Healing the Natural Way: Using Herbs & Essential Oils for Health

 I don't know about everyone else, but I came back from the holidays to an office full of people sniffling, sneezing, and coughing their heads off.  One of my goals this year (as "resolutions" seems to be a four-letter word to my subconscious mind) is to use natural healing methods as much as possible, and take a holistic approach to my healthcare.  For me, this means eating well, exercising, and getting enough sleep; while I generally eat pretty well, the other two are things I'm constantly striving to improve. 

With the pace of life today, though, we all experience stress and negativity that you can't always get away from no matter what you do, which leaves us open to illness.  We all know that you should drink plenty of fluids, get a full night's rest, and eat light meals.  But I want to share with you some ways, such as herbal tinctures, essential oils, and key foods to eat, to heal yourself naturally when you or a loved one falls ill.

•  Eat plenty of protein. Carbs convert easily to sugar, and too much sugar production taxes your immune system. 
• Lay off the caffeine.  Yes, much to my chagrin, this includes coffee.  The reasoning here is that caffeine in any form dehydrates your body, and at a time when you need to keep up on your fluids this can make you feel even more drained. 
• Eat raw.  Fruits & veggies in their raw form contain the highest amounts of vitamins and minerals, which are lost to some degree cooking. 
• Have a snowball fight.  Okay, so you don't have to do this.  But spending some time out in the cold will stimulate your thyroid gland, which can help relieve you of some of those blah feelings and make you feel more energized. 
• Drink some echinacea tea; add alittle honey to coat your throat if you're coughing alot.  If you're a woman, add alittle red clover as it's good for your system. 
• Chicken soup to the rescue.  Eating fresh chicken soup made with lots of onion, garlic, celery and carrots can provide your body with an additional antioxidant boost.  Also, this combo of veggies seems to pack an additional immune-boosting punch!
• Get moving! Mild exercise, such as talking a leisurely walk in a park, etc, can actually be beneficial.  It gets your blood pumping, which will help your body to flush out any illness and toxins. 
• Apply some oregano or cinnamon essential oil to the bottoms of your feet.  Be sure you've diluted them as both of these oils are considered "hot" oils and can burn and irritate the skin!!! Don't dilute with water, but with a base oil such as olive, almond, jojoba, or grapeseed oil.
• Add a fresh lemon wedge to your glass of water. This is a great immune system boost. 
• Peppermint or eucalyptus essential oils are both considered "cooling" oils and give you that tingly, refreshed feeling.  Use these diluted in either oil or in a salve; rub the oil/salve under your nose to help with congestion.  This can also help with lung issues, such as coughing.
• Be sure to use Thieves.  This is an oil blend that originated during the Black Plague in France.  Thieves would apply this to their body in order to enter and rob the homes of those with the disease without getting sick themselves.   I have a Thieve's oil blend available in my Etsy shop. PLEASE NOTE: This is for external use only  If you're interested in finding out how to make Four Thieve's Vinegar, which is a tincture that you can take internally (and I recommend) you can get the recipe here. 

Stay healthy, and remember, nature's way is always the right way to take care of yourself. After all, that's where we came from ;)!

Candace 

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