Never eat the doughnut.....

So...yesterday I made a boo-boo.  A maple covered, delicious, and yet quite terrible mistake.  My boss brings in doughnuts to work from time to time, for his employees.  Yesterday morning just so happened to one of those days where he brings doughnuts and instead of doing what I usually do, and just ignoring them...I caved and decided to have one.  Just one doughnut will be okay....I'll just get a stomach ache...it will be fine.  And, during the day, it was fine.  I thought I had avoided the not so great reaction I normally get from gluten and corn products....and then the evening approached.  As the late afternoon and evening went on...I noticed my back was starting to hurt a lot.  That's not really that odd though...I have mild scoliosis in my upper spine and so, I get a lot of pain in my upper back and neck fairly often.  But, the pain just got worse and worse as the evening went on.  I was still at work at this point, and it wasn't unbearable pain, so I just tried to ignored it and concentrated on working.  It went all downhill from there, however.  As the pain worsened, I started thinking...it is very possible this is caused by that doughnut.  But, I just shoved that thought aside and focused on trying to finish up at work so I could head over to an essential oils class that was going on that night.  But...the back pain was just the beginning of my reaction.  I started struggling with one of the programming devices at work...it's a finicky thing and likes to give people trouble. I spent 15 to 20 minutes struggling with it, getting more and more frustrated, till I became ridiculously irate, extremely irritable, and started having a anxiety attack. (Are you kidding me?  It's just a stupid programmer....can you not do this right now, body?).  I failed to remember that gluten doesn't just affect my stomach.  It also increases the inflammation all over my body, as well as increases all of my problems caused by my anxiety disorder.  I was able to get the attack to calm down a little, and kept working.  By the time I got to the essential oil class (a half hour late) I had calmed down and thought I'd be fine.  However, I spent the entire evening with a throbbing back pain, a stabbing headache, and anxiety flowing through my veins.  The pain left me almost in tears.  That's when I knew, this is because of that doughnut....this is because I ate gluten.  I got home later that evening and had my mom help lather my back with essential oil blend she had made (lemon grass, lavender, peppermint, cedarwood, and frankincense) followed by wintergreen essential oil (one of my favorites for aches and pains) and peppermint oil.  It didn't take all the pain away, but it did help immensely.  I used Edens Garden essential oil blend, Relaxation, and their blend Stress Relief (their version of Stress Away) on my feet to help me sleep and their Breathe Easier (somewhat similar to Young Livings blend, Raven, ingredient, I believe) oil blend on my chest to help with my breathing difficulty from the anxiety.  They worked like a charm and I was able to sleep soundly.  I woke up this morning feeling much better.  My body is still inflamed though...my back still hurts, though not enough to bring me to tears like last night, and overall, my entire body is achy and feels yuck.  All because of yesterday's maple-covered mistake.  Was it worth it?  No....not it was not.  And I should have known that....I should have just turned away from the pile of doughnuts and had some water.  But instead, I chose to eat that stupid doughnut...and now, I'm paying for it.  Talk about consequences.  Next time I'm considering cheating and eating a 'little' gluten....I think I'll pass.  Never again, maple doughnut...never again.

An update for my sad little blog:

Well.  Life has been busy and thus, I haven't posted anything on here for....well...forever.  Almost seven months, to be more exact.  I fell of the bandwagon of natural living for a while....I now am using store bought deodorant and toothpaste*, and my eating habits went downhill for a while.  So...that also has kept me from posting on this blog, titled, El Natural.  However, lately I have trying very hard to start living a lot healthier and better.  I have working on trying to lose up to 20 pounds for the past three or four weeks, by cutting way back on my sugar intake (I am very much a sugar and soda addict) not drinking soda except for special occasions (such as a birthday party or a Sunday evening) trying to eat a lot less junk food and more healthy foods overall, and, for the last couple of weeks, exercising two or three times a week. I am off of gluten once again....I researched a little bit on my test results that I got over than a year ago, and from what I have been reading, it seems that my test results were actually positive for gluten sensitivity.  My stomach was still bothering me quite a bit, so I figured it would be a good idea to go off of gluten again and try to be more strict with not consuming it.  So far, it has helped.  My stomach still has problems, but they have gotten better.  I have recently realized that corn also seems to bother my stomach quite a bit, so I have been avoiding that as well.  Today, I was reading up on going grain free and the harmfulness of consuming grains, so I may go completely off of grains soon.  The last four days have been very bad for my diet and exercise routine, as Thursday was simply a generally bad day for me, which led to me buying lots of candy and consuming it all throughout the weekend.  My life schedule was also busy this week so I didn't exercise for about five days.  However, today, after a not so great morning (which involved more candy...because I was stressed...and let's be real, I eat bad foods when stressed and upset) I have picked myself back up and re-motivated myself, completing the re-motivation with a very brisk, sweaty walk with my sister, Samantha.  I'm also out of the candy that I bought now....so it will be easy to keep from falling back into eating that again this week.  The positive side to my weekend of horrible eating habits is that it has made it very evident to me how negatively candy, sugar, soda and the like affect me.  I feel like absolute crap, physically.  My body aches and has an overall feeling of complete yuck.  The three or four weeks I've spent almost completely off of sweets and soda I felt much better.  Shockingly....sugar is bad for you!  :P

