Category Archives: Stress

Buying the best essential oil diffuser

Posted on 26 March, 2017 by | Leave a comment

thrive primal essential oil diffuser guide

So, you’ve seen the amazing health and wellness benefits that essential oils can bring into your life. Excellent. You’ve signed up as a wellness advocate with the likes of doTERRA or Young Living, are buying oils on a regular basis, and use them daily. Awesome. Perhaps you’re just buying oils occasionally, when you’re favorites run out. That’s cool too!

But what about diffusers? They’re typically a larger investment than single oils, and you’ve heard that a lot of diffusers don’t really cut the mustard. You want a diffuser that’ll stand the test of time, fill your home with wonderful aromatics, and above all not break the budget. It’s a hard bargain you drive, but a commendable one.

This post is all about helping you reach an informed decision about which diffuser is best for your needs. While I’ll admit up front that I’m a doTERRA advocate (because they’re so darn awesome!), I’m making a point of being as impartial as possible and reviewing a wide range of diffusers from different companies.

Common types of diffusers

There’s plenty of confusion out there when it comes to diffusers, and part of that is because of the wide range of types that are available on the market. Ultimately, however, there’s 4 main varieties of essential oil diffuser:

  • ultrasonic diffusers
  • nebulizing diffusers
  • heat diffusers
  • evaporative diffusers

From the experiences we’ve had and the preliminary research I’ve conducted, I personally wouldn’t recommend using heat diffusers or evaporative diffusers. From most accounts, they aren’t as effective at spreading the essential oils throughout a space, and in some cases (as with the heat diffusers) the essential oil may be denatured by the process. Feel free to make your own conclusions on this one, however.

Whether you choose to invest in nebulizing or ultrasonic diffusers is up to you. Here’s a few pros and cons for each:

  • nebulizing diffusers are perhaps the most effective diffusers at covering a large area. The essential oils attach directly to the unit, so there’s no water required, and they can fill a room much more quickly than ultrasonic diffusers. However, they do tend to cost a little more than ultrasonic diffusers, and you’ll go through your oils quicker.
  • ultrasonic diffusers are generally cheaper than nebulizing diffusers and double as a humidifier, which is useful for those cold, dry winter months or if you’re sleeping in a room with low relative humidity. Many of them do tend to have lights that you can’t turn off, which isn’t great for melatonin, and they’re not quite as strong as the nebulizing diffusers.

Purespa ultrasonic essential oil diffuser

This is one classy ultrasonic diffuser. It’s relatively compact, looks good, and is BPA free. Here’s the pros and cons of the Purespa Deluxe Ultrasonic Diffuser:

Pros

  • Large 120 ml tank, which means it can be left on for up to 10 hours. That’s considerably longer than most other diffusers, which typically range between 2 and 6 hours.
  • The LED lights can be completely switched off! This makes it a great choice for having in your bedroom as you sleep.
  • Easy to clean and refill 
  • It looks pretty darn sexy, if I’m honest.

Cons

  • Many people have reported that the diffuser went downhill after a month. Some have said that it becomes noisy or inefficient after that time, but it’s worth noting that the company who makes them seems to have good customer service, and they typically replace the unit no questions asked.
  • The touch-sensitive on/off switch can be difficult to operate for some people.
  • It’s a little noisier than some other ultrasonic humidifiers. Not super noisy, but the slight whirr may annoy some people.
  • The lights continuously toggle through a series of colors rather than remaining on one, which might put off some people.

Overall, the Purespa Deluxe diffuser deserves much of the hype it receives. The fact that the some of the units degraded after a month might worry me, but that was only for a very small minority of the purchasers and that’s likely to happen to many diffusers, no matter how good the quality is. I really like that it can go completely dark, which to me makes it a great diffuser+humidifier combo at night.

Cost: $40-$50 on Amazon (there’s a less fancy, but equally effective, version of the Purespa diffuser for $10 less than the deluxe version)

Trillia MINA III Aromatherapy Nebulizer diffuser

The future is here, and it looks like the Trillia Mina III Nebulizing essential oil diffuser. It’s a ridiculously long name for a super-sleek yet down-to-earth diffuser that packs a serious punch. If you’re ok with spending a bit more money, this could be the right diffuser for you.

