"Reprinted from The Raindrop Messenger, a free eline newsletter, with permission from Dr. David Stewart. To subscribe or download back issues, visit www.RaindropTraining.com."
The Case for Thieves vs. Windex™
~^~By Gloria Miller
Now that the holiday season is approaching, most of us are starting to focus on the tradition of getting our homes "sparkling clean." But what kind of products to use -- or NOT to use, and why? I'd like to make the case for Thieves Household Cleaner (which, I admit, has an odd-sounding name), by contrasting it with a popular over-the-counter cleaner (with a most delightful-sounding name): Crystal Rain Windex™. (Aaahh. . . Lovely purple color, and the name makes us want to run barefoot through the dewdrops, right? Well, read on. . .)
Nobody would dream of spraying food with Windex, but they do spray various surfaces in their home with it -- including sinks and countertops -- which come in contact with food, and refrigerator door handles, which come in contact with skin.
Let's take a few seconds to find out what they (and their family and pets) will be inhaling, and what kind of chemicals will be left behind on surfaces. There's not much printed on the label, so I visited the Windex.com website for a closer look, then checked out the ingredients on Wikipedia.
Here are some of the ingredients in Crystal Rain Windex, what the maker has to say about them, and what they really are.
The Windex website lists 2-Methoxyethanol (also called Ethylene glycol monomethyl ether) and describes it as "a cleaning agent that removes dirt and soils." Just what we want, right?
2-Methoxyethanol is toxic to the bone marrow and testicles. Workers exposed to high levels are at risk for granulocytopenia (reduction in certain types of white blood cells), macrocytic anemia (abnormally large red corpuscles usually caused by B-12 deficiency), oligospermia (shortage of sperm), and azoospermia (absence of sperm). Uh-oh. . .
The Windex website lists Ethanolamine, described as "a cleaning agent that removes dirt and soils." Again, this sounds good. Ethanolamine is a toxic, flammable, corrosive, colorless, viscous liquid with an odor similar to that of ammonia. It is an iritant to the eyes, skin, and respiratory system. Overexposure causes lethargy. What!? . . . No wonder people get tired when they clean all day with Windex. Ouch! And P.U.!
Ethoxylated alcohol, another ingredient, is listed on the Windex website as "a cleaning agent that removes dirt and deposits." O - o - okaaay. . .
Ethoxylated alcohol has been controversial because of its widespread use and the toxicity to aquatic life after it's degradation. (Is this what the maker means by "green???") By the way, some ethoxylated alcohols are called PEGs, or polyethylene glycols. Ever heard of them? PEGs are a class of useful compounds of molecular weights ranging from 190 to 9000 atomic mass units that vary in texture from viscous liquids to waxy solids. The Merck Index says PEGS can be considered as being of "low toxicity." (Regarding toxicity, "no" is better than "low" and Thieves Household Cleaner has "no toxicity.")
Anyhow, PEGs are found in all kinds of over-the-counter products from garage floor cleaners, cosmetics, and eye drops, to paints, paper coatings, commercial foods and food products. Wikipedia says "PEGs are nephrotoxic (damaging to the kidneys) if applied to damaged skin. (Is that what they mean by "low toxicity?) Pesonally, I'd rather protect my kidneys than put them at risk for the sake of a shiny countertop.
Now for the mystery ingredient, Polyquart® Ampho 149, also said to be "a cleaning agent that removes dirt and soils." The name tells you it is a synthetic substance that does not exist in nature with which our bodies were not designed to easily metabolize and eliminate. Polyquart® Ampho 149 is a registered trademark of Cognis GmbH, which is the same as saying, "No way will we tell you what's in it." Hmmm. . .I wonder why. . .
No place does it say whether these chemicals in combination might be even more dangerous. The company isn't required to test them that way, so they don't -- or if they did, they aren't telling us the outcome. (Call me a worry-wart, but I'm willing to bet mixing them together doesn't make them any less toxic.)
There are a few other ingredients, including artificial colors. I didn't check them out because I believe the above would be enough to convince ANYONE to switch to Young Living's Thieves Household Cleaner. (Oh, and water, which you can get by turning on a faucet.)
But if someone still needs more convincing, consider this: Crystal Rain Windex costs about $3.00 per quart.
Thieves Household Cleaner, mixed to "Medium Degreasing" concentration, costs about thirty cents a quart. It comes highly concentrated, so you add your own water.
Thieves Household Cleaner is totally non-toxic -- so safe that a small child could drink it right out of the bottle and not be harmed. Full-strength, it will clean burned-on gunk off the bottom of an oven. To clean glass, just dilute it further with some white vinegar, which makes it even more of a bargain.
But even if someone doesn't care about paying ten times more for Windex, why would they pay a company any amount on toxins? How "clean" will their house be, with a film of toxins on every surface?
Thieves Household Cleaner is antiseptic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal (great for destroying mold and mildew in tiled surfaces!) It's even antiviral. It contains 100% pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils of Clove, Cinnamon, Lemon, Eucalyptus radiata, and Rosemary, but NO harmful chemicals. So besides everything being sanitary AND safe, your house will smell wonderful.
Breathing Thieves cleaner is pleasant and boosts your health. The makers of Windex can't claim that.I count it an added bonus when, after cleaning all day with Thieves cleaner, my hands feel better than when I started! And, oddly enough, the water I used will be dirty, but the rag or sponge is fairly clean. (Go figure!)
