5 Simple Habits that will have you sleeping like a baby...

"I'll sleep when I am dead," "sleep is for wimps," "who needs sleep," "I'm too busy to sleep" were once common societal phrases. But times are a changing! Sleep is now an uncontested requirement of good health and has become one of the most widely talked about topics in the health, medical and sports fields. There is now an overwhelming body of evidence that confirms this. 

Most of us have experienced the negative impacts of poor sleep first hand.

Cranky, hungry, easily irritated, headaches, brain fog, low motivation - and that's just me after a single night of poor or shortened sleep!  

As it turns out sleep deprivation doesn’t just cause long-term health issues like depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, memory loss and death. It also exhibits immediate short-term negative impacts as well. These include decreased stress tolerance, decreased cognitive function, immune dysfunction and emotional instability. Are there any new mothers out there nodding their heads?

Sleep-deprived people report significantly greater subjective stress, anger, anxiety, and response to low-grade stress. Sleep loss also increases cortisol levels, which can be the beginning of Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal axis dysfunction (aka Adrenal Fatigue), and sleep deprivation also decreases short-term memory, reduces learning capacity, and causes a decline in mental stamina and reduction in attention. Not what we want for our children or ourselves!

Lack of sleep can be viewed as a chronic stressor. As the body tries to maintain homeostasis, sleep deprivation overloads the body’s capacity to do that, which results in increased disease risk.       

So if you are:

• Sleeping less than 7 hours a night?
• Struggling to fall to sleep?
• Waking often during the night?
• Feel like your becoming more forgetful, exhausted, unable to focus, unable to deal with stress?
• Not recovering well from exercise?
• Are craving sugar and or food all day?

Then it is time you start prioritizing and nailing your sleep ASAP! And it starts well before bedtime. 

1. Expose your skin and eyes to at least 30 minutes of sunlight every day (that is without sunglasses or sunscreen).

• When we absorb UVB rays through our skin, that leads to the production of the fat-soluble vitamin, Vitamins D (super duper important and Aussies are becoming alarmingly more deficient).
• Vit D triggers an enzyme called tryptophan hydroxylase which converts tryptophan into serotonin.
• Serotonin if you haven't heard is a really important neurotransmitter that regulates behavior, appetite, perceptions, memory, and emotions. It's our happy chemical. 
• Serotonin can then be converted into melatonin, our sleep hormone. 
• This can be broken up into morning, midday and afternoon. For example, eat your breakfast outside, enjoy your lunch or simply take a break and step out of the office. 

2. Power down your lights as the sun goes down

• Yep bring out the candles, turn off the ceiling lights and turn on the lamps.
• You also want to avoid looking into your electronic devices including the TV.
• Most electronic devices do have a form of night mode or brightness lowering action. Make sure this is on and set.
• Blue light is so much more suppressive on melatonin production (our sleep hormone).
• If the above all seems too hard for you but you're really serious, which you should be, get yourself some orange tinted glasses to pop on as the sun goes down.

3. Optimise you sleep nutrition

• Most people do best to go to bed neither too hungry nor too full.
• In terms of macronutrients, both very low-fat and very low-carb diets can also lead to insomnia.
• Carbs increase the ability of tryptophan, which is a precursor to serotonin and melatonin, to enter the pineal gland, so if you are on a low-carb diet and are having trouble sleeping, increasing carbs can make a huge difference.
• Glycine (an amino acid found in collagen-rich foods like bone broth or meat on the bone dishes) also promotes the uptake of tryptophan and the production of serotonin and melatonin, so eating eat nose-to-tail and making sure you are getting adequate glycine or you can supplement with either gelatin or glycine at night can help.
• Pre-Bed smoothie: Blend a banana + 2 Tblsp Great Lakes Collagen + Your choice of milk + cinnamon + vanilla powder + Coconut Yoghurt. 