Pros

  • Looks fantastic, either in the natural wood finish or the sleek white version
  • For a nebulizing diffuser, it’s one of the most quiet I’ve found. The pump is rated at a super low 5 db noise level, so it’s almost as quiet as an ultrasonic diffuser
  • The nebulizer and high performance air pump mean it can service up to 800 square feet of your home! That’s actually pretty impressive. 
  • Your essential oils are completely encased in glass, meaning there’s no potential for plastic degradation as with some ultrasonic diffusers

Cons

  • It’s a whole lot more expensive than your average diffuser
  • It’s still a little noisier than some of the higher quality ultrasonic diffusers
  • Shuts off automatically when the oil runs out, but the light stays on until it is manually switched off. Kind of unnecessary.

I’m actually hard-pressed to find much wrong with the Trillia Mina III. I love that the essential oil is completely encased in glass, because I simply can’t bring myself to fully trust plastic diffusers. This means that you can diffuse citrus essential oils without any concern of plastic breakdown, as is the case with some other diffusers. I’m also impressed with how much coverage this thing has – some people have even reported that it can diffuse effectively over 1000 square feet. This means that, while it’s more expensive than other diffusers, it does the job of 3 or 4 cheaper diffusers. Kind of a no-brainer, really.

Cost: $99 on Amazon.

Urpower ultrasonic essential oil diffuser

Easily one of the most popular diffusers available, the Urpower Essential Oil Diffuser has an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 from a whopping 12,000 reviews on Amazon. It’s hard to argue with those statistics. At the time of writing this post, it’s also one of the cheapest diffusers we’ve come across, at a measly $20.

Pros

  • Two mist settings, meaning you can up the ante when you need more essential oil action around the home or if you’re using it in different-sized rooms  
  • Super quiet, perhaps the most quiet ultrasonic unit I’ve come across
  • Small and compact, making it a good travel companion
  • Considerably more affordable than most other high-quality diffusers.

Cons

  • It can be hard to twist off the top of the unit to fill up the reservoir.
  • Only operates for up to 6 hours
  • While the LED lights can be turned off at night, the small “on” indicator light can’t. Not great for sleeping.

If you’re looking for a solid choice at a low price, you could do worse than the Urpower Essential Oil Diffuser. You’re not going to get as much coverage as the Trillia Mina III, nor as long an operation time (like the Purespa Deluxe), but I definitely wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to any first time essential oil users.

Cost: $20 on Amazon (currently on special)

Innogear ultrasonic essential oil diffuser

Look the same as the Urpower diffuser? That’s because it is! Exact same product, different name. The Innogear essential oil diffuser is also going for $20 right now, so it’s really just down to the name.

doTERRA ultrasonic petal diffuser

The doTERRA petal diffuser is simple and straightforward. It lacks many of the finer points that other diffusers offer, and is admittedly a lot less aesthetically pleasing, but I don’t mind that – not every diffuser needs to be a work of art! This was my very first diffuser, and it continues to work without a hitch 3 years later – it’s even travelled with me across several continents, so that’s saying something!

Pros

  • Simple and reliable. I’ve never had any issues with this product  
  • Reasonably quiet, although does have a slight tinkling sound occasionally
  • Mist reach of up to 330 square feet, which is more than many other ultrasonic diffusers

Cons

  • The LED light can be switched off, but there’s still a small light behind the “on” indicator that can’t be switched off. This does create some light, which can be annoying for sleeping.
  • A bit “uglier” than some other ultrasonic units
  • Could do with a slightly longer operation time

Ultimately, the doTERRA petal diffuser is still a good first choice for those starting out with essential oils. I can personally say that these things just keep on going, so there’s no doubt to its quality. It is, however, a bit more expensive than many of the other ultrasonic contenders.

Cost: Currently $58.60 on Amazon. Note that it can be bought wholesale for $47 if you’re a doTERRA Wellness Advocate.

doTERRA ultrasonic lotus diffuser

I haven’t tried the doTERRA lotus essential oil diffuser yet but based on preliminary reviews wouldn’t recommend it. It’s horribly overpriced, and as far as effectiveness it’s about the same as most other standard diffusers. You’re better off investing in the Trillia Mina III, which is still $20 cheaper and works far more effectively. 

Pros

  • Looks nice, and has a relatively unique design
  • Doesn’t take up much surface area

Cons

  • Ridiculously overpriced for what it is: a standard essential oil diffuser.

Cost: $120 on Amazon.

Young Living ultrasonic diffuser

The Young Living Rose Home Diffuser is essentially just a more expensive version of the doTERRA petal diffuser. It has all the usual features that most ultrasonic units provide, and is a solid yet unexciting choice for your first diffuser.

Pros 

  • Looks nice-ish, if you like roses!

Cons

  • Super expensive, for what you get: a standard ultrasonic diffuser
  • Has been known to break down after 6 months
  • Has a smaller coverage than the doTERRA petal diffuser

Overall, it doesn’t really make sense to buy this unit (or the Young Living “Dewdrop” diffuser, for that matter) when you have so many other, more reasonably-priced diffusers available.

