weekends – I went camping, hiking, or visited the cottage. These excursions were fun, but they always ended the same way: on Sunday afternoon we’d have to pile back into the car and join the queues of other weekenders heading back into the city. My fling with nature was over once again, and the discontent seeped right back in.

It wasn’t until my girlfriend and I quit our jobs and began traveling that I realized just how much I had been missing immersing myself in the outside world. I don’t mean occasional “walk in the park” immersion, I mean spending days, perhaps weeks at a time surrounded by trees, lakes, rivers and mountains. We drove a beat-up old motorhome through the Canadian Rockies, stopping whenever we pleased and in no particular hurry, and my long-lost happiness returned.

The health benefits of getting outside

At the end of that amazing 16 month-long road trip, I had a decision to make: head back to city life, where the money flows and the nightlife is second-to-none…or return to my semi-rural roots. The decision was an easy one. My girlfriend and I are now happily settled in Wanaka, New Zealand, just a stone’s throw from my childhood home of Queenstown and within walking distance of lakes, mountains, rivers and forests. Our home has a large yard filled with native trees and shrubs, and our property backs onto a semi-wild park. Compared to our tiny inner-city apartment, it’s utter heaven.

These days, I work from home as a freelance writer and have a 180 degree view of trees, mountains and the endless sky at all times. When I feel myself getting frustrated or stressed, I simply take a step outside into my yard, stroll through the adjacent reserve, or jump on my bike and head down to the lake. I always come back refreshed, relaxed, and with a focused mind ready for the tasks ahead. I sleep better, I have less health problems, and my thoughts are largely on the positive side (the same can’t be said for 2 years-previous me living in Toronto).

And while this physical and psychological transformation was a dramatic one, it was also no great surprise. As a health writer, I’d been stumbling across research for years touting the many health benefits of simply getting outside. There’s literally hundreds of studies showing that getting out into nature can treat depression, improve mental capacity and focus, lower stress and reduce inflammation.

And it makes sense. Most of the stress that’s present in our lives has its roots in our social circles and urban environments. But when you step outside, none of that stress matters – it’s just you and the elements. They don’t require anything of you, and this glorious indifference will see your troubles quickly seeping away. It puts things very nicely in perspective.

How to immerse yourself in nature, even in the city

Obviously, if you’re struggling in your current life and feel like the world is out to get you, my advice would be to pack it all in and find your own little piece of natural paradise. But family ties, financial limitations, or a deep-seated love of your homeland might prevent that move towards a rural way of life.

Luckily, there’s a little slice of paradise around every urban corner…if you know where to look. Here’s a few tips for finding natural settings within urban environments to get your daily dose of green:

  • Join a community garden: these are small allotments inside urban areas that offer members the chance to grab a slice of the action and grow their own produce. Getting your hands dirty (literally) and working with plants is one of the best ways to get back with nature and rebuild your gut microbiome. Plus, you’ll have amazing, fresh, organic produce in no time!
  • Seek out parks that are less intensively managed: don’t get me wrong – I like manicured lawns and stately oaks as much as the next person, but I kind of think thats cheating. To really get some serious outside factor, seek out those parks that are a bit more on the wild side.
  • Find a water body: this might be a lake, river, sea, or even just a large pond. There’s almost always abundant wildlife growing around water, meaning it’s a great place to kick back with nature and get away from it all.
  • Vacation somewhere wild: rather than spending your usual two-week getaway at a plush resort in the Caribbean, why not pack up the car and head for the hills? Not only will you save a whole lot of money, spending your vacation time in forests, mountains or national parks will help to alleviate all that pent up stress and remind you that your troubles aren’t as insurmountable as you think.

So next time you’re anxious, depressed, frustrated or tired, you know what to do: just take a step outside! Nature will take care of the rest.

