We are so excited about this new essential oils kit from doTERRA, created specially for your yoga practice. If you’re new to essential oils and want to learn more, we’ve simplified everything for you here in this article.
If you love doing yoga you’ll probably be interested in accessories to compliment and expand your spiritual practice. Perhaps you’ve chosen a particular yoga mat that you really like, and set up a space in your home with candles and crystals.
We love the idea of incorporating essential oils into your yoga practice, or even just for a quick self-care check-in during the day.
The doTERRA Yoga Collection includes three oils, called Anchor, Align and Arise.
According to doTERRA, “Anchor, Align, and Arise are the perfect blends to enhance your life and yoga practice. These blends provide aromas to steady, center, and enlighten your spirit through every breath while strengthening and stretching your body.”
You can diffuse one of these oil blends while you do yoga,
Inhale while you’re in a stationary pose like mountain pose, child’s pose or savasana,
Or even just dab a little on your wrist to grab a quiet moment during your day.
YOGA COLLECTION DETAILS
The Anchor Steadying Blend:
Contains Lavender, Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Cinnamon, Frankincense, Black Pepper, and Patchouli in a base of Fractionated Coconut Oil
Supports feelings of completeness, calmness, and courage and brings a firm trust in yourself so you can approach your practice and life with calming strength, and a solid connection to yourself and your innate wisdom.
Ideal for the following poses: Seated Meditation, Seated Twist, and Bhu Mudra (one hand on the heart, the other on the Earth).
The Align Centering Blend:
Contains Bergamot, Coriander, Marjoram, Peppermint, Jasmine, and Rose essential oils in a base of Fractionated Coconut Oil
Encourages harmony and calm progress, you to trust in yourself and stay open to all possibilities.
Ideal for the following poses: Warrior II, Triangle, and Gate pose.
The Arise Enlightening Blend:
Contains Grapefruit, Lemon, Osmanthus, Melissa, and Siberian Fir in a base of Fractionated Coconut Oil
Helps to instill feelings of happiness, clarity, and courage. Supports your stability as well as your freedom, inspiring moments of reaching for your highest potential.
Ideal for the following poses: standing arms high, standing side stretch, and Half Moon.
WHERE TO BUY THE YOGA KIT
If you’re interested in getting your own yoga essentials oils kit, order them here from our shop, or sign up for a wholesale account here to save money on oils (and earn commissions!).
I took a photo of my kit so you can see how beautiful it is! I can’t wait for you to get yours in the mail :) Click here to buy yours now.
In case you hadn’t already noticed, we’re big on essential oils. We use them for anything from fighting off colds to cleaning around the house. It’s fair to say that there’s a doTERRA essential oil for almost any ailment, and in the right hands essential oils can really be a powerful therapeutic tool. Today, my focus is going to be on doTERRA’s frankincense essential oil, easily one of our top five most-used essential oils. Stay tuned for more reviews on our favorite oils, as we examine the scientific evidence for their effectiveness and how they help us on a personal level.
Frankincense essential oil uses
Frankincense essential oil is anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and analgesic…meaning it can be used for a wide range of applications in and around the home. Here’s a quick overview of the more popular uses for doTERRA’s frankincense essential oil.
Relieve indigestion
Frankincense essential oil can help to relieve symptoms of indigestion, such as gas, bloating, tummy aches, constipation, IBS and cramps. Frankincense essential oil acts similar to a digestive enzyme, speeding up the process by which your gastrointestinal system breaks down proteins, fats and carbohydrates. You can simply rub frankincense oil straight on your stomach to get the benefits, or, if you’re planning on taking it internally, make sure you use only 100% therapeutic-grade essential oil. If you’re using doTERRA frankincense essential oil, it meets this important criterion so you’re good to go.
Treat skin problems
For whatever reason, anecdotal evidence suggests that frankincense essential oil can speed up the healing of superficial wounds and visibly reduce scarring over time. It can be used to treat eczema (just make sure you mix it with a carrier oil like coconut oil or jojoba to reduce potential sensitivities), stretch marks, blemishes, and acne. Remember: a little goes a long way, so just a drop or two mixed with a carrier oil should be enough for each application.
Relieve joint and muscle pain
This is where the anti-inflammatory powers of frankincense really come into their own. Frankincense has been used to effectively relieve joint pain, muscle pain, and areas of swelling from blunt trauma injuries. Usually just rubbing a drop of doTERRA frankincense essential oil along with a small amount of carrier oil on the affected area is the most effective way of treating the inflammation and pain, but for faster relief try putting a drop of frankincense on a warm, moist towel and leave it on the affected area until it cools.
Reduce wrinkles and signs of aging
Frankincense essential oil is an astringent, meaning it causes the skin cells to contract and appear smoother and younger. This means that applying frankincense to your skin, along with a moisturizing carrier oil like jojoba or coconut, can not only reduce the development of wrinkles, it can actually make your skin appear younger. Essentially the same as what a toner and moisturizer would do, but without the chemicals and nasty side effects.
Alleviate stress
The aroma of frankincense oil is amazingly soothing, make it a great companion to lavender essential oil for relieving stress and relaxing your mind and body. The best way to whip up an anti-stress remedy with doTERRA frankincense essential oil is to simply put 3-4 drops in your diffuser and allow the aromatics to spread throughout your home. If you haven’t yet invested in a diffuser, sprinkle 2-3 drops in a hot bath and soak away your worries for 20 blissful minutes.
The science behind frankincense oil benefits
It’s one thing to read about all the anecdotal success that people have had with frankincense essential oil, but what about the cold, hard facts? I’ve reviewed the scientific literature, and here’s what I found.
Frankincense oil fights cancer
Happily, the claim that frankincense can actually inhibit the development of cancer is very much true. There’s countless articles in the literature demonstrating frankincense essential oils ability to kill tumor cells and induce cancer cell death. In addition to fighting breast cancer and pancreatic cancer, frankincense has also been shown to alleviate bladder cancer via oxidative stress.
Frankincense oil and immunity
Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of evidence to back up this claim, however what research has been completed suggests that frankincense essential oil exhibits “lymphoproliferative activity“. This means that it supports your lymphatic system, a critical part of a healthy functioning immune system.
Frankincense oil and microbes
There’s plenty of research showing the antimicrobial prowess of frankincense essential oil (which comes from the genus Boswellia, FYI). As this study indicated, frankincense essential oils were particularly effective against the fungal strains B. carteri, B. papyrifera and C. albicans. Another article indicated that frankincense may also be effective against B. cereus and E. coli.
Frankincense oil and inflammation
They weren’t lying when they said that frankincense is anti-inflammatory. This 2006 study tested frankincense’s anti-inflammatory effects on mice, and the results were favorable. Another study in the same year indicated that frankincense species are effective in treating a range of chronic inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative bronchitis. Another study found much the same thing, concluding that frankincense can be used to treat inflammatory diseases and inflammatory pain.
Our personal experience with frankincense essential oil
We probably bust open a bottle of doTERRA frankincense essential oil 2-3 times a week. I use frankincense oil on the bottom of my feet after my bi-weekly sprint sessions, as I used to have plantar fasciitis and it reduces post-workout inflammation. I also use frankincense on a mole or two on my stomach that I don’t want to turn into melanomas, and I often mix it in with some coconut oil and lavender essential oil to create a soothing aftershave, or even a beard oil when I’m giving my razor the cold shoulder. Liivi likes to diffuse frankincense when she’s feeling uptight or stressed, and rubs some on her adenoids when she feels a sore throat coming on.
If you’re keen on getting your hands on some wonderful therapeutic-grade frankincense essential oil, or you’d like to learn more, click here.
