Go Green: Smoothie & Juice Du Jour

With the new year approaching, many are thinking about self improvement. One of the best ways I can think of to accomplish health improvement is to incorporate more greens into one's diet. That doesn't sound fun at first, but it totally is. Check this out: Green Smoothie & Green Juice du jour. It will make your cells dance. Wahoo!

My green smoothie of the day:

• 1/2 cup of water
  
• Half cucumber
  
• 1 peeled lemon
  
• 1 ripe banana
  
• Big handful of spinach
  
• 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
  

Add all ingredients to your Vita-Mix blender and power it up.

Green juice of the week:

• 1 head of organic celery
  
• 2 organic granny smith apples
  
• 1 lemon
  
• 1 bunch organic lacinto kale
  
• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger
  

Run all ingredients through a masticating juicer such as the Champion or Green Star. This makes about 4 cups of juice. Drink it up!

Make it your green smoothie and green juice of the year!

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CrossFit into the New Year

I LOVE CrossFit! I recently discovered CrossFit and attended my first CrossFit class through meetup.com (As a side note, if you haven't yet discovered meetup.com, I HIGHLY encourage you to check it out and browse for a meetup that interests you - raw food, gardening, outdoor activites, etc. It is a fantastic way to find new friends and make new discoveries right in your own neighborhood. Okay... it pretty much changed my life).

CrossFit was invented by Greg Glassman. The official website is www.crossfit.com. According to Gregg, the CrossFit prescription is “constantly varied, high-intensity, functional movement.” These high intensity workouts not only take minimal time, they build muscle, help you lean up and tone up, keep your bones strong and joints limber, and make you happy :) Just trust me.

At my first CrossFit meetup, the group of us competed against each other by doing the following exercises as fast as we could while maintaining good form:

• 5 pushups
• 10 situps
• 15 squats

We performed this set of exercises as many times as we possibly could squeeze into a 10 minute window. It was tiring and exhilarating, leaving me full of energy to take on the rest of my day. Having some great, healthy competition was certainly a motivating factor.

My normal morning routine already consists of basically a CrossFit workout. For example, today I jogged to the park and completed the following:

• 10 Pullups
• 50 Lunges
• 5 Uphill sprints
• 10 Burpees/Squat Thrusts
• Sprint home
• 2 Sun Salutations to cool down

The great thing about CrossFit is that it requires minimal equipment. You use your own bodyweight most of the time. It is the perfect way for both beginners and long-time athletes to be challenged physically. A new workout every day is posted on CrossFit.com. For example, today's fantastic workout is the following:

• Back Squat









• Shoulder Press









• Deadlift

The instructions are to perform each exercise until you can't do it anymore. Write down your totals. I, personally, would perform these the similar to the way I did in class, 10 reps each for 10 minutes.

Don't tell me you don't have time for 10 minutes per day. AND bodyweight exercising is free too! Good. You no longer have an excuse. Get to it! By the time 2010 hits, you'll be well on your way to achieving your new year's fitness goal.

Here is a video I made to demonstrate a quick pre-exercise warm up:

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Proper Food Combining: Fruit First!

As a kid, I thought it would be a great idea to eat dessert first. But Mom was certainly correct to argue that it would spoil my dinner. However, you may be surprised to find out that dessert first is actually not such a bad idea after all. That is, if you would prefer to avoid post-meal intestinal discomfort.

For optimal digestion and assimilation of nutrients, certain types of foods should not be combined with others. Follow these rules when preparing meals in order to achieve comfortable and optimal digestion:

1. Fruit First: Fruit should only be eaten on an empty stomach and never after consumption of starches or proteins. A piece of fresh fruit contains all the elements it needs to digest itself; it needs almost no help from the body. Fruit passes through the digestive system in under an hour and will rot or ferment if the passage of the fruit is hindered by starch or protein. Often, desserts are made of fruit. That is why I say dessert first may not be such a bad idea. When you slam fruit on top of a tofu burger, the fruit will begin to rot since it takes the digestive system 3-4 hours to digest that protein. When you slam fruit on top of mashed potatoes, the fruit will ferment. In each case, the result is gas, bloating, indigestion, or heartburn. No fun for you, your neighbors, or your digestive system.
   
   My strategy is always to eat fruit first thing in the morning. I know my stomach is completely empty and no problems will result. Additionally, fruit for breakfast is a great idea because it is cleansing and the perfect way to stimulate bowel elimination.