4. Take a warm shower before bed, even better take a warm bath

• Baths are one of those things when you have them you never use them but when you don't all you dream about is taking a bath
• Hot water causes vasodilation of the blood vessels in your body which results in a decrease in sympathetic tone, therefore, gives you that "Awwww" feeling when standing and sitting in warm water.
• This can be an easy and effective strategy for getting you into a more restful state prior to sleep. 

5. Essential oils

• Essential oils contain super small compounds that when applied to the skin can rapidly penetrate the tissues and enter the bloodstream exerting their many effects of which calming, relaxing and soothing can help with sleep
• The chemical components in Lavender essential oil have been shown to enter the bloodstream within 5 minutes of massaging the oil on the skin. The 1992 study that showed this, also demonstrated that maximum concentration levels were observed within 20 minutes and most of the lavender was eliminated at 90 minutes. 
• This may seem like a bad thing but I see it as a huge advantage as most sleep medications take hours if not days to be eliminated from your body and often require metabolism and elimination via our liver or kidneys. This can put pressure on those systems and often leave residual side effects.  In the words of a 2014 systematic review of the literature, “A majority of the study findings suggested a positive effect of essential oils for sleep. Lavender was the most frequently studied essential oil. No adverse events were reported.”

For those who already have a doTERRA wholesale account - this month, receive this product for free by placing a single LRP order of over 125PV through the Australian or New Zealand warehouse between 1-15 May!

Now it isn' just Lavender oil that helps with sleep albeit it's a goodie and has the most research behind it. 

I've never had a problem with my sleep. But the first time I applied my doTERRA Lavender to my temples before bed and diffused it beside my bed I woke up having experienced a different level of sleep. It literally felt like I went to La La Land. This has been one of the biggest feedbacks I have received from peeps in my oily tribe. And if you want to step it up to the next level... Lavender Peace Baby! A blend of lavender, cedarwood, Ho Wood, Ylang Ylang, Marjoram, Roman Chamomile, Vetiver, Hawaiian Sandalwood). Peace had me in a dream state, which I actually don't usually achieve. 

Ok, so what if you aren't a lavender fan (gasp). What other oils can help with sleep:

A lot actually so I will try to narrow it down:

• Vetiver (referred to as "liquid valium")
• Roman Chamomile 
• Bergamot
• Frankincense
• Cedarwood
• Juniper Berry (often used for night terrors)
• Ylang Ylang
• Neroli
• Clary Sage 
• Pettigran 

DoTerra actually has a whole PDF on sleep and essential oils. Sing out if you want it ok.  

How to use essential oils for sleep:

• 1-2 drops in the diffuser next to your bed. Goodnight!
• Apply 1-2 drops on your temples and to the back of your neck 
• Drop a few drops onto the floor of your shower and let the steam lift the aroma. Plus, you'll feel all goddessy as the smell seeps into your hair and skin (Clary Sage, Lavender, Ylang Ylang, Roman Chamomile work well for this as they are great for skin too)
• Add a few drops (or more) with some Epsom salts into a warm bath (and be grateful you have a bath you lucky duck)
• Make up a pillow spritzer with a few drops of essential oil in water and mist over your pillow. Don't saturate it, that wouldn't be cool!
• Apply to the soles of your feet. This is a good way when using oils for sleep with children. Remeber always dilute, use less oil than you would on an adult and stick to oils like Frank, Lavender, Roman Chamomile that tend to be very gentle. 
• Add to your tea. eg. Roman chamomile to your chamomile tea or Bergamot to your earl grey. 
• Con your partner into a message - you deserve it Babe!

There you have it. Try these five super simple yet very effective routines TODAY and continue for the next month. Report back! 

If you are still struggling with low energy, fatigue, inability to recover, hormonal issues, gut issues, sleep problems then it is time to dig a little deeper. You can request to work with me here. 

And if you want to get your hands on beautiful quality, pure and potent doTERRA essential oils to support your sleep and so much more then please reach out! You can also take a read of why I chose to incorporate doTERRA essential oils into my business here and the low down on how to order them here.  

