I am currently taking an aromatherapy course through Dr Christopher’s School of Natural Healing, and one thing I’m learning is that the same plant can have different compounds and constituents depending upon what variety it is, where it’s grown, how it’s processed and what parts of the plant are used.

Usually, there is one specific part of a plant that contains essential oil of the highest medicinal value. Many producers use additional parts of the plant because they smell the same, but they don’t have the same amount of compounds or potency.

Many essential oils are extracted with chemical solvents. It’s hard to remove these solvents completely and makes the production process more expensive. As a result, most companies in the past have not been willing to pay the extra expense to do this extra step or buy more expensive oils extracted a different way. And some companies dilute or adulterate their oils to make more money.

In fact, the FDA requires that only 10% of an actual oil be present for a company to claim it as being 100% pure. Don’t be fooled!

This is why it’s traditionally taught that essential oils should not be taken internally. And it’s true that many brands of essential oils are unsafe to take internally.

I’ve been asked many times why I recommend one company in particular. It’s because I’ve never found another organization at all like them. The company is Doterra, and they are absolutely committed to having the purest oils possible. They go to great lengths and spend the money it takes to do so. Not only do they outside-test all batches of oils to make sure they are pure, they also measure the oils to verify they have the correct amount of medicinal compounds. They call their oils CPTG: Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils.

As a result, their products are safe to take internally within recommended guidelines, which is the same as herb and drug usage. I’ve used Doterra’s products for a year and a half, and have been amazed at the power and purity of their essential oils. My nose has gotten better at detecting differences in quality between brands. Some are so obvious when you have something really pure with which to compare.

Doterra is definitely a pioneer in the field of essential oils. They promote scientific research, and have already had success in the areas of cancer and diabetes. It’s exciting stuff, and I’ll be learning more at their convention this September.

There are other reasons why I love Doterra. They offer things I couldn’t find from other companies.

• Beautifully printed educational materials (even their catalog has usage charts)
• Free videos and webinars
• A generous rewards program for monthly auto-ship ordering
• An opportunity to pay for my oils by sharing them with other people
• A wellness philosophy I heartily support

This is why I am so loyal to the Doterra brand. They’ve raised the bar of quality for essential oils to a very high level.

Go ahead. Try some. You’ll be able to tell a difference too!

Isaac, 7 years old, was playing with his brother. They had covered some PVC pipe with a foam swim noodle. Unfortunately, when it got thrown at Isaac’s head, the foam slipped down so the sharp end of the PVC gouged him just above the forehead.

All the kids ran up screaming because Isaac had blood running down his face. When Mike did an inspection, he could see the cut went through to the skull. He decided the injury needed extra attention.

I immediately put some helichrysum essential oil on Isaac’s head to stop the bleeding and prevent inflammation.

I have to admit, when Mike said he was going to get staples, I was somewhat worried. I knew it needed to be done, but I visualized the staples going into Isaac’s skull. Fortunately that’s not how it works.

The staples go into each side of the cut, only clipping the skin together so it can heal.

Isaac said it didn’t even hurt, thank goodness.

The perfect thing to heal this speedily is Vickie’s Cuts & Bruises oil. Of course, my problem isn’t that I lack tools for healing, it’s that I forget to use them as often as I should in our busy lives.

Raquel’s Injury

The last time Mike had to supplement our home medicine with emergency room tools was a couple months ago when Raquel cut her shin open on a sharp bookshelf corner. She was doing gymnastics on our bed without me knowing. Mike super-glued the cut shut. He wanted to stitch it, but she was scared and I was worried.

Raquel still has a mark from the cut that hasn’t healed. I gave her some of Christopher’s Complete Tissue ointment and frankincense oil to put on at night, but I haven’t been following up well to make sure she’s doing it. I think I’ll make a chart right now…

Neighbor Boy’s Injury

Before I was done writing this post, I got a call from a neighbor telling me her son had just crashed his dirt bike.  She was away from home, so I told her to send him over here. Mike was sleeping in preparation for his night shift. I didn’t want to wake him yet.