You’re all about taking your health into your own hands, using diet and healthy remedies to keep diseases and health problems at bay. But what about your dog? Why shouldn’t they enjoy a healthy, vet-free life? Luckily, for many of your beloved pooch’s ailments and health problems, theres an essential oil solution waiting just around the corner.
Are essential oils safe for dogs?
The simple answer is: yes. But only when you’ve done your research, and you know which oils are ok to use (see below), how to use those oils, and in what quantities. Where many people trip up is recognizing just how potent essential oils really are. It’s important to remember that just one drop of essential oil is many thousands of times stronger than a leaf or stem from the original plant it was made from. Practice caution when using essential oils for dogs, just as you would do with yourself and your family.
Why you should use doTERRA essential oils on your dog
Nobody’s forcing you to use essential oils on your furry friend, but there’s a whole lot of reasons why you should give it a try! Essential oils are literally tiny bottles of home remedies just waiting to be unleashed (pun unintended). They contain a wide range of healing properties, and because they’re so powerful they can really work wonders on your dog. We’ve used and promoted doTERRA essential oils for the past 5 years, and are happy to give them our seal of approval – they’re high quality and have never let us (or our dog!) down. More importantly, they’re therapeutic grade, which means they’re safe to use on (and sometimes in) the body – unlike many of the cheaper oils, which are only safe to use via aromatherapy (diffuser).
Here’s a few reasons why you should use doTERRA essential oils for dogs:
Just one essential oil can provide many different natural remedies. Lavender essential oil, for example, can reduce inflammation, speed healing, prevent infection, and relax a stressed pawed companion. All in one tiny bottle. Imagine what you could do with 6, or even 10 different essential oils!
Essential oils are non-toxic…when used in the right amounts, that is. We’re trying to avoid having your dog go to the vet and being prescribed liver-destroying anti-inflammatory drugs or gut-ruining antibiotics, so essential oils provide a great non-toxic alternative to conventional treatments.
Essential oils are simple to use. If you’re familiar with using essential oils on yourself and your family, it’s an absolute breeze to use them on your dog as well. And if you haven’t used them before – no worries! Just read on for some easy actionable tips.
Using doTERRA essential oils to help and heal your dog
Because there’s just so darn many essential oils out there (we have at least 100 different kinds languishing around our home!), this post would be a very long one indeed if I was to go through EVERY SINGLE ONE. Luckily, certain oils are jack of all trades, and can be used to solve any number of complaints from your pooch. Here’s some of the most popular essential oils for dogs, that can be used to make effective home remedies for your beloved pooch.
Lavender essential oil for dogs
Just quietly, lavender is my fave. Lavender essential oil is easily the most versatile oil we have at our disposal, helping to calm frayed nerves, help us sleep, soothe inflamed cuts and wounds, reduce inflammation at sites of injury or arthritis, and fight off infection. How many dog meds do you know that can do all those things, and without any side effects as well? Lavender essential oil is:
antibacterial
calming
anti-itch (especially with bug and tick bites, and also with healing wounds)
antihistamine (reduces symptoms of allergies)
pain-alleviating
anti-inflammatory
Based on the above abilities of lavender essential oil, it’s fair to say that this is one of the most important essential oil for dogs! Lavender essential oil even has strong anti-mutagenic qualities, making it a proven method of fighting canine cancer.
Because lavender is one of the gentler essential oils, you dog likely won’t be bothered when you apply it to their wounds/bites/aches/pains. To promote milder healing and relaxation, you can also use lavender in a diffuser.
Helichrysum essential oil for dogs
We’ve used helichrysum essential oil on our pup’s injuries countless times, and it seems to work wonders. I myself have used it on a sore lower back and lower leg injury, so I know that it works. Be warned, though – helichrysum is expensive (just another reason to buy it wholesale!), but that being said a little goes a very long way. You usually only need to use around one drop, mixed in with a carrier oil, to provide pain relief and healing for your pooch. Helichrysum is:
If you can get over the price, helichrysum is a must have for all your dog’s aches and pains, and is particularly effective for more troubling injuries. doTERRA’s helichrysum essential oil speeds healing of scars and bruises, soothes irritating skin conditions, and alleviates pain.
Roman chamomile essential oil
Roman chamomile is one of the most widely used essential oils for dogs, and for good reason. It’s second only to lavender in terms of it’s versatility, and its essential oil can be used for a range of problems associated with your dog, including:
pain relief (analgesic)
relaxation (calms a stressed or restless dog)
treatment of cramps and other central nervous system issues (anti-spasmodic)
Roman chamomile essential oil is also a strong anti-oxidant, meaning it could be a good defense for your dog against cancer and other mutagenic diseases.
Thyme essential oil for dogs
Thyme is another must-have for your dog’s medicine cabinet. It is a strong anti-inflammatory, making it a great choice for achy joints and muscles, and arthritic pooches. Thyme essential oil is also great for fighting off infection, and for treating internal parasites. Thyme essential oil is:
Because thyme essential oil is quite a strong brew, consider using it in conjunction with a carrier oil like coconut oil to ensure your furry friend doesn’t get any irritation.
Cedarwood essential oil for dogs
I’ve included cedarwood essential oil not only for its antiseptic and circulation-stimulating properties, but also due to its ability to repel fleas. Some of the conventional anti-flea products are downright harmful to your dog’s health, so it’s worth considering cedarwood as a natural alternative. Cedarwood essential oil is:
You can make a cedarwood anti-flea spray by mixing up a small solution of water and several drops of cedarwood essential oil (add more cedarwood for a stronger brew) and using a brush to expose your dog’s skin. Then spray the solution directly onto the skin, avoiding the eyes and ears. For the head area, simply put some of the cedarwood solution on your hands and rub it into all the furry bits – but still make sure not to get too close to the eyes or ears!
How to use doTERRA essential oils on your dog
The best practice is always to apply the essential oils directly to external areas of your dog. One to two drops is usually more than enough for a specific ailment, and I almost always dilute the essential oil with a carrier oil to ensure it doesn’t irritate my wee furry friend. If you’re planning on using essential oils internally, I need to stress that you really need to do your research, and always make sure you use therapeutic grade (like doTERRA’s range) essential oils.
That’s it for now! Have you used essential oils on your dog before? How did it turn out?
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:
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.
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.
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.
Everyone gets a parasite at least once in their life. For most people, they’ll be exposed to hundreds, if not thousands, of parasites on a regular basis. That thought alone is enough to send many people running for the hills, or at least that “happy place” in their minds where parasites don’t exist.
But to assume you’re somehow immune to parasites is a poor assumption indeed. Either that, or you tell yourself that you’ve cooked your food thoroughly enough and religiously sanitized your hands to the point where there’s no chance that you could have some nasty little worms residing in your gut. Once again, big mistake.
This post comes after concluding 14 months of travel through some of the poorest countries on earth. As Liivi and I made our way down through Mexico and Central America, then immediately immersed ourselves in Southeast Asia for a couple of months to top it off, my mind was constantly considering the possibility that the next bowl of Vietnamese pho or undercooked Mexican tacos might be the one that introduced my body to an unpleasant concoction of parasitism.
Many people would respond to these suspicions by making a quick trip to the doctor for a diagnosis. That doctor may or may not perform a series of blood, urine or stool tests, but their prescription is almost always the same: a strong dose of antibiotics. And if you’ve been following our posts on Candida, you’ll know by now that antibiotics will RUIN your gut microflora and simply put you at greater risk of future parasite infections.