2. Separate Starch From Protein: Starches and proteins require different digestive environments. The protein requires an acid environment while the starch needs a more alkaline one. If the two are combined, no ideal environment is achieved which results in undigested starches and proteins moving through the digestive system. This means you are not only suffering the discomfort but you are also not absorbing the nutrients from your food. Some foods, such as a garbanzo bean, are naturally composed of some combination of protein and starch. In this case, it is okay to eat the food because it is naturally composed. The body can coordinate digestion. Don't make it difficult on your body by combining all kinds of proteins and starches yourself.


3. High Water Content Vegetables & Natural Fats Are Neutral: Vegetables and natural fats such as avocados and olive oil are neutral and may be combined with either starch or protein. It is a great idea to eat a big, green salad with any meal. Fats and oils can really add flavor and substance.

A sample day's worth of meals might look like this:

Breakfast
Fruit or Green Smoothie

Lunch
Protein
Vegetable salad

Dinner
Starch
Green Salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar


Now that you know the basic rules to proper food combining, apply them and become aware of how your current habits can be altered for improved digestion.

Smile, 'cause dessert is being served first from now on!

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Yumm! Sauce, with a Lemon Letter twist...

I only recently discovered the addictive Yumm! Sauce that most who have lived in Eugene, Oregon know all about. I missed it somehow while living there for 2 years. It comes from Cafe Yumm! who makes the Yumm! Bowl. I discovered first the Whole Bowl lunch cart in downtown Portland which consists of the following:

• Brown rice
• Red & black beans
• Tali sauce (secret recipe much like Yumm! sauce)
• Salsa
• Cheese
• Avocado
• Cilantro
• Black olives
• Sour Cream

It can be made vegan if specified.


I purchased the famed Yumm! Sauce at a New Seasons market here in Portland to find out what I had missed all my life. It was very good, but I wanted to make my own version substituting a couple ingredients that I find more wholesome (i.e. olive oil for canola). I also wanted to give it my own twist like the Tali sauce does. Lastly, I wanted to make it available for others to make & enjoy since the other two sauce recipes are top secret.

So here is what I have come up with for the Lemon Letter version of the Whole Bowl.

Lemon Twist Sauce:

• 1/4 C. Olive oil
• 1/4 C. Almonds (soaked)
• 2 Tbsp. Brewer's Yeast / Nutritional Yeast
• 1/4 C. Garbanzo Beans (properly sprouted and cooked)
• 1/4 C. Water
• 1/4 C. Lemon juice, fresh
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 tsp. Sea salt
• 1 tsp. Curry powder
• 1 tsp. Cumin
• 1/2 tsp. Onion powder
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

Blend all ingredients together to make a creamy sauce.
Keep the sauce sealed and refridgerated for storage. I suppose it will last about a week if uneaten.

Lemon Letter Whole Bowl - building instructions:
Add the following ingredients to a bowl in this order:

• Brown rice (cooked)
• Lemon Twist Sauce
• Adzuki beans (or beans of choice! properly prepared, of course)
• Fresh tomato salsa or guacamole
• Avocado
• Sprig of cilantro for garnish

How does a Whole Bowl with a Lemon Twist for dinner tonight sound?

UPDATE! May 1, 2011:

Inspired by my reader Zachary (see comments), I decided to modify the Lemon Twist Sauce recipe in attempt to get it closer to the Yumm sauce. I have been eating Yumm bowls for lunch 2 or 3 times a week since a franchise was established blocks from my work. I'm not thrilled with the use of canola oil and soy in the sauce, so I really would like to make my own using olive oil and no soy.

In this modification I eliminated the mustard altogether. Last time I made the recipe it was WAY to mustardy! I also increased the lemon juice and spice content. Even though I did a side-by-side comparison with Yumm sauce while I worked, I didn't get to an exact match. I think the use of lemon juice concentrate gives Yumm sauce a stronger punch. But the sauce is still good. This is what I ended up with:

• 1/2 C. Olive oil
• 1/4 C. Almonds (soaked)
• 2 Tbsp. Brewer's Yeast / Nutritional Yeast
• 1/2 C. Garbanzo Beans (properly sprouted and cooked)
• 1/4 C. Water
• 1/2 C. Lemon juice, fresh
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 tsp. Sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. Curry powder
• 1.5 tsp. Cumin
• 1.5 tsp. Onion powder
• Freshly ground pepper

Please share what YOU would change!
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Flax-Egg, the Vegan Egg Substitute

I first learned about the flax egg substitute from Traci Sellers in her book, Traci's Transformational Kitchen Cook Book. I finally put it to the test last weekend when making Halloween Vegan Brownies. I would call the vegan baking experience a success!