The kid was pretty banged up. His chin was bad enough I thought he’d need stitches. I got out my oils while we waited. I poured several drops of helichrysum essential oil on his chin and knee, which were bleeding. Then I put Cuts & Bruises on the multiple abrasions covering his body. Anything that was bleeding stopped fast.

He said his shoulder, elbow and thumb joint were hurting. He could move them all well enough, and nothing was poking out. I figured he hadn’t broken anything. Doterra’s Deep Blue essential oil blend is very effective for muscle pain & healing, so I  applied it to these areas. After a few minutes, he said the pain had diminished.

Mike woke up and confirmed that stitches were needed. He went to a fellow doctor’s home to pick up a suture kit, and got back the same time as the boy’s mother. The stitching was accomplished as I ran out the door to teach a Dr Mom Class on the essential oils…with one more story to tell.

For those of you who have kids, you know life’s always an adventure!

The most economical tool is garlic. Garlic oil can be rubbed on the bottoms of the feet, around the ear and dripped in (2 drops in each ear) at night to kill infection. Two cloves of garlic is equal in strength to an adult dose of penicillin.

GARLIC OIL RECIPE

Combine 1 chopped clove of garlic with 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a covered container.

Let sit for at least 2 hours. The longer the garlic sits in the oil, the stronger the oil becomes. After a few days, or when you’re done using the oil for the time being, strain out the garlic and refrigerate leftover oil for future use.

You can also buy ear oil already made at your health food store. This oil in a dropper should run between $5-$10 a bottle and can be a blend of herbs and garlic. Look for one with mullein in it.

Our well-used ear oil.

Mullein is an herb which helps with ear pain. If you can’t find it in a pre-made oil, you can buy some cut mullein and add it to your homemade oil. Just strain it out of the oil before you apply it.

Another potent tool for ear infections is essential oil. Basil is best, but thyme, rosemary,

eucalyptus, oregano and cinnamon will also work well. These need to be diluted with carrier oil like olive oil or fractionated coconut oil. I only rub these around the ear (not put in ear), or drip them on a cotton ball I lay over ear or I rub on the bottoms of the feet.

Many different oils can be effective because most of them have strong anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. Also excellent is Doterra’s protective blend called On Guard. I rub this on the bottom of my kids’ feet to boost their immune system and help fight infection wherever it may be in their body.

I also give my kids Dr. Christopher’s Kid-e-Well herbal formula internally, which also helps fight infection and boost immunity.

Another well used bottle from our cupboard.

Often, the cause of ear infections is mucus overload in the body. Mucus is formed by many environmental factors, but diet is most often the largest contributor. When mucus sits long enough, Mother Nature uses infection (viruses & bacteria) to devour mucus and “clean house.”

The biggest mucus producers are:

• animal & dairy products (most notably milk, eggs, meat & cheese)
• white flour
• white sugar
• other processed and unnatural foods

These items need to be avoided for a time, at least until the body can cleanse itself without clogging the ear canals or respiratory channels. Water with a few drops of lemon essential oil (I sweeten with stevia) helps cut mucus faster.

I always give my children a squirt of Kid-e-Reg to make sure the digestive tract is moving to assist the body in getting the junk out.

Prune juice works well, too.

Aside from the crooked label, Walmart brand is just fine.

I’m amazed that so many antibiotics are used for minor infections, which results in killing off of the healthy flora in the digestive tract and weakening the immune system. This practice also contributes to antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Using oils and herbs can not only resolve the problem, but preserves digestive flora and strengthens the immune system.

These natural tools help heal the root cause of ear infections making them less likely to repeat.

Get empowered, get rid of those obnoxious infections and take control of your child’s health!

Believe me, it feels great!

I told them to come over and I started gathering remedies. I pulled out my dependable Cuts & Bruises oil which eases pain, reduces inflammation and fights infection.

