Purely Thriving

It’s the first day of a new month and I’m sitting in a cafe with a strong hot coffee and sunshine is streaming through the side of the verandah warming my skin. My diary is open in front of me and August is filled with meetings, events, workshops and appointments, interspersed of course with some essential self-care. I’m reflecting on all that I’ve achieved over the last month, the difference I have made to the lives of so many people and the personal growth I’ve experienced. This morning as I was plaiting my daughter’s hair before school and I held her little hand as we walked into her Prep classroom, I took a moment to feel hugely grateful for having found the courage to make some brave choices over the last twelve months that have led me to where I am today.

Buddha said that in the end only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you. This quote makes my heart sing, it is SO true. When you think about it, a lot of our human suffering stems from not being able to let go of what is not meant for us. People hold on tightly to things, especially onto beliefs that certain things are meant for them and this manifests itself in different ways. From destructive relationships to an inflexibility in changing one’s career path, to an unwillingness to reflect on one’s fundamental values and to change them when necessary.

All of this holding on is exhausting and the tighter we hold onto the things not meant for us, the more closed we are to LIFE. This tight grip brings us so much unnecessary pain and suffering. Sure, when we loosen that grip and open ourselves up to life we still experience pain at times but it comes in a very different form. This pain is the kind that is necessary to get to where we’re destined to be, even if that destination might be drastically different from the one we had planned.

I’ve never been one to get too personal on my blog but I had a particularly powerful session with an amazing energetic healer recently and one of the many messages he brought through for me was that in sharing my story I will inspire others to find the courage to make brave choices so that they too can live the lives they’re destined for. So it’s time for me to share my story with you…..insert deep shaky breath!

Often it takes something big (and often bad) to happen in our lives for us to sit up and really pay attention and to find the courage to make change. Twelve months ago I was working in a very demanding corporate job that involved a lengthy commute to work and a lot of time away from my little girl. The work I was doing was very important and highly rewarding but the environment was toxic and it was having an extremely negative impact on my physical and emotional health. My background is in Psychology and I had worked in the mental health and disabilities field for over 13 years. I have known for a long time that my purpose here in this lifetime is to help people, which is why I chose to become a Psychologist. That toxic job was all about helping people but it’s hard to truly devote yourself to this cause when all your energy is being directed into protecting yourself from bullying, discrimination and victimisation. I couldn’t see a way out though, I was very well paid for what I did and any similar jobs would have meant a pay cut and more time away from my daughter.

Then one day I felt a lump in my breast. I went to my GP who ordered an ultrasound and whilst the ultrasound showed that the lump was harmless, they found a “shadow” in another area that they were concerned about. It wasn’t something they could biopsy straight away and so I was asked to return in four weeks time to check if it had changed and if so they would attempt a biopsy then. Well needless to say the next four weeks were the worst of my life. When you are faced with the possibility of your life ending prematurely, you re-evaluate everything. I kept thinking that if I did have breast cancer that it would be partly due to the extreme stress that I had chosen to continue to expose myself to by remaining in that toxic work environment. I firmly believe that emotional stress contributes to physical disease and more research is emerging every day to support this theory.

Although I told myself that it was the money keeping me in that soul destroying job, it wasn’t. It was the beliefs I held about myself and the beliefs of others in my life about what I SHOULD be doing. I had spent six years at university studying to be a Psychologist, I had a plan about how my life would turn out. How could I “throw away” all that to pursue my own business? After a lot of soul searching and personal spiritual development, and a lot of support from some beautiful people who believed in me even when I didn’t, I came to realise that the business I wanted to pursue was absolutely, perfectly, and divinely aligned with my true purpose in life…to help people! By empowering people with the knowledge they needed to live a low-tox life and improve their health and wellbeing with essential oils, I would directly impact far more lives and live my passion at the same time! And my university studies and work experience would never be a waste of time, they are and always will be an asset that has helped me achieve incredible success in my business and are instrumental in the continued positive impact I will have on others’ lives.

So the day came for the second ultrasound…the shadow was still there and they took a core biopsy. I had to wait three days for the results. The day I went to my GP to find out the results I knew that there were two outcomes but both would result in the same very important, life-changing decision….either I had breast cancer and I would not be returning to that job or I didn’t have breast cancer and I would not be returning to that job. Thankfully the results showed I did not have breast cancer (insert the hugest sigh of relief) and I handed in my resignation the following day. My business, Purely Thriving, was born in the coming weeks and I have not looked back since. I wake up with a smile on my face every day knowing that what I am doing is changing lives and not just on a physical level but also on an emotional, spiritual and often financial level for those I share these essential oils with. I now earn far more than I ever did in my soul-destroying job and I have the freedom to live my life on my own terms!

This whole blog post is cathartic and terrifying to share at the same time. The next part of my journey is a very personal one and incredibly hard for me to share but I feel compelled to share it. A few months ago, my husband and I made the decision to end our marriage. This decision was one that was given much thought, much love, and much compassion. We both still have a very strong connection and a commitment to nurturing our daughter to grow into the awesome human being she can be. He is an amazing man and an incredible father, and we will continue to support each other and to raise this beautiful little being we created together. But we are not meant to live the rest of our lives together. I know all of this to be true, even though it hurts more than anything and I want to share with you the circumstances that led me to make this huge decision in my life.

Earlier this year, one of my oldest and dearest friend’s brother passed away from Stage 4 Melanoma. He was someone I spent most of my teenage years with and that I looked up to….he was a kind, loving, patient and generous soul and he taught me a lot about how to nurture these qualities in myself. He was 39 years old when he died and he left behind a sister, a mother and father, a wife and three beautiful daughters, four nieces and hundreds of friends.

Grief comes in many forms and not always from a death but the grief that comes from the loss of someone who has died at a young age is something I had not experienced before and I don’t even have the words to give it the description it deserves. Witnessing his daughters and his nieces kneel around the outer edge of the grave and watch the coffin being lowered into the ground was the most gut-wrenching feeling I have ever experienced in my life. Watching my best friend grieve the loss of her brother, her parents say goodbye to their son, and his wife farewell her husband was excruciating. When I tried to describe it to someone later all I could say was that “it undid me”…. like I split open and all of the pieces of me, everything I have ever done and everything that I am spilled out of me, to be examined for its worthiness. Something shifted in my being in that moment, a gentle knowing that was very nearly drowned out by the physical and emotional pain I was feeling but I observed it and I felt it.

So I left that funeral and I sat with my grief, and I spent a great deal of time re-evaluating my life. I found the courage to make a very big decision. And so it is. I am a single mother. I am still struggling to accept that I can’t be with my daughter every day. But I know without a doubt that she should grow up knowing what a healthy relationship is. You don’t need to be a Psychologist to understand that children that grow up observing unhealthy relationships end up creating unhealthy relationship patterns in their own lives. This is an incredibly difficult period for our family but we will continue to support each other with love and understanding and I know with every ounce of my being that we have made the right choice for our family.

I love this video of Oprah talking about how we view failure in our lives, I encourage you to watch it if you haven’t seen it. So many “aha” moments in there and so much wisdom. It has been instrumental in helping me find the courage to let go of that which is not meant for me and I still watch it regularly.

“There are no mistakes, there are no wrong paths, there is no such thing as failure because failure is just that “thing” trying to move you in another direction. You get as much from your losses as you do from your victories because the losses are there to wake you up. So when you understand that, you don’t allow yourself to be thrown by a grade, or a circumstance, because you know that your life is bigger than any one experience. The key is to get still and to ask yourself “what is the next right move” and then from that space make the next right move and to not to be overwhelmed by it because you know your life is bigger than that one moment. You know you are not defined by what somebody says is a failure for you because failure is just there to point you in a different direction.”

So I implore you to ask yourself “what am I holding onto that is not meant for me?”. Don’t wait for that big moment like a health scare or a death to take that first tentative step towards living the life you are destined for. Surround yourself with people who understand you, who love you and who lift you up, who believe in you even when you may not believe in yourself. I love the quote “Difficult roads often to lead to beautiful destinations”, ain’t that the truth?! If change was easy then nobody would ever change, right? Always remember that the things you leave behind create space for more of what you truly need.

Do you have what you think is a really good reason for not taking that step to let go of something that will change your life? Ask yourself if that reason is actually an excuse because often it is….excuses keep us in our comfort zone where even though things might not be great, they are easier but life truly does begin at the end of your comfort zone. Do you want to live an easy life or do you want to live a life full of challenge and growth, joy, purpose, love and success (however you define success)? If you are fortunate enough to live to an old age and to reflect on the life you have lived, what regrets will you have?

What do you need to do to make courageous choices and change the direction of your life? For me and I believe for all of us, nourishing body, mind and soul is key. When you’re living in a state of true wellness, physically, emotionally and spiritually, you are much more capable of making the decisions you need to make to live an authentic life. Eliminating toxins from my physical life was the first step several years ago…changing the way we ate and the products we used in our home, as well as making the choice to put our health in the hands of natural health practitioners. Our amazing naturopath has changed our family’s life when no other health professional could….he healed my daughter’s eczema and my eczema, and continues to support us to live in optimal health. Using doTERRA’s essential oils complemented this for us perfectly, not only for physical health support but on an emotional and spiritual level, they have been and continue to be a very important tool for us.

When we started using these essential oils as family, I was very focused on the physical health benefits the oils could provide and how I could use them as a natural cleaning alternative around our home but I was not prepared for the immensely powerful impact they have on an emotional and spiritual level. Did you know that when you smell an aroma, the message travels straight to your limbic system which is the part of your brain that controls all aspects of your emotions, memories and even your very survival? That’s why when you smell certain aromas they immediately take you back to a time and a place from your past, and you may experience the emotions you felt in that particular situation. Using doTERRA’s Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils to support yourself emotionally is so powerful and I see the results of this on almost a daily basis with people who are using them. Even if you start out using them to support your physical health, you won’t be able to ignore the impact they have on your emotional health.

Some of the other important tools for me have been reconnecting with my love for yoga and meditation. The physical and mental health benefits of yoga are well documented, and I know that I feel and think better when I practice it several times a week. As for meditation, I’m one of those people who finds it very hard to switch off my brain which always operates at a million miles an hour. For those of you who know me well, that’s part of the reason why I speak so fast! I found these meditone tracks from Tahlee at Sonesence about 18 months ago and absolutely love them. I carry my MP3 player with me in my handbag and I listen to these when I get a quiet moment in my day. I like to start the day with one of the tracks from the Spectrum album (each track from this album comes with its own description of its purpose so you can choose the right one for the time of day and your mood) and I listen to one of the more relaxing tracks before bed. My other favourite track is called Allied Forces and can be purchased separately. Meditones are precisely tuned frequencies of sound, that when heard with headphones, guide your brain into effortless relaxation and deep meditation. You can read more about them and purchase them here (I have no affiliation with this, I simply want to share it because it’s worked so well for me).

