Gut Health, Kids Health, Natural Remedies, Natural Sleep Support, Supplements, Whole Food Diet, Women's health

How to Boost Immunity Naturally with 5 Key Tips!

You may be wondering how to boost your immunity naturally so you can stay healthy longer and enjoy the things you love! Maybe you’re also tired of getting sick all the time. Pharmaceutical and over-the-counter drugs never get to the root of your illness and have serious side effects. So, natural preventative medicine and home remedies are a more healthy approach.

I help my family and clients increase their health with these 5 tips below. If you follow them, you’ll also have a stronger immune system and be able to prevent infections in your body and in your home!

5 Tips for Boosting Your Immunity Naturally

Tip #1 – Get Plenty of Sleep

To strengthen your immune system, you’ll need to prioritize getting plenty of good-quality sleep. When we sleep, our bodies are able to restore strength and re-set cell function. Therefore, it’s one of the most important aspects of boosting immunity.

It’s wise to get to bed by 10:00pm which is when our bodies secrete melatonin, a regulating sleep hormone, naturally. If getting to sleep or staying asleep is a problem for you, you can check out my previous blog posts. Improve your sleep by adjusting your circadian rhythm, using Chinese Medicine, and doing a special Yoga practice for sleep.

Tip #2 Eat a Balanced, Organic Diet

Eating a balanced diet will ensure that your body is getting most of the vital nutrients it needs to support immune system function. There’s many opinions on what “balanced” means though.

I’ve found through research and my own wellness journey that it’s best to focus meals around organic vegetables and sustainably sourced protein. The rest of the meal can be filled in with fat and starches. Seasonal fruits make great snacks in between meals. Here’s my suggestions for specific macrobiotic ratios if you need more guidance.

Gut health is the basis for immunity, as beneficial bacteria protect the gut lining and help form a defense against pathogens. A balanced diet supports the gut flora (prebiotics). It’s helpful to include fermented foods too though, which add even more beneficial bacteria to the intestines. Try eating more unsweetened yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, and pickled vegetables each day. You can drink fermented kombucha, kefir, and beet kvass too, which are so yummy and healthy!

Beet kvass to boost immune health

At the same time, you’ll need to avoid the foods that harm gut health. Sugar, alcohol, conventional foods with herbicides & pesticides, GMO foods, and processed foods made with rancid oils will all kill beneficial bacteria. They’ll feed the “bad” kind of bacteria instead and may even damage the gut lining.

Tip #3 Take High Quality Supplements

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to get all the nutrients you need for a healthy gut and strong immune system. Even if you’re eating a balanced diet, there’s sure to be some gaps here and there. Malnourishment can impede immune system function.

You’ll want to take a whole food vitamin, antioxidant herbs, an essential fatty-acid blend (especially Omega-3 oils), and a probiotic (since gut health is so easily damaged day-to-day).

Lifelong Vitality Supplements to Support Immune Health

Be sure that you’re choosing supplements that are sustainably sourced and free of fillers. The supplements I use in the picture above also contain essential oils that make them easier to digest and more bioavailable.

Tip #4 Use Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils

Speaking of essential oils, there are so many that can boost your immunity directly. OnGuard is my favorite blend (wild orange, clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary) because it’s so pure, you can use it internally as an immune-boosting supplement.

These essential oils can also be applied, diluted in a carrier oil, to the skin and are readily absorbed into the blood stream where they’re ready to fight any invaders. Diffusing the oils in your home can do the same to prevent the spread of germs in the air.

Tip #5 Manage Your Stress

Stress also damages gut health and prevents you from getting good sleep, so can negatively affect your immunity if you don’t take it seriously. It’s helpful to approach life with a light-hearted attitude, but I know that’s hard to do all the time and stress can’t always be avoided. It can be managed though, so you should take some time during the day to release it. Relieving stress is especially important at night before going to bed so that your body and mind can calm down.

You can download my free stress-relieving acupressure guide here that can help you create a soothing night ritual.

The acupressure points I share in the guide will help you relieve tension and help you fall asleep and stay asleep longer. You can even incorporate relaxing essential oils like Lavender, Frankincense, Cedarwood, and doTERRA’s Serenity blend in the protocol which will enhance your ability to let go of stress.

If you include these tips in your daily ritual, you’ll be giving your immune system the boost it needs. They’ll keep your body stronger than any microorganism attempting to invade it, or your home.

Please let me know how you feel about adopting these tips in the comments! I’d love to hear your own tips for keeping yourself and your family healthy too!

Chronic Disease, Emotional health, Essential Oils, Gut Health, Kids Health, Natural pain relief, Natural Sleep Support, Supplements, Women's health

This Is Why I Recommend Copaiba Over CBD

When it comes to managing modern health challenges like chronic stress, anxiety, and inflammatory conditions, it’s best to take a natural approach. People now realize how dangerous it can be to become dependent on pain killers and mood-altering drugs. Cannabidiol (CBD), is a popular natural solution, but the lesser-known Copaiba essential oil is even better in my opinion. Here’s why I think it’s a clear winner when people are considering Copaiba essential oil vs. CBD for holistic health.

Why Focus on the Endocannabinoid System?

The endocannabinoid system has only been studied in depth over the last decade. Scientists discovered that there’s a nexus of cannabinoid receptors on cells throughout the entire body that interact with cannabinoids and can be key in managing disease. So far, they recognize two types of receptors.

