Essential Oils-Part I

It's time to talk about Essential Oils!

I'm excited about this topic. Because there is so much info to share, I'm breaking this post into 3 parts. For Part One, I just want to talk to you about how this all began for me. Why I started investigating Essential Oils (EOs) and what I've discovered.

First a little background info. I am one of those people that enjoy taking an active role in my health. I like to feel that I am doing something to help improve my condition, whatever condition I may find myself in. I don't want to take medications if they aren't necessary and appreciate having a Dr. who gives it to me straight. There are times she's said, "It's probably a virus. Let it run its course. Wait it out. Antibiotics won't help. In the meantime, try a steamy shower and maybe some over-the-counter ______ (fill in the blank) to help relieve symptoms." Whenever this would happen, I would run to Pinterest, and put in the words Natural Remedies for _____ (whatever it was that was bothering me). I would find myself telling my family "hold on, there's a Pin about that!!" and trying some natural remedy.

Fast forward to about 5 years ago and I was attending the Holiday Home Tour in East Sacramento. One of the homes was filled with a scent that was indescribable! There must have been 10-15 of the same candle lit throughout the house. Every single room smelled amazing. It instantly shifted my mood. It made me smile on the inside. I jotted down the name of the candle, scouted it out, paid the $30 for 25 hours of burn time and added it to my favorites in Amazon :-D  If this company ever discontinued this particular candle, I was doomed. I began lighting it at home, when I felt down, when I didn't want to do something, when I needed to add a little pep in my step, I'd light the candle. I started to pay attention to what I was doing.  Here's what I noticed...

I noticed how I would use it to bring in a little joy. I enjoyed watching the flickering flame dance around. Little did I know at the time, while I was getting the benefit of the scent, there was virtually no other benefit. Zero. Zilch. In fact, whenever I blew the candle out, there was a long trail of black smoke that followed. That couldn't be good. I started thinking, was there something that would offer the benefit of a captivating smell, that would not end with black smoke and may even support my health and wellness in other ways? I began seriously investigating essential oils (EOs).

I had always been curious about them. I loved the smell of Lavender and Citrus. I guess I'm just a person for whom scent plays an important role. I remember buying a bottle of Frankincense at a church retreat a long time ago and loved how it smelled during my quiet time. Essential oils intrigued me. I liked the variety of scents available. They seemed a little pricey for the small bottle they came in. I wasn't sure how to use them without a diffuser (which I didn't have) and a part of me wondered if they were just a "fad". I decided to follow a few EO Instagram accounts and facebook pages and just kind of lurked in the background paying attention to what was being shared. Little by little I started learning more of what they are all about.

I've learned:

• EO's can be part of an overall wellness plan and used along with and as a support to traditional medicine.

• Not all oils are created equal. The EO industry is unregulated and because of that there is tremendous variance in the quality of oils that are out there.

• Some 100% Therapeutic Grade oils are Generally Regarded as Safe for ingestion and topical skin application.

• The higher quality Therapeutic Grade Oils can be used Topically, Aromatically, Orally, Internally and in recipes.

• There is scientific evidence that shows EO's can offer support to healthy living, by helping the various health systems to function at optimal levels.

• Just as we are all unique individuals, EO's can be combined in unique ways and what works best for one person may differ from what works best for another. There are general guidelines as far as what oils are known for and what system of the body they may support, but much of the process is trial and error. In other words, for highly creative persons!

• EO's can be overwhelming and a little scary at first because of all of the information available. It's helpful to have someone to talk with when you are first getting started. I'd love to be that person if you have questions.

• EO's are power packed! Meaning a little bit packs a large punch. You get amazing bang for your buck which is always important to me. If you are freaking out about the price, let's do a little "girl math" together and you'll see just how inexpensive these little drops of goodness can be.

• EO's are certainly not a fad. They have been around for a very long time. In fact, they were mentioned as far back as Biblical times. They are making a bit of a comeback, I believe as people search for ways to counterbalance the high amounts of stress, toxins and pollution that we are constantly exposed to in this day and age.

Check in tomorrow as I share a week in the life of Essential Oils.  I will let you know when EOs come to mind for me (all the time), some of the ways I've been using them and how to learn more.  I will share that I am now a Young Living Independant Distributor.  I was looking for oils that I could use with my wellness and coaching practice and after much research, they felt like the right company for me.

What has been your experience with EO's? I'd love to hear! If you have a question about essential oils feel free to set up a 30 minute chat session with me.  Click the button below to access my calendar:  

Acupuncture

Today we are going to take a look at the practice of acupuncture.  I think now may be a good time to mention medications and my personal journey.  

When I was first diagnosed with ADHD (Inattentive type), after much consideration I decided to try medication.  I don't have a history of doing very well on medication, for most of my life I have taken it only when absolutely necessary.  Not because I have any aversion to it, primarily because I always seem to have side effects that are worse than what my original issue was to begin with.  