Reading personal development books has resulted in some massive shifts for me. I’ve always loved reading and there’s nothing better than losing yourself in beautifully written fiction but personal development literature has been a real game-changer for me in recent years. I think that the key when you read personal development books is to do it with an open heart and mind…we are all unique beings and different people have different perspectives. No one book is going to give you all the answers you need…take what you need, give it deep consideration and apply it to your life where applicable. Some books that have facilitated massive shifts for me are The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks (probably my fave, I wanted to highlight paragraphs on almost every page), Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay, and A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson.

I’m not going to harp on about the physical and emotional benefits of nourishing your body by eating well. It’s something I’m really passionate about and has certainly helped me immensely though. Eating REAL unprocessed foods is one tool to empowering yourself to live well, both physically and mentally. I don’t care whether you choose to be paleo, vegetarian, vegan, low-carb, sugar-free, gluten-free, as long as you choose to eat in a way that your body functions best. I am a very strong advocate for eating organic wherever possible though and there are ways to do this on a budget. Get in touch with me if you’d like some tips and links to blogs and websites that can help you achieve this. Ordering through local co-ops and businesses for both fresh produce and bulk dry goods is the best way to save yourself money in choosing organic products and if you are in the Brisbane area, I can recommend several fantastic options for you.

If you are looking for a way to change the direction of your life on any or all levels….physically, emotionally, spiritually and/or financially then I urge you to consider using doTERRA’s essential oils in your life. You can read more about them and how you can use them here and if you’d like to explore the doTERRA business opportunity further you can learn more about that here. If you want to chat with me personally, you can email me at info@purelythriving.com.au.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story and I hope that this post resonates with some of you. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments or you can reach out to me via email.

Sending you love and light,

Perfume…most women in the Western world use it regularly but did you know that the majority of commercially produced perfumes (and men’s colognes) contain a chemical cocktail of toxic ingredients that are harmful to your health and the health of anyone else who inhales them?  I see many people who are actively striving to live a naturally healthy life and to minimise toxins from their households but are still using commercial perfumes or colognes. Often it’s because of a lack of knowledge of the health implications of using these scents but there’s also a powerful emotional connection to our favourite fragrances, so let’s take a look at why we should PUT DOWN THE PERFUME and some deliciously divine, natural “pure-fume” alternatives.

The perfumes of today are a far cry from the traditional perfumes first made centuries ago that were blended using pure essential oils. Nearly all store-bought perfumes these days contain “fragrance” or “parfum”. When you see these on an ingredient list, it actually represents a trade secret fragrance recipe that could be made up of not just one or two chemicals, but hundreds of synthetic chemicals. Read more about the dangers of these chemicals here. These chemicals are selected from a reservoir of 5,000 ingredients and of this large number of ingredients, none of them actually have to be disclosed or tested for safety.

According to an Environmental Working Group (EWG) study, 72% of products with the ingredient “fragrance” contained endocrine (hormonal system) disruptors called phthalates. Phthalates have been linked to diabetes, obesity, liver and breast cancer, hormone disruption affecting fertility and development as well as linked to ADHD and Autism in first and third trimester prenatal exposure. Everything we put onto our skin and everything we inhale enters our bloodstream and travels throughout our entire bodies, so it’s not wonder that an increasing amount of research is now showing that many of the chemical-laden personal care products we now use are harming our health. Not only do artificial fragrances have the potential to cause negative health effects for the person wearing them, they can also impact those unfortunate enough to inhale them and it is for this reason that artificial fragrances are being referred to as “the new secondhand smoke“.

“But I just can’t part with my favourite perfumes!” I hear some of you exclaim. Well that’s understandable – you have a very powerful emotional connection to your favourite scents. When you smell an aroma, receptors in your nasal cavity send messages along your olfactory nerve to your olfactory bulb (a major structure in your limbic system in your brain). The limbic system mediates and controls all aspects of your emotions, memories and even your very survival! That’s why when you smell certain aromas they immediately take you back to a time and a place from your past, and you will likely experience the emotions you experienced in that particular situation. Learn more about the role of the limbic system and how smell can directly impact this area of the brain here.

The good news is that if you want to commit to avoiding perfumes to minimise the toxic load on your body and improve your overall health, there is a safe and natural alternative that will positively impact your moods and emotions as well as your physical health. doTERRA’s Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade (CPTG) essential oils are the most pure and potent essential oils on the planet, and your options for using these incredible gifts of the earth as natural “pure-fumes” are almost endless. When wearing these essential oils on our skin, we also benefit on a physical level from the therapeutic properties of these ethically and indigenously sourced oils.

I’ve compiled a list of my favourite essential oil blends to wear as gorgeous “pure-fumes” and I’ve included some lovely natural scents for the guys too. Be sure to read on for some exciting gifts on offer for those of you wanting to get started on your toxin-free journey to better health! You can learn more about how doTERRA’s essential oils can support your health and wellness, as well as how to order your oils here.

#1: WHISPER Blend for Women

This divine blend created by doTERRA is so popular with women (and men who love to smell it on women) and for good reason! I would go so far as to say that over the last 18 months, 90% of the women I have witnessed experiencing this blend for the first time have swooned over its unique aroma! It’s a complex and diverse blend that entices the senses and combines with each individual’s chemistry to create a uniquely personal fragrance. Each essential oil in the blend provides an inviting aroma of its own, but when combined, these oils offer a distinct scent that intrigues the mind and senses to both the wearer and those passing by. Regarded as the most precious flowers in the perfume and aromatherapy industries, Jasmine and Ylang Ylang’s euphoric aromas combine with the warm and spicy scents of Patchouli, Vanilla, Cinnamon, and Cocoa to make this blend like no other you have ever experienced. It’s also known to be a powerful aphrodisiac, try applying as a perfume or diffuse a couple of drops in an ultrasonic diffuser. Whisper can be used topically (i.e. applied to the skin) without dilution in a carrier oil as it already contains Fractionated Coconut Oil.

#2: BALANCE Grounding Blend

I love wearing Balance as a natural pure-fume for it’s wonderful calming effects on the nervous system. It provides great support for anxious feelings and nerves. It’s gorgeous aroma is loved by both women and men, as it’s fresh and earthy rather than floral. This gorgeous oil blend does a whole lot more than just grounding though…it also promotes circulation and supports cellular health and overall well-being.

Balance contains fractionated coconut oil, Canadian Spruce leaf oil, Ho wood oil, Frankincense oil, Tanacetum oil, and Chamomilla Recutita Flower oil. This one can be used topically without dilution in a carrier oil as it already contains Fractionated Coconut Oil.

#3: PASSION Inspiring Blend

This amazing blend is one of the new Emotional Aromatherapy blends recently created by doTERRA. Spicy, sexy, gorgeous and inspiring, it is definitely one for the ladies rather than the men. It ignites feelings of excitement, passion and joy and counteracts negative feelings of boredom and disinterest. Diluted in Fractionated Coconut Oil it is a stunning combination of Cardamom Seed, Cinnamon Bark, Ginger Rhizome, Clove Bud, Sandalwood Wood, Jasmine Flower, Vanilla Bean & Damiana Leaf.

#4: GRACE Blend (created by Vanessa Jean from Food Alchemy)

This is a beautiful blend for you to create yourself as a natural pure-fume by mixing the essential oils with a carrier oil (like fractionated coconut oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil or apricot kernel oil) in a roller bottle. I buy my roller bottles here. I have to admit to being a bit obsessed with this blend since I discovered it recently! It is absolutely divine diffused in an ultrasonic diffuser and I’ve been loving diffusing it at bedtime. You can get lots more aromatic blend inspiration from Vanessa Jean on her Facebook page.

#5: MEN’S COLOGNES

It’s one thing for women to make the leap to natural and non-toxic perfumes, however, if the men in their life are still using chemical-laden scents then the health of the household will continue to be negatively impacted. Here’s a fantastic compilation of natural cologne blends for men using doTERRA’s essential oils. You can mix these up in 10ml roller bottles or try these press pump dropper bottles here.

The negative health effects of artificial fragrances extend well beyond perfumes and colognes. Most household products contain artificial fragrances (as well as many other harmful chemicals). You’ll find more toxin-free household tips here and here.

A FREE GIFT when you start your toxin-free journey with me!

Now for the exciting part! I am SO passionate about empowering people to live toxin-free lives using doTERRA’s essential oils that I would like to offer some FREE GIFTS to anyone wanting to get started on their toxin-free journey with me. Simply purchase a Home Essentials Kit (containing 10 of the most popular and commonly used essential oils as well as an ultrasonic diffuser) or a customised order of equivalent value and I will give you a bottle of doTERRA’s divine Whisper blend (RRP $55.34) for FREE! That’s a total saving of over $175! As a part of my doTERRA team, you’ll also have access to a private members-only Facebook group for support in getting the most out of your essential oils. This offer is valid for the next five people to open their doTERRA wholesale account before 30 April 2016 and is available to Australian and New Zealand residents only.

You can learn more about how doTERRA’s essential oils can support your health and wellness, as well as how to order your oils here. If you’d like some help to decide which option would best suit your needs to get started on your oily journey then please feel free to email me at info@purelythriving.com.au and I will happily work with you to set you up!

Wondering what all the fuss is about with essential oils? They are certainly becoming more and more popular with so many people now searching for safer natural alternatives to support their health and wellbeing. Think that they are just smelly hippy stuff that you put in a oil burner? I used to until I started using doTERRA’s essential oils! doTERRA’s essential oils can offer us SO much more than just a divine aroma. These Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils can be used to support our wellness on all levels…physically, emotionally and spiritually. Learn more about why I choose to use doTERRA’s essential oils here.

I carry my trusty little doTERRA keychain with me everywhere I go and it gets a workout on a daily basis. I thought I’d share with you the essential oils in my keychain and how I use them to give you an idea of just how versatile these oils are. Some oils I carry around neat (i.e. undiluted) and some are diluted with doTERRA’s Fractionated Coconut Oil (a light and non-greasy carrier oil that stays liquid at all temperatures). I have replaced some of the 2ml vials that come with the keychain with 3ml roller bottles (they fit perfectly) that I order from here.

