December Promos!

The free 100PV points is ONLY offered by our team!  What an amazing offer!  The free Frankincense is offered by doTERRA and retails for $93.00.  WOW 2 amazing offers!

For Life's Little Owies

I like to think of this little tube of goodness as the owie fixer upper.  Anything I would have reached for neosporin for in the past has now been replaced by this....cuts, scrapes, burns, etc.  But it's uses don't stop there.  My husband recently had a fever blister show up on his lip.  He was out of his usual ointment so I handed him the Correct-X.  Not only did it stop it in it's track and clear it up faster than his old crap, but it also didn't dry it out and create the crusty cornflake lip other ointments are known for.  Which in my opinion is the best part.

Sticky Situations

Sticky situations are never fun.  Thank goodness for my Lime essential oil.  Not only is it tasty to add to drinks, but it is amazing at getting sticky crud off of things.   

Gum - Always fun to find that nastiness on the bottom of your shoe.  After scraping what I could off of my shoe, I grabbed a rag and added a couple drops of lime, and rubbed the rest off.  

Tar - If you've ever been to a beach in southern California, you may have also had a nasty encounter with tar.  Tar occurs naturally in some areas and just seeps to the surface...lurking...waiting for your frolicking feet on the beach to step in it.  Let me tell you, it is one of the worst things on the sticky chart to try and get off.  One day my husband came home from the beach only to realize too late that he had tar on his feet.  So there were tar tracks all over the bathtub and chunks of tar still stuck to his feet.  Grabbed a rag, couple drops of lime and it wiped right off in one clean swipe.  No scrubbing at all.  Amazing!

The sticky list is endless but these two sticky situations left me in awe of this versatile oil.  

June Promos

doTERRA Oil Origins Map

doTERRA knows the key to superior essential oil quality is the location where the plant is grown because where it’s grown is a primary factor in determining the therapeutic quality of the essential oil.  The composition of the plant will vary greatly based on the location, climate, and environment.  Plants grown in indigenous environments yield better results because the natural elements specific to that region promote a more therapeutic profile of the aromatic compounds produced by the plant. Where your oils are sourced matters.

doTERRA Shampoo and Conditioner

So I'm very particular about hair care, especially shampoo.  The ones you buy at big box stores all seem to leave my hair super dry and frizzy.  Which is why I pony up for the good stuff from the specialty stores.  So I wasn't a stranger to paying a little more for quality products.  So I was super excited to try doTERRa's shampoo and conditioner.  First thing I noticed is how amazing the shampoo smells.  It's smells of Lime and Wild Orange and smells so good in the morning.  The conditioner isn't too shabby either. The scents that stand out to me are Lavender, Rosemary, and Eucalyptus.  Both the shampoo and conditioner have many other oils and ingredients to give your hair exactly what it needs!  The first day I used it, after drying my hair I noticed I had a small patch of itchy dandruff near the hairline of my forehead.  It had been a little itchy for weeks, but there was so much build up from my old shampoo and conditioner that I couldn't tell I had a dry scalp under it all.  Until I used doTERRA's shampoo which got rid of the build up, leaving me with an icky flaky spot right where everyone can see it.  So I dabbed some Lavender on it a couple of times a day for a couple of days and voila! All better!  Lavender took care of the itch right away, and healed it too.  I'm sure the other oils in doTERRA's shampoo and conditioner also helped heal it.  Amazing.  My hair has a nice shiny, soft look and feel to it so I know this stuff is legit.  Like I said, I'm super picky.  If my hair starts to look even a tiny bit frizzy, or feel like hay, I'll take anything back for a refund.  I'm not going to waste good money on crappy products.

One little tip to share - The shampoo is a bit thicker in consistency than other brands I've used.  So I make sure my hair is super wet before lathering up.  And since it's so thick, I seem to need less of it so long as I have enough water to lather with.  A little goes a long way for me.  Just wanted to share.  Maybe start with half of what you normally use, lather up, and add more if needed to see how much works best for you. 

Read more about both here:  Shampoo      Conditioner

Splinters and Slivers

Why is it the smallest scrapes and cuts seem to hurt the worst?!  I remember slicing my finger on a cardboard box and thought my finger would fall off it hurt so bad.  But it was barely a scratch.  Splinters are no exception.  Those stupid little jerks hurt!  And are harder than heck to pull out - I mean dig out, cause half the time you gotta dig.  Which is so pleasant.  haha
Well guess what?  There's an oil for that!  Tried and true my friends. Just a dab of Lavender is all you need.  I'm sure it may vary a bit as far as how long it takes, but eventually it will work it's way to the surface.  I put a dab on a splinter on my husband's palm.  Mind you he has some pretty thick skin full of calluses so I thought it would at least take a day.  But within an hour it started to have a little fluid come out, so then I dug in hard with my nails and squeezed it like a pimple and that sucker literally popped out.  The whole thing.  No tweezers needed or painful digging.  I've never seen a splinter come out like that.  It was awesome.  If it's really painful, try adding some Onguard or Clove on it.  Clove will numb it a bit (which is in Onguard).  You probably don't need to squeeze it like I did. I'm sure if you keep applying Lavender a couple times a day it will eventually work itself to the surface to be pulled out.