Here is the flax egg procedure:

1. Sprout 1/4 cup of raw flax seeds by soaking them in 3/4 cup filtered water in your blender pitcher for at least 3 hours. The seeds will quickly become mucilaginous.
2. Once the seeds are sprouted, blend them up on high until completely pulverized.
3. Store the blended flax in a jar in the refrigerator until you need to use it. It will keep for 2 weeks.
4. Substitute 2 tablespoons of flax-egg for each egg you require.

Quick alternative flax egg procedure:

1. For 1 egg, grind 1 tablespoon of raw flax seeds in a coffe grinder.
2. Mix the ground flax with 3 tablespoons of filtered water.
3. The mixture will quickly become mucilaginous and egg-like!
4. You can keep this mixture on hand in the refrigerator until needed for 2 weeks.

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau in her book, The Joy of Vegan Baking, lists several vegan egg alternatives:

1. Vinegar & Baking Soda - 1 tsp of baking soda to 1 tbsp of vinegar; works best in cakes, cupcakes, and quick breads
2. Ripe Banana - 1/2 banana for 1-2 eggs; acts as a binding agent
3. Applesauce - 1/4 cup for 1 egg; also replaces butter and oil
4. Silken Tofu - 1/4 cup blended until smooth and creamy; works best with rich, dense, and moist cakes and brownies

Note: Brownies are not considered a health food even if they are vegan. I recommend reserving such indulgences for special occasions. The most important thing to remember is know yourself and indulge only if you are sufficiently healthy.
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The Kind Diet

Alicia Silverstone was in Portland this week at Powell's Books to present her just-released, fantastic, new book: The Kind Diet. I attended her talk and got an autographed book for myself. I have to say I was very impressed with her speech and, so far, her book (though I'm only 27 pages into it). When I first learned of her book, I was a bit skeptical. I thought she would just be another vegan presenting a book full of recipes utilizing rancid vegetable oils, tofu, and refined products -- recipes I would not be interested in. I was completely wrong.

Alicia presents a spectacular approach to veganism with which I can completely agree because she combines the pursuit of veganism along with the pursuit of health (body & planet). She also approaches it with compassion, not only for the animals whose lives she is saving, but also for herself. She does not deny herself dinners out or a bite of dessert (even one that contains a touch of dairy) because she does so consciously. She eats well before and after an indulgence and remains aware of how such an indulgence makes her feel physically.

The Kind Diet is fun and interesting to read. Alicia shares her personal story, the science supporting a vegan diet, meal plans, and delicious recipes that will make you never want for meat and dairy. It is inspirational and motivating even for myself who is already convinced. Of all the vegan/vegetarian books I have read thus far, this is my favorite!

I caught a glimpse of a few recipes while flipping through the book such as sweet potato-lentil stew, ginger pasta with zucchini, and chocolate peanut butter cups. Perhaps not all her ingredients will meet my standards, but I can always swap those out for something I prefer.

If you are battling with fatigue, weight gain, skin problems, low energy, inflammation, heart disease, allergies, asthma, cloudy thinking, or other health problems, a vegan diet may help eliminate those struggles. By adopting a vegan diet, Alicia eliminated allergies, achieved her ideal body weight, got rid of cystic acne, gained vibrant energy for living, and experiences greater self awareness.

If you would like to explore the vegan diet but still need some inspiration and direction for how to begin, Alicia's book is a fantastic starting point. It's all a journey. Allow yourself to take a step. Read more...

Raw Power Breakfast

My favorite mid-morning breakfast (after my green smoothie, of course) is a sprouted buckwheat cereal with Hazelnut milk. So good! This combo will stave off hunger all morning. Just yesterday I prepared for a long trek up Mount St. Helens by starting off with a coconut smoothie and the buckwhat cereal I'm going to share with you today. It did the trick and gave me the energy I needed for the climb.

Raw Sprouted Buckwheat Cereal

Ingredients:

• Raw buckwheat groats
  
• Raw sunflower seeds
  
• Raw pumpkin seeds
  
• Raw Chia seeds
  
• Cinnamon
  
• Raisins
  Optional:
  
• Slippery Elm Bark powder
  
• Licorice Root powder
  

At least 8 hours beforehand, you will need to sprout some raw buckwheat groats, raw sunflower seeds, and raw pumpkin seeds. Amounts don't matter much here; you just make as much as you want and keep the ingredients in the refrigerator for the next day. I sprout each of these items overnight by soaking them in water. In the morning, I drain the water and rinse the seeds. I store the sprouted sunflower and pumpkin seeds in a jar in the refrigerator and continue to rinse the buckwheat for another 8-24 hours. I sprout the buckwheat just until I can see little tails poking out, but I do not want them to get too long.

Once you have your sprouted seeds and buckwheat, combine the ingredients in a bowl in the following approximate amounts:

• 1/2 C. Buckwheat
  
• 1/4 C. Sunflower seeds
  
• 1/4 C. Pumpkin seeds
  
• 1 tsp. Chia seeds
  
• 1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
  
• 1/8 C. Raisins
  
• 1 tsp. Slippery Elm Bark powder
  
• 1/4 tsp. Licorice Root powder
  

Top the combo with homemade Hazelnut Milk made as follows:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 C. Raw Hazelnuts
  
• 4 Dates
  
• 1" Vanilla Bean
  
• 3 C. Filtered water
  

1. Sprout the Hazelnuts overnight by soaking them in filtered water.
   
2. Rinse the nuts in the morning and put them in your blender.
   
3. Add the dates, vanilla bean, and about half the water to the blender.
   
4. Blend on high for approximately 3 minutes.
   
5. Add what remains of the water.
   
6. Adjust the sweetness with dates and consistency with water.
   

Yummy!

Sprouts are an energy-giving food. As Ann Wigmore states in her book, they are "biogenic--alive--and capable of transferring their life energy to your body." You should incorporate as many sprouts into your regular diet. Sprouting your nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes increases the vitamin and mineral content significantly as well as increases the digestibility. Check out Ann Wigmore's book The Sprouting Book to read about the amazing benefits of sprouts.

Pumpkin seeds and Sunflower seeds provide high quality proteins and fats, magnesium, iron, phosphorous, zinc, and vitamin E. By eating the seeds sprouted, those nutrients are ready and available to nourish your body.

Chia seeds provide amino acids for rebuilding tissues and Omega-3 oils to keep your brain and joints healthy and to assist in the absorption of fat soluble vitamins.

The Slippery Elm/Licorice combination is a great addition to soothe, heal, lubricate, and nourish the entire digestive tract. Both act to calm inflamed mucous membranes and tissues.


Sources:
http://articles.herballegacy.com/slippery-elm-ii-%e2%80%93-applications-of-slippery-elm/
http://articles.herballegacy.com/the-benefits-of-the-use-of-licorice-in-herbal-preparations-part-iii/
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Workout for the Abs & Arms

Vegan Bodybuilder Robert Cheeke and I hit the gym again for a rigorous hour & a half session training arms & abdominal muscles. Here is a recap of our workout, so you can get lean, strong, and muscular along with us.

Here it is:

Arms & Abdominals

• Warm Up: push-ups alternating with situps - 3 sets
  


• Bodyweight Dips: 3 sets
  


• Dumbbell Tricep Kick-backs: bent over and one arm at a time - 3 sets
  


• French Press/Skull Crushers: superset each set with close grip chest press - 3 sets
  






• Preacher curls: 3 sets increasing weight. Finish last repetition with a very slow let down
  







• Seated Concentration Curls: 3 sets
  


• Cable Bicep Curls: 3 sets and finish last rep with a very slow let down
  


• Hanging Leg Raises: 3 sets
  


• Straight Leg Partner Assisted Throw Downs for abdominals: 3 sets
  


• Superset with a plank pose after the last set and hold for as long as possible
  

Killer workout. Nice job.

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It's time to get RIPPED!

I just finished training for and running a 5 mile race last weekend at the Portland marathon event. Since it is getting quite cold and wintry outside, it's time to change up the exercise routine, hibernate in the gym, and hit the weights. I just spent 4 days this week working out with vegan bodybuilder Robert Cheeke who owns the website http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/. He is basically a pro when it comes to building muscle, so I am going to recap the week for you. Now you can get ripped this winter too!