Love

Chantel x

IT'S SIMPLE: Essential Oils Work (find out how you can use them daily)

Most of you by now will be aware that yes, I've turned into "another one of those" oil people. You can read about why I have chosen to get on the oil bandwagon here. And no the primary reason is not to "sell" you something or to make millions of dollars or to lock you into a network marketing company etc etc. 

The truth is, the quality of oils (and products) + the integrity of the company + my experience with them + my love for their properties has fuelled a passion inside of me that allows me to authentically share them with people who genuinely want to know more about them and utilise them for their health and their families health. Am I rewarded for sharing the oils - yes. Do I intend to pursue the business opportunities - yes, I would be crazy not to. 

This doesn't feel like work. I love researching and learning about the oils, hearing the amazing stories of success, speaking to like-minded people about how they use them and find benefits from the oils, supporting a company that so generously gives back to those who support them, and sharing this with you all. 

YES, YES I DO! (THANKFULLY JAN ACTUALLY DOES STAY UP LISTENING TO MY LATE NIGHT OIL TALK. THANKS ANYWAY RYAN. 

So let's dive in. I am going to start with a typical day. 

My morning routine.

Firstly, do you have a morning routine? Turns out that all the "successful" people do. And most credit their success to this so-called morning routine. I am taking  putting quotations because it has become such a thing, that I kind of have to laugh. Whilst I myself do actually have a morning routine that spans beyond the oils,  I am going to share my oil morning routine with you. Now if you are a busy mum or just busy, then YOU my dear, need this routine THE MOST.

Think of it as one minute (that's all I am asking) of bliss just for you. You deserve a minute. Actually, you deserve many minutes but let's start there for brevity and compliance. 

So you've showered, you're dressed or are about to get dressed and you go to wherever your oil stash lives.

Here's what you do:

BALANCE

• Apply Balance, doTERRAs grounding blend, to the soles of both feet. A few drops will do.
• Before putting the lid on give it a good deep sniff. This blend helps one to stay present and teaches one to ground their energy to stay focused on their goal. It is also helpful for calming overactive children who have difficulting settling down (so I am told and have read). 
• I sometimes apply this to my temples. There are days when I feel like drowning myself in the whole bottle of Balance. It was one of my first oils that I purchased after my enrollment kit and I still use it everyday. 

CLARYCALM

• Next up is, ClaryCalm, the woman's monthly blend. A combination of Clary sage, Lavender, Bergamot, Roman Chamomile, Cedarwood, Ylang Ylang, Geranium, Fennel, Carrot seed and Vitex. 
• These oils individually and collectively have properties to support women hormonally as well as supporting the physical properties of fertile mucus and the ovaries and uterus. 
• This blend assists individuals to be emotionally open and vulnerable. It is a powerful emotional stabiliser, especially during menstruation or menopause. *** Note: After a few cycles of me using this oil, my husband commented, how much more tolerate of him I was being in the lead up before my period. Apparently, I was usually more snappy and short tempered. Who knew?
• GUIDE: Apply to mons pubis morning and evening. Plus on the inner and outer sides of both ankles (these are the vita flex points that correspond to the uterus and ovaries)

MOTIVATE / PEPPERMINT

• Motivate otherwise known as the Encouraging blend is a combination of mints and citrus oils. 
• Citrus oils are known for their mood enhancing and uplifting properties and mint oils, especially peppermint for their stimulatory and focusing effects. 
• These oils are perfect for those who wake up needing a bit of encouragement and "pepping" up to get going for the day. 
• GUIDE: Apply 1-2 drops of Motivate or Peppermint into the palms of your hands, rub together, and inhale through your cupped hands. You can also apply one drop of peppermint to the roof of your mouth to awaken your senses and give you fresh morning breath before you leave for the day. 