If you haven't already, I hope you will "make the switch" to Thieves Household Cleaner. Do it for health's sake AND for your budget. It comes in a 14.4 ounce size (YL item #3743), but if you want to save even more money, get the two quart size (YL item #4475).
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Monday, May 31, 2010
My Food Issues
I believe we all have issues surrounding food. Because it is our longest and most intimate relationship, these issues run deep. I was the third of four children. In a household where there was not always very much to go around, we tended to get a little territorial about some things. One of these was food. I remember labeling our names on containers of dinner leftovers so that no one else would eat what we claimed.
Even though I have done so much personal work, I recently noticed myself operating in the old mentality of "lack" and "not having enough". Yikes!
I'm embarrassed to admit that sometimes I don't want to share my food with my friends. While this is not usually the case, I had this feeling twice in the past several weeks. I decided it was time to get real with myself and dig deeper. Why was I triggered when my friend took a second helping of my "precious salad greens" that had come from my organic farm? I wanted to share them with her, but I also watched myself grow annoyed when she took more even though I had offered more to her. These were my greens for the whole week and I couldn't just get more at a grocery store. These greens came from my CSA. They were special and irreplaceable.
I'm embarrassed to admit that I still have somewhere inside of me a belief in lack. There's not enough to go around. I'm scared to let go. What if I don't have enough? At the end of the week, of course, I was still well fed and I indeed did have enough and more to spare. I know that my food issues are reflective of other scenarios in my life. If I'm feeling a certain way about food, chances are I'm feeling this same way about other events in my life. Now my work is to examine those areas and heal that perceived lack in my life.
Our food issues always are connected to who we perceive ourselves to be. Who you are as an eater is reflective of who you are in life. The next time your food issue rears its beautiful head, take notice of what it is REALLY about and dig deep within to heal the true issue. Suddenly the food issue is gone and you find joy!
Even though I have done so much personal work, I recently noticed myself operating in the old mentality of "lack" and "not having enough". Yikes!
I'm embarrassed to admit that sometimes I don't want to share my food with my friends. While this is not usually the case, I had this feeling twice in the past several weeks. I decided it was time to get real with myself and dig deeper. Why was I triggered when my friend took a second helping of my "precious salad greens" that had come from my organic farm? I wanted to share them with her, but I also watched myself grow annoyed when she took more even though I had offered more to her. These were my greens for the whole week and I couldn't just get more at a grocery store. These greens came from my CSA. They were special and irreplaceable.
I'm embarrassed to admit that I still have somewhere inside of me a belief in lack. There's not enough to go around. I'm scared to let go. What if I don't have enough? At the end of the week, of course, I was still well fed and I indeed did have enough and more to spare. I know that my food issues are reflective of other scenarios in my life. If I'm feeling a certain way about food, chances are I'm feeling this same way about other events in my life. Now my work is to examine those areas and heal that perceived lack in my life.
Our food issues always are connected to who we perceive ourselves to be. Who you are as an eater is reflective of who you are in life. The next time your food issue rears its beautiful head, take notice of what it is REALLY about and dig deep within to heal the true issue. Suddenly the food issue is gone and you find joy!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Stinging Nettles!
Yesterday I took a walk in the woods wearing gloves and armed with a scissors and a bag. I was on a mission to harvest nettles. Why would I want to eat something that causes extreme itching and pain? Well, after a good boil, the sting is gone and I am left with a nutrient rich dinner and tea for the next day. I ate my nettles with Ghee and sea salt. So simple and so yummy!
A few bites to inspire you: Nettles are rich in calcium, iron, Vitamin C, and so much more. In fact, if you research it, it seems to be good for just about anything that might ail you, including asthma and allergy!
Caution: Never harvest anything in the wild unless you have complete confidence in your knowledge.
A few bites to inspire you: Nettles are rich in calcium, iron, Vitamin C, and so much more. In fact, if you research it, it seems to be good for just about anything that might ail you, including asthma and allergy!
Caution: Never harvest anything in the wild unless you have complete confidence in your knowledge.
Monday, January 25, 2010
1. Are Essential Oils a Cure for Monster Bacteria like MRSA?
This is a rather lengthy article but has potential life saving information. I bolded the key sections.
"Reprinted from The Raindrop Messenger, a free eline newsletter, with permission from Dr. David Stewart. To subscribe or download back issues, visit www.RaindropTraining.com."
Are Essential Oils a Cure for Monster Bacteria like MRSA?
~^~by David Stewart, PhD
MRSA (pronounced "murr - sa") is an acronym for "Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus." While Staphylococcus aureus is a common and relatively harmless inhabitant in the nasal passages of 25-30% of people, the MRSA form of staphylococcus is not so benign and once entrenched it does not go away. MRSA is a monster bacteria created by the medical use of man-made antibiotics and antibacterial agents employed principally in hospitals. It was first detected in the 1960s, only a few years after a new semi-synthetic form of penicillin (Methicillin) was introduced.
Hospitals are where this germ originated and is still where it is principally found. However, since 1982 MRSA has been found outside of hospitals, first detected among drug users in Detroit. Since then it has worked its way into other parts of the community, including playgrounds and gymnasiums. Thus, we not only have HA-MRSA or "Hospital Acquired MRSA" but also CA-MRSA or "Community Acquired MRSA."