The doTERRA keychain only costs $8 when you have your own doTERRA wholesale account (which gives you access to 25% off retail prices on all products)! It comes with eight 2ml amber glass bottles which you can then fill with the oils of your choice. You also receive a sheet of cap stickers when you open your account so you can label your oil bottles and your keychain bottles for ease of use. Learn more about opening your wholesale account here. Read on for details of my exciting FREE GIFT OFFER available until 29 February 2016.

Peppermint

This one I carry undiluted in my keychain as I like to use it as my natural, sugar-free, chemical-free breath freshener by tapping one tiny drop onto my tongue and swishing it around then washing it down with water. You can swish it around and spit it out if you prefer but I like the soothing digestive support it offers as well. Click here for more information on the toxicity of artificial sweeteners used in most sugar-free breath fresheners and gums. Peppermint alsomakes a fantastic respiratory and sinus support. You could take a drop on your thumb, put it on the roof of your mouth (beware this is quite powerful though very effective) and inhale deeply, diffuse or even just smell it straight from the bottle. Diluted Peppermint oil is also excellent for pain caused by head tension (I like to apply to behind my temples above my ear and in the indentations at the base of my skull). Peppermint oil is fantastic for promoting alertness and focus, so it’s a great one to inhale when the mid-afternoon energy low hits or on long car drives.

Lavender

Called the “swiss army knife of oils”, Lavender has so many uses! I carry mine diluted in my keychain and apply to bites and stings (takes the itch out of a mosquito bite straight away), as well as for calming (myself or my daughter). I also use it in combination with Peppermint oil when I’m exposed to allergens like cat hair and dust – I pop a drop of Peppermint oil on my tongue and inhale the Lavender oil directly from the bottle and I find the sneezing and itching subsides rapidly. Lavender is also excellent for burns and any other skin irritations. Diluted lavender oil along the jaw line can help soothe teething woes in young children too.

Frankincense

They don’t call it the King of Oils for nothing…Frankincense is probably one of the THE most versatile essential oils. It’s often said “if in doubt, use Frankincense” as it’s helpful for almost everything! Frankincense can provide powerful support for your nervous system and I use it often for anxious feelings – I like to apply to the wrists, over the heart and back of neck, and you can apply to soles of feet too. When used topically or aromatically (inhaled or diffused), Frankincense promotes feelings of peace, relaxation, satisfaction, and overall wellness. I carry Frankincense diluted in my keychain.

DigestZen digestive blend

This wondrous blend comes everywhere with me! I carry a pre-diluted 3ml roller in my keychain for rolling on sore tummies and also a neat (undiluted) vial in the keychain for adding to water for any emergency digestive distress (I only use it in this way for adults). It’s fantastic for any kind of digestive issue from tummy bugs to overindulging to motion sickness, and it has saved us many a time! DigestZen also aids in the digestion of foods and maintains a healthy gastrointestinal tract. DigestZen contains a range of essential oils from plants that you may already know are great for supporting digestion…Ginger, Peppermint, Caraway, Coriander, Anise, Tarragon and Fennel.

Balance grounding blend

We LOVE this essential oil blend for it’s wonderful calming effects on the nervous system. I apply Balance to my wrists and over my heart when I need help with anxious feelings and nerves, and it’s gorgeous aroma makes a lovely natural toxin-free perfume (or “pure-fume” as some like to call it). My daughter also loves to use it in this way regularly. This beautiful oil blend does a whole lot more than just grounding though…it also promotes circulation and supports cellular health and overall wellbeing. Balance contains fractionated coconut oil, Canadian Spruce leaf oil, Ho wood oil, Frankincense oil, Tanacetum oil, and Chamomilla Recutita Flower oil. This one can be used topically without dilution as it already contains Fractionated Coconut Oil.

On Guard protective blend

This blend provides powerful support for the body’s immune system and contains Wild Orange, Clove, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus and Rosemary essential oils. I carry it diluted in a 3ml roller bottle in my keychain for quick application to soles of feet at the first sign of any illness. I always apply it before travelling on planes and any other public transport to support my immunity too. I also carry a separate 50ml glass press pump bottle containing my natural hand sanitiser made using the On Guard blend (more info on the nasty ingredients in commercial hand sanitisers and recipe here).

Ice Blue soothing blend

This one comes everywhere with me diluted in a 3ml roller bottle in my keychain. It smells a little like other commercial products like Deep Heat but the support it offers sore muscles and joints is worlds apart! It contains Wintergreen, Camphor, Peppermint, Blue Tansy, Blue Chamomile, Helichrysum and Osmanthus, and I love to use it on the rare occasion I get to have a professional massage or any time I have muscle soreness or fatigue.

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So there you have it…the doTERRA keychain is your safe, natural, effective and affordable mobile first aid kit that equips you to address so many everyday health and wellness issues on the go!  You can get started incorporating these essential oils into your life and make up your own keychain by opening a doTERRA wholesale account which provides you with a discount of 25%+ off the retail price of all products as well as a host of other exclusive benefits. More about the options for opening your wholesale account, enrolment kits and how to place your order here. Most of the above oils are available in the Home Essentials kit (the most popular enrolment kit) and also in the Essential Collection kit.

I’m SO passionate about these oils and their ability to change the lives of EVERYONE who uses them that I’d like to offer an exclusive FREE GIFT to anyone who orders a Home Essentials kit by 29 February 2016:

ClaryCalm monthly blend for women – it’s another truly life-changing oil blend! EVERY woman should have a bottle of this magical blend and if they did the world would be a very different place! It’s unique combination of essential oils provides powerful support to balance hormones and it helps ease cramps, hot flushes and emotional swings. Yep, it covers all bases, both physically and emotionally, for both PMS and menopausal symptoms. Every woman I know that is fortunate enough to now have this beautiful blend in their life is blown away by how well it works. ClaryCalm comes in a handy 10ml roller bottle and contains Clary Sage, Lavender, Bergamot, Roman Chamomile, Cedarwood, Ylang Ylang, Geranium, Fennel, Carrot Seed, Palmarosa and Vitex essential oils. (This oil is not recommended for use during pregnancy (due to the Clary Sage essential oil) and frankly you wouldn’t be needing it then anyway!)

To redeem your FREE GIFT, simply order your Home Essentials Kit using the instructions here (don’t forget to add a keychain and a bottle of Fractionated Coconut Oil to your order) or reach out via email at info@purelythriving.com.au and I can process your order for you in as little as 5 minutes. When you open your wholesale account through Purely Thriving, you will receive ongoing support and access to further resources to ensure that you get the most out of your oils and learn to use them safely (this includes access to a private members-only Facebook group).

Please Note: This offer is provided by Purely Thriving and not by doTERRA, and is redeemable only when placing an enrolment order for a Home Essentials Kit with Purely Thriving. This offer is valid for Australian and New Zealand residents only.

***These products have not been approved by the FDA or TGA and are not intended to treat, cure, diagnose or prevent any disease. Please seek advice of a health care professional/aromatherapist where appropriate, especially if pregnant or breastfeeding.***

Wellness. It’s a hot topic these days and there are so many products on the market touted to be able to provide you with it. I believe when we choose to put substances ON our bodies, IN our bodies and AROUND us that are far removed from nature, we’re not giving ourselves what we need to achieve wellness…physically, emotionally or spiritually. This is one of the reasons why I choose doTERRA’s essential oils as one of the main tools in my wellness toolkit. They are pure extracts from plants that provide us with incredible therapeutic benefits. I could not imagine my life without them these days, they have completely transformed my health in so many ways! Many people who haven’t experienced these Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade (CPTG) essential oils before think that they are just “smelly hippy stuff” that you burn in an oil burner but they’re SO much more than that! You can use these oils to support ALL aspects of your health and wellbeing. So it was extremely hard for me to narrow it down to only five of my favourite essential oils for women but I managed it in the end! Let’s get started…

#1: ClaryCalm (Monthly Blend for Women)

This one is at the top of the list for very good reason – EVERY woman should have a bottle of this magical blend! It’s unique combination of essential oils provides powerful support to balance hormones and it helps ease cramps, hot flushes and emotional swings. Yep, it covers all bases, both physically and emotionally, for both PMS and menopausal symptoms. Every woman I know that is fortunate enough to now have this beautiful blend in their life is blown away by how well it works!

ClaryCalm comes in a handy 10ml roller bottle and contains Clary Sage, Lavender, Bergamot, Roman Chamomile, Cedarwood, Ylang Ylang, Geranium, Fennel, Carrot Seed, Palmarosa and Vitex essential oils. This oil is not recommended for use during pregnancy (due to the Clary Sage essential oil) and frankly you wouldn’t be needing it then anyway!

#2: Balance (Grounding Blend)

This one runs a close second for it’s wonderful calming effects on the nervous system. I love to apply Balance when I need help with anxious feelings and nerves, and it’s gorgeous aroma makes a lovely natural toxin-free perfume (or “pure-fume” as some like to call it). This gorgeous oil blend does a whole lot more than just grounding though…it also promotes circulation and supports cellular health and overall wellbeing.

Balance contains fractionated coconut oil, Canadian Spruce leaf oil, Ho wood oil, Frankincense oil, Tanacetum oil, and Chamomilla Recutita Flower oil. This one can be used topically without dilution in a carrier oil as it already contains Fractionated Coconut oil.

#3: Salubelle (Anti-Aging Blend)

This incredible blend not only smells divine, it’s also extremely nourishing and rejuvenating for skin. It comes in a handy 10ml roller bottle and a little bit goes a long way…I simply dab the roller on my cheeks, forehead and chin before applying my moisturiser. The precious essential oils in this blend have been used throughout history for their beautifying benefits. They support the skin at a cellular level to help sustain a smoother, more radiant and youthful complexion. This blend reduces the appearances of fine lines and wrinkles, and it helps reduce contributing factors to aging skin. It’s great for scars too…I have been using Salubelle on a scar on my arm where I had stitches and it has worked amazingly well to reduce its appearance in a short period of time!

Salubelle contains Frankincense, Hawaiian Sandalwood, Lavender, Myrrh, Helichrysum and Rose essential oils.

