Oils, Nutrition, and Gut Health
Essential oils are a powