Spring is in Full Swing – My Face is Streaming! 😱

October 21, 2018October 21, 2018ClareWilliamson Leave a comment

You feel me? It’s beautiful sunshine outside, blossom flourishing everywhere, garden is brimming with green and you just want to get out and enjoy the change in season!

However… Your eyes are puffy and itchy, your nose is streaming and you want to rip your own face off 😬

For many a spring and then also into summer too I endured epic seasonal allergy symptoms. Before I started my natural journey I used to use antihistamines, but because of the severity and duration of my symptoms I would be on them for months on end!

I am pretty sure this extended use of prescription drugs was one of the many things that destroyed my gut health and added to my toxic load. And I’m also pretty sure my general state of health and bad diet were making my seasonal allergy symptoms worse! As you’ll know if you follow my blog, I’ve cleaned up my diet a lot and cut most of what was adding to my toxic load out. I do still suffer with symptoms though as we head into the spring/summer season, but I have found some really good natural remedies that help.

Read on as I share them!

1. Neti Pot & Saline

This is a really simple and effective idea. Pollen, dust, other particles hold onto the insides of our nose and the saline washes them away! It takes a while to get used to the sensation, but it is relatively effective!

2. Probiotics

Lactobacillus GG and L. gasseri are believed to be two of the best probiotics for allergies, along with L. acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis! Look for these in the ingredients of the probiotic you choose. I use the doTERRA PB Assist. Click here for more details.

3. Local honey

When a person eats local honey, they are thought to be ingesting local pollen. Over time, a person may become less sensitive to this pollen. As a result, they may experience fewer seasonal allergy symptoms.

I’ve got to say, I’m not sure if my love of local honey has helped my allergies or not. I just love local honey!

4. DNA Testing

Now this is a key one. And pretty advanced thinking too. One of the many things our genes show is whether we are prone to inflammation! If we are we can eat in a way that prevents inflammation, which should also help curb our allergy sysymptoms. The DNA test I took provides a detailed summary of how to eat and how to exercise and as our DNA never changes, it is information I can refer to for years to come when making decisions about my health. The test I used also sequences with life-sensing technology to keep the DNA information relevant to the present day because genes are predetermined and particular gene variants can affect the body in real-time. Learn more here

5. Allergy Testing

You know you are sneezing and it’s spring, but is that the full picture?

Many foods or drinks that we consume, especially on a daily basis, can affect our health and wellbeing and are linked to many unwanted effects including fatigue, headaches, skin problems, breathing problems as well as affecting our immune, nervous and digestive systems.

Www.allergytest.co.nz are the most helpful, most straightforward and most convenient allergy test service I have found. You can test from the comfort of your own home and choose the level of testing you have according to your budget. You an really get a full picture of the foods and environmental substances that are affecting you. Click here to learn more!

6. Essential Oils

There are 3 essential oils I have used to ease the symptoms of seasonal allergies: peppermint, lemon and lavender.

Lavender is so soothing and has natural antihistamine properties. Peppermint is known to reduce inflammation and clear respiratory passages. And lemon is also a natural antihistamine and naturally cleansing and gives you that lift when the drag of seasonal symptoms brings you down!

Using these 3 oils together is a great idea because they work better synergistically, but I have to be honest in that they have only been able to take the edge off for me when using them topically and aromatically. I raised this with another doTERRA Wellness Advocate and she suggested trying Triease, which is a capsule to take them internally. She suggested that the dose is more targeted and the body’s response to the oils quicker. I know there is some controversy over ingesting essential oils, so read more about that if you are concerned, here.

Learn more about Triease here.

If you want to purchase any of the doTERRA products, visit my web store here! And read why I chose to be an Advocate for this phenominal wellness company here!

Next we’ll tackle Mosquitoes! 😯

Much Love,

Essential Mum x x

How to peel back the layers of your #anxietyonion & get to the core of what you need

June 14, 2018June 14, 2018ClareWilliamson Leave a comment

Having anxiety when you are a mum can be challenging because we often put everyone else first, meaning focus on our own wellbeing can be lacking. However, I’d like you to see this blog as a message of hope because my recovery began when I became a mum. Having Eden gave me all the reason in the world to recover and was the beginning of my becoming positively selfish (you can learn more about this in my podcast, here).

However, if I have learnt anything from my 10 year long relationship with anxiety, it’s that recovery is not straightforward. It transcends our physical, mental and spiritual state. I’ve learned to think of it like an onion and I’d like to help you unpeel its layers.

So if you are feeling anxious right now, or have been diagnosed with anxiety, or are navigating the complex recovery process, or are supporting somebody else to do so, this blog is for you.

I am not a doctor, I am not diagnosing you and I’m not even really making any recommendations, I am just sharing what happened and what worked for me in the hopes it helps you.

The external layer of your onion – your anxiety’s cause

A cause of anxiety is something that caused your anxiety disorder to be a part of you in the first place.

For some people there is no obvious cause, but for others there is a clear link to your situation and your anxiety starting. For me it was a pressured work environment. Don’t get me wrong, other things contributed in the lead up to it, which broke down my resilience, but the long-term, persistent stress was the tipping point for me and was the catalyst to my long-term anxiety issues. I have had friends and family members who have developed anxiety after living with cancer, and others who have developed anxiety after troubled relationships or loss. My first step in recovering from my anxiety was to get away from its cause. Obviously this is not possible for everyone, but if you can move away from the cause of your anxiety, I really recommend that you should, to open up the space to heal, which for me started in my physical state, rather than my mental state.

