Spotlight On: NingXia Red

I am on day two of a gruelling diet that my body totally needs. My head is in the game, I'm in it for the long haul. One thing that is keeping my energy up since i'm no longer on caffeine is this glorious liquid...

The NingXia wolfberry has been used for thousands of years to boost the immune system, promote longevity and naturally detox the body. NingXia Red contains a great whole food source of protein, fiber, minerals and vitamins along with the therapeutic grade essential oils of yuzu, lemon, tangerine and orange. NingXia Red contains natural antioxidants which protect the body against free radicals.

Young Living's specially formulated NingXia Red juice incorporates the tastes and benefits of wolf berry puree (juice, peel, seeds, and fruit, to maintain more of the health-supporting benefits), plum, cherry, pomegranate, aronia berry and blue berry juices, as well as therapeutic grade essential oils into a powerful antioxidant and nutritionally balanced drink.

B E N E F I T S

Pure, Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils

Orange (Citrus sinensis), yuzu (Citrus junos), tangerine (Citrus reticulata), and lemon (Citrus limon).

These carefully selected oils, including orange and lemon are known for their ability to help maintain normal cellular regeneration. They also contain high levels of the powerful antioxidant d-limonene, which is an important marker for bioactivity. Bioactives are natural compounds that work in harmony with your body to promote the healthy function of a wide variety of systems. NingXia Red also features tangerine essential oil, prized for its fresh flavor and its effect on maintaining cholesterol levels already in the normal range. Exotic yuzu essential oil has been included for its uniquely delicious aroma, flavor, and high antioxidant content.

These pure and potent essential oils blend synergistically and deliciously with the other components of NingXia Red to support normal digestive health, healthy immune function, normal brain function, a healthy cardiovascular system, and so much more. No other nutrient-infused beverage can come close to the beneficial essential oil content of NingXia Red!

Wolfberry (Goji)

The wolfberries sourced for NingXia Red hail from the Ningxia province in northern China - hence the name! This superfruit has one of the highest percentages of fiber of any whole food and contains zeaxanthin—a carotenoid which is important for maintaining healthy vision. It also contains polysaccharides, amino acids, and symbiotic vitaminmineral pairs that when present together promote optimum internal absorption. By using whole wolfberry puree—juice, peel, seeds, and fruit—Young Living is able to maintain more of the desired health-supporting benefits in every bottle (or sachet) of NingXia Red.

Supporting Juices

Grape (Vitis vinifera) seed extract, blueberry (Caccinium corymbosum), plum (Prunus domestica), aronia (Aronia melanocarpa), cherry (Prunus avium), and pomegranate (Punica granatrum) juices

Highlighting the supporting fruits found in NingXia Red is a patented grape seed extract that contain polyphenolic compounds that may help support a healthy cardiovascular system. Additionally blueberry, plum, aronia, cherry, and pomegranate juices contain naturally high levels of anthocyanins and polyphenols, which block oxygen-based free radicals from damaging body tissues. Maintaining a diet rich in these powerful antioxidants is a recommended way to help prevent a myriad of health risks and maintain healthy bodily functions.

NingXia Red, infused with the juices of these powerhouse fruits and pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils, has a Super Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (S-ORAC) score making it one of the most antioxidant-rich beverages available.

Natural Stevia Sweetener

Stevia is a zero-calorie sweetener and is 300 times sweeter than sugar, allowing for a delightfully delicious beverage with lower overall sugar content.

Here is my amazing afternoon pick-me-up recipe, loved by all members of the family:

2-4oz is the recommended daily dose and works out at less than a cup of coffee - and is of course, so much better for you!

To get your hands on this amazing health-supporting drink then check out this page and choose the NingXia starter pack. If you are already a Young Living Member then just add it to your next order - the NingXia Essential Rewards kit is by far the best value for money.

If you require any further info then please Contact Me.

How do you take your NingXia juice?

 [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ7bwhtx6DM[/embed]

HAND SANITSIER & HAND SOAP

This hand soap is cleansing and can be made with so many different essential oils!  We especially love it in the winter because it doesn’t dry out our hands.  

Hand Soap:

    •    Foaming hand soap container (can be purchased online)

    •    1/4 cup Castile soap

    •    5 drops Essential oil of your choice

    •    Fill remaining with water

Young Living sells a Waterless Thieves Hand Purifier if you don’t have the time to make your own.  The recipe below has a very smooth and silky feel thanks to the aloe vera.

Hand Purifier:

    •    5 TBSP Aloe Vera Gel

    •    3-4 TBSP water

    •    1/4 TSPvitamin E oil

    •    8-10 drops Thieves oil

Combine into a small squeeze bottle and use as needed.

The Thieves Foaming Hand Soap available from Young Living is amazing. We have a dispenser at each sink in the house. Just add water you are good to go.

WHY BE GREEN (in our homes and environments, not with envy !) ?

There are so many pollutants and toxic chemicals in our world today.  Most of which we have no control over.  However, we can control what is used in our homes!

Did you know that:

    •    Fumes from some cleaning products may induce asthma in otherwise healthy individuals. A large and growing body of evidence links frequent use of many ordinary cleaning supplies at home or on the job with development of asthma and other respiratory problems. It is already known that cleaning product fumes may trigger attacks in persons previously diagnosed with asthma.

    •    Common cleaning ingredients can be laced with the carcinogenic impurity 1,4-dioxane. Independent tests have detected the presence of 1,4-dioxane in numerous name-brand cleaning supplies. Other products contain preservatives that release low levels of cancer-causing formaldehyde.

    •    Children born to women who held cleaning jobs while pregnant have an elevated risk of birth defects, according to a 2010 study by the New York State Department of Health.

    •    Some cleaners can cause chemical burns and poisonings as well as less severe irritations and allergies. Severe physical reactions signal that consumers should take care anytime they use these products.

    •    Despite these health concerns, cleaning product labels often do not give consumers enough information about their ingredients to allow people to make informed decisions on which ones are safer and which ones might harm their health.

    •    Although government scientific and regulatory agencies have focused considerable attention on chemicals suspected of causing cancer, they have devoted far fewer resources to evaluating substances that may be toxic to the brain and nervous system, the hormone system and other organs. Investigating the full range of risks of cleaning products to public health and the environment should be an urgent priority. Yet the problem remains largely hidden from the view of the American consumer.

Chemicals used in pesticides and in synthetic veterinary drugs - including antibiotics and growth hormones - are prohibited under ORGANIC regulations, but not for non-organic meats. These then enter our own bodies and effect us without us really knowing how.

On average women will use or come into contact with 168 potentially dangerous chemicals, daily and men 85 !

You can find more information on the Environmental Working Group website. 

SO, WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

CLEANING TIPS

Our tips and safety guidelines do not include any dangerous or harmful warnings.  However, there are a few things to keep in mind when cleaning with YL products, including essential oils:

    •    Shake products before use.

    •    Test cleaners in small areas first.

    •    Spray nozzles fit perfectly onto old vinegar bottles.  Use these to create cleaning sprays.

    •    Store products in airtight glass or stainless steel containers.

    •    Keep away from eyes.

 It’s really important to say here too, that this journey does not need to be overwhelming. Take small steps. My best piece of advice, and one that I followed myself, is to change out one product at a time. Whether that’s your hand wash, your shampoo, your beauty products or your cleaners, it doesn’t matter. Just start somewhere.

Check out the RECIPES page for a growing list of tried and tested recipes.

BALANCING HORMONES

Are you a woman?

Do you suffer with irregular cycles?

Do you have to get rid of unsightly facial and/or body hair?

Do you have thinning hair?

Do you struggle to lose weight despite a healthy diet and exercise?

If you answered 'Yes' to any of these questions, even just the first one without any of the others, then you may have hormonal imbalance. 

It is incredibly common in women, often left undiagnosed as women are made to feel really crap about going to the GP with women's ishoos. I'm here to tell you that you are not alone. You do not have to suffer. There IS a better way.

What are Hormones ?

Hormones are messengers in the body that generally travel through the bloodstream to convey a message that regulates various body functions, such as: growth, reproduction, immune response, emotions, hunger, metabolism and tissue regeneration. Different hormones control different things and illicit different reactions. These reactions can be positive or negative. For example, I have PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome, this affects each sufferer differently, but tests have shown that mine creates an abnormally high level of Testosterone (the male hormone). Testosterone controls things like muscle and hair growth, so I have a tash, a treasure trail line and a great set of 'mum-guns' ! 

I say 'have' but it should really read 'had'. As with lots of things, treating the symptoms of something, whether that be obesity or PCOS, does nothing to help to the root cause. If we focus on the root cause, then the symptoms disappear. So, instead of dealing with heart disease (for the obese person), let's look at why they are obese and sort that. For me, addressing the imbalance of hormones has regulated my cycles, given me healthy nails and a full head of hair, amongst many other things.

So, What Can You Do About It?

The honest answer, lots. So much so it can be overwhelming. I have compiled the ten best ways to re-Balance hormones in my eBook - leave your email here to receive your copy

However, we'll go through a few things here too:

1. Reduce Stress

​Although stress is a natural mechanism, to help keep us prepared for 'normal' challenges, most modern lifestyles add more daily stress than our bodies were made to handle. In fact, studies have shown that modern, everyday stresses, if left unchecked, can negatively impact our health; chronic stress uses the progesterone needed to balance oestrogen and converts it to adrenalin and cortisol (the death hormone), which can lead to oestrogen dominance. 