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How to improve indoor air quality the natural way

Posted on 27 June, 2017 by | Leave a comment

Thrive Primal how to improve indoor air quality

In today’s climate change-savvy world, we’re constantly on the lookout for outdoor air pollution. Cars and trucks spewing clouds of particulates have us shaking our heads in disgust, factory smoke stacks have us up in arms, and don’t even think about lighting a fire! But all the while, there’s been a quiet offender much closer to home…inside our homes, to be exact. It turns out that in many cases, indoor air quality is many times worse than the air outside.

Indoor air pollutants are everywhere

The sad truth is that, no matter how health-conscious we are, our houses are absolutely jam-packed full of potential air pollutants. Here’s a very quick run-down of all the things in and around your home that may be lowering the quality of your indoor air, and possibly making you sick:

  • Mold. Ah yes, our old arch-nemesis mold. Mold is a sneaky little blighter, lurking where you least expect it and colonizing any areas where there’s poor ventilation or high moisture content. Mold can contribute to chronic respiratory problems, sneezing, allergies, asthma, and low-level inflammation. Do not underestimate the polluting power of mold.
  • Volatile organic compounds (VOCs). You may have heard me harp on about VOCs in the past – I’m definitely not a fan! In essence, VOCs are toxic gases that are released from certain solids or liquids, with top offenders including paints, varnishes, glues, adhesives, cleaning products, building materials, and furniture. Even the pillow you rest your head on at night could be loaded with VOCs, which then seep into your skin and get sucked into lungs to wreak havoc on your health.
  • Radon. This compound sounds like something straight from a crappy sci-fi film, and in fact that guess isn’t too far off the mark. Radon is an odorless radioactive gas that can be emitted by certain rock formations under your home and in some building materials. Radon can contribute to lung cancer, and may be responsible for tens of thousands of deaths every year.
  • Carbon monoxide. Yet another odorless, colorless gas, carbon monoxide is emitted via the combustion of fossil fuels. In the home, carbon monoxide can be emitted by anything from cigarettes to faulty furnaces and certain cooking appliances. Carbon monoxide is infamous for causing countless deaths across the globe, mainly on account of the fact that there’s really know way to tell whether it’s lurking in your personal airspace or not.

There’s plenty of other sources of pollution in your household or office, particularly with regards to cleaners, air-fresheners, detergents, and basically anything that isn’t natural. And if you’ve got carpet, be prepared to breathe in a heady mix of dead microorganisms, skin flakes, and a bunch other unmentionables that are better left outside of your nasal passages.

How to improve air quality with indoor plants

Sure, you can spend hundreds, perhaps thousands, on fancy schmancy air purifiers and filters…but let’s be honest, you’d rather save that money for your next tropical vacay, or perhaps a pair of overpriced leather boots. I don’t judge. So how, then, do you get crisp, toxin-free air without forking out a small fortune? Why, indoor plants or course!

But I’m not just talking about any old plants. Back in the 80’s, NASA went to great lengths to determine how to purify the air in their satellite facilities and spacecraft. The result was a series of very convenient studies which showed that certain indoor plant species are a cut above the rest when it comes to removing pollutants from the air and cleaning things up nicely. Based on their findings and those of subsequent studies, here’s the best indoor plants for improving your air quality at home or in the office.

Philodendron domesticum

Also known as spadeleaf or burgundy philodendron, this luscious little indoor plant was shown by NASA studies to effectively remove large concentrations of formaldehyde, benzene and carbon monoxide from indoor air. Liivi’s grandma has philodendrons growing ALL OVER her house, so we took a couple of cuttings, shoved them in some soil, and soon had 2 very healthy individuals growing in our own home. I took one of them to work to cleanse the air around my desk, and it had soon sent out 3 meter-long shoots in every direction! If you have a very un-green thumb, this is the plant for you.

Aloe vera

Believe it or not, this super handy succulent is the gold standard when it comes to improving air quality in and around the home. Aloe vera is even better at removing formaldehyde from the air than philodendron varieties, and has the added bonus of being a must-have first aid plant for burns, blisters, and sun damage.

Sansevieria trifasciata (snake plant)

In a 2014 study that examined the pollutant-removing abilities of 12 indoor plants, Sansevieria trifasciata (snake plant) turned out to be the most effective in removing the VOC toluene.  We’ve got a couple of these plants around the house, and I can confirm that they’re wonderfully easy to keep healthy and they look super cool.