What else is new....?  Work has been busy but I haven't had to spend as many late nights there like I used to, so I am definitely happy about that.  I totaled my car (no one was seriously hurt)...and bought a beautiful, red, sassy, 2002 Subaru Legacy.  Her name is Cece annnnd she has two moon roofs!  (The moon roofs were the deciding factor in purchasing the vehicle, lol).  I have been working my rear off to pay off the small loan I took out to buy my new car...which meant switching back to 40 hour weeks (I was working 32 hour weeks, with three day weekends...I miss my three day weekends).  Overall, it's going well.  However, I am trying to pay it off by January...I'm really hoping that I can.  I'd explain the reason for that, but...it's a secret.  So, I can't.  For now, just know I hope to pay off my car by January. 

As a final note...I have discovered that Wintergreen essential oil is amaaaaazing!  Great for sore muscles!  Seriously, I like it even more than peppermint when it comes to soothing my aching muscles and back.  Give it a try!


*A note about the toothpaste and deodorant:  I am a rather lazy person when it comes to some things and the homemade toothpaste and deodorant was just too much of a hassle.  The doederant didn't smell good, for one, and I love nice scents.  It also was a pain to take places...because it would melt into a sticky mess in the heat.  The toothpaste didn't seem to leave my mouth feeling very fresh and clean....and I'm not a fan of that, so I switched back to store bought.  However, I do want to try both of them again soon...I'll just need some new recipes to try out for them first.

My 3 go-to essential oils:

Since I have been dubbed by my close friends as Aunt Jemima, due to my stash of essential oil's that I carry with me and share with others to help heal their problems, I thought it would be appropriate to write a post about the essential oils that I use the most in day to day life.  My top 3 go-to oils are: Four Thieves (or Germ-Fighter.  I have both), Oregano, and Peppermint.

Four Theives/Germ Fighter:  I originally bought oils from Eden's Garden and so have Four Thieves, but as it is running low, I bought some Germ-X from Plant Therapy, taking advantage of a coupon.  I love this oil blend!  I don't use it daily, as some people do, but I use it whenever I feel like I'm starting to come down with a cold or sickness, or when my family or the people I'm spending time around are sick.  I experienced first hand how awesome it is a few weeks ago, when I woke up one morning feeling like I was coming down with a nasty cold.  I took capsules of Thieves and Oregano oil throughout the next few days. The cold has now passed through my entire family, but I never got sick, aside from feeling like I was on the edge of getting sick.  It was a nasty cold, too.  I also took capsules of Thieves and Oregano during the week that Joe J., my friend and manager at my work, was sick with a stomach bug, because I am terrified of getting stomach bugs, so I wanted to ensure I didn't come down with that. 

Oregano:  As I already mentioned above, I take Oregano and Thieves oil in capsules when sickness is around me.  Oregano is a great for the immune system and as a natural antibiotic.  It's a killer of bad bacteria.    It's definitely my go-to, along with thieves, to stay healthy!

Peppermint:  Peppermint oil has become one of my best friends!  I get headaches very frequently, if not daily, and peppermint makes the headaches bearable. It's probably my most used oil, simply because I use it almost every day for headaches, and I also share it at work when people have headaches or sore muscles.  It's great for headaches and muscle aches.  I also use it for my back, as I have scoliosis and get back pain a lot.  It is great to put over other oils, to help drive the first oil further into your body.  I have a small key chain case for essential oils and my peppermint oil is always in it, always with me, wherever I go. 

I love all the essential oils that I have, but these three are definitely the ones I use the most!

Busy, busy birthday month!