You could also seek out a functional medicine practitioner to get a more holistic take on your potential parasite problem, or even procure a reputable mail-order parasite testing kit, such as this Full GI Panel. The problem is, both of these alternatives are expensive, time consuming, and despite their reputability they’re often still quite unreliable in their results. Either the practitioner or the test might declare you “parasite free”, when really you’ve got a whole host of parasites that have dropped below the radar.
The way I see it, you’re much better off knowing what signs and symptoms to look out for, performing a simple parasite questionnaire, then going ahead and taking steps to expunge those uninvited parasites living in your innards. Even if you’re unsure, often embarking upon a simple at-home natural anti-parasite regime can do your body a lot of good, whether you have parasites or not. But first, lets wrap our heads around some of the more common parasites, and their usual symptoms.
Common parasites and typical symptoms
Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm)
Pinworm is a type of roundworm (nematode) with a huge geographic range. It is prevalent throughout much of the United States, along with many other parts of the world. It is estimated that around 209 million people worldwide are infected, with more than 30 percent of children throughout the world infected. In summary, there’s a very good chance you’ve got this little blighter hanging out in your large intestine.
The eggs of E. vermicularis spread to other people via fecal residue. In essence, people who go for a poo and don’t wash their hands properly are to blame. Nasty. And considering this pinworm can lay up to 15,000 eggs per night in your nether regions, it’s highly infectious.
Symptoms of pinworm include:
itching of the genitals and anus (sorry, but we had to go there)
sleep disturbance due to constant itching (particularly bad at night, when this parasite is most active)
in some cases, rapid weight loss, urinary tract infection, and appendicitis
Giardia lamblia
If you’ve ever considered taking a drink from what you thought to be a clean river, lake or stream on a particularly long hike, you’ve probably been warned off by somebody harping on about “giardia”. Hopefully you heeded their warning, because giardia is the second most common parasitic infection in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that more than 2.5 million cases of giardiasis occur annually.
Like pinworm, giardia is spread via fecal-oral contamination (put bluntly, when you get someone else’s poo particles in your mouth…tasty). Giardia is commonly water-borne because it is resistant to the chlorine in tap water, and even survives well in cold mountain streams. For this reason, it has earned the nicknames of “backpacker’s diarrhea” and “beaver fever”.
You can even get giardia from raw or undercooked foods, and animals such as sheep, cattle, dogs, rodents and beavers can pass it on and ensure it remains almost permanently in many water bodies.
Symptoms of giardia include:
diarrhea
malabsorption
indigestion
dramatic weight loss
fatigue
depression
in some cases, arthritis, particularly in the lower parts of the body
Ancylostoma duodenale, Necator americanus (hookworm)
A. duodenale is found in Europe, Africa, China, Japan, India and the Pacific Islands. N. americanus, as the name suggests, is found primarily in the Americas as well as the Caribbean and certain areas of Asia and the Pacific. These parasites used to be a real problem in America until the early 1900s, but hookworm is still widespread throughout the world.
As usual, the means by which these parasites get into your body is a rather disgusting one. Upon hatching, larvae feed on bacteria in the soil, then enter their human hosts via pores, hair follicles and even intact skin. They then travel through your circulatory system, climb into the lungs, and make their way eventually into your digestive tract. Here, they take up residence and begin the cycle all over again.
Hookworms like these generally don’t present any major problems aside from occasional gastroenteritis-like symptoms, or if the intestinal worm colony becomes too big (yuck!). The biggest concern, however, is blood loss. These worms use anticoagulant compounds that allow them to consume around quarter of a liter of blood per day. This blood loss can produce something called microcytic hypochromic anemia, which is often associated with iron deficiency. This hookworm infection may also result in “physical and mental retardation in children” – a rather frightening prospect, if you have your own little tikes to worry about.
Entamoeba histolytica
E. histolytica is the world’s second leading protozoan cause of death, close behind malaria. Of the approximately 50 million infective cases per year, an estimated 100,000 of them are fatal. That’s a pretty high mortality rate.
Infection by this parasite occurs via the fecal-oral route (ingested poo particles), typically due to poor food preparation hygiene, use of human waste for crop fertilization (more common than you might think!), and even “oral-anal sexual practices” (their words, not mine!).
Symptoms of this nasty little number include:
malaise
weight loss
severe abdominal pain
severe bloody diarrhea
fever
inflammatory bowel disease
colitis
Many of these symptoms lead health practitioners to mistakenly diagnose appendicitis, especially in children.
Aside from those listed above, there are plenty of other parasites floating about. Other common parasites found in the US include tapeworms (which can grow up to 60 feet long in the human intestine) and blood flukes (which mature in snails then burrow through human skin to infect the host).
Suitably concerned? You should be. Which isn’t to say that you should break out in a cold sweat. But a smattering of health concern occasionally is a good thing.
Before we proceed, it’s important to remember that you will never fully eradicate all parasites from your body. Our bodies have evolved to coexist with parasites, and completely removing anything which can be considered parasitic will present it’s own host of problems.
Take Candida, for example. This yeast, when it overgrows due to stress, antibiotics and excessive sugar consumption, can be very damaging to your health. However, Candida is actually a necessary component of our immune and digestive systems, and protects against heavy metal poisoning by metabolizing heavy metals and removing them from the body. Remove Candida, and you could suffer from heavy metal poisoning.
The main thing to remember is that for animals (including humans) which are healthy, parasites don’t pose a problem. It is when our bodies become weakened due to poor diets, antibiotics, drugs, stress, and so on that parasites can become stronger and take over our bodies. For these natural remedies to work, then, you need to also get your health under control.
One of the best ways to do this is to place yourself on a health protocol such as the one we’ve put together here. While the protocol is designed for getting Candida under control, it is excellent for dramatically improving your health in general. Otherwise, spend some time reading through some of our other posts here on Thrive Primal.
Black walnut
While I couldn’t track down any scientific studies relating to the parasite-preventative qualities of black walnut, there’s bucketloads of anecdotal evidence. The dried, ground hull of the Black Walnut contains a number of compounds which have been associated with parasite die-off. These compounds include organic iodine, juglandin, juglone and various other juglandic acids. Black walnut has purportedly been used for hundreds of years to expel various types of parasites, including ringworms, tapeworms, pinworms, and malaria.
Even if it hasn’t been scientifically linked to anti-parasitic effects, black walnut has received plenty of attention elsewhere in the health community. With this in mind, you should consider taking a black walnut supplement regardless!
Oregano essential oil
Unlike black walnut, oregano has received plenty of scientific review with regards to parasites, and the results are very promising. In one study, oil from Mediterranean oregano (Oreganum vulgare) was administered orally to 14 patients who had tested positive for several different internal parasites. After 6 weeks of 600 mg emulsified oregano oil daily, there was complete disappearance of all 3 different parasites in many of the patients. For the others, their parasite count diminished considerably, and those suffering from associated gastrointestinal issues also improved markedly.
In another study, the anti-parasitic effect of oregano and thyme essential oils were tested on the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan similar to Entamoeba histolytica. Here, I’ll paraphrase, as the technical mumbo jumbo becomes rather convoluted: “extract of oregano essential oil inhibited epimastigote growth (IC50/24 h = 175 μg/ml) and also induced trypomastigote lysis (IC50/24 h = 115 μg/ml)”. The conclusion? “Oregano and thyme essential oils are effective against T cruzi”.
Garlic is a proven anti-parasitic, and from what I’ve seen it punches well above the rest. Garlic can slow or even fully eradicate more than sixty varieties of fungi and twenty types of bacteria and viruses. It owes this parasite-killing power to it’s high concentrations of both allicin and ajoene. Ajoene has been strongly associated with fungal spore die-off, while allicin is a powerful antimicrobial agent which selectively kills off parasitizing organisms in your body while leaving the beneficial bacteria well alone.