CB1 receptors reside in the brain and link with Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive chemical derived from the Cannabis sativa plant. This explains the “high” that someone experiences when they use it.

CB2 receptors cover cells everywhere else in the body. They receive two cannabinoids: Cannabidiol (CBD) which is also derived from Cannabis sativa and beta-caryophyllene which is largely present in Copaiba essential oil (also in black pepper, clove, melissa, and rosemary essential oils, but in a smaller amount) . CB2 receptors support the nervous, cardiovascular, digestive, and immune systems and are responsible for healthy inflammatory response.

CB2 activation does not create a psychoactive experience like CB1 receptors, so one becomes very relaxed but not “high”.

Many of our health issues these days are due to stress, or too much time spent in a sympathetic nervous system state (flight or flight) as opposed to the parasympathetic state (rest and digest). We also have issues with lowered immunity or auto-immunity. Then there’s pain and inflammation that have many causes. CBD and beta-caryophyllene from Copaiba essential oil both create beneficial systemic effects that help manage symptoms of these health challenges and increase our body’s capacity to heal.

Efficacy of Copaiba Essential Oil vs. CBD

One of the reasons Copaiba sets itself apart from CBD is that it’s cannabinoid binds directly to CB2 receptors! Beta-caryophyllene is quickly available for the body and has a long half-life, meaning it lasts long in the body.

CBD, on the other hand, binds indirectly after several internal processes, which means it takes longer to provide symptom relief. The longer activation cascade of CBD also make dosage confusing because the amount of CBD that’s activated is not always consistent. CBD has a shorter half-life than Copaiba’s beta-caryophyllene

Generally, a smaller amount of high-quality Copaiba essential oil is needed for beneficial effects compared to CBD. You get what you pay for in both industries. But even the more expensive therapeutic-grade brands are still a less expensive option than CBD because of the dose difference.

Research Supporting Copaiba Essential Oil

Exciting research shows that Copaiba essential oil can help with many health challenges!

Check out these studies to learn more:

How to Use Copaiba Essential Oil

Here’s some ideas of how you can use Copaiba essential oil for holistic health at home.

Aromatic

Place a few drops in a water diffuser to relax your mood. It blends well aromatically with Lavender, Douglas Fir, Frankincense, Peppermint, Clary Sage, and many other essential oils.

Topical

Combine 3-5 drops of Copaiba with 1 oz. of carrier oil like Fractionated Coconut Oil and massage into target areas of the body.

Another fabulous benefit of Copaiba is that it enhances the effects of other essential oils. Try these powerful combinations:

Blend with Deep Blue to massage into any painful or inflamed regions of the body
Add into moisturizer along with Geranium and Frankincense to care for blemished, dry, or wrinkled skin
Massage into soles of feet along with Vetiver to support deeper sleep.

Internal

Take 1-2 drops of therapeutic-grade Copaiba essential oil under tongue or in a vegetable capsule with olive oil to access all of it’s health benefits.

Have you used Copaiba essential oil? Please share your experience in the comments! I’d especially love to hear if you’ve been able to compare it to CBD. Which do you prefer? Well wishes to you…

Chronic Disease, Emotional health, Environmental Concerns, Essential Oils, Kids Health, Natural pain relief, Organic lifestyle, Toxin-free living, Women's health

Why Is Everyone So Excited About Essential Oils?

There was a time in American history when essential oils were only used by traditional healers, massage therapists, and subculture flower children. But now, we have modern families, business owners, and even medical doctors using them in their homes and professions. Why is everyone so excited about essential oils these days?

Here are 5 reasons why I believe essential oils are back to stay! After reading them, you may decide to incorporate them into your lifestyle too!

Why essential oils popular?

1. We need alternative healthcare

Essential oil knowledge was lost when modern medicine became popular in the United States. This is because people used to think Western medicine was more evolved, and therefore should have greater respect. Some innovations, like life-saving surgeries and fertility procedures are truly miraculous. However, this standard of care is only focused on palliative measures. It doesn’t address the root cause of health imbalances. We need and expect more.

We’re realizing that Western Medicine is not making us healthier. We are wising up and asking:

WHY is this happening to me?

WHAT does my body need to be healthier?

HOW can I maintain health?

Nature, traditional medicines, alternative health practitioners, and your own intuition are the best guides.

Essential oils are gifts from nature that help support physiological functions, improve mood, control infections, and thereby add to our health.

2. Essential oils are effective alternatives to toxic products

We are living in a toxic soup that triggers many health problems in our population. Visit EWG.org to learn more about pesticides, herbicides, antibacterial agents, and other threats in our environment. They’re still legal in the U.S., even they disrupt hormones, destroy gut flora, decrease immunity, and cause cancer. Therefore, it’s up to manufacturers to remove them from their products or up to consumers to stop buying them.

Essential oils can clean our homes and bodies. Many families make their own home and personal care products using essential oils. There’s also some trusted companies who provide ready-made products using essential oils. These are safe and effective replacements to toxic conventional products found on grocery store shelves.

3. Essential oils have been used effectively for thousands of years

Did you know essential oils have been used from the beginning of history? Ancient Chinese, Indian, Greek, and Egyptian civilizations prized them for their beauty enhancing, spiritual, and therapeutic value. So even though they are new to Americans, that’s not so in the rest of the world.

Our culture is starting to respect older modalities like my profession of Chinese Medicine, as well as using Essential Oils. I would not call it a trend. Americans are just now seeing what has always been around – an awakening of sorts!