Monday: Arms (Biceps & Triceps)
Warm up with 3 sets of pushups alternating with situps (the situps are to give the arms a rest while still working)

Cable Curls - light weight to start and keep the warm up going. Then move to increasing heavier weight, 3 sets. Weight should be set so you can only accomplish 8-12 reps. If you can do more, increase the weight.

Straight Bar Curls - using a supinated grip for 3 sets. On the last set, superset with pronated grip and lighter weight.

Dumbbell Hammer Curls - 3 sets alternating arms

Preacher Curls - 3 sets

Tricep Rope Pulldowns - 1st set is lighter to warm up the triceps. Then go for 3 sets. Superset with a lighter weight right after the 3rd set.

Dips - 3 sets

Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extensions - use these as a superset following the 3rd set of dips.

Tip: Stretch your muscles while resting in between sets. It's a good way to stay flexible and limber. Plus it feels good!

Tuesday: Back Attack!
Warm Up: Stationary arm bike for 5 continuous total minutes - 1st set both arms forward, 2nd set both arms backward, 3rd set right arm, 4th set left arm, 5th set both arms.

Cable Lat Pulldowns - 3 sets

Cable Rows - 3 sets


Neutral Grip Bar Lat Pulldown - 3 sets

T-Bar Rows - 2 sets wide grip, 2 sets narrow grip

Seated Cable Close Grip Rows - 3 sets

MTS Machine Rows - Do a couple drop sets after the 3rd regular set to really burn the muscle out.

Back Extensions (on hyperextension apparatus) - 3 sets with or without holding a weight in your arms. Hold at the top on the last extension.


Pullups - Do your best at this point because your muscles are going to be tired!

Wednesday: Legs
Warm Up: Stair stepper - 5 minutes

Lunges - do laps around your gym. Do them until you fall over!

Leg Press - 3 sets

Hack Squat - 3 sets

Calf Press - 3 sets

Don't forget to stretch in between sets. You are going to be sore after this one!

Thursday: Chest & Shoulders
Warm Up: Pushups alternating with Situps - 3 sets

Seated Cable Flys - 3 sets

Flat Barbell Bench Press - 3 sets

The Ronnie Coleman Giant Set!
With dumbbells in each hand perform the following exercises one right after the other:

• Lateral Raises
  






• Front Raises
  






• Overhead Shoulder Press
  






• Posterior Deltoid Flys (Bent over flys)
  

Dumbbell Shoulder Shrugs

Seated Cable Overhead Shoulder Press

Superset each of the above sets with a seated machine chest press or pushup


Awesome! You rock!

Stay tuned for Abdominals!

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Cure for the common cold? Anti-Plague capsules!

Finally! I tried something new to ward off the cold that tried to sneak up on me last weekend, and it worked! No more will I have to suffer for a week with Kleenex stuffed up a red, puffy nose. Now is the season. So get your supplies together and have them ready just in case you wake up with that little scratch in your throat.

All you need is the following:

• Thieves essential oil blend
  
• Oregano essential oil
  
• Capsules size 0
  

Three times per day I swallowed 1 capsule containing approximately 8 drops of Thieves oil and 4 drops of Oregano oil. It is quite easy to do. I have the oils and capsules sitting on my bathroom counter, and all I do is drip the oil in carefully, put the cap on, and swallow! No pain. No suffering.

On the first day of impending sickness, I had stuffed up sinuses and a runny nose. In addition to my anti-plague capsules, I used a neti pot. A neti pot can be purchased at any drug store and comes with instructions. Basically, it is used to pour salt water up one side of the nose and run out the other. I added a drop of Thieves to the salt water, so I could get the antibacterial compounds up into my sinuses. Using a neti pot during a cold will help you feel so much better by clearing up the nasal passages.

Sore Throat Blast!
Additional tip: Usually the first indicator of a cold is a strange or sore feeling in the throat. When you feel this, get a flashlight and shine it in the back of your throat to have a look at your tonsils using the help of a mirror. I am sure you will be able to see a white speck on one or both tonsils. This is bacteria which is causing the trouble and needs to be removed before it is allowed to fester more.

The following procedure will take some practice, but will be helpful once you get the hang of it.

First, practice making your tonsils visible by flexing your throat muscles with your mouth wide open. Use your flashlight and mirror to practice. You will not be able to see the white speck without getting your tonsils into viewing position. It is more easily conveyed through illustration than words, but the feeling is like you are closing your throat while still having your mouth wide open.