The next layer of my onion – my physical state

I am sharing this as a really important layer of everyone’s anxiety onion (should I hashtag that? #anxietyonion?) because it wasn’t until I had become physically more healthy that I realised that my physical health had played such a significant part in breaking down my mental resilience to cope with life. Of course, the persistent stress was also damaging my physical health, so it was a revolving cycle; a mess. My recommendation is that if you are having anxious feelings right now, make an extra effort to do the following things:

Clean up your diet
Kick out the processed stuff and replace with clean, homemade food that is low in sugar and other rubbish like preservatives
Add in a probiotic to your day
And start taking a good multivitamin. (I take these.) B Vitamins, magnesium, vitamin d and other vitamins, minerals and even amino acids like Tryptophan can all have a positive impact on your anxious feelings.

The third layer of my onion – Counseling/Coaching

Counseling is one of the first things a doctor will offer somebody who is suffering with anxiety (alongside medication), and for some it works really well. For me I felt it was a load off to talk about the the things that were bothering me, but that was all it was, a load off.

Then in 2016 I was offered a sponsorship to train to become a life coach. As part of this I received a lot of coaching and it was transformational. Read more here.

And if coaching or counseling is something you haven’t tried yet, give it a go. Talk to me about the difference between the two and what might serve you best.

The fourth layer of my onion – are my daily actions nourishing or draining?

How we spend our time can massively impact our anxious feelings. If we spend all of our time around noxious people, sit in front of a screen all day, never get outside, listen to bad news and lie awake all night fretting, we are going to feel low and drained, which is like swinging the door open for the anxious feelings to come in.

If we instead try to do things that lift us and make us feel good, it gives us the resilience to keep those anxious feelings out. I didn’t know any of this in the early days of my recovery. It was in my personal development that I learned about our personal energy and how everything we are is energy and about how we can either vibrate high or low. And it’s the nourishing things that keep our vibration high, which keeps anxiety out (mostly).

I started to learn about Gratitude Walking and Earthing and the power of nature and sunlight. I started to look critically at the people I was spending most time with, the things I was reading and listening to and paying attention to what made me feel good so I could do more of it.

Kickboxing has always been something that has made me feel better. Exercise gets our heart beating and increases our good hormones, and helps us sleep (which is also important to how we feel.)

Prior to my life coaching I’d started kickboxing because someone had recommended exercise to ease how I was feeling and I literally tried the first class I saw a sign for on the way home from work! I was instantly hooked. I never intended it to be anything more than a hobby, but after Eden was born I ended up saying yes to a fight! Turned out to be transformative in how I looked at my anxiety disorder. For all this time I had been experiencing this irrational fight or flight feeling and then suddenly, there I was heading into real combat with a real reason to feel my cortisol burn. And yet, by focusing on the trust in my training and the end goal I was able to control the feeling and function. It wasn’t until my life coaching that I understood the power of this perspective and how to use it in my daily life to face the fears that didn’t exist outside of my mind.

The final part of my onion – the core

I refer to this as the core of my onion because it took a state of real self-awareness to understand it, and that self awareness mainly came from all the other work I did on myself, as I peeled away the other layers. However, the other reason it is a core issue, is that without getting a handle on this, however many times you think you have a handle on your anxiety it will always trip you up again. It’s the panic attack that takes you by surprise, the sudden fall from Zen to chaos and the middle of the night when you suddenly can’t sleep and it feels like the hands are closing round your throat. This sudden return to anxious even if you have had months of being OK is caused by triggers. This is different to the cause of your anxiety, you may long have moved on from that, but it is like your body remembers how it feels to be in certain situations and puts you in the state of fight or flight all over again. For me it was the multitasking that juggling motherhood with a business brought, the chaos that unfolds with small people and the pressure of success. It was crazy because I’d be under pressure on the Monday and feel nothing, then multitasking on the Tuesday and feel nothing, then do nothing on Wednesday and be hit with a panic attack! It wasn’t until I started wearing my Helo that I started to identify the triggers that were causing my heart rate to rise and my breathing to hasten way before I spiralled into a panic attack. To figure things out I started to journal what I was doing each day then I would reference that with my Helo data that gets stored in a Lifelog, so you can see exactly what every single one of your bioparameters is doing at every moment through the day; even down to your mood and energy levels. I saw very quickly that there was a clear pattern between trying to work from home when the kids were there and my spiral into an anxious state, so I was able to make simple changes to my day that had a big impact on how I felt! I also used my Helo to stay on track because if I slipped back into bad habits, my bioparameters reminded me to take a look again at what I was doing. I don’t think I could have progressed as quickly as I did without this sort of accountability!

HOPE

What if our experiences are exactly what we need?

I ask this question because my anxiety disorder changed my life, in a good way. It got me to question certain things and make changes and ultimately get to a better place of health, mental calm, spiritual awareness and now I am helping others to do the same. If we can alter our energy about the things that are happening to us we immediately change our vibration and this helps us to feel hope. It helps us to find the motivation to move forward and helps us set the intention to make positive change.

Much Love x x

Has this blog been helpful to you? I would love you to reach out in the comments. And please contact me directly if you would like to discuss any of the information above.

5 Simple Things you can do to Improve Air Quality inside your Home

May 20, 2018May 20, 2018ClareWilliamson Leave a comment

I watched the most incredible video the other day…

It talked about how we have become the “Indoor Generation”.

We have filled our homes with everything we need and more, so we don’t need to go outside anymore…

Apparently we spend 90% of our time indoors and have left nature behind…

We have replaced daylight with artificial light and boxed ourselves in with walls, so nothing can escape. The activities that we do in our homes – showers, play, exercise, cooking, cleaning, using our technology – they all leave a trail of pollutants, chemicals and moisture that can’t get out. They are trapped between our 4 walls and so are absorbed by our bodies and trapped in the dust that we breathe on a daily basis….

