Living Well Blog Hop # 8

Welcome to the Living Well blog hop! We’d like to invite you to share a blog post about what you do to Live Well. It could be a healthy recipe, exercise tips, ideas for relaxing, getting organized, lifestyle improvements – anything that you feel makes your life better.

Your Living Well hosts for the week are:

Laurie @ Common Sense Homesteading

Jo @ Jo’s Health Corner

Tina @ Being Made New

Lea @ Nourishing Treasures

Living Well Blog Hop guidelines:

1. Please provide a link back to one of the Living Well host blogs in your post. Grab one of the buttons below if you like.

2. Please link to a specific post in your blog, not your blog’s home page.

3. If you link a recipe, please use real foods and avoid highly processed ingredients.

4. The hosts of the blog hop reserve the right to remove any posts that we deem inappropriate.

5. If you don’t have a blog, please leave a comment to share what you’ve done to live well this week.

Thanks for joining us in Living Well.

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Is Your pH Balanced?

Lemons are acidic, but they neutralize acids once they are consumed and  make the body more alkaline.

Have you ever checked to see if your pH is balanced? It took me a while before I realized how important pH balancing is to our health. pH balancing is one thing that is often overlooked in our quest for optimal health. pH balancing is important to achieve optimal health, in fact, it is so important that it can affect all the major body systems if it is out of balance. A pH balanced body allows the body to function properly, and it maintains proper metabolic functions. 

Why high acidity is bad for your health

When the body is acidic, it borrows minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium from bones and vital organs to buffer the acid and safely remove it from the body. This will weaken the bones and organs if not corrected. High acidity also prevents the absorption of many vitamins and minerals, which means the body is constant deficient even when taking supplements. This is one reason why supplements don't work as they should sometimes. High acidity level, acidosis, may lead to weight gain, bladder and kidney concerns, immune deficiency, joint discomfort, low energy, cardiovascular weakness, and lower bone density.

What is pH?

pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of  a solution.  The body has an acid-alkaline ratio which is an balance between positively charged ions that are acid forming, and negatively charged ions that are alkaline forming. It is more common to be acidic than alkaline.

Some things we do in our family to balance pH

We try to balance the pH ratio, 80% and 20% acidity with the diet, but we also use supplements that enhance the effect. 

• Alkaline minerals are essential when acidic, alfalfa has a high amount of minerals and may alkalize the body. We use green powders that are alkalizing, and we add the powder to protein shakes or freshly squeezed juices. We take alfalfa and Spirulina supplements instead of multivitamins.
• Freshly squeezed juices is a great way to obtain nutrients that are alkalizing. Juicing makes it easy for the body to absorb the nutrients. It is also a great way to hide not so tasty things from the children. I like to add Swiss chard or kale to my juice.  Carrots, beets, celery, and barley grass are other things I like to add. I also add supplements like spirulina and alfalfa. To make it simple, we often make a great alkalizing juice of celery, beets and carrots. Dr.Jensen's Juicing Therapy is a great book that I highly recommend.
• Whey protein isolate is alkalizing. We add berries, flax seed oil and banana to increase the alkalizing effect. We add green super food supplements as well.
• A lot of enzymes are destroyed in fresh foods due to cold storage, so we supplement with digestive enzymes during times when it is hard to get local and fresh food.
• We perform a liver and kidney cleanse twice a year. 
• We often add colloidal minerals to our drinking water.
• Anything green is alkaline, so we aim to include lots of things like dark leafy greens in our salads.
• We use a very absorbable herbal calcium/magnesium supplement to buffer pH.
• We add fresh lemon juice, or lemon essential oils (therapeutic grade only) to warm water, and we drink this first thing in the morning. I often add raw apple cider vinegar. We add maple syrup sometimes.

Acidic foods

Canned, frozen, and processed foods, and dairy are acidic and should be minimized. Sodas, most grains and nuts, and meat are also acidic. It is also important to avoid refined sugar, rice and flour. Artificial sweeteners are the worse when it comes to acidity. Minimizing the acid forming food and increasing the alkalizing food should be the goal. It is really not that hard, a piece of meat, lots of dark leafy greens, and other alkaline vegetables in a salad is a good balance. Most people load up on acid forming carbs like rice instead of greens during meal time.