Chlorophytum comosum (spider plant)

We’ve gone from snake to spider, and things are looking mighty fine in the indoor air department! The same study that was all about the toluene removal of snake plant also found that spider plant was the most efficient at removing ethylbenzene (another carcinogenic VOC) out of 12 different indoor plants. This is another easy one to look after, but if I’m honest it doesn’t look quite as cool as snake plant.

Yucca

There’s plenty of different species that belong to the Yucca family, but if you go to buy one for your home it’ll likely be Yucca elephantipes. Whatever the species, yuccas are a great choice for improving your indoor air quality provided you have enough light infiltration to help them grow big and healthy. Interestingly, I couldn’t actually find any scientific evidence to verify the claims about yucca, but we have a large yucca growing in our hallway and the air always seems fresh and clean out there. If nothing else, it’s a great ornamental plant!

The best setup for your indoor plants

One thing that many of the studies noted was that there’s a certain formula for success when setting up your indoor plants to improve air quality. Here’s a quick summary of how to maximize the air-purifying potential of your indoor plants:

  • Plant leaves can only absorb so many toxins from the air, so if you’re worried about indoor air pollution, buy more plants or allow your existing plants to grow bigger by transferring them to a bigger pot. Greater leaf surface area means more toxin removal.
  • It’s best to cover the soil around your indoor plant with a sterilized medium like sand or clean gravel. This is due to the fact that exposed soil can harbor mold and other potential organic contaminants.
  • The NASA study noted that “a combination of activated carbon and plant roots have demonstrated the greatest potential for removing large volumes of volatile organics along with smoke and possible radon from closed systems.” Now, growing plants in straight activated carbon (aka charcoal) is tricky, but I’ve talked to plenty of people who have had success growing their indoor plants in a moist medium of 50/50 activated charcoal and soil. Give it a go, and if it works your indoor air quality will soar!

Personally, I think the biggest thing is to keep your plants healthy and ensure that you’ve got at least a couple of plants for each large living space. Smaller rooms like bathrooms and bedrooms may only require one plant to keep the air nice and fresh.

Other ways to improve indoor air quality

It’s fair to say that investing in some good indoor plants is the best move you’ll ever make for improving the air quality in your home or office, but there’s plenty of other things you can do besides. Here’s just a few.

Essential oil diffusers

Diffusing certain essential oils fulfills multiple air quality functions within the home. Firstly, essential oils are hands-down the best way to make your home smell ah-may-zing, and they do this without exposing your lungs to harmful chemicals…the same can’t be said for conventional air fresheners. Secondly, certain essential oils have powerful anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties, meaning they can be used to kill off airborne mold and other organic toxins. I often pop 3-4 drops of doTERRA’s onguard essential oil, or sometimes lemon essential oil, into the diffuser and set it going for 2 hours in our bathroom to ensure we don’t suffer from any mold issues.

Beeswax candles

Burning regular paraffin or soybean oil candles in your home is one of the worst things you can do for your health. If we walk into somebody’s house and they’re burning these types of candles, we usually either step back outside or sneakily put the candles out while they’re not looking and pretend it was the wind! Studies show that these candles actually release a toxic mix of VOCs and other harmful compounds into the air.

The solution, then, is to invest in beeswax candles instead. They may cost more, but they burn for longer, smell far nicer, and provide a net benefit for your indoor air quality. Pure beeswax candles burn with no smoke and release negative ions into the air, which bind to airborne toxins and contribute to their removal.

Salt lamps

While there’s a notable lack of scientific evidence, there’s no shortage of anecdotal evidence suggesting that salt lamps are good for improving indoor air quality. They’re composed of Himalayan salt crystals that, similar to beeswax candles, emit negative ions into the air when heated slightly. In addition, the light they produce is a warm orange color, which incidentally is the only light spectrum that won’t interfere with your melatonin production. For this reason, salt lamps make a great night light for babies or kiddies, as it won’t keep them awake and it cleanses the air.