Am I over-reacting? Over-exaggerating? It’s not like we fill our homes with cigarette smoke like we did before we realised that was harmful, is it?

You’re right. It seems obvious now that smoking is bad for you. However, back in the first half of the last century, things were very different. Medical textbooks were largely empty on the subject, and smoking was often seen as part of growing up. The Royal College of Physicians made their recommendations on tobacco in 1962, 10 years after research started to show harm. Only then did things start to change. And it took 50 years to take them off display in shops.

Does that remind you of anything?

Just a couple of years ago, in a landmark alliance known as Project TENDR, leaders of various disciplines came together in a consensus statement to say that many of the chemicals found in everyday products can result in neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism and attention-deficit disorders.

Co-chairwoman of the Project, Irva Hertz-Picciotto said, “Ten years ago, this consensus wouldn’t have been possible, but the research is now abundantly clear…

Frederica Perera, (a signatory on the statement) Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University said at the time “At some point, we say we know enough to take preventative action.”

What clues does this pattern give us about what is to come?

To me, the answer is clear. We may not be able to fully explain the toxic burden of tour everyday necessities (or moreover, get clear guidance from Governments), but we can clearly see from emerging science that much of the plastic, furniture, baby products, cosmetics, personal care products and TECHNOLOGY we use day to day may be carcinogenic, and at the very least are wreaking havoc with our natural systems.

Wait a minute Clare… TECHNOLOGY?

In March this year (2018), an external expert panel reviewed the draft Technical Reports of a $25 million study conducted by the National Toxicology Program (NTP). They studied rats and mice to help clarify the potential health hazards, including cancer risk, from exposure to cell phone radiofrequency (RF) radiation. New-generation mobile telephones are part of an increasing number of technologies, like WiFi, that are increasing the radiofrequency exposure of the general population.

RF exposure caused by our modern need to be constantly connected is another issue that we, as the general public are little informed about, despite the facts that:

Human exposure is widespread
Current exposure guidelines are based largely on protection from acute injury from thermal effects and haven’t been reviewed for 20 years
Currently available human studies have found evidence of an increased risk of cancer from cell phone use
Belgium, France, India and other technologically sophisticated governments are now passing laws and/or issuing warnings about children’s use of wireless devices

Here in New Zealand we are generally, blissfully, unawares of the impact our technology is having on the developing brains of our children.

We know that brain development is the most complete and most rapid during the first nine months, prenatally, and during that time, neural connections and pathways are being developed. Any interference by a physical stress like a toxic chemical or other stressor like electromagnetic frequencies can disrupt this natural progression that is so very delicate and complex. The fetus is particularly vulnerable to microwave radiation. It can result in degeneration of the protective myelin sheath that surrounds brain neurons. After birth our children continue to absorb more radiation from technology than adults because their brain tissues are more absorbent, their skulls are thinner and their relative size is smaller. The World Health Organisation has declared radiation from wireless devices a possible human carcinogen and children are at greater risk than adults when exposed to any carcinogen. And the consequences of exposure are anything but immediate. Because the average latency time between first exposure and diagnosis of a tumor can be decades, tumors induced in children may not be diagnosed until well into adulthood.

So, what can we do to stay healthy and protect our children?

The answer for me is also clear. Take back our control and take preventative action.

2016, the year of the release of NTPs Study, is exactly 20 years since the EMF Project started. This is the biggest and most acknowledged study so far, but other smaller, peer-reviewed studies (over 300 of them from 40-something countries) have preceded it, linking the increase in things like asthma, insomnia, autism, and even depression to our exposure to microwave radiation.

It is my belief that like with chemicals and tobacco before it, we will soon become very aware of the impact our technology is having on our health, but by then the harm will already have been done. And worse, the majority of harm will have been done to our children…

Toys that emit RFs are being sold for use by young infants and toddlers. Kids spend hours on tablets and play with our mobile phones. Having a mobile phone of their own is a rite of passage. A standard part of growing up (like tobacco was?) Stay at home mums and dad sit and work on the laptop while the kids play in close proximity on the floor. Our WiFi routers run constantly. We use cordless telephones and baby monitors that sit inches from our babies’ brains. Digital dementia is being reported in school age children. A study has shown when cellphones are placed in teenage girls’ bras multiple primary breast cancer develop beneath where the phones are placed. Ipads and tablets were never tested in the laps of little children and yet they are being expected to take them to school and learn on them. All manufacturers of smartphones have warnings which describe the minimum distance at which phone must be kept away from users in order to not exceed the present legal limits for exposure to RF and that exposure limit for laptops, computers and tablets is set when devices are tested 20 cm away from the body.

My list could go on and on… I have been researching this issue for over a year now and I made a decision not to let my children be part of a mass experiment.

I am taking a stand for my own family’s wellness. I am on a MISSION to help other mamas too…

If you follow my blog or Facebook Page, you will have followed my journey replacing chemicals with essential oils and you will have seen the benefits we have experienced in our health, so hopefully you trust that when I say I know my shit, I know my shit… 😉

So, if you haven’t started the non-toxic journey yourself yet, this is a great place to start.

And whether you have or whether you haven’t, here are 5 tips with things you should start TODAY, if you aren’t doing them already, to reduce your toxic exposure!