Alkalinity

It is fairly uncommon to be alkaline. It causes several of the same kind of mineral problems as acidity. It takes longer for someone who is alkaline to normalize the pH balance than an acidic person. Alkalinity may lead to digestive sluggishness, immune system concerns, urinary weakness, nervous system exhaustion, respiratory concerns and intestinal system concerns. 

Here is a Acid and alkaline food list. Most importantly, remember that greens and most fruits are considered alkaline, especially those high in potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium. (Plant based, not salt). Don't forget that processed food is acidic.

Test your own pH

pH test card charts and test strips are available for purchase from many health food stores as well as herbal and supplement companies.

Don't get overwhelmed

I shared a lot of ideas of what we do in our family, so don't get overwhelmed. Start slowly, for example, start the day with a drink made of warm water, fresh lemon juice and perhaps some raw apple cider vinegar. Increase your intakes of greens. Make an effort to decrease at least a couple of acid forming items from your diet while you increase a couple of more alkaline items. Make a green smoothie or a protein shake instead of the regular snack.

Thanks for visiting!

This post is linked to:
Simple Lives Thursday

The Powerful Aroma of an Essential Oil

The aroma of an essential oil is very powerful. The fragrance can  directly affect our emotions as well as other functions in the body.
In order for an aroma to be detected it has to be volatile so it can be carried by the air to the 10 million sensory neurons located in the nostrils. The aroma finally ends up in the limbic system of the brain where it is perceived and analyzed. The limbic system is the main relay station, and it is there all the emotional responses are located.


The frontal lobes of the limbic system control the memory and attention, and it is also here the emotional responses are sensed. The limbic system is directly connected to the part of the brain that controls breathing, memory, hormone balance, stress levels, blood pressure and heart rate. This means that essential oils can have very profound psychological and physiological effects. Depression, anxiety, anger, joy and and fear originate from this part.


After the information about the scent has been perceived and analyzed of the limbic system, it is sent to other parts of the brain and then to storage in the memory. Interestingly enough the sense of smell is the only one of the five senses that is directly linked to the limbic lobe of the brain. The sense of smell connects emotions with memories as well as intergrate mind and body. The aroma from a special fragrance can evoke emotions and memories before we are aware of it. 


The limbic lobe can also activate the hypothalamus, which is considered one of the most important parts of the brain. It acts as the hormonal control center and it releases chemical messengers which can affect things like the energy level. Sex hormones, thyroid hormones, growth hormones, and neurotransmitters are governed by the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is referred to as the "master gland".


So,through the essential oils' molecular structure and fragrance, they can influence the limbic lobe and hypothalamus. Inhalation of essential oils can combat stress and emotional trauma, and also stimulate production of hormones from the hypothalamus.


As you can see, essential oils have a very powerful influence on both  body and mind.


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Johanna is an aromatherapist and she is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives. 
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

This post is linked to:
Simple Lives Thursday

Make It Yourself - A Super Easy Facial Oil

I made this facial oil a while back and I really like how it turned out.  This facial oil provides  a great protection for my skin when I go for my daily walks in the sun. I want to make sure I use a good oil to protect my skin. I don't use any sunscreen since  "we eat our sunscreen",  but I want to make sure that keep my skin well hydrated.  I made enough so I could split half with my teenager. I added frankincense and palo santo which are both anti-tumoral for my son's facial tumor, and they will also be very beneficial for my aging skin as well. 

The oil 

8 tablespoons of unrefined grapeseed oil

1 tablespoon of virgin coconut oil (you really need to add a little bit at a time to get it the way you want it)

2 tablespoons of aloe vera gel

1 capsule vitamin E

15 drops of lavender essential oil

15 drops Palo Santo essential oil

15 drops of Frankincense essential oil

15 drops of Cellfood ( I sometimes make the facial oil without the Cellfood)

I started off by adding aloe vera and the grapeseed and coconut oil to a glass bowl. I used a whisk to mix it well since the coconut oil was not liquid enough. I added the essential oils last and blended well. This oil didn't turn out as thick as I liked due to the kind of aloe vera gel I used. I bought it at the local health food store, and once I opened it I noticed it was a lot  runnier than I expected. When I noticed that it was fairly runny I decided to use less of it, but you can play around with the aloe vera gel to get the right thickness you want. 

When I make things I often make them as I go along.  I like to add some of the mixture on my arms to see if I like the consistency, and if I find it too greasy I add more aloe vera for example. You can experience with oils that fits your skin the best. Here are some guide lines: Oily skin, Aging and Mature Skin, Dry Skin, Combination Skin, and Sensitive Skin.

