How Lemon Changed My Life - The End of a Series

So I didn't reckon on the fact that when I decided to chronicle "head to toe" how essential oils have made a difference in my life, that I actually don't have a lot of experiences with them from my thighs on down. I mean, besides the fact that you can apply oils (diluted or neat, depending on the correct indication) to the bottoms of your feet for quick absorption, the only thing I've done is use some Deep Blue to get some cramps out of my legs. (Yes, it worked, and quickly too!)


So instead of making stuff up for the legs and feet (you're welcome!), I thought I would give a bit of a grab bag with how I've incorporated oils into the way I live my life from day to day now!

Two big ways I've incorporated oils into my routine is in cleaning and cooking. This might start to sound crazy, but stay with me!

Photo Credit: Leigh-Anne Eagerton, painting via Compfight cc

I have to be honest and say that, in the beginning of this adventure, "green cleaning" was really the last thing on my list of reasons why I wanted to try essential oils. I was perfectly happy with my Method Grapefruit spray and my Windex, thankyouverymuch. I thought it seemed like a waste of money to pour precious oils into a spray bottle and go to town all over my counters. But once I got my hands on some of the oils, I really couldn't wait to try them everywhere and in every way! 

Now, dōTERRA actually has some products specially formulated for cleaning, such as the OnGuard cleaning concentrate. However, I have found it effective to simply put 1-3 drops of oil in a smallish squirt bottle from Dollar Tree and use that on my countertops, range top, bathroom counters, kitchen and bath fixtures, and my glass shower doors. I used Lemon because I like the clean scent and I know it is antiseptic, anti-fungal, and antiviral. The other reason I like to use lemon is that it is one of the least expensive oils that dōTERRA sells. Remember this cool post from Stockpiling Moms about the "price-per-drop"? Talk about good value for money...I'm cleaning half the rooms in my house with a $1 squirt bottle full of water and 12 cents worth of oil!! And the VERY best part of all is, I could spray this stuff on my face to combat oiliness, I could spray it on my dinner if I didn't have a lemon, and yes, my son could get his hands on it and drink the whole lot and the only thing that would happen is that he would smell lemony-fresh!! You cannot say that about a spray bottle of bleach or other store-bought household cleaner! (Would I actually do all those things? Maybe. OK fine, yes. Yes, I have.) 

That's all well and good, but...does it WORK? I mean, water is cheap and I could just put that in a spray bottle, too. I decided to test out my lemon cleaner on my range top the other day. It had baked-on grease and general gross-ness that a range top gets from a few days of cooking and not cleaning it (whoops). I sprayed my mixture on, waited about 20 seconds (yeah, I'm not too patient) and started wiping. I was shocked at how quickly that stuff cut through the grease! There was no streakiness, no grimy residue, nothing. Then I though to myself, self? What is the grimiest thing in your kitchen? I remembered how the top of our coffee maker has that gnarly grease that you just can't wipe up ever and it collects dust and gets even grosser and you just ignore it because it seems impossible to clean...and I decided to spray on some lemon water. Guess what? Clean as a whistle. No joke. I just wish I had thought to take a before and after photo! I couldn't have been more pleased! 

Another one that people like to use in cleaning is OnGuard. Good for protecting against illness, and it smells divine (cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, rosemary and wild orange). 

Now, on to cooking! 

Photo Credit: ArtMind etcetera via Compfight cc

I never, ever thought about this when trying out essential oils. If green cleaning was last on my list, cooking didn't even enter into my consciousness! However, I have found it yet another fun way to incorporate oils into the life of my family. Also, it works great in a pinch when you don't have certain ingredients on hand!

Remember, there are some that caution against taking oils internally without the approval of a licensed aromatherapist or other health care professional. I'm going rogue on this. Another thing to remember if you do join me in cooking with oils is that heat can mess with the benefits of the oils, so the best time to add them is towards the end of whatever process you are doing. This blog is purposed to educate and entertain, not to prescribe or give medical advice. =) OK, disclaimer over. 