FACE MIST YOURSELF

• Essential oils have some pretty amazing skin health benefits including cellular repair, improving complexion, reducing fine lines and wrinkles and soothing the skin. 
• There are many oils that host these properties and can be beautiful on your skin. 
• Some of my favourite that I put into my face mist spray bottle with water include Lavender, Frankincense, Geranium, Wild orange (note: citrus oils can be photosensitising, therefore if you are heading out into the sun all day, please leave out the citrus oils or apply at night). 
• DIY RECIPE: In a 100ml spray bottle, add 2 drops each of Geranium, Lavender, Wild orange and Frankincense + 5 drops of Rosehip oil and top with filtered water. ** In future I will add say 1-2 tsp of witch hazel to act as a bit of a preservative and also as an astringent.  Keep the spray in the fridge, shake before use, and spray 2-3 times over face and decolletage.
• Many of you have asked how you could buy this concoction from me. The truth is I really wouldn't feel comfortable selling you something that I whipped up in a few minutes in my kitchen with a dodgey computer typed label. Also, what is going to happen when you run out? I would much prefer to set you up so you can make this plus loads of other beautiful skin care products for yourself whenever you need to. It's ridiculously simple. 

In the diffuser

During the day, if I am working from my home office, I set up the diffuser on my desk. I usually let my intuition guide me as to what I feel to diffuse on a given day. For example, I might feel to use refreshing citrus oils like Lemon or Wild orange or Citrus Bliss blend (Invigorating Belnd) or I might feel for more calming oils like Frank, Lavender or Balance. If I am concerned I am getting run down I will use On Guard to support my immune system plus I love anything with cinnamon in it. It also has Rosemary which is great for boosting memory. 

There is an awesome app called Diffuser Blends that you can download for a free trial, that will suggest diffuser blends based on what oils you have. This can be useful until you develop a feel for the oils. I have only ever F%cKed up a diffuser blend once. I added Passion with Wild Orange. Two beautiful aromas on their own but together kind of gross.

Oh and I also have a cute car difffsuer that I put a few drops of oils into and a necklace. You can check them out here. 

Around the home

When something strikes, my mind goes to, what oil could I use to support that? Because they are potent, aromatic plant compounds capable of being absorbed into the bloodstream or working topically and exerting their effects, they are very powerful and useful for first aid situations. 

• Easy Air for sinus and cough
• On Guard on the soles of your feet for immune support and as a mouth rinse with coconut oil
• Lavender for bites, skin irritation or sunburn
• Frank for inflammation, rashes, immune support
• Digestzen for stomach upset
• Oregano (always diluted) for warts/fungal infections/skin tags
• Ice Blue for aches and pains
• Peppermint for fevers
• Lemon for digestion 

Not to mention they can replace most of your cleaning products and artificial smelly things both of which are major sources of toxic chemicals that can be harmful to your health, especially female hormones. If you have a store bought car diffuser or a toilet thing that spritzes - throw them out now! 

• Make your own surface spray with 5-6 drops of lemon essential oil + vinegar + water in a spray bottle to clean and purify surfaces. 
• Make your own toilet spray with water and a few drops of refreshing essential oils
• Rinse your vegetables in water and 5-10 drops of lemon to preserve freshness

Did I mention you can use them in cooking? Or to flavour drinks? Or water? Or chocolate? Now we're talking. 

• Add 1 drop or Lemon or Spearmint or Wild Orange or Grapefruit to your water bottle or if you are feeling fancy to sparkling water in a champayne glass. 
• You can use the herbaceous oils like Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary to add a massive flavour boost to meals. Eg. At the end of cooking your bolognese sauce, add 1 drop of oregano and stir through. REMEMBER: Less is more with these babies, they are super potent, so start low and test taste
• Add Lemon or Basil with olive oil to your salads
• As for the chocolate (or bliss balls, or raw cheese cakes), Wild orange or Peppermint works an absolute treat. 

Finally, my night time routine..

My most favourite part of my whole day... 

• Post-shower, dim the lights, play some relaxing music and place about a 5 cent piece of rosehip oil in the palm of your hand then add 1 drop each of Lavender, Frankincense, Ylang Ylang and Geranium and apply to your face and neck. ***Note if you only have Lavender + Frank then start with this combo. 
• Once finished, take a moment, and bring your cupped hands over your nose, and take in a big deep breath of the leftover aromas from your hands. 
• Set up your diffuser with some sleepy time oils like Lavender, Frankincense, Lavender Peace, Vetiver, Cedarwood, Balance, and there are plenty more options, to send you off to LaLaLand. 

