Essential Oils – Marilyn Cutler’s Story

13. November 2012 · 2 comments · Categories: Essential Oils and Their Uses, Herbalism · Tags: , ,

Today is a special post from a new friend of mine, Marilyn Cutler. She tells her miraculous experience with doTERRA Essential Oils. I thank her for being so candid with us; it’s a story well worth reading.

I decided today to share how I got introduced to doTERRA essential oils.  I recently had a baby.

In February, to be exact.  A beautiful baby boy.

See?  He’s pretty durned cute.

I was nursing one day and noticed a lump in my right breast.  It was pretty large and at first I dismissed it as a clogged milk duct.  However, it didn’t hurt.  I knew once that realization kicked in that something was wrong but…I was in denial and just pushed that worry aside.  I called the DR and she scheduled me to come in to the office 3 hours later.  Um, she usually has a 6 week wait.  That’s when I knew for sure there was a concern.  That appointment was the first time the word cancer was thrown around and she scheduled me for an ultrasound 4 days later…the soonest possible appointment.

So for 4 days my husband and I did a LOT of research.  We knew that if there was blood flow to the tumor…then it was cancer.  If there was no blood flow…it was just a growth.  Finally the day arrived.  We went in.  They prepped me for the ultrasound and the tech sat on down.  She was very friendly and just chatted with me…until she saw the lump on the screen.  Then chatter stopped.  After a few minutes she excused herself to get the DR.  The Radiologist came in and quietly asked to see blood flow.  As soon as they said that…I knew something was terribly wrong.

The day before my 29th birthday I went in for a biopsy.  The radiologist mentioned that there was a possibility it could be something called Granulomatous Mastitis but that she had only seen it 3 times in her 25 years of practice.  I spent a quiet birthday at home with my family and the day after I got the news that it was in fact Granulomatous Mastitis.

So thankfully it wasn’t cancer but…this disease is nasty.  These growths appear and then get bigger and eventually explode.  They can actually explode through the skin.  And because it is so rare, there is no set treatment plan.  The most widely used treatment is immunosuppressant steroids…not good for a young mom.  They also have a very high reoccurrence rate.  There was no way I was going to do that.  The next option was lumpectomy…again, very high reoccurrence rate and not good for a young mom.  Some women elected for mastectomies to ensure that it would be gone completely.  Thank you but I don’t particularly want to cut off body parts unless 100% necessary.

So I called my friend who was involved with doTERRA and told her I would be her test case.  She brought me over some Frankincense.  I would rub it on topically and in 4 weeks the lump had shrunk by 50% and in 2 months in was 100% gone with no indication it had ever been there in the first place.  This was a complete miracle for me.  Women with this disease live in constant pain from surgeries, burst tumors, and sickness due to the immune suppressing therapies.  They have to watch what they do in case somehow the disease gets activated again.  Using these amazing oils…I have not had to worry about anything.  I live a totally normal life and am not afraid of it coming back at all.

Marilyn’s Blog:  www.thedoterratouch.blogspot.com

Marilyn’s Website:  www.mydoterra.com/marilyncutler

Natural Cold Sore Remedies

09. August 2012 · Comments Off · Categories: Health, Herbalism, Remedies · Tags: , ,

Waking up to find a big red dot on your face is never a good way to start the day, but knowing a few natural cold sore remedies will help put you back in control. I was reading through a few natural cold sore remedies on Reader’s Digest the other day, and it got me thinking about the wide array of herbal remedies we can find for just about anything. That’s the beauty of herbs. Can’t get ahold of one thing? No problem. There’s always something else to try.

Let’s take a look at a few options you have if those cold sores won’t leave you alone.

Gold Thread (Coptis trifolia): This is perhaps my favorite remedy because it’s a neat and tidy one. At that very first tingle, apply a few drops of gold thread tincture to the area. You can do this liberally and often, so if you’ve got to go to work or chaperone a class field trip or overthrow a small empire, you can take the tincture with you easily. A strong tea of gold thread will work too, but the tincture is far superior in strength.

Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea or angustifolia): If repeat outbreaks are an issue for you, echinacea tincture is a good option. Cold sores are actually a result of the herpes simplex virus, and since echinacea has a way of building up the body’s defences, it can help you toss that virus out on its ear. Take 50 – 60 drops of tincture in some water up to three times a day. I like a good root tincture or a whole plant tincture that includes the root. Alternatively, balsamroot tincture can be taken 20 – 50 drops up to four times a day. Just like the echinacea, it helps support the body’s ability to make macrophages, these cool little Pac Man type thingies that gobble up all sorts of virusy badness. (At least, that’s how I envision them…)

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis): No, this isn’t some weak, wimpy grandma tea. Lemon balm packs a fierce punch in the herbal world when you’re not talking old brown leaf crumbles found in tea bags at the grocery store. You can choose to apply the tincture topically several times a day, or you can make the tea from freshly dried leaves (no older than one year maximum) and drink it as often as you choose. It’s really good stuff, trust me. You’ll not only see an improvement in the whole cold sore thingie, you’ll feel a lot better about life in general.

Are these the only herbal remedies out there for cold sore outbreaks? Nope. There are numerous and this is a sampling of a few of the best. It’s a good start to not only building your natural cold sore remedies arsenal, but to learning to rely herbal remedies for chemical-free health.

It’s Alive! New ebook “Teas for Life: 101 Herbal Teas for Greater Health” Hits the Virtual Shelves

01. June 2012 · Comments Off · Categories: Books, Health, Herbalism · Tags: , ,

After a flurry of typing, retyping, editing, and the partaking of gallons of supportive herbal teas, my new ebook is ready for public consumption. “Teas for Life: 101 Herbal Teas for Greater Health” is ebook #4, and this time we’re talking about brewing up health by the mugful. Learn what the teas are good for, how much to drink, what’s in them that makes them so special, and even get a smattering of useless (but highly entertaining) trivia.

Who said reference books should be boring? No snoozaroo reading here. Yes, it’s a reference. But since writing straight stuff puts me to sleep, you’ll get great info with a twist in “Teas for Health”.

If you don’t already have a free Kindle app for your PC, Mac, smartphone, tablet, etc., be sure to get one so you can keep this ebook handy. Keep it on your iPhone so it can go herb shopping with you.

I’m excited about this ebook. I think you’ll find the information extremely useful, especially if you’re aiming to keep your family on a natural path, or if you’re just plain sick of paying for prescription medications that offer more side effects than solutions. And if you just plain enjoy drinking tea, you’ll be able to wow your fellow tea-sippers with some unique information. You will be able to say things such as, “Hey, Jerry, I noticed you’re a bit high strung lately. How’s about a nice celery seed tea?”

“Teas for Life.” It’s alive, it’s about tea, and it’s kinda funny, too.

Teas for Life - It's Alive! And it's full of tea.

Using Herbs To Control Skin Outbreaks

31. May 2012 · 1 comment · Categories: Health, Herbalism, Mommy Care, Remedies · Tags: , ,

Today’s guest post will help you learn to use herbs to control skin outbreaks – Just love that acne mask recipe! Enjoy!

Chamomile Flowers for Healthy Skin

For millennia, women and men have been using herbs to support the heath of their skin. As modern people become more and more wary of synthetic skin products, they’ve rediscovered some of the herbs that used to keep their ancestors skin fresh, blemishless and healthy. See wrinklecreams.com for more information.

The Good and Bad News About Oily Skin 

Skin outbreaks can happen to anyone, but they seem to be the bane of people with oily complexions, or at least young people with oily complexions. For people with oily skin have skin that holds in moisture, so they tend to have fewer wrinkles as they age.