4. People want to feel empowered & resourceful with health choices

Many people these days don’t believe that “doctors know best”. It’s important to have a health practitioner as a guide or for a different perspective. However, most people have the awareness to know when they’re well or not though, and whether it’s an emergency. They know how to research and experiment with natural remedies and determine if they’re working.

Moms in particular, want to trust their instincts more. They want to be resourceful and feel empowered with their choices, just as our ancestors were. They know their children better than anyone else! It’s easy for them to use essential oils and they’re accepted well by their children. Experience shows them that essential oils work well to manage illness in the family and to boost their health.

5. There’s tons of research to support essential oil efficacy

Each year, hundreds of research studies validate essential oil efficacy. Here are just a few that show essential oils can improve one’s health naturally:

Certainly, the excitement behind essential oil use is backed by a compelling need! Do you want to try them out too? Visit my natural products page for more information on the oils I recommend. With over 20+ years of experience using them, I can help answer any questions you have as well!

Essential Oils, Kids Health, Natural pain relief, Natural Remedies, Women's health

Learn How To Make This Natural & Effective DIY Healing Salve

What do you do when your kids get cuts, scrapes, bites and bruises? How do you handle an injury at the gym or another acute, but non-emergency challenge? Essential oils are a better option for tissue repair than antibiotic ointments that encourage our modern day problem of antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Essential oils can also help with muscle repair and circulation, helping the body to heal itself. Learn how to make an effective DIY natural healing salve so you can be prepared! You’ll be using it more often than you think!

My body was put to the test last week when I pulled a calf muscle in tennis class that left me unable to walk normally for several days. Even though it was extremely painful, I knew that it wasn’t serious enough to see a doctor and that I had everything I needed to heal myself. One of the greatest tools I used in my natural health arsenal was application of therapeutic-grade essential oils 2-3 times a day in the form of a healing salve. It’s been a week and my calf is already operating at ~ 90%!

Salves can be infused with dried or fresh herbs. Or you can use essential oils, which are much quicker and easier to incorporate! Salves are especially soothing because nourishing carrier oils are used to keep the herbs on the skin longer so the plant medicine can penetrate through.

I suggest using beeswax pellets, which are less complicated to measure than the block beeswax I used for this recipe. If you must use beeswax blocks, you may want to use a cheese grater to shave it off in smaller pieces since cutting the block with a knife is very difficult and you risk hurting yourself (and your knife!)

Listed below are some of the best essential oils for your healing salve (choose 1-4 for this recipe). I would suggest you combine them based on function, not necessary how well they smell together! Only use therapeutic grade oils. See my essential oil website page for more information about the brand of oils I stand by.

Essential Oils That Support Healing

Lemongrass – muscle tension relief & repair
Marjoram – muscle tension relief, soothes nerves, promotes relaxation
Copaiba – calms nervous system, powerful antioxidant, supports a healthy inflammatory response (contains betacaryophyllene which binds directly to CB2 receptors like CBD oil but without the psychoactive properties).
Peppermint – helps resolve pain
Lavender – one of the most versatile oils, helps relax muscles, supports healthy inflammatory response & tissue repair.
Helichrysum – supports the body with blood clotting and tissue repair
Myrrh – soothing for the skin, an ancient health aid
Cypress – increases circulation of blood & energy

Basic Healing Salve Recipe

Ingredients:

8 oz. cold-pressed organic coconut oil
1 oz. beeswax (pellets are best)
1/8 tsp. vitamin E (optional)
40 drops therapeutic-grade essential oils (I used 10 drops each of Lemongrass, Marjoram, Peppermint, and Copaiba)
8 oz. glass jar

Instructions:

Place coconut oil and beeswax in a double boiler and melt completely under low heat. Remove from heat and add vitamin E (if using) and the essential oils. Immediately pour into the glass jar. Allow it to cool completely before putting on the lid. Store in a cool location, where it should last 1-3 years.

beeswax coconut oil essential vitaminE salve

Voila! It’s that easy. You will be so grateful that you took the 10 minutes to make this salve! I’m eager to hear how it works for you. Please let us all know in the comments! Well wishes to you all…

Boost Energy, Chronic Disease, Emotional health, Gut Health, Kids Health, Personal Development, Women's health

What Does it Mean to be Healthy?

What does it mean to be healthy?

With my work-life centered around health and wellness, this is a question that I ponder often.

Health is not just normal range vital signs, Body Mass Index, and blood tests. Sure, physical exams with your Medical Doctor are important to rule out serious conditions! But even The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) define health broadly as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not just the absence of sickness or frailty.“

Are You Really “Well”?

“Well-being” has more to do with how one feels and less about a number on some test. But I would also challenge that it’s not simply a personal perspective. I’m often surprised that some people conclude they are healthy when it’s a fact that they are sick often or suffer with chronic conditions like allergies, eczema, colitis, asthma, or are in constant pain.

For some people, “well-being” could be an acceptance of these chronic issues. They are so common in our culture, they don’t stand out as being abnormal. Some people don’t realize their condition can be improved, which may increase their acceptance of it. Or, there might be a reluctance to acknowledge poor health if major lifestyle changes are necessary.

Wellness is something that we must always be striving for. This is especially true when we’re challenged with so many social and environmental factors that threaten our holistic health.

Wellness is Not Perfection

Below are the markers that I look for when assessing health, besides what your medical doctor would tell you. And no, I am not in perfect health either. I’m an Acupuncturist with a thyroid disease in remission and a Yoga Teacher who is technically overweight (emotional eating is definitely involved!).

