This past weekend I hosted the last gathering of 2024 with my local oily gals from my Fig & Fibre community. As we sipped on apple cider and snacked on pumpkin bread, we chatted about natural ways to support our immune systems as we head into “sick season” — this is the heartbeat of my business and the community I’ve created, so I wanted to share a recap of the gathering.
At nearly every gathering I host I feel the need to mention that I’m not a doctor, I don’t have any certifications or degrees and I’m not against western/modern medicine, but I do have twelve years of experience pursuing a wholesome lifestyle. I like to use the word wholesome because it truly is a whole body and family approach to living naturally and making choices that are safer for our homes, this world and everyone we serve and love. I didn’t grow up in a holistic home — we went to the doctor often, used medicine to cover-up most symptoms — it wasn’t until my early 20’s when I really started to question this approach to health. I began doing basic research and visiting local chiropractors and physicians to figure out the root of my skin issues, hormonal imbalances, stomach pains and more. It was then I began to understand how our bodies were created to be whole — our body, mind, souls and inner being all working together — and began taking a new approach to my health.
Because of the impact this way of living has had on my well-being, it’s been a pursuit of mine to share my knowledge and practices with those around me, especially women who are trying to get pregnant, currently pregnant or in the season of postpartum, and/or suffering with hormonal issues. I’ve experienced all of these and healing my hormones has been one of the biggest changes to living a vibrant life.
In relation to immune health it’s important to talk about our hormones and other aspects of our health because again, we are wholesome beings, created to flourish and thrive. At this gathering we mostly talked about immune health, so I’m going to stick mostly to what we learned, but questions did arise about skincare, hormones and the like, so I’ll throw in some extra recipes and resources.
I’ve heard both sides of this: we either need to fear germs or we take the other extreme and feel good about spreading sickness as a way to boost our immunity. Let’s take a step back, look again and consider the other option. We don’t need to fear germs, they do indeed boost our immune systems, but we also don’t have to go to extremes thinking we can get sick and all will be good. There are things we can do to prevent sickness and strengthen our immune system at the same time. And again, I’m not against western medicine, I’ve simply come to learn that there is a wholesome approach that takes the natural route with using man-made medicines as well. So let’s explore this approach.
Preventatives, whether God-made or man-made are some of the best things to use and my first encouragement when it comes to a wholesome approach to health. Preventatives include sunshine, being out in nature, eating foods that are nourishing and wholesome, drinking plenty of water, and moving our bodies daily (my husband and I teach our kids that one of the best ways to begin each day is by spending time with God, eating a nourishing breakfast and moving their body’s). Other preventatives include essential oils (which I’ll go through below) and believing that food is medicine. For example, raw garlic, elderberries, specific spices, beef liver and other organ products, bee pollen, eggs, raw dairy products and minerals can all help heal and cure dysfunctions in our bodies.
Some of the ways I personally nourish and heal my body with these are by cooking with real and raw foods often, making simmer pots to breathe in and sip on spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, I make an adrenal cocktail with minerals every morning and I eat plenty of animal products like raw milk, raw cheese, beef liver and more.
A few things that harm our bodies, that may even be seen as “good” or acceptable in our culture are: working out too much, eating out, consuming processed sugar (we don’t need to fear sugar, it’s just the right kinds of sugars), staying away from dairy/fats and drinking too clean of water. When we purify our water we take out the good stuff, called minerals, and if the water isn’t remineralized (and even if it is) our bodies are lacking a key ingredient. Did you know that every sickness can be linked to a lack of minerals? Trace Minerals is a great addition to your every day rhythms.
Essential oils are another way to prevent sickness, although we can use them while we’re sick, they are a great man-made way to protect our bodies before sickness arrives, we’ll talk through a handful of oils, which ones are best for preventing sickness and to use during sickness. But first, a few things to note about essential oils: essential oils reach every cell in your body within 20 minutes when applied topically, they help to eliminate toxins in your body, they help support the different systems of the body: digestive, nervous, muscular, and more, essential oils promote cellular regeneration, have the ability to pass through the blood-brain barrier, help to heal emotions via the limbic system of your brain, they promote healthy emotional wellness and relax and clear the mind, transport nutrients, are powerful antioxidants, and remove toxins in the air.
The oils we discussed during the gathering were: Thieves, Clove, Nutmeg, Cinnamon Bark, Raven, SniffleEase, Breathe Again, Lemon, Lavender and Frankincense.
Thieves, Clove, Nutmeg and Cinnamon Bark are great oils to prevent sickness*. I personally use Thieves by rolling it down the spine and bottoms of the feet. And in our home, we will diffuse Clove, Nutmeg and Cinnamon Bark often to help boost our immune systems this time of year.
