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.
Showing posts with label healing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healing. Show all posts
Friday, April 30, 2010
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.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Using essential oils in the Kitchen
When I tell people that I use essential oils in recipes, I get a somewhat confused yet curious look. If you want to enhance your digestion AND impart deep flavor to your food, I suggest the following:
~Add a drop of essential oil to your salad dressing. Lemon, dill, tangerine, tarragon, ginger and orange are all good choices.
~Stir a drop of peppermint in your vanilla or chocolate ice cream.
~Oregano, Marjoram, Thyme, Rosemary, and/or Basil are wonderful additions to a bowl of soup.
~All the citrus oils (orange, grapefruit, lemon, tangerine, and a blend called Citrus Fresh) perk up your water AND aid in weight loss as they provide a gentle yet very effective detox for your cells!
~Flavor up your brownies with peppermint, cinnamon, or nutmeg.
~Make a fruit smoothie or sorbet with the citrus oils. www.greenfeet.com has some great recipes.
I hope this gives you some inspirational ideas. If you have some of your own, please feel free to add them in the comment section!
Remember that these medicinal quality oils will lose some of their healing properties when heated. Whenever possible, add the oils after you have heated up your meal.
I use only 100% pure therapeutic grade essential oils from Young Living. Other oils may contain perfumes, fillers, or may have been processed with solvents. Order your oils from http://susie.younglivingworld.com
~Add a drop of essential oil to your salad dressing. Lemon, dill, tangerine, tarragon, ginger and orange are all good choices.
~Stir a drop of peppermint in your vanilla or chocolate ice cream.
~Oregano, Marjoram, Thyme, Rosemary, and/or Basil are wonderful additions to a bowl of soup.
~All the citrus oils (orange, grapefruit, lemon, tangerine, and a blend called Citrus Fresh) perk up your water AND aid in weight loss as they provide a gentle yet very effective detox for your cells!
~Flavor up your brownies with peppermint, cinnamon, or nutmeg.
~Make a fruit smoothie or sorbet with the citrus oils. www.greenfeet.com has some great recipes.
I hope this gives you some inspirational ideas. If you have some of your own, please feel free to add them in the comment section!
Remember that these medicinal quality oils will lose some of their healing properties when heated. Whenever possible, add the oils after you have heated up your meal.
I use only 100% pure therapeutic grade essential oils from Young Living. Other oils may contain perfumes, fillers, or may have been processed with solvents. Order your oils from http://susie.younglivingworld.com
Friday, February 6, 2009
Essential Oils for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Fibromyalgia
EPSTEIN BARR: Thyme, clove, sandalwood, grapefruit, nutmeg, blue tansy, mountain savory, oregano, tea tree, rosemary, ImmuPower, EndoFlex, Thieves, Longevity, DiGize, Exodus II.
ADDISON’S DISEASE (underproduction of hormones): nutmeg, sage, clove, rosemary, basil, EndoFlex, Joy, En-R-Gee. Apply with a warm compress over adrenal area.
CUSHING’S DISEASE (overproduction of hormones): lemon, peppermint, nutmeg, ImmuPower, Thieves, EndoFlex. Apply with a warm compress over adrenal area.