The portion of staphylococcal infections in the U.S. due to MRSA has risen steadily at an ever-increasing rate from 2% in 1974 to 63% in 2004. Once MRSA has been acquired, it is usually remains with the infected individual for life and can be fatal. Medical science has no effective treatment for MRSA infections.
A Relative Contracts MRSA
As a case in point, I have a relative, a retired career military man, who accompanied his wife to a hospital for some routine tests for her (not him). He had a small open scratch on his leg. During his visit, he acquired HA-MRSA through that small scratch. His leg swelled up and became inflamed. To date, no treatment has worked in stopping the spread of the bacteria in his body. It has now infected his entire leg and has worked up into his groin. He has been hospitalized more than once for treatments, all of which have been ineffective. It has been five years since his fateful visit to the hospital with his wife and he still carries the infection, which is slowly spreading.
I mentioned the possibility of essential oils to him, but he is a relative of mine and, as many of you have experienced, we have no credibility with our relatives. (Mark 6:4) He is also a devout believer in allopathic medicine. Having a Cadillac insurance program from being a veteran, he is content to keep receiving free medical treatment, even though it is not working. Unless he eventually resorts to a non-allopathic solution, he will most likely suffer from this infection for the rest of his life and, perhaps, even succumb to it.
Will Medical Science Find a Solution to MRSA?
Since the pharmaceutical approach to resistant strains of bacteria is to develop stronger and stronger antibiotics, there a pharmaceutical solution is not likely to ever be found because any antibiotic stronger than Methicillin would be more likely to kill the patient than the bacteria. Vancomycin is another antibiotic nearly equal in potency to Methicillin, but it, like Methicillin, can also be lethal to the patient and has not been found effective against MRSA.
Since it was the plethora of man-made antibiotics and antibacterial agents employed since the 1950's that were the creators of MRSA and other resistant strains of bacteria in the first place, it is not likely that any medicine synthesized in a laboratory will ever be a solution. In fact, additional more powerful man-made drugs would most likely result in giving birth to even more virulent microorganisms. MRSA is a Frankenstein of the Medical System's own creation. The solution to MRSA must come from outside the medical paradigm.
Are Essential Oils Effective Against MRSA?
Since Modern Medicine has no cure for MRSA and is, in fact, the cause of MRSA, the most likely means to combat MRSA is essential oils, which are among the most versatile and effective antimicrobial agents known. Not only do essential oils have powerful antibacterial properties without side effects, they are also incapable of producing resistant strains of bacteria as synthetic pharmaceuticals do.
There are two reasons essential oils do not and cannot create resistant strains of bacteria:
(1) Essential oils are extremely complex, comprised of hundreds of compounds, while laboratory-produced medicines are simple, usually consisting of only one or two active ingredients. Thus, bacteria have less difficulty in breaking the codes of a man-made medicine than in attempting to form a resistance to a natural medicine like an essential oil.
(2) Furthermore, essential oils are never twice the same while every batch of a pharmaceutical drug is always the same, reproduced with laboratory exactness. Hence, with repeated exposure to the same identical drug, bacteria eventually figure out its toxic properties and develope resistance. However, since essential oils are never identical from year to year, even if bacteria did figure out an oil's effective components in a given year, they would have to start all over with the next crop.
The reason essential oils are not exactly duplicatible is because they are products of the vagaries of nature. The essential oils of a plant vary to adjust to their environment, just as human blood adjusts from morning to evening, from season to season, and from climate to climate. A plant's oils are actually different from morning to night each day and from week to week throughout the growing season. Furthermore, the growing environment for a plant is never the same year to year. Some years are warmer than others, some cooler, some with more rain, some less, and if you compare the same species grown in different latitudes, altitudes, climates, and soils, you get even greater variations.
A basil plant will always produce a basil oil with the same suite of compounds, but from year to year and place to place, the relative proportions of the hundreds of compounds comprising basil oil will be different. Essential oils are like fine wines. Since no two years are the same, neither are two year's wines the same even from the same vinyard. That is why vintners put dates on their bottles, since each year's wine will a little different in taste, color, and fragrance.
Therefore bacteria will never figure out nor become resistant to an essential oil because they are too complex and because they are always changing. Man-made medicines are temporary, but God's medicines are forever. Hospitals used to use the Oil of Onycha (Styrax benzoin) dissolved in alcohol (called Tincture of Benzoin) as their most effective antiseptic and antibacterial agent to cleanse and sanitize their wards.
If hospitals and medical doctors would have continued to use natural agents like Onycha, we would not have resistant strains of bacteria, such as MRSA, to threaten us today.
The Versatility of R.C.
R.C. Oil Blend has been applied successfully for pneumonia, for dissolving calcium deposits in joints, and to stop snoring, although its primary purpose is to relieve "Respiratory Congestion." That is what the initials, "R.C.," stand for. RC has been effective with many forms of congestion including colds, bronchitis, sore throats, sinusitis, coughs, lung infections, and respiratory allergy symptoms. However, in a series of laboratory tests at the Young Living Laboratory and Weber State University in Utah (See citation below), of 91 single essential oils and 64 essential oil blends, while Lemongrass was found to be the most effective single oil, R.C. was found to be the most effective blend.