Here are the oils I used and why:

Frankincense

Frankincense rejuvenates aging skin by improving skin tone and returning dry and oily skin to normal, balanced state. It firms skin, promotes healing and fights inflammation.  Frankincense has cytophylactic properties. Cytophylactic means that the oils stimulate the generation of new cells, which will aid in preserving the health of the skin. These oils are also used for treatments of burns. It has traditionally been used for wrinkles and scars, so I use if for wrinkle prevention and my son for his huge facial scar from his surgery. 

Lavender

Lavender has traditionally been used for eczema, burns, acne, wounds, insect bites, minor cuts, and scrapes. It's anti-inflammatory and soothing properties have a balancing effect on the skin. It's cytophylactic, which means it encourage growth of skin cells, is ideal for mature skin and treatment of burns. 

Palo Santo

It has antitumoral properties and is antiseptic. It strengthens the immune system and is also used for acne and skin care.

Other ingredients I used:

Coconut oil

I used  more coconut than usual this time. According to some, it may prevent the skin from developing age spots. Coconut oil is probably one of the main reasons people in tropical climates can spend so much time in the sun and not suffer from skin cancer. Coconut oil has wonderful antioxidant properties that protect the skin from free radical damage. Coconut oil is also anti-inflammatory. It may also help in treating various skin problems including psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections. It is rich in lauric acid, which is known for being antiviral, antibacterial and anti-fungal. It may help prevent wrinkles.

Cellfood

Cellfood is a proprietary cell oxygenating formula containing 78 trace minerals, 34 enzymes, and 17 amino acids. Provides extra ordinary nutrition. I use Cellfood as supplement and as an ingredient in my high oxygenating facial gel.

Grapeseed oil

Grapeseed oil is a light oil that is very suitable for the face. It also has mild astringent properties.

Aloe vera

Aloe vera is moisturizer and a softener. It is extremely healing for the skin.

Play around with what you have at home and make your own facial product. Try some of the product on your arms before you apply it to your face if you're not used to the essential oils. Make sure you are familiar with the dilution chart and safety page before you start. 

Before you leave:

I recommend that you always perform a skin patch test when you try a new oil.

Check out my safety page to make sure you are aware of any contrindications before you use essential oils. Some oils are not suitable when suffering from certain conditions. Also, Read this Before You Start Using Essential oils. Some oils should not be applied prior to sun exposure so make sure you check this list before spending time in the sun.

Not sure how to apply the oils? Visit these pages to learn how to apply the oils:

• Topical Application
• Inhaling Essential Oils
• Are You Diffusing the Oils Correctly?
• How to Dilute Essential Oils
• Vita Flex Technique

If you're new to essential oils you might want to check out my Getting Started Guide. 

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Johanna is an aromatherapist and an independent distributor of Young Living Essential Oils  She is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives. She also runs Naturally Sports & Wellness together with her husband.  
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

This is linked up to:
Motivate Me Monday
Make Your Own! Monday Link-Up
Fat Tuesday 
Wildcrafting Wednesday

Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways #3
Freaky Friday

Book Discount Code: Physiological Effects of Adaptogenic Herbs

My husband's book Physiological Effects of Adaptogenic Herbs on Health, Stress, and Athletic Performance, is now completed. It will also be available on Kindle next week.

We are offering a 15% discount to our readers. You can purchase the book here and use the code XE27K2LN to get the 15% discount.

"Stress is real. We all experience it, and it can't be avoided. Adaptogens are unique phytonutrients that support the body in times of stress. This book explores modern and traditional usage of several of the most popular adaptogens as they apply to health, stress, and athletic performance." Wayne Pedranti

"Change is stress. Stress is change. Change is also metabolism and energy revealed. Change is what causes our need to adapt and it is the adaptogens from nature, from plants, that can improve our ability to adapt. To adapt well means we are adapting to change and stress without significant damage." Cory Holly

This book is also available to order from Amazon as well as regular book stores. 

 

Author Bio

Wayne Pedranti is an Aerospace Engineer and cyclist who began his interest in natural health after heavy metal toxicity and overtraining syndrome began affecting his competitive performance. He is a Naturopath, Master Herbalist, Cycling Coach, Track and Field Coach, and a Sports Nutrition Advisor. He currently runs Naturally Sports and Wellness with his wife Johanna

 

This is linked to:
Monday Mania

Sore/Strep Throat

Natural Help for Sore Throat/Strep

A Sore Throat is the result of Pharyngitis, an inflammation of the pharynx, which is in the back of the throat, between the tonsils and the voicebox (larynx)

 

A Sore throat may be the first sign of any of the following:

· Common cold

· Influenza/Flu

· Laryngitis (inflammation of the voice box and vocal cords)

· A childhood illnesses including chickenpox, measles etc.