The main ones I've used so far are lemon and oregano in food and OnGuard in a very delicious chai-like drink that I will introduce to you in a minute. 

Oregano essential oil, as I've mentioned before, is quite potent and very strong-tasting in its pure, essential state. Therefore, when using it in cooking, measurements call for a "toothpick" of oregano, which literally means to stick the end of a toothpick in the vial and then use that to swirl in your food. Don't even put a whole drop in there to start with! I used two drops for a whole batch of homemade spaghetti sauce, and I probably could have made do with just one. That's eight cents' worth, if we're still counting price-per-drop. 

Lemon essential oil was great one night when we had three frozen fish filets in the freezer and not much else. I decided to make foil packets with olive oil, salt, pepper, and barely-hanging-in-there thyme sprigs, and put them in the oven. The best thing for a plain fish recipe is fresh lemon, and I was fresh out. So, lemon essential oil to the rescue! My husband thought I did a great job and even asked, "Where'd you get the lemon from?" Mua ha ha. 

dōTERRA sells Basil, Ginger, Black Pepper, Wild Orange, Grapefruit, Rosemary, and Thyme, in addition to the essential oils I've mentioned. I can only imagine that there's a plethora of ways to use oils in cooking and baking. I've even tasted some dōTERRA Lavender brownies...delicious!

I'll leave you with a delicious drink recipe that I read over at a great blog called Venison For Dinner. She makes a mean "London Fog" with black tea, raw honey, milk and OnGuard. It tastes so similar to chai but is so easy to make at home (in about three minutes) AND boosts your immune system! I have been drinking one as often as I can...watching my OnGuard bottle get emptier and emptier in the process! Ha ha. Worth it. If I'm going to protect my immune system, it might as well be delicious and caffeinated. =)

Don't forget to join my raffle for a Free dōTERRA Introductory Kit before it ends! 

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Thanks for joining me on this journey and putting up with my endless oil rants. I hope you learned something new and maybe, just maybe, I've planted the seeds for a whole new way of looking at caring for your family and your home. One last plug for Preferred Membership (for $10 lifetime membership you can save 20% on everything you buy from dōTERRA...no monthly minimum and no recurring fees) and I'll leave you alone. =) 

There are so many avenues for you to learn more about essential oils (either dōTERRA-specific or just generally) , and I hope that your interest has been piqued sufficiently to spur you on. You can follow my Healthy Living Pinterest board to share some of the great stuff I've been learning and will continue to learn. 

I'm hoping to have some new great posts and series for you soon. Until then, Godspeed and Good Health to you all. 

But How Do I USE It, & Other Oily Problems

I'm taking a break from the Essential Oils Head to Toe series today to address some big issues and questions I've seen and heard from you, dear readers! I feel like some of these are big enough concerns that it won't matter what I say until they are addressed! 

Regarding essential oils: 

"Are they safe?" 

"Are they effective?"

"I'm overwhelmed with the uses. I just want someone to tell me what each one does."

and my favorite, "Why are they so expensive?"

Photo Credit: Marco Bellucci via Compfight cc

Let me start out by saying once again that I am not a doctor. I am not an aromatherapist. I am not licensed or certified in any way. This is my blog and my opinion and I hope you are helped but that you are spurred on to do more research and learn more about essential oils yourself. I honestly don't care what brand you land on, as long as they are safe and effective and support the health of your family! Again, I write about dōTERRA because it is what I know so far. But are they the only brand to offer quality? I'm sure not. Do your research. 

ARE THEY SAFE?

Most essential oils are safe and free from nasty side effects if used properly. Many people will say never to ingest them, while some say it is very effective and totally fine. As with other medicine, you need to pay attention to dosage, purity, and correct application. I found this article from the University of Minnesota to be clear, concise, and very helpful. 

As far as purity is concerned, unfortunately we don't all have a mass spectrometer in our living room to test these things ourselves. And honestly, even if one did appear I'd have no idea how to use it. ;)

Ummmmmm...