Cost: $75 on Amazon.

Which essential oil diffuser is best?

It’s difficult to say which is the king (or queen) of diffusers, as there’s just so many different kinds out there. I have, however, reviewed a good range of diffuser types over varying price ranges, so this gives you a good idea of how the market is segmented. Based on my own experiences with these diffusers and other people’s reviews, here’s my two picks.

Best ultrasonic essential oil diffuser: the Purespa Deluxe Ultrasonic Diffuser. For what is still a reasonable price of around $40, you get a top-quality diffuser that has an impressive operation time of 10 hours and with lights that can be completely turned off to help you sleep. It’s only shortcoming is a slightly smaller coverage than the doTERRA petal diffuser.

Best nebulizing essential oil diffuser: while I only reviewed one nebulizing diffuser, the Trillia Mina III Nebulizing diffuser is the obvious choice for top-quality essential oil aromatherapy. I love that it’s made from hand-blown glass, that it doesn’t contain any nasty plastic, and that it can diffuse over a huge area. In this way, it replaces up to 4 ultrasonic essential oil diffusers. The price may deter some buyers, but if you’re looking for quality, this is a great choice.

What essential oil diffuser to you use? Would you recommend any specific diffuser to the team here at Thrive Primal? We’d love to know how you got on with your diffuser purchasing experience!

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Posted in Essential Oils, Holistic Health & Personal Development, Stress, Uncategorized

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How to avoid sickness on the plane

Posted on 10 August, 2016 by | Leave a comment

Thrive-Primal---staying-healthy-while-flying

An article I came across in the Huffington Post a while back brought to the forefront something which had been bothering me for a while: the health risks of flying. According to the post, passengers on a flight from Beijing to Vancouver may have been exposed to a case of the measles, when it was revealed that someone on the flight was carrying the highly infectious virus.

While the implications of coming down with something nasty like the measles is bad enough (inflammation of the brain, convulsions, deafness and even brain damage in worst case scenarios), the virus scare on that flight merely highlights the vast array of health risks involved with air travel. As someone who is flying long-distance on a regular basis, this is a big deal for me, and I seized the opportunity to look into what could be done to safeguard myself from a whole lot of potentially sick people bottled up inside a tiny tin can with wings for multiple hours.

Based on my research, here’s a few handy tips for protecting yourself while in transit and stepping off a plane no worse for wear than when you first got on.

1. Avoid contaminated surfaces

Before I did the research, I was under the impression that one of the most common ways people got sick from being in planes was via the recycled air that blasts out into your face throughout the flight. According to Dr. Mark Gendreau, a specialist in aviation medicine at Lahey Medical Centre in Massachusetts (who knew “avian medicine” was even a thing?!), this is far from the case. Yes, someone who sneezes can project infectious pathogens into the air which can then get sucked up by the air recycling system, but Gendreau points out that most planes have high-tech air filters that remove over 99 percent of airborne microbes. Those are some pretty slim odds of catching a cold from your air vent.

Now that I’ve alleviated your fears of airborne sickness, it’s time to turn your attention to physically touching contaminated surfaces. These present your greatest likelihood of getting ill – someone who has a cold or flu (and lets not forget about those measles!) touches the handle to the toilet, you then touch that handle as you exit the toilet later on, then transfer the virus into your body by rubbing your eyes, licking your hands or just eating that nasty airplane food.

While washing your hands will help to minimize this risk somewhat, you’re still at risk of touching contaminated surfaces – the classic case being when you have to exit the toilet, touching the little latch to release the door catch or pushing the door open with your hand. Plus, apparently tap water on aircrafts has its own contamination issues to work through. For this reason, probably the safest way to lower your risk is to carry a toxin-free, natural hand sanitizer and use it after touching any suspect surfaces or prior to eating.

Your other best option is to straight-out avoid touching contaminated surfaces – you can do this by wearing gloves, only using restrooms whose entryways don’t have doors (so you don’t have to touch a door to exit the restroom after washing your hands – works in airports, not so much in planes!), or use your elbow or back of the hand to operate handles and locks (takes some skill, but it can be done!).

