What is Restless Legs? Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a disorder of the part of the nervous system that causes an urge to move the legs. Because it usually interferes with sleep, it also is considered a sleep disorder. Needless to say, it is not pleasant! People with restless legs syndrome have uncomfortable sensations in their legs (and sometimes arms or other parts of the body) and an irresistible urge to move their legs to relieve the sensations. The condition causes an uncomfortable, "itchy," "pins and needles," or "creepy crawly" feeling in the legs. The sensations are usually worse at rest, especially when lying or sitting. The severity of RLS symptoms ranges from mild to intolerable. Symptoms can come and go and severity can also vary. The symptoms are generally worse in the evening and at night. For some people, symptoms may cause severe nightly sleep disruption that can significantly impair their quality of life. Causes of Restless Legs SyndromeIn most cases, doctors do not know the cause of restless legs syndrome; however, they suspect that genes play a role. Nearly half of people with RLS also have a family member with the condition. Other factors associated with the development or worsening of restless legs syndrome include:
What Can Help With RLS? Good sleep routine. Throwing off your sleep pattern can make your RLS symptoms worse. Try going to bed at the same time every night and getting up at the same time every morning. To get deep sleep, it may help to go to bed a little later and get up later. Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and comfortable. Keep the TV and computer out of the bedroom.
Change your temperature. Try a cool shower or a soak in a warm bath before bedtime. Experiment with either a heating pad or an ice pack on your legs. Sometimes just a change in temperature helps. Massage. Rubbing your muscles, especially your calves, may help ease your pain and symptoms. Try massage right before bed to see if it helps you get a more restful night's sleep. I make an amazing oil massage blend that could really help with this! Also a 10ml essential oil roller that you can take with you, for on the go relief! Exercise. Regular, mild exercise during the day may help. Take a short walk or try some simple stretching exercises before bed. Be careful you don't exercise too hard, even if it's early in the day. Too much or too vigorous exercise can make your RLS symptoms worse. Stress relief. Stress can cause your RLS to flare and make symptoms worse. Find ways that help you relax and calm your anxiety. You might want to try deep breathing, yoga, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, or tai chi.
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Below are some great starting points for you if you are looking to try to incorporate some supplemental nutrients into your daily routine! Nature's Sunshine has amazing quality products, and are always on hand to answer any questions you may have! Here in the next month, I will have my vitamins and supplements module complete with school, so I will be able to assist you even further! Everyone is unique, and has different goals/needs! But everyone deserves to be the best, healthiest version of themselves! I can help you on that journey! ![]() Invincible Immunity Synergy Blend is a revitalizing, purifying synergy that strengthens the respiratory system as well as supporting the immune system.
This time of year, we have so many kiddos that come home from school with the latest "bug" that is going around.. or even worse, the flu! This is a great oil to have on hand to diffuse around the house as prevention, or even to shorten the span of the sickness in the house! Its great to add to roller with a carrier oil, and apply to the soles of your feet daily, for an extra boost to support your immunity! I also put a few drops of this EO in m
Some Ways You Can Use Lavender Lavender is an essential oil that I always keep in my stash! It is so versatile, and smells so yummy! But here are some ways to use Lavender;
Burns, cuts, scars: Topical Application diluted 5% in carrier oil. If the wound is open, use undiluted in minute quantities. Helichrysum is preferable for larger injuries. Sore muscles: Topical Application diluted 3-5% in carrier oil. Anxiety: Diffusion, Topical Application diluted 5% in carrier oil, Aromatic Bath. Sleep disturbances: Diffusion, Topical Application diluted 3-5% in carrier oil. Safety Precautions Generally non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and nontoxic. Be confident you are using true Lavender Oil, as Lavender is one of the most frequently adulterated essential oils.
ssential oils can have so many benefits for our pets, but we have to be safe when using them! Here are a few things to remember for safety first:
So glad you asked that question! :) A wonderfully diverse essential oil to start with for your animals, would be Lavender. Why Lavender? What is it good for? Well, just like us, animals can get anxious about a change that is occurring in their life, or be stressed about a new move... maybe a new sibling? It can also help soothe "stressed", irritated or damaged skin, as well as ease muscle tension. Lavender is an over all "calm" for the sensory system as well as the physical system. So we know that whenever using essential oils, especially with animals, we DILUTE them before applying topically, right? :)
*Side note, Lavender is also safe to use around small mammals such as hamsters, and guinea pigs (to name a few) as well as reptiles!
What is calendula? Well, have you heard of Pot Marigolds... Beautiful bright shades of red and yellow petals! That my friends is what is most commonly cultivated and used to source calendula flowers, to make calendula oil. So what can we use calendula oil for? Just to name a few different things with skin care...
Ok... so who here has laundry to wash? Ummmm I know I do! (quietly raises hand) And the laundry that I wash daily... well it is pretty dirty! For those that don't know, my husband works in the construction field, so does my eldest son, my middle son still plays football down at UofL, and visits when he can (with his laundry), and my youngest is an avid athlete who trains hard in the offseason from football, plays baseball, then goes right into the regular season of football (so all year round sports, & lots of dirt!) With that being said, I always sought out the diverse things to clean the laundry the best I could. Someone once gave me the nickname in my house as the "Laundry Fairy", and it has stuck! I mean I had the good name brand detergent, all the oxi cleans, fabric softener, those fragrance beads... everything to make them "SMELL" clean! Until one day, I was doing some research about the product I was using, and attempting to figure out what the actual ingredients were that were inside this bottle.... well let me just tell you that all that "smell good" in the bottle, is there to cover up formaldehyde. Yes, you read that correctly formaldehyde. So... that is why so many synthetic materials/ingredients have to be added to the detergents, to make it have that "clean" smell, and cover up the FORMALDEHYDE!