This study indicates that garlic oil “has broad-spectrum activity against Trypanosoma, Plasmodium, Giardia and Leishmania”. Another study indicates that the high concentrations of allicin found in garlic have been found to:
exhibit antibacterial activity against a wide range of harmful bacteria, including various strains of E. coli
prevent fungal activity, including Candida albicans
prevent parasitic activity, including major human intestinal parasites like Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia
exhibit strong anti-viral properties
Clearly, you need more garlic in your life. Whether thats from garlic essential oil, allicin supplements or just straight whole garlic consumption (you’d need a lot of this last option to make any real difference against parasites), is up to you.
Clove essential oil
Perhaps second only to garlic, cloves are dynamite against parasites. Cloves contain eugenol, caryophyllene, and various tannins which exhibit powerful antimicrobial properties. These compounds can enter the bloodstream and selectively dispatch microscopic parasites, along with their larvae and eggs. Cloves have been proven in the treatment of malaria, tuberculosis, cholera, scabies and a range of other parasites, viruses, bacteria and fungi.
As this research paper indicates, clove essential oil has been shown to have powerful effects on several microorganisms and parasites. These include pathogenic bacteria, herpes, various Staphylococcus strains, and even hepatitis C viruses.
Another study examined the anti-parasitic activity of clove, basil and yarrow essential oils against the common parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. While it was found that all three of the oils were effective against the parasite, clove was by far the most effective.
Finally, a 2011 lab analysis of clove essential oil found that it had strong anti-Giardia (remember that “backpacker’s diarrhea I talked about earlier?) properties. Some of the study findings are as follows:
clove essential oil, and specifically the eugenol in clove oil, have anti-Giardia activity and inhibit cell attachment
clove oil promotes cell swelling, resulting in cell membrane destruction
clove oil induces an autophagic death process in Giardia cells
clove essential oil and eugenol have no toxicity on mammalian cells (meaning there’s no nasty side-effects!).
By far, the best way to get your anti-parasitic dose of clove is via topical application of the essential oil, or ingesting it as directed.
Wormwood
Wormwood has long been recognized as an effective natural treatment for certain types of parasites. It’s anthelmintic (medicinal anti-parasitic) properties were highly valued by many ancient cultures, and it continues to be used today in many parts of the world for the same reason. It’s apparent that if something continues to be used as an anti-parasitic treatment for so long, there must be some truth to the claims. In fact, many modern farmers still use wormwood for the de-worming of horses, cows and sheep…so why not humans as well?
It’s thought that the key anti-parasitic constituents of wormwood include bitter substances like sesquiterpene lactones, and an essential oil which contains a high concentration of terpenes. One study found that an in-vitro wormwood aqueous extract demonstrated strong anti-parasitic effects on the nematode Trichostrongylus colubriformis, and that the thujone in wormwood amplified this effect.
While there appears to be less scientific research of wormwood when compared to oregano, garlic and clove, there are a number of studies illustrating the effectiveness of wormwood against malaria. This study found that wormwood extract could inhibit the growth of malaria parasites in mice, while another found that cure rates were 74 percent after 7 days of wormwood treatment in human patients with uncomplicated malaria.
You can buy wormwood as an organic extract or in pill form (apparently the extract tastes pretty nasty!). But in my opinion, if you’re going whole-hog on these parasites, you might as well get the black walnut wormwood complex and kill two birds with one stone!
Thyme essential oil
As mentioned earlier, a study which compared the anti-parasitic properties of both oregano and thyme essential oils found that, while both were effective, thyme was the most powerful of the two. Considering how much acclaim oregano essential oil has received for it’s anthelmintic properties, this is certainly saying something.
On looking into the literature further, it became apparent that thyme essential oil has received a lot of attention for its anti-parasitic application in horticulture and pest control, but very little with regards to humans. Still, considering the number of studies confirming the effectiveness of thyme oil in killing a range of parasites, it stands to reason that it would also be effective for protecting our own bodies against infection. Make sure you do your dosage research before you start chugging it back by the gallon, though!
I use doTERRA’s thyme essential oil. It’s generally more expensive than some of the other brands, but it’s much higher quality. And if I’m putting oils into my body, I need to know they’re top notch.
Fennel essential oil
According to anecdotal evidence, fennel is believed to be a strong anti-parasitic. Fennel seed essential oil is used to flush parasites and their waste from the body, and has also been historically used to treat Candida overgrowth. Scientific review of this herb with regards to parasites is sadly lacking, however.
That being said, Dr Axe seems to think fennel is worth getting your hands on. According to him, fennel essential oil can help to heal wounds, relieve digestive issues and constipation, provide a host of antioxidants, and aid in weight loss. So even if it doesn’t directly attack parasites, it will certainly help out elsewhere!
This is another purported anti-parasitic natural remedy which lacks any scientific basis. But I’m well aware that just because a product hasn’t been studied, doesn’t mean that it’s not effective. And the anecdotal evidence suggests that it certainly is effective against parasites, their eggs, and yeast overgrowths like Candida.
Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring substance that is high in silica, which our bodies use to create hair, nails and skin. While diatomaceous earth is beneficial to us, it’s particles are so small that they can get in between the joints and exoskeletons of parasites and literally kill them on the spot. Thus when you ingest diatomaceous earth, it flushes out all those parasites living in your digestive system, and simultaneously removes heavy metals and other toxins from your body.
The reason why I’m inclined to believe these claims is that diatomaceous earth is still widely used in the agricultural sector for pest control. Farmers and food manufacturers swear by it, and if it can kill pests on food and plants, why not in our bodies as well?
Make sure you only use food grade diatomaceous earth, and take it easy – one to two tablespoons per day is enough. Here’s a reputable food-grade diatomaceous earth product.
Main points to remember
As discussed earlier, parasites are more likely to be a problem for you if your health is lacking. Improve your health, and you’ll dramatically improve your chances of overcoming them. One of the best ways to do this is to clean up your diet, but also to get plenty of high intensity exercise (sweating helps expel toxins and removes the by-products of parasites from your body), and try to keep stress to a minimum where possible. And don’t forget to get plenty of sleep!
If you’re looking to stock up on essential oils for your parasite cleanse, you can save a lot of money by signing up to doTERRA through Thrive Primal. For more information, click here.
If you’re keen to learn more on the subject, Paul Check is one of the world’s leading experts on parasites. He’s put together a series of DVDs and other resources to help people identify their problems and find a harm-free solution. Click this link to find out more.
And finally, if you’re unsure whether you’re suffering from a parasite infection, it’s always best to consult a medical practitioner first. If you’re on other medications, it’s also good to consult your doctor to determine whether the natural remedies listed above will clash with them in any way. Remember, we’re not doctors, we’re just here to provide useful information and helpful tips!
[Newsflash: we’ve finally finished compiling all our vast knowledge of natural candida remedies into one ebook, to help you give your Candida overgrowth the boot once and for all.Click here to find out more!]
I’ve recently realized that I was a child of Candida. Literally the moment I entered the world, I was set up for an overgrowth of yeast and all the unfortunate symptoms that come along with that.
From there, the snowball keeps rolling. A poor immune system from the start, plus a “normal” North American diet of too much processed food, carbs and sugary things (but of course no FAT! who eats FAT! GASP!…. and cue ironic eye roll) adds up to repeated infections.