2. Support your immune system before & after flying

You might be super careful with touching surfaces and still be at risk of infection if someone nearby sneezes and you’re unfortunate enough to be sitting within the “blast radius”. This means you are now at a higher risk of inhaling the infectious pathogen, but it’s also the point where your immune system steps in. How healthy you are before (and immediately after) the flight will determine whether your immune function is strong enough to fight the infection, or whether it will easily take over. Here’s a few simple things you can do to ensure your immune system is in tip top condition:

  • Minimize stress before your flight. If you find yourself getting anxious or frustrated with preparations for your trip, take some time to just chill and work on consciously eradicating that stress. Things like meditation, walking in natural settings (i.e. parks), watching your favorite comedy tv show, or doing some light stretches can help.
  • Get plenty of sleep in the nights leading up to your flight. No all-nighters packing your stuff for the trip! I’ve definitely been guilty of this on many occasions, and it’s never ended well.
  • Exercise regularly, and be sure to move about constantly. This means changing your position (be it sitting, standing, or lying down) as much as possible…with the exception of when you sleep, of course!
  • Get plenty of sun to keep your vitamin D levels high. Vitamin D is critical to a properly functioning immune system, plus sunlight during the day will help you sleep better at night.
  • Eat lots of healthy, whole foods. Plenty of veggies, a smattering of fresh fruit, lots of high quality meat, and avoid grains and sugars where possible.
  • Eat plenty of fermented foods (such as this delicious home-made sauerkraut!), or get your hands on a good probiotic supplement.

3. Bring your own food on the plane

I always find myself getting strangely excited by the prospect of getting served food on a plane, there’s just something infinitely satisfying about eating a meal at 40,000 feet. But virtually every time, I’m disappointed. Airplane food is almost universally atrocious – it’s sloppy, composed of ingredients you don’t even want think about, and generally lacking in nutrition. Even more importantly, there’s always the risk that you could get sick from it, as it is handled by who knows how many people before it gets to your “tray table”, and is reheated at least twice, amplifying the risk of contamination.

The best strategy is always to source your own healthy food before the flight and bring it on-board. Just make sure to bring enough so that you’re not still tempted by the airline food, bring utensils (just in case the snooty air hostess doesn’t want to give you theirs), and, for the sake of the other passengers and your own dignity, stay away from overly pungent food…it’ll stink the cabin out quicker than you can say “pee-yew!”.

4. Drink plenty of water

Water is essential to the healthy function of your body, including your immune system. The recycled air on planes really dries you out, and many people get tempted by the various sugary or alcoholic drinks on offer and therefore become even more dehydrated. If you’re going to give your body a fighting chance against infection, skip the soda or wine and opt for water instead. I always make sure I fill up my glass water bottle before getting on the plane, and when they come around offering cups of water I ask them to fill my drink bottle instead. Smart for my health, and smart for the environment!

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Posted in Ancestral Nutrition, Food on the Go, Holistic Health & Personal Development, Primal Lifestyle, Stress

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3 Surefire Ways to Take Charge of Your Sleep Naturally

Posted on 6 February, 2015 by | 3 comments

Thrive Primal - natural remedies for sleep

When was the last time you got a good night’s sleep? Do you drag your arse out of bed every single day cursing your alarm and dreading the day ahead?

I’m here to tell you that there are 3 little- known factors that are keeping you from a restful sleep.

I’m not going to waste your valuable time telling you how important sleep is. Well OK just these 2 mind blowing facts.

Losing sleep destroys your health

1. According to this 2009 study people who expose themselves to light at night don’t produce enough melatonin for proper restful sleep. A lack of melatonin production causes us to be

not only immune suppressed, but … also at an increased risk of developing a number of different types of cancer. […] Sleep disturbances can lead to immune suppression and a shift to the predominance in cancer-stimulatory cytokines.

2. This 2010 study had one group sleeping 8.5 hours a night and the other sleeping 5.5 hours a night, while eating a healthy diet in an effort to lose weight. The results showed that:

Sleep curtailment decreased the proportion of weight lost as fat by 55% and increased the loss of fat-free body mass by 60%

Meaning that it’s 55% harder to lose fat, and 60% harder to keep your healthy lean muscle. Those are pretty shit odds!

So, in a nutshell, losing sleep makes you fat and cancerous. Ready for better sleep??

Let’s get straight to the action plan.

3 little-known factors which hugely impact how you sleep

Magnesium
According to Marek Doyle, a nutritional medicine practitioner who writes for the Huffington Post, magnesium is rarely mentioned in conventional recommendations, but it effectively cures 90% of his insomnia patients within 24 hours.

