My Journey to a Chemical-Free Home

One of the motivations for me to begin using essential oils came from our journey through infertility. (read about it here) There was no real explanation for our inability to conceive. We are both young, pretty healthy and relatively active. There was no history of infertility in either of our families. It was the most heart-breaking, dark time of my life. I still struggle with it. To add to the hurt, we were told that we not only couldn't have kids, but we shouldn't have them. We were cautioned that any pregnancy might not be viable, or there would be birth defects, etc. We were encouraged to not only stop trying to get pregnant, but to take precautions against getting pregnant. For a woman who dreamed of almost nothing else, to be told I would never have my own child felt like a blow I wouldn't ever recover from. It affected every area of my life, including my relationship with my family. During this time, my little sister had two babies. I loved them dearly, but I was so jealous I couldn't see straight.

All this brought out my tendency to research, and I began to pour through books and documentaries on why this might be happening to us. Yes, it could be a fluke, but the more I learned, the more I began to realize we were not alone. SO many couples in our generation were suffering from unexplained infertility. It seemed to be an epidemic. So, what was the common factor in all these cases? This issue seemed to have no favorite race, gender, geographic or lifestyle preference. What was left?

A couple of documentaries I watched seemed to point to common environmental factors as the cause. Our generation has been part of a giant chemical experiment, and we didn't even know it. When we were young, we were put to bed in fire retardant pjs, and slept with stuffed animals laced with the same chemicals. We were exposed to more plastics, antibiotics and chemicals in our food than the generation before, and we were coated in sunscreen and deet bug spray every time we went outside. The childhood vaccination schedule changed, and many of us began to receive vaccinations on a level that most of the world has still not caught up to. Chemicals in the home were common. Most homes had several kinds of cleaners under each sink. Our carpet and curtains and couches were all coated in Scotch Guard to keep stains away. BPA was used on nearly every plastic object around us. Our diapers were made with chemicals that were banned in women's sanitary products because of known health risks. Our drinking water most of us used growing up was (is) recycled in a plant, where chemicals like chlorine are put into the water to sanitize it.

I could go on and on about all the different examples of enviromental factors that most of my generation have in common. The list is astonishing. How could anyone allow this to happen? Where are the studies that prove that these chemicals, when used together will not harm? A lot of the chemicals used in these products are known endocrine disruptors. Of course, each company makes claims that the amount of chemical in their product is safe when used as suggested. We are exposed to thousands of products. Everywhere we go, we are ingesting, breathing in and absorbing chemical residue left behind after cleaning and 'protecting' us. Many restaurants use bleach water (of varrying dilutions) to wipe down the wooden (porous) tables we sit at. Chlorine is then left behind. Spray cleaners are sprayed on to any number of surfaces and then simply wiped off. The chemicals are still very much there. This happens not only in public, but in our homes, where we prepare our foods, where we bathe, where play, etc. In many neighborhoods, pest control trucks release bug spray in the air to rid us of bugs. A good number of households are sprayed several times a year, inside and out, for pests.

Our world is beginning to wake up, and realize the implications of some of these chemicals. BPA for example is a hot topic, and there are a lot of companies who have banned it from their products. This is a great direction, and I am happy to see the change. We still have a long way to go as a society before the chemical experiment is over. We may not be able to change the world outside our homes, but we have the right (responsibility?) to make changes in our own homes. After discovering and looking into these environmental factors, I was amazed at what I hadn't known and I made the decision to do something about it for my family. No, I can not keep them from all chemicals, but I can control our home environment to the best of my ability. I cloth diaper, I (attempt to) grow my own vegetables, I eat meat grown and butchered by my family. I get eggs from my mom's chickens (who think they are pets). One big way I am battling chemicals in my home is by using essential oils and other safe products. I make my own laundry detergent, dish washer detergent, counter spray, soft scrub, glass cleaner etc. Instead of using aerosol room sprays, I make my own essential oil spray. I no longer use the plugin air freshers, but I diffuse essential oils. Instead of using beauty products laced with chemicals, I opt to make or buy a natural version. I am still transitioning into this more natural alternative life. It is not always easy. It does not happen over night, but every baby step I take toward ridding our home of these harmful substances is one step closer to my goal. I have no guarantee that making these changes will help our fertility issues, and I won't claim that. I have to think of my family and our bodies as a whole and make decisions that effect our entire lives. If this makes us healthier and happier, I have achieved something.

