Balms and Manna Blog - Balms and Manna

5 Ways to Start the New Year Off Right

12/29/2021

5 WAYS TO START THE NEW YEAR OFF RIGHT

January-that time of year when the holiday festivities leave us feeling a few pounds heavier, a little more brain fogged and a little less energetic than we'd like to be. It's a New Year and a great time to reset our routines and choices!

Here are five simple ways to start the New Year off right!

DE-STRESS- Start with noticing signs that indicate you are stressed. Even better is to make a list of these things. Focus on awareness of when you are stressed and listening to your body.

Make a list of 10 things you truly enjoy that you feel refreshed and renewed after doing. As you become increasingly aware of when you are stressed, pull out your list and spend 10-15 minutes de-stressing.

EXERCISE- Just 15 minutes of movement every day, especially outside will help to balance your hormones, increase your energy and mood. Talk a walk in the snow, go sledding, ice skating or a bike ride when the weather is good.

GET YOUR SLEEP- Getting 7-8 hours of sleep every night is foundation to everything! Your weight, ability to detox, mood, energy, hormone balance, stress levels and even digestion!

Set a sleep and wake time and stay within an hour of that time frame to regulate your circadian rhythms. Take the 30-60 minutes before bed to turn off all screens, do some reading, journaling, devotions, gratitude or a relaxing bath with essential oils.

If falling asleep or staying asleep is hard for you, try Serenity softgels. They promote deep and restful sleep and are truly amazing!

DRINK WATER- Drinking water hydrates your skin, improves digestion and elimination, reduces feelings of hunger and calorie intake and helps flush out toxins. Half your body weight in ounces daily is the general recommendation

REDUCE SUGAR- The average American consumes 22 teaspoons of added sugar daily! Sugar slows down your immune system, increases inflammation, creates brain fog and drains your energy. It's also contributes to heart disease, fatty liver, diabetes and cancer.

Get my Sugar Substitute Reference Guide

How to Make Your Christmas Gifts Scentsational

12/8/2021

HOW TO MAKE YOUR CHRISTMAS GIFTS SCENSATIONAL

Ever want to add just a little something to a gift to make it personal and special? A drop or two of essential oils are the perfect way to create a warm, inviting gift that makes the receiver feel loved and treasured!

Scented Envelopes- A fun way to add sparkle and depth to your cards! Add 2-3 drops of essential oils to a cotton ball and place in a plastic bag with your envelopes or card. Let sit overnight or for 8 hours and then remove and send.

Scented Pinecones- A subtle way to add aroma to a room at the same time being decorative. Purchase a bag of pinecones or gather them from outside. If they are dirty, have bugs on them or are closed up, give them a quick rinse in the sink and then place in the oven on a sheet at 200 degrees for one hour. Add one drop per pinecone and place in a bowl, string as garland or give as a gift in a decorative bag. Reapply oils as needed for desired scent. Cinnamon, Holiday Peace/Joy, Fir or Pine oils are great choices for oils!

Scented Neck Wraps- Purchase a neck wrap or create your own with a tube sock or piece of flannel. Add 2-3 drops of a calming oil such as Lavender, Siberian Fir or Balance to the wrap. Consider giving a small bottle of oil along with the gift for continued scenting.

Scented Car Diffusers- I love how personal and customizable this can be! Create your own simple car diffuser by gluing felted stickers to clothespins and clipping to the vent or by sewing felted balls together.

Scented Body Scrub- Such a fun spa gift! Add Peppermint to make a candy cane scrub, Lemon or Rosemary & Spearmint for a refreshing, uplifting experience.

Scented Room/Linen Spray- So simple to make with a few ingredients! Plus you can customize the scent for holidays, seasons and moods.

Bone Broth Basics

11/30/2021

Bone Broth Basics
It's that time of year when we all want to cozy up with a bowl of steaming soup! And what's better to use as a base than bone broth? Bone broth doesn't just taste good, it's full of nutrition and essential minerals. It also provides amino acids and is a great source of collagen and gelatin.