Since oil does have the benefit of keeping the skin lubricated, nothing should be taken that shuts down oil production all together. Some herbs can stop the overproduction of oil that leads to skin outbreaks like acne. Some of these herbs include basil, eucalyptus, lemon grass, yarrow and the fruit and leaves of strawberries.

Cleaning Away Excess Oil 

A person with oily skin should wash their face at least twice a day with a neutral cleanser. Cotton pads dampened with witch hazel will also help wipe away excess oil. They can also steam their face once a week to unclog the pores and further get rid of excess oil. Alcohol should be used sparingly, as it dries out the skin so much that the skin reacts by producing even more oil than it did before.

One facial steam for oily complexions uses a mix of herbs: 

1 rounded teaspoon each of chamomile flowers, lemon grass leaves, lavender flowers and rosemary leaves. Simmer water, add the herbs, remove from the heat and steep for five minutes. A mask for an oily complexion can be this one:

1 tbs. witch hazel

1 tsp. bentonite clay

1 strawberry, mashed

2 drops each of lemon and cypress essential oils

Mix the ingredients and apply to the face. Leave on for about five to 10 minutes, then rinse.

A mask for acne can be: 

1 tsp. bentonite clay

1 tsp. ground strawberry leaves

1 drop chamomile, sage or rosemary essential oil

1 drop of tea tree essential oil

Water

Mix these ingredients into a paste with the water. Apply to the face in a thin layer and take care to avoid the eyes. Leave on for as long as it’s comfortable, then rinse.

Herbs and their essential oils can make a great difference when it comes to skin care and they’re much less expensive to buy than the batteries of skin care products found on the drugstore shelves!

How to Boost Your Immune System Naturally

07. February 2012 · 1 comment · Categories: Cold and Flu, Health, Herbalism, Remedies · Tags: , , , , ,

If you’ve been wondering how to go about boosting your immune system as naturally as possible, it’s time to take a closer look at herbs. We’re all concerned about the misuse of antibiotics and what that could mean during a real crisis, and it doesn’t look like any new antibiotics will be coming to our rescue any time soon. According to Bill Bryson, author of A Short History of Nearly Everything, “Although a few antibiotics have been toughened up a bit, the pharmaceutical industry hasn’t given us an entirely new antibiotic since the 1970′s.”  But we’re not about getting fearful around here. No, we’re not. We’re about taking charge, gathering some simple knowledge, and going forth with self reliance. With a little help from our botanical friends.

First stop on the herbal train is – you guessed it – echinacea. This is not only the easiest to get in commerce, it’s one of the safest. You can take echinacea tincture for months on end without side effects, and it won’t wear out on you. Echinacea assists the body in building up its own defenses. In other words, it’s like a drill sergeant. He doesn’t fight for them – he teaches them to fight for themselves.

The next herb we’ll look at is balsam root. Similar to echinacea in the way it works, balsam root is an especially good choice for those of us who tend to be immuno-deficient. You know, someone who seems to catch everything that comes around. If you’re one of those and you often feel cold and clammy, balsam root is your herb. It’s got a way of warming you up while it stimulates the immune system. A good combination, if you ask me!

For either of these herbs, I’d recommend going with a tincture. You’ll get a lot more out of the plants that way. If you can’t find tincture, tea is your next best bet. While you may be missing some constituents, as long as the tea is fresh, you’ll still be reaping many benefits. And while we’re talking tea, getting bulk herb is often better quality and much cheaper than getting tea bags.

Don’t forget to eat healthy foods to boost that immune system, either. Yes, dark green leafy veggies are ideal. Don’t feel like munching on a pound of raw kale? Green smoothies make it much easier to get plenty of vegetables in your diet.

Taking these ideas into consideration, you can make it through the rest of the winter “grunge” season with fewer concerns. And fewer antibiotics. For more ideas on how to boost your immune system naturally, as well as helpful info on fighting colds and flu with herbs, subscribe to this blog or check out my ebook Herbs Gone Wild!

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