Even though I’m very comfortable in my skin, I’m not resigned to settle where I am. I’m constantly moving toward being the healthiest version of myself so I can share my solutions with others who strive to do the same.

Indications of Good Physical Health

Clear skin – Acne and rashes often indicate hormonal imbalance and point to poor gut health and possible food intolerance as the culprit.
Daily well-formed bowel movements – Again, we look at poor gut health when stools are either too hard & infrequent, or too loose.
Good muscle tone – Skinny does not equal healthy! Having a low BMI does not mean that you’re in ideal physical shape. In addition to a lower fat percentage, having good muscle tone is important to support the joints in your spine and limbs so you maintain good posture and stay free of injury as you age.
Flexible joints – Being able to sit on the floor comfortably and touch your toes from a standing position are good indicators of sufficient flexibility.
Having 2 or less colds/year without any secondary infections – If you’re constantly getting sick or you’re ending up with ear infections, sinus infections, bronchitis, or pneumonia after catching a cold or flu, then there is much room for improving your immunity (gut health) through a better diet, nutritional supplementation, detoxifying your body, and managing stress.
Sound sleep – Being able to fall asleep easily and stay asleep is not just a good indicator of physical health, but mental & emotional well-being too. Physical tension, hormonal issues, and indigestion can keep you awake, but so can pensiveness, anger, and regret.
Physical ease – Pain is always an indication of inflammation and that your body needs help. In Chinese Medicine, pain is the result of Qi (life energy) and Blood stagnation, that can be caused by injury, muscle imbalance, inappropriate diet, stress, too much/too little activity, and much more…
Regular menstrual cycles – Absence of flow, scanty flow, heavy flow, short cycles (less than 25 days), long cycles (more than 31 days), and pain all indicate a disharmony from a Traditional Chinese Medical perspective. A regular menstrual cycle and proper egg development are responsible for fertility, so extremely important indicators of health.

Indications of Good Emotional Health

Resilience – This is harder for kids and definitely comes with maturity. Being emotionally resilient means that you bounce back quickly when challenged by difficult circumstances & stressful situations.
Compassion and empathy – Can you understand and feel the pain of others? Can you put yourself in their shoes?
Emotional expression – We can express our feelings to resolve conflict and process emotions. At the same time we don’t dump our feelings on people when it’s not necessary or welcome. The appropriateness of emotional expression in situations is what makes it healthy or not.
Gratitude and forgiveness – Both of these feelings help us appreciate our life and also help us to move on and build hope about the future.

Indications of Good Mental Health

Focus – Are you able to organize your mind and follow through on tasks without overwhelm?
Perspective – It’s important to see a situation from another perspective and understand someone else’s point of view.
Ability to establish new beliefs – Rigid thinking can lead to cynicism, depression, antisocial behavior, and poor health in general. It’s healthy to have an open mind and consider new possibilities. We should be able to back off or change course when we notice that a certain activity/habit is negatively affecting our health and relationships with others.

We all have something we can be working on to move toward better health. All of the indicators on this list can be improved.

What do YOU consider to be healthy? What could you add to this list? Is there anything I mention that you’d like to challenge? I’d love to have this discussion in the comments!

what does it mean to be healthy? Pinterest

Boost Energy, Kids Health, Natural Remedies, Parenting, Whole Food Diet

How To Get Your Child To Drink More Water

Do you have a hard time getting your child to drink water? Maybe it’s hard for you to stay ahead of his or her thirst (a sign that they’re already dehydrated). Or perhaps you’re challenged with an older child who’s not under your influence as much (like at school) who also prefers sugary, less hydrating, low-nutrient drinks like juice, processed milk, and soda.

If you’re a health-conscious parent, you know about the benefits of water and how necessary it is to nourish our cells and drive most physiological functions in our bodies. The most popular recommendation right now is drinking half one’s body weight of water in ounces. But we often need more than that when the weather is hot, we’re sweating a lot, or when we’re sick. Dehydration can happen to people of all ages when we’re losing more water than we’re consuming. Sometimes dehydration can be so severe that a hospital visit is necessary to treat with IV fluids. Getting kids to prioritize drinking water is your best option to prevent serious issues.

Don’t worry though! It is totally possible for you to help your child establish this healthy habit. Here are several tips I can offer that have worked in my family to keep my son well-hydrated and preferring water over other drinks.

How To Get Your Child To Drink More Water

Model drinking water at home

If your kids see you reaching for coffee, sodas, juice, or even alcoholic beverages (that look like juice!) instead of water, then they’ll want what you have and will not understand the importance of water. You’ll need to teach them that water is best for you and for them.

Offer water first thing in the morning

Everyone, adults and kids alike, would benefit from drinking water first thing in the morning. This primes the body to start peristalsis (moving the digestive tract) which is one of the body’s main detoxification methods. Offer water to your child as soon as they wake, or even leave a large cup of water next to their bed so they can get in the habit of drinking as soon as they wake up. Of course it would be good for you to be doing the same! Adults should try to drink a 1-3 glasses of water upon waking. Your digestion should improve!

Let your child have their own special cup or water bottle

It can make all the difference if your child has their own water container. Let them pick out a special cup. Let them decorate their water bottle with stickers. It’s best to drink out of stainless steel, ceramic, copper, or glass, but plastic will do if that’s all that’s available.

Keep a pitcher of water at kitchen table

You’ll whole family will find it easier to drink more water if you keep a pitcher full on the kitchen table at all times. Kids love to be able to help themselves, so you could even make it easier for them by having a pitcher small enough that they can pour from themselves.

Always travel with water

Try to get your child in the habit of taking a bottle of water with them everywhere. All car rides, school, field trips, and even play dates (if you’re child is uncomfortable asking the parent for water).

Flavor the water

Of course it’s best if a child can appreciate the flavor of water alone. If they prefer drinking juice, try offering flavored water as a healthy alternative. Add sliced cucumber, lemon, berries, and/or mint. Our family also loves to drink a chilled hibiscus tea which tastes fruity but does not have any sugar.

(If the whole family agrees that the house water tastes bad, you may want to consider water testing & filtration!)

Drink sleepy time teas as bedtime ritual

Many families prefer to have milk at bedtime to help induce sleep, but unless you’re drinking raw milk, there’s not enough nutrients and way too much sugar in processed, lower fat milks. As a bedtime drink, you’re better off offering water alone or a bedtime tea to make it a more special ritual. Chamomile or lavender teas can help them relax to support better sleep. Offer it 1-2 hours before bed so they can go to the bathroom before falling asleep and not risk having to wake up to pee.

Teach child signs of dehydration & the risks

Again, dehydration is very serious. If you can spot it easily in babies and toddlers (no wet diapers within 3 hrs, crying without tears, sunken eyes, fever, and/or dry mouth). You’ll need to teach your older kids the signs of dehydration if they’re away from you much of the day. Teach them that they need to drink more water, and maybe even get help from their caregiver, if they’re experiencing:

thirst
a dry and sticky mouth
dark and strong smelling urine
infrequent urination (they should be going every 3 hours or so)
infrequent stools (they should be pooping every day)
headaches or muscle cramps
dizziness
irritability
rapid breathing

Try to drink mainly room temperature water

While ice cubes may make drinking water more fun and ice water can feel refreshing on a hot day, it’s not the best way to drink water. We usually slow down and sip cold water (as we do hot), so it’s not as efficient as room temperature water for getting water into a child quickly to quench their thirst. Also, according to Chinese Medicine theory, cold inhibits the movement of Qi (vital energy) in the body, so can also create stomach pain or slow digestion, as can other cold foods and drinks. Still, I support you in doing what you need to to encourage your child to drink! So if you need to buy fancy ice cube trays, so be it!

I hope you’ll benefit from these tips on how to get your child to drink more water! Please let us know how you’re doing with them by commenting in this post. Moms everywhere would also love to hear your tips if you have any I didn’t mention! Well wishes to you and your family…

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Gut Health, Kids Health, Whole Food Diet

How to Get Picky Eaters to Make Healthy Choices

How do you get picky eaters to make healthy choices? I have 5 tips that will help your children try new foods, understand why a balanced diet is necessary, and set them up with healthy dietary habits for life.

Moms know that our most important job is to help our children grow and thrive. Therefore it can be disheartening when our kids start refusing to eat what we provide. Our basic worry is that they’ll starve, so we give in to their desire, which is usually some processed, grain-based “food”. But these foods are high in calories, void of important micronutrients, low in fiber, and break down much too easily into basic sugars which then often damage gut flora. Giving into children’s picky eating can still lead to malnourishment, which is the basis of chronic childhood illnesses in the U.S. today.

Then how do you make your child eat what you provide? The truth is that you can’t unless you threaten them, bribe them, or try hiding the healthy food (like vegetables) in something else they like which is not as healthy (like Kraft Mac n’ Cheese). This does not help your child make conscious healthy choices though. Preferably, they should have some internal motivation to eat healthy foods so that they grow into adults who value healthy eating.

I know this isn’t easy moms, I have a picky eater too. If he could, my son would just each fruit and bread all day. At 8 years old though, he is now turning a corner and making better choices. I would love to share my tips on what’s working in our home with the hope that your family will benefit too. Realize that it may take some time for your child to come around. But when they do, they will be set with great habits for life.

5 Tips to Get Picky Eaters to Make Healthy Choices

1. Be persistent

It’s important that you don’t give up. Keep placing healthy foods in front of your child. Do not assume that their palate is set and that they will always be this way. Their tastes will constantly change throughout childhood.

If you keep offering a food, someday they will eat it! Think about Green Eggs & Ham. For example, if you’re wanting your child to eat more vegetables, offer a variety of them and with multiple of ways of cooking them. Maybe they won’t eat broccoli steamed alone, but they will if you have a yummy dip for it. Or perhaps they’ll eat broccoli creamed with potato in a soup or in a stir fry with rice and soy sauce. Maybe you can involve them in the cooking more or ask them what they’d like to have with the broccoli so they feel like they have some control. Just keep offering the broccoli or even another vegetable with similar nutrients.

Broccoli has not been a problem in our house, but eggs has. My son doesn’t like eating too much meat (which is fine because we don’t as well), so we try to include more plant-based proteins, fish, raw dairy, and eggs in our diet. Right now he’s not eating eggs scrambled (which is a bummer because I used to be able to mix zucchini & scrambled egg in a yummy burrito). But he will eat “Egg-in-a-hole” which is a piece of bread with a hole cut out of the center in which you fry an over-easy egg. I still offer scrambled eggs & omelets. Sometimes he’ll eat them with organic ketchup, but I will make the egg-in-the hole more often because I’m just thrilled that he’s still eating egg.