Got any air-purifying techniques that I’ve missed? Or have you experimented with different indoor plants and seen great results? Let us know in the comments below!

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Posted in Essential Oils, Holistic Health & Personal Development, Natural Self Care, Primal Lifestyle, Uncategorized

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The many health benefits of yoga

Posted on 29 May, 2017 by | Leave a comment

Today’s guest post on the health benefits of yoga is written by the wonderful by Meera Watts: a yoga teacher, entrepreneur and mom. Her writing on yoga and holistic health has appeared in Elephant Journal, Yoganonymous, OMtimes and more. She’s also the founder and owner of Siddhi Yoga International. Enjoy, everyone!

We’ve all heard that yoga is great for our health. It is a multi-billion dollar industry that has raving (relaxed) fans in all four corners of the world. Our instagram accounts are jammed with pictures of tightly toned bodies demonstrating yogic acrobatics of almost unreal proportions, and the wellness industry is awash with gurus touting the wondrous benefits of yogic philosophy. So why is this ancient practice so good for us? What are all these health benefits of yoga that people keep touting?

What is yoga really about?

Yoga is a union of the mind, body and spirit. It’s about awareness, and the physical asana practice is one of several key elements of yoga. The poses and posture learned, combined with daily meditation and breathing practice, work to strengthen the body and mind. We are then better placed to cope with daily fluctuations in mood and negative external triggers.

Yoga teaches us control. And through this higher level of control, we can learn to react less to our external world, thus having a more serene and enjoyable life.

Not only are there general physical and mental health benefits to yoga, it is also used as a type of complementary therapy. Yoga therapy can help with digestive illnesses, mental health problems and other major diseases like arthritis. It is understood that yoga can even help with the stress and side effects of cancer treatment.

Yoga promotes flexibility, strength and weight control

Yoga asanas, from downward facing dog to warrior one, all have specific benefits and each posture has a reason for being.

When you hold a pose, you are creating an isometric muscle stretch. This is a static stretch that works to activate large muscle groups deep in your body. Isometric stretching is strengthening.  As muscles become stronger, they are better able to support our bone network, which is especially important as we grow older and our bone density begins to decline. For example, a stronger core will support a weakening spine that might otherwise be prone to rounding. It will protect brittle bones and stronger muscles can stabilize joints, reducing the chance of injury.

The action of asana, results in muscles become more efficient in burning calories, aiding weight loss, as well as giving the appearance of a taller, leaner body. By lengthening muscle fibres, flexibility is increased. Flexibility is necessary for good posture, feeling comfortable…and let’s face it, a great sex life!

Theres a reason why yoga is seen as the key to eternal youth.

How does yoga differ from other exercise?

You might be thinking, “I can achieve these benefits with plenty of other forms of exercise”. Some people only see yoga as a one-dimensional thing or “just a bit of stretching”. That’s why it’s important to talk about the other elements of yoga that also provide great benefits.

Not only are you required to hold a pose in a specific way; you are also required to hold your gaze at a certain spot during the postures. This drishti has an important meaning linked to it; it helps teach control. For example, when your drishti is directed to the floor it is said to help quiet the mind. Drishti improves concentration and brings us back into the present moment; it is extremely powerful when combined correctly with asanas in improving mental health and clarity of thought.

Pranayama and Meditation

The final elements of yoga are pranayama, breathing exercises and meditation.  There are various pranayama techniques, each with their own benefits. Some are good for cooling the body, others can help rid the body of toxins and massage the internal organs to aid digestion.

Meditation has been proven as an effective tool for stress management. Sitting in silence for ten minutes can help with chronic pain issues such as migraine headaches, as well as recurrent problems such as insomnia. Again, it is about increasing the mind-body connection and fostering a feeling of empowerment and self-control in the individual.

Yoga as Therapy

Yoga therapy can be administered by yogis, physiotherapists or psychotherapists, but the essence is the same. Yoga therapy uses the ancient knowledge to aid healing. Yoga therapy as an industry is still relatively new, so it is best to do thorough due diligence, before you embark on any course.