#4: DigestZen (Digestive Blend)

This wondrous blend comes everywhere with me! I have a pre-diluted roller in my handbag for rolling on sore tummies and a neat (undiluted) vial in my little doTERRA keychain for adding to water for any emergency digestive distress (I only use it in this way for adults). It’s fantastic for any kind of digestive issue from tummy bugs to overindulging to motion sickness, and it has saved me many a time! Many women I know have found relief from morning sickness by using this awesome blend either topically or even just inhaling from the bottle (always consult your treating health practitioner). DigestZen also aids in the digestion of foods and maintains a healthy gastrointestinal tract.

DigestZen contains a range of essential oils from plants that you may already know are good for digestion…Ginger, Peppermint, Caraway, Coriander, Anise, Tarragon and Fennel.

#5: Smart & Sassy (Metabolic Blend)

I love that I have a completely natural toxin-free option for supporting my health and fitness. Smart & Sassy is fantastic for promoting a healthy metabolism. It stimulates the endocrine (hormonal) system, helps manage hunger cravings, calms your stomach and helps purify and cleanse the body. It also promotes a positive mood! This blend is a great one for keeping you on track with your weight management goals by supporting you both physically and emotionally. I find it works really well for me when the mid-afternoon sugar cravings kick in!

Smart & Sassy contains Grapefruit, Lemon, Peppermint, Ginger and Cinnamon essential oils. You can pop a couple of drops in your water bottle to sip on throughout the day, or in a glass of water at intervals throughout the day. Be sure to use a glass or stainless steel water bottle, as citrus oils break down plastic.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can use doTERRA’s essential oils to address your specific wellness needs, reach out to me via email at info@purelythriving.com.au and I’d be happy to chat with you. You can also learn more and purchase them here and read about why I choose doTERRA here. For those of you in South East QLD, you can experience these gorgeous oils (and many more) firsthand by coming along to my Women’s Wellness event in Albany Creek this Sunday 31 January 2016. Further details and tickets here.

So now for the fun part…FREE GIFTS! Firstly, for every person who opens up their own doTERRA wholesale account through me with an order of 200PV or more by 31 January 2016, I will send you a FREE doTERRA keychain so you can carry eight of your favourite essential oils with you at all times PLUS a 5ml bottle of doTERRA’s divine Wild Orange essential oil! As a part of my doTERRA team, you’ll also have access to a private members-only Facebook group for support in getting the most out of your essential oils.

Finally, I’m so passionate about sharing how life-changing the ClaryCalm blend is for all women that I’ve decided to give a bottle away to one of my lovely readers! All you need to do to enter is to comment below on this post. I’d like to offer this gift to someone who has not tried ClaryCalm before, so I trust that you will all be honest in only entering if this is the case. This giveaway is open to Australian and New Zealand residents only. The winner will be drawn on the evening of Sunday 31 January and announced in the comments on this post and also on my Facebook page. Good luck everyone!

**These products have not been approved by the FDA or TGA and are not intended to cure, treat, diagnose or prevent any disease.**

The countdown is on in households across the country…less than three weeks until school starts for 2016. In our household it’s three weeks until our daughter, Scarlett, starts Prep! What an emotional roller coaster ride it is for me right now. I swing from feeling excited for her and all the incredible learning she has ahead of her to a sense of grief  that my baby will be away from me five days out of most weeks of the year. There’s also short bursts of elation at the thought of all I will be able to achieve within my business with so much more time on my hands. I have so many fantastic ideas for this year that I’m just itching to get started on once school is in!

When Scarlett started attending daycare several years ago, I devoted a great deal of time to researching toxin-free and environmentally friendly options for her when it came to the items she needed. As with most products on the market these days, there are hidden toxins in lots of kids’ products. So whether your child is starting or returning to daycare, Kindergarten or school, I’ve saved you the legwork and put together my favourite tips and products for a toxin-free, eco-friendly, Purely Thriving year for your little (or big) ones.

As I always say (to others and to myself)…”be kind to yourself”. If the information below is new to you and you feel overwhelmed by any of it, remember that we can’t DO better until we KNOW better. A great way to tackle overhauling the way we do things is to make a list and prioritise what is most important to you. Consider how easy each task is to implement from a physical, emotional and financial perspective when making your list and then simply get started. Small steps add up to long distances over time! Enjoy the rest of the school holidays with your children and hugs to all the parents sending their little ones off to daycare, Kindy or school for the first time this year…this Mum is going to need one on 28 January!

Lunch Boxes & Drink Bottles: Aren’t we spoilt for choice these days when it comes to lunch boxes? I remember most everyone at school when I was a kid had the same lunch box just in different colours. These days they come in all shapes and sizes, and materials. Our firm favourite is the PlanetBox Rover (we have the fairies design) which I purchased from one of my favourite eco-friendly stores Biome. The deal breaker for me with the PlanetBox is it’s eco-friendly and toxin-free stainless steel construction, which also guarantees many years of use compared to most of the plastic lunchboxes on the market (and thus justifies the heftier price tag). This bento style lunchbox also encourages a “litterless” lunch box making it more environmentally friendly and encouraging the user to pack homemade food rather than pre-packaged foods. We also have the Planetbox cooler bag to keep food fresh and at a safe temperature, and to store extra snacks in the outer pockets if needed. You can see the full range of lunchboxes on offer at Biome here.

We have been using stainless steel water bottles for several years now, filling them with the deliciously pure water from our zazen Alkaline Water Filter. You can read more about these awesome water filters and how to purchase one here. We love the Cheeki water bottles as a budget friendly option and have also enjoyed using the Ecococoon water bottles. I highly recommend investing in a good bottle brush like this one so you can give your water bottles a thorough clean to keep your drinking water safe and bacteria-free.

I personally choose not to use plastic lunchboxes or water bottles (even BPA-Free ones) for two reasons, the first being that minimising our plastic use helps to protect our beautiful Earth. Did you know that every piece of plastic ever made will be on this planet forever?? Most of it isn’t recycled either and a lot ends up in our oceans where it wreaks havoc with marine life and ends up in our food chain when fish ingest it.

The second reason I choose not to store our water (or most of our food where possible) in plastic is that chemicals in the plastic leach into the water (and food), particularly at very high or very low temperatures. Extensive research studies are now showing that even BPA-free plastics are not safe for our health and leach hormone-disrupting chemicals into the food or liquid stored within – you can read more about this topic here and here. More about the dangers of BPA here. Lunchbots and Kids Konserve make a great range of smaller stainless steel containers that you can use in your kids’ lunchboxes, and we love our Lunchbots Thermos for storing warming winter lunches. We also love the 4 My Earth range of food wraps as a safer, reusable and eco-friendly alternative to Glad Wrap.

Backpacks and Bags: There’s one particular toxic ingredient regularly used in children’s bags and backpacks that in my opinion should be avoided at all costs and that’s PVC (polyvinyl chloride). PVC has been shown to cause adverse health effects including cancer, birth defects, diabetes, learning and developmental delays, endometriosis, and immune system abnormalities. You can read more about the dangers of PVC here. Look for the number 3 within the recycle symbol on products to identify whether they contain PVC or often a label within the bag itself will list what it is made from. Many pencil cases are made from PVC too.

We don’t need to purchase a school bag for Scarlett this year as she needs to use the school’s specific bag, however, here’s some of my favourite non-toxic bags for children. Scarlett had this SkipHop backpack for Kindy which was excellent quality and still looks as new. All SkipHop bags are BPA-free and phthalate-free. Just be aware that they are a smaller size designed for children 3 years and up, so probably won’t be large enough as a school bag. The Apple and Mint Big Kid Backpack looks like a great size for a school bag and is listed as being designed for kids aged 5 to 10 years. All Apple and Mint bags are PVC/BPA/lead-free, non-toxic, earth-safe and reusable.

Stationery: Steer clear of scented stationary items like pens and erasers if you’re looking to reduce your child’s toxic load. These stationery items will all contain phthalates which are potent endocrine (hormonal system) disruptors that have been associated with an increased risk of adverse health conditions including cancer, with birth defects, lowered IQ, behavioural problems, type 2 diabetes and obesity. Those rolls of plastic contact for covering books also contain a range of harmful chemicals including PVC, so a safer option is to use some nice thick printed paper for covering school books. If you’re looking to use the pre-made book covers that slide over the books, I recommend EZ Covers which are made from a food grade plastic (so BPA and PVC-free) and are made in New Zealand (rather than in China like most of the covers on the market). EZ Covers are recyclable and so durable that they can be used over and over again.

Essential Oils: Of course doTERRA’s essential oils will feature regularly in our toolkit of natural solutions for supporting Scarlett at school. I see the Balance grounding blend being used daily before school to provide support with any anxious feelings (applied topically to wrists and chest) and possibly the InTune focus blend to help with focus and concentration if needed. We’ll be applying the On Guard protective blend (diluted with a carrier oil) to soles of feet at bedtime anytime she is need of its powerful immune support, and this will be done every night all through Autumn and Winter to guard against the seasonal bugs around during this period of the year.

We’ll be starting our early school mornings on the right foot with an uplifting and invigorating diffuser blend like Wild Orange and Peppermint, Lemongrass and Peppermint, or the Citrus Bliss invigorating blend. I’ve heard that kids in Prep are usually exhausted at the end of each school day but we’ll still be using essential oils in our nightly routine to calm the nervous system and promote a restful sleep. Some of our bedtime favourites are Lavender, Vetiver, Juniper Berry, Cedarwood or the Lavender Peace calming blend.

You’ll find lots more information here on how you can use doTERRA’s essential oils to support your family’s physical and emotional health, and how to purchase them at 25%+ below retail prices. As always, I’m here to answer any questions you may have and help you work out the best option for you to get started, so reach out via email at info@purelythriving.com.au if you have any questions.

doTERRA has extended the incredibly generous FREE Frankicense promotion until 15 January 2015, so there’s still another week to take advantage of the biggest freebie of the year! Simply place an order of 200PV or more and receive a FREE bottle of Frankincense essential oil valued at over $114 retail! Frankincense essential oil is one of my absolute favourite essential oils with so many powerful therapeutic properties from supporting immunity to rejuvenating skin to calming the central nervous system and more.

Sunscreen: There are concerns about the health effects of chemicals in sunscreens, including the dangers of nano-particles. This is quite a complex topic and not one I’m going to get into but if you’d like to learn more Sarah Wilson does a great job of summarising the current issues in this blog post. Some brands of natural sunscreen that we like to use are Soleo and Wotnot. You can search the EWG’s Skin Deep Database for the ingredients in your sunscreen to check their safety, though this site does list mostly U.S. sunscreens if you are searching the brand rather than each individual ingredient.