2. Model Healthy Eating

Moms, I love to empower you! You are the center of your family and if you’re also the main shopper & cook, then you have much of the control. This also means that you will need to take responsibility! Sorry, but I need to give you some tough love.

Buy healthy foods so your kids can eat healthy foods. Realize that if you’re modeling picky or unhealthy eating, your kids are learning from you. If you’re too busy to cook and prefer to eat out of a box or getting fast food, your kids are also learning that food quality doesn’t matter to you and it’s something they shouldn’t care about either.

If you’re not sure what it means to eat healthy, it’s not your fault! We’ve been given the wrong information from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and their Food Pyramid and MyPlate suggestions (which are of course grain-based to support their main industry). It is becoming evident that these dietary suggestions are not helping our population become healthier. You can read this post for my advice on choosing a healthy diet for your family which is based on traditional diets of people throughout the world and is what most holistic nutritionists would suggest.

3. Make Sure All Parents/Guardians Participate

If you’re trying to make healthy changes at home to curb your child’s picky eating, it’s important that all the adults in your child’s life are also on board with your mission. You may need to point out that it’s not helpful and is actually creating a weird power dynamic if you are the “healthy” and maybe “not as fun” parent, but your partner is the one who gives into the processed foods & treats. Really, this should be a goal for the whole family – to live long healthy lives fueled by whole foods.

Same goes for caregivers and teachers. If you need to, pack a meal for your child when leaving them in someone else’s care. It may also be important for you to pack a lunch for your child at school as well.

Side story: When my son was in Kindergarten (which we tried for 2/3 of the year before pulling him out to homeschool), the teachers loved to emphasize that it was important for kids to make their own choices at lunchtime in the cafeteria. That’s a great message except that the food provided was horrible. To this day my son says that the best part of Kindergarten was being able to drink chocolate milk at lunch which makes me roll my eyes every time.

4. Allow Some Consequences

Admittedly, #3 above has been a challenge in our family. My husband makes different, not as healthy meals for our son. I’ve stayed quiet when teachers and parents of friends have given him a lot of candy. I have also given in here and there, still giving him bread and cold cereal occasionally, but for the most part I’m the constant who is always trying to get him back on track.

Where I really failed was enforcing thorough teeth brushing and flossing, even knowing that he was getting more sugar than I would have liked. I have no excuse other than I’ve been too busy and assumed that what he was doing a good-enough job. My heart sank when I learned at his last dental check-up that he had FOUR (!) cavities. When the dentist recommended fluoride I was even more upset. (Fluoride is a neurotoxin and something we avoid in our house because of my thyroid issues.) After I refused, she said, “well, I guess you’ll just need to eat less sugar, bread, chips, crackers…” That was the answer I wanted my son to hear.

Since that check-up and especially after having two of the cavities filled last week, we’ve had many conversations about healthy eating. I can tell that he’s trying really hard to make better choices, even joining me in drinking celery & cucumber juice in the mornings! He’s also more agreeable with us monitoring his brushing & flossing. So while getting the cavities was not ideal, at least my son learned from the experience.

5. Explain What Happens To Your Body When You Eat Well And When You Don’t

Kids need to know that health begins in the gut. When we’re eating well, our beneficial gut flora is nourished and we experience lots of energy, great sleep, efficient digestion, clear skin, and sharp thinking. When we’re eating too much sugar or another dietary imbalance, we’re feeding pathogenic bacteria in the gut instead of the beneficial species. We can experience problems with energy, sleep, attention, behavior, digestion, skin, may experience many illnesses, and may even develop chronic illnesses and secondary infections.

Try to have discussions about this! You are your child’s best teacher. But if you can’t explain it, I encourage you to seek out a holistic nutritionist to help.

You can also review these articles:

Practical Dietary Advice for Healthy and Happy Kids

What Does It Mean To Be Healthy?

How to Keep Grains in Your Diet and Your Gut Happy

Improve Your Family’s Gut Health, part 1

Improve Your Family’s Gut Health, part 2

I hope this gives you some hope that you can manage your child’s picky eating and that it’s worthwhile to take steps in improving it right now! If you have any other advice for parents, please let us know in the comments!

Well wishes to all…

Essential Oils, Kids Health, Natural Remedies, Seasons, Spring, Summer

Be Prepared With These Safe And Effective Natural Tick Repellents

As the weather begins to warm, cute fluffy animals are not the only forest inhabitants to awaken, but also the disgust-provoking ticks that like to feed off of them. People fear ticks not just for their blood-sucking nature, but also because they can occasionally transmit Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Fever. It’s best to prepare yourself with these natural tick repellents to help avoid these pesky parasites and the diseases they carry.

You don’t need to boycott nature just to avoid ticks. Your heart and soul would be very deprived, as nature is so healing! It’s best to just be prepared. You can repel them safely and effectively with therapeutic grade essential oils. Yes, there are heavy-duty N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET)-containing tick repellents on the market. However, families like you are becoming more concerned about the side effects of these poisons not just on our health, but on the environment too. Even the Center for Disease Control acknowledges the reluctance to use pesticides in this article, and suggests using these essential oils as alternatives to repel ticks effectively:

CDC recommended essential oils to prevent ticks bites.

Unfortunately for me (but fortunately for you, as you will learn from my mistake), I was not prepared with my essential oil blend this weekend when my son and I spent a weekend in the wild. You can hear about our story in the video below. It was horrifying, but I’m glad that it prompted me to write this post so others can benefit.