I know that it is not always possible to eliminate stress (heck ,did you read my bio - I had three kids under three y'all !), even little changes can have a massive impact.

Mindfulness, meditation and Yoga are things that I have found helpful, not necessarily to get rid of the daily stress but to be less stressed about it.

The website name gives this next bit away, but I can't write a post about balancing hormones without talking about the big player in my wellness toolkit - essential oils. 

Now, you're probably thinking, "oh yeah ! I smell something nice (or not so nice) and voila all my problems disappear". But i'm here to tell you that they are so much than scents - Google "essential oils blood-brain barrier". 

I'm not going to go in to how the oils work in this post. Just trust me when I say they do and if that's not enough, try them for yourself ! 

• Roman Chamomile essential oil - has calming and relaxing properties.
• Royal Hawaiian™ Sandalwood essential oil - encourages deeper meditation.
• Neroli essential oil - encourages confidence, hopefulness, and peace.
• Lavender Essential Oil - calms the mind and body.
• Cedarwood Essential Oil - promotes relaxation, balance, and increased mental focus.
• Valerian Essential Oil - was historically regarded for its calming properties.
• Ylang Ylang Essential Oil - relaxes the mind and uplifts emotions.
• Peace & Calming II essential oil blend - contains a mix of oils all renowned for their calming effects
• Stress-Away essential oils blend - this just does what it says on the tin !

There are SO many more, but these are some of my favourites. Find one that works for you and USE it.

2. Eliminate Toxins

The sad truth is that we live in a toxic world. Everything from the food we eat to the things we clean with are toxic. 

Our endocrine system is delicate; the littlest things upset it and yet it is VITAL to keep it at its best.

So, what can we do about it?

Well, first things first remember that whatever you put on your skin goes in to your body. I set myself a goal at the beginning of the year that I wouldn't put anything on my body that I couldn't eat. Bold move, Ally !  We're now in September I can say there is only one occasion when I slipped - I was away at a conference and forgot my normal hair washing products and i didn't have the ingredients to make a dry shampoo to hand, so I had to buy something. Now, I purchased something natural and organic. Was it still full of crap ? Almost definitely. But hey, if that's my only slip up, i'm happy. My body is thanking me.

This may sound like a drastic step, but is it really ?

The amount of chemicals in our homes in scary. On average, it is said that women come in to contact with approximately 168 chemicals and men 83  in any one day. Eurgh ! I hate that figure. 

I am proud that we are now a chemical free home. We'll talk about that in a later post.

My best tip for eliminating toxins is to start with area. It may be personal care products or cleaning green, it may be switching to organic foods - which I promise makes a huge difference ! Whatever your first area is choose one product to switch out. Start small. It may be that you switch your deodorant for Purification essential oil or change the bleach to Thieves household cleaner. Whatever it is, change that one thing, get used to it. See what happens and then change another. It doesn't have to be overwhelming, it can take you as long as you need, just please, start somewhere !

3. Support Progesterone Production

We've spoken about reducing stress and eliminating toxins already. By doing 1. and 2. you're already aiding in 3. Because as we've already noted, toxins and stress use up much needed progesterone. 

• Eat more anti-oxidants. The very best thing for this is to eat more fruit and veg. I  know, you hear this all the time and it's proffered as the miracle cure for almost everything these days, but organic fruit and veg is the very best way to maintain a healthy body.
• Use Progessence Plus. This is a serum derived from wild Yams. I read a study many moons ago about a tribe in Africa that had the highest rate of twin pregnancies in the world. Anthropologists and scientists studies this tribe and the only thing they could find in their lifestyle that was different to any where else was the high percentage of Yam in their diets. Yams contain natural progesterone, which aids ovulation. Amazing ! 
• Frankincense essential oil - this oil is amazing for reducing stress particularly in meditation so kill two birds by adding this in to your daily regime. Apply to the inner ankles (female reproductive vita flex point) to help balance the endocrine system.
• Thyme essential oil - thought to help the body absorb progesterone better

There are so many other things that I could write about here, but I don't want to pummel you with more information than you can take in !

So, if you remember nothing about what I've written just integrate  the following tips into your daily routines for better hormonal balance and whole body wellness:

• Eat Organic
• Drink more water
• Avoid plastic or coated cookware
• Relax more
• Get hold of my eBook
• Find support

I am not an expert on hormone therapy, just somebody who has been there, trying to help others along the way. 

I hope and pray that this helps you take steps to Whole Body Wellness, whether they be big or small.

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