I grabbed some Complete Tissue ointment and Bone, Flesh & Cartilage herb blend (BF&C) for her to use in a tea for healing. Incidentally, comfrey is a valuable herb that heals things very speedily. If you have a toxic liver from taking drugs or alcohol, large quantities of this herb by itself can overload your liver, but this is rare. Generally it is very safe and cuts healing time in half.

I personally have taken comfrey in this formula for healing would take this formula in large amounts for broken bones or other serious injury to tissues or ligaments, but of course you need to be your own judge. (One of my mentors, Sandra Ellis, gave her son 100 capsules a day internally when he broke his elbow. He had no pain because he was getting the healing nutrition his body needed.)

Our friends came over and Nicole was in pain. Her toe nail ended up coming completely off. We dripped on a few drops of the Cuts & Bruises oil and I gave her the other items. I told her that cayenne has traditionally been used to stop bleeding.

Her toe bled that night, so she put cayenne powder on the wound to stop bleeding. It stung, but did the job.  (I would use cayenne if the bleeding were life threatening or the person was in shock. For most bleeding I now use straight helichrysum oil, which works excellently without stinging.)

She applied a drop of Cuts & Bruises every time before using the Complete Tissue formulas.

At night she made a tea of the Complete Tissue herbs (put a teaspoon of the herbs in a cup of boiling water for 15 min), soaked a cloth in it (wrung it out loosely), wrapped her toe with it, and covered it with a plastic bag. She did this nightly for about 5 days.

She also soaked her toe in Epsom salt twice a day with hot water and this helped prevent and draw out infection.

After the first week, she continued to apply the Complete Tissue ointment periodically.

Her toe healed quickly and over a few months a new nail grew nicely until it was back to normal.

Natural plant tools have been around throughout the history of the world! We are so fortunate to live in a time when we can purchase them easily in many convenient forms, thus facilitating and expediting the healing process.

PS-Nicole used the same routine on her son who fell off the top bunk, landed on a small wood chair, and punctured his outer ear. She soaked his ear in bath of Epsom salt, applied Cuts & Bruises along with Complete Tissue ointment until the ear healed. Thus she avoided another costly trip to the ER.

If you end up with a crushed toe and have none of the above tools for healing, you could always do what Mike’s great, great grandmother did when she crushed her toe. Fearing infection and future gangrene, she put her foot on the chopping block and cut her toe off with an ax.

I don’t recommend it.

My throat is my barometer for the well-being of my body. When my throat starts to hurt, I know I need to cut back on heavy foods (especially after the holidays) and give my body a break.

Here are a few things I do to help my body get balanced again and fight any infections that may be starting.

1. Stop eating meat, dairy, sugar and flour products.
2. Drink lots of filtered water.
3. Get enough sleep.
4. Drink raw fruit or vegetable juice for breakfast and/or lunch.
5. Eat a light soup or salad for dinner.

Here are my favorite sore throat remedies. Generally, the more your throat hurts, the greater chance it is growing infection. And the longer you have this condition, the more aggressive you have to be to resolve it.

1. Garlic: 3 cloves are equivalent to an adult dose of penicillin. Capsules can help systemically, but garlic going down the throat will kill infection by contact. These are the easiest ways to take it:

• Mixed with butter on toast. Press 1 garlic clove into a dish and mix well with 1 TB of butter (or olive oil).  Spread on bread and eat or toast and then eat (less potent if toasted). I love eating this even when I’m not sick.
• Mix with honey. Press 1 clove and mix with 1 tsp to 1 TB of raw honey. Eat straight or on bread or toast.
• Press a clove into a bowl or hot or warm soup or broth.
• Blend up 1 or 2 cloves in raw, fresh carrot juice.
• Choose any of the above and repeat every 2-3 hours.

2. Vickie Sorensen’s Anti-Plague or Dr. Christopher’s Garlic-Immune Formula. Take a half dropper or 1/2 teaspoon every hour. I gave the Anti-Plague to myself and kids over Thanksgiving when we were around sick relatives and eating a bunch of white sugar. It got rid of some runny noses fast and immediately eased the pain in my throat. (They both contain garlic).