Seventy-eight of the 91 single oils tested showed measurable inhibitory activity against MRSA. The top ranking oils, in descending order of effectiveness, were Lemongrass (Cymbopogen flexuosus), Lemon Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora), Mountain Savory (Satureja montana), Cinnamon Bark (Cinnamomum verum), and Melissa (Melissa officinalis). The most effective single oil, Lemongrass, completely inhibited all MRSA growth on the test plate.
Since Tincture of Benzoin (containing Oil of Onycha) used to be the principal antibacterial cleansing agent used in hospitals, as mentioned above, it would be interesting to see how Onycha measures up in killing the MRSA bacteria. Unfortunately, this study of 91 single oils did not include Onycha.
Fifty-two of the 64 blends tested showed measurable inhibitory activity against MRSA. The top three ranking oils, in descending order of effectiveness, were R.C., Motivation, and Longevity. The most effective blend, R.C., also completely inhibited all MRSA growth on the test plate.
R.C. is a blend of 10 species, including three species of Eucalyptus, as follows: E. globulus, E. radiata, E. citriodora, Myrtle (Myrtus communis, not Lemon myrtle), Pine, Spruce, Marjoram, Lavender, Cypress, and Peppermint. The Power of R.C. in combating MRSA is far beyond any of its individual constituents. In fact, two of the constituent oils (E. globulus and Myrtle) both scored zero in their ability to inhibit MRSA growth. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of R.C. as a blend was almost triples the effectiveness of the most powerful ingredient, which was Peppermint oil. This finding dramatically illustrates the power of oil blends over many oil singles. An oil blend usually has capabilities not manifested by any of its components, which is why blends are preferred by most aromatherapists for healing applications.
The same was true of Motivation, the second most effective blend. Motivation contains only four single oils: Roman Chamomile, Spruce, Ylang Ylang, and Lavender. Ylang Ylang, alone, had no inhibitory effect on MRSA whatsoever while the other three ingredients all scored less than half as effective as the combination of all four. Thus, the power of Motivation against MRSA was found to be greater than that of any of the individual species comprising the blend.
It is also interesting to note that the three most effective blends (R.C., Motivation, and Longevity) contained none of the five most effective single oils (Lemongrass, Lemon Myrtle, Mountain Savory, Cinnamon Bark, Melissa).
Can the Whole be Deduced from its Parts?
The conclusion is that one cannot deduce the properties of an oil blend from a knowledge of its components. Additional properties will always manifest in a blend that are not demonstrated by any of the singles that comprise it, while many properties of the singles do not manifest in the blend. This is why effective blends must be formulated intuitively and not by logic. All of Young Living's blends were formulated by Gary Young, all by intuition, some even by way of intuitive dreams.
The same principle is true of single oils in that one cannot deduce the properties of an essential oil by knowing the properties of its individual compounds as isolates. Attempting to do so would be like trying to deduce the taste and texture of a chocolate cake from the taste and textures of the individual ingredients, viz. white flour, shortening, sugar, salt, eggs, baking powder, bitter cocoa, and vanilla extract. This is why scientific studies on the properties of isolated single compounds of an oil do not reveal the nature of the oil and why knowledge of a single oil does not reveal the nature of a blend containing that oil.
This principle is true even to the extent that a compound that is highly toxic alone can be safe, non-toxic, and therapeutic when occurring as an ingredient in an essential oil. Many aromatherapists who fear certain oils have been trained in a school that teaches the fallacy that properties of isolated compounds studied in laboratories apply to the natural oils in which they are found. Thus, many aromatherapists avoid perfectly safe and therapeutically effective oils because a laboratory has found one or more compounds in the oil that, by themselves, are harmful.
It is this fallacy upon which many aromatheray books post lists of "forbidden oils, never to be used in aromatherapy for any purpose." These taboo lists include perfectly good oils like cinnamon, clove, basil, oregano, mountain savory, birch, wintergreen, cassia, tansy, pine, and even benign oils like vanilla. Of course, adulterated oils improperly distilled and grown with chemicals and insecticides can possess toxic properties. However, if one uses only Young Living oils, which are pure, unadulterated, properly grown, and properly distilled, one need not worry about toxicity.
It is interesting to note that Thieves Blend, which is a favorite antimicrobial blend that has been shown to be effective against a variety of bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi, is not particularly effective against MRSA. In fact, it is less than half as effective as R.C. This is surprising since Thieves contains Cinnamon Bark oil, which is one of the top three effective singles against MRSA. Yet Thieves, as a blend, was only about half as effective as Cinnamon Bark oil alone.
Practical Implications
The data cited here were all done in vitro in a laboratory on cultures of MRSA on test plates. While most of the oils tested are considered by the FDA as "GRAS" (Generally Regarded as Safe) for oral ingestion, no essential oil has been approved by the FDA for human use to treat a disease. The data definitely show promise for the possible treatment or prevention of MRSA infections, more promise than anything medical science has been able to find thus far. Furthermore, applying Lemongrass or R.C. has no negative side effects like antibiotics and no toxicities to humans like synthetic antibacterial agents.