Magnesium plays a vital role in over 325 basic reactions in human biochemistry, but in regards to sleep specifically:

Magnesium is vital for the function of GABA receptors, which exist across all areas of the brain and nervous system. GABA is a calming neurotransmitter that the brain requires to switch off; without it, we remain tense, our thoughts race and we lie in bed staring at the ceiling. (source)

How do you know if you’re short of magnesium? (it’s estimated that at least 80% of us are). If you have trouble falling asleep, wake easily, or wake at odd times. Also any of the following:

If you get cramps regularly, find that fluids pass through you easily, have cold hands and feet, experience tightness in the neck and shoulders or notice twitches in small muscles (the eyelid, for example)

There’s no harm in trying it, and certainly a lot to gain. So what’s the best way to replenish your magnesium? Oral supplements are often poorly absorbed, so I recommend a magnesium bath, lotion or spray. The lotion being the easiest, fastest and least fussy.

Be aware that magnesium may sting your skin slightly at first while you are recovering from deficiency. I would recommend using it 30-60 min before bed so it has time to absorb.

Thrive Primal - natural remedies for sleep

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Calming Essential Oils for Better Sleep (Knock yourself out naturally)

This month I am so excited to try this blend from Megan Card.

She calls it the “better than ambien” blend since she suffered from insomnia for years, having tried numerous medicinal sleep aids. She never had such effective results (without the scary side effects and addiction risk of sleep aids) until she tried this essential oil blend.

It contains the most naturally relaxing sedative oils which will help calm your thoughts and prepare your body for sleep.

Here is the recipe:
(Combine in an amber or blue glass bottle)

  • 25 drops Serenity blend
  • 20 drops Ylang yang
  • 15 drops Vetiver
  • 15 drops Marjoram

Get the best oils HERE – this is where I buy mine from.

Apply several drops of the blend to the bottom of each foot before bed. The soles have the largest pores to allow oils to safely and rapidly enter the bloodstream.

Check out more about essential oils, or grab some and get started now at this page.

Blue-blocking Lenses
So you may have heard that the blue light from TVs and devices tricks your brain into thinking it’s daytime and keeps you awake. This is absolutely true.

However the problem is that most recommendations are along the lines of don’t use your phone past 9pm or don’t watch TV two hours before bedtime, etc. I’ll be the first to admit that most of the time in our modern lifestyle this is just never going to happen. It’s just not realistic. Although I do think it’s vital to practice ‘technology cleansing’ and not be glued to our phones every moment, especially not in the bedroom, I acknowledge that turning off all tech a few hours before bedtime is a bit of an idealistic notion.

Luckily I’ve discovered a way around this.

Grab yourself some of these babies and you will be effectively blocking the blue light that inhibits your natural melatonin production. I’ve heard a number of wellness experts discuss this simple and effective technique including Dave Asprey (The Bulletproof Executive), Katie the Wellness Mama and Chris Kresser.

I’ve read that it takes 3-4 hours of no-blue-light exposure for melatonin production to kick in, so try to wear your sweet orange or yellow specs from the time the sun goes down.

Grab some for your whole family or your flatmates and be awesome silly orange-lens-wearers together. Will and I rock these every night and we find it really helps. I can literally feel my brain kicking into “rest mode” when I wear them, and switch back into “alert mode” if I take them off.

Liivi and Will wearing blue blocking glasses for better sleep

If you’re worried about them ruining your sex life, that is a valid concern (ha). Although sorry to be a smartass but I’ll just point out that not sleeping well and being tired and grumpy, and/or getting cancer, will also do that. Solution: Use beeswax candles, low-blue lightbulbs, or salt lamps as it gets closer to bedtime or on evenings when you don’t want to wear your glasses! These all emit warm-spectrum light that won’t shut down your melatonin production.

A couple of other tips:

  • install f.lux on your computer
  • light your home with salt lamps at night (they clean the air and reduce EMFs too)
  • get bright natural light as soon as you can upon waking in the morning to signal your brain that it’s awake time. This helps regulate your circadian clock.

What about melatonin supplements?

You might be wondering about melatonin supplements. It’s natural right, so it must be safe?

Well, according to The Sleep Solution by Emily Benfit, exogenous melatonin may make you feel sleepy, but it’s merely inducing limpness in your body where blood is restricted to the brain and heart and your general cognitive function is impaired.

Emily outlines the possible side effects of melatonin consumption:

  • Vasoconstriction of the brain, organs, and heart.
  • Shrinks and involutes the thymus gland
  • Shrinks sex organs
  • Increases heart rate and perpetuates the stress cycle
  • Inhibits fertility

This insight is thanks to this article from Hollywood Homestead.

What helps you get restful sleep?

Have you tried any of these techniques? Did you find success? Share your experiences below so we can all support each other!