PHYSICAL FATIGUE: lemongrass, juniper, basil, lemon, peppermint, rosemary, nutmeg, black pepper, thyme, Melissa, cypress, Motivation, Valor, En-R-Gee, Hope, Clarity, Citrus Fresh, Awaken, Joy
MENTAL FATIGUE: black pepper, sage, peppermint, nutmeg, spearmint, pine, En-R-Gee, Clarity, Live With Passion, Envision, Valor, Motivation
FIBROMYALGIA: German chamomile, nutmeg, Idaho balsam fir, PanAway, Relieve It, Deep Relief, ImmuPower
Suggested Uses
Rub a drop or two on your feet before bed, upon awaking in the morning, and as needed. Diffuse them in the air. Place a drop in your hands, rub together, and inhale. Apply with a warm compress over your adrenals. Rub a drop on your ears. Oils with a supplement facts table on them may be taken internally either by capsule or dropped directly into your mouth. Raindrop Technique 1x/week.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Essential Oils for your Cat's Cold
Recently a friend inquired about which oils might help to relieve her cat's cold. I looked it up in my Essential Oils Desk Reference and on the testimonial website. http://www.oil-testimonials.com/7468 I found out that a special blend called R.C., which stands for Respiratory Congestion, has been helpful in alleviating cold symptoms in cats! Put a drop on a bandana and tie it around your cat's neck or dilute a drop in vegetable oil and rub it on her paws. Cats are super sensitive to the oils, so a little goes a loooong way. Easy does it! R.C. contains essentials oils of eucalyptus, myrtle, pine, marjoram, lavender, picea mariana, and peppermint. Of course, please use it on yourself as well. It is very effective to diffuse this oil if you have any type of respiratory issue such as a cold or allergies.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Essential Oil of Rosemary
Recently I have fallen in love in Rosemary. It has a lot of uses. The Essential Oils Desk Reference provides the following information:
*Rosemary protects your liver. It is anti-tumoral, antifungal, antibacterial, and antiparasitic. Rosemary enhances mental clarity and concentration.
*You can use Rosemary to combat infectious disease and throat/lung infections. You can use it to restore hair growth and memory! Rosemary is great for weight loss and those with diabetes as it helps to regulate blood sugar levels.
*Its aromatherapy qualities help to overcome mental fatigue and improve clarity and focus. Inhale Rosemary to boost alertness, eases anxiety, and amplifies analytic and mental ability.
Suggested Application:
1) Dilute 1:1 with a carrier oil such as vegetable oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, etc. Apply directly to the skin on the "offending" area or on your chakras, or vitaflex points if you know them.
2) Inhale directly.
3) Diffuse in the air.
4) Take internally. Drop directly in your mouth or put a drop in an empty capsule.
Personally I like to put a drop in my water when I need a pick-me-up.
Purchase Rosemary here: http://susie.younglivingworld.com
*Rosemary protects your liver. It is anti-tumoral, antifungal, antibacterial, and antiparasitic. Rosemary enhances mental clarity and concentration.
*You can use Rosemary to combat infectious disease and throat/lung infections. You can use it to restore hair growth and memory! Rosemary is great for weight loss and those with diabetes as it helps to regulate blood sugar levels.
*Its aromatherapy qualities help to overcome mental fatigue and improve clarity and focus. Inhale Rosemary to boost alertness, eases anxiety, and amplifies analytic and mental ability.
Suggested Application:
1) Dilute 1:1 with a carrier oil such as vegetable oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, etc. Apply directly to the skin on the "offending" area or on your chakras, or vitaflex points if you know them.
2) Inhale directly.
3) Diffuse in the air.
4) Take internally. Drop directly in your mouth or put a drop in an empty capsule.
Personally I like to put a drop in my water when I need a pick-me-up.
Purchase Rosemary here: http://susie.younglivingworld.com
Friday, October 3, 2008
Essential Oils Introduction
Do you know about essential oils? They are the essence and lifeblood of a plant. They oxygenate our cells and help our bodies remove waste. They are highly cleansing and healing for our body. Get a free report from my website. http://susie.younglivingworld.com
You can diffuse them in the air, rub them on your feet, or take some of them internally. You can use them to make healthy cleaning products- Dilute with water and spray on the surface to be cleaned.
This is just scratching the surface. In future blogs I will highlight various essential oils and their uses. Enjoy!
You can diffuse them in the air, rub them on your feet, or take some of them internally. You can use them to make healthy cleaning products- Dilute with water and spray on the surface to be cleaned.
This is just scratching the surface. In future blogs I will highlight various essential oils and their uses. Enjoy!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
I have been thinking about LIFE.
Where does your life come from? Where do you find your energy and your vibrance? For me, I find energy in consuming fresh, whole, local, organic foods. When I go to my farm, I can FEEL life growing and thriving. It is an inspiring and beautiful place to be! I surround myself with life. My living space is occupied with lots of plants. I choose friends who are moving in a positive direction in their lives. I work with clients who are learning how to make choices that build their health. I make every attempt in my own life to choose growth rather than stagnation. The more I choose Life, the better I feel and the easier it becomes to do the next time.