So how can you make practical use of the research cited above? For one thing, if you are going to visit a hospital or spend time in a hospital, cover the soles of your feet with R.C. or Lemongrass. Rub one or both of these oil on your hands as an "antimicrobial oil glove" so that when you touch doorknobs, hospital furniture, elevator buttons, or public telephones, there will be a thin oil barrier between you and any possible MRSA contamination. MRSA is primarily spread by contact and not as an airborne pathogen. You might exercise the same precautions as in a hospital visit when visiting a public gymnasium where you are sharing workout equipment with strangers. Then when you go home, diffuse R.C. or Lemongrass, scrub your hands, and face with soap to minimize any exposure you may have had with invisible MRSA microbes.
Better to avoid going into a hospital altogether, if possible. Hospital personnel and pastors who regularly visit hospitals are at particular risk, not only to themselves, but also to their families since they can potentially carry MRSA into their homes.
If you do acquire a MRSA infection, realize that the medical profession can do little, if anything, to help you. However, you can safely apply R.C. or Lemongrass locally at the site of the infection and in any other way deemed advisable, even internally. Additional research is going to be required to determine the extent to which essential oils can prevent and/or cure MRSA infections in humans. At this time, Lemongrass and R.C. have demonstrated the greatest promise of all possibilities in combating the spread of MRSA and of bringing relief to those who have already contracted it.
Personally, if I were to be diagnosed with a MRSA infection circulating in my body, I would head for Gary Young’s clinic in Ecuador where essential oils can be administered intravenously. This is the only place in the world where essential oils are administered directly into the blood stream. I would request an I.V. containing a suspension of R.C. and/or Lemongrass oil. The clinic routinely administers oils such as Frankincense, Helichrysum, and Thieves intravenously, but to my knowledge an R.C.I.V. has never been administered to date. But if my system was found infected with MRSA, I would be willing to be the first to receive one.
Thanks to the Researchers
The scientific data cited in this article are published in an article entitled, Inhibition of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) by Essential Oils in the Flavour and Fragrance Journal, 23:444-449, (2008). This journal is published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The research was carried out, compiled, and reported by Sue Chao, Gary Young, Craig Oberg, and Karen Nakaoka as a collaborative project between the Young Living Laboratory, Lehi, Utah, and Weber State University, Ogden, Utah. The publication of this research is the first step toward FDA approval of essential oils in MRSA prevention or therapy.
This type of research is highly hazardous to those who engage in it since you are working closely with a potentially deadly microbe or one that can infect you for life. Great precautions must be taken to minimize any possibility of infection among the researchers and laboratory staff. I want to personally thank the individuals named above who took a risk on behalf of humanity to provide us with this valuable information.
"Reprinted from The Raindrop Messenger, a free eline newsletter, with permission from Dr. David Stewart. To subscribe or download back issues, visit www.RaindropTraining.com."
Are Essential Oils a Cure for Monster Bacteria like MRSA?
~^~by David Stewart, PhD
MRSA (pronounced "murr - sa") is an acronym for "Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus." While Staphylococcus aureus is a common and relatively harmless inhabitant in the nasal passages of 25-30% of people, the MRSA form of staphylococcus is not so benign and once entrenched it does not go away. MRSA is a monster bacteria created by the medical use of man-made antibiotics and antibacterial agents employed principally in hospitals. It was first detected in the 1960s, only a few years after a new semi-synthetic form of penicillin (Methicillin) was introduced.
Hospitals are where this germ originated and is still where it is principally found. However, since 1982 MRSA has been found outside of hospitals, first detected among drug users in Detroit. Since then it has worked its way into other parts of the community, including playgrounds and gymnasiums. Thus, we not only have HA-MRSA or "Hospital Acquired MRSA" but also CA-MRSA or "Community Acquired MRSA."
The portion of staphylococcal infections in the U.S. due to MRSA has risen steadily at an ever-increasing rate from 2% in 1974 to 63% in 2004. Once MRSA has been acquired, it is usually remains with the infected individual for life and can be fatal. Medical science has no effective treatment for MRSA infections.
A Relative Contracts MRSA
As a case in point, I have a relative, a retired career military man, who accompanied his wife to a hospital for some routine tests for her (not him). He had a small open scratch on his leg. During his visit, he acquired HA-MRSA through that small scratch. His leg swelled up and became inflamed. To date, no treatment has worked in stopping the spread of the bacteria in his body. It has now infected his entire leg and has worked up into his groin. He has been hospitalized more than once for treatments, all of which have been ineffective. It has been five years since his fateful visit to the hospital with his wife and he still carries the infection, which is slowly spreading.
I mentioned the possibility of essential oils to him, but he is a relative of mine and, as many of you have experienced, we have no credibility with our relatives. (Mark 6:4) He is also a devout believer in allopathic medicine. Having a Cadillac insurance program from being a veteran, he is content to keep receiving free medical treatment, even though it is not working. Unless he eventually resorts to a non-allopathic solution, he will most likely suffer from this infection for the rest of his life and, perhaps, even succumb to it.
Will Medical Science Find a Solution to MRSA?
Since the pharmaceutical approach to resistant strains of bacteria is to develop stronger and stronger antibiotics, there a pharmaceutical solution is not likely to ever be found because any antibiotic stronger than Methicillin would be more likely to kill the patient than the bacteria. Vancomycin is another antibiotic nearly equal in potency to Methicillin, but it, like Methicillin, can also be lethal to the patient and has not been found effective against MRSA.