Ok, so that's a day in the oil world at my house. This turned out to be a lot larger than I anticipated, so I thank you for making it all the way through. There are plenty more uses that I would love to keep sharing with you  but I wanted to give you a basic run down and keep it simple so that you can begin using your oils today to support your body.

They can also be very helpful and supprtive in particualr conditions or circumstances so if you do have any questions about how they may help you specifically then please reach out. 

If you would like to get yourself some oils then please reach out or go here to order. 

Ok, I hope this was helpful, if you would like me to write about any uses in particular then leave a comment and let me know. 

Love, 

Chantel

The best way to purchase doTERRA essential oils and products?

I recently realised that I never actually told you guys how to get your hands on these amazing doTERRA's essential oils and join this oily love affair with me (my bad!). And just in case you have no idea why I am talking about essential oils and if I've turned into an oil sniffing hippy, you can head over and read this blog, about why I feel passionate about using essential oils and choose to share them with those who are curious.

I am going to take you through the best way to purchase your oils and try to make this nice and simple so you understand what it is you are "signing up for". Signing up can be scary, so let me make this as transparent as possible. 

In the name of transparency, please be warned - these oils may very well change your life physically, emotionally & even financially if you so desire. And you may need to eventually invest in a few of these storage boxes... remember, I warned you here first. 

Ok, so first and foremost you can purchase these oils at RETAIL price or WHOLESALE price. I personally cannot think of a good reason to pay retail, once you understand how to purchase them at wholesale. 

Becoming a wholesale member and or a wellness advocate:

• Access to the oils at 25% off the retail price

• No lock in commitment to purchase

• Eligible for the monthly Loyalty Reward Program to receive 10–30% of your orders back in points redeemable for FREE product (the best way to purchase products and build your oil and /or product collection)

• Shipping Reward Points: Option to receive the cost of your shipping back in points redeemable for free product

• Eligible for the FREE product: Place a monthly order over 125 PV and receive the free product of the month

• Renewal Fee "Covered": After becoming a Wholesale Member, the yearly renewal fee for a wholesale membership is $25.00. This renewal fee comes with a free bottle of Peppermint, one of the most popular oils dōTERRA offers, a retail value of $27.33. So you practically renew you wholesale membership for FREE.

• Continued one on one support, with myself. Including a free initial wellness consult to help determine the right oils to support your needs and get you set up with an accounting hassle free

• A free catch up, again, once your oils have arrived to make sure you know how to use them and get the best out of them.

• Access to an exclusive/private FB group so that you can feel comfortable to ask questions about anything that you are confused or worried about, share experiences, tips, and get ideas from other like-minded people.

In addition to all of the above a WELLNESS ADVOCATE membership (this is what I have) gives you access to the following:

• Bonuses & Compensation: dōTERRA provides a business opportunity for those interested in creating an income. This may not be your intention (it certainly wasn't mine) but doTERRA has been super generous and made it very easy to be rewarded for sharing the oils with others. Through passion, dedication, and love this can be a very sustainable business. My advice, don't rule it out, even if you feel like it isn't an option right now. There is no disadvantage of keeping this door open.

• Personal Website: Receive a personal website that can be used if you would like to share essential oils with others.

In my experience, once people have experienced the oils they almost always want to reorder more. Setting up a wholesale/wellness membership account is the easiest way to get what you want when you want it at a significantly reduced price, grow your collection, get freebies and potentially earn some money by sharing it with your loved ones, friends and colleagues. 

Worried you won't fall in love or know how to use the oils?

I assure you, neither will happen. But just to reassure you, you can cancel your membership anytime, no fee applied. As for the second concern, it is my job to make sure you are confident with every oil. There are SO many supportive resources to ensure you get the most out of your oils that I will share with you. Plus you have access to me whenever you need via the FB group. 