So it comes down to finding a brand you trust. 

BUT, I found this from a blog called CrunchyBetty.com: 

"To test your essential oil to see how “pure” it is, put a single drop of it on a piece of construction paper. If it evaporates quickly and leaves no noticeable ring, it is pure. If you have a ring left, then it is likely diluted by the manufacturer with an oil of some sort (this test will not work for myrrh, patchouli, and absolutes)."

So there's that. 

ARE THEY EFFECTIVE?
If you Google the phrase "essential oils didn't work for me", you'll have trouble finding articles, I've found. Essential oils are nature's medicine cabinet, what mankind has been using for time immemorial (in one form or another, maybe not in little glass vials!) to heal our bodies and minds. 

In my estimation, what some people find frustrating (including myself, as you'll read in subsequent posts) is finding the thing that works for you. The trouble is, we're all different and more importantly, the root of every health problem we have is not the same! So this is indeed a challenge that you will face if you decide to ditch common pharmaceutical solutions to everyday problems. However, I have found certain things to be greatly effective, so that has given me hope and kept me going!

JUST TELL ME WHAT EACH OIL DOES!
I think the frustration here I felt at first too. It's like, "What do you mean lemon can be used to combat oiliness on my face but also can be used to clean my countertops?! Just tell me which thing to do and I'll do it!!"

And lists like "101 Uses for Lavender, Lemon & Peppermint" can seem wonderful at first, but quickly grow overwhelming!

What I want you to hear loud and clear in this section is that each oil has multiple properties, which is why it can have multiple uses. Let's take Lavender as an example. When I think of the scent of lavender, the first two words I think of are "clean" and "calming". And indeed, you will find that Lavender essential oil is a mood-lifter and as well as cleaner and disinfectant! 

This is because Lavender has Anti-Depressive, Anti-Spasmodic, Antiseptic and Analgesic properties. So YES, it is as good for calming a burn on your skin as it is for calming your kid before bed. 

Photo Credit: J.G. Damlow via Compfight cc I feel calmer already...

Maybe the better place to start is an ailment or problem you're trying to solve and then finding out what oils work for that instead of trying to discern each and every use of the hundreds of essential oils available on the market. For instance, I have a headache, or I am depressed, or I want to clean my house with natural substances, etc... Just a suggestion to tone down the info dump!!

OK BUT WHY ARE THEY SO EXPENSIVE?
This is a favorite of mine. It took me an entire year to get over how expensive these oils seemed to me. It took me a bout with cancer (my husband's) and the hospital bills that brought (even with insurance) to realize the value of health. 

If you know me, I'm like one of the cheapest people you will ever meet. But all the sudden I'm dropping what, in my mind, is serious cash on little bottles of oil! 

1. You have to pay for quality. This is your body we're talking about and your health. If you're using them therapeutically, you need the good stuff. If you're using it for cleaning or for perfume, then sure...go for the less expensive stuff and you don't really worry too much. 

2. It is super-concentrated. It takes a lot to make a little vial. Like 100 POUNDs of lavender to make a pound of oil. I haven't seen 100 pounds of lavender, but I imagine it's a lot! Some are harder to find, harder to grow, harder to process, etc, etc. However, the good news is that a little goes a long way! Again, one DROP of peppermint is equal to 28 cups of peppermint tea!

3. The price-per-drop is actually not bad. When you think that a "dose" of oils usually involves no more than a drop or two, the perspective changes. And since some of these oils seem to work for nearly everything (I'm looking at you, Frankincense!), you really only need a few oils to start with. And for me, I think about how many OTC drugs I'm no longer buying (and hopefully will never have to!), and it starts to seem like a pretty good deal. 

I HOPE I HAVEN'T LOST YOU!!
If you're still with me, here's a prize to be won. 

Enter the raffle to win! I'll announce the winner at the end of the Head to Toe series! And as always, if you are interested in purchasing some for yourself, you can visit my site. 

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