3.  Essential oil respiratory or immune (On Guard) blend rubbed on throat externally or a few drops taken internally. I love Vickie’s Respicare Oil. I rub about 5 drops on my neck straight, and it immediately eases pain. I also use Doterra’s Breathe and On Guard blends on my neck. They are powerful and must be diluted with a few drops of carrier oil (fractionated coconut or olive oil). If the throat condition is bad, I drink 2 drops of On Guard in my herbal tea and rub it on the bottom of my feet.

My sister Emili swears by the new Doterra On Guard Throat Lozenges. I’m sure they’re effective, if you’re willing to pay a little more for a remedy. She says the reason she loves them is that by sucking on them you get those essential oils (clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus, rosemary & myrrh) right in the back of your throat where you need them, for 10-20 minutes. She usually coughs up a good amount of phlegm when she uses them, so they work well as an expectorant also.

4.  Other Substitutes for Antibiotics

• Take 6 drops of On Guard in an empty capsule 3 times a day.
• Take 5 drops of Oregano oil and 5 drops olive oil in an empty capsule 3 times a day.
• Vickie’s Infection formula, 2 capsules, 3 times a day.

I’ve found it’s better to do remedies more often, perhaps in smaller quantities, than to do larger quantities only a couple times a day.

You don’t have to be out of control of your health. Manage your own well-being by eating a cleaner diet, living a healthier lifestyle, and educating yourself so you can doctor yourself and your family with the many wonderful remedies that are available to us.

His cheeks were always red from the dryness.  But it also affected him in his cute little rolls, his elbows, back of his knees, and his ankles.

We figured, like cradle cap or other random baby skin ailments, that he would just grow out of it.  We tried different over the counter moisturizers to help, but he reacted to most of them and some made the problem worse.

We bounced from brand to brand trying new lotions and different creams.  Some controlled it better than others.  They would work for a short period of time, and then the eczema would get worse again.

We tried every cream anyone suggested but we had little success.  Some would even burn him and leave him screaming and reluctant to let us apply anything else. When he turned 2, the eczema started to fade from his face, but got worse on his arms and legs.

My mom and Jenni suggested it could be caused by allergies to different foods.  So, I tried cutting out milk and dairy and then rotating to grains.  I tried cutting out everything I could think of at different periods of time, but I didn’t see any results when it came to his skin.  It can be difficult enough to get small children to eat anything, so I finally abandoned that idea.

I tried natural and herbal ointments too.  They would sometimes suppress it, but it never went away completely, and after a while it would get worse again.

Even thick creams wouldn’t stop it.  His skin was red, it would crack, and at night he would itch in his sleep.  He would wake up 1-3 or even 4 times at night crying and screaming (sometimes in his sleep) because of the pain and itching.  His arms and legs would bleed from all the scratching.  We gave him Benadryl when it was really bad, but sometimes that didn’t even help.

When he was 3 we took him to a dermatologist.  The doctor told us simply that it was eczema and that he would probably grow out of it eventually.  In the mean time he gave us a handful of samples for a cream that he promised would clear it right up, but that we could only use the cream for 10 days at a time.  The cream contained 0.1% hydrocortisone butyrate.

We tried it for the 10 days and his skin magically cleared up.  It was amazing.  I had never seen this kid with clear skin before!  He stopped itching, started sleeping through the night and life got better all around.  We stopped using it after 10 days, and within a couple weeks it came back.

So we went through the cycle again until we ran out of the sample cream.  We looked into buying more and found that a small tube of that stuff (45mg) was $186!!  HELLO!  I was in shock– $200 for a tiny tube of cream?!?  I started to research places to buy it online, but instead of finding a cheaper place, they were all more expensive.

I learned more about the cream and its side effects.  They may not seem horrible, but they included possible skin thinning, redness, other skin irritations, skin discoloration, stinging, burning, etc.  This is why you can’t use it for more than 10 days at a time.