When you get up in the morning, open windows, whatever the temperature outside
Use a HEPA filter in your vacuum and use it every day
Let as much natural light as you can into your home and avoid using artificial light as a substitute to increase positive mood and energy
Review how much time you spend outside (this EXCLUDES an urban setting, which doesn’t count) and increase it
Start using EMF Protection

If you have any questions or need any help with anything, please feel free to reach out to me

Much Love x x x

5 Ways to Replace Harmful ‘Fragrance’ with Essential Oils

April 22, 2018April 22, 2018ClareWilliamson Leave a comment

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor air pollution is among the top five environmental health risks!

The chemicals in our laundry detergent, multi-surface cleaner, even DUST can cause irritation of our eyes, nose, and throat, fatigue and nausea, or even longer-term more serious effects like respiratory diseases, heart disease and cancer.

Most of us are aware of outdoor pollutants, such as fuel exhaust and smoke. But

indoor air may be anywhere from two to five times as polluted as outdoor air! And we are much less vigilant about it, so I thought I’d help you out by sharing 5 ways to swap out one of the BIG chemical emissions in your home… FRAGRANCE (also listed as “parfum)!!

Have you seen this harmless word on the ingredients list of your favourite detergent or beauty products?

From Dr. Axe:

“A National Academy of Sciences points out some vital facts: About 95 percent of chemicals used in synthetic fragrances are derived from petroleum (crude oil). They include benzene derivatives (carcinogenic), aldehydes, toluene and many other known toxic chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects, central nervous system disorders and allergic reactions. (1) Unfortunately, 30 years later, toxic ingredients continue turn up in products we use and breathe in on a daily basis. Some of the worst toxic ingredients used in lotions, shampoos, laundry detergents, cleaning products and so much more include synthetic scents, often listed as on labels as the elusive “fragrance.” And many on the list are known or suspected endocrine disruptors, compounds that tinker with hormonal health that can trigger weight gain and even set you up for diseases decades down the line.”

If you are ready to start making a positive change TODAY, here is my top 5 ways to get started!

1. Make your own deoderant

Just fill a glass spray bottle with 120ml magnesium oil and add 15 drops of doTERRA Lemon. Or if you prefer not to make your own, or like a solid deoderant, one is available at my Online Apothecary

2. Make your own multi-purpose cleaner

Grab, preferably, a glass spray bottle (these ones are great!) Add in a 1:3 ratio of white vinegar to water and 30 drops doTERRA On Guard Essential Oil. On Guard contains a proven mix of certified pure therapeutic grade essential oils that when together work effectively to kill bacteria and viruses. I have used On Guard to clear an antibiotic resistant staph infection and a clinical study found it effective against the H1N1 flu virus. The science is emerging on this incredible blend, but I’d recommend it for everything! Read more here.

To buy essential oils, click here

3. Ditch the perfume!!!!!

Please, I know it is hard to give up your favourite scent, but the chemicals and the harm they can cause in perfume will surprise you. And our littlies breathe these chemicals too! With essential oils you can get a nice smell and a therapeutic effect. There will be lots of recipes to try on pinterest if you do a search, or visit my board for inspiration!

Pick Me Up and Calm Me Down also have a beautiful perfume as well as HUGE emotional benefits. Take a look here!

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4. Go no poo!

To be honest, the synthetic fragrance in your shampoo is probably the least of your worries! The harsh chemical mix in shampoos and conditioners strips your hair of its natural oils, ultimately making it more greasy and less healthy, and the myriad of chemicals are absorbed into our bodies and do significant damage (some are reportedly linked to cancer).

Instead you can easily make your own shampoo that leaves your hair feeling gorgeous! You can make using ingredients you have in your pantry, plus essential oils!

Honey (preferably raw and unfiltered) and/or coconut milk
Distilled water
An essential oil
A simple container or pump of some sort
A spoon. This is to mix all of the ingredients together.

I choose a mix of lavender and Rosemary from my shampoo because I find the lavender soothing and rosemary oil is wonderful for promoting hair growth, soothing dry scalps, and adding volume to your locks.

5. Replace your air freshener/wax melt/any synthetic frangrance with a diffuser

For all of the reasons above, synthetic scents to freshen the air in your home have to go. Did you know indoor air may be anywhere from two to five times as polluted as outdoor air?? This is because of all of those chemicals emitted from the products we use every day and also the electrosmog emitted from our mobile devices.

I’m really passionate about helping people to move away from synthetic scents and other chemicals because they can cause a myriad of problems, including migraines, skin problems and asthma attacks, and our babies just deserve better. They emerge from the safe, controlled environment of our wombs into a world that is fraught with risks. Chemical scents are one we can protect them from, and according to the Breast Cancer Fund, when it comes to the prevention of cancer, avoiding synthetic fragrance is one of the main ways to help yourself and them! (See article here.)

According to Dr. Axe, there at least 3,000 ingredients that could possibly be used to form a product’s scent and they don’t necessarily have to be listed on a product’s label. So with an essential oil you are just getting one, pure, natural oil that comes directly from the bark, stem, flower mother nature created for us. I encourage you to take a look at the following list, derived from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, to see just how many fragrance chemicals you can start replacing today, and as always, I am here to help!

Much Love,

Clare

Essential Mum | Non-Toxic Mama

Life after laundry detergent and fabric softener

March 17, 2018March 18, 2018ClareWilliamson Leave a comment

Nobody can deny how utterly scrumptious a laundry smells when you walk past and your favourite fragrance wafts up your nose. I actually connect laundry smells to different memories – of friends I had in the past, of university rooms, of loved ones who I have held close. It came as a shock to read that the laundry is one of the most carcinogenic places in a house!

In 2008, scientists reported on the toxic chemicals in laundry detergents and other laundry products and it wasn’t good news. A single fragrance can contain multiple toxic chemicals that have been linked to asthma, dermatitis and even cancer.