Life has been so busy for me lately.  The workload at my job has been crazy the last few weeks or so, made crazier by the manager getting sick and having to miss work for a few days.  Despite the business, it has been a rather nice month.  My birthday was this month (I turned 22!) and I like to celebrate the entire month in honor of my birthday.  Mainly, I just use my birthday as an excuse to do lots of fun things during the month and spend more money than usual.  My sister-in-love was in town on my birthday, so we went to lunch together, Thai food, yum, yum! I went to Monterey with a small group of friends (two Joe's, Megan, and Rachel) on the 15th.  We went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which was lots of fun and so very interesting.  A few of my friends had never been...so I deemed it an important trip to make.  We also discovered a mirror maze near the aquarium and spent a lot of time there, having lots fun and acting like crazed maniacs.  Visiting the beach was also a necessity on this trip, since we had time, so we did that, which was absolutely lovely.  The ocean is my one true love.  I seriously adore the ocean.  So much.  Dinner at Johnny Rockets was delicious and then we called it a day and traveled four hours back home.  (I accidentally ran a red light, which was terrifying, and also cut off a red corvette on accident and felt horrible.  However, we made it back home alive).  The following day was my family birthday celebration, with my grandparents which was also quite nice.  (I acquired an Uncle Si doll, which is definitely a win). The final celebration for my birthday month was last Friday.  I went to BJ's for dinner with some friends (Jon, Joe J., Rachel, and Toni) and afterwards we went to go see Divergent!  It was such a fun, blessed time!  I've read all three books in the Divergent series so was very excited about seeing the movie.  I was not disappointed.

In other news, I was accepted into William Jessup University and also was given a $7,000 scholarship, for my grades.  I am so very excited about attending school there this fall.  It shall be a great and grand adventure!

Finally, to end this rambling blog post, here are some pictures.

 I got my ear pierced as part of Rachel's birthday present to me.  It's pretty snazzy.

 This little girl brings so much joy to my life.  I love her so much.  I love my mornings with her when I'm getting ready for work and she joins me to help me with my makeup routine.  Coming home from work to her smiling face is always a wonderful thing.  We had a jolly time Wednesday night, playing while the rest of the kiddos were at AWANA. 
 

And finally....Jackson and I being goofy.  Love that boy!  (that laugh, though...)

I have offically become obsessed!!

Well, last night I was up till 1 in the morning, unable to sleep, which was rather unfortunate.  Not really sure if the lavender helped with my sleep.  I was, however, undergoing a full fledged anxiety attack last night, so I put lavender oil on m chest, back of my neck, behind my ears, on the bottoms of my feet, and palms of my hands as well, for it's calming effects.  Most of the anxiety attack symptoms seemed to be eased, but I also ended up taking clonazepam, so don't really know if it was the lavender or the clonazepam.  I suspect it was probably the combination that calmed the attack down.  This morning I did some research on certain essential oils and their uses, which I figured I'd share on here.  It's really amazing how good essential oils really are for you.  Frankincense has even been found to fight back against cancer.  I just read a testimony of someone today who used Frankincense and other essential oils to fight their prostate cancer, after being told they had two months left to live.  It's two years later and they are doing great.  Amazing stuff. 

The essential oils I looked into the most this morning were Lemon, Lavender, Frankincense. 

Lemon:  Is good for bronchitis and coughs ( just put a few drops in mouth) sore throats, asthma attacks (rub on throat and chest, put on palms and inhale) digestion issues, fatigue, and eases arthritis.  It also stops bleeding, works good on cold sores and mouth sores, acne, dandruff, scar tissue, warts, corns.  It also clears the mind, fights depression, and aggressive and fearful moods. It is a great sanitizer and detoxes the body. 

Lavender:  a very gentle essential oil, it works as an anti-depressant, is anti-fungal, antihistamine, and anti-infections.  Lavender eases arthritis, balances body system, reduces bruises, candida/yeast, helps with flu symptoms, headaches, heart irregularity, anxiety, depression, coughs, insect bites and stings, insomnia, migraines, pineal gland issues, skin conditions such as eczema, sunburns, stress, throat infections, nausea, asthma.  It's great for putting in natural deodorant, helps with acne, chapped/dry skin, and is all around great for skin.  Consume in a capsule for nausea, bacteria infections/problems, nausea, digestion, and cat allergies.

Instant Calm Inhalant:
Lavender 5 drops, Vetiver 3 drops, Roman Chamomile
7 drops; gently
blend in glass vial and pour into wick of inhalant and carry with
you.
(This sounds like it would be great to have with me when I'm out and about to help with my anxiety attacks).