I grew up with constant strep and tonsilitis, plus various other weird things. Things like dry red rashes in my inner elbows, constant digestive distress, food intolerances, a swelly thing beside my nose for a while, a swelly thing in my earlobe for a while, a swelly thing in my groin for awhile, etc. All sorts of lovely things!
…Which I was inevitably prescribed antibiotics for. As we’re all hearing these days, antibiotics might save your life for now but they sure beat down the immune system even more in the long run.
Contributing factors to Candida overgrowth
Add to that 10 years of taking the pill from my late teens to late 20s, because I never knew any better and of course everyone takes the pill! Doctors literally shell ’em out like candy. Acne? here’s the pill! Painful periods? Take the pill. (here’s how the pill contributes to Candida overgrowth)
Turns out these are some of the classic causes for and symptoms of Candida albicans overgrowth. Who knew!
At some point a few years ago I started frantically researching holistic health and nutrition, because I had discovered the theory behind the paleo diet and I was super stoked to find something that didn’t seem like a fad and was actually based on human evolution. COOL! Along the way I found out about Candida overgrowth, and boy did I tick a lot of the boxes…
My frantic search for Candida albicans remedies
From that point I started a very long, stressful and expensive process of researching, buying and cycling through various candida remedies and protocols. Here are some that I tried:
bentonite clay with calendula
diatomaceous earth
ashwagandha
pau d’arco
turmeric, cayenne and ginger capsules (DIY)
garlic
eating only coconut oil for 3 days (I failed)
not eating basically any carbs except green vegetables (no fruit no starch)
oregano oil (health food store brand)
clove oil (health food store brand)
tea tree oil (health food store brand)
caprylic acid
goldenseal
drinking nasty herbal tinctures and taking heaps of capsules in a kit called Candigone (completed 2 kits, didn’t work)
Difluconazole from the doctor, twice
pharmacy yeast infection kits many times
So yeah, I spent a pile of cash, over a couple of years. I actually ingested health food store brands of essential oils, which I didn’t know at the time can be extremely dangerous and toxic. Dumb-dumb! And the thing is I was stressed and miserable! My symptoms were ok sometimes, but mostly came back every month at the end of my cycle, like clockwork. I was constantly researching and going out to buy the next thing, or ordering online. I was super anxious and literally HATED Candida with all my heart and constantly inwardly swore at it and cursed it.
I’m not saying none of the items in the above list work. Some of the other things I listed can definitely be helpful (which I’ll go into shortly). But in general my protocol was very typical of a Candida Diet, in that it was very violently focused on EAT NO SUGAR, CHOKE OUT THE CANDIDA, KILL IT WITH ANTI-FUNGALS.
I was about to lose my marbles and buy some like hundred-dollar capsule product that claimed it would somehow explode the candida, and was really quite sketchy with no solid evidence or backing, in a last-ditch attempt, after the eating-nothing-but-coconut-oil-for-3-days strategy failed at the end of the first day. Duh, I was starving an already adrenally-exhausted stressed-out immune-compromised body…
The problem with the typical approach to Candida
Thankfully I found this blog post from Lauren at Empowered Sustenance first.
She pokes holes in the typical Candida Diet approach, pointing out that it doesn’t affect the root causes of the Candida overgrowth, which are essentially:
leaky gut
poor digestion
and therefore a compromised immune system and systemic inflammation
Lauren also points out that
A Candida Diet impairs metabolism and hormone function. A sugar free diet will elevate stress hormones, which exhausts the adrenals, reduces thyroid hormones, and taxes the body.
I’ve learned about the effects of too-low-carb eating here as well. Taxing the body this way (especially when you are adrenally exhausted and immune-compromised) just exacerbates the 3 root causes of Candida listed above.
According to this article from the American Society of Microbiology,
When Candida albicans encounters stressful conditions, does it curl up and die? No! This crafty pathogen gets to work on its inventory of genes, slashing away until it finds a winning combination that can get it through the tough times.
It’s important to keep in mind that Candida is supposed to exist in a certain amount in a healthy human, and completely choking it out is (clearly a losing battle and) actually not healthy.
Healthy candida levels are vital for proper nutrient absorption and to protect the intestinal tract from other infections. (source)
It’s just a matter of keeping things in a nice healthy balance. And this is where the mind-shift happened.
A new approach to cure Candida overgrowth naturally
Thanks to Lauren’s article, I decided to shift away from the KILL CHOKE KILL approach, and toward a self-love, health-supporting mode of overcoming Candida overgrowth. The theory here is to support the immune system, metabolism and digestion so that the body can naturally re-balance the microbiome.
Here are the key ways that I’ve done this:
support digestion by drinking lemon juice and/or raw apple cider vinegar a few times a day (juice of 1/2 a fresh lemon, or 1 tsp ACV in a glass of water)
support metabolism with generous doses of pink salt on my food (always be sure to have some in the morning to support the adrenals), plenty of healthy traditional fats (such as grass-fed butter, coconut oil, red palm oil, avocados, oily fish, etc) and moderate amounts of sugars like raw honey, dark chocolate, fruits and starchy veg (max 3 small servings/day)
consuming fresh garlic, turmeric, cayenne, ginger in cooking whenever I can (yum!)
I’ve also found that making capsules of powdered turmeric, ginger and cayenne (TCG) helps (take 1-3 capsules of each, 1-3 times a day) I recommend using your own organic spices rather than buying extract supplements, because you never know what’s actually in those or how good-quality they are.
supporting immunity and healing in general by applying a transdermal magnesium oil supplement quite religiously (1/2 tsp to 1 tsp a day), making/cooking with/drinking bone broth as often as possible, and being sure to sleep enough (check out my post on 3 unexpected highly effective ways to improve sleep HERE)
I’ve linked above to the few products I would recommend on your journey (just these, and save the $hundreds$ on searching!). I still have jars and bottles of random shite I collected over the past couple of years collecting dust in my cupboards…save yourself that!
If committed to kicking Candida, we’ve spent a huge amount of time preparing perhaps the most comprehensive paleo-friendly book available on the net for beating Candida. It provides 76 pages of in-depth information on how you can fight your Candida overgrowth and restore a healthy balance in your body, and keep it that way. This book is unique in that it revolves around the core concept of USING your body to fight the overgrowth by restoring properly-functioning immune and digestive systems, and then incorporating potent natural compounds to supercharge your body’s fight against it. The upside is that your health in general will drastically improve, restoring you to a healthy weight and possibly even giving the boot to any autoimmune diseases afflicting you. The image link below takes you to the order page on PayPal – it’s a very small investment in your health but a huge return!
The Paleo Guide to Beating Candida Naturally is just $12.99.You’ll be hard pressed to find a more extensively-researched, in-depth Candida-fighting protocol anywhere on the net.
Are you going to try this approach to Candida?
What do you think? Has this changed your thinking? Does it make you feel relieved and less desperate to KILL KILL KILL? I definitely felt better and lighter when I decided to adopt this more loving approach. Share your experiences, methods and resources below, let’s all help a friend out!
Getting started using doTERRA essential oils can be overwhelming. You know you want to revamp your self care routine and medicine cabinet, but where to start?
I’ve put together a simple cheat-sheet on the top 15 doTERRA essential oils to provide support with everyday ailments. These include common concerns like digestion, respiratory, skin, immunity, stress, sleep and hormone balance. Do you know anyone who DOESN’T suffer with at least one of the above??
What’s the best way to start collecting essential oils?