Insect Repellent: For an awesome effective natural insect repellent recipe and more information on why it’s best to avoid commercial repellents, check out my blog post here. If making your own seems too daunting, then my next pick would be the Bug Another natural insect repellent. I have heard good reviews of Vanilla Mozi, though this one does come with a pretty hefty price tag compared to either making your own using my recipe (cost is around $6 a bottle) or buying the Bug Another spray.

Antibacterial Hand Gels: The nasties in those antibacterial hand gels that everyone seems obsessed with these days make for a whole blog post on it’s own and they are heavily used in most daycare centres, Kindergartens and schools! There are some very concerning ingredients in these products such as Triclosan and parabens. You can read more about the dangerous ingredients in (and environmental effects of) antibacterial hand gels here and here. The most common time for applying these toxic gels to hands is often before eating food, so not only are these toxins entering the body via absorption through the skin, they are also being ingested when you eat your food. Countless research studies have shown that these antibacterial hand gels are no more effective than using conventional soap and water! So encouraging your kids to regularly and thoroughly wash their hands at school is a far safer option, however, if you’d like a natural alternative for those times when hand washing isn’t possible you can make your own antibacterial hand gel. To do this I simply combine natural aloe vera gel (be sure to check the ingredients for added nasties) with doTERRA’s On Guard protective blend and I carry this in my handbag in a Press Pump Dropper Bottle from Glass Bottles Direct. Learn more about how you can use doTERRA’s Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils to support your family’s physical and emotional health naturally and how to purchase them at wholesale prices here.

So there you have it…lots of ideas for minimising the toxic load on our precious children’s bodies throughout the school year. Wishing you and your family are a happy, healthy, inspiring and Purely Thriving school year for 2016!

Christmas…aka The Silly Season! It’s a time for gratitude, for love and connection with family and friends, and for many it’s an opportunity to take some much needed time-out at the end of each year. Whether you love it or loathe it, there’s some common areas that many of us could do with a little support in throughout the festive season. Here’s my survival guide to a Cracking Christmas with dōTERRA’s essential oils!

Fabulous Food

I don’t know about you but for me the festive season is all about the food! Incorporating dōTERRA’s Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils into your Christmas fare is a fantastic way to add incredible flavour and you’ll also reap the health benefits of using these pure and potent oils in your foods. Head over here for some recipe inspiration.

Hot Tips:

• Peppermint oil is excellent for digestive support, so consider a treat or dessert containing this gorgeous essential oil to support digestion after the big Christmas feast.
• A drop or two of a citrus essential oil like Lemon or Lime in an alcoholic beverage (think Gin or Vodka and Soda) provides a delicious and refreshing flavour boost. Citrus oils also have powerful detoxification properties which is a handy bonus when choosing to indulge in a few alcoholic tipples!

Overindulgence

It’s a common trap that many fall into at this time of year, whether it’s too much good (or bad) food or too much alcohol. Here’s some essential oils you might like to consider calling on when you are feeling a little under the weather after overindulging:

DigestZen digestive blend – a blend of Ginger, Peppermint, Caraway, Coriander, Anise, Tarragon and Fennel essential oils, this little life-saver can ease occasional stomach discomfort, as well as provide support with motion sickness and indigestion. We dilute this blend with dōTERRA’s Fractionated Coconut Oil and apply to abdomen in a clockwise motion (works well for Miss 4 used in this way too) or for severe digestive discomfort for myself I like to pop one drop of DigestZen in a large glass of water and sip slowly.

PastTense tension blend – this blend comes in a 10ml roller bottle and works so well to relieve head tension, as well as tension in neck and shoulders. I like to apply to behind temple area (kind of above your ears), in the indentations at the base of the skull and on the very top of the head (this application method was recommended by Dr David Hill at the dōTERRA Australia Convention last year). Often just inhaling the aroma from the bottle is enough to provide relief!

Peppermint essential oil – one of the main ingredients in the DigestZen blend, I like to use Peppermint oil on its own for its digestive support and it also works well for me for head tension…I apply as above with the PastTense blend for head tension and inhale deeply from the bottle.

Grapefruit essential oil – this beautiful oil is a great one for the effects of overindulgence in alcohol. Grapefruit oil is renowned for its cleansing and purifying properties, as well as for uplifting mood and providing a clarifying effect on the mind. I like to put a drop or two of Grapefruit oil in a large glass of water and sip slowly, though it can also be diluted and applied topically. Lemon essential oil also works well if you don’t have Grapefruit oil. Be aware that using citrus essential oils on your skin causes photo-sensitivity and so direct sun exposure to the area should be avoided for at least 24 hours after application.

Click here to set up your own wholesale account to purchase these oils at 25% below retail prices. Contact me directly at info@purelythriving.com.au if you’d like help to set up your account and to choose the oils to best suit your needs. Read on for more information about the incredibly generous incentive offer for all orders over 200PV in December…a FREE bottle of Frankincense essential oil!

Harmonious Holidays

dōTERRA’s essential oils can provide support on both a physical and emotional level. Here’s my top picks for a harmonious holiday season with family and friends during the festive season:

Balance grounding blend – one of my favourite dōTERRA blends, Balance works so well for us to ease anxious feelings and to promote a grounding and balancing effect on emotions. This oil blend can be applied topically as a pure-fume (it already has a little fractionated coconut oil in it, so it’s not necessary to dilute) or diffused in an ultrasonic diffuser, though I do prefer using it topically. With Spruce, Ho Wood, Frankincense, Blue Tansy and Blue Chamomile essential oils, it’s a great one for kids and adults throughout the Christmas period when extra emotional support is required.

Lavender Peace calming blend (called Serenity in the U.S.) – looking to lessen feelings of tension, calm emotions and promote peaceful feelings? This gorgeous blend of Lavender, Marjoram, Roman Chamomile, Ylang Ylang, Sandalwood and Vanilla ticks all those boxes. I love to use this one of an evening to relax and to support a restful sleep. It still surprises me how quickly the yawns start when I whip this little beauty out!

Citrus Bliss invigorating blend – a great one to diffuse on Christmas morning when your kids drag you out of bed at 5am to open presents! The delicious aroma of Wild Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Mandarin, Bergamot, Tangerine, Clementine essential oils with a hint of vanilla is sure to wake you up and promote a happy start to the day. Other early morning diffuser combos I love are Wild Orange and Peppermint or Lemongrass and Peppermint.

Lavender essential oil – is such a versatile oil that they call it the “swiss army knife of oils”. It’s a must-have for every household all year round, not just during the holidays! Lavender is an incredible soother both physically and emotionally – use it to soothe burns including sunburn, mozzie bites, green ant bites, and other minor skin irritations. (If you’re after an effective, safe and natural insect repellent to prevent those pesky bites in the first place, check out my recipe here) Lavender essential oil is also great for soothing cranky, over-tired children (and adults) and supporting a restful sleep. There’s nothing better than a blissfully relaxing bath with a couple of drops of lavender oil and some epsom salts to soothe the body and the mind after a long day!

Frankincense essential oil – the King of Oils can provide powerful support for your nervous system through the silly season, just apply to the soles of your feet, wrists and back of your neck. When used topically or aromatically (inhaled or diffused), Frankincense promotes feelings of peace, relaxation, satisfaction, and overall wellness. Frankincense has some truly extraordinary health benefits from supporting immunity, to calming the central nervous system, providing support for aches and pains, and rejuvenating skin. Frankincense is well documented as being used for its incredible health enhancing properties for centuries.

HOT TIP: Score yourself a FREE bottle of Frankincense essential oil when you place an order of 200PV or more in December. If you don’t already have your own dōTERRA wholesale account, you can read more here about how to set up your account and redeem this amazing offer. Contact me directly at info@purelythriving.com.au if you’d like help to set up your account and to choose the oils to best suit your needs.

I’d love to hear about your experiences with using doTERRA’s essential oils these holidays! Leave a comment below or drop me a line at info@purelythriving.com.au.

Wishing you all a truly wonderful Christmas filled with laughter, love, gratitude, good company and good food. Remember to be kind to yourself and to others during the festive season…the gift of LOVE is the very best gift you can give!

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration or the Therapeutic Goods Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Years ago, I used to think that if products were allowed to be sold to us as consumers then they must be safe for us to use. I was shocked to learn that this is not true and that many of the products that line the shelves in shops contain ingredients that are harmful to our health.

You’re probably familiar with the hazard symbols that appear on some cleaning products, along with word like “poison”, “corrosive” or “irritant.” These hazard symbols warn consumers about acute health hazards associated with a single or short-term exposure to chemicals in the product, but there’s no requirement for manufacturers to warn us about the health and environmental hazards associated with chronic, or long-term, exposure to chemical ingredients in household cleaning products. This is partly due to the fact that these long-term effects have not actually been studied because there are no regulatory requirements for this to occur – scary stuff!

When we use these chemicals to clean our home, they linger in the air (and on surfaces) and and we breathe them in. Researchers in the U.S. identified 133 unique volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from a small sample of consumer products, including six cleaning products. Each product tested emitted between one and eight chemicals classified as toxic or hazardous under U.S. federal laws. Chemicals in cleaning products can enter our bodies by absorption through the skin or through ingestion of household dust and chemical residues left on dishes and cutlery. Not to mention that when chemical cleaning products are flushed down the drain, they can have a serious impact on aquatic ecosystems.

There are no regulatory requirements for ingredients to be listed on the label of cleaning products in a consistent format, so it can be hard to identify chemicals of concern. Pull any commercial cleaning product from your cupboard and see if you can find a full list of all the ingredients on the label…it’s unlikely you will be able to. Many labels list one or more “active ingredients” but that’s as far as it goes.

I don’t want to bore you to tears (or scare the wits out of you!) by listing hundreds of the known toxic chemicals in household cleaning products but let’s just briefly cover a few of the more common nasties…

Phthalates: found in many fragranced household products, such as air fresheners, dish soap, and even toilet paper, phthalates are to be avoided wherever possible. Phthalates have been linked to diabetes, obesity, liver and breast cancer, hormone disruption affecting fertility and development as well as linked to attention and behavioural disorders in children. Due to proprietary laws, companies don’t have to disclose what’s in their scents, so you won’t find phthalates on a label. If you see the word “fragrance” on a label, there’s a good chance phthalates are present. Phthalates are known endocrine (hormonal system) disruptors. Men with higher phthalate compounds in their blood had correspondingly reduced sperm counts, according to a 2003 study conducted by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Harvard School of Public Health. Research has confirmed that the leaching of phthalates and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals into our waterways is altering the biology of fish, making male fish more female…yikes!