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Posted in Essential Oils, Primal Lifestyle, Safe Natural Remedies, Stress

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How to not get overwhelmed with healthy lifestyle changes

Posted on 29 January, 2015 by | Leave a comment
Thrive Primal - how to avoid getting overwhelmed with healthy lifestyle changes
When you have chronic pain and digestive discomfort and headaches and anxiety and you’re tired and your hectic week just keeps rollin’ on, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the healthy changes you’re trying to make.
You might be spending hours a day researching what to avoid and what to buy and what to eat, and then realise you’ve gotten away from what you’re trying to do in the first place, which is chill out, and love yourself, and let your body heal.
I’ve been there, and I still go there at times. I call it a ‘brain full of butterflies’. You’re trying to catch one, but then another pretty one catches your eye so you go for it, but then you start going after a better one, and they’re all just flying around driving you crazy.

How to get past overwhelm when you’re working on healthy lifestyle changes

Here’s a quick 5-minute pen and paper exercise to get all those butterflies out of your brain, nail them down, and get your shit together so you can take a deep breath and have some peace.
Get out a pen and a piece of paper or a receipt or a napkin and do this RIGHT NOW. Don’t click to another tab and start googling another shiny solution. Do the work. Do it now. This will help you. Take a deep breath.

STEP 1:

Scribble down all the health and wellness goals you want to achieve. I’ve decided to get raw, real and vulnerable here, and share mine.
  • solve anxiety
  • doTerra 30 day reset / cleanse
  • get rid of Candida
  • lose 10 lbs of fat
  • clear and improve skin
  • solve constipation
  • avoid wheat & sugar, break addiction
  • sleep better
  • move more
  • yoga daily
  • meditate daily
  • less caffeine, or none
  • make & eat fermented foods
  • heal my gut
  • get enough magnesium
 It would be nice to have all of those things wouldn’t it! But think about all the steps I need to take, OMG. So overwhelming. If I chase all of those butterflies how many will I catch – NONE!
But what’s awesome about the body is that everything is connected and interdependent. So you will find that many of your health goals will be inter-connected, and some big ones might end up being tipping points for a bunch of other ones.
I mapped them out like this all over a sheet of paper. This whole exercise took me maybe 5 minutes. If you still haven’t gotten your pen and paper out, DO IT NOW!
Thrive Primal - how to prevent overwhelm with lifestyle changes

STEP 2:

Start drawing arrows between ones that might cause or naturally lead to another.
 For example, I want to improve my skin, and I know if I consume more fermented foods and get more sleep those things will cause me to have better skin. So I draw arrows from those 2 things pointing to better skin.
I know that if I avoid wheat & sugar, that will help heal my gut. I know that if I get rid of Candida, that will solve my anxiety and constipation. I know if I can sleep better that will help me lose fat. etc etc.
Keep doing that until you can’t think of any more.
Thrive Primal - how to prevent overwhelm with lifestyle changes

 STEP 3:

Look at all the things and notice which ones don’t have any arrows pointing into them, ie which ones are just plain ACTIONS that you must take.
Mine were:
  • Get enough magnesium
  • Make and consume fermented foods
  • Move more
  • Do an essential oils cleanse
These are the things you actually need to straight-up do, which will lead to all your other goals eventually rolling out as by-products. I’ll call them Actions.
Go over the other items on your page and just checkmark each, so you know that one of your big Actions is going to help you achieve each of your smaller goals. Check out my work below:
Thrive Primal - how to prevent overwhelm with lifestyle changes

 STEP 4:

List out the specific little steps that will lead you to be able to do the Actions you determined in step 3, ie Buy magnesium oil, get a spray bottle, buy the cleanse supplements, buy a cabbage, etc.
List how much time daily or weekly it’s going to take. For example, eating fermented foods is only going to take me let’s say an hour bi-weekly to set up a new batch of sauerkraut and kombucha, and then only a couple of minutes daily to consume a little bit of each.
Once I’ve bought and prepared the items I need for 3 of my 4 Actions (Magnesium, Cleanse and Fermented foods) each of these things will only take a couple of minutes daily (apply magnesium body spray, take my cleanse supplements and have some sauerkraut & kefir with my lunch).
The only thing that actually takes time or scheduling is to move more.
So now I’ve determined really there’s only ONE thing that’s kind of a pain in the butt that I need to figure out. NOT 25 things. 1 butterfly, not 25.
Yes, I still have to find 15-20 minutes a day to crank out some high-intensity intervals or power yoga with a youtube video on my mat in the living room in my undies. But now I know that all my goals are accounted for, and I can just take that 20 minutes and relish it and not stress about whether I’m taking care of everything I should be.