Researchers from the University of Washington studied top-selling laundry and air-freshening products and found that they emitted dozens of different chemicals. All of them gave off at least one identified as toxic or hazardous under federal laws in America. What’s worse is that because of current labelling laws, none of these chemicals were listed on the label.

Among the products tested were a dryer sheet, a fabric softener, and a laundry detergent, as well as spray and plug-in air fresheners. Results showed nearly 100 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from the six products, and none were on the label. “Five of the six products emitted one or more carcinogenic ‘hazardous air pollutants,’ which are considered by the Environmental Protection Agency to have no safe exposure level,” said study author Anne Steinemann.

A later 2011 study by the same researchers found that air vented from machines using top-selling scented liquid laundry detergent and scented dryer sheets contained hazardous chemicals, including two classified as carcinogens.

For the study, researchers ran a load of laundry once with no products, once with a leading brand of scented liquid laundry detergent, and once with both the detergent and a dryer sheet. They captured the exhaust from the dryer vent with a canister.

An analysis of the captured air showed more than 25 VOCs, including seven hazardous air pollutants. The two carcinogens were acetaldehyde and benzene.

“These products can affect not only personal health,” said Steinemann, “but also public and environmental health. The chemicals can go into the air, down the drain and into water bodies.”

You can Google for more information on the toxic chemicals in laundry products. Look for Fragrance (this is where multiple chemicals are used to make the desired smell), surfactants, stabilizers, bleach, 1,4-dioxane, brighteners, phosphates & EDTA. It’s scary stuff. Check to see if these are included in the laundry products you use too.

Thankfully, there are alternatives!

You can make your own laundry detergent. Wellness Mama has a great recipe, and you can find others online as well. You can add your favourite doTERRA essential oil for Fragrance
You can buy doTERRA’s On Guard laundry detergent, which I absolutely love! Read about it here.
Then you can skip the fabric softener completely and use woollen dryer balls or, if you’re going to dry outside, half-cup of vinegar added in the rinse cycle will produce the same results without the toxic chemicals.
Please do dump the dryer sheets! They a toxic shitstorm, if you’ll excuse my French! Dryer alls will also reduce static cling. I love my dryer balls, hence the title of this blog! (I literally did curse when I realised my favourite scents were so harmful and BALLS literally were my solution!) Again, I got mine from doTERRA and I add geranium essential oil every few times I use my dryer. Geranium is such a beautiful scent for laundry. It’s sweet, but not sickly, and it’s really calming. Great for your bed sheets! You can make your own using ( see DIYnatural) or if you don’t use a dryer you can even make a spray with 1 cup white vinegar to 3 cups of water and 30 drops of essential oils to spray on the washing when it is on the line ready to dry in the sun.

If you’d like to go chemical free in your laundry TODAY, and would like to have a look at the doTERRA products available and different essential oils you can use for scent, click here to be redirected to my webstore. Any questions, give me a shout!

Much Love x x x

Sources:

University of Washington, “Toxic Chemicals Found in Common Scented Laundry Products, Air Fresheners,” Science Daily, July 24, 2008, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080723134438.htm.

Anne C. Steinemann, Lisa G. Gallagher, Amy L. Davis, Ian C. MacGregor, “Chemical emissions from residential dryer vents during use of fragranced laundry products,” Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, 2011; http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11869-011-0156-1.

Antioxidant support from Essential Oils

March 16, 2018March 18, 2018ClareWilliamson Leave a comment

I have been wanting to write a blog about DDR Prime Softgels for ages, but I just haven’t felt like I understand the product deeply enough. doTERRA created DDR Prime to help promote repair to damaged DNA. Research and studies have shown over and over again that essential oils work on a cellular level, meaning they can penetrate the cell walls and work within the cells, and one of the most fascinating abilities of essential oils is that they can differentiate between a healthy cell and a bad cell.

DDR Prime is meant to reduce oxidative stress, an imbalance between the production of free radicals and our body’s ability to counteract them. It’s a natural process, but it can greatly influence our overall well-being.

When I first started taking DDR Prime I had never heard of oxidative stress. I read that DDR Prime was full of antioxidants and I’d heard of those! (Antioxidants are molecules that are present in cells. These molecules donate electrons to unbalanced free radicals in order to balance them and stop the cycle of cellular degradation.) While antioxidants are found in abundance in many whole foods, it is often difficult to get the amount and specific types of antioxidants our body needs for peak cellular health. I also knew my chronic anxiety had taken a toll on my health physically as well as mentally, and this was enough for me to give them a shot.

The proprietary blend of essential oils in DDR Prime includes Clove, Thyme, Wild Orange, Frankincense, Lemongrass, Summer Savory, and Niaouli, because they offer antioxidant support for protection against oxidative stress.

Frankincense, Thyme and Lemongrass are chosen to prevent against DNA damage because of their preventative processes. Lemongrass, Clove and Niaouli (a form of Melaleuca) are chosen for their ability to destroy unhealthy and irreparable cells. Lastly, doTERRA looked at oils to guard against oxidative stress. These included clove, wild orange and summer savory. Clove essential oil is particularly powerful because it has the highest level of antioxidant properties ever known in a substance, making it a powerful support to anyone’s daily health routine.
DDR Prime Softgels make it easy to get your daily serving of free radical fighting essential oils for optimum well-being.