The first 10 oils on the below cheat sheet are from the Home Essentials Kit. The price for the kit is $275 USD. When I was enrolling with doTERRA I was like whoa that’s expensive…but I later realized that these are full-size 15 mL bottles!!! The Home Physician Kit that I bought ($125) only has 5 mL bottles, and no diffuser. At the time I didn’t realize that the bottles were different sizes. If only I had known! The Home Essentials Kit and the other largers kits offer A LOT more value for not much more investment.
Best value to get started with essential oils
The Home Essentials Kit is the perfect way to make a good investment in oils without breaking the bank.
It also offers a lot of bang for your buck with over $80 of savings (free stuff!) When you enroll is the only time you have access to the Starter Kits, so I recommend taking advantage of these savings while you can.
Also, a diffuser is SO KEY to your essential oils experience, especially if you are planning on using them for mood management, stress relief, improving sleep, allergies or respiratory concerns, or with children.
Diffusing oils is the safest and easiest way to experience the benefits, plus it adds healthy moisture to your home. I don’t know about you but we have a lot of issues with dryness with all the electric heat in the winter.
Our poor cat is very staticky (ha!) and our diffuser helps keep the air moister so we are all more comfortable and breathe easier.
What oils to buy after the doTERRA Home Essentials Kit
The other 5 essential oils I included on the 15 oils cheat sheet are my favourite blends from doTERRA. These blends are amazing for everyday use, supporting detox, healthy metabolism (and weight loss), and mood management. The first oils I would buy after the Home Essentials Kit would be the mood blends including Elevation, Citrus Bliss, Serenity and Balance.
I use the Balance Grounding Blend daily for mini-spiritual escapes when I’ve had enough of traffic, screens, headlines and the noise of life in general. It’s not usually possible to escape into nature, but I feel that taking a quiet moment (even if it’s just in the bathroom!) and inhaling the beautiful plant molecules makes me feel connected to the natural world beyond our routine preoccupations.
I use the Elevation Joyful Blend or a citrus oil when I am feeling a bit blah or upset about something, and just need a pick-me-up. Serenity helps me sleep more soundly to get better quality rest.
Click the link above for retail & wholesale price buying options.
Questions? Thoughts?
I hope that this summary and cheat sheet has helped you find some clarity on how to get started with doTERRA essential oils, and all the benefits they can bring you on your everyday journey toward optimal wellness.
Get in touch via the comments below, or the Contact page if you have any questions.
If you’re interested in partnering with me to build a business with doTERRA, check out this page.
2. Go-to natural remedies for common children’s illnesses (How to detox your medicine cabinet and replace OTC meds with corresponding effective natural remedies)
3. How to ensure safety when using natural remedies and essential oils for children
Many of these dangers, remedies and safety measures will be very much relevant for adults too. I will link to each article as I complete them over the next couple of days.
In part one of this series we talked about the majorly risky practice of giving babies and children over-the-counter or prescription medications. Despite the best intentions of parents and medical practitioners, medicating young ones is often a shot in the dark with unknown repercussions. Children are being given drugs more and more, despite the fact that they are rarely tested on children. Check out that article here.
In part 2 we’re going to get super optimistic and reformative, looking at how to detox your medicine cabinet! I’ve put together a pretty extensive list of go-to natural remedies for common children’s illnesses. Please feel free to contribute more remedies that you’ve found helpful or effective in the comments at the end of the article.
I’ll be matching up the typical conventional medications with natural alternatives.
A quick disclaimer before we get right into it:
This should pretty much go without saying, but please always do your own research and only use remedies you feel comfortable with. Consult a practitioner if ever in doubt. The information here is for education only, and you should never delay seeking in-person care from a professional if your child is seriously ill.
improve nutrition with less sugar/more fat & protein – corrects insulin balance
correct neurotransmitter imbalances by supplementing with magnesium/B-vitamins/whey protein
reduce use of electronics especially at night (yellow/orange glasses are recommended)
introduce a little movement in the morning to boost serotonin
Vetiver essential oil, Cedarwood essential oil, InTune essential oil blend ** ensure any oils you use on your family are pure therapeutic grade, not just made for good smell. ** Here’s where I shop. (a 2001 study using brain scans to evaluate essential oil effectiveness for common behavioral challenges in children showed improvements in 100% of subjects with Vetiver and 83% effectiveness with Cedarwood)
local raw (un-pasteurized) honey – contains enzymes that are like a natural allergy shot with no downside. Local honey to where you live is said to help your body adapt to local allergens in your environment. Buy from a local shop or market, dose kids with 1/3 to 1/2 teaspoon (adults a full tsp) one or more times a day
nettle tea or capsules – nettle is a natural antihistamine. When the leaves are dried they don’t sting anymore!
other probiotics such as raw capsules, unpasteurized kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut. Safe and beneficial in small amounts for babies and kids.
peppermint, lavender, lemon essential oils, doTERRA TriEase softgels (get pure, safe essential oils HERE). These oils bring down inflammation and calm an overactive immune response to allergens. For young children dilute the 3 oils in coconut oil and rub on the feet and along the spine.
heal leaky gut syndrome to prevent undigested peptides from damaging the brain (here is an article for reference, and this gut healing program is, in my opinion, the best out there)
asthma is considered an inflammatory condition, so soothe inflammation in the body by eating a whole real food diet (click the link for meal plans!) focusing on organic vegetables and animal protein, healthy traditional fats, fermented & cultured foods
For prevention or during an attack, instead of an inhaler (if it’s safe) try doTERRA Breathe respiratory blend essential oil – a blend of laurel leaf, peppermint, eucalyptus, melaleuca, lemon, and ravensara. Helps to soothe inflamed tissues, support the elimination of bacteria and viruses, and opens airways. I’ve read many articles and testimonials saying people no longer need asthma medication after starting to keep the Breathe blend on hand. Only $26.67 retail, or get a 25% wholesale discount. Get some HERE.
avoid sugar, caffeine, chocolate, not only for their direct effect but also because they promote Candida Albicans yeast overgrowth in the gut, which can cause anxiety
magnesium drink/rub/bath, and other mineral-rich foods such as homemade organic chicken broth, green smoothies (blend up cucumber, romaine lettuce, spinach, lemon, banana, berries), organ meats (try organic chicken livers made into gluten-free “nuggets”)
herbal teas such as chamomile, fennel, catnip (brew tea, steep with a cover on for 10 minutes, then let cool before putting in a safe bottle or cup for the child to drink from)
amber necklace – raw natural amber contains succinic acid, a natural analgesic and healing agent. Amber warms when worm against the body and the succinic acid is absorbed through the skin helping relieve anxiety, pain and other symptoms. I personally wear one 24-7!