Since it was the plethora of man-made antibiotics and antibacterial agents employed since the 1950's that were the creators of MRSA and other resistant strains of bacteria in the first place, it is not likely that any medicine synthesized in a laboratory will ever be a solution. In fact, additional more powerful man-made drugs would most likely result in giving birth to even more virulent microorganisms. MRSA is a Frankenstein of the Medical System's own creation. The solution to MRSA must come from outside the medical paradigm.
Are Essential Oils Effective Against MRSA?
Since Modern Medicine has no cure for MRSA and is, in fact, the cause of MRSA, the most likely means to combat MRSA is essential oils, which are among the most versatile and effective antimicrobial agents known. Not only do essential oils have powerful antibacterial properties without side effects, they are also incapable of producing resistant strains of bacteria as synthetic pharmaceuticals do.
There are two reasons essential oils do not and cannot create resistant strains of bacteria:
(1) Essential oils are extremely complex, comprised of hundreds of compounds, while laboratory-produced medicines are simple, usually consisting of only one or two active ingredients. Thus, bacteria have less difficulty in breaking the codes of a man-made medicine than in attempting to form a resistance to a natural medicine like an essential oil.
(2) Furthermore, essential oils are never twice the same while every batch of a pharmaceutical drug is always the same, reproduced with laboratory exactness. Hence, with repeated exposure to the same identical drug, bacteria eventually figure out its toxic properties and develope resistance. However, since essential oils are never identical from year to year, even if bacteria did figure out an oil's effective components in a given year, they would have to start all over with the next crop.
The reason essential oils are not exactly duplicatible is because they are products of the vagaries of nature. The essential oils of a plant vary to adjust to their environment, just as human blood adjusts from morning to evening, from season to season, and from climate to climate. A plant's oils are actually different from morning to night each day and from week to week throughout the growing season. Furthermore, the growing environment for a plant is never the same year to year. Some years are warmer than others, some cooler, some with more rain, some less, and if you compare the same species grown in different latitudes, altitudes, climates, and soils, you get even greater variations.
A basil plant will always produce a basil oil with the same suite of compounds, but from year to year and place to place, the relative proportions of the hundreds of compounds comprising basil oil will be different. Essential oils are like fine wines. Since no two years are the same, neither are two year's wines the same even from the same vinyard. That is why vintners put dates on their bottles, since each year's wine will a little different in taste, color, and fragrance.
Therefore bacteria will never figure out nor become resistant to an essential oil because they are too complex and because they are always changing. Man-made medicines are temporary, but God's medicines are forever. Hospitals used to use the Oil of Onycha (Styrax benzoin) dissolved in alcohol (called Tincture of Benzoin) as their most effective antiseptic and antibacterial agent to cleanse and sanitize their wards.
If hospitals and medical doctors would have continued to use natural agents like Onycha, we would not have resistant strains of bacteria, such as MRSA, to threaten us today.
The Versatility of R.C.
R.C. Oil Blend has been applied successfully for pneumonia, for dissolving calcium deposits in joints, and to stop snoring, although its primary purpose is to relieve "Respiratory Congestion." That is what the initials, "R.C.," stand for. RC has been effective with many forms of congestion including colds, bronchitis, sore throats, sinusitis, coughs, lung infections, and respiratory allergy symptoms. However, in a series of laboratory tests at the Young Living Laboratory and Weber State University in Utah (See citation below), of 91 single essential oils and 64 essential oil blends, while Lemongrass was found to be the most effective single oil, R.C. was found to be the most effective blend.
Seventy-eight of the 91 single oils tested showed measurable inhibitory activity against MRSA. The top ranking oils, in descending order of effectiveness, were Lemongrass (Cymbopogen flexuosus), Lemon Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora), Mountain Savory (Satureja montana), Cinnamon Bark (Cinnamomum verum), and Melissa (Melissa officinalis). The most effective single oil, Lemongrass, completely inhibited all MRSA growth on the test plate.
Since Tincture of Benzoin (containing Oil of Onycha) used to be the principal antibacterial cleansing agent used in hospitals, as mentioned above, it would be interesting to see how Onycha measures up in killing the MRSA bacteria. Unfortunately, this study of 91 single oils did not include Onycha.
Fifty-two of the 64 blends tested showed measurable inhibitory activity against MRSA. The top three ranking oils, in descending order of effectiveness, were R.C., Motivation, and Longevity. The most effective blend, R.C., also completely inhibited all MRSA growth on the test plate.
R.C. is a blend of 10 species, including three species of Eucalyptus, as follows: E. globulus, E. radiata, E. citriodora, Myrtle (Myrtus communis, not Lemon myrtle), Pine, Spruce, Marjoram, Lavender, Cypress, and Peppermint. The Power of R.C. in combating MRSA is far beyond any of its individual constituents. In fact, two of the constituent oils (E. globulus and Myrtle) both scored zero in their ability to inhibit MRSA growth. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of R.C. as a blend was almost triples the effectiveness of the most powerful ingredient, which was Peppermint oil. This finding dramatically illustrates the power of oil blends over many oil singles. An oil blend usually has capabilities not manifested by any of its components, which is why blends are preferred by most aromatherapists for healing applications.