· Acid reflux may cause sore or different strange feelings in throat.

· Possible Strep

Many germs can cause pharyngitis. Viruses are the most common cause of pharyngitis. Soreness brought on by viruses usually develops gradually, with little or no fever. A fever over 101 for more than three days is more likely to be strep throat. Multiple cold or flu symptoms accompany a viral infection, while strep throat usually does not cause multiple symptoms such as runny nose, cough, and congestion. A bacterial infection like strep throat (caused by Streptococcus infection) often comes on suddenly with high fever. Tonsils are red, swollen, spotted with white or yellow dots. Citrus juices, such as orange juice, often "burn" the sore throat caused by a virus, but are usually not painful to strep throat. Most cases of pharyngitis occur during the colder months. The illness can often spread among family members, so scrupulous hand washing is a must.

Sore Throat irritation (Without an Infection) can also be caused by the following:

· Postnasal drip

· Smoking

· Air pollution

· Dry heat

· Allergic reaction

· Acid reflux

· Repeated vomiting (like bulimia) caused by stomach acids

Natural Help:

• Avoid antibiotics when a sore throat is due to infection with a virus. The antibiotics will not help. Using them to treat viral infections helps strengthen bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics. 
• Gargle several times a day with warm salt water (1/2 tsp of salt in 1 cup water). 
•  Drink cold liquids or suck on Popsicles. 
• Suck on a spoon dipped in Honey to sooth the throat.
• Use a cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier to moisten and soothe a dry and painful throat. Add 2-3 drops Essential Oil and 1 tsp Salt for added help. Adding moisture to the air will help to prevent the lining of your throat from becoming too dry. 
• If your sore throat is recurrent, then buy a new toothbrush. Bacteria collect on the bristles and if you injure your gums as you brush, they can enter your system and re-infect you.
• Eliminate dairy products, sugar, and refined wheat foods as they cause mucous which creates throat irritation.  
• Place a warm towel around the throat area and leave on for up to 5 minutes. This mimics an isolated fever, allowing for more circulation and accelerating the gathering of white blood cells to the area to help fight any infection.

Herbal Help

Garlic

Garlic has antiseptic properties. At the first sign of a sore throat, place one clove of garlic in your mouth between your cheeks and teeth and keep it for a while. Repeat it several times a day.

• You can also eat two raw cloves each day without anything or chop finely and add to hot soup just before serving. 
• Can also crush one clove of raw garlic and add 2 teaspoons of honey and 1 drop Lemon oil. Take from the mixture 1 teaspoon several times a day.

Alkaline Gargle

Viruses and Bacteria strains can not live in an Alkaline environment.  

• Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to a glass of warm water. Gargle every 30 minutes.

Herbal Gargle 

• The best sore throat remedy is Slippery elm (Ulmus rubra) bark or Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) root. They contain mucilage that coat the throat, ease soreness and calm inflammation.  
• To make a tea, mix 2 teaspoons of the dried root or bark in two cups of water, bring to boil and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes, strain and gargle/drink every hour.
• A traditional recipe is to simmer 1 teaspoon marshmallow root and 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger root in 8oz. water for 10 minutes in a covered pot. Remove from the heat, cover and steep for additional 10 minutes. Strain, add honey and/or lemon and/or 1/2 teaspoon of salt and gargle every 30 minutes if helps.

Onion Syrup
Place slices of onion in a mason jar and cover with honey. Cover and leave overnight. Next morning, strain liquid into a jar and take it sometimes as a lozenge for sore throat. (It is an excellent cough syrup as well) Keep refrigerated.

Essential Oil Help

*Please contact a Health Care Practitioner, trained in the safety and chemical understanding of essential oils and herbs, including the knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and pharmaceutical drug interactions BEFORE ingesting essential oils.