Yoga therapists will employ a variety of techniques. They may help you to deepen your physical practice or give you existential guidance based on yogic philosophy. They may marry ancient techniques with newer methodologies such as physiotherapy or counselling.

As yoga therapists can help with a broad base of physical and mental conditions, your checklist should include the following questions:

  • How much experience does the therapist have with your particular issue?
  • Are you able to see testimonials from previous clients?
  • What is their background, how long have they been practicing?
  • What is their own private daily practice?

I can’t stress the absolute importance of the last question. The ideal therapist will not only help you during your coaching sessions, but they will also teach you how to incorporate yoga into your daily life. It is after regular, consistent, daily practice that the powerful and transformative health benefits of yoga are really seen. Ideally, you want someone with a strong daily practice of their own. They will be motivated to help you set up a routine you can do independently, once your sessions end.

Yoga therapy is about helping the patient help themselves, so ensure you have a taster session before you commit. You need to feel at ease and comfortable with the therapist to get the most value.

Areas where yoga therapy can help

A great example of the health benefits of yoga is the positive impact it has on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Studies have shown regular practice can help to reduce symptoms, pain and help IBS patients with their coping ability.

Yoga therapy has also been shown to help in the following areas:

Yoga for life

Yoga should be seen as an additional therapy that can work to reduce pain, improve function and create a more positive mental state.

The true health benefits of yoga come from the transformative effects of daily practice and this must be your end game when embarking on your yoga journey.

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4 Treatment Methods for Pesky Plantar Fasciitis

Posted on 16 May, 2017 by | Leave a comment

This is a guest post from Sally Writes, a freelance writer specializing in health and outdoors topics.

If you’ve ever had plantar fasciitis, then you know pain. That sharp, stabbing pain or deep, aching pain in the middle of your heel or along the arch of your foot caused by the inflammation of the connective tissue that runs from your heel to your toes. While unpleasant, there are a few easy ways to minimize the discomfort so you can be back on your feet in no time at all.

Resting

Although gentle exercising with plantar fasciitis is an important part of the recovery, one of the most recommended treatments for this condition is also resting and staying off your foot. But if you are an athlete or an active person, this could be hard for you to do. If that is the case, try to stay off your foot as much as possible and limit the daily activities that are causing you pain.

Resting can be frustrating for those who are itching to get going, so this will require a bit of patience.

Ingest Anti-inflammatory Agents

The most commonly used anti-inflammatory agents are Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), like Advil, and ice packs or ice baths, but these are not for everyone. Some foods naturally reduce inflammation, and while it is not a commonly recommended treatment for plantar fasciitis, a sensible diet can help it heal, especially when combined with other therapies. Here’s a list of some of them:

  • Fruits and vegetables, which are rich in anti-oxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals
  • Oils and fats such as those you get from seeds, nuts, and avocados
  • Sources of protein such as fish and poultry

Stretching and massage

Stretching is one of the most common recommendations for physical therapy of plantar fasciitis. There are multiple stretches you can do to strengthen the muscles in your foot and make them more flexible. Here are only a few of them:

Night Splints

Sometimes doctors might recommend that you wear a night splint. A night splint stretches your calf and the arch of your foot while you are sleeping. Because the plantar fascia is in an extended position overnight, it allows for it to heal and makes for less painful first steps in the morning.

Recovery from plantar fasciitis takes time!

Recovering from plantar fasciitis is not something that will happen overnight. It will take patience, perseverance, and self-discipline to recuperate fully. Most importantly, though, as dull as it may seem, you want to be sure you listen to your specialist because that’s the key step to a hassle-free recovery!

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The Herbs & Essential Oils Super Bundle is here!

Posted on 14 May, 2017 by | Leave a comment

You knew you wanted to take charge of your family’s health when you first began learning about natural remedies. You probably even knew it wouldn’t be easy.

But you had no idea you’d be so overwhelmed and confused by how much there is to learn and all the conflicting opinions.

