Archive for January, 2009
Sensitivity or Allergy to Essential Oil- Which is it?
Posted by: | CommentsSensitivities to Essential Oils
by David Stewart, PhD, DNM
There are a couple of ways one can be sensitive to essential oils, but an allergic reaction is not one of them.
Allergies are erroneous immune responses to proteins, peptides, and amino acids – all nitrogen compounds, none of which are found in essential oils.
You can have an allergic reaction to a vegetable oil such as olive, corn, peanut, walnut, almond, etc.,
since these are cold pressed and can contain small amounts of proteins. For example, occasionally a person can develop an allergy to an oil blend such as Valor, which is sold by Young Living. The allergy is not due to the essential oils of spruce, frankincense, rosewood, and blue tansy in the blend. It is due to the almond oil in the blend. So read your labels. What may appear to be an allergic reaction to a blend of essential oils may be due to a carrier oil contained in the blend.
You can also have an allergic reaction to citrus oils
which are cold pressed from the rind. However, while we refer to citrus oils such as orange, lemon, lime, and grapefruit as “essential oils,” strictly speaking they are not. By definition, a true essential oil must be steam distilled, not expressed.
There are also oils extracted by solvents…
such as onycha, jasmine, and neroli. Strictly speaking, they too are not true essential oils.
Hence, sensitivities to essential oils, in the sense of allergic reactions, are not possible. Allergic sensitivities are due to the body developing antibodies in response to certain nitrogenous molecules. No one has ever found antibodies in humans from essential oils. So if one has a reaction to an essential oil, it is something else. Not an allergy.
Hot Oils
There are oils that are naturally hot, such as oregano, thyme, mountain savory, cinnamon, cassia, and a few others. This is because of their phenolic compound content which cleanses our cells and paves the way to healing. Such oils can be taken internally via capsules or applied to the skin directly with caution or diluted with a fatty oil.
If burning or irritation occurs to the skin from such oils, promptapplication of a vegetable oil layered over the essential oil will take care of the problem in short order.
The same thing applies if you get an essential oil in your eyes or if you swallow a hot oil, like oregano, and it burns your mouth and throat. Don’t use water, use a vegetable oil for immediate relief. Pour it directly in the eyes or take it orally if your mouth or throat are affected.
Detox Reactions
As for sensitivities to essential oils that produces a skin ash or other allergic-like symptoms such as headaches or nausea, this is always a detox reaction. While allergic reactions get worse and worse with each exposure to the offending substance (allergen), detox reactions eventually get less and less severe with each exposure to an essential oil until it disappears completely once the toxins are cleared from the system.
When one has a detox reaction from an essential oil (which is a good thing), they need to back off from using oils for a while and increase their water intake and, perhaps, get into a cleansing routine for a month or so, going light on the use of essential oils for a while. What is happening in this kind of sensitivity is that the oils are detoxing too rapidly for the colon and kidneys to handle so the toxins come out through the skin as the third avenue for excretion. It is better to keep the rate of detox down to levels that are flushed out through the kidneys and colon, if possible.
Emotional Sensitivities
In rare cases, a person can react to a perfectly pure therapeutic grade essential oil as if it were an allergen or a toxin, but in reality the
response is neither an allergy nor a detox. It is something else.
Another kind of sensitivity to essential oils has to do with emotions.
In cases of extreme unresolved grief, which can be due to the loss of a loved one or other circumstances, one can become sensitive to anything, even the most harmless of things. In extreme cases, people can become universal responders, reacting to almost everything in what appears to be an allergic reaction. This malady is sometimes referred to as “Extreme Chemical Sensitivity” (ECS) or “Environmental Illness” (EI).
In such cases, some people have been known to react in an allergy-like fashion to even the purest of essential oils, such as those sold by Young Living.
But healing from such an illness does not come by treating it as an allergy, because it is not an allergy in the classical sense. It is a spiritual-emotional disease and must be dealt with at that level.
The spiritual and symbolic message in this sort of reaction is that the individual is so depressed, unhappy, and unwilling to accept life as it has been given to them that they are rejecting all of creation and, thus, react negatively to everything. There is a scriptural reference to this in Proverbs 17:22, “A broken spirit dries the bones.”