We decided we didn’t want to go that route long term, and within a few weeks it all came back and we sadly returned to square one.

I found Doterra earlier this year and was thrilled to try essential oils on my son because they are natural and powerful without harmful side effects.  I felt confident they would work.  I started with Lavender and Melaleuca, with a little coconut oil.  It calmed his rashes down and helped, but it didn’t take the problem away.  I heard somewhere that Geranium oil was also good for skin, so I added that into our mixture.

Shortly after, a friend told me that her son was allergic to laundry detergent and that cutting it out helped his skin.  I use the “Free and Clear” detergent on my kids’ laundry, so I though I was okay, but I decided to cut it out as a precaution. I started washing his clothes alone with baking soda and a few drops of essential oils (mainly Lavender, Melaleuca and Doterra’s Purify blend).  I noticed that this actually did help his skin.  But, I still couldn’t get the rashes to clear up completely and go away.

I ran out of lavender and melaleuca so I grabbed another oil to try until my replacements came in.  The oil I grabbed was called “Balance” and I’d heard good things about it.  After a week or so we started to notice some improvement– FINALLY!  And this oil not only tamed the problem, but helped the skin to heal!  I looked through the ingredients to see what could be making the difference and saw it contained Frankincense.

My own miracle oil blend

Frankincense is known for helping with skin problems as well as healing, but for some reason it hadn’t dawned on me to use it.  So, I started making my own blend of “Balance” and Frankincense oil diluted with coconut oil in a roller bottle that Noah could put on himself. I took a 10 ml bottle and put 20 drops of “Balance” and 8 drops of Frankincense in it.  Then I filled it up the rest of the way with the fractionated coconut oil. Within another month his eczema had cleared up COMPLETELY!  He now sleeps through the night like a normal child!

While visiting my in-laws I threw his clothes in with the rest of the laundry and his skin redness came back with a vengeance, so I think I’ve finally found our culprit.  I am now super careful to keep his laundry separate and the eczema has stayed away.  Every now and then we will see a little redness or some itching, but we just keep his roller bottle full and Noah puts it right on himself without any problems.

Frankincense is a precious oil. I am grateful it is available and that we have access to it so easily.

I am so happy to have found something natural with beneficial side effects to help overcome my boy’s eczema! It has made a huge difference in our lives!

-Emili

#1- Get Elderberry. It cuts flu recovery time from 6 days to 2. Health food stores have it in many varieties since a flu study came out a few years ago. I double the dose of most products for my own family if I suspect flu. I recommend Mountain Rose Herb’s Syrup or Dr. Christopher’s Elderberry Extract and use 1-2 dropperfuls every hour in a drink. Elderberry prevents the virus from getting into healthy cells.

#2- Get a high quality essential oil. I rub it on the bottom of my children’s feet. Essential oils are potently anti-viral. Oregano is the strongest infection fighter, but it’s also the hottest. So dilute a few drops in some olive oil or other carrier oil (even vegetable oil will work). Doterra has a quality immune blend called On Guard. It smells amazing and it works. I give  2 drops with honey in some herbal tea for a painful, sore throat. I rub another blend called Breathe (diluted), on the neck and chest for congestion.

#3- Push fluids. Give your child lots to drink: water, herbal teas, or fruit juices as long as they don’t contain white sugar or corn syrup (these feed bacteria and suppress immunity). Peppermint tea is a “kid cure-all” at my house. I put this tea in bottles, sippy cups, or a glass with a straw. Kids need to stay hydrated, and peppermint has long been used for fevers, flu and calming tummy trouble.

#4- Include echinacea. I make echinacea tea, add the mild tasting glycerin extract to other fluids, or squirt it straight in my child’s mouth. Echinacea fights infection indirectly, by stimulating the body’s own immune system to ramp up the fight. I use glycerite from Dr. Christopher or Mountain Rose Herbs.