Bone broth supports:

Restoration of leaky gut
Food allergies/intolerances
Joint health
Immunity

How to Make Your Own Bone Broth:

For a quality bone broth recipe, it’s important to use all the body parts like organ meat, feet and neck.
You also want to buy animal products that you know are pasture-fed and free of antibiotics and hormones in order to truly unlock all the bone broth benefits.
Add vegetables (carrots, onions, celery) and garlic for added taste and nutrition

Cooking Suggestions

Place bones into a large stock pot and cover with water.
Add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to water prior to cooking. This helps to pull out important nutrients from the bones.
Fill stock pot with filtered water. Leave plenty of room for water to boil.
Heat slowly. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for at least six hours. Remove scum as it arises.
Cook slow and at low heat. Chicken bones can cook for 24 hours. Beef bones can cook for 48 hours. A low and slow cook time is necessary in order to fully extract the nutrients in and around the bone.
Alternatively, you can use a crock pot to make the broth. Use the same directions by covering bones with water and adding apple cider vinegar. Cook on low for 8-24 hours.
Remove large pieces of bone, meat and veggies and discard. Strain through a sieve and then store in jars in the fridge or process in a pressure canner for later use.

After cooking, the broth will cool and a layer of fat will harden on top. This layer protects the broth beneath. You can eat this layer along with the broth if desired.

*You can also purchase bone broth instead of making it yourself. Organic, grass fed bone broth with no preservatives with provide you with the best nutrition and benefit.

I'd love to hear if you make your own bone broth!

Save Money, Save Time, Save Your Health

11/16/2021

Save Money, Save Time, Save Your Health

doTERRA has their enrollment kits 20% off during the month of November! If you've been wanting to try essential oils, this is the time! It's an amazing deal!

Included with each kit:

Free wholesale membership
25% off all purchases for the next year
No obligation to purchase anything
Continued education to feel 100% comfortable using your oils
FREE follow up wellness consult with me
- Create a personalized plan to use your oils
- Learn how to maximize wholesale membership and save the most money

Kit Details

Natural Solutions Kit- SAVE $90, Sale price $388

Fractionated Coconut Oil
Handwash Pump
Deep Blue® Rub
Wintergreen 15 mL
doTERRA On Guard® Mouthwash
doTERRA SPA® Hand and Body Lotion
PB Assist+®
Peppermint 15 mL
Lemon 15 mL
Lavender 15 mL
Frankincense 15 mL
Tea Tree 15 mL
Wild Orange 15 mL
doTERRA Breathe® 15 mL
DigestZen® 15 mL
doTERRA Balance® 15 mL
doTERRA Serenity® 15 mL
AromaTouch® 15 mL
Laluz Diffuser
doTERRA On Guard® Sanitizing Mist 5 mL
doTERRA On Guard® Toothpaste
doTERRA On Guard+™ Softgels
doTERRA On Guard® Beadlets
doTERRA On Guard® Foaming Hand Wash
DigestZen TerraZyme®
doTERRA Breathe Vapor Stick
Correct-X®
doTERRA On Guard® 15 mL
Lifelong Vitality Pack

Home Essentials -SAVE $50, Sale price $199

Peppermint 15 mL
Lemon 15 mL
Deep Blue® 5 mL
Lavender 15 mL
Adaptiv® 15 mL
Copaiba 15 mL
doTERRA Balance® 15 mL
doTERRA Breathe® 15 mL
DigestZen® 15 mL
doTERRA On Guard® 15 mL
The Petal® Diffuser

Cura Collection- SAVE $50, Sale Price $199

Deep Blue® Soothing Blend 5 mL
Deep Blue Polyphenol Complex
Correct-X Essential Ointment
PastTense Tension Blend 15 mL
Frankincense 5 mL
DigestZen Softgels
DigestZen Terrazyme
Peppermint Beadlets
Tamer Digestive Blend 10 ml
Breathe Vapor Stick
OnGuard Protecting Drops
Lavender 5 mL
Serenity Softgels

Healthy Habits Kit- SAVE $39, Sale Price- $156

doTERRA Balance® 5 mL
Tangerine 5 mL
Deep Blue® Rub
Lavender 5 mL
Frankincense 5 mL
doTERRA On Guard® 5 mL
DigestZen TerraZyme®
PB Assist+®
Lifelong Vitality Pack

MESSAGE ME TO GET STARTED

Why Choose Natural Skin Care?

10/28/2021

Why Choose Natural Skin Care?

Did you know?

The average home contains 62 toxic chemicals that we are routinely exposed to.
The average women exposes her self to 167 chemicals on her body with her daily beauty routine.
Over 80,000 chemicals are approved by the FDA but only 7% of those have been tested for safety.

Why Does Natural Skin Care Matter?