If you too would like to make a step toward a chemical-free home, I would be happy to help you. Check out my website, Grammy's Essentials, and feel free to contact me. Using Young Living products in my home is a decision I will never regret, and I love sharing with others about my experience with the products.

You can also check out this book by Melissa M. Poepping. The Chemical Free Home is a great resource for beginning your process of living chemical-free.

"Tens of thousands of chemicals used in common household products have never had any safety testing or are known to be highly toxic. Even products with labels that make us think they are "safe" for children have ingredients that clearly are not safe. This book identifies some of the common toxins to which we are exposed on a daily basis, and shows how to use essential oil-based substitutes that can achieve the same results without the dangers of chemical-based products. From deodorant to furniture polish to fruit & vegetable spray, this thought-provoking book provides recipes and guidelines that can enhance your healthy lifestyle and provide you with greater peace of mind."
You can purchase it here

~Grammy's Essentials Team
www.grammysessentials.com

The information contained in this blog is for educational purposes only and as a guideline for your personal use. It should not be used as a substitution for medical counseling with a health professional. The contributors and authors do not accept responsibility for such use.

Are Your Essential Oils 100% Therapeutic Grade?

I have come across some who want to use essential oils, and may even like Young Living products, but still continue to purchase from sources like Amazon or Ebay. When asked why, the answer is, "Well, they are cheaper. I'm not ingesting these, I'm diffusing them, so it can't hurt." My response to these people is, you don't know what is in them. Do you know if they are 100% pure, theraputic grade?" The answer has to be, no. Even Young Living products purchased from any source other than a trusted distributor, or from Young Living directly could be contaminated. The caps used by Young Living are easily purchased online. There are many people out there that purchase Young Living products, open them, dilute them, repackage them and sell them to you. This is not only illegal, and against the Young Living policies & procedures, it is a very dangerous practice. What is being used for dilution?

This is not the only place the issue of dilution comes to the surface. Did you know companies are able to say their oils are theraputic grade, if they contain only a percentage of therapeutic oil in the bottle? When purchasing from a source other than Young Living, ask yourself, what else am I getting in this bottle? Even if a safe product, such as olive oil, is used for dilution, you are not getting the best product. Olive oil, as well as most carrier oils, is perishable, essential oils are not. You could be buying a watered down product, which you then dilute further, and has an unknown expiration period. The good you are trying to accomplish by using essential oils has been completely negated by choosing a product that simply can not deliver.

Back to the original issue of diffusing oils that are not 100% pure. As discussed in our last post (found here) Diffusing is the quickest way for essential oils to cross the blood-brain barrier and reach your limbic system, and your entire brain. You are not 'just' inhaling essential oils. They are reaching the control center of your brain. You are getting it into your body, to the cellular level. Just like you wouldn't want to breathe polluted air, or exhaust fumes, you do not want to inhale anything not 100% pure. If your essential oils are distilled with anything other than steam (water) or packaged with filler products, the particles from those products are being carried right into your brain as well. Some companies have been known to use chemical solvents, such as antifreeze to help break down the plant matter, and get more oil from a batch. If your goal is a healthier home, and you want the best health for your family, you should be outraged that anyone would sell you a product that has the potential to harm, where it was meant to help. Also, diffusing anything but 100% pure essential oils can clog your diffuser and make it unusable. Diffusers are not made to work with any type of carrier oil or other products. Diffusing unknown products can be a costly mistake. Replacing a diffuser is not cheap.