The same was true of Motivation, the second most effective blend. Motivation contains only four single oils: Roman Chamomile, Spruce, Ylang Ylang, and Lavender. Ylang Ylang, alone, had no inhibitory effect on MRSA whatsoever while the other three ingredients all scored less than half as effective as the combination of all four. Thus, the power of Motivation against MRSA was found to be greater than that of any of the individual species comprising the blend.
It is also interesting to note that the three most effective blends (R.C., Motivation, and Longevity) contained none of the five most effective single oils (Lemongrass, Lemon Myrtle, Mountain Savory, Cinnamon Bark, Melissa).
Can the Whole be Deduced from its Parts?
The conclusion is that one cannot deduce the properties of an oil blend from a knowledge of its components. Additional properties will always manifest in a blend that are not demonstrated by any of the singles that comprise it, while many properties of the singles do not manifest in the blend. This is why effective blends must be formulated intuitively and not by logic. All of Young Living's blends were formulated by Gary Young, all by intuition, some even by way of intuitive dreams.
The same principle is true of single oils in that one cannot deduce the properties of an essential oil by knowing the properties of its individual compounds as isolates. Attempting to do so would be like trying to deduce the taste and texture of a chocolate cake from the taste and textures of the individual ingredients, viz. white flour, shortening, sugar, salt, eggs, baking powder, bitter cocoa, and vanilla extract. This is why scientific studies on the properties of isolated single compounds of an oil do not reveal the nature of the oil and why knowledge of a single oil does not reveal the nature of a blend containing that oil.
This principle is true even to the extent that a compound that is highly toxic alone can be safe, non-toxic, and therapeutic when occurring as an ingredient in an essential oil. Many aromatherapists who fear certain oils have been trained in a school that teaches the fallacy that properties of isolated compounds studied in laboratories apply to the natural oils in which they are found. Thus, many aromatherapists avoid perfectly safe and therapeutically effective oils because a laboratory has found one or more compounds in the oil that, by themselves, are harmful.
It is this fallacy upon which many aromatheray books post lists of "forbidden oils, never to be used in aromatherapy for any purpose." These taboo lists include perfectly good oils like cinnamon, clove, basil, oregano, mountain savory, birch, wintergreen, cassia, tansy, pine, and even benign oils like vanilla. Of course, adulterated oils improperly distilled and grown with chemicals and insecticides can possess toxic properties. However, if one uses only Young Living oils, which are pure, unadulterated, properly grown, and properly distilled, one need not worry about toxicity.
It is interesting to note that Thieves Blend, which is a favorite antimicrobial blend that has been shown to be effective against a variety of bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi, is not particularly effective against MRSA. In fact, it is less than half as effective as R.C. This is surprising since Thieves contains Cinnamon Bark oil, which is one of the top three effective singles against MRSA. Yet Thieves, as a blend, was only about half as effective as Cinnamon Bark oil alone.
Practical Implications
The data cited here were all done in vitro in a laboratory on cultures of MRSA on test plates. While most of the oils tested are considered by the FDA as "GRAS" (Generally Regarded as Safe) for oral ingestion, no essential oil has been approved by the FDA for human use to treat a disease. The data definitely show promise for the possible treatment or prevention of MRSA infections, more promise than anything medical science has been able to find thus far. Furthermore, applying Lemongrass or R.C. has no negative side effects like antibiotics and no toxicities to humans like synthetic antibacterial agents.
So how can you make practical use of the research cited above? For one thing, if you are going to visit a hospital or spend time in a hospital, cover the soles of your feet with R.C. or Lemongrass. Rub one or both of these oil on your hands as an "antimicrobial oil glove" so that when you touch doorknobs, hospital furniture, elevator buttons, or public telephones, there will be a thin oil barrier between you and any possible MRSA contamination. MRSA is primarily spread by contact and not as an airborne pathogen. You might exercise the same precautions as in a hospital visit when visiting a public gymnasium where you are sharing workout equipment with strangers. Then when you go home, diffuse R.C. or Lemongrass, scrub your hands, and face with soap to minimize any exposure you may have had with invisible MRSA microbes.
Better to avoid going into a hospital altogether, if possible. Hospital personnel and pastors who regularly visit hospitals are at particular risk, not only to themselves, but also to their families since they can potentially carry MRSA into their homes.
If you do acquire a MRSA infection, realize that the medical profession can do little, if anything, to help you. However, you can safely apply R.C. or Lemongrass locally at the site of the infection and in any other way deemed advisable, even internally. Additional research is going to be required to determine the extent to which essential oils can prevent and/or cure MRSA infections in humans. At this time, Lemongrass and R.C. have demonstrated the greatest promise of all possibilities in combating the spread of MRSA and of bringing relief to those who have already contracted it.
Personally, if I were to be diagnosed with a MRSA infection circulating in my body, I would head for Gary Young’s clinic in Ecuador where essential oils can be administered intravenously. This is the only place in the world where essential oils are administered directly into the blood stream. I would request an I.V. containing a suspension of R.C. and/or Lemongrass oil. The clinic routinely administers oils such as Frankincense, Helichrysum, and Thieves intravenously, but to my knowledge an R.C.I.V. has never been administered to date. But if my system was found infected with MRSA, I would be willing to be the first to receive one.