Although exposure to phthalates mainly occurs through inhalation, it can also happen through skin contact which is a significant problem, warns Alicia Stanton, MD, coauthor of Hormone Harmony (Healthy Life Library, 2009). Unlike the digestive system, the skin has no safeguards against toxins and thus absorbed chemicals go straight to our organs. You can read more about phthalates and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals here and here.

Triclosan: found in most commercial liquid dishwashing detergents and products labeled “antibacterial” such as hand soaps and hand gels. Triclosan is an aggressive anti-microbial agent and there is concern that its extensive use in consumer products is contributing to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, thus limiting treatment options for microbial infections. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently investigating whether triclosan may also disrupt endocrine (hormonal) function. Recent research also suggests that triclosan is a probable carcinogen. The Canadian Medical Association has called for a ban on antibacterial consumer products. The European Union classifies triclosan as irritating to the skin and eyes, and as very toxic to aquatic organisms, noting that it may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment. You can read more about the dangers of triclosan here. Read about how antibacterial soaps containing triclosan are no more effective at eliminating bacteria than regular soap here.

Coal Tar Dyes: found in most household cleaning products, coal tar dyes are derived from petrochemicals, and may be contaminated with trace amounts of heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium and lead. There is concern that these synthetic dyes may cause cancer and heavy metals can harm the nervous system and cause other adverse health effects. Dyes in cleaning products can be absorbed through the skin or ingested in the case of soap residue on dishes. Absurdly, they are completely unnecessary to the cleaning function of the product and only used to make the product more visually appealing.

Okaaaay. So after all that doom and gloom, the good news is that there are safer, natural and effective alternatives when it comes to cleaning your home! I make many of my own cleaning products using doTERRA’s essential oils – they are very effective, it saves me a lot of money and my house smells amazing! To set up your own wholesale account and purchase doTERRA’s essential oils and other products at 25% (or more) below retail prices, click here. Here are some of my favourite recipes:

All Purpose Spray – I like to substitute the borax for a squirt of a natural dishwashing liquid like this one. I like to use citrus oils for my kitchen spray (they smell fantastic and have great grease cutting capability), and I use doTERRA’s On Guard protective blend in my bathroom/toilet cleaner spray.

**Note: when using citrus essential oils, it’s important to use glass bottles to store your homemade products as citrus essential oils break down plastics over time and you don’t really want to be spraying plastic particles on your home surfaces. I use the 450ml amber glass bottles from Glass Bottles Direct for my cleaning sprays. They are a great local company (located at Yandina on the Sunshine Coast in QLD) with excellent customer service and fantastic prices.**

For an even easier All Purpose Spray option, you can purchase doTERRA’s On Guard Cleaner Concentrate and then dilute the concentrate with filtered water and store in a glass spray bottle. You can set up your own wholesale account and purchase this product here.

Soft Scrub for Bath, Tile & Toilet – this is the perfect natural Jif alternative and in my opinion it actually works better. I scrub all my bathroom surfaces with this first and then I spray and wipe a layer of my On Guard All Purpose Spray (the On Guard blend contains Clove oil essential oil which is great for combating mould) .

Toilet Bowl Cleaner (scroll down to second recipe)

Window Cleaner

Wood Polish

I freshen my carpets, upholstery and mattresses with a powder made using doTERRA’s Purify cleansing blend to eliminate odours and combat environmental threats, as well as to repel dustmites. Simply fill a jar to 2/3 full with bicarbonate of soda and then add around 5 drops of Purify. Give the jar a good shake and allow to sit for a while if possible, then sift the powder over your surfaces using a sieve. Leave for at least 15 mins (you can leave for longer) and then vacuum up. This powder is a great solution for stinky shoes too – sprinkle into shoes and leave overnight, then take the head off your vacuum cleaner and place the end of the wand directly into the shoe and vacuum out.

There are some household cleaning products that I don’t currently make from scratch, and in these cases I love the Kin Kin Naturals range of products. They are the most effective and most economical natural cleaning products I have found and they are made locally at Kin Kin in QLD. I use the dishwasher powder, the dishwash liquid and the laundry soaker and stain remover.

I try to buy my ingredients for my DIY cleaning recipes in bulk – Bicarbonate of Soda (Baking Soda) from Costco (my Mum has an account) or from Aussie Soap Supplies, organic liquid castile soap and citric acid from Aussie Soap Supplies. I buy naturally brewed vinegar from the supermarket in 2L bottles. I buy my Kin Kin Naturals products at wholesale prices through a local Brisbane co-op that I am a member of (contact me for details).

I’d love to hear your feedback if you try out any of the above recipes. If you’d like a recipe for any other household cleaning products, contact me and I’ll endeavour to send you one. I didn’t want to overwhelm you all with too many recipes in one post but I do have many more up my sleeve!

Would you agree that these days people are sicker, both physically and mentally, than they have ever been throughout history?  Cancer, autoimmune disorders, obesity, diabetes, childhood allergies, mental health issues and many other more subtle chronic health issues are becoming more and more common. Much of the current research suggests that the solution lies in minimising our exposure to toxins…from what we choose to place around us, on us and inside us.

Learning about the dangers of the chemicals we are exposed to on a daily basis can be quite overwhelming and it’s easy to throw our hands up and decide that it’s just all too hard to make a difference! Well, you CAN make a difference to your health and your family’s health (and the future health of this beautiful planet we live on) without breaking the bank or your brain in the process. It all comes down to how you choose to approach it…small steps add up to a long distance over time, so there’s no need to try to leap into making every change you want to make today. You could choose to create a list of changes you would like to make to eliminate toxins from your life over a period of time, and consider factors such as time, finances, and relative importance to you personally. Then simply start at the top of your list and work your way down at a pace that feels right for you.

It’s also important to acknowledge that whilst we can manage our exposure to toxins in many areas of our lives, we can’t eliminate them altogether. I can often be heard remarking that “we have to draw the line somewhere” when it comes to attempting to avoid toxins, otherwise we run the risk of adversely affecting our own mental health. The effects of anxiety and stress on our physical health can be actually be more detrimental than our exposure to toxins. It must also be said that different people will prioritise things differently in their lives, and that’s perfectly OK…we are all on our own journeys. So as with everything you learn, take what resonates with you and leave what doesn’t.

As always, BE KIND TO YOURSELF and know that most often we are all doing the best that we can with what we know and the resources we have at the time. I love the statement “we can’t DO better, until we KNOW better”. So don’t beat yourself up about your past and current choices, focus on the positive impact that your learning is going to have on your future choices. Choose to feel EMPOWERED by your new knowledge and your ability to make new choices that will improve your health and your family’s health! Are you ready? Let’s do this!

HOME AS A SHOE-FREE ZONE

This is one of my favourite tips for reducing toxins in your home because it’s FREE and it’s so EASY to do! Did you know that studies have shown that you can reduce the level of harmful toxins in your home by up to 60% simply by removing your shoes before entering your home?

Consider where your shoes have been and the types of toxins that reside on the bottoms of your shoes:

• Petroleum from visiting petrol stations and even just by walking on any surface that cars drive on leaving behind a petroleum residue.
• Toxic pesticides and chemical fertilisers from walking on grassed areas.
• A vast array of bacteria and viruses from walking on all public surfaces but especially places like public toilets, hospitals, and doctors surgeries.
• Heavy metals present in soil and on other public surfaces – in their warnings about lead exposure, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) specifically recommends that shoes remain outside the house.

So ditch those shoes at the door and you can drastically reduce your family’s exposure to toxins in your home. An added bonus is you’ll reduce the amount of dirt that gets tracked into your home which means less need for cleaning and who doesn’t want that?! It can take a little while to break a long-term habit, so I find that one way to help everyone remember to remove their shoes is to have a convenient place for them to place their shoes either outside or just inside the front door. Consider investing in a shoe rack or a nice large box or any other way to designate a specific area for shoes to be stored.

CHEMICAL-FREE CLEANING

Years ago, I used to think that if products were allowed to be sold to us as consumers then they must be safe for us to use. I was shocked to learn that this is not true and that many of the products that line the shelves in shops contain ingredients that are harmful to our health.

You’re probably familiar with the hazard symbols that appear on some cleaning products, along with word like “poison”, “corrosive” or “irritant.” These hazard symbols warn consumers about acute health hazards associated with a single or short-term exposure to chemicals in the product, but there’s no requirement for manufacturers to warn us about the health and environmental hazards associated with chronic, or long-term, exposure to chemical ingredients in household cleaning products. This is partly due to the fact that these long-term effects have not actually been studied because there are no regulatory requirements for this to occur – scary stuff!

When we use these chemicals to clean our home, they linger in the air (and on surfaces) and and we breathe them in. Researchers in the U.S. identified 133 unique volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from a small sample of consumer products, including six cleaning products. Each product tested emitted between one and eight chemicals classified as toxic or hazardous under U.S. federal laws. Chemicals in cleaning products can enter our bodies by absorption through the skin or through ingestion of household dust and chemical residues left on dishes and cutlery. Not to mention that when chemical cleaning products are flushed down the drain, they can have a serious impact on aquatic ecosystems.

There are no regulatory requirements for ingredients to be listed on the label of cleaning products in a consistent format, so it can be hard to identify chemicals of concern. Pull any commercial cleaning product from your cupboard and see if you can find a full list of all the ingredients on the label…it’s unlikely you will be able to. Many labels list one or more “active ingredients” but that’s as far as it goes.

I don’t want to bore you to tears (or scare the wits out of you!) by listing hundreds of the known toxic chemicals in household cleaning products but let’s just briefly cover a few of the more common nasties…

Phthalates: found in many fragranced household products, such as air fresheners, dish soap, and even toilet paper, phthalates are to be avoided wherever possible. Phthalates have been linked to diabetes, obesity, liver and breast cancer, hormone disruption affecting fertility and development as well as linked to attention and behavioural disorders in children. Due to proprietary laws, companies don’t have to disclose what’s in their scents, so you won’t find phthalates on a label. If you see the word “fragrance” on a label, there’s a good chance phthalates are present. Phthalates are known endocrine (hormonal system) disruptors. Men with higher phthalate compounds in their blood had correspondingly reduced sperm counts, according to a 2003 study conducted by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Harvard School of Public Health. Research has confirmed that the leaching of phthalates and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals into our waterways is altering the biology of fish, making male fish more female…yikes!