May Promos

What's in YOUR Oil?

Did you know essential oils are NOT regulated by the FDA?  Or by any other government agency for that matter.  So what does that mean?  Are essential oils safe?  What it means is you need to do your research when choosing a product.  Even though the FDA doesn't specifically regulate essential oils, they do have a published food guideline for consuming essential oils which are Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS).  If being marketed as consumable, the label must include supplement facts.  See the list here:  GRAS Essential Oils.  The FDA also regulates how products are labeled and marketed, which means they can step in if they feel consumers are being mislead by how something is labeled and marketed.  Why is this important?  Well, if there isn't a governing agency with published standards on what constitutes essential oils as "100% pure", or "Organic", how can you trust what you're buying?  Just because the FDA regulates marketing of products doesn't mean they step in every time to slap someone's hand.  That's why it's important you do your own homework on the product and brand you're buying.  Which leads me to share doTERRA's testing process. 

All of their testing reassures me I am using 100% natural and pure essential oils that are safe for me and my family to use.

When shopping for a brand of essential oils, here are some things to look for.

1. The common name: such as Lemon, Rosemary, or Basil.  It should be on the label.
2. The botanical name/Latin name (preferably directly under or above the common name). Example of a botanical name: Eucalyptus globulus (Eucalyptus). Including the botanical name will prevent confusion, as there can be different species. The species is important because it tells you where it comes from and if it's safe.  Not all species of the same plant are safe.
   
3. The extraction method: steam distilled, CO2 extracted, cold pressed, solvent extracted – each method provides different therapeutic properties and safety precautions.
   
4. The plant part used in extraction: flowers, fruit, leaves, resin, twigs, seeds, roots, etc. 
5. Country of origin should be noted, as the climate and soil conditions can affect the therapeutic properties.
6. Safety warnings including but not limited to: keeping out of the reach of children; not using internally without the advice of a qualified aromatherapist; notifications to dilute; and when applicable, phototoxicity warnings.  These are important to adhere to.  I will also note that anything I can't consume that is listed on the GRAS listed, I would personally be leery of.  If it's labeled as 100% pure Lemon, and isn't consumable...RED FLAG!
7. Bottle:  A quality oil should always be stored in dark glass bottles for it to retain it's potency and properties.  If it's not, RED FLAG!

The Multivitamin Revolution: Experience the Full Benefits of Multivitamins

NUTRITION CORNER WITH DR. CARSTEN SMIDT

Having created some of the most sophisticated and best-selling multivitamin/mineral supplements in the industry over the last 20 years, I’ve seen the products and their underlying research evolve in stages. Usually, it takes the products about 5–10 years to follow the research. Now, we have reached yet another critical point when research creates a new paradigm shift for multivitamin/mineral supplements. With our new Daily Nutrition Pack, dōTERRA® leads the way so that you can be among the first to reap the full benefits of a truly expertly formulated, all-in-one daily multinutrient supplement.

Do I Need a Multivitamin?

The short answer is a resounding yes. Anybody in the scientific community who seriously studies vitamin and mineral nutrition agrees that virtually everyone’s nutrition falls short in meeting even the bare minimum requirements for many nutrients (known as the RDI—Recommended Dietary Intakes). Trying to get the RDIs of all 26 essential vitamins, minerals, and trace elements—micronutrients—from foods alone is next to impossible, even if you eat a wholesome, balanced diet. Fruits and vegetables are rich in these micronutrients, plus they contain important phytonutrients (carotenoids, polyphenols, essential oils, etc.). The problem is that hardly anyone eats enough fruits and vegetables. A recent analysis of WHO/FAO data (Murphy et al., Br J Nutr 112(6):1004, 2014) shows that this is a world-wide problem: three  out of four people on this planet don’t even meet the minimum recommended five daily servings of fruits and vegetables! Instead, modern diets are high in refined foods and beverages devoid of micronutrients and full of empty calories.

In the U.S., nine out of ten adults do not meet the RDIs for vitamins D and E, and over half of us don’t meet the RDIs for vitamin A, calcium, and magnesium (Fulgoni, et al., J Nutr 141(10):1847-54, 2011). Even if you are vegan or vegetarian, you’re unlikely to get enough vitamin D, B12, calcium, iron, and zinc. Long-term, these nutrient deficiencies cause lack of energy, poor immunity, weak bones, cognitive decline, and a host of other health problems.