Thanks to the Researchers
The scientific data cited in this article are published in an article entitled, Inhibition of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) by Essential Oils in the Flavour and Fragrance Journal, 23:444-449, (2008). This journal is published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The research was carried out, compiled, and reported by Sue Chao, Gary Young, Craig Oberg, and Karen Nakaoka as a collaborative project between the Young Living Laboratory, Lehi, Utah, and Weber State University, Ogden, Utah. The publication of this research is the first step toward FDA approval of essential oils in MRSA prevention or therapy.
This type of research is highly hazardous to those who engage in it since you are working closely with a potentially deadly microbe or one that can infect you for life. Great precautions must be taken to minimize any possibility of infection among the researchers and laboratory staff. I want to personally thank the individuals named above who took a risk on behalf of humanity to provide us with this valuable information.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Characteristics of the Heart Centered Entrepreneur
By Susie Beiler
Many business owners wonder if it is possible to run a successful business from the heart. Not only is it possible, it is the best way to build your reputation and your business. In my view a successful entrepreneur embodies the following characteristics.
1. HCE’s (heart centered entrepreneurs) are in tune with their own heart and what they want. What they offer in their business is an outflow of what is already in their hearts. They could be a plumber, a dog-walker, or a massage therapist. The key is that they are doing what they love.
2. HCE’s value themselves first. They value their time, energy, and resources and set up healthy boundaries to communicate this to customers. They teach their customers how they would like to be treated by how they treat themselves and their customers. Instead of doing things to put up an appearance of being nice, they are nice to themselves first and can then do business in true integrity. In this way being nice to others is easy because they are 100% in alignment with themselves and their actions are a reflection of this fact.
3. HCE’s know what they are worth. Truly, there is a time when compassion guides an entrepreneur to give the person on a limited income a break in the fee. As a rule, however, they charge a fair price for the value of what they provide. Just as important, their heart is open to receive the payments in the amount of the price they are charging.
4. HCE’s know when to “let it go”. Sometimes clients ask too much or want to get more than what they are paying for. An HCE listens to the request with compassion and healthy nonattachment and determines whether they are the right person to provide the requested service. Even if there are no new customers in the pipeline, the savvy HCE trusts that in letting go of the difficult client, new and better ones arrive on time.
5. HCE’s reward committed clients. A devoted client deserves the best. HCE’s give everything they have to give and trust in the ripple effect… they are impacting more than just one person when they have a satisfied client. HCE’s know that word of mouth is the most effective form of attracting clients that are a good match for them.
6. HCE’s know they are here to serve. Again, regardless of the profession, an HCE is in business to provide a service that is a demonstration of their life purpose. In this vein, HCE’s care more about the customer than making money from that customer. HCE’s know how to balance the need to make money with the desire to meet the customer’s needs and their own needs.
It has been my experience that there is a universal support system that is created around the Heart Centered Entrepreneur. When the HCE is truly in business for the right reasons, they always have what they need. An open heart is in the graceful flow of giving and receiving with trust and gratitude.
©Susie Beiler 2009
Many business owners wonder if it is possible to run a successful business from the heart. Not only is it possible, it is the best way to build your reputation and your business. In my view a successful entrepreneur embodies the following characteristics.
1. HCE’s (heart centered entrepreneurs) are in tune with their own heart and what they want. What they offer in their business is an outflow of what is already in their hearts. They could be a plumber, a dog-walker, or a massage therapist. The key is that they are doing what they love.
2. HCE’s value themselves first. They value their time, energy, and resources and set up healthy boundaries to communicate this to customers. They teach their customers how they would like to be treated by how they treat themselves and their customers. Instead of doing things to put up an appearance of being nice, they are nice to themselves first and can then do business in true integrity. In this way being nice to others is easy because they are 100% in alignment with themselves and their actions are a reflection of this fact.
3. HCE’s know what they are worth. Truly, there is a time when compassion guides an entrepreneur to give the person on a limited income a break in the fee. As a rule, however, they charge a fair price for the value of what they provide. Just as important, their heart is open to receive the payments in the amount of the price they are charging.
4. HCE’s know when to “let it go”. Sometimes clients ask too much or want to get more than what they are paying for. An HCE listens to the request with compassion and healthy nonattachment and determines whether they are the right person to provide the requested service. Even if there are no new customers in the pipeline, the savvy HCE trusts that in letting go of the difficult client, new and better ones arrive on time.
5. HCE’s reward committed clients. A devoted client deserves the best. HCE’s give everything they have to give and trust in the ripple effect… they are impacting more than just one person when they have a satisfied client. HCE’s know that word of mouth is the most effective form of attracting clients that are a good match for them.
6. HCE’s know they are here to serve. Again, regardless of the profession, an HCE is in business to provide a service that is a demonstration of their life purpose. In this vein, HCE’s care more about the customer than making money from that customer. HCE’s know how to balance the need to make money with the desire to meet the customer’s needs and their own needs.
It has been my experience that there is a universal support system that is created around the Heart Centered Entrepreneur. When the HCE is truly in business for the right reasons, they always have what they need. An open heart is in the graceful flow of giving and receiving with trust and gratitude.
©Susie Beiler 2009
Affirmations for Exuberant Health
Stay Tuned!
Starting in January I will be offering you affirmations so that YOU can achieve exuberant health in YOUR life!
Starting in January I will be offering you affirmations so that YOU can achieve exuberant health in YOUR life!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)