How to set up your wholesale/wellness advocate account?

There are two options:

1. Pay an initial Introductory membership fee of $AU35 to allow you access to wholesale prices (minimum of 25% discount) and have your very own online shopping account where you can purchase your oils, blends, products whenever you need. To keep your wholesale pricing you need to order a minimum of 1 product per year. Lemon oil is $13.50 so should be pretty achievable. 

2. Purchase an enrollment kit and your membership fee is waived. The kits are valued significantly cheaper than if you were to purchase the oils individually. Allowing you access to a diversity of oils at a much more affordable price. ****This is how I signed up and this is what I would recommend. 

Check out the enrollment AUS kits here and the US kits here if you have any questions please reach out at chantel.gough@me.com.

Ok, hopefully, you are still with me?

Here are the next steps to join me in this oily joining... 

1. Click this link http://mydoterra.com/chantelgough

2. Click “Join and Save” up the top

3. Choose your language and country

4. Choose where you would like your products shipped from (obviously the closest to you)

5. Choose Wholesale Customer

6. Enter your contact and shipping info

7. At Enroller ID, if it’s not here already, enter my number: 4763919

8. Hit submit

9. Select your wholesale starter kit ***  (click here to see all AUS starter kits , click here for US starter kits) OR click “Introductory packet  AU$35” (this is your membership, ignore if you have selected a kit)

10. Create your custom order (click your cursor where it says search additional products and type your product) and select your products (click THIS ONE for AUS products and THIS ONE for US to have a little look through all of the wonderful products you can get your hands on, and then click HERE to check out the prices). ***

11. Enter your payment information and then click “Process Order Now and Continue”

Ok, that’s it, you have made it. If you haven't made and you are on struggle street then please reach out and I will take care of this part for you. 

Immediately after signing up, a confirmation email from dōTERRA will be delivered to your email (and to me), with your wholesale membership number.  You will then be able to log in and manage your orders from your very own online shopping account. 

We will then set up a time to go over everything once your oils arrive. In addition, you will receive a series of support emails from myself over the coming weeks (I promise I won't overload you) with lots of information and resources to guide you and get you started. 

A final note on the Loyalty Rewards Program.

As you begin to fall in love with your oils over the coming months, you may very well be excited to get your hands on some more.

Not to mention doTERRA also have an incredible supplement range that you can check out in your back office as well as everyday products like toothpaste, laundry wash, skin care products, lip balms, shampoo and conditioner, deodorant and more that are free of chemical crap that you may usually buy at the supermarket. 

Setting up your Loyalty Rewards Programs allows you to earn free product points and free shipping points with every purchase. Every doTERRA product has a product point value. These product points increase every 3 months from 10% to 30% at 12 months. This method is truly the most cost-effective way to build your oil collection and take advantage of the amazing offers that doTERRA host every month, like the FREE product of the month with any order over 125PV.

I hope this is helpful and if you still have questions then please reach out. I know I was super confused when I started, so please get clarity so you are confident with your products, because they really are worth the investment. 

Love,

Chantel

Me + doTERRA - Why this is important to me.

Most of you will know that I have been using doTERRA essential oils for the last 8 months or so and have been posting about my oily love on social media and the like. I also recently ran my first essential oils workshop in Airlie Beach!

Thank you to all those who came and supporting us.

I am really LOVING learning, using and sharing these beautiful gifts from the Earth. I mean like "really".  To the point of can't get enough ie. staying up late reading about them, learning more about the company, reading more about the business side of it, buying more and more oils and products, giving family and friends oils and oil blends, making products, drinking them in mineral water, cooking with them etc. 

* Cool story (well I think it's cool) that I wished I had taken pictures off. When I went home for Christmas my step-dad who has very easily irritated skin and a slightly compromised immune system making him very prone to rashes and infections had a nasty itchy, red, inflamed rashed on his leg and chest that he had been applying hydrocortisone to for a few days to control the itch. I made him up a tea tree + lavender + Frank in coconut oil mixture and got him to apply it regularly and we watched it somewhat magically disappear over a few days. It is results like this that allow people to see the power of these incredible compounds. Needless to say Mum now has the Home Essentials Kit. 