The basis of our immune system is in the marrow of the bones where the T-cells and other white corpuscles are formed. Allergies and other environmental or chemical sensitivities are due to malfunctions of the immune system at the level of the white corpuscles (leucocytes). Hence, this Bible verse is actually referring to a negative autoimmune response originating in the bones caused by an individual’s rejection of the world around them stemming from extreme grief or a broken spirit.
The solution to this spiritually rooted illness is to recognize the source of the grief, accept it, and deal with it. When that is done, the sensitivities disappear, usually within a few days and sometimes overnight. Applying selected essential oils for emotional purposes can assist in revealing and releasing the buried feelings that underlie such a malady.
Adulterated Oils
There is one other source of sensitivity that may be blamed on essential oils and that has to do with perfume and food grade oils. True therapeutic grade essential oils are grown organically, harvested in proper ways and times, distilled gently at minimum temperatures and pressures, and bottled without any ingredients removed or added. All of the essential oils sold by Young Living are therapeutic grade oils. However, the vast majority of aromatic oils sold in retail stores and other places are perfume or food grade oils.
A true therapeutic grade essential oil contains hundreds of compounds, all of which are necessary in a proper balance for them to possess healing power. Since only a few of these compounds contribute significantly to aroma and/or taste, when essential oils are used for fragrances or flavors, the only compounds that matter to commercial users are the ones that have smell or taste. In some cases, this involves only 2 or 3 compounds in an oil, and the manufacturers and users don’t care if these compounds are natural or synthetic so long as the smell and taste are there and the cost is cheap.
Hence, fragrance and food grade oils are always incomplete in their composition, containing only part of the chemical profile of a complete therapeutic grade oil. Furthermore, they are usually adulterated with synthetic compounds or diluted with petrochemicals to increase their volume and profitability.
One can have reactions to such oils, but these are not reactions to true essential oils. Such reactions are due to the adulterants in the oil. They are not caused by the natural essential oil components of the oil.
- Chemistry of EssentialOils Made Simple- Davind Stewart PhD.
So there you have it. As to what you should do in a given situation where sensitivities are encountered, you will have to decide.
If you want a more detailed discussion on essential oils, reactions to them, and allergies, my book, THE CHEMISTRY OF ESSENTIAL OILS MADE SIMPLE, has a lengthy discussion of the subject. It is available from Essential Science Publishing, Abundant Health, and other sources. Hope this helps.
Note- You can order this book under Training/Books on this site. Shipping fees will apply
Look also at the C.A.R.E. training scheduled for February 27 – March 1 in Grapevine Texas or look at www.raindroptraining.com for training scheduled throughtout the country.
Because of the nature of distillation by heat, steam, and water, that true essential oils must undergo, they do not contain the necessary compounds to trigger allergies because these compounds do not pass through the distillation process.
Sea Vegetables – Loaded with Nutrition!
Posted by: | CommentsSince our farmlands are so depleted of minerals, we may need to….
Turn On to Sea Vegetables
brown kelp
What’s neither plant nor animal, but still one of the healthiest foods in the world? Give up?… It’s kelp — the marine “vegetable” with over 70 essential nutrients plus fiber, protein, and lignans — a phytochemical being studied for it’s anti-cancer properties.
Kelp is seaweed, algae really, that’s found in both salt and fresh water. It’s rich in all of the vital minerals like magnesium, potassium calcium, and iron found in sea water — and needed by the human body. Kelp is also nature’s best source of iodine, the essential chemical your thyroid must have for healthy functioning.
One of kelp’s functions in the sea is to act as a purification system. It balances the water’s pH and removes harmful gases and chemicals while releasing valuable nutrients. Kelp acts in much the same way in the human body. It helps to purify and alkalize the blood, balance the digestive system, and scavenge for harmful toxins and free radicals.
In herbal medicine, kelp is used as a nutritional supplement for weight loss, lowering high blood pressure, balancing thyroid hormones, and relieving the symptoms of arthritis. While kelp powder and capsules are nutritionally packed and convenient, think about using fresh or dried kelp for a twist on your favorite recipes. It makes a healthy and delicious addition to soups, salads, stews, and mixed vegetable dishes.