If you have been thinking of purchasing essential oils, or products made with essential oils, please do not buy from any source other than a trusted Independent Distributor or directly from Young Living. Yes, some of the products are costly, but risking your health to save a few bucks is not worth it. NO, not all products are going to be laced with antifreeze and other toxins, but is it worth the risk? Are you willing to gamble with your family's health? For Example, many people have purchased lavender oil from other sources, thinking they are getting pure lavender, but have later discovered their product was actually landendin, a derivative of lavender, but NOT lavender. Lavindin is a much hotter oil and can make a burn worse if applied, Where as lavender is soothing, and will help to support the healing of a minor burn. Essential oils usually do not smell like candy. If your peppermint oil smells sweet and more like a peppermint patty, it may not be pure peppermint. Many companies have been known to enhance the smell of their oils, which is fine for perfume grade oils, but is potentially harmful when marketed as therapeutic grade.

~Grammy's Essentials Team
www.grammysessentials.com

The information contained in this blog is for educational purposes only and as a guideline for your personal use. It should not be used as a substitution for medical counseling with a health professional. The contributors and authors do not accept responsibility for such use.

I Smell a Memory

When essential oils came across my radar I must admit, I cringed when I heard people talking about them. Oils called Highest Potential, Believe and Brain Power really turned me off. You expect me to buy into a bottle of oil making my friendships better, and my finances suddenly in the black?

What I failed to understand was the incredible power of our bodies, and the influence our sense of smell has. Smell is the sense most closely linked to memory and is highly emotive (arousing or able to arouse intense feeling). It's no wonder the perfume industry is built around this connection. Perfumers develop fragrances that seek to convey a vast array of emotions and feelings; from desire to power, vitality to relaxation.

We all have memories that are tied to specific smells. Most of us smell bread baking, or cookies in the oven, and we have a grandma or mom that comes to mind. When we think of those childhood memories of baking with them, or eating that fresh bread, our bodies have a chemical reaction. We automatically begin to relax, we feel happier, and we even begin to salivate... at just the thought of the smell. All these reactions are subconscious. We may not even realize what memories are being triggered by what we are smelling, but we have a reaction to it. How amazing is that?! Much of our power of smell is governed by association, so different people can have different reactions to the same smells.

When I was pregnant, my sense of smell 'betrayed' me. I couldn't go down entire aisles at the grocery store without getting sick. Most of the time that was my body's way of warning me to stay away from something on that aisle. In the same way, our sense of smell is what keeps us from drinking bad milk, it warns us of dangers and often keeps us from harm.

The limbic system, where our sense of smell is, is regarded by scientists as playing a major role in controlling mood, memory, behavior and emotion. (This is where it gets fun)

Essential oils have the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and can affect change at a cellular level. Our bodies are very selective about what they allow to cross that barrier. In order to cross the blood-brain barrier, the thing must be: tiny particles, hydrophobic and non polar (no electrical charge, positive or negative). Essential oils meet all of these qualifications.

Smelling (inhalation) is the fastest and best way for the oils to breech that barrier and reach the limbic system - the control center- of the brain. Where they have the ability to help change our moods and trigger reactions that can impact everything from our fitness, to our finances.

NO, opening a bottle of Family and smelling it won't fix your family issues, or make your family closer. But diffusing it at family game night and being intentional about remembering that smell will create a memory in your brain. Then when things are a bit tense around the house, you can diffuse it again. You can apply it to the pulse points (wrists, back of neck) and it helps you to relax and brings in those memories of better, less stressful times with the family. Essential oils, in this case, are not a cure, they are a tool. They are a very powerful, valuable tool, that when used right can help you bring balance to your world.

When the toddler is wound up and causing stress for both of you, you can use lavender and peace and calming or stress away to help to calm you both.

Our bodies always want to be in a place of homeostasis (balance) and an imbalance in your emotional health can effect your physical health. It can manifest as pain, dizziness, gastrointestinal issues, etc. If we expose our brains to uplifting, energizing, emotionally supportive oils, we can then work through the issues we are facing with much more success. Essential oils help to bring that balance back to our bodies and our lives.

~Grammy's Essentials Team
www.grammysessentials.com

The information contained in this blog is for educational purposes only and as a guideline for your personal use. It should not be used as a substitution for medical counseling with a health professional. The contributors and authors do not accept responsibility for such use.