We’ve been there. I get it. Here’s the thing, though: we didn’t really have the extra time or dollars needed to research and invest in all those wonderful DIY remedies and essential oil concoctions. This meant it took waaayyyy too long to get where we wanted to be, health-wise.

We did our best with what we had, but it was hard work. And that’s why I want to make it easier for you.

What if I told you someone had already put together a complete package to get you up to speed on using natural remedies – one that’s already carefully vetted for you (saving you time) – at a price that’s way too low to miss (saving you money)?

Well, look no further, because it’s here!

Introducing The Herbs and Essential Oils Super Bundle!

The Herbs and Essential Oils Super Bundle combines everything you need (and then some) in one fabulous package, for the most affordable price ever. (Seriously, just wait until I tell you the price.)

This year’s edition of the Herbs and Essential Oils Super Bundle includes 16 ebooks and printables and 10 full eCourses!

These top-quality resources cover everything you need to give you the skills and confidence to start using natural remedies in your home.

Whats included in the herbs & essential oils super bundle?

You’ll get a complete library to help you:

  • Rebuild your medicine cabinet with natural remedies
  • Create beauty and skincare products without harmful ingredients
  • Treat your digestive complaints, pain, colds, and flus with everything in your medicine cabinet
  • Preserve, harvest, and cook with healing herbs
  • Discover the cancer-sugar connection and take back control of your health
  • Boost your mood, heat up the romance, and increase mental clarity with essential oil blends
  • Liven up your meals and get major health benefits by using the right herbs
  • and so much more!

You sort of need to see it to believe it, but the package includes 26 digital products and it’s worth over $770!

Besides being so incredibly helpful, one of the things I like best about the bundle is the price. By combining their collective buying power, the team at Ultimate Bundles is able to give you access to over $770 worth of amazing products for the tiny price of just $47.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Visit their website, take a quick look at all the goodness that comes in this package, then click the “Get my copy now!” button to go through their simple and secure 3-step checkout process.
  2. You’ll receive an email with a login to their online access portal, where you’ll begin downloading your eBooks, signing up for your eCourses, and redeeming your free bonus offers.
  3. Use their Getting Started Guide to pick the topic you want to tackle first and start using natural remedies!.

I’d hate for you to miss out, so click HERE to order your copy.

It’s even backed by a 100% happiness guarantee, so you can make sure it’s right for you.

You want to protect your family’s health. You shouldn’t have to feel overwhelmed because it costs too much or takes too much time to find the right resources.

Learn more HERE.

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The perfect paleo workout routine for weight loss & muscle gain

Posted on 22 April, 2017 by | 1 comment

the best paleo primal workout for weight loss muscle gain

Let’s cut to the chase: you want six-pack abs, a toned yet shapely butt, and arms that don’t have jiggly bits underneath. You want to get rid of those stubborn kankles, ease the constant chafing between your thighs, and not have sore knees, hips, and back ALL the time. Heck, you might just want to fit back into that old pair of jeans you allow to lurk at the bottom of your drawers, in the hope that one day, one day, they’ll slip back on like a glove. Well, the answer is simpler than you think.

Workouts don’t need to be complicated, drawn out, unenjoyable affairs. They don’t even need to be that frequent, to get the results you want. I’ve spent the last 10 years perfecting the ultimate paleo workout routine, from what protein to consume to which exercises to perform, and it’ll have you transitioning from flab to fab in no time (guys – feel free to replace the decidedly feminine “fab” with something manly like “jab”, if it makes you more comfortable).

So without further ado, here’s quite possibly the best workout routine you’ll ever lay your eyes on.

Your pre-workout routine

First, know that your body won’t respond well to strenuous exercise if it’s tired or still recovering from a previous workout. Ensure that you haven’t done an intensive weight-bearing workout in at least the past 2 days, preferably 3. Also ensure you got enough sleep last night, as your body is already stressed in this case and you don’t want to introduce any more stress into your life with a hard workout.