The Japanese are one of the biggest consumers of kelp in the world. Japanese kelp, known as wakame, has been a dietary staple for generations in dishes like seaweed salad and miso soup.
In the West, wakame is becoming increasingly popular with enthusiasts of raw food and macrobiotic diets. Newer research shows that it may be beneficial in weight loss, regulating blood glucose, and lowering blood pressure and blood lipids.1
Always be sure that the kelp you purchase is labeled certified organic. This will ensure that it was harvested in pristine waters, safe from pollutants and contaminants.
Reference zhion.com/herb/Brown_Seaweed
[Ed. Note: Melanie Segala is the author of numerous articles on the topics of health and alternative medicine. She is the editor of Disease Prevention and Treatment, 4th edition, the Life Extension Foundation and the Managing Editor of Total Health Breakthroughs.]
Sea vegetables are available in products from LifeForce International
http://www.mylifeforce.net/raindroptexas/ Look at Body Balance for a daily boost of minerals and try True Boost for a non-caffiene energy boost plus nutrients.
Spirituality/Emotional Release and Health
Posted by: | CommentsEmotional release helps to elevate Spirit
“Spirituality plays an important role that is often overlooked in one’s healing process. Your “Spirituality” is an aspect of who you are. “Healing” is ridding the body of disease, either mental or physical, to bring about wellness, the results of which can be readily seen…. Spirituality has many facets, including awareness of the world that surrounds you; a sense of wonder, love, and gratitude; a practice of loving-kindness towards yourself and others; listening to your intuition and trusting your heart. Spiritual health is evidenced by people demonstrating the ability to be authentic, face their fears, let go of the past, and develop insight, forgiveness, peace, compassion, and love. ” Excerpted from “Spirituality and Healing” Article by Nicki Riddell Tiffany in the American Holistic Health Association Newsletter.
Letting go of things from our past, and fears in our present life is easier said by others than doing it within ourselves, when we realize the work that we must do, sometimes we fight back and hang on to those old familiar knotty feelings. Maybe we have not told enough people what a martyr we have been, maybe we still need to be “Right”, or responsible for another, or maybe we have not forgiven ourselves for decisions we have made that did not turn out the way we had hoped.
Whatever the thing we are gripping so tightly, we can let it go. The techniques described in the full article above are some of the ways to help us let go.
Young Living Essential Oils produces a “Feelings Kit” containing oils and audio guide to self-work on releasing pent up emotions. The oils used in these blends are uplifting, grounding, stimulating, cleansing and many other aspects. Historically, the oils in used in these blends have been used in spiritual practices. The sense of smell is the sense most closely wired to the brain center, the seat of the emotions and when we look at the physiology of the head, we can see why the oils are a beneficial aid to emotional and spiritual work.
We also learn Emotional Release techniques using affirmations, prayer/meditation, and the essential oils in the C.A.R.E. Intensives. Look under the Training tab on this site to register for the Dallas February program. Check http://www.raindroptraining.com/calendar/calendar.htm to find classes in other locations and dates.
Toxins at the Root of Disease
Posted by: | Comments
Many health experts agree that toxins in our system are the root cause of virtually every chronic or even acute diseases. Some go so far as to say the viruses, etc do not exist on thier own, that they go through a micro-evolution in our systems when we are full of acids and toxic build up.
I will leave those detailed disputes to micro-biologists because it seems a no-brainer to me that toxic build up in our body’s systems can be at least as devastating to our health as crud in the fuel, oil or air filters is to our cars.
So what are our choices? There are many. Dedication and education is needed to more fully understand.
We Change our Air Filters and our Oil Filters!
There are different cleanses needed for different of our organ systems… Just like we have a fuel filter, an oil filter and air filter on our cars. Make sense?
Most of us have a lot of undigested food in our intestinal tract. Reports indicate that even the prep tests prior to a colonoscopy can be inadequate to clear the mucus from the walls to allow a clear picture of the whole tract.