Natural remedies for bacterial infections (alternatives to antibiotics)
Conventional treatment: Doctors frequently prescribe antibiotics just in case even if they don’t know that an illness is caused by bacteria, or which bacteria is causing it (source). This is leading to major damage to gut bacteria which regulates our digestion, immunity and much of our mood and mental wellbeing. It also leads to antibiotic-resistant bacteria which is a major threat to global health today. (source) I would highly recommend reading these articles for insight as to why your child probably doesn’t need antibiotics: Article 1, Article 2. As someone who has been a “victim” to likely unnecessary antibiotics MANY times in my life, and have struggled to re-balance my body in my adulthood, I would encourage you to seek alternatives and consult with a practitioner who treats antibiotics in a cautious and holistic manner.
oregano oil – please ensure you use a high quality pure oil from a brand that stands behind medicinal / internal use of their oils. This is the only place I buy therapeutic essential oils. Apply 1-2 drops diluted with coconut oil topically, in a bath, in a steaming bowl via inhalation, or by consuming in a vegetable capsule. You can also use a small amount in a neti pot with water.
garlic is a strong natural antibiotic which does not destroy beneficial gut bacteria. Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride (of the GAPS protocol) recommends consuming an entire head of garlic daily as an effective internal antibiotic. I would recommend doing this by eating finely chopped raw garlic in something tasty like pesto, hummus, real-food ranch dressing with veggies (recipe ideas HERE). Freshly chopped garlic is best, let it sit for 10 minutes before using/consuming as the allicin content will increase.
turmeric extract in doses of 400-600 mg 3 times daily, or as directed on the package (source)
support the immune system with rest, fluids (with pink salt and raw honey for electrolytes), fresh lemon, fresh herbs such as parsley and rosemary, and homemade organic broth
melaleuca (tea tree) essential oil – add 3 to 6 drops to a teaspoon of coconut oil, keep this in a small container for first aid use. This is where I get quality essential oils free of additives, synethetics, or pesticides.
make a compress with a mix of cool water and a little white vinegar to lift the heat
lavender essential oil takes the sting out of a burn and has been shown to help skin heal much faster without scarring or scabbing. Use generously straight onto a burn without using a carrier oil, as carrier oils can hold the heat inside of the burn. You must purchase a pure high quality lavender essential oil to get good results. Many cheaper lavender oils contain fillers that smell like lavender but don’t have the medicinal effect. Here is where I buy top-shelf essential oils.
use raw honey as an antiseptic cream to speed healing
homemade organic crock pot chicken broth with finely chopped garlic, onion, celery (instructions in this post)
warm lemon water – make it with fresh squeezed lemon, and let it cool a bit before adding some raw honey to leave the enzymes intact
cinnamon – mix 1 tablespoon with 1 teaspoon of raw honey and stir into hot water to make a spicy and very effective tea that helps relieve cough and congestion and lower fever. Another option is to use capsules.
facial steam – a bowl of hot water with 3 drops each of oregano, thyme and rosemary essential oils (here is where to get essential oils good enough to use medicinally: link) Place the steaming bowl under the face and drape a towel over the head to make a “tent”. Inhale for several minutes, but be sure to supervise a child to make sure they don’t get too hot.
1 drop of oregano oil diluted with a little coconut oil and rubbed under the feet a few times a day
Conventional treatment: Dicyclomine hydrochloride, simethicone, Anaspaz, Bentyl, Donnatol, Buscopan, Zantac, leaving your infant with other caregivers for respite. Not many treatments recommended other than suffering through it as it usually rectifies after a few months.
removing allergens from the mother’s diet (if breast-feeding) – these could include things like wheat and grains, pasteurized dairy, corn, soy, eggs
removing excessive stimulation and stressors from the environment, since this could stress the baby and hinder a healthy digestive process (ie noises, lights, screens, etc)
massage and movement to help release gas
cooled ginger or peppermint tea in a bottle – these assist digestion
belly and back massage with a digestive blend essential oil (DigestZen is the one I use and love) – dilute 5 drops of oil in 1 tsp of coconut oil, warm the oil until the coconut oil is melted (24 degrees C) and place a couple of drops in the belly button, then work outward in gentle circular motions
apply a warm compress like a cloth from the dryer over the essential-oil covered belly to help the oils penetrate and to help the belly feel comfy
Conventional treatment: medicated shampoo, ketoconazole, anti-dandruff shampoo containing tar, selenium sulfide, hydrocortisone cream, petroleum-based mineral oil or jelly
According to this article, cradle cap is associated with overgrowth of yeast, so probiotics for both mum and baby will be helpful. For mum I use and recommend the doTERRA brand PB-Assist product since it’s double coated to make it past the stomach, and also contains prebiotics with the probiotics feed on; this encourages them to colonize the gut rather then just pass through. If you would like to buy doTERRA products, here is my page with simple instructions.
dietary adjustments in the mother – increase good fats and omega 3’s (avocados, fish, walnuts etc), increase alkalizing foods (vegetables, greens, lemon etc)
coconut oil with essential oils applied to the scalp – coconut oil is naturally anti-fungal so will help bring balance to the skin. Add a maximum of 5 drops of lavender or melaleuca essential oil to 1 tsp of coconut oil.
add 1/4 tsp slippery elm to a bottle, this encourages a healthy gut lining to prevent further yeast overgrowth
Conventional treatment: inhaled medications such as racemic epinephrine, oral corticosteroids (prednisolone, dexamethasone)
Use a cool mist machine or steam up the bathroom and crack a window to create cool, damp mist. Going outside at night also often helps if the air is damp. 10-15 minutes minimum. You can also fill a bowl with ice and make a tent with a towel, and inhale the cool, wet air.
Therapeutic essential oils – With 6 – 12 drops of coconut oil apply 2 drops each Respiratory Blend, Frankincense and Peppermint to the child’s chest area (dilute more for infants). The blend of oils may also be applied to the bottoms of the feet and back as well. Repeat every 1 to 3 hours until the coughing stops. Protect small children from transferring the oils from their chest, etc. to their eyes. Get essential oils good enough to be used medicinally HERE.
castor oil chest compress – apply castor oil to a cloth, place on the chest, and put a hot water bottle on top to help the castor oil penetrate. Castor oil is an expectorant which means it helps loosen phlegm, so the child will cough it up and get rid of, being able to sleep peacefully again. Check out this awesome testimonial. Get castor oil HERE.
plantain herb – a common backyard “weed” with many medicinal properties – read more here. Make a poultice of fresh or dried plantain leaf and bentonite clay with water to form a paste. Or you can buy a ready-made plantain salve. Also a good remedy for bites and stings, rashes, poison ivy.
witch hazel – apply a small amount of soothing witch hazel distillate directly to a wound. More info here or get some witch hazel for your non-toxic medicine cabinet HERE.
coconut oil is naturally antiseptic, antibacterial, antiviral and very soothing & protective to the skin. Apply this completely non-toxic remedy with confidence. Get some good coconut oil HERE.
homemade neosporin – check out this recipe from Wellness Mama
Diaper rash may be “common” but that does not make it “normal”. It’s caused simply by prolonged skin contact with urine and feces, with too much dampness and not enough ventilation. The skin gets very sore and can become infected. The simplest remedy is to allow baby to be diaperless for at least 20 minutes 3 times a day between diaper changes to allow the skin to breathe
Use non-plastic diapers that breathe better, such as these (imagine your butt wrapped in plastic all day, you wouldn’t be very happy either! Plus there is evidence plastic diapers can cause hormonal & fertility problems. If you need disposal diapers, Nature Baby Care is the best option)
Use less toxic wipes and ointments, or just use a warm cloth followed by some coconut oil each time. You can keep all the baby-bum-cloths in a separate odorless storage bucket with a few drops of tea tree oil in it, then wash them in their own hot water load (with unscented laundry soap)
Make natural ointment with coconut oil, lavender and melaleuca essential oils. Frankincense and Grounding Blend (Balance) also work well on some babies if they don’t tolerate lavender or melaleuca. (more info here) You only want to use the most safe, pure, effective essential oils on your baby’s sensitive young skin, so I strongly recommend investing in good essential oils. See mine HERE.
Conventional treatment: Though the majority of ear infections are viral, most doctors treat ear infections as if bacteria were present just in case, and will prescribe antibiotics (amoxicillin, cephalosporins, clavulanate, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, azithromycin). Other common treatments include Tylenol and other OTC medications, puncturing the eardrum to drain fluid from the middle ear, tube insertion surgery, adenoidectomy
Fill a cotton or wool sock with oatmeal, rice or sea salt/pink salt (antimicrobial properties) and bake until it’s very warm but not burning. Use as a heat pack under the affected ear.