Skin absorbs substance directly into blood stream
Industry is highly unregulated
Claims may be misleading (natural, maximum strength, instant results
Chemicals in skin products are
- Skin irritants
- Endocrine disruptors (create hormone imbalances)
- Carcinogenic (cancer causing)

It can be overwhelming to know where to start to replace your toxic skin care products! But it doesn't have to be!

Let me guide you with a few simple steps.
1- Go to EWG- see how toxic your current products are
2- doTERRA has a complete selection of: skin care, hair care and body products
3- DIYer's- make your own easy, simple hair conditioner, shave gel, face scrub

Rosemary Cedarwood Hair Conditioner
Fill an 8 oz glass pump bottle 3/4 of the way with apple cider vinegar. Add 5 drops of Rosemary and 5 drops of Cedarwood essential oils. Fill remaining bottle with water.

To use: Pump conditioner on hair after shampooing and leave in for 1-2 minutes and then rinse.

Blue Tansy Facial Scrub
In a small container mix 1/2 cup of almond meal and 1/2 cup of oat flour. Add 7 drops of Blue Tansy essential oil (or any oil of your choice for skin, although Blue Tansy smells the best and is my favorite). Massage well to incorporate oil into flours.

To use: Use approximately 2 tsp of scrub and add a small amount of water to form a paste the consistency of baby cereal. Rub on face to exfoliate for a minute and then rinse well.

Lavender Shave Gel
In a mixing bowl, combine 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1/4 of aloe vera gel and 6 drops of Lavender essential oil. Whisk until uniformly combined. Using a funnel, pour into 4 oz glass pump bottle.

I'D LOVE MORE OF YOUR RECIPES!

Life Without Essential Oils?!

10/15/2021

Pondering the question today: "What would my life be like with out doTERRA?" I think it's a similar question to, "What would life be like without my cell phone?" Have you ever thought about this question?

Truly, I hate to even think about it! Essential oils are what make me feel vibrant, energetic and healthy. And when I feel better, I can show up better! So with essential oils, I can be a better friend, a better sister, a better aunt, a better support and a better educator!

These are a few of the things I love about essential oils:

Amazing energy- better than I felt in high school!
Great sleep- fall asleep when my head hits the pillow and wake up feeling energized
Tighter, smoother skin- I've never had better, clearer skin
Less weight- Less than in high school!
Better digestion- absorbing my nutrients
Better immunity- way less colds and sniffles
Less moodiness- much less hormone swings
Non-toxic solutions in emergencies- bee stings, cuts, stomach and head tension...
Non-toxic cleaners- better liver function
Non- toxic skin & body care- so supportive to hormone balance

Are you in a place where you are wanting better, more vibrant health? It can confusing to know where to start. With a kit of basic oils, a essential oil reference book, and me as your guide, you can be on your way to less doctor's visits, more energy and being a better version of you!

I WANT BETTER HEALTH! HELP ME GET STARTED

Stomach Acid- Too Much or Too Little?

10/4/2021

STOMACH ACID- TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE?
We all know someone, perhaps ourselves, who struggle with acid burning and discomfort. The Western approach to this problem is thinking we have too much stomach acid. What does stomach acid really do for you and how do you know if you have too much?

Let me walk you through the digestive process and how stomach acid is involved:

1- Digestion starts in your mouth:

Enzymes from saliva predigest foods
Chewing stimulates the body to begin to produce stomach acid (also know as Hydrochloric acid- HCL for short)

2- HCL is released in the stomach:

Causes cells to burst, releasing nutrients
Releases enzymes to digest proteins
Prepares minerals for absorption
Sterilizes food and protects the body from infection

3- Food is released into the intestines (through the pyloric valve):

The pyloric valve won't open if there isn't enough bicarbonate solution (by product from HCL)
If the pyloric valve doesn't open, it causes food to move up the esophagus creating burning

If you are struggling with difficulty swallowing, chronic chest pain, burning in your throat, difficulty digesting protein, poor immunity or digestive discomfort, these are all signs of low stomach acid.

What happens if you have low stomach acid?

Food isn't absorbed or digested
Food begins to ferment creating gases

What do anti-acids do?

Cause the stomach to produce less acid
Interferes with mineral and protein absorption
Weakens bones and muscles

What can increase stomach acid and ease burning?