If you’d like to learn more from doTERRA’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Hill, watch the following:

From the doTERRA Blog:
“What Makes DDR Prime Softgels Unique?
The power of DDR Prime Softgels is in the proprietary blend of essential oils. Alone, all of the individual oils have been shown to provide support of cellular integrity, but the synergistic effects they provide when combined together is even more powerful.* Frankincense, Wild Orange, and Clove oil have all been shown to promote a healthy response to free radicals.* Thyme and Niaouli essential oils support cellular immunity and overall cellular health.* Summer Savory has been shown to support our body’s natural mechanisms to deal with oxidative stress.* Lastly, Lemongrass oil can protect against environmental threats.* Combined, this exclusive combination of essential oils offers unparalleled support of the body’s natural free-radical defense systems.*
DDR Prime Softgels Uses and Benefits

As mentioned, the support of healthy cellular integrity is important for overall well-being. DDR Prime Softgels help support cellular immunity and cellular health.* The proprietary combination of essential oils in DDR Prime Softgels promotes healthy responses to oxidative stress for optimal well-being.*
DDR Prime Softgels are also known to promote a healthy response to free-radicals.* The disruption of free radicals can cause a myriad of negative health effects. The essential oil blend contained within DDR Prime Softgels supports the body’s own defense mechanisms against free radicals.*
DDR Prime Softgels provide a simple, no-mess, convenient way to get the benefits of DDR Prime Cellular Complex, anytime anywhere. Simply place a bottle in your purse, travel bag, or on your desk at work and you’ll be able to reap the benefits of DDR Prime Cellular Complex when you are crunched for time, away from home, or in a hurry.”

So here began my journey with oxidative stress! I have since become a self-proclaimed mitochondriac. It’s like most of today’s common complaints can be brought back to the health of.our cells. All cells need three primary things in order to stay healthy: energy, primarily metabolic energy, protection from outside and internal threats, and resiliency.

In today’s world our diets do not provide the nutrition we need to provide the energy our cells need. Our cells are under attack from electromagnetic waves and toxins. Providing our cells with daily protection, while we reduce the toxins and threats in our environment, is a great way to enhance our body’s natural defense. The third way we can help our cells and maintain great health is to support the resiliency of our cells, so that whenever they are under attack, they can bounce back to where they should be. DDR Prime is a great place to start!

Talk to me today about how to get DDR Prime at a discount or buy now from my doTERRA store. This is not a blend you can go another day without! To learn more about oxidative stress and it’s impact on your body, click here

Much love x x x

Full Circle Wellness

October 21, 2017October 21, 2017ClareWilliamson Leave a comment

I’ve come full circle. I feel like a flower that is blossoming with Spring. I feel like the motherhood I have experienced thus far has been a journey that is now evolving into something else entirely, at whole new level of life, of financial freedom and opportunity.

The challenges with Eden’s health, my battles with my own demons and my decision to believe that my dreams are not beyond me have all lead to the place I stand now; welcoming a new opportunity to impact others in their wellness; to come full circle like I have.

What does this mean for Essential Mum?

I am going to be making some changes to this site. It will still be your place to go for coaching and essential oils. I am committed to getting back to blogging more frequently now I have freed some time up in my life. In the interim I am going to be putting some time into building a new website and coaching mums to Design Your Life; my ultimate 8 week experience to transform your life into one that brings you happiness every day.

Design Your Life isn’t for everyone, because not everyone has reached a comfortable place with the idea that it’s OK to put ourselves first as mums and live a life that brings us happiness every day. Getting to that point is itself a journey and one I can help you with! (Join my free opt-in at the pop up here).

There seems to be this deep stereotype that I hadn’t noticed until recently around #beingmum that makes it OK to get to the end of every day feeling like a complete failure, as long as you can grab a wine or lose yourself in the bottom of a pack of Maltesers. It’s OK because everyone else is going through it too right? Tomorrow is another day, another chance to do what you’ve always done and feel frustrated that nothing changes. I know I sound harsh writing this, but 713 comments under the post of a popular mum blogger led me to this conclusion. The post had 12k likes!

What she said was fundamentally right. I had a lot of respect for her observations:

1. We are too hard on ourselves as mums

2. The years are short and we will miss these challenges once they are passed

3. There is always a wine or a box of chocolates at the end of the day to set the day right.

What broke my heart was how this post was received. Like an invitation to believe this is the only way it can be. The repeated stories in the comments of deep struggle and belief that a box of chocolates really is the only answer broke my heart. One lady in particular deeply impacted me; she basically said she feels like a failure every day, that every day she feels like she could have done better, so I offered her a chance to look at Design Your Life, but she didn’t.

I get it. You know that I was in that place of struggle. I shared that recently in my article in the Natural Parent Magazine, Why No One Should Survive Parenthood (read it here).

However, I also know that just a simple shift in expectations and a bit of time management can make a massive shift in how we cope with #beingmum, and that this is just the start of what is possible! I understand that it is only a select few who are able to see passed the crowd to a life that is easier and more enjoyable. To let go of the belief it’s OK to just survive parenthood and believe it’s OK to want to thrive because the years are short and we should make the most of them instead of struggle through. We deserve to feel fulfilled in our roles as mothers, we deserve to feel we are doing a good job, not just #beingmum, but as strong, empowered, independent women with our goals and dreams ahead of us.

So I will continue to work on with those of you who come to me open and inspired to change. And I will begin my new chapter of Full Circle Wellness where I will share even more ways to feel wellness across your whole life! Mind, body, wealth and more…drop me a line if you are interested in details or watch this space for my launch!

Much Love in motherhood and now, beyond x x x

Creating Community

June 10, 2017June 11, 2017ClareWilliamson Leave a comment

I had such a lovely day in the community today. I was invited by the Beachlands Community Trust to take part in their Remakery. This is such an amazing thing for the community! A chance to learn about composting, upcycling and more. I was there with my Make & Take Workshop teaching people how to make home essentials like deodorant WITHOUT synthetic fragrance and other dangerous chemicals, like SLS and parabens.