Why this is so powerful

Once you’ve figured out your Actions, don’t question them or think about anything else or let the butterflies start flying again.
Do these 4 things (or whatever number you’ve determined but 3-4 max!!) and do them CONSISTENTLY for at least 2 weeks. You can do them mindlessly and just shut off. You’ve done the mental work and the leg work by buying and preparing your stuff. Now stop over-thinking it and just go, on auto-pilot for 2 weeks.
Doesn’t that feel great? Isn’t it awesome being told what to do sometimes, especially when it’s by your own smart self :)
Flipping back and forth to different solutions and doing partial moves and attacks won’t actually result in any big succesful change. It’s like telling an army to advance, wait no retreat, actually let’s bring in the cavalry, actually wait a second where’s that catapult….you’re never going to win that battle!
You have to make the well-considered decision and then go for it whole-heartedly.
After 2 weeks maybe you want to re-evaluate, and that’s ok. If it’s going great, AWESOME, and maybe your 4 things have become automatic and now you can incorporate a few more actions, if you need to.
Maybe your list of a few things is still too overwhelming and you’re floundering. In that case the trick is to pick ONE thing that takes the least effort but has the most impact.
For example in my case I could reason that consuming fermented foods will end up helping me absorb, digest and eliminate my food better, so I won’t need to do a cleanse or take supplements.
Make that ONE thing happen each day and give yourself a HUGE pat on the back for sticking with it!! It’s a VERY important step in the right direction. Not only the actual action itself, but the fact that you’ve subconsciously affirmed that you care about yourself and love yourself.

 How can I help you with this?

Do you have a list of goals but aren’t sure which are the big tipping-point Actions? Are you trying to whittle it down to which is going to take the least effort but have the biggest impact? Let me know below, I’d love to help!
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How to love and take better care of yourself (in tiny baby steps!)

Posted on 7 January, 2015 by | 2 comments

We are all so harsh on ourselves. I’ll be the first one to admit I struggle with constant negative mental chatter, directed at myself and others. It’s easy to be critical and dismissive, and stay living in that shadow waiting for your “someday” self.

Recently I heard Dr. Sarah Gottfried and Cynthia Pasquella both refer to this quote from Dr. Jen Landa: 

When resentment is high, self-care is low. – Dr. Jen Landa

Think about that. It makes —-SO—-MUCH—-SENSE. You fly through your day resenting everyone you have to talk to, and everything that you have to do, and just hating life and waiting for the day to be over so you can start the hamster wheel all over again tomorrow.

No one is going to step in and stop the madness for you; you have to do it for yourself.

And here’s where SELF-CARE comes in. It’s a simple concept based on small gestures that you make toward yourself. It’s like your right-now self being considerate toward your future-self. Your partner and family and friends can support and take care of you to a certain extent, but there are certain things you can really only do for yourself.

And those things can be pretty fundamental.

Only you are going to make sure you eat enough good nutritious food, drink enough water, get some movement into your day, get to sleep on time. These are things we have to be responsible for as adults, but too often these hugely important priorities get pushed aside by all the other “STUFF” flying around in our day. 

Then there are the other “less vital” things that can still have a huge impact on how you feel and behave. Only you are going to go get that haircut that is going to score compliments and put you in a great mood. Only you can decide to take 7 minutes in the evening and take a lovely lavender bath. No one else is going to tell you do these things, or help you make the time for these things. 

You have the power to make every day a good day

It’s incredible how showing your future-self a little love with small gestures can completely change whether today is another humdrum-normal-crappy-whirlwind day, or a sparkly-shiny-fun-happy day.

So how to take better care of and show love toward yourself?

I found this lovely, heartfelt graphic created by Lucille Zimmerman on Pinterest. I don’t know much about her practice but I really like what she is sharing.

Print this out and post it somewhere, or keep it on your phone to refer to, or write down the points in your notebook. Make sure you do at least one of these things EVERY DAY. Show yourself a little love, and resentment, stress and negativity will have less and less power over you and your day.

self care checklist

 

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Please share what works for you

How do you show yourself love? How do you ensure you make time for self-care in a busy day? Please leave a comment so that we can all help each other out! I know a lot of people struggle with this…how have you found success?

 

 

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How to find relief from stress and anxiety with essential oils

Posted on 6 January, 2015 by | Leave a comment

This is a follow-up to my previous post on anxiety. In addition to breathing techniques, music and other strategies I’ve talked about before, I’ve recently discovered the wonderful potential of essential oils.

Thrive Primal_essential oils for anxiety and stress relief

Not just a pretty scent…

We all understand that smelling something pretty, like inhaling the perfume of a rose for example, makes you feel happy. But it’s worth understanding a little deeper, because the therapeutic power of essential oils goes a lot further than that.

