Today's post is all about one easy trick to promote health and vitality all year long (and who couldn't especially use some help during cold and flu season?!).  I'm talking essential oils, specifically my two favorites for this time of year - dōTERRA On Guard and Breathe.  While I did recently become a dōTERRA Wellness Advocate, I have used both of these oils for years.. long before I ever considered partnering with the company.  The truth is, these oils are top notch and the performance speaks for itself.  I have experienced their healing properties first hand and am thrilled to share some of the love with you! Ok, on to the oils.

I'll start with On Guard. This one is unbelievably good at keeping germs at bay and helping you heal quickly if you do come down with something.  This makes it one of my personal favorites - a definite go-to this time of year.  This oil can be used internally, topically, and aromatically (a must with ingredients like Wild Orange, Clove, and Cinnamon that will make your home smell out of this world).  However, my very favorite way to use this oil is to make a quick salve for daily application.  It's SO EASY and keeps my family healthy all season long.  I simply fill a 4 ounce mason jar with melted organic coconut oil (any carrier oil will do - grapeseed, sesame, etc), then add 40 - 50 drops of On Guard.  Stir to incorporate and top with an airtight lid.  I keep it in the bathroom and every morning we put a little on the bottoms of our feet before slipping on our socks.  Easy breezy! The anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties enter the bloodstream almost immediately, keeping our immune systems strong while we're out and about.

Now, we all know that sometimes, despite our best intentions, we do get sick.  It's inevitable.  Maybe we haven't applied our oils quite like we should.  Maybe we've ran ourselves down instead of resting when we needed to.  Whatever the reason, it happens, and when it does, we can use On Guard to help our bodies heal faster.  As a matter of fact, I found myself in this very position a month or so ago.  I'd done a ton of traveling and hadn't been getting rest (I mean NONE) and one thing I've learned is when I won't rest on my own, my body forces me to take a break (and often illness is the only thing that will slow me down).  At first I just had a little bit of a scratchy throat (and a whole lot of fatigue).  Did I stop and rest then? Nope.  Too much to do! As a matter of fact, once I get out of balance, especially when I'm missing out on sleep, it's often difficult for my body to wind down and rest again (thank you dysautonomia).  So, my symptoms got worse.  Before I knew it I had white spots covering my tonsils and all down my throat as well as intense fatigue, a runny nose, and a headache.  Oops! Guess I was going to have to rest now.  I immediately recognized how selfish I had been to not take care of my body during such a busy time..  A time when my body needed me to practice self-care the most.  I cancelled all my appointments, slathered myself with On Guard, and took a nap! Since my throat was hurting I applied the On Guard salve to my neck (around the lymph node areas) and inhaled the scent from my hands.  I could tell almost immediately that it was helping! When symptoms returned 4-6 hours later I simply rubbed on a little more oil (you can safely apply it as often as every 2-3 hours, if required).  No medicine needed! Within 24 hours I was feeling much better so I slacked off on the oil application.  The spots started returning, so I just started using it again and voilà, all better! The spots quickly went away, but I decided to use the oil for a little longer just to make sure I was completely better and to help my immune system get stronger.  After a couple of days I was able to stop using the On Guard on my throat all together and felt fantastic.  How cool is that?!

Another little tip, I love to add a few drops On Guard to a bucket of hot water and distilled white vinegar to mop my house.  It disinfects the floors and smells unbelievably good.  I even use it to make my own bathroom cleaner.  It's that good.  

With all this talk about On Guard I can't forget to tell you all about my other favorite, Breathe.  Let me tell you, this oil is nothing less than fabulous.  For many of us in the midwest, stuffiness is the name of the game from Fall through Spring.  Enter Breathe.  It's that miracle oil that opens me right up and makes the season manageable.  I literally use this, in one form or another, almost daily.  With ingredients like Eucalyptus, Peppermint, and Melaleuca it's no wonder this oil is so helpful.  I breathe it in straight from the bottle for a quick pop of openness.  I put a few drops in my diffuser so the entire family can benefit from its respiratory supporting properties when we're hanging out together.  I make a salve to have on hand (using the same ratios as in the On Guard Salve above) for when we're feeling stuffy or have sinus headaches.  I even apply a drop of Breathe (straight from the bottle) to the top of my head from time to time.  It opens me up right away.

 Another way our family uses this powerhouse oil is through applying the Breathe Salve (recipe in paragraph above) to our chest and feet (like you would use Vic's Vapor Rub) for a non-toxic, natural alternative.  Applying essential oils to the feet is especially beneficial because it allows the oils to enter the bloodstream quickly, and if using Breathe, you'll notice the effects almost immediately.  Plus, rubbing it on the chest means we're breathing it in consistently and it's being absorbed directly into our respiratory system.  Double bonus! Finally, one of my favorite ways to apply the salve is to put it directly on my face.  When I'm having sinus issues this opens me right up and eases the pain of a sinus induced headache almost immediately.  Sometimes it's just necessary.. and it feels so damn good! It may make my eyes water for a second, but I don't mind because I can breathe again!

And if you have sleep issues boy do I have good news for you! I have discovered, by happenstance, that Breathe helps me sleep all night through.  Now, this oil isn't marketed as a sleep aid, but I can tell you that every time I put it on at night I sleep like a baby.  Sometimes I don't even need it for stuffiness and I still use it to help me sleep! I was curious about this phenomenon so I did a little research and once I did, my experience made complete sense.  I especially believe two oils in the blend are to thank for this beautiful effect.  Those are Ravintsara and Ravensara, close in name and healing attributes.  Among other amazing properties, both are expectorants and pain relievers (which is why they are so beneficial concerning cold and flu symptoms).  However, both also have relaxing properties that act as a stress reliever and sleep aid! Boom! Ravensara has even been found to help with depression.  I don't know about you but I can definitely use help with that during the gloomy winter months in the north.  And, if you're concerned that this oil may make you drowsy during the day I can assure you that this has not been my experience (which does seem a bit odd given how well it helps me sleep at night).  I will say though, if it does make you drowsy that may not be such a bad thing since our bodies need rest to properly heal! Bring on the sleep! However, if you do suffer from insomnia (even if only induced by perimenopause) I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the restful effect of this oil blend.  Speaking of perimenopause, another ingredient in the blend, laurel leaf oil, helps regulate hormones and menstruation.  The benefits of this oil keep on going!

If this post spoke to you, both oils are available at my dōTERRA site by clicking here.  You can also navigate to that page using the "DōTERRA" tab in the menu on this site.  Happy healthy to you all! Please share your oil experiences with me and let me know if you have any questions!