Those of you who follow Essential Mum will know that I am on a MISSION to get those things out of our family homes and get mums using easy, natural recipes with essential oils.

There was a great turn out from the community; young and old got their hands dirty!

It was great opportunity to answer questions about essential oils and talk about doTERRA’s amazing Co-impact sourcing, which of course was of great interest to the people at the Remakery because of their desire to make a positive difference to our world.

I am so excited about the Remakery continuing and that I have been invited back! I was also approached by a local lady who runs breastfeeding workshops to bring the essential oil education to new mums there, to help with common issues like thrush, nappy rash, disturbed sleep and baby blues naturally. I loved this opportunity (and if course said yes) and would be open to more, if anybody out there has a group that they think would benefit?

Jennie’s Art Projects did this little project with a child. He brought his own laundry basket and mixed up his own paint colour from leftovers. Then they painted the basket together. Good fun and a proud boy!

I urge people to also put the next Remakery, on the July 8th, into their diaries. We live in a disposable world that is causing such irreparable damage. Our children have more opportunities to learn how to waste than they do to how to conserve and protect. The Remakery is one way to change that. There were a few youngsters getting involved in my workshop today, making deodorant and room spray and multi surface cleaner and learning about the benefits of essential oils. It was great to see!

Jenny, who runs the Remakery, from the Beachlands Community Trust is full of great ideas and enthusiasm to keep our community great and improve it too. Essential Mum is committed to supporting her ideas and efforts. Especially because she said I reminded her of a young Anne Roddick… jokes 😉

If you came along today and enjoyed the Make & Take workshop, and you’d like to learn more about the essential oils you got to experiment with, I am running a FREE workshop on the 16th at my Beachlands Home. Learn more here!

To keep up to date with events like the Make & Take, follow me on Facebook.

My next event is a Creative Vision Board session as vehicle to looking within yourself for the guidance you need to be happy and healthy.

I am a certified Life Coach and this session is part of my Design Your Life June & July Series. Come along and get creative. Bring what you would like to create on (white board/ cork board, pens/pins, something else) and I’ll provide paper and magazines, scissors, etc.

The session costs $10, including coffee and tea.

If you’d like to receive a copy of the recipes I shared at the Remakery, CLICK HERE and complete the contact form with “RECIPES” in the comments. I’ll also send you the free copy of my eBook.

I’ll update this blog with names and links and photos as the other members of the Remakery share them with me, I was just too excited to wait before I shared the story of a wonderful day.

Thanks Beachlands Community Trust!

Much Love X X

The Value of Consistent Use of Essential Oils

June 6, 2017ClareWilliamson Leave a comment

Whether you are using essential oils to treat specific health symptoms or as a way to prevent ill health, consistent use is important. It took me a long time to get into the habit of this, but “habit” is definitely the key word here when it comes to the really effective use of essential oils for wellness!

Dr. David K. Hill, D.C. – Chief Medical Officer for doTERRA recommends that “routine and deliberate application of essential oils can often increase and even sustain health benefits. Routine exposure can be achieved through aromatic, topical, and internal consumption based on the individual needs and level of expertise.”

What is really important is appropriate dosing, as many scientific reviews and studies have verified this to be both efficacious and moreover, safe.

For us, what was really great about starting with the Family Physician kit was the opportunity to learn what worked for us as individuals. Everybody has an individual tolerance to the oils and individual preferences. It’s also better to use a wide range of oils, rather than just one or two. However, the commonality is the need for a daily model of consist use based on your unique health and lifestyle circumstances. For example, for my anxiety, Balance is my favourite essential oil and a constant in my daily oil regime. This oil is known to help establish a feeling of calm, peace and relaxation. It helps support your body’s physiological systems and helps bring a sense of tranquility and balance. This is my go-to oil for when I feel like a chicken running around with its head cut off — over-whelmed with no idea where to start, but more than that, it is the oil I start my day with now. I remind myself to take 30 seconds as soon as I wake up to apply a drop of Balance to each wrist and rub them together. Once it’s on my wrists, I lift them to my nose and inhale. I am instantly grounded and have a much clearer head to start my day. There are some really fun ways to integrate essential oils into your daily routine. For example, in the morning, I aromatically dress. This is a fancy way of saying I cover myself in essential oils after I get out of the shower. The oils I choose depends on the needs of the day, which can be energy, mental clarity, less stress, or some self-love. Learn more here!

In cases of illness, frequent use is imperative. Essential oils metabolize just like a paracetamol does. You can use as often as every couple of hours, but as doTERRA essential oils are highly concentrated and very potent, a small dose is all that is needed to achieve powerful benefits.

Here are Dr Hill’s 6 top tips to help you implement doTERRA essential oils into a daily model of consistency:

1. Quality

To prevent sensitivities, it is important to use only pure essential oils, such as essential oils that have the doTERRA CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade^® quality standard. Using altered essential oils dramatically increases the likelihood that a sensitivity or inappropriate response will develop. Join my newsletter list to learn about the dangers of essential oils altered with man-made laboratory created scents.

2. Chemistry

The chemical structure and reactivity of some essential oil elements makes them more potent than others. Phenols and aldehydes are especially strong. Diluting oils that contain a high proportion of these types of elements or using a lower dose is an excellent way to ensure safe application. Learn the basics of essential oils at my next workshop. Click here to see upcoming events.

3. Variety

A unique feature of essential oils is that they share many of the same benefits. There is safety and increased benefit from variety, which is one of the foundational principles of health. Try introducing a wide variety of oils into your personal usage protocol rather than focusing on just one or two main oils.