#5- Get Dr. Christopher’s Antispasmodic formula. I rub this liquid on my kids’ throats, and it immediately relaxes the muscles and stops dry coughs. This herbal preparation has rescued me from late-night discomfort, sleeplessness and even agony many times. It’s effective.

#6- Give a ginger bath. Baths help keep kids hydrated, help with fevers, and relax achy muscles. Put 1 Tablespoon ginger in the bath, or in a muslin tea bag in the bath. Run the water hot at first to infuse the ginger into the water, then adjust to the highest comfortable temperature for your child. Working up a sweat in a hot tub helps sweat out infection.

#7- Get some Vitamin D3. I’d take 2,000-4,000 IU a day unless a true epidemic hit.  Then I’d triple the dose. Vitamin D quiets the immune system’s response to invading viruses in the respiratory tract. It can prevent the overproduction of inflammatory substances that can lead to fluid buildup and more severe symptoms. This may just be the most dangerous part of the swine flu. I use the RX brand. It’s a bit pricey, but for me it’s worth it (for this brand the dose is only 1 drop).

#8- Make garlic toast. We know garlic fights infection. For kids, press a clove of garlic into some butter or olive oil, spread it on whole wheat bread, and toast it in an oven or toaster oven. Have your child eat some as is or with some honey added. Raw honey has natural infection fighting compounds. Four cloves of garlic are equal to an adult dose of penicillin.

#9-If all comforts fail, try Motrin. For the temporary headaches, body aches and discomfort caused by the flu, ibuprofin is an easily attainable, fast acting remedy for kids. I save over-the-counter remedies for temporary, extreme conditions, and when symptoms are the worst, I’ll use it.

#10-Read up on flu drugs and vaccines before you try any of them. There are many reports of side effects of the drugs, especially in children. Much more concerning is the vaccines. They are poorly tested, and have not been proven safe.

Dr. Kent Holtorf, expert on infectious disease calls the Thimerosal-Mercury that can be found in Flu Vaccines ”a proven neuro-toxin. It has 25,000 times the level of mercury that would be considered toxic if it were a food or water. Negative long-term effects are unknown and pose much higher risks than the flu itself.

Here is an excellent interview by 60 Minutes. Please, please, please watch it before you vaccinate! There are side effects of vaccines, and it is difficult if not impossible to get reimbursement from the government or pharmaceuticals for vaccine injury.

The government has spent billions on the vaccines, but that doesn’t mean we have to use them if they’re dangerous. Let’s not only protect our children from this extreme risk, but educate ourselves and raise our voices to protect our country’s children.

The statistics and information available make it clear that the Swine Flu is no more dangerous than regular flu, and with effective tools on our side, we don’t need to live in fear of flu.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor (that would be my husband), and it is not my intent to diagnosis or prescribe. These are things I do in my own family, and represent my personal experiences.

However, the sheer number of 162,000 cases worldwide has some countries scanning the body temperatures of travelers to pinpoint fevers and using other types of scrutiny to detect potential cases of Swine Flu.

Some travelers have been quarantined for up to a week, even though they had no symptoms. Schools and businesses around the world are debating whether or not to keep their doors open.

But do the figures support these kinds of responses?

How Many People Are Dying?

According to CNN, as of August 5, 2009, deaths from the Swine flu worldwide total 1,154. This number is no higher than the number of people who die each year from seasonal flu strains.

Even these numbers are up for debate, as the Center for Disease Control has claimed that 36,000 people die per year from the flu, but only 1,000-2,000 cases on average have been reported per year. The British Medical Journal pondered this discrepancy in its 2005 article, “Are US flu death figures more PR than science?” concluding that the numbers are inflated to scare the public in order to sell more vaccines.

Lets compare the above numbers to the estimated number of people who die in America from errors and infections from hospitals and adverse effects of medication. In the year 2000 the Journal of the American Medical Association published an article entitled, “Is US Health Really the Best in the World?,” which estimates that doctors and drugs could be the number one cause of death in America, causing almost 500,000 deaths every year.