Essential Oils can help, not only with the pain of irritation, but also if there is a possibility of a viral or bacterial infection. A basic gargle recipe will have a Citrus and Salt in it. Lemon essential oil (or any citrus) helps with shrinking the swollen membranes of the throat and aids in the rapid removal of accumulated mucus in the throat. Salt will inhibit bacterial growth in the warm and moist places of the body like the throat, which is a perfect environment for bacterial multiplication and growth. Lemon juice and Salt dry up the throat, don't use them, if you have a dry throat irritation.

Sore Throat Gargle

Use this gargle to relieve sore throat, hoarseness, and respiratory congestion.

· 1 drop Cayenne oil (depending on individual tolerance, use more or less)

· 2 Tbsp salt

· 10 drops Peppermint oil

· 10 drops Orange oil

· 2 drops Thyme oil

· 2 drops Myrrh oil

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Reduce heat, add salt. Simmer 15 minutes. Stir vigorously, remove from heat, and add essential oils.

Gargle with 1 cupful. Rinse out mouth with plain water, and repeat with the second cup of gargle solution. Avoid swallowing the solution.

Ginger Gargle

Add 1-2 drops Ginger Root oil to 2 teaspoons honey. Stir into 8oz. Warm water. Add a trace of Cayenne to spice it up.

Use as a gargle every 30 minutes. (Get a trace of oil by dipping the tip of a toothpick into the Cayenne essential oil)

Oregano (Origanum vulgare) Essential Oil is a very effective sore throat remedy.

· Mix together 2-3 drops Oregano oil and 1 ounce Carrier oil, then soak a Q-tip with the mixture and dab it directly on the inflamed area. (If you find it is too hot, add some more Carrier oil.)

· You may gargle with 2-3 drops of Oregano oil and 1 tsp Salt in some hot water as well. It can take up to an hour for soreness to be gone.

Drink warm liquids*

• Honey-Lemon Tea
• Place 2 drops Lemon oil and one Tsp. Honey into 8oz warm water. Stir and Sip.

• Honey-Spice Tea
• Place 2 drops per la Immunity oil and one Tsp. Honey into 8oz warm water. Stir and Sip.

Sore Throat Spray*

Add 5-20 drops per la Immunity (more or less depending on how much you can handle) to 1 ½ ounce water, in a 2oz spray bottle. (Use glass, if possible. Essential oils will break down plastics after awhile)

Shake and spray into back of throat several times a day.

Kids Sore Throat Spray*

· 5 drops per la Immunity

· 10 drops Pink Grapefruit

· ½ teaspoon Honey or Agave Nectar

· 1 ½ oz Water

· Add to 2 oz Spray bottle and shake and spray into back of throat.

If you have Strep Throat

Do any of the above helps to ease the throat pain, and do the following:

Place 2-3 drops Oregano oil in a capsule and fill the rest with a carrier oil. Take 2-3 times daily for 5-7 days.*

Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry eyes occur due to lack of tears being produced or the quality of the tear is suboptimal. There may be inflammatory cells within the tears, and because of this inflammation, (that cannot be seen unless under a microscope), the tears may not stick to the surface of the sclera or the cornea.

The eye depends on a constant flow of tears to maintain lubrication and comfort. When the eye becomes dry, this can be a source of irritation. Dry eye syndrome is a common and often painful condition that can cause damage to the cornea and harm vision. People who wear contact lenses often suffer from dry eye syndrome, as do many of those who undergo laser procedures to correct their vision. Women going through menopause also frequently develop this condition. There are many causes for dry eye syndrome and I have listed them below.

Symptoms include burning, pain, irritation, blurred vision, and the most common symptom of dry eyes is excess tearing as the eyes try to compensate for the dryness.

Causes: 

• Dry eye syndrome can be caused by Vitamin A deficiency. 
• Intake of too much Red Meat (Omega 6 fatty acids)
•  Fatigue or Lack of sleep.
• Demodex (Eyelash mites) or Blepharitis (chronic inflammation of the eyelid) can possibly cause dry eyes.
• Exposure to many environmental conditions that have a drying effect, such as a dry climate, sun exposure, wind, high altitude, cigarette smoke, hot blowing air and the dry air that commonly occurs in the cabins of commercial airplanes. 
• Those who wear contact lenses or who have had LASIK treatment can have dry eyes 
• Medications that can cause dry eyes include diuretics, antihistamines and decongestants, certain sleeping pills, tricyclic antidepressants, and isotretinoin-type drugs for treatment of acne. 
• Allergies can also cause dry eye and it is medically known as Allergic Conjunctivitis. The allergic reaction can result in dry eyes, or the dust, mold, or mildew or dander that triggered the allergies can cause dye eye 
• Eye Drops are a little known culprit behind dry eyes. Eye drops that have preservatives or methylcellulose in them can actually cause allergic eye reaction that can dry out the eyes. 
• Estrogen Deficiency and dry eye are usually linked because of menopause or a hysterectomy. These conditions can either cause dry eye or make an existing condition worse.