But in all honesty, I have been holding myself back from sharing all this with you, out of fear of being seen as just "another" doTERRA/Young Living/essential oil/pyramid marketer/annoying salesperson.

Hence, why I think it is best that one, I am honest to myself about my intentions, with what I am doing and, two, I am honest with all of you so you know my intentions. 

This year I am going to pursue this passion and see where it takes me. Whilst for some of you that may be annoying (just another person posting about oils) I still very much intend to keep a holistic perspective on health and share other content aligned with my philosophy on health that I know will be useful. I have created a separate email list of people who are in my tribe of oil lovers and a separate FB group so that I am not too annoying if you "just aren't that into it". 

For others, my hope is that this will be exciting and spark your curiosity into the oils, as it did me as I learned more and more about there properties. 

What are these amazing properties I speak of? Well, I am glad you asked!

• Essential oils are natural, aromatic, compounds and volatile liquids (easily evaporated at normal temperature) extracted from the seeds, roots, bark, stems, leaves, flowers, resins and other parts of plants.

• They’re what give herbs, flowers, and fruits their distinctive scents.

• For several thousand years, people all over the world have been extracting these oils using methods such as steam distillation, cold pressing, resin tapping, or absolute extraction.

• Essential oils aren’t there by accident, or just because a flower decided to smell nice. The chemical components help the plants function and fight pathogens, disease, and stress.

• For instance, these components can:

  • act as chemical messengers and hormones;

  • protect the plant from bacteria, fungi, and viruses; and

  • protect the plant from environmental stressors such as heat.

  • These active compounds are such small molecules that humans can easily absorb them through the skin, nasal passages, lungs, and digestive system.

• The chemical makeup of essential oils is very complex and may consist of hundreds of distinct chemical compounds.

• For example, peppermint has more than 40 known constituents. (And probably a bunch of unknown ones). It’s been shown to: soothe the digestive system, relax tight muscles, be mentally and physically stimulating, and helps lower blood lactate levels during exercise.

• Essential oils have been used extensively throughout recorded history for medicinal and ritual purposes, psychological, social reasons, food preparation, beautification and even as currency.

So they sound pretty great, right? But one of my primary concerns for me was...

If we are extracting all these wonderful oils and selling them in a multi-level marketing way, won't we run out? Is this sustainable? 

This is just a little FYI before I get to the above concern. Guess what industry that uses essential oils consumes the highest volume of essential oils in the world? 

a). perfume industry

b). food and beverage

c). network marketing

d). the cleaning industry 

The answer is b). food and beverage industry. (Had I not known the answer I would have said c). Network marketing which is actually the lowest consuming. 

One of the many amazing things about doTERRA as a business is their model of co-impact sourcing. With over 100 different oils on offer doTERRA source their oils from over 40 different countries, of which over half are from developing countries. 

"Co-Impact Sourcing is an initiative that seeks to develop long-term, mutually beneficial supplier partnerships while creating sustainable jobs and providing reliable income in underdeveloped areas. doTERRA is committed to the ethical treatment of its suppliers by providing on-time payments at fair prices. Growers and harvesters are encouraged to form cooperative groups to share collective benefits and bargaining power while improving skills and capacity. " From https://www.doterra.com/US/en/difference-co-impact-sourcing

This type of on the ground partnership means that care is taken at every step of the way to ensure we the consumers receive the highest quality oils as well as ensuring that the growing, harvesting, workers and community is taken care of to ensure the process can continue to thrive and benefit both parties.

You can read more about this here. 

Why doTERRA?