Cut an onion in half and bake until you can just start to smell it. Let it cool until it’s a tolerable temperature to touch, then apply to the ears (lying down) and hold it on gently by tying with a natural fabric like wool or cotton (ie a scarf or old t-shirt). The antiviral properties of the warm onion enter the ears. Leaving a chopped onion in the child’s bedroom overnight is also a great cold remedy.
Drop 1-2 drops of slightly warmed garlic and mullein oil into each ear (one at a time, let it rest a few minutes then let that ear drain onto a cloth while you do the other ear, then drain again)
Dip a cotton ball in some of the ill person’s urine, add a couple drops of rosemary or basil essential oil, and put the cotton ball gently resting in the ear. You may use a bandaid or masking tape to hold it in the ear overnight. (Think this sounds WHACK? Read more about the awesome medicinal properties of urine HERE)
the skin is the mirror of the gut, therefore healing the digestive system will heal the skin. Increase bone broth and organic veggies, decrease and eliminate processed/coloured/flavoured foods, wheat/grains, commercial pasteurized dairy, soy, non-organic corn.
use coconut oil as a soothing moisturizer, and add 10-20 drops of essential oils such as lavender, melaleuca, geranium or a topical blend. HERE is where I get essential oils good enough to use medicinally.
Conventional treatment: Tylenol, Advil, Motrin. Tylenol can cause altererd liver function in children and can even spur Febrile seizures. (source)
a fever in itself is not a bad sign – it shows that the body is fighting off bacteria or viruses, and the increase in temperature is one of the body’s main weapons. It heats up to make the body less hospitable to these invaders. It’s more important to keep the child hydrated and comfortable, using natural approaches to support the immune system, and not worrying about the number of the fever too much. As long as the child is still drinking, urinating and responding well, the fever can be monitored at home (read more HERE and HERE)
Don’t wake a child to give medication, sleep is more important.
Keep the kid hydrated and comfortable using remedies such as natural popsicles (recipe), homemade chicken broth (instructions), room-temperature water with lemon/pink salt/raw honey for healthy electrolytes
Apply cloths soaked in apple cider vinegar, lemon juice or egg whites to the feet (and put socks on top). People still swear by these age-old remedies; if they bother to still do them then they must work!
supplements such as calcium lactate (gives the body raw materials to make white blood cells, which it normally has to withdraw from bones, so by supplementing you get less of that achey feeling), a cup of raw apple cider vinegar added to a warm bath
Consider taking further action / visiting the hospital if an infant under 8 weeks old has a fever higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, or if any fever has no known source or symptoms, or lasts longer than 5 days (source)
See remedies listed above for colds and fevers – in general, keep the ill person hydrated and comfortable, support the immune system, use smart herbal remedies listed above
How to support and heal food intolerance & digestive problems
a diet and lifestyle protocol to help remove bothersome foods without feeling overwhelmed or deprived, and healing the gut (I highly recommend this gut healing program)
DigestZen essential oil – a safe and very effective blend that you can get HERE
Conventional treatment: Most people just ride this out until they vomit or poop so much that they need to go to the hospital and get an IV to get re-hydrated. Over-the-counter medication to treat vomiting and diarrhea (which may be counter-productive because this is the body’s only way to rid the poisoning)
as soon as any stomach pain starts, prevent it from progressing by sipping a mixture of equal parts raw apple cider vinegar and water with 1/2 tsp activated charcoal mixed in, or use activated charcoal capsules. Drinking this strange black drink will absorbs and de-activate the invading bacteria, and should help within minutes.
Conventional treatment: Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, Aleve, Nurofen, Panadol, escalating to more serious interventions such as prescription drugs and injections for migraines
food intolerances are a common source of headaches, see the tips above for resolving this
ensure the diet is low in sugar and processed foods
essential oils such as Peppermint, Deep Blue and PastTense are totally awesome for headaches. Be sure to keep minty or wintergreen ones away from the eyes. Here is where I personally buy these high quality medicinal oils.
ensure enough movement and hydration, and don’t use screens too much
if a headache is due to jaw tension, PastTense oil (above) and an amber necklace can help calm the tension
mineral imbalances can cause headaches, try using pink salt instead of regular salt, and adding a magnesium drink/rub/bath
accupressure – squeezing and rubbing the fleshy part between the first finger and thumb quite firmly/aggressively for 5-10 minutes
Conventional treatment: as referenced in the first article in this series, children are frequently prescribed behaviour and mood-altering medications these days. Ritalin, Adderall, Wellbutrin etc.
balance sleep patterns with these excellent tips, trust me you need these!! – helps balance hormones and neurotransmitters for normal behaviour
improve nutrition with less carbs & sugar/more fat & protein – corrects insulin balance for less “hangry” times. Try these paleo-friendly kids snack ideas.
correct neurotransmitter imbalances by supplementing with magnesium/B-vitamins/whey protein
reduce use of electronics especially at night (yellow/orange glasses are recommended)
introduce a little movement in the morning to boost serotonin
Vetiver essential oil, Cedarwood essential oil, InTune essential oil blend ** ensure any oils you use on your family are pure therapeutic grade, not just made for good smell. ** Here’s where I shop. (a 2001 study using brain scans to evaluate essential oil effectiveness for common behavioral challenges in children showed improvements in 100% of subjects with Vetiver and 83% effectiveness with Cedarwood)
Soaking a chamomile tea bag in warm water and placing over an eye for 15 minutes every 2 hours will relieve pink eye in less than 24 hours. (source)
How to Treat a Seizure Naturally
I will work on expanding this section, however anecdotally I have heard that high quality frankincense essential oil is an incredible cure for seizures (source) Comment below if you have knowledge/experience of this?
Natural remedies for Teething / Tooth pain
amber necklace – raw natural amber contains succinic acid, a natural analgesic and healing agent. Amber warms when worm against the body and the succinic acid is absorbed through the skin helping relieve anxiety, pain and other symptoms. I personally wear one 24-7!
clove essential oil is said to work wonders for teething and tooth pain, but some babies might be sensitive. If you don’t feel comfortable using clove, go for German Chamomile instead. Frankincense is also great for tooth pain. These essential oils are pure and safe enough for use on babies and kids.
How to treat an Upset Stomach / Constipation / Diarrhea Naturally
a diet and lifestyle protocol to help remove bothersome foods without feeling overwhelmed or deprived, and healing the gut (I highly recommend this gut healing program)
DigestZen essential oil – a safe and very effective blend that you can get HERE
mineral imbalances can cause digestive issues, try keeping the person hydrated using electrolytes like pink salt instead of regular salt, and adding a magnesium drink/rub/bath
drinking a teaspoon of lemon juice or raw apple cider vinegar in a glass of water a few times a day can help stimulate better digestion
How to get rid of Plantar Warts and Skin tags Naturally
Conventional treatment: Salicylic Acid, Compound W, liquid nitrogen – scary chemicals that eat the skin away
oregano oil! Get a good one here. Apply 1-2 drops directly to the spot at least once a day for a month. If the oil is too “hot” on the skin, dilute with coconut oil. You can cover the spot with a cotton ball and/or bandaid to keep the oil on. I’ve had success with this personally on a recent wart! I didn’t even remember to use it every day and it went away in about a month, without having to endure any discomfort or cutting or burning or anything.
What do you have in your natural medicine cabinet?
What are your go-to natural remedies? Do you find they work as well as conventional treatments? Have you or your loved ones been able to stop using medications thanks to natural remedies? Share your experiences below, you could change someone’s life!!