That’s more deaths per day in America from conventional medicine and pharmaceuticals, than has been caused by the Swine flu, worldwide for it’s entire existence. We may want to change our focus and decide if it’s wise to combat flu with more conventional medicine.

Problems with Conventional Drugs

As a society, we look to big pharmaceuticals for the solutions to scary problems. Right now the drugs being used to treat people with the H1N1 virus or Swine Flu are Tamiflu, Relenza and Laninamivir. Each of these drugs has questionable effectiveness, along with mild to serious side effects, especially for children.

Side effects from the vaccines, which are being produced by the millions, are not even known yet. Mercury is only one of several potentially toxic ingredients and animal byproducts, which are often found in vaccines.

Many detrimental effects of vaccines are suspected to occur in the long term, and have been indicated as the cause of many autoimmune diseases. Are these therapies true cures for the swine flu or are they billion dollar scare tactics? One must wonder, is using the drugs and vaccines really worth the risk?

Safe Treatments for Swine Flu

There are many safe defenses that have been used effectively against influenza. In multiple studies, elderberry extract has been shown to eliminate all symptoms, without side effects, within 2 days in 93% of influenza A and B patients (those taking a placebo recovered in about 6 days). These findings of lead researcher, Erling Thom of the University of Oslo in Norway, were presented at the 15th Annual Conference on Antiviral Research.

Other treatment agents, which have been used and studied for decades include super nutrition (this means eating whole foods and supplements, not processed products of the westernized diet), Garlic (a clove is equal to an adult dose of antibiotics), Onion, Echinacea, Astragalus, and Oregano (essential oil).

Oregano oil outperformed 18 other antibiotics against antibiotic resistant MRSA (a strep infection found in many hospitals). Many essential oils have powerful anti-viral properties. These oils can be taken internally (if pure) or just applied to the bottoms of the feet and will kill infection throughout the body.

There are alternatives to pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines that have unknown efficiency and detrimental side effects. We don’t need to be held hostage to scare tactics, or forced to take “necessary” vaccinations.

Lets educate ourselves about tried and true therapies, get aggressive with what we know is safe, and make our own informed decisions so we don’t have to live in fear.

Start learning now.

Cough suppression and expectorant formulas by Robitussin generally contain the drugs Dextromethorphan and Guaifenesin.

Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant. It affects the signals in the brain that trigger the cough reflex.  Guaifenesin is an expectorant. It helps loosen congestion in the chest and throat, making it easier to cough out.

Guaifenesin* seems to be somewhat less problematic than Dextromethorphan, nevertheless, the side effects of this combination are mild to severe dizziness, slow, shallow breathing, headache, skin rash or itching, nausea, vomiting, stomach upset, anxiety, restless feeling, nervousness, confusion, hallucinations or addiction. This medicine can also cause allergic reaction of hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat. This medicine can have negative interactions with many other drugs.

When coughs are productive, it is important not to suppress them, as they are eliminating mucus waste from the body. Viruses or bacteria can cause mucus production in the body.

These can be treated with infection fighting compounds (i.e. Garlic, Echinacea, Oregano oil, Christopher’s Super Garlic Immune or Cold Season Immune Formula, etc.), or the mucus could just be a sign that the body is trying to “de-junk” itself.  In this case, Dr. Christopher’s formulas for detoxing the lower bowel, liver, urinary tract, and blood are excellent tools for keeping the internal environment of the body clean.  They are all found in his Cleansing Kit.

Some natural expectorants for expelling mucus from throat and bronchioles include:
•    Onion & honey (cover onion slices in a non-aluminum saucepan, bring to low simmer, let sit off heat for 45 min & strain, 1 tsp-1 TB, 3x a day),
•    Garlic (raw pressed with 1 TB honey, or added to onion syrup)
•    Lemon (squeeze ½ into an 8 oz cup & fill with pure, very warm water, add 1 tsp honey and a pinch of cayenne or 3 drops of cayenne tincture)
•    Organic apple cider vinegar  & olive oil (1 TB each, 3x a day)
•    Anise and/or fennel (tea as needed or essential oil on throat, diluted)

For relief of unproductive, dry cough, the remedy that I’ve used for the past 10 years with unmatched success is Dr. Christopher’s Anti-Spasmodic Formula.  It is an extract with an alcohol base, that is rubbed on the throat and chest, which immediately causes the throat and bronchioles to relax.