There are many natural tick sprays you can get from your local health food store. I prefer this blend which uses high quality, therapeutic grade essential oils that are sustainably sourced.

If you’d prefer to DIY, here’s a quick and easy recipe you can use when threatened by ticks:

Tick Repellent Spray

~ 2 ounces Fractionated coconut oil (a lovely carrier oil because it’s not greasy!)
20-40 drops (total) essential oils from this group, use single oils or in combination: Geranium, Cedarwood, Lemongrass, Peppermint, Thyme, or Rosemary.

Add essential oils to a 2 oz. spray bottle and top off with fractionated coconut oil. Shake gently to mix. If you store it in a cool, dark area when not in use, it should last 2-3 months.

To use, spray directly on skin before going outdoors.

Having this blend handy may have helped us avoid taking home 3 ticks from our weekend away. It would also have been wise to check ourselves before getting in the car and then showering right away when we got home (to make sure they’re not in your hair).

You should know that ticks usually need to be attached to the skin for 36-48 hours in order to pass on diseases (symptoms then show up within a week of infection). We knew that the ticks on my son had just attached, so weren’t worried about disease. However, I was sure to treat the wounds with lavender essential oil to speed up the recovery.

I hope you find these natural tick repellents useful so you can enjoy your time outdoors to the fullest! Please let us know if you have any questions or important information to share in the comments! If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it with your friends. Well wishes to you…

Kids Health, Meditation, Parenting, Personal Development

How To Share Love Through Your Words

Share love through words peaceful communication

Words have power! They can inspire us and lift us up. They can shame us and bring us down. Yet even though most of us acknowledge the influence of words, we don’t realize how our simple every-day speech can affect the connection to ourself and others. When we speak mindfully with the intention to relate, we tap into our natural, compassionate state of being, helping us become a more loving parent, friend, partner, and human-being.

Why I Started To Speak More Lovingly

For the longest time, my negative way of speaking was influenced by my family and social circles. I was sarcastic, cynical, and would say things I didn’t really mean to be funny and interesting.

I started to become more mindful of speaking in a positive manner in massage school. We learned how to speak to clients in a way that made them feel supported. We also learned how to speak about ourselves in a more loving way. Our instructor warned us seriously, “Be careful, your body believes everything you say!”

It was the first time I considered the impact my own words had on self-esteem and physical manifestation of our thoughts. Never again did I complain about a “bad” back or other body part that was simply sending pain signals to the brain in it’s own language. I embraced the idea that I should be talking to and about my body in a positive manner so that it could heal.

Still, I had much more room to go in speaking gently. Several years later at the end of a Yoga class, one of my students came up to me and we were talking about Chinese Medicine school (which I was in the middle of). I must have been talking about a test and I said something like, “I’m not going to kill myself over it”. The student’s expression turned to one of horror and she said, “nothing is worth killing yourself over”. Of course I was kidding, but she reflected back to me that it wasn’t funny. To some people this could be very disturbing. And it made a very deep impression on me because I realized that I was supposed to be modeling love & peace for my students and I wasn’t quite there.

Framework for Speaking Positively: Right Speech and Non-violent Communication

When I made the intention to speak more mindfully, I turned my attention to my meditation practice. I also immersed myself in the Buddhism classes at Insight Meditation Center.

Later on when I became a parent, I learned more about Non-Violent Communication which is very similar (but without the religious connotation, so might be more comfortable with some people although I feel that Buddhism is a philosophy for living peacefully, not a religion!) The Attachment Parenting play group we occasionally attended used NVC as a means to connect deeply with the kids and build relationships among the parents. Since I had the background in Right Speech, NVC was not much of a stretch. I’ve done my best to adhere to it’s guidelines ever since.

I was lucky to already be familiar with these concepts, but they are certainly not mainstream. Here’s more information about each so you can decide if either is intriguing and how to apply some of the simple principles.

Right Speech

Right Speech is one of the moral disciplines of the Eight-fold Path in Buddhism and includes these 4 aspects:

No false speech (lies)
Do not slander or discredit others
Abstain from abusive language
No idle talk or gossiping

It supports the saying we’ve all heard:

“If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all!”

When one practices Right Speech, we speak honestly and are more authentic in our communication. We mindfully promote harmony and use language to lesson anger and tension in our social groups.

Practicing Right Speech is not easy, especially in this age of social media and with an inflamed political atmosphere.

In Right Speech From the Buddhist Eightfold Path, the author writes:

“Sometimes people justify harsh speech because they are speaking on behalf of a worthy cause. Ultimately, stirring up acrimony is planting karmic seeds that will hurt the cause we think we’re fighting for.

When you live in a world of acrimonious speech, practice of Right Speech requires Right Effort (another tenet on The Path) and sometimes even courage. But it is an essential part of the Buddhist path.”

Nonviolent Communication (NVC)

The Center for Nonviolent Communication is a good place to begin your education on this practice. They have many helpful articles, resources, and even have a training program for those who feel called to share this training with others. NVC was created by Marshall B. Rosenberg in response to the increasing violence he’s observed in our culture. Basically, practicing NVC consists of these four components (these are taken directly from the website):

Observation: Observation without evaluation consists of noticing concrete things and actions around us. We learn to distinguish between judgment and what we sense in the present moment, and to simply observe what is there.
Feeling: When we notice things around us, we inevitably experience varying emotions and physical sensations in each particular moment. Here, distinguishing feelings from thoughts is an essential step to the NVC process.
Needs: All individuals have needs and values that sustain and enrich their lives. When those needs are met, we experience comfortable feelings, like happiness or peacefulness, and when they are not, we experience uncomfortable feelings, like frustration. Understanding that we, as well as those around us, have these needs is perhaps the most important step in learning to practice NVC and to live empathically.
Request: To make clear and present requests is crucial to NVC’s transformative mission. When we learn to request concrete actions that can be carried out in the present moment, we begin to find ways to cooperatively and creatively ensure that everyone’s needs are met.