Although exposure to phthalates mainly occurs through inhalation, it can also happen through skin contact which is a significant problem, warns Alicia Stanton, MD, coauthor of Hormone Harmony (Healthy Life Library, 2009). Unlike the digestive system, the skin has no safeguards against toxins and thus absorbed chemicals go straight to our organs. You can read more about phthalates and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals here and here.

Triclosan: found in most commercial liquid dishwashing detergents and products labeled “antibacterial” such as hand soaps and hand gels. Triclosan is an aggressive anti-microbial agent and there is concern that its extensive use in consumer products is contributing to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, thus limiting treatment options for microbial infections. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently investigating whether triclosan may also disrupt endocrine (hormonal) function. Recent research also suggests that triclosan is a probable carcinogen. The Canadian Medical Association has called for a ban on antibacterial consumer products. The European Union classifies triclosan as irritating to the skin and eyes, and as very toxic to aquatic organisms, noting that it may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment. You can read more about the dangers of triclosan here. Read about how antibacterial soaps containing triclosan are no more effective at eliminating bacteria than regular soap here.

Coal Tar Dyes: found in most household cleaning products, coal tar dyes are derived from petrochemicals, and may be contaminated with trace amounts of heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium and lead. There is concern that these synthetic dyes may cause cancer and heavy metals can harm the nervous system and cause other adverse health effects. Dyes in cleaning products can be absorbed through the skin or ingested in the case of soap residue on dishes. Absurdly, they are completely unnecessary to the cleaning function of the product and only used to make the product more visually appealing.

Okaaaay. So after all that doom and gloom, the good news is that there are safer, natural and effective alternatives when it comes to cleaning your home! I make many of my own cleaning products using doTERRA’s essential oils – they are very effective, it saves me a lot of money and my house smells amazing! I’ve included a couple of my favourite natural cleaning recipes below. For lots more recipes, check out my post on Chemical-Free Cleaning. To set up your own wholesale account and purchase doTERRA’s essential oils and other products at 25% (or more) below retail prices, click here.

All Purpose Spray – I like to substitute the borax for a squirt of a natural dishwashing liquid like this one. I like to use citrus oils for my kitchen spray (they smell fantastic and have great grease cutting capability), and I use doTERRA’s On Guard protective blend in my bathroom/toilet cleaner spray.

**Note: when using citrus essential oils, it’s important to use glass bottles to store your homemade products as citrus essential oils break down plastics over time and you don’t really want to be spraying plastic particles on your home surfaces. I use the 450ml amber glass bottles from Glass Bottles Direct for my cleaning sprays. They are a great local company (located at Yandina on the Sunshine Coast in QLD) with excellent customer service and fantastic prices.**

For an even easier All Purpose Spray option, you can purchase doTERRA’s On Guard Cleaner Concentrate and then dilute the concentrate with filtered water and store in a glass spray bottle. You can set up your own wholesale account and purchase this product here.

Soft Scrub for Bath, Tile & Toilet – this is the perfect natural Jif alternative and in my opinion it actually works better. I scrub all my bathroom surfaces with this first and then I spray and wipe a layer of my On Guard All Purpose Spray (the On Guard blend contains Clove oil essential oil which is great for combating mould) .

ARTIFICIAL FRAGRANCES

I’ve given artificial fragrances their own section because there is a lot of current research highlighting the very detrimental impacts that they have on our health and I believe they are a huge contributor to many of our modern health issues. This article is a fantastic comprehensive account of the impact that artificial fragrances are having on our health. Some of the following information has been obtained from this excellent article. This concerning issue even managed to make into mainstream media recently which I was pleased to see – here’s a good article from the Daily Mail. You’ll find a shorter scientific article outlining a study on the health concerns of artificial fragrances here.

We are surrounded by artificial fragrances everywhere we turn these days from the automatic air fresheners in public toilets to perfumes and scented candles, and in household cleaning product. Artificial fragrances are made up of literally hundreds of synthetic chemicals, none of which have to be disclosed to the consumer or have been tested for safety. According to an Environmental Working Group (EWG) study, 72% of products with the ingredient “fragrance” contained phthalates (see above for info on phthalates).

Up to 95% of these synthetic chemicals used to make fragrance recipes are derived from petrochemicals (more info on this here). These particular ingredients are known (according to a 1991 EPA analysis) to cause cancer, birth defects, nervous system disorders, asthma, and allergies. To make matters even worse for the unsuspecting public, many products labeled as “unscented” are actually the fragranced product with the addition of another masking fragrance.

Since eliminating anything with an artificial fragrance from our home several years ago, I find I am even more sensitive to them than I was previously. I can now experience almost instant headache and nausea when exposed to strong artificial fragrances such as those smelly toilet fresheners that stick to the inner bowl of the toilet or the air fresheners in public toilets.

Thankfully, we have a much safer alternative that smells far better and can actually positively impact our health rather than harming it! doTERRA’s Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade (CPTG) essential oils are 100% pure and rigorously tested to ensure that they do not contain, pesticides, synthetics, fillers or anything else that can be harmful to our health. What’s more they are sourced indigenously from each plant’s natural habitat in an ethical/sustainable model that supports Australian farmers and farmers globally. This sourcing model means that the end product is not only pure but also potent (i.e. has powerful therapeutic value). You can read more about why I love doTERRA here. You can find out more about purchasing the oils wholesale or retail here.

I use doTERRA’s essential oils to naturally fragrance our home by diffusing the oils in an ultrasonic diffuser. Aromatic use of doTERRA’s essential oils can provide many positive physical and emotional health benefits. I diffuse essential oils based on my needs in either one or both of these areas. For example, I diffuse Easy Air respiratory blend (called Breathe in the U.S.) when myself or a family member is in need of respiratory support, On Guard protective blend for immune support, Citrus Bliss invigorating blend first thing in the morning to promote a positive mood and give me an energy boost, or Serenity calming blend at bedtime for a restful night’s sleep. It’s important not to heat essential oils (like in a traditional oil burner), as heating will destroy the therapeutic properties of the oils. doTERRA’s essential oils have such powerful therapeutic value that it would be a shame to lose the therapeutic benefits of these oils by heating them!

I make our own safe and effective air freshener spray with two simple ingredients – doTERRA essential oils and water! I use 100ml blue glass bottles for these room sprays and I buy them from Glass Bottles Direct. I like to use Purify cleansing blend for our toilet air freshener and Miss 4 loves her “sleepy spray” at bedtime which contains Lavender, Roman Chamomile and Juniper Berry (which is fantastic for warding off nightmares). The beautiful Joey from Essentially Me has created a divine room spray for her little girl, you can get the recipe here.

Some other super simple non-toxic air freshener ideas:

• Fill a small glass jar 2/3 of the way to the top with bi-carbonate of soda and then add 10-15 drops of essential oils and punch some holes in the top to release the aroma. Give the jar a little shake every now and then to release the fragrance. These little jars are great for the bathroom, toilet or linen cupboard.

• Place 1-2 drops of essential oil on the inner cardboard roll of your toilet roll. The aroma will remain for the life of the toilet roll and each time the roll spins around the aroma will be released into the area. I love to use doTERRA’s Purify cleansing blend for this, as it has powerful odour eliminating properties and other popular choices are Lavender, Lemon, Lemongrass or Melaleuca (Tea Tree).

Get started making your own divine, natural and safe air fresheners by purchasing doTERRA essential oils here.

NATURAL BODY CARE

The average person is exposed to more than a hundred chemicals from cosmetics, soaps, and other personal care products before leaving the house in the morning! While people may assume these products are safe, their chemical ingredients are mostly untested and largely unregulated, with known carcinogenic and endocrine disrupting chemicals still found in some formulations. What’s more, ingredient labels can be misleading, leaving even the savviest consumers in the dark about the safety of the products they use every day.

There is very little regulation around the ingredients that are allowed to be included in personal care products. Even known offenders such as formaldehyde, triclosan, and phthalates are still legally permissible in product formulations. Companies are allowed to label their products organic, natural, or hospital-approved based on their own interpretation of the terms. They can also hide problematic ingredients in proprietary formulations by listing them as “fragrance” on a label.

When we use body care products (soaps, haircare products, skincare products, toothpaste, deoderant and cosmetics), we swallow, breathe in, and absorb all the ingredients into our bodies and these toxins can have serious short-term and long-term effects on our health. Chemical exposure from personal care products has been linked to rising rates in breast cancer, asthma, reproductive problems, and other health issues. Many chemicals in personal care products have never been tested for safety, and may also accumulate and interact in potentially harmful ways.

You can find more information on the toxic ingredients to look out for in your personal care products here, here, here. The Skin Deep Database set up by the U.S. Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a fantastic resource if you want to find more information about the safety of each of the specific ingredients in your personal care products.

Now for the good news! There are heaps of fantastic natural and effective personal care products on the market these days, though it’s important to do your research to find the ones that are truly toxin-free. You can also choose to take matters into our own hands and make your own natural and effective products at a fraction of the price. Here’s the ones that I swear by:

Deoderant: We make our own delicious smelling and effective deoderant using the following recipe:

15 drops Purify essential oil

5 drops Arborvitae essential oil

5 drops Frankincense essential oil

5 drops Lemon essential oil

5 drops Lavender essential oil

5 drops Patchouli essential oil

Fill the remaining space with doTERRA Fractionated Coconut Oil.

This blend has a lovely unisex scent which Mr Purely Thriving and I both love, and it works so well for both of us. The beauty of using doTERRA’s Fractionated Coconut Oil is that it is far less greasy than regular coconut oil, it’s more rapidly absorbed and it doesn’t stain your clothes like regular coconut oil. I use 50ml glass roller bottles that are about the same size as a normal deoderant roller which I purchased at the doTERRA Australia Convention last year, however, I have been unable to find more of these to purchase. You can find 50ml plastic roller bottles that you could use for this recipe here or if you’d prefer to use glass rollers you could purchase their 10ml rollers and adjust the recipe accordingly. Alternatively, you could make this recipe in a small glass jar and dip clean fingers into the bottle to apply.