I’ve used this so many times, especially on kids coughing at night, and the coughing stops fast.  I’ve had a couple tough cases myself, where I took 15 drops in some water with 1 tsp honey, or kept this “tea” next to my bed at night.  It worked like magic, and saved me from going to the ER on at least one occasion.

Essential oils are also amazing remedies for cough and mucus expectoration and reduction.  A couple drops of lemon oil with 1 tsp honey, works very well.  Finding not only a pure source, but also one that offers very high quality oils, is important.

I prefer a company called Doterra because they offer Certified, Pure, Therapeutic Grades oils.  I can tell just by smelling them they are better than almost all others I’ve found. One of their blends, called Breathe, is an excellent remedy for coughs and congestion.

There are so many wonderful alternatives out there, even in our own kitchens! We shouldn’t feel like we have to use drugs that may be detrimental or toxic to our bodies.

Find something better for your family.

I have a 9 month old baby girl who has recently been teething. I noticed it about a month ago when she started acting fussy for no apparent reason. I decided to try some oils since I know they act quickly.

I took a 4 oz spray bottle and put in a few drops of clove and cinnamon (known to be good for pain and numbing), and some lemon and wild orange oils. The citrus is good for the immune system and it makes it taste yummy. I also added some KAL Pure Stevia Extract.

We both use Stevia all the time, as it sweetens things naturally, which is great for kids. I filled the rest of the bottle up with water and it became out “throat/teething” spray.

Lemon is also really good for sore throats, so you can use a similar spray when your throat is acting up. It is a little strong, but Sami loved it. She is the first of my children to drink at all from a bottle so I’ve started giving it to her in a bottle even more diluted. I would spray about 15 sprays in the bottle and then add a drop or lemon and a shake of stevia.

She LOVES it. And, when she would get fussy from her teeth, one bottle would silence her pain for hours.

It’s a wonderful thing. Sometimes I add a drop of grapefruit to the bottle because I heard that’s good for teething too. But watch out with the Grapefruit, if you put it in a bottle and they drink it repeatedly, it will flush their system (grapefruit is also a cleansing oil) and could cause a diaper rash if they get too much too often.  I’m not personally against Motrin for kids, but I don’t want my children LIVING on it, and when their teething, it’s hard to know when they really need it or not. With the bottle of oils, I could give it to her when ever without worrying about it hurting her system, in fact, I’m helping build it!

We were shocked when we noticed her first 2 teeth cut through without any obvious fussiness! I LOVE happy babies. I adore my happy Sami.  The above methods worked GREAT for her first few teeth.

As her molars and bigger teeth are coming in, you might need something a little stronger.  I recommend rubbing clove (DILUTED) directly on the baby’s gums and that should help instantly with the pain. I put a drop or 2 of clove, a drop of lemon, a drop of grapefruit and a drop of Bergamot in a small dish with about 5-6 drops of coconut oil.  Then I just stick my finger in there, and rub it on her gums.  Try it on yourself before using it on the baby so you know how strong it is.  At first they HATE it, and I don’t blame them because it doesn’t taste too great.  But, I’ve found that after a few applications, they are often more willing to let me put it on.  You can usually see the relief from the pain within a minute or 2.  If you don’t have all the above oils, remember that clove is the most important one and the best for pain.

It’s always good to dilute with coconut oil. Water won’t work, you need another oil. If you have olive oil, that will work, but try some coconut oil (fractionated). It’s amazing and it’ll stay stable in all temperatures without going rancid.

If you need oils or want to try something new, you can always let us know!

Em