The PERFECT Pumpkin Steamer

Fall, Autumn, NOT summer... No matter what you call it, I love love love this time of year. The bite in the air, the smell of dirt and leaves, the beautiful trees and of course, an excuse to wear sweaters. There is really nothing to dislike about Fall (Don't question me on this - I'm armed with an entire load of rebuttals). Somewhere near the very tippy top of my 'I love fall' list would be pumpkin. Yeah, you can technically eat it all year long, but it is magical when consumed between September and February (I stretch out my pumpkin season as long as I can).

I have recently discovered that it is not the pumpkin I actually like *GASP* but the spices associated with pumpkin. Nutmeg, Clove & Cinnamon are the real heroes of the season. They are the glue that holds all pumpkin lover's hearts together. Without them, pumpkin is ok, but actually has a slightly bitter taste and I can take it or leave it.

A tradition I hold dear is drinking pumpkin lattes. Doing so has been a bit of a challenge this year. We made the decision to be a one car family, and I am also a stay at home mom (SAHM). As such, getting to my favorite coffee destination (Painted Horse) is a rarity. However, a little thing like transportation can't stand in the way of love. I decided to try making my own latte at home. I have worked at coffee joints, so I knew the basics, why not try? After a couple of trials and errors, I found the perfect pumpkin steamer recipe (I couldn't get the milk to foam enough to call it a latte).

Here it is. I have no measurements for these. I just plop in ingredients until I am satisfied with the taste.
Half -n- Half & Milk
Pumpkin pie puree
Pumpkin pie spice
Vanilla & Dark agave
Sugar in the raw
home brewed coffee, made as strong as you can get it (unless you have an espresso machine at home, and then...)
Young Living Cinnamon Bark essential oil
Young Living Nutmeg essential oil
Young Living Thieves essential oil

Heat the milk and half -n- half (more half-n-half than milk - you want it thick, but not too thick) pumpkin and sugar until boiling, whisking as much as you can while this happens. Your hands will cramp, and you will feel like you are cooking them because of the heat from the burner, but it's worth it.
Remove from heat and add vanilla, agave, pumpkin spice and ONE DROP each of Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Thieves essential oils. Whisk that until you feel it is all blended well.
Put some of the strong coffee in your favorite cup and then finish filling the cup with the mixture you made. There should be enough for 2-3 cups. (I have an addiction)

The addition of essential oils to this concoction was what took it from ok to I can NOT get enough. As I have said, it's the spices that make us drool for pumpkin, and I was not able to get that spicy bite with the dry spices in my cabinet. If I added enough to really taste it, the texture of the drink was off and I felt like I was drinking saw dust. The essential oils gave it that kick I was looking for without compromising the texture. *Caution* These are all really potent oils. One drop, possibly two is all you need for all three cups. More than that would overpower the drink.

I use Young Living essential oils, and do not hesitate to take them internally because of their high standards and their Seed to Seal promise to me and my family. DO NOT use other brands internally. Some companies use solvent distillation. YL only uses steam or cold press distillation so we are getting 100% pure non-diluted oils.

~Grammy's Essentials Team
www.grammysessentials.com

The information contained in this blog is for educational purposes only and as a guideline for your personal use. It should not be used as a substitution for medical counseling with a health professional. The contributors and authors do not accept responsibility for such use.

More Affordable Than You Think - Oils $20 & Under

One of the comments I hear most often is that Young Living products are too expensive. I hear you. It's hard to lay down your money for a small bottle of oil. HOWEVER, a little goes a long way. Most applications only require a drop or two to be effective.

Plus, with our Seed to Seal guarantee, you are getting industry-leading quality standards that no other company comes close to achieving. Since essential oils get into your blood, and some even cross the blood-brain barrier, I will ONLY trust Young Living oils for my family. I do not want oils grown or distilled with chemicals that could harm my family.

BONUS! A lot of my favorite oils I use daily are all under $20! Check out this list of oil singles and blends that give you a big bang for your buck.

With the holidays fast approaching, everyone is looking for great, useful gifts that won't go in the regift bin. A bottle of oil and your favorite diffuser make a great gift for almost anyone on your list.

~Grammy's Essentials team
www.grammysessentials.com