If making your own deoderant is in the “too hard basket” for you right now (which is totally OK!), my previous favourite deoderant before making my own was Black Chicken Remedies deoderant paste. Many health food stores stock this amazing product now and if your favourite local store doesn’t have it then just ask them if they can order it in for you.

Handwash: We make our own handwash using Organic Liquid Castile Soap and various essential oils. I choose to use ceramic soap dispensers to store this hand wash and use different essential oils for different purposes. Our bathroom handwash contains On Guard protective blend or you may prefer to buy doTERRA’s On Guard Foaming Handwash. Essential oils like Lavender and Geranium have excellent skin nourishing properties, so they make a great addition to your homemade handwash.

Body wash/Shower Gel: As above, combine essential oils with Organic Liquid Castile Soap for a gorgeous natural and effective body wash. Citrus Bliss invigorating blend is a beautiful essential oil blend to use for a body wash to awaken and energise you in the morning, and Serenity calming blend (Lavender Peace in Aus) makes for a relaxing and soothing addition to your nighttime bath routine. I also love Lemongrass and Peppermint essential oils in liquid castile soap as a morning body wash.

Toothpaste: I have tried so many natural toothpastes and I never found one that I was 100% happy with until I tried doTERRA’s On Guard Natural Whitening Toothpaste. This amazing formula ticks all the boxes for me – free of all nasties, great consistency, great flavour, and awesome results.

Hair Care: There’s so many “natural” hair care products on the market these days and let me tell you I have tried LOTS of them. It has cost me literally hundreds of dollars to find one that is actually toxin-free AND effective. I use the doTERRA Shampoo & Conditioner. These products smell divine, they don’t weigh down my fine hair and a little goes a long way so they are very cost effective.

Sunscreen: There are concerns about the health effects of chemicals in sunscreens, including the dangers of nano-particles. This is quite a complex topic and not one I’m going to get into but if you’d like to learn more Sarah Wilson does a great job of summarising the current issues in this blog post. Some brands of natural sunscreen that we like to use are Soleo and Wotnot. You can search the EWG’s Skin Deep Database for the ingredients in your sunscreen to check their safety, though this site does list mostly U.S. sunscreens if you are searching the brand rather than each individual ingredient.

Natural Antibacterial Hand Gel: The nasties in those antibacterial hand gels that everyone seems obsessed with these days make for a whole blog post on it’s own. There are some very concerning ingredients in these products, many of which I’ve mentioned in this post. Think about it…you are putting these toxic chemicals on your hands (and your children’s hands) often before eating food, so not only are these toxins entering the body via absorption through your skin, you are also ingesting them when you eat your food. We make our own antibacterial hand gel by combining natural aloe vera gel (be sure to check the ingredients for added nasties) with the addition of On Guard protective blend and I carry this in my handbag in a Press Pump Dropper Bottle from Glass Bottles Direct.

Natural Pest Control: If a chemical repels or kills insects, it’s likely that it’s not going to do your body a whole lot of good either…makes sense right? For an awesome effective insect repellent recipe, check out my blog post here. A few years ago, I wouldn’t have thought twice about having our home “treated for pests” but since learning about the health effects of the chemicals used in domestic pest control, I’ve taken on the task myself with excellent results. Firstly, I’ve noticed that since I’ve started using my own homemade cleaning products with essential oils, we’ve rarely had to deal with pest like ants, spiders, and cockroaches. On the rare occasion that we’ve had these kinds of critters in our home, I’ve had great success with using doTERRA’s essential oils to deter them. Some of the oils that we’ve had success with are Peppermint, Thyme, Cedarwood and Rosemary.

Click here to get started using doTERRA’s essential oils to make some of the above recipes.

PURE DRINKING WATER

This is one toxin-free step that I prioritised highly when we were taking steps to eliminate the toxins in our home. It may be one of the more expensive toxin-free choices when it comes to purchasing a good quality water filter but in my opinion, it is worth every cent. 50- 75% of our body weight is made up of water, so it’s not surprising that drinking purified water that is free of chemicals and other contaminants can have a dramatically positive effect on our health. Water from our taps contains a range of contaminants including pesticides, hormones and even trace amounts of prescriptions drugs…aarghh! Plus it’s disinfected with potential carcinogens like chlorine, ammonia and or chloramines, then “fortified” with fluoride. You can read more about this here and here, and in this article even Choice admits some of the dangers of drinking tap water.

I recommend avoiding using bottled water where possible due to the enormous detrimental impact on the environment of all those plastic bottles in landfill as well as the energy used to produce this single use product, and the energy used to recycle the small amount of bottles that make it to recycling plants. The quality of bottled water is also questionable at times.

If you do want to start drinking pure water but need time to save for a water filter, I recommend buying the Pureau casks of water. Their water is guaranteed to be completely free of chlorine, bacteria, fluoride, sodium and other impurities that are prevalent in both tap and bottled water, and the cask is a far safer and more environmentally friendly storage choice. Plus you will save quite a lot of money (and reduce environmental impact) by purchasing a Pureau cask and re-filling a stainless steel or glass water bottle rather than buying cartons of plastic bottled water.

As far as water filters go, I use and recommend Zazen water filters. Learn more about them here. You can also purchase one of these fantastic filters here and please contact me if you’d like to chat more about them.

JUST EAT REAL FOOD

This is fairly self-explanatory but I’d like to emphasise the words REAL FOOD. We need to nourish our bodies with good food for optimum physical and mental health. Yes, what you eat not only affects your physical health, it directly affects your mental health and there is lots of current research to support this, read more here. There is a lot of disagreement these days about what we should all be eating. I don’t subscribe to the theory that there is one diet that is best for everyone…we are all different and people respond differently to different foods. Listen to your body – it will tell you which foods work best for you.

We can certainly all benefit from minimising processed foods in our diets though, and focusing on eating a large amount of fresh vegetables and a moderate amount of fruit, and good quality protein and good fats from natural sources. If you can afford to buy organic fruit, vegetables and animal products (if you choose to eat these), this can also greatly reduce your exposure to toxins and maximise your nutrient intake. Buying less convenience foods that are highly processed can also save you quite a lot of money. For example, consider how much you could save each week by buying a 1kg tub of natural unsweetened organic yoghurt and sweetening it with raw honey and vanilla powder or paste, and then filling Sinchies for school/kindy lunches rather than buying packs of little tubs of yoghurt. Much less plastic for landfill, less processed sugar for little bodies and significant savings for you – it’s win-win all round!

Lastly, eating real food most of the time requires a bit of extra planning and organisation. A weekly meal plan is a fantastic way to keep on track, and it’s helpful to regularly cook large batches of meals and freeze portions for occasions when you are time-poor or don’t feel like cooking. Also, if it’s not in the cupboard or the fridge, then you can’t eat it. So try and resist the urge to throw those not-so-real foods in your trolley and then you can’t be tempted to eat them. Some of the blogs I love to follow for delicious recipe inspiration are Well Nourished, Wholefood Simply, Pinkfarm, Mummy Made. It, Alexx Stuart, Pete Evans and Quirky Cooking (you don’t need a thermomix to make most of Jo’s recipes).

So let’s “draw the line” there for now. There are lots of other topics that I toyed with the idea of including in this post but there’s just too much information for one post….plastics, microwaves, wi-fi, the list is almost endless! It really is a bit like falling down a rabbit hole when you start learning about toxin-free living.

I hope that you have found some of the information in this post useful for your own learning and that you’ve been inspired to make some new choices to reduce the toxins in your own life. Remember…be kind to yourself and know that small steps add up to a long distance over time!

Blessings,

The mosquitoes are out in full force in South East Queensland after the recent wet weather and they just love to bite Miss 4 and I with a vengeance. I have been making my own safe, natural and effective insect repellent for over 12 months now, and let me tell you it is the BOMB. This stuff works so well and I have saved a great deal of money by making it myself, rather than forking out $10+ per bottle for natural insect repellents from the health food store that aren’t always 100% effective.

Why would I want to make my own insect repellent rather than just buying good old Aeroguard or Bushman’s you may ask….well most standard commercial repellents contain a range of nasty chemicals, the most concerning being an ingredient called DEET, a chemical developed by the U.S. Army in 1946 following experience with jungle warfare in World War II. DEET has been scientifically confirmed as a neurotoxin, meaning it is can interfere with the functioning of our nervous systems…eeek!!! You can read more about the dangers of DEET here and here.

You can whip up this awesome insect repellent in a matter of minutes in the comfort of your own home and know that it is a safer, natural, effective alternative to commercial repellents. Many of my neighbours in my street now use this repellent and when all the neighbourhood children are out in the street at dusk (we are very fortunate to live in a quite cul-de-sac), you’ll see my little blue spray bottles resting on mailboxes and fences along the street. This warms my heart to know that I’ve empowered others with a safer alternative for themselves and their children!

So here we go…start by getting yourself a 100ml glass spray bottle. I like to buy mine from Glass Bottles Direct but there are plenty of places online that sell these. Get yourself a few bottles when you place your order, as you’ll soon find other ways in which you can use them (stay tuned for more toxin-free recipes!). It’s important to always use glass bottles when using citrus essential oils, as the citrus oils break down plastic (hence why they are great at breaking down petrochemicals in our bodies!) and you don’t really want to be spraying plastic particles on your skin or your home surfaces. The Purify oil blend in this recipe contains lemon and lime essential oils.

Add the following to the 100ml glass spray bottle and then fill the remainder with filtered water:

30 drops of Terrashield repellent blend

15 drops of Purify cleansing blend

15 drops of Peppermint essential oil

15 drops of Cedarwood essential oil

5 drops of Arborvitae essential oil

Be sure to give the bottle a good shake before each use to mix the essential oils and water together, as the oils will settle on the top of the water over time.

Cedarwood and Arborvitae are great oils to use in this recipe as the timber from each of these trees does not get attacked by insects in the wild, so the essential oil that’s extracted from the timber has powerful insect repellent properties. You can learn more about doTERRA’s Arborvitae essential oil in this beautiful short video.

We’ve received exciting news this week that another 13 products previously only available via the US warehouse will now be available locally from the Australian warehouse from 4 November 2015, and Purify and Cedarwood are two of these. Hooray! Stay tuned for some more information about all the amazing uses for the Purify cleansing blend, it is one of my absolute favourite oil blends.

Get started with your own wholesale account and purchase the oils for this recipe at 25% below retail prices here. As always, please reach out if you have questions about the best option for you.