On top of that, I'm emetophobic (fancy word that means I FREAK OUT at the site/sound of vomit) and so if a medication had any chance of making me sick, I was out before I even began.  Fast forward to my first attempt with an ADHD Medication-it was not a Stimulant and not a "Non-Stimulant" but rather something in that "other" category.  I had a rough time (I'll do a seperate blog post on that), but let's just say that by day 3 I was off of it and willing to "deal with" life as my unmedicated self. Attempt number two with meds came about 5 years later.  Again I had a hard time out the gate and by day two I was off of the prescribed medication.  I acknowledge that I never actually gave it time to work, but for me it was enough to be clear on what I wanted.  I wanted to look more closely at non-medicinal options.  

This is where the discussion with my friend came in.  She's a retired Nurse whose opinion I respect and she mentioned that I should try acupuncture, that she does it...in fact she'd take me if I was game! I'll try anything once (well just about anything) and we made an appointment a month later.  

**Please note-I have no judgement regarding the use of medication to treat ADHD.  In fact I know many people personally that it has made a world of difference for.  It has in fact been a life saving option for a few of them.  I have seen first hand children that functioned so much better on medication.  I believe whether to use medications or not is a very personal decision, and that whatever an individual chooses to do should be supported as their personal choice.  

With that being said, as I've researched alternative treatments for ADHD, acupuncture is one that has come up.  While not yet recognized as a primary treatment for ADHD, research has suggested that as a part of a multidisciplinary approach it can be effective. 

My experience with acupuncture so far has been positive.  I am going to Sacramento Acupuncture Project which is a community acupuncture practice located in Sacramento on Fulton.  I don't typically do needles well, so this was going to be interesting.  

I arrived about 10 minutes early, and met with Molly who explained how it worked.  We spent a little bit of time at the intake appointment going over what my areas of concern were. From there she led me into the treatment room.  As a community practice, you are in a room with other people.  The environment was very relaxing.  Dim lights, relaxing music, zero gravity chairs, pillows, blankets, whatever you need to "create a comfy nest". Once you are situated, the acupuncturist comes over and inserts the needles.  I had about 13 of them on my first visit.  They are very fine hairlike needles.  I didn't feel any pain.  They were inserted from the top of my head, down to my feet. You are fully clothed, but push up sleeves and roll up pants to your knees.  A minimum of 30 minutes is suggested, but you can stay as long as you'd like.  It is common to fall asleep in the chair.  Five days after my first appointment, I returned so that my husband could give it try.  The results of this therapy are "to be continued".  I will update you along the way as to what I'm noticing.  At the very least, it's a very relaxing hour in my week.  

Sacramento Acupuncture Project offers a very affordable sliding fee scale from $15-$35 based on what you feel you can pay.  It is a "sustainable model" which I like.  For the month of January, return patients can bring a friend and the $15 new patient reg. fee is waived.  Here's the flyer with more info:

If you're interested and would like to try it yourself, and are in the Greater Sacramento Area, shoot me an email at revealedpath@gmail.com and I'd be happy to bring you as my "buddy".

Thanks for reading,  ~Shaun

Sad Songs Say So Much-Depression and ADHD

Today's tip about bettering your ADHD Baseline has to do with comorbid conditions.  Because having ADHD often isn't enough (insert sarcasm), it often has a sidekick commonly called anxiety, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, oppositional defiance disorder, addiction or depression.  This sidekick will show up uninvited to the party.  When that happens, it can be difficult to figure out who is the true culprit of that day's shenanigans.

Let's take a closer look at the sidekick named depression and how it may get confused with it's partner in crime ADHD.  A few things to consider:

• ADHD and depression can look like the same thing
• It has been estimated that between 50-90% of people with ADHD will be treated for depression at some point in their lives 

““People with ADHD have a higher risk of depression due to the stress it causes and the challenges they face. Up to 70 percent of all people with ADHD will experience symptoms of depression at some time.””

— Wu, Brian "ADHD and Depression: What's the Connection?" MNT.MediLexicon International Ltd, 29 Dec 2016. Web. 9 Jan 2017

Google defines Depression as feelings of severe despondency and dejection.  A daily feeling that is associated with it is sadness.   

Today's tip is something to help when you're feeling down and well, just simply sad.  It is something you may not have considered.  It is something that I heard on a podcast last week. The podcast may be of interest to you too, it's called The Hilarious World of Depression.  

Back to the tip, during the podcast Daniel Levitin, author of This Is Your Brain On Music, was quoted as saying: 

“sad music actually can help you feel better, if you distract yourself with it. The reason is that when we’re feeling unhappy and depressed, we often feel misunderstood and the last thing you want is to listen to some rousing happy music because that’s just yet another person who doesn’t understand how you’re feeling.”

— Levitin, Daniel (Podcast Guest Expert) 11 Dec 2016 The Hilarious World of Depression [Audio Podcast] Retrieved from: https://itunes.apple.com/

The quick tip from this is when you're feeling blue, listen to a sad song. See if it works for you. A few of my favorites are:  Back to Black-Amy Winehouse, Say Something-A Great Big World, Stay With Me-Sam Smith, Tears In Heaven-Eric Clapton and I Want To Know What Love Is-Foreigner.  I'd love to hear which sad, sad songs help you feel better when the chips are down.  Leave them in the comments below.