Our sickness protocol...

Someone is home sick today and so I thought I would share what we do to help her through it and how we specifically use our essential oils.  One of the reasons that I am in love with oils is how they let us help her through her sickness while allowing her immune system to go about it's natural function.  Many essential oils are adaptogentic in that they have the power to either sedate or stimulate, depending on what is needed. What's even more important is that the body's natural intelligence recognizes them and so there is no disruption or confusion when they enter the body.  Ever wonder why so many synthetic drugs have so many side effects?  When something that is inorganic matter enters the picture, our cells and organs have to work extra hard to learn how to process them, disrupting natural function and otherwise using energy that could be used for healing what the actually needs to be healed.  This tends to prolong the healing process and while we may be able to supress symptoms, new things arise such as drowsiness or insomnia, headaches, naseau, dizziness, dry mouth and brain fog.  Oils have the power to not only help the symptoms, but also help the healing without any of the side effects.  And since the body is able to continue it's natural function of healing, it can often take much less time in comparison.  

So we try as much as possible, when she gets sick, to simply, "let her be sick".  It's difficult for sure as a parent to resist that urge to "fix" things and not let the programming of fear and panic get the best of you.  But it's also incredibly beautiful to simply be able to care for your child's natural ability to heal themselves.  And while I have said this before, I will say it again, should she ever truly need stronger medicine, we would never refuse it.  We simply use our intutition and observation skills to know when to do so and when to simply let things play out.  

So, without further ado, here is the basic protocol that we follow:

The Symphony of the Cells Basic Protocol:
This is my #1 go to when Audrey gets sick.  It is the first action I take and continue throughout the duration of her not feeling well.  I highly recommend anyone who is interested in all different protocols for a variety of things to check out Symphony of the Cells. There is a wide range of them and they are all incredibly effective for holistic caring.  We use the "Basic Protocol" which is great for ear aches, cold, congestions, fever, headache, pink-eye, Body Aches, Flu, Stomach Aches, Asthma, Croup, Diarrhea, Whooping Cough, Immune Support, Sore Throat, RSV, Anxiety, Stress, Vomitting and Hand Foot and Mouth Disease.

You do not have to have your child lie down, although Audrey will always snuggle into bed and lie down on her tummy.  Then we administer the following:

Frankincense: On her shoulders, we have her take a deep breath and then on her feet.

*This next step is not required, but I very much like to put a swath of fractionated coconut oil along her spine and on her feet as a carrier oil. Then I put 2 drops of each of these oils along her spine, massage it in for a moment and put what is on my hands and rub onto her feet: 

Tea Tree
AromaTouch Massage Blend
Peppermint - (This is specially good when she has a fever)

* I also will occasionally add in another oil or two such as OnGuard or Copaiba, depending on what sounds nice.

After all the oils are on, I spend some time massage her back and her feet.  It simultaneously helps her body absorb the oils and her nervous system calm down.  It's also just a really beautiful bonding that we get to have with her in how we care for her.

For Stuffy Nose and Cough:
We use the doTERRA Breathe Blend and Breathe Vapor Stick.  We have both a diffuser and an essential oil humidifier so we put a couple drops of the oil blend in both.  The vapor stick gets rubbed on both her chest and her back  It is incredible in those middle of the night moments when she is woken up by coughing.  Within minutes after we go in to apply, her body is able to settle itself and get back to sleep. Sometimes we will also have her take a hot shower, or sit in the bathroom and put a few drops in the steam and have her take deep breaths.  

For Immune System and Digestive Support:
She continues to take her daily vitamins.  

IQ Mega - an Omega-3 Supplement that provides 1,300 mg of concentrated omega-3 fatty acids per serving. Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) are nutrients required for many key functions in the human body, including cell growth, brain development, muscle activity, immune function, joint health, and many others. While some fatty acids can be produced inside the body, essential fatty acids cannot be produced by our bodies; we have to rely on the food we eat to supply us with these important nutrients.Two primary essential fatty acids are omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Modern science suggests that, for optimal health, humans should consume a 1:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids. Unfortunately, due to the abundance of omega-6 fatty acids in vegetable oils and our increasing consumption of fried and fatty foods, the Western diet includes omega-6 fatty acids in a ratio as high as 15 to 1. While our diets must include some omega-6 fatty acids as essential nutrients for life, the disproportionate consumption of omega-6 fatty acids as well as unhealthy hydrogenated or trans fats has been linked to major health problems. Studies also link low intake of omega-3 fatty acids to a higher prevalence of mental health issues.

Conversely, there is an enormous body of scientific information supporting the health benefits of increasing the dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids. Studies have shown that increasing omega-3 fatty acid consumption has a positive effect on cardiovascular health and brain function, and helps support a normal immune response.* Increased consumption of omega-3 fatty acids has also been shown to have a positive impact on joint health, mobility, and skin health.

a2z chewable multivitamin - Combining a blend of B vitamins with a blend of vitamins A, C, and E, as well as botanical extracts, doTERRA a2z Chewable supports healthy cell development and longevity when taken daily. Cellular stress is predominately from free-radicals that attach to other healthy molecules and can cause damage. Cells are equipped to defend against free radical damage by employing electron-rich molecules called antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and E and others (such as those in the superfood and Alpha CRS®+ blends) to neutralize free-radical molecules. In addition to providing exogenous antioxidant protection against free-radical damage, the polyphenols in doTERRA a2z Chewable also support endogenous production and recycling of antioxidants made by the body. doTERRA a2z Chewable also supports healthy cell function by providing antioxidant protection to cellular DNA.

PB Assist Jr. - PB Assist Jr is a powdered probiotic supplement designed for children or adults who have trouble swallowing pills. It includes 5 billion live cells of a unique blend of six different probiotic strains, specifically selected for their benefits among children. 

Our digestive tract has about 100 trillion probiotic bacteria, sometimes referred to as microbiota, microbiome, or microflora. That’s 10 times more than the total number of cells that make up the entire human body! When we think of bacteria, we usually think that they are unhealthy and that we should rid our bodies of all of them. However, our digestive system also contains good or healthy bacteria that can play a very important role in our digestive and immune health.
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In our gut, we have “good” bacteria and we have “bad” bacteria and it’s always optimal to make sure that the good outnumber the bad. When we do this, the good bacteria can help lower the number of bad bacteria and provide an environment that is conducive for not only digestive health but immune health as well.* In order to promote microflora balance, many health experts recommend eating fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, and kefir but probiotic supplementation can also be very beneficial.

In addition to all of this, we also use good and healthy food as medicine, one of our favorites being celery juice and of course fruits, veggies and good old fashioned chicken soup!  

And you will be happy to know, that as I write this post, and after following all of this in even just the past 12 hours, Audrey just turned to me and said "Mama, I feel so much better!".   The oils work, our bodies work and I am 100% certain that this kind of care for both our children and ourselves, WORKS!

For any questions about the above, send me a quick email: Sara@oneOMatatime.com

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