So, my vote is to start with the gut. A good intestinal cleanse will clear the colon so that when you begin a cleanse of otehr areas, the liver, gall bladder, etc, the toxins released by those areas can be easily eliminated. This one is often also the most powerful for increasing energy and flexibility for people. (For this I like the Cleansing Trio or the 5 Day Nutritive Cleanse from Young Living . )
I also like the Raindrop Technique…. because therapeutic quality essential oils are also natural solvents, they can loosen stuck molecules from our receptor sites so that they can be released and float away on the water going through our system. (When you find a Raindrop Practitioner, be sure that they are using Young Living essential oils, these are the only American produced oils that are both pure AND tested for therapeutic quality.) Raindrop can also enhance other cleansing modalities like colon hydro-therapy or ion footbaths.
Lack of water is one of the reasons we get a build up of toxins in the first place. Think about it, you would not canoe in a dried up creek – would you? We need water to deliver nutrients into cells, to fill the cell itself and to take waste products out of the cell. Normal intake of water (NOT Coffee, soda or juice- these increase our need for water to process them) is 2 oz for each 1 pound of body weight. If you are sick, detoxing, exercising, working icrease that amount. AND here in Texas adn the Southwest we should drink nearly twice the reccommended amount simply because of the temperatures.
- We add to our toxin load with the foods we eat… antibiotics in our feed animals, chemicals on the plants, then there are presevatives and artificial flavors and MSG.
- Stress creates an acid environment in our bodies- an added toxicity level and great home for germs.
- Waste products are manufactured in each cell as it conducts metabolic processes to make energy from the food molecules. This stuff has to get out somehow.
Even with an absolutely organic diet, even in clean mountain air, our bodies still produce toxins- by-products of living- that must be eliminated. We have limited ways to do this… urine, feces, breath, sweat…. all require water and all can use some additional help. Therapeutic Quality essential oils can assist us – after- all that is what they do within the plant and they will perform the same function within our bodies.
Each of us has a different background, genetic make up and habits, so each has a different toxin combination and each will need a slightly different set of cleanses to be free of them. Again, my vote for starters is a good intestinal cleanse, and building a healthy digestive system with enzymes and probiotics.
Essential Oils are Effective Against MRSA
Posted by: | CommentsEssential oils usually used in aromatherapy have been found to kill the deadly MRSA bacteria according to research carried out at The University of Manchester, UK.
Tests revealed that three essential oils killed MRSA and E. coli as well as many other bacteria and fungi within just two minutes of contact. The oils can easily be blended and made into soaps and shampoos which could be used by hospital staff, doctors and patients in a bid to eradicate the spread of these deadly `super bugs’.
More research is needed- however, and since essential oils are natural plant products, the inability to patent them like a manufactured drug makes pharmaceutical companies hesitant to fund research into their effictiveness. Read more in Medical News Today
MRSA exists in the air and colinizes in the sinuses and sometimes on the skin of certain people. It is resistant to antibiotics. Researchers says now that it can spread in the same way as aids- only much more exaggerated sicne it is also airborne.
How to prevent it or start getting a handle on it? MRSA Watch has much information including these tips:
How can it be prevented
The media often focus on clean hospitals and clean hands as a key to combating MRSA. Others believe that this will only cut cases by 30% and that a diverse strategy is vital and will include:
- Clean Wards – especially surfaces and keyboards.
- Staff Screening – are they super carriers?
- Patient Screening – so that they can be de colonised and to avoid self infection.
- Hospital Equipment – because it can take the infection deep into a wound.
- Air Hygiene – to help prevent nasal colonisation
- Hand Hygiene – to prevent transport from patient to patient
- Antibiotic Restraint – because resistance grows from over prescription
- The Food Chain – is resistance also provoked by over use in the animals that we eat?
- Patient Isolation – this helps lesson the potential risk of airborne infection
- Lifestyle Choices – needle injected drugs and multiple sexual partners help spread chronic illnesses that emerge slowly
Some ideas include:
- Reducing antibiotics in food animals…. in Australia this was shown to reduce resistant bacteria in people.
- Use essential oils rather than commercial anti-bacterial soaps- just add the oils to a safe soap base (shower gel from Young Living is made entirely of ingredients you could eat!- don’t though it does not taste good. Those commercial ones have sweet propylene glycol in them, which can damage the kidneys, this does not.) Thieves essential oil blend is powerful and a whole line of cleaning and oral care products is available. www.ultimateantiseptics.com
- Diffuse essential oils to clean the air. (This has been successful in protecting nursing employees from MRSA in nursing homes.)