Frankincense:  Frankincense is excellent for helping with the slowing and deepening of breathing, eases fear, anxiety, nervous tension, and stress, helps with bronchitis, coughs, sore throats, asthma, and colds.  Frankincense can help soften scar tissues, help with cold and flu symptoms, depression , anxiety, skin rashes.  Another interesting fact about this awesome oil is that it can be used on broken bones.  The broken bone will receive 65% of the oils benefits, and you can simply apply it to the opposite bone, if you can't get to the broken limb due to a cast.  The body knows where the oil needs to go and will transfer it to the broken bone.  Frankincense is also good for digestion and heart disorders.  It really seems to be the miracle working essential oil.  

Essential oil help and relief for:

Depression:  2-5 drops of wild orange oil in water, 1-2 per glass, stress reduction and natural detoxifier. 2-3 drops of Frankincense oil under tongue twice a day and on back of neck, decreases anxiety and depression, improves circulation, reduces joint pain and protects cells.  Peppermint and wild orange on back of neck for energy. 

Anxiety:  Balance and Breathe are good blends for anxiety (I don't happen to have either blends though).  1-2 drops of lavender oil on feet before bed and on pillow at night, calms and relaxes.  1-2 drops of Frankincense oil on feet and 3-4 drops on back of neck with lavender, helps with extreme anxiety.  Inhaling it can be very helpful.  Place on palms of hands, cup over face/nose, and breathe deeply.  Rub Wild Orange oil on back of neck and bottoms of feet, followed by peppermint if needed for extra anxiety.  (Putting peppermint oil over a first oil will help drive the first oil deeper into your body, making it more effective). Use lemon oil every day, 1 drop to a glass of water.

Allergies:  Many of my family members struggle with allergies in the spring and summer, so I looked into essential oils and help and relief with allergies.  Lavender, Lemon, and Peppermint are the three oils that work wonders with allergies.  3 drops of each oil in a shot glass of water or juice, swish and mouth for 10 seconds, then swallow.  Add 5 drops each in capsule.  Add 1 drop to spoonful of honey for children, 2-3 drops for adult.  Rub on bottoms of feet, cover with sock.  You can also rub lavender around/under eyes to relieve itching.

For daily use:  Adding lemon oil in water is good for digestion, boosts your metabolism and can thus help with weight-loss, and also boosts your mood.  Frankincense, 2-3 drops under tongue and on back of neck, helps reduce inflammation, nerve issues, and depression as well as greatly balance out your moods. 

Today, I drank two glasses of water with lemon oil and also put a couple drops of Frankincense under my tongue.  Let me just warn you....Frankincense does NOT taste good....at all.  In fact, my mom took one sniff of it and exclaimed, "The wise men gave THAT to baby Jesus?  I thought they wanted to honor him!  Whew!".  However, I believe that that the benefits of taking Frankincense daily will far out weigh the bad taste and smell. 

I also looked into Eucalyptus oil and Peppermint oil, as my mom has a bad productive cough from a passing cold right now, and these two oils, along with Frankincense, are good for relieving congestion and coughs. 

I have officially turned into an Essential Oil nut.  My apologies. 

Essential Oils

I got my kit of essential oils in the mail this past week and am quite excited to start using them in my day to day life!  I just got back from an essential oil class led by a lady from my church, which was helpful and full of information about using the oils.  I made a lavender spray to spray on my pillow (made with Epsom salts, lavender oil, and distilled water) to help with sleep.  I have a terrible time falling asleep and staying asleep, most nights, so I'm hoping that this will help.  We shall see...I'll use it tonight, fingers crossed.  I applied lavender oil and then peppermint oil on my neck, forehead, temples and sinuses as soon as I got home from the class, to help with a headache that I've had since last night.  I think I got a little carried away with the peppermint oil, which is STRONG, because I spent the next five to ten minutes, tears streaming down my face, literally crying from the strength of it.  I had to wipe some of it off from the sinus area, in order to stop crying and be able to see properly.  However, my headache is almost completely gone!  So happy about that.  Definitely will be using those oils quite often for my headaches, as I'd like to avoid taking tons of Tylenol all the time.  I used to take Advil daily to help with my headaches and now can't, due to the fact that it tore up my stomach.  I'd rather not damage my liver due to excessive use of Tylenol now.   Can't wait to see the improvement in my health and life from these awesome, natural, healthy oils.  Now, I just need to go to Grocery Outlet and pick up some coconut oil and find out where I can get some beeswax and I can have another go at making homemade deodorant.  Currently I'm just using plain baking soda, which works fine, but I want to try to make a solid deodorant. 

In other news, my baby sister is absolutely adorable and makes every single day of my life better.  I painted her and I's nails today and she loved it.  She also loves to join me and help me out when I'm putting my makeup on, making me always looking forward to that time we spend together.  :)