Chewing slower and more mindfully
Taking 1 tsp of Apple Cider Vinegar before meals
Digestive Bitters
Managing stress

'

GET MY FREE GUIDE TO EATING SLOWER

Ditch and Switch to Toxin Free Products!

9/16/2021

Ditch and Switch to Toxin Free Products
Now is the time.... to discover the importance of ditching toxic cleaners and making the switch to effective, safe and beautifully scented natural options!

Most of us are aware that there are harmful chemicals in our cleaning products. Despite knowing it's not good for us, the smell of bleach might make some of you feel like your home is clean. And maybe you are reluctant to change from what you've always done.

But what if I told you there was a way to have the smell of a clean home with products that actually got rid of germs AND were safe for you?

Join me for a free "Ditch and Switch Natural Cleaning" class!
September 30th, 7 pm @ my house
602 Michael Ct, Fairbury, IL

Highlights of the class include:

Uncover toxins hiding in your home
How they are harming you
Easy ways to replace them

*Bonus* Everyone who purchases the Cleaning Kit, will get a FREE doTERRA Microfiber cleaning cloth!

SIGN ME UP FOR THE CLASS!

Hormone Challenges? Uncover the Root Cause!

8/30/2021

Hormone Challenges? Uncover the Root Cause!

Are you tired of feeling yucky and searching for answers to fix your hormone challenges? Has your journey been full of trial and error and sorting through the many voices out there? I know how frustrating this can be!

Everyone deserves to have someone who listens, cares and is trustworthy to guide them to answers and results! I am here to teach, educate and support you to have the health you desire.

One of the major root causes for hormone imbalances is mineral deficiencies. Minerals are the spark plugs of our bodies. They make our cells run and are the foundation on which our body works. Because so much of the endocrine system depends on minerals, when you have better mineral balance you have better functioning hormones.

An HTMA (Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis) is a functional test that shows stored minerals in the tissue and reveals excess or deficiencies of both macro and micro minerals.

The difference between a HTMA and a blood lab test is that a blood test only shows levels circulating in the blood where a HTMA shows what is stored. Often excess minerals are stored in the tissues to protect our bodies from excess levels.

Why get an HTMA? Because it gives you information about:

Liver Problems
Fatigue and Adrenal Dysfunction
Thyroid Issues
Blood Sugar Imbalances
Hormonal Challenges
Reactivity to Stress
Digestive Problems
Heavy Metal Toxicity

Why I love this test:

Easy & non-invasive
Affordable
One of the best foundations to begin hormone balance
Provides so much information

How it works:

Collect a very small sample of scalp hair which is mailed to the lab
Schedule a consultation with me to review the results (the effectiveness of the test is highly dependent upon correct interpretation of the results)
Create a individualized plan including recipes, diet suggestions and lifestyle recommendations

CONTACT ME TO GET STARTED

Kick Up the Flavor

8/19/2021

Did you know you can use essential oils in your cooking? Not only does it add amazing flavor but it's easy and gives you added health benefits!

4 Reasons to Use Essential Oils in Cooking-
1- Powerful, fresh flavor
2- Long shelf life (even if you don't use it often, it will be fresh every time)
3- Easy and convenient- no chopping, peeling or mincing
4- Added health benefits of each unique oil

How to Cook with Essential Oils:
*1 teaspoon dried herbs = 1 tablespoon fresh herbs = 1 drop essential oil
*Zest of 1 lemon/lime = 8 drops
*For hot or spicy herbs use a toothpick swirl -dip a toothpick in the essential oil bottle and swirl it around in the recipe
*Error on the side of less oil. Taste your recipe and then add more if needed.

My Tips and Favorites:
*Cilantro essential oil in fresh salsa and guacamole is amazing!
*Add 4-5 drops of On Guard or Wild Orange to a bowl of sliced apples covered in water. Let sit for 15 minutes, drain and enjoy a new twist on apples and keep them from turning brown.
*Place 1 drop of favorite essential oil in hot water for a soothing tea.
*Add 2-3 drops of Citrus oil to smoothies for increased flavor.
*Substitute Lemongrass & Ginger essential oils for ginger root and lemongrass to save time and a trip to a specialty grocery story
*Add 1 drop of Cinnamon, Clove or On Guard to oatmeal or hot breakfast cereal.

I'd love to hear which recipes you make and what your favorite tips and uses are with essential oils! Check out doTERRA's Top Ten Essential Oil recipes for more inspiration!

*Make sure all essential oils used in cooking are labeled for internal use