Step 1: prepare a protein source

For me, this is almost always a protein shake. While many people have been led to believe that whey protein isn’t that great for your health, it’s hands-down the best protein source for workouts if you get hold of the good stuff. That means whey from grass-fed cows, that has no additives or artificial flavors, and is preferably organic. This protein powder ticks all those boxes, and it’s been my go-to protein powder for the past 4 years. If you’re completely against whey protein (just FYI, often people with dairy allergies respond well to whey protein isolate, which shouldn’t contain lactose or casein), then you can always try an organic pea protein powder. Or even just a big hunk of meat, preferably the size of your palm. Your choice! Aim for around 30 grams of protein.

Drink half the protein shake 10 minutes before the workout, and half after the workout. This allows your muscles to synthesize the protein while you work out, which means faster muscle gains and quicker muscle recovery.

Step 2: warm up

Here, we just want to get your blood flowing and your muscles limber, so you don’t do any damage during the workout. This means 2 minutes of jumping around, shaking, dancing, or doing star jumps like nobody’s watching. I hope for your sake that no-one’s watching, as you’re going to look like a complete nutcase.

Your optimum paleo workout

After you’ve knocked back half your protein smoothie (10 mins before exercising) and warmed up a little, it’s time to get down and dirty. A couple of important points to keep in mind:

  1. Use whatever equipment you have available. I regularly work out using a 10 liter container of mineral water, as it’s a good weight for many exercises and has a handle – kind of like a rudimentary kettlebell. Nothing beats an actual kettlebell, however – I’ve found that a good starting kettlebell for ladies is 6 kg or 8 kg, and 10 kg or 12 kg for men.
  2. Perform the reps (reps = repetitions) to failure, unless otherwise stated. This means doing as many reps as you can of a given exercise until you literally can’t do any more. This will shock your muscles as much as possible (a good thing), which means faster fat burn and greater muscle mass development. No half-arsed attempts, people!
  3. Ensure your form is spot on! If you have to practice an exercise at a lighter weight initially, so be it – you need to do the exercise how its supposed to be done, or risk injury.
  4. Take a 1 minute rest between each exercise – use this time to have a sip of water and write down how many reps you did! You’ll need to keep increasing these reps with each new workout, in order to grow muscle mass.

Workout #1 (day 1)

  • 10 glute activators (essentially just hip thrusts which you can do on the ground or on a bench that help to activate your glutes, which are often dormant going into a workout)
  • kettlebell bicep curls (remember to keep your arms in by your sides, and you can just do one arm at a time if you only have one kettlebell)
  • wide-grip pull-ups – the guy in that video cracks me up, but he’s right about how to do it! (use anything around the house or gym for this – could be a lateral tree branch, a pergola, a doorframe, or a chin-up bar. If you don’t have any of these, just skip this one)
  • full-extension kettlebell crunches
  • crazy ivans using your kettlebell
  • slow pushups (5 seconds down/5 seconds up. You don’t have to do it on your knuckles like this guy! Keep your hands in line with your shoulders)
  • alternating kettlebell lunges
  • kettlebell deadlift (slow and steady wins the race with these bad boys!)

Workout #2 (day 3 or 4)

Post-workout

After your exercises, take a couple of minutes to shake it off and loosen up if you feel a bit tight. I find just going for a very quick jog around the yard helps with this. Now its time to drink the rest of your protein shake and rehydrate. Drink lots of water during and after the workout – dehydration is not your friend!

Workout 1 shouldn’t take you more than 20 minutes, and workout 2 shouldn’t take you more than 15 minutes. Studies show that shorter, more intense workouts are more effective for weight loss and muscle gain than long workouts. Give yourself plenty of time to recover between workouts (I always space them at least 3 days apart, interspersed with days of mild to moderate cardio like walking, running, cycling and kayaking).

I always have my phone with me during workouts – I use it to note down how many reps I do per exercise for each workout, so that I can ensure I’m always increasing reps over time. I also use it as a timer for the side planks. You should also consider getting yourself a good exercise mat or yoga mat, to make your experience a whole lot more enjoyable. And crank those snazzy tunes! Nothing like a good workout playlist to get the blood pumping. I’m digging Spotify’s “Motivation Mix” right now.