Without going too deep into the sciencey part, when your nose detects a scent, it means that tiny molecules have evaporated from an object, and entered your nose. The molecules interlock with specialized receptors and communicate with the brain through the olfactory bulb. This captures information from the scent molecules, and actually helps to form and record memories.

Ever had a sudden flashback from smelling an aroma wafting from a restaurant, or the perfume of someone walking by? I can totally recall the moldy, nasty but comfort-inducing scent of my parents’ old minivan, for example (lol). When you think about it, scent has a profound effect on our memories, feelings and emotions.

What you inhale affects your health

We all understand that inhaling bad molecules from the air can negatively affect our health. Car exhaust, glue fumes, poison gases, cigarette smoke, mold spores and airborne viruses for example. We easily acknowledge that these things, which we can’t see with our naked eye, wreak havoc on our health when we smell and inhale them into the body.

So what if good, happy, healthy airborne molecules could do the opposite? Re-program our system for better balance and energy, and help prevent and reverse illness? Well surprise, they can! Essential oils are the lifeblood of plants; they are the substances that help protect and support the successful growth of the plant. When they are harvested through gentle methods from excellent quality plants, they form wonderfully rich natural medicines for the human body.

And it doesn’t stop there…

Out of all five senses, smell is the only one directly linked to the limbic system in the brain, which is our emotional control center. The limbic system is directly connected to the parts of the brain that control heart rate, digestion, blood pressure, breathing, stress levels, arousal, and hormone balance. What this means is that essential oil molecules can impact not just emotion, but the body’s physical function. 

All of these physical functions compile to form the body’s sympathetic and asympathetic nervous systems. The asympathetic system is the one you want to activate to calm down and turn off the stress response. Influencing the limbic system with essential oils is one way you can directly activate the asympathetic nervous system, like pressing a “chill out” button.

In summary, the use of therapeutic grade essential oils can have profound effects on our physical and emotional well-being. Recent research is showing that essential oils may help relieve symptoms just as effectively as medication, but without the side effects of anxiety drugs.

The best essential oils for anxiety and stress relief

Frankincense

frankincense essential oil for anxiety

Frankincense is a beautiful, warm woody oil distilled from the sap of the boswellia tree. The sap is sustainably harvested in crystal form, as shown here. Then it’s steamed and the distilled oil is collected.

The sesquiterpene molecules in frankincense help calm anxiety and create feelings of joy and happiness, by stimulating healthy neurotransmitter and hormone production from the hypothalamus, pituitary and pineal glands.

I like to rub frankincense on my face as it helps smooth and heal the skin, and that way I can inhale its calming scent and get a prettier complexion while I’m at it.

Lavender

lavender essential oil for anxiety natural reliefLavender oil is distilled from the flowering tips of the lavender plant. Hundreds of pounds are collected and steamed to make the precious essential oil.

Lavender oil has been commonly used for centuries as an antiseptic, a natural antibiotic, an insect repellent and a calming sedative.

Lavender is well-known as a natural sleep aid to bring relief from insomnia. I like to put a few drops on my pillow before I go to bed, or add some to my epsom salt bath water.

During the day I also mix a few drops with a little bit of frankincense and rub on the back of my neck. This is a nice stress-relieving ritual; take a few deep breaths as you massage your neck and clear your mind a bit. The warmth of the skin helps waft the calming aroma into the air.

Citrus Oils

bergamot essential oil for anxietyCitrus oils are made by distilling the oil-rich peels of fruits such as Sweet Orange, Bergamot, and Lemon.

They are excellent for the purpose of uplifting the mood, creating a sense of well-being and chasing away those dark shadows in the corners of an anxious mind. They are said to aid in the body’s ability to respond to stress and also help with circulation and detox.

I like to diffuse these oils at home for a freshening and uplifting vibe. You can also add a drop of therapeutic-grade citrus essential oils to your drinking water or to recipes.

Quality is important

Please take into account the quality of the essential oils you purchase. By using natural medicine you are already saving a huge amount of expense on conventional medical care, plus the lost time you would have wasted with being sick, plus the side effects and toxicity that medications place on the body.

So it’s worth investing in the best quality essential oils to apply and inhale into your one precious body.

Drug-store or health food store grade oils are often laced with synthetics and they have very few quality standards applied. I choose to respect my body and my health, and in turn get the best results (!) by only using the best essential oils. Here is where I buy mine.

Please share your tips…

What oils do you like to use to relieve stress and anxiety? What strategies do you combine with essential oils? Please share so we can all help each other! :)

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