Second, have a squirt bottle filled with a natural mouthwash handy and set on stream (not spray!). The goal is to squirt the plaque off the tonsil with something antibacterial. Thieves mouthwash is a great formula since the Thieves oil blend is antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial, and antiviral (I think that should take care of it all, yes?)

Once you have your tonsils in place, squirt bottle in one hand, and flashlight in the other, gently begin squirting at the white speck of plaque. You may only be able to get 2 or 3 squirts in before you need to spit, take a break, regroup, whatever. Prewarning: you may gag. Do your best to avoid hitting the epiglottis, which is what will make you gag. Just get as many squirts in as you can until the spec is gone. Don't get discouraged. Keep practicing. It is well worth it when you can avoid suffering through a sore throat and monstrous cold right after.

Lung & Sinus Relief

If you find yourself already suffering with a cold, lung congestion, sinus congestion, and other similar sickness, Young Living's R.C. essential oil blend can help you get relief and quickened recovery. Apply it on your chest and throat and inhale the vapors. Or rub a drop between your hands, cup your hands over your nose, and breathe in the vapors.

The following information is taken from the Essential Oils Desk Reference, Fourth Edition, compiled by Essential Science Publishing. It should help explain why these oils work.

Oregano
Medical Properties: Anti-aging, powerful anti-viral, antibacterial antifungal, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, immune stimulant
Uses: Arthritis/rheumatism, respiratory infectious diseases, infections/tuberculosis, digestive problems
Application: Dilute 1 part EO wit 4 parts vegetable oil and apply topically; diffuse; take as a dietary supplement

Thieves
A blend of highly antiviral, antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-infectious essential oils. Thieves was created from research of a group of 15th-century thieves who rubbed oil on themselves to avoid contracting the plague while they robbed the bodies of the dead and dying. When apprehended, these thieves disclosed the formula of herbs, spices, and oils they used to protect themselves in exchange for more lenient punishment.

Ingredients:

• Clove
  
• Lemon
  
• Cinnamon Bark
  
• Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus radiata)
  
• Rosemary
  

Application: Dilute 1 part EO to 4 parts VO and apply topically; diffuse; take internally

R.C.
Gives relief from colds, bronchitis, sore throats, sinusitis, coughs, and respiratory congestion. Decongests sinus passages, combats lung infections, and relieves allergy symptoms.

Ingredients:

• Eucalyptus globulus has shown to be a powerful antimicrobial and germ-killer. It is expectorant, mucolytic (dissolves mucous), antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiseptic. It reduces infections in the throat and lungs. such as rhinopharyngitis, laryngitis, flu, sinusitis, brochitis, pneumonia.
  
• Eucalyptus raidata is anti-infectious, antibacterial, antiviral, an expectorant, and anti-inflammatory. It has strong action against bronchitis and sinusitis.
  
• Eucalyptus citriodora decongests and disinfects the sinuses and lungs. It is anti-inflammatory, anti-infectious, and anti-spasmodic
  
• Myrtle supports the respiratory system and helps treat chronic coughs and tuberculosis. It is suitable to use for coughs and chest complaints with children. Sinus decongestant and alleviates throat infections.
  
• Pine opens and disinfects the respiratory system, particularly the bronchial tract. It has been used since the time of Hoppocrates to support respiratory function and fight infection. It is one of the best oils for treating bronchitis and pneumonia.
  
• Spruce, Marjoram, Lavender, Cypress, Peppermint are also included and possess many similar qualities that support healing from bacterial and viral infections
  

Application: Dilute 1:1 with vegetable oil; diffuse; directly inhale; apply on chest, neck, throat, or over sinus area. Add R.C. to a bowl of hot, steaming water. Place a towel over your head and water/oil mixture and inhale the steam. Combine with Thieves to enhance the effects.


Many of these oils are very expensive, particularly those from Young Living. Single oils can be purchases more cheaply from Mountain Rose Herbs, but the blends such as Thieves and R.C. are proprietary and unique to Young Living. You can experiment by purchasing single oils and mixing your own blends. At the same time, it is nice to have the formula at your fingertips. Young Living has top-notch oils and fabulously mixed blends.


Note: If you would like to purchase Young Living's Thieves essential oil blend, you will need to set up a free, customer account and reference the following sponsor number: 615650

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