Experts agree that you should try to eat a healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables and take a multivitamin/mineral supplement. Now, the real question is which supplement should you take and how should it be formulated? Are the RDI amounts even sufficient? We know today that for most micronutrients they are not, and that optimum intakes are often higher than the RDIs. But how much higher? And what happens if we get too much? These questions have kept scientists busy for the last 50 years, and recent research makes it clear that it’s time to rethink again.

Multivitamin Evolution

The first multivitamins hit the retail shelves in the ‘50s and ‘60s and remain a staple in today’s retail and mass markets. These inexpensive products deliver the RDI of most vitamins and lesser amounts of most minerals. Their mineral sources are often poorly absorbed and utilized by the body and they lack phytonutrients and essential  omega-3 fatty acids.

Then, research in the ‘80s and ‘90s suggested that above-RDI amounts of certain antioxidant vitamins, some B-vitamins, and trace elements have additional health benefits, and these studies paved the way to the current generation of micronutrient supplements popular in the specialty and direct-sales markets. These comprehensive products often include mega-doses (10x RDI or more) of vitamins, better quality minerals, omega-3 fatty acids and phytonutrients, and some make you take 16 or more capsules or tablets a day. In fact, competition is fierce and many companies are playing a horsepower game where  more must be better.

Most recently, however, the results of very large, long-term studies have shown that mega-doses of micronutrients like vitamin C, vitamin  E, beta-carotene, folate, and selenium don’t work. In fact, some of these studies found negative effects at high  doses  previously assumed to be safe. Unfortunately, the supplement industry is still taking a defensive position  belittling or dismissing these studies.

Multivitamin Revolution

The good news for you is that dōTERRA® never believed in the “more-is-better” horsepower game. In fact, we are now in the unique position to embrace all the recent micronutrient research—positive and negative—and create a completely revolutionary concept of formulating multivitamins. How?

Let’s take a step back. I mean a giant step back to when we humans first roamed this planet. Our genes change very slowly and they can take thousands of years to adapt to dietary changes. For most of our history we ate hunter-gatherer diets. Only recently, our diets and lifestyles changed dramatically  with the introduction of agriculture. And in the last 100 years, even more drastic changes occurred due to the industrialization of our food supply. So modern diets today are very different from the diets our genes are used to.

Now, take a good look at the dosages used in all of the micronutrient studies, and compare them to the amounts that we used to get from diets we are genetically programmed for. That’s what we did, and it soon became clear that problems only arise when we consume much more or much less than what we could possibly get from the natural diets our bodies are genetically used to. This makes a lot of sense, and we used this approach to set a new standard, one that embraces the concept of natural balance. For each micronutrient we now have a range of natural intakes that our bodies were made for, and they coincide with the amounts needed for optimum health benefits.

Restore Natural Balance with Daily Nutrient Pack

dōTERRA’s new Microplex MVp™ and xEO Mega® (Daily Nutrient Pack) are the first micronutrient supplements in the industry that apply this new standard of natural balance to all vitamins, minerals, trace elements, phytonutrients, and essential fatty acids. This game-changing, patent-pending approach ensures that you get the optimum amounts and types of all micronutrients every day, including a full spectrum of omega-3s, antioxidant polyphenols, and carotenoids. With Daily Nutrient Pack, you don’t have to worry about getting too little or too much of anything anymore. Instead, you get what your body was made for and demands—the most efficacious and safe amounts needed for long-term health and vitality.

How Do I Use Daily Nutrient Pack?

Daily Nutrient Pack (the new Microplex MVp and xEO Mega) is a foundational supplement designed for men and women of all ages as well as for teenagers. Pregnant and nursing women also benefit, but should consult with their physician as they may require additional iron or folate. If you desire extra energy benefits, you can add our new, more potent Mito2Max®  (with lychee fruit extract), and if you deal with occasional joint discomfort, we recommend adding our new Deep Blue Polyphenol Complex™. We also updated Lifelong Vitality Pack with the new Microplex MVp and xEO Mega formulas while keeping the current Alpha CRS+®.

Dr. Smidt recommends:

Daily Nutrient Pack: A revolutionary micronutrient supplement providing naturally balanced amounts of all vitamins, minerals, trace elements, phytonutrients, and omega-3 fatty acids. Lifelong Vitality Pack:Now with our new naturally-balanced Microplex MVp and xEO Mega.

Bio:  Dr. Carsten Smidt is dōTERRA’s Chief Science Officer and oversees research and product development. Dr. Smidt has held executive research and development positions for almost 20 years, working for leading global companies in dietary supplement, nutraceutical, and medical food industries. He holds a doctorate degree in Nutrition Science and Physiological Chemistry from the University of California at Davis, and is a fellow of the American College of Nutrition. Dr. Smidt is passionate about health and fitness, and enjoys the outdoors.