I think my mind was just so overwhelmed at that point, trying to figure out why these things are allowed to be used, and how can companies market things as "natural", or "green" when it has such harmful additives that have short and long term health issues tagged to those ingredients/additives??? Crazy right?? So what do we do? We need clean laundry, we don't want to walk around smelly and dirty, right? I was then on a mission to find a solution. Do I make my own soap from natural products? Are the other organic laundry soaps pre-made on the market best to buy? Well... In my quest, I came along a little product called the Magnetic Laundry System! Check it out below... It explains to you why you don't need detergent! And how the magnetic force from the magnets will breakdown the water molecules, the same way the detergent was designed to do!!! With no chemicals. Imagine that. I will admit, I was very skeptical, ok I really didn't think they would work. But I had to try. That was in September 2017, and I have not purchased detergent since the MLS showed up at my house! They work... on my very dirty laundry that I have to wash! I will say, once you get over the fact of mentally needing to smell that "CLEAN SMELL", to think your clothes are clean.. you will be good to go! All of those synthetic smell good additives are so bad for your health anyway. Truly, clean laundry should not have a smell... that took a while for me to buy into! But it's true. Now, I will say that for antibacterial purposes' as well as a natural fabric softener, I use 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar in each load! It is also great to put in a spray bottle and use it as a pre-soak on bad stains. If it is a load of towels, or extra dirty clothes, in the drum I will add a scoop of my borax/baking soda mix. And please... for the love of all that is good in the world, stop using dryer sheets!! Instead, try some wool balls with a few drops of essential oil on them! Much healthier option. Not to mention all the $$$ you will save by not having to buy... detergent, fabric softener & beads, oxi clean, bleach, dryer sheets..... yeah, that a lot of money to save! Just something to think about :) So a few months ago, I was attending a pathways education class at IHL, and was given homework! My homework was to just focus on the things that were in my bathroom cabinet, and see how many products had "Sodium Lauryl Sulfate" in them.
This inexpensive detergent is commonly used in cosmetic cleansers, hair shampoos, bath and shower gels, bubble baths, etc. - It is probably the most dangerous ingredient used in skin and hair-care products. It is a known carcinogen, that has been linked to cancer. You may be wondering how is this ingredient is allowed to be used? You see, the FDA approves the minimal amount that may be added to a product, and deem it "safe to use", based on that one product. Now follow me for a minute, on your daily routine... do you brush your teeth, wash your face, shower, wash your hair, maybe wash your hands a few times? Most likely, you do most of those things daily, that's safe to assume on my end. Now, what if I told you the amount of SLS regulated to add to a singular beauty product was deemed "safe", however you can only choose one single product to use daily, in order for you to really be in that "safe zone". So, what would you choose? Are you going to brush your teeth today? or wash your face, or shower, wash your hair with shampoo or conditioner? See, if you were only using one product, you may be a little on the safe side... still absorbing in your largest organ on your body... your skin, however minimal. But most of us use multiple products that have SLS as an ingredient. Now, like myself, I thought I was doing well by buying organic/natural brand products, and while these products may have wonderful attributes, such as;
What is Aromatherapy anyway?
Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of plant-derived, aromatic essential oils to promote physical and psychological well-being. It is sometimes used in combination with massage and other therapeutic techniques as part of a holistic treatment approach. Some different techniques that you could use are; diffusing, direct inhalation, compress, or bath, just to name a few. You never want to heat the essential oil, because the therapeutic benefit will then be gone. If you love the plug in's around the house, and scented candles... you should try diffusing with essential oils! You will not only get clean(not full of harmful chemicals) wonderfully smelling air, you will also permeate the health and wellness benefits to whatever oil you are diffusing. So for instance, around this time of year I tend to diffuse an immune support blend around the house, just to keep cold/flu at a minimum with my family. In my bedroom, at night, I also like to diffuse lavender, or a stress free blend to aid in a well rested sleep. I even have a small one that I use in the car! Once you start to diffuse pure essential oils, and realize the benefits, you will wonder why it took you so long to find it! If you are looking for a diffuser, I have put a few options for you below, to check out. I can not stress enough about the safety when using essential oils, for aromatherapy. My teacher once said that, "Just because its natural, doesn't make it safe, too much of a good thing is not always safe either". So, when you want to use an oil, how do we know if its safe for us, our family, & pets? You have to check a reliable resource and do your homework. There is a wonderful small guide to essential aromatherapy that it very reasonably priced, (I will include the link below) I would suggest you look into it if you are wanting to learn more about essential oils, the properties, benefits, and safety precautions. They really are an amazing addition to a daily health routine, but you have to know what is safe, when and how to use them, and what to avoid if you have certain issues, or are taking certain medicines. Thanks for taking the time to read a little about aromatherapy, if you have any questions please feel free to ask! |
AuthorJanice Robinson, CCHC Archives
November 2020
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