4. Amount

A common misconception is to assume that more is always better. While this may be true in some instances, it is not true with essential oils. They are highly concentrated and very potent, so a small dose is all that is needed to achieve powerful benefits. It is best to use smaller amounts of oil and apply more frequently.

5. Dilution

There are many benefits to diluting essential oils, including slowing the rate of absorption to prevent sensitivities and increasing the surface area of absorption. I generally recommend a dilution ratio of one drop of essential oil to three drops of carrier oil. This ratio can be altered depending on the chemistry of the oil and the preferences or sensitivities of the user.

6. Personal Consideration

Certain individuals, such as young children and the elderly, require special precautions when using essential oils because their skin is typically more sensitive. Appropriate dilution modifications or essential oil substitutions should be made to cater to their individual needs.

For a free essential oil consultation to discuss your needs, click here!

Much love x x

“Every time I start exercising I get a cold”

May 6, 2017May 6, 2017ClareWilliamson Leave a comment

Increasing exercise stresses our body and thus weakens our immune system. So, as we increase our exercise levels we need to increase the vitamins and minerals that are going to keep our immune system strong; like vitamin c and zinc.

The preferable way to do this is through your diet, but unfortunately nowadays our soils are very depleted of the vitamins and minerals we need and so we can end up deficient and needing to supplement them.

I am a very good example of this. I eat really well. Really clean with lots of fruit and colourful veg, but when I got a blood test I found I was lacking in a few things, especially zinc, so I started on the doTERRA long-life vitality supplements and have never looked back since! If you want to read more about this supplement system, click here. They are only available to doTERRA Wellness Advocates, but you can read about becoming one of those here. If you choose to buy a multivitamin over the counter, just take a look at the label carefully to check whether it contains synthetic vitamins that won’t be helpful.

We also need to get enough rest to properly recuperate between exercise sessions. Regular moderate exercise actually boosts the immune system. So it’s a fine balance, but maybe increasing frequency rather than intensity might help.

Gyms are also germ-laden and you’re exposed to a large variety of bacteria in spite of the gym’s good cleaning and hygiene efforts. I found this out when I got a staph infection in my thumb! I make a Cleansing Spray now for any mats & equipment I am using. It’s really easy! Just grab a 2–4 ounce spray bottle, 5 drops of doTERRA On Guard blend, Witch hazel (¼ of spray bottle) and some Filtered water. Combine all the ingredients together in the glass bottle. Mix well, spray, and wipe!

Finally, don’t rule out the effects of stress that is external to your new exercise regime that could be making you more susceptible to getting ill!

The impact of this stress makes the efforts we invest into our healthy eating, the supplements we take and how much we exercise, close to worthless and we are putting ourselves at increased risk for chronic and degenerative diseases like cancer, heart disease, autoimmune issues, thyroid problems, and diabetes.

Did you ever read, “Why Zebras don’t get Ulcers?” It’s about how we deal with stress. If a zebra were to be put under similar stress as us humans every day he wouldn’t get an ulcer. Basically because our body turns on the same physiological responses that the zebra’s does, but we don’t resolve conflict in the same way. Faced with a lion (pretty stressful), a zebra will stop and fight or flee. When faced with a massive deadline, chemicals like adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol will still release into our bloodstream, but we don’t use them to fight or flee. Over time this weakens our immune system and other defences in a big way. I regularly check in on myself and the ways that I can make little tweaks and changes to decrease the stress I feel on a daily basis.

The first thing we do as a family as soon as it feels like we are coming down with a cold, or others around us are dropping like flies, is apply doTERRA’s On Guard to the soles of our feet 3 times a day. 1 drop goes onto everyone, but I would advise diluting for babies under 1. You can read about the magic of On Guard and other essential oils in this blog, 10 Must Haves to Survive and Thrive this Winter. I roll my ‘Keep Me Well’ Rollerball to my feet every day, which contains many of the oils described in this blog (because mama doesn’t get the luxury of a sick day!), which gives my immune system a daily boost and colds are definitely less frequent than they used to be!

We are all refined sugar free in our house, but if you’re not it is a good thing to cut out while your body fights whatever infection or virus is bothering it. That includes fructose sugar too! Popular health site Mercola recommends adding in the following foods:

Raw, grass-fed organic milk, and/or high.-quality whey protein
Fermented foods such as raw kefir, kimchee, miso, pickles, sauerkraut
Raw, organic eggs from pastured chickens
Grass-fed beef
Coconuts and coconut oil
Organic vegetables and Garlic. Ideally consumed raw and crushed just before eating
Turmeric, oregano, cinnamon, cloves
Mushrooms, especially Reishi, Shiitake, and Maitake

We up the On Guard application to every couple of hours too and add zinc drops to our water. If after a couple of days we are not getting better, or we are getting worse, on day 3 we hit the THE FLU BOMB and I make a soothing and decongesting chest rub from Frankincense and doTERRA’s blend, Breathe. I share these recipes and others in my Essential Oils Made Easy eBook. To be notified when this can be purchased for sale, subscribe to my newsletter. You can read my latest one (3 free gifts for you) and subscribe at the top left of the page here!

My O2 on the Go portable oxygen units may also be helpful in your recovery from any illness and for meeting the physiological demands on the body in times of additional stress. Click here to check them out! This will certainly be advantageous to your exercise regime in general. Many athletes, singers, movie stars and stage actors are using portable Oxygen Generators. Oxygen gives them that superior performance and keeps them looking good and performing well. Oxygen can immediately alleviate fatigue after exercise, calm the pulse and activate blood circulation, generating vigour and energy.

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