That’s it! Easy, right? Try this routine for a month, and see how you look and feel. We’d love to hear if it kicked those kankles and busted that butt!

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Posted in Healthy Weight, Holistic Health & Personal Development, Natural Self Care, Primal Lifestyle, Uncategorized

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Easy Paleo recipe: remineralizing tooth powder

Posted on 15 April, 2017 by | Leave a comment

thrive primal paleo tooth powder remineralizing

Last week, I discussed the merits of oil pulling, and whether there was any scientific evidence to back up all the claims floating around on the net. It turns out that there was, and as a result I’m halfway through a two week oil pulling regime. Hurrah! But something that all the studies agreed on was that oil pulling alone wasn’t enough for optimum oral health – for that we need the humble toothbrush…

Why conventional toothpaste is harming your health

Have you ever paid any attention to those Colgate (or any other big-name toothpaste brand) ads? You’ll notice they always have snappy signoffs like “the toothpaste that dentists use!”. Well, while your average conventional dentist might know his or her way around a tooth filling or cavity, they’re not always up to speed on the latest and greatest when it comes to everyday oral hygiene.

And it turns out that the “toothpaste that dentists use” isn’t something that you want to be using! There’s all that triclosan, all those synthetic chemicals and additives, and of course fluoride (hint: it’s not as healthy as you think!). As one recent study concluded:

“A proportion of ingredients (28.9% [n = 13]) were found to be both unnecessary to improving the oral health of children and solely used to increase their appeal. Of this list of unnecessary ingredients, 69.2% (n = 9) were shown to have contamination risks associated with chronic consumption, including enamel demineralization.”

Let me just get this straight: almost a third of ingredients in toothpaste are completely unnecessary, and some of them can even damage your teeth?? That probably explains why 98% of the population suffer from oral health problems. Thanks a lot, toothpaste.

Make your own DIY paleo toothpaste

As ever, the solution is to take matters into your own hands. With the exception of the wonderful folks over at OraWellness, you can’t really even trust the supposedly “healthy/alternative” toothpaste brands. They always manage to slip something nasty in there, regardless of best intentions.

And as I was scouring the net for a solution, I came across a tooth remineralizing recipe from WellnessMama. The below recipe is a slight adaptation on hers, and it’s just as effective – I can personally attest to that! We use it morning and night, and it’s working wonders for our pearly whites.

DIY recipe: remineralizing “toothpaste”

The word “toothpaste” has quotation marks around it because it’s more of a powder, if I’m completely honest. But don’t let that put you off – the powder is just as easy to use as conventional toothpaste. If you don’t have all the ingredients, don’t stress too much – the main thing is that you use bentonite clay and baking soda. Bentonite clay is a swelling clay that attracts and binds to toxins in the mouth (or anywhere for that matter), making it an excellent choice for detoxifying the mouth and giving your teeth and gums a helping hand. Baking soda (which you’ll incidentally find in conventional toothpaste – quite possibly the only good ingredient!) contains essential minerals, whitens teeth, and is alkalizing.

Ingredients

Instructions

Track down a wide-mouth mason jar or medium-sized glass jar of any kind. Make sure it has a lid, as you’ll be using this stuff for at least a few weeks!

Next, carefully spoon/sprinkle all of the ingredients into the jar. Using a teaspoon, mix thoroughly until all the ingredients are blended equally.

To use, either dip your toothbrush into a little coconut oil or simply dampen with water, then dip your brush into the powder mix. Use the bass brushing technique to get rid of all that plaque without damaging your gums, and rinse with cool to warm water.

To store your remineralizing tooth powder, simply put the lid on! It’ll last for months, as there’s no ingredient that will spoil. Plus there’s no risk of mold, on account of all the antimicrobial agents present in your powder.

And if you can’t be bothered making your own, there’s always the OraWellness HealThyMouth Blend. It’s your call!

Have you tried a natural oral care routine? Has it helped to reverse cavities, kick bad breath…that kind of thing? We’d love to hear your stories!

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