What keeps the eye Moist?

Hyaluronic acid (HA, hyaluronan) is a special protein that exists naturally in all living organisms. In the human body, it is found in greatest concentrations in the synovial fluid of articular joints for lubrication, the vitreous humor (fluid) of the eye, and most abundantly in the skin. Hyaluronic acid is known for its beneficial effects on patients suffering from dry eye syndrome. Applied to the surface of the eye, it reduces the symptoms and damage associated with dry eye. Hyaluronic acid makes up 95% of the fluid inside the eye. Acts as a shock absorber for the eye and also serves to transport nutrients into the eye. HA plays a major role in maintaining the health of ocular tissues such as the cornea, the retina, and the vitreous fluid that fills the inside of the eye. It is been said that after the 5th decade of life, the eye has lost 50% of its ability to product the needed HA. Without out HA, we fail to have proper eye health.

Natural Help: 

• Increase Omega 3 fatty acids, and decrease intake of Omega 6 fatty acids (as found in red meats)
  •  Good sources of omega 3 fatty acids include salmon, tuna, sardines, herring and cod liver oil, as well as certain nuts. Also, Flaxseed oil is recommended for the relief of dry eye symptoms due to it’s high levels of omega 3 fatty acids. Flax seed oil should always be taken orally – never applied directly to the eye.

• Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid): Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and free radical scavenger. It is also known as a preventative of degenerative conditions, including cataracts. Foods that contain ascorbic acid are citrus fruits, tomatoes, strawberries, green peppers, potatoes, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, watermelon, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, guava, pineapple, cantaloupe, and sweet red pepper.

• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): Vitamin B2 is essential for energy and in the production of antibodies. Deficiencies in riboflavin are characterized by corneal vascularization, among other things.

• Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate , taken together, have reportedly improved the symptoms of dry eye also. Chondroitin is a constituent of the eye drops used during cataract removal. People who are allergic to shell fish, however, should not take these supplements. (CosaminDS is a brand name that has both and can be purchased at Costco)

• Honey: For extreme dryness make a solution of one part honey and ten parts of water. Keep this chilled and put two drops in each eye every night before going to sleep. This will give some burning feeling and your eyes will start giving tears. Tears are helpful for curing this ailment. Tears will take care of this problem of dry eyes. Do not worry about burning, it will subside in a few minutes. After this, clean your eyes with cold water.

• Damp Wash cloth: Close the eyes to place a damp wash cloth in warm water over the eyes for five to fifteen minutes to get relief from this ailment Repeat this by re wetting the cloth in warm water to be placed over the eyes. This may be repeated as many times as is required. It can help to open the clogged oil glands in the eyes to restore moisture in the eyes to cure this disease immediately.

Essential Oil Help:

Keeping the body hydrated will in turn help keep the eyes hydrated and moist.  

• Drink half your body weight, in ounces. (Example: You weigh 150 pounds, you should drink 75 ounces of water)  
• Add 1-2 drops of Lemon or Peppermint oil to a 16 ounce glass of water to cause a cell to cell communication within the body.
• Refer to our blog link on Water/Hydration.

Lavender Essential oil is beneficial to rejuvenate and assist in cell regrowth, as well as moisturize. Its considered to have antiseptic and analgesic properties which can prevent infection and promote rapid healing.  

• Mix 1 drop lavender in 1 ounce Carrier oil. 
• Rub 2-3 drops of the mixture over the closed eyelid 2x daily.

 

In the case of Demodex (Eyelash mites) or Blepharitis (chronic inflammation of the eyelid) the use of Tea Tree oil should be used to reducing the amount of bacteria on the eyelids and give the meibomian glands a chance to regain their function.

• Mix together 1 drop Tea Tree essential oil to 1 drop Carrier oil. ( 1:1 or 50% dilution)  
• Dip a Q-tip into the diluted mixture and carefully apply a layer over the top of each eyelid. 
• Be sure to avoid getting into the eye, itself. Flush the eye with carrier oil, not water, if Tea Tree comes in contact with the eye.