There seems to be a bit of heated debate about which company is the better company. Quite honestly I really haven't dived deep into this. I just happened to go with doTERRA but I have numerous friends/colleagues who use Young Living products and are equally passionate about the product and company. So this is less important to me. I happened to align myself with doTERRA and to date, I am so happy that I did. Their business model is extremely generous, their products are of the highest quality, their support is second to none, the women who are a part of the community are passionate and inspiring, they seem to have peoples best interest at heart, so it feels right and good for me! 

You can read more about their Healing Hands Foundation work here, I highly suggest you check out this video. 

How and why I essential oils to support my health and others?

Probably the biggest realisation I have had on this whole wellness journey with myself and through working with clients is that as women, the emotions that we encounter on a day to day basis within ourselves is a biggest determinate of our health status even more than the food we eat or the amount of exercise we do.

Emotions result from the stories and perceptions that we (our brains) create. When we carry with us on a daily basis negative stories and perceptions this causes physiological changes in our bodies which present as hormone imbalance, gut issues, fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, infertility and more. 

I see essential oils as one of the easiest, cheapest, most effective tools to support women and negate the harmful effects of this. Stay with me.

When you emit these volatile compounds to the air through diffusing or simply opening the bottle, thousands of different chemicals interact with millions of nerve cell receptors in our nose. Once bound to the olfactory nerves, these odor molecules travel, become intensified, and eventually send an impulse to the limbic system in the brain. The limbic system is a complex set of structures in the brain that regulate endocrine (hormone) and nervous systems and is responsible for controlling memory, emotions, learning, instinct, motivation, influence sleep, libido, appetite, blood pressure, heart rate, stress levels, and hormone balance.

In response to these different chemical odors, the limbic system initiates physiological changes in the body by releasing hormones, chemicals, and neurotransmitters that influence so many aspects of health including relaxation and a sense of wellbeing that eventually modifies one's emotions and behaviors and generates memories that cause profound physiological responses.    

To me, this is absolutely incredible. And without oil users, in particular women, intentionally knowing that this is going on, it is, for this reason, I believe there is a crusade of happier, joyous, hormonally improved women obsessed with essential oils. 

Beyond this, here are some other main reasons why I use them:

• To replace many of the synthetic chemical laden personal care, cleaning products from my home that can disrupt hormones and contribute to toxins in our bodies

• As natural first aid treatments for minor ailments eg. on guard to ward of viruses, lavender and tea tree for bites, cuts and grazes, peppermint for fever, lavender + frank for sunburn, digestzen for stomach upset and so much more.

• To add incredible flavour to cooking. Peppermint + chocolate or wild orange + chocolate is EPIC.

• To enhance support for certain areas in the body as a part of a greater wellness protocol eg. Clary sage has been shown to reduce cortisol levels by 36% and improve thyroid markers (https://draxe.com/clary-sage/). Wild orange reduced depressive symptoms better than Prozac according to a clinical trial in 150 adults with major depressive disorder (Evidence-Based Essential Oil Therapy 2015).

• They are practically absent from side effects

• They save you money over time due to their potency and wide range of applications

• They SMELL amazing and make me FEEL like a goddess.

In Summary... 

I am a doTERRA Wellness advocate. I am a part of a Team of amazing women who have found love in the product and who also want to share these gift with others. I also have my own team who are a part of this larger team. I would be doing myself and my team a disservice if I am to remain small out of fear of being judged for being a part of something that I actually really LOVE and have found to be essential to my health and wellbeing and can see how beneficial it can be to other women's health and well-being.  

Are you currently using essential oils? If so what do YOU love most about them? How have they helped you? Hit reply or comment below, I would really love to know. 

If you are interested in taking charge of your health in 2018 and want to address it by understanding the root of your problems and address it holistically using simple nutrition and lifestyle strategies (and essential oils), then I am currently taking a small number of new clients.

To learn more about how I work please head to https://www.chantelgough.com/work-with-me/. Or if you are intrigued to learn more about doTERRA essential oils, then please reach out. 

Remember that heath is never a final destination, it requires a commitment to self to do the little things, that add up to big things and allow you to show up as the best version of yourself to this world and those around you. 

Love, 

Chantel