Let’s be honest, this winter the need to keep your family well and happy is more on our minds than ever! As a mum I want to do everything I can to keep my kids and my partner (and me!) healthy. After all, that’s written in LARGE print in my job description.
The good news is that keeping your family well isn’t something you have to do alone. Here are three powerful partners you can work with this winter to make it the happiest and healthiest yet.
Boost your Immune System to keep your family well
Your immune system is the most important body system and friend that you and your family have. It’s amazingly intricate, incredibly powerful and it’s already working 24/7 to keep you healthy. Your body has an amazing array of systems in place for protecting itself against invaders and staying alive and well.
That’s why it’s SO important to make sure your immune system is operating at its best. Without a strong, responsive and resilient immune system, how can you fight infectious diseases and counteract toxic chemicals?
We all know what happens when we get run down – we get sick. That’s often because our immune system has been weakened or compromised. And usually that’s a loud message from your body telling you to take better care of yourself! So, how can you give your immune system the support it needs to keep you healthy?
Loving your immune system
I don’t really need to tell you many of the ways to keep your immune system strong:
- eat a healthy diet with plenty of whole foods, lots of veggies and not much sugar.
- get plenty of uninterrupted sleep, so your body can recover and repair.
- spend time de-stressing – meditation or yoga anyone??
- ditch the toxic everyday products in your home and switch to health-supporting all-natural alternatives.
But, if you’re a busy mum – trying to juggle kids, a partner, a household and often a job AND keep your family well – you’re probably asking in frustration, “When do I have TIME to do all that?”
I hear you, sister! That’s why I only use a few simple products each day.
Young Living Black Seed Oil
This is brand new from Young Living and I’m SO excited about it! Talk about a great product to keep your family well.
There are heaps of scientific and medical studies that have been done on Black Seed Oil. Just Google ‘black seed oil’ or ‘nigella sativa’ and you can read about its many, many benefits for yourself. It’s become one of my ‘go to’s’ when I want to keep my family well in the winter months.
Young Living harvest and cold-press Black Seed Oil from the tiny black seeds of the Nigella sativa plant to help maintain its chemical composition. Black Seed Oil is known as “The Seed of the Blessing” in the Middle East. It’s been used in a variety of ways dating back for more than 3,000 years and was even found in the tombs of Egyptian Pharaohs.
The Black Seed Oil from Young Living has a great list of TGA approved claims. It’s traditionally used in Middle Eastern herbal medicine to:
- Maintain healthy immune system function.
- Help support general health and wellbeing.
- Reduce free radicals formed in the body.
- Help maintain healthy blood sugar levels when used in conjunction with a balanced diet.
How do you use it? Young Living suggest that you take 1 tsp (5ml) twice daily with food.
And that brings me to the second powerful partner I’ve discovered. It can definitely help keep your family well through the year, but especially in winter!
Young Living Inner Defence
Along with Black Seed Oil, we’ll be adding Inner Defense to our daily routine this winter.
Young Living’s has designed their Inner Defense capsules to support the immune system and promote healthy respiratory function. They’re like a protective shield.
They contain powerful essential oils like Oregano, Thyme, and Thieves which are rich in thymol, carvacrol and eugenol. In addition, each capsule contains helpful antioxidants to protect against free-radical damage.
Young Living non-toxic, all-natural products… that WORK!
Life is hectic! I know what it’s like to try to balance a full-time job, a family – which includes school, sport, sleepovers, cooking, etc. etc. – and a side-hustle. So, I want to make my life as simple and uncomplicated as I can. I don’t want to be spending my time reading labels in the supermarket aisle, trying to discover whether packets of frozen food ARE actually REAL food (or just collections of artificial colours, flavours and ingredients) or whether personal care and cleaning products are collections of toxic chemicals wrapped up in a green-coloured package with ‘Eco’ written on the outside. Sorry if that sounds cynical!
Two decisions I made to keep my family well
Consequently, I’ve made a couple of decisions to keep me sane and keep my family healthy. The first was to try as much as I could to buy and cook and eat whole foods. The less-processed the better! That means that we’re eating foods with more nutrients, more vitamins, less sugar and additives… and which our bodies get much more immune-system-boosting goodness from.
I’m talking about leafy greens (kale, spinach, cucumber, celery) and other fresh fruits and veggies. Adding fresh garlic is great too. And we’re drinking plenty of water (instead of fizzy, sugary drinks) to help our bodies flush out the toxins. We buy raw local honey and we’ve got the luxury of grabbing fresh produce from local growers. But we also wash our fruit and veggies with Thieves Fruit & Veggie Soak to make sure they’re free of ANY nasty sprays before we eat them.
People ask, “Doesn’t it cost more to eat fresh?” My answer is “Yes and no!” Yes, in the short term buying whole foods is more expensive. But in the long-term we are all so much more healthy and that saves money now AND far into the future.
The second decision I made was to get all our cleaning and personal care products from a company that guarantees that they’re all-natural, non-toxic and totally safe to use. No more bleach in the bathroom. No more triclosan in the handwash. And no more sodium laureth sulphate in the toothpaste. No more ‘fragrance’ (which can include literally dozens and dozens of hormone-disrupting chemicals in each company’s ‘secret formula’) in any of the products my girls use on their bodies.
I can finally buy with confidence
You’ve got no idea how GOOD it is to be able to buy and use everyday products knowing that they’re safe! That they’re actually supporting our immune systems and our overall health, rather than damaging it. As a mum, I can feel good about this, because I know I’m doing the best for my family.
What’s the company that I partner with? Young Living. Whether it’s cleaning products, makeup, skincare, personal care, men’s products… they’ve got us covered. And I haven’t even mentioned the amazing wellness support that their essential oils can bring. You can check out more information about the energy drink we take every day, their immune-boosting supplement and one of the essential oil blends that’s in the diffuser in the girls’ room each night.
My family love Young Living
The last thing I want to be is a ‘nagging mum’! Yes, I know there’s a certain amount of nagging that comes with the job! But, it’s been exciting to watch as the girls and my partner, Jeremy, have discovered how they can take responsibility for their own health. The bottom line is – they love the products and enjoy using them. And that takes some of the pressure off me.
At bedtime, the girls will ask Jeremy to put an essential oil of their choice into the diffuser – they know what they like, but they also know what they need to help them sleep better. Jeremy doesn’t have to be reminded to drink his NingXia Red each day – most days he pours me a serve too. He knows his day, especially in winter, will go better with NingXia. And I feel totally blessed because as much as the girls like the occasional fast-food ‘treat’, what they REALLY love is good, wholesome food.
I think that’s the trick – to find the right products – ones that will support your family’s health. Amazingly, once your family see and feel the benefits it’s no longer a battle to get them to use them. Now I feel like we’re all working together – with our immune systems – to keep us well over winter.
Discover more about keeping your family well this winter
Want to know more about how to keep your family well?
Want to find out how the Young Living products can benefit you?
Like to discover great recipes for all-natural products you can make yourself?
There’s LOTS of stuff here on www.hotoilymumma.com.au just click on the Natural Living tab on the menu at the top of the page and start exploring.
You can find me on Facebook for regular posts, recipes, videos and lots of other interesting info here – @hotoilymumma
Stay well this winter!
Kim xo
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