Where would you like to choose life? What part of your life is stagnate and what is ONE thing you can do right now to move it in a positive direction? Your mind may say it is impossible or you may come up with excuses and reasons about why your victim hood is better than actually feeling good, but I challenge you to take responsibility and move forward. It IS possible and you CAN do it!
Where would you like to choose life? What part of your life is stagnate and what is ONE thing you can do right now to move it in a positive direction? Your mind may say it is impossible or you may come up with excuses and reasons about why your victim hood is better than actually feeling good, but I challenge you to take responsibility and move forward. It IS possible and you CAN do it!
Monday, August 18, 2008
Get it Now
You are amazing. Do you get it? No, I mean really. Do you get how amazing you truly are? If you did, you would make smart choices in your life. You would take care of yourself exceptionally well. You would not take crap from anyone. You would stand up for yourself, even when it's really hard... especially when it's really hard. You would feed your temple with fresh, organic food whenever possible. You would do the things you love as often as possible.
What will it take for you to get it?
Please, don't wait until tragedy strikes or health issues overwhelm. Get it now. Open your heart to yourself and believe that you are worthy and deserving to have abundant health, regardless of your age or current state of health. Your deserve to have a life you are excited to live!
Start claiming your health by making one small change at a time. Start right now.
What will it take for you to get it?
Please, don't wait until tragedy strikes or health issues overwhelm. Get it now. Open your heart to yourself and believe that you are worthy and deserving to have abundant health, regardless of your age or current state of health. Your deserve to have a life you are excited to live!
Start claiming your health by making one small change at a time. Start right now.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Healing Sanctuary and Retreat Center
Promotional video to raise money for the Shamalada Healing Sanctuary in Bucks County, PA.
Watch Healing Sanctuary and Retreat Center in Faith Videos | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
Watch Healing Sanctuary and Retreat Center in Faith Videos | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
Sunday, October 28, 2007
What is holding you back?
What is holding you back? For most of us, it boils down to fear. We are afraid of something. Some of us are afraid of failure. Some of us are afraid of success. I know it sounds bizarre, but the truth does not always make immediate sense. Why would anyone be afraid of success? The absurd reality is that when we are doing what we came to do here in this world, when success is at the doorstep we have come to a point of reckoning. We will be brave enough to fully accept our mission? Will we truly embrace all aspects of ourselves and what we have to offer? You have much more to offer than you think you do. The truth is that we are not scared of what we lack, but we fear how much power we hold as human beings.
Who are you? What are you about? Do you know why you are here on this earth? Do you know why you chose this existence? If you have trouble answering these questions, I encourage you to embark on a conscious journey. Seek your path. Seek your truth. Seek support in finding yourself. If you have clear answers to these questions, congratulations! The question is now, "What are you going to do with this knowledge?" Are you helping those whom you came to help? Are you continually growing and developing yourself? Again I ask, "What is holding you back?" You are a truly amazing person. You have so much to offer. The way you contribute to society is unique and perfect. Despite the way you were raised or your religious beliefs or the rules that have been imposed upon you, there is no one right way to express your talents. Find your way. Show confidence in what you have to offer and you will be respected rather than judged. Simply stated, be YOU. You are the keeper of your truth. The world needs you to let go of and move past whatever holds you back.
Who are you? What are you about? Do you know why you are here on this earth? Do you know why you chose this existence? If you have trouble answering these questions, I encourage you to embark on a conscious journey. Seek your path. Seek your truth. Seek support in finding yourself. If you have clear answers to these questions, congratulations! The question is now, "What are you going to do with this knowledge?" Are you helping those whom you came to help? Are you continually growing and developing yourself? Again I ask, "What is holding you back?" You are a truly amazing person. You have so much to offer. The way you contribute to society is unique and perfect. Despite the way you were raised or your religious beliefs or the rules that have been imposed upon you, there is no one right way to express your talents. Find your way. Show confidence in what you have to offer and you will be respected rather than judged. Simply stated, be YOU. You are the keeper of your truth. The world needs you to let go of and move past whatever holds you back.
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