Raven, SniffleEase, and Breathe Again (the roll-on is perfect for on-the-go) are perfect oils to always have on hand* — especially if struggling with respiratory issues, coughs, stuffy noses and when the weather is dry. SniffleEase is a staple in our home because it’s specifically made for kids (Young Living has an entire kids line, called KidScents), it’s pre-diluted and works so well for littles who are struggling to breathe and sleep well. Here are several recipes to make with essential oils for your throat and seasonal allergies and sicknesses. Side note/not Young Living product: we’ve used this ginger pear juice for coughs and it works like magic, simply order it off amazon.
The last oils I mentioned are Lemon, Lavender and Frankincense. If I were to use any three oils for the rest of my life it would be this trio! Whenever anyone in my family shows the first signs of a cold I grab all three and rub their shoulders, spine and bottoms of feet once every hour* — these oils are also great for skincare which I mention below.
To use the oils I mentioned, you can roll them down your spine and put them on the bottoms of your feet (especially Thieves, Clove, Nutmeg and Cinnamon Bark), diffuse them, make a simmer pot and add a few drops, make a throat spray (recipe below) or put a few drops in the bath.
There are several other Young Living products that help support our bodies — both preventatively and during sickness. The Thieves Home Cleaning Line is Young Living’s cleaning supplies, they are all infused with Thieves and Lemon essential oils, so you’re boosting your immune systems while you conquer daily chores and habits around your home! I have entire post with my favorite recipes and more. A few of the other products we keep in our home are the Thieves Chest Rub, Thieves Cough Drops and Throat Lozenges — always helpful to have on hand, especially since Vick VaporRub is highly toxic, the chest rub is a great alternative. More on cough solutions can be found here.
Young Living also has a supplements line, and although our family isn’t into taking too many supplements we do have a few in our cupboard. The ones we like to have are Sulfurzyme, MightyPro and Unwind — these last two are for our kids, you can learn about them here! The supplements we enjoy having on hand are those that support our tummies since optimal health can be found by caring well for our gut and digestive systems. If you’d like more information on supplements and how to “clean them up” you can learn more here.
If you’re interested in cleansing, here are a few resources for you: an online class all about cleansing, the Cleansing Trio and a cleansing Cheat Sheet.
Like I mentioned early on, I’m not fully against western medicine, we do use medicine in our home, so during the gathering I brought out our “medicine box” — I’ll share a few insights into choosing the right medicine and what to stay away from. We turn to medicine that you can buy off-the-shelf in order to get a better night sleep, right in the beginning of a cold that would work alongside the preventative/natural methods and then truly as a last resort. We always look for medicines that are homeopathic and free from dyes, artificial coloring or added sugars, colors, flavors (natural or artificial), preservatives, sodium benzoate, citric acid, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, top allergens (corn, soy, nuts, gluten, dairy, fish).
Some brands we have grown to trust over the last few years are Hylands for kids and a more recent company is Earthley, they are a small business out of Ohio with an awesome wholesome journey, be sure to check them out! A few favorite products we love in our home are the Good Night Lotion and several of their tinctures for cold support, immune boosting, hormones, pregnancy and postpartum.
At the gathering some questions arose about skincare and hormones, so I wanted to give a few extra resources.
Related to skincare, so much of our skin issues are directly related to the foods we eat, our hormones and products we use on our skin. I always recommend reading In The FLO by Alissa Vitti, she gives a grand overview of hormones and sets you up for a journey to heal and support your hormones using food and other wholesome ways. One practical thing you can start doing today is drinking an adrenal cocktail. “To oversimplify it, the adrenal cocktail is essentially a stress mitigator and mineral replenisher, and I use it as a daily staple (twice a day). So many moms are running on fumes— another way to see it is in desperate need of remineralization.” – quote from Kori Meloy, one of my go-tos for natural living and hormone health. There are several recipes for an adrenal cocktail, but she mentions that “the goal is to get: 60mg of whole food vitamin, 375mg of potassium, 460mg of sodium.” So everyday I personally pour 4oz of orange or pineapple juice mixed with 1 Tbsp Chlorophyll, a sprinkle of sea salt flakes, and 1/2 tsp Trace Minerals. To learn more about an adrenal cocktail and hormones Kori is a great resource.
Another thing I recommend is switching your beauty products and paying attention to what you’re eating, both can make drastic differences to your skin. One of my favorite DIYs is a “glow serum” I make with essential oils, I have the recipe saved here! And two products I love from Young Living that work well with dry, sensitive skin types are the Charcoal Bar Soap (one of my ride-or-dies) and the Mirah Cleansing Oil.
Phew, that’s a wrap. This was honestly one of my favorite gatherings because overall health and wellness are the heartbeat behind why I started my business with Young Living. I’m so grateful for my local community of oily gals and I’m happy to have shared all this information with you here, especially if you’re not local. Comment on this post or get in contact with me if you have questions.
*I am unable to say specifics about these oils, if you have questions about how these oils specifically work to help support our bodies, please reach out!