Natural and easy care for a healthy family all year!

My niece sent me a text message asking me the other day if there was anything else she should get to prevent any sickies in her little family this year. Her question inspired me to share with anyone what we do in our home.

Here's a couple why you might want to pay attention;

• My family of 7 never go to the doctor - we don't have any medical expenses ... literally.
• I have 5 children, and the longest any of them are sick is 3 days. (and that is usually the two littlest who are still building their immune systems)
• I have been doing this for over 10 years
• If it seems your kids are constantly sick, trying something different might be your answer!

Essential Oils

Essential oils have gained a lot of popularity over the years. I remember when everyone thought I was some sort of a quack when I started to use them and promote them 11 years ago.... I got a lot of laughs and not so nice remarks! However I stood by them then, and I stand by them still. They are amazing and area huge part of our home care system. The brand I use is goDesana, all certified organic. I don't actively sell, but it's a free membership for wholesale pricing!

These are the oils we ALWAYS have in our home;

Wellness for Kids & Elderly Lemon Oregano Eucalyptus Radiata Ravintsara

Lavender/Oregano Lavender Ice Peppermint Orange Protector

 Herbs and Whole Foods 

I have been using herbs for 13 years, and have studied them for approximately 8 years off and on. I received a certificate for a Family Herbalist course through the School of Natural Healing about 8 years ago and am slowly working on  Master Herbalist certificate. I. LOVE. HERBS. They are simple to use, no risk of overdosing, safe for kids of all ages ( there are still some pre-cautions, but not with the most common herbs used) We use them primarily in capsules and teas, fomentation, and baths. They are a whole food, so I couple them with other foods we use to keep our family strong. They provide nutrition, which is all the body needs to take care of itself.

Garlic – raw Fermented veggies Chamomile Raspberry Leaf Comfrey Complete Bone and Tissue formula Eucalyptus Lobelia  Mullien Kid-E-Well Kid-E-Calc  Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide Spray

Sage Dead Sea Salts Lower Bowel formula Marshmallow Slippery Elm Astragalus Frozen Orange Juice concentrate (not really a whole food I know, but I have my reasons!) Green Smoothies Kid-E-Reg Garlic Oil

Putting it all together 

Looking at my lists might be overwhelming. It's nice to know what I use, but HOW and WHEN to use everything isn't always that easy to convey. I will be doing more blog posts over time to explain better, but if you understand a few of these next principles, and research each of these things, I think you will get an idea of how to use them with your own family and home.

First and foremost - Having these aides is fine and dandy, but you can't just depend on them like you would a prescription from a doctor. The health of the body, and immune system is largely dependent on lifestyle habits, diet, and exercise! We all know this, but it seems in modern America, it's not really understood how important these things are. Our diet here at Wovoka Ranch comprises of 90% whole foods. That means we eat mostly - fruits, nuts, seeds, vegetables, grains in their whole state, beans&legumes, and meat. We rarely eat dairy, and other processed foods (except for what we can ourselves!) Those things are considered a treat every once in a while. We do make our own bread mostly, and it is always 100% whole wheat flour in our pantry. We also don't ever use white sugar here either. We use honey or Turbinado as sweeteners, can't forget the sweetener!

French Intensive Method - As soon as you notice that you or one of your family members is off or might have a symptom, you start with the oils. In the first hour, every 15 minutes you apply an oil. I usually rotate between Wellness for kids and Eucalyptus R. or Ravinstara. Then the 2nd hour you will administer oil every 30 min. Then after after that you will apply oil every waking hour. If the symptoms are really bad, I will apply every 15 min for the first 2 hours, then 30 min the next 2 hours. We also use herbs in combination this same way.

I make these cute custom teabags

Tea and Hydration - One of the most important things when someone is not feeling well, is to keep them hydrated. Food isn't even important. If you are nourishing their bodies with herbs (capsules), teas, and the oils, food is the last thing. Go by their desire for it, but make sure they are whole foods and dairy/sugar free. The body needs to heal and not have additional stuff to process. Tea's are very nourishing and you get the added benefit of hydration. We use lots of Chamomile and Raspberry.

Baths - Continuing with hydration and teas, using them, oils and Dead sea salts make for great baths. Baths help relax, detox, heal, and hydrate! My favorite healing bath is - 1/2 to 1 cup Dead Sea Salts in the tub, put a drop or two of Oregano on the salts before filling the tub. In your bath teabag, or just straight in the water ( this can be messy and not fun to clean) put Eucalyptus, Sage, Comfrey, and Chamomile cut herbs. This bath combo. has been my saving grace more then once!

Bowels - Ahhh the bowels. These are one of the most important places to focus when someone is not feeling well. The first thing I ask my kids is " When was the last time you pooped?" Ideally, a person will have 2-3 bowel movements a day, and it will be the consistency of soft serve ice cream. I know this is fun to read about, but it is critical. Toxins must be released from the body. 90% of all disease is traced back to the colon. It must be functioning well. With that said, ALL disease is a form of constipation. Stuffy nose is constipated sinuses for example.

Lastly - All things take time to learn and get used to. Trying to apply everything can be overwhelming. Just start somewhere and be diligent with it, then add a bit at a time.

I am always open to answer questions and help!