- Use essential oils, silver bandages, and other techinques in wound dressing.
- Disinfect keyboards with Thieves spray or a blend that you make yourself. Be sure to use only Therapeutic Quality oils you want a therapeutic result, not just a smell. Smells can be produced in a laboratory- like a plug-in air “freshner”.
- Rinse the sinuses with a neti pot or hydrofloss machine and a salt water mixture containing oils. See the article on sinus. Order this salt mixture here.
- Learn to protect your family by giving them Raindrop Technique treatments at home. Check for classes locally for professionals and “Mommies”
- Keep immune system strong by assuring correct spinal allignment and eliminate junk foods that create acid body.
- Do not rush to the doctor for antibiotics when you or your child gets the sniffles!
STAY AWARE! Become infomed! Mutations are occuring at an alarming rate due to vaccines, and over use of antibiotics.
If you are interested in helping to fund research, please post a comment and contact me, we can figure out how to accomplish research on natural therapies!
Essential Oils Beat Pink Eye!
Posted by: | CommentsHere is a Real Life Experience with Pink Eye and Essential Oils!
Over the holidays we went to my brother’s house where they had been passing around pinkeye and a bacterial infection. They had been to the doctor several times, antiobotics, eyedrops, etc. They were concerned about us coming for fear that we would catch it. I put Thieves oil on our feet and a lavendar dilution around our eyes. We spent 2 days and one night. My sister-in-law called said that her family that had come had gotten both infections and wanted to know if we had gotten sick. Of course, we had not! My nephew came home with red eyes and she thought “here we go again”, she put the solution on him and the next morning he was perfectly clear. She has requested Thieves oil in a 55 gallon drum (lol) and more pinkeye solution.
I heard that Texas is having the worst cases of flu already, the stomach bug is going around and the weather is causing allergies to go haywire. Protect your families the natural way, the way God intended, with Young Living Essential Oils. The only THERAPEUTIC grade oil company in the US. (youngliving.com). Let me know if you have any questions!
Have a Healthy New Year!!!!
Bekki LeMage, Licensed Spiritual Healer
Holistic Healing Services
622 Chisholm Hills Dr.
Rhome, TX 76078
817-714-5228
Young Living is Coming to a City Near You!
Posted by: | CommentsThe 2009 Young Living Tour- “Simply Essentials:Oils for Everyday Living” is coming! Look below and mark your calendars…
You’re invited to join Young Living as we cross the country for our Simply Essentials: Oils for Everyday Living tour! Bring a friend to this free event and learn how to transform your everyday routine with pure, chemical-free essential oils. We’ll share the secrets of how to use the Everyday Oils collection for a simpler, healthier lifestyle. Don’t miss this fun, interactive event coming to a city near you.
Plus, the first twenty-five people in each city will receive a free essential oil! Here are a few more reasons to stop by:
- Sign up for a Start Living with Everyday Oils kit and get a 15 percent discount.
- Existing distributors can purchase the Everyday Oils collection at 10 percent off.
No registration is required, and you can check our Event Page online for more information: www.youngliving.us.
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January 21 |
Lehi, Utah |
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January 22 |
Ontario, California (Latino Tour) |
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January 23 |
Los Angeles, California (Latino Tour) |
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January 26 |
St. George, Utah |
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January 26 |
Nashville, Tennessee |
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January 27 |
Tulsa, Oklahoma |
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January 28 |
Branson, Missouri |
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January 28 |
Ventura, California |
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January 29 |
Dallas, Texas |
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February 6 |
San Antonio, Texas (Latino Tour) |
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February 7 |
Austin, Texas (Latino Tour) |
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February 9 |
Grand Junction, Colorado |
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February 10 |
Kennewick, Washington |
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February 10 |
Baltimore, Maryland |
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February 11 |
Richmond, Virginia |
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February 11 |
Albuquerque, New Mexico |
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February 12 |
Lexington, Kentucky |
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February 17 |
Little Rock, Arkansas |
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February 23 |
Atlanta, Georgia |
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February 24 |
Columbia, South Carolina |
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February 27 |
Indianapolis, Indiana |
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February 27 |
Secaucus, New Jersey (Latino Tour) |
Local Events
For upcoming events near you, please go to events.youngliving.com.