If you’re wanting to speak more mindfully, it needs to be a conscious shift you make in the heart first, then the mind. Know that it will take some time and don’t feel too bad if you regress back to old patterns of communication. You’re doing your best and that’s what matters most. I still yell at my son everyday, but it’s the practice of Right Speech and NVC that I’m engaging with 95% of the time that makes it much easier for us to forgive each other and reconnect. I hope it does the same for you and all of your relationships.

Have you practiced mindful speech? How has it worked for you? I’d love to know in the comments!

Chronic Disease, Gut Health, Kids Health, Natural Remedies, Parenting, Whole Food Diet

Practical Dietary Advice For Healthy & Happy Kids

Taking care of kids in this day and age can be tough, especially when it comes to healthy eating! If we didn’t grow up eating wholesome food, we may not know where to start. However, it is possible to learn the basics of holistic nutrition, even if you were raised on processed food (as I was). In this article, I offer you some practical dietary advice for healthy kids.

Kids Eat Real Food!

Kids need REAL food to grow and thrive. The biggest pet peeve of mine is the assumption that kid & adult food is different and that they will only eat processed food. Of course mac n’cheese, chicken nuggets, and pizza are acceptable to most kids if you buy into that logic and that’s all you feed them. These manufactured meals offer tons of calories, but very little nutritional value. A child raised on this diet is likely to become overweight but at the same time be severely malnourished.

The increase in chronic disease and health challenges of children in this country are largely do to nutrient deficiencies, poor digestion, and toxic overload (also lack of exercise, sleep, and play).

It takes more time and persistence, but continually offering your child real homemade food is the most loving thing you can do for them. I understand the challenge. Some kids are very picky and their tastes continually change. But it’s still wise to be persistent in offering them a variety of whole food, knowing that they will one day make better choices.

My son still doesn’t eat kale and spinach (unless they’re in smoothies), but he will eat broccoli, peas, carrots, and sweet potatoes. And now that he’s a reasonable 8 year old, we’re able to get him to eat even more veggies in an Asian stir fry or noodle dish. You need to be persistent and continue to model what a healthy diet looks like and your kids will come around eventually!

Dietary Advice For Healthy Kids

Protein, Fat, and Carbohydrates are the basic macrobiotics for balanced nutrition.

If you are under the impression that fat is bad, I’m sorry, but you have been greatly misled by our government and the American Heart Association. Read The One Surprising Thing You Need To Add To Your Diet to learn about why good quality fat is essential for our health and why you should reconsider it’s worth.

Basic dietary guidelines/macrobiotics by age:

healthy kids diet advice

~ Complex carbohydrates should consist of mostly organic vegetables and fruits in a 2:1 ratio with no more than 3 servings of whole grains per day. Try seasonal vegetables & fruits, oatmeal, rice, polenta, and buckwheat.

~ Protein should be organic and sourced naturally. Animal sources contain the highest amount of protein per serving. Make sure the animals were fed organic food diets without hormones or processed feeds. Try organic grass fed beef, organic chicken, wild caught salmon, organic whole fat yogurt, organic eggs, nuts and nut butter, and beans/lentils.

~ Fat is the main source of energy for infants from breastmilk. It continues to be important for a child’s brain to develop as they start to explore different foods. Try avocados and their oil, coconut and it’s oil or milk, flax oil, olives and their oil, egg yolk, organic butter, organic nuts & butters, and deep sea fish.

You don’t need to be super strict about the percentages of each macrobiotic, but just be sure that each group is represented and that your child is eating lots of vegetables, protein, and plenty of natural fat.

Dietary Supplements for Kids

Vitamins and minerals are the micronutrients that we all need for our cells to function at their optimum. Unfortunately, farming practices in this country have severely depleted the soil. Even organic fruits and vegetables do not have the nutrients they once did decades ago. Either we need to grow 100% of our food, making sure to feed the soil continuously through organic fertilizers & composting, or we need to supplement.

Choosing supplements can be challenging. A good place to start is visiting your local health food store and speaking to a clerk who has experience using the supplements. My son currently takes dōTERRA’s A2Z chewable multivitamin and IQ Mega Omega-3 oil (he actually asks to have his fish oil everyday!)

Gut Health Basics

My son admiring our homegrown kombucha

I’ve already written about gut health extensively, so revisit these articles to understand what damages gut health (more than most people realize!) and how you can get it back on track. It’s the basis of strong immunity, so an aspect of nutrition you don’t want to ignore!

Improve Your Family’s Gut Health, part 1

Improve Your Family’s Gut Health, part 2

Ideally, try to add fermented vegetables to your child’s meals 1-2 times per day. Pickled cucumbers and carrots, yogurt with no added sugar (add in bananas for the sweetness), and kombucha are usually well accepted. I also suggest supplementing with a probiotic. My son loves dōTERRA’s PB Assist Jr.

I hope these suggestions are clear and get you off to a good start! If you need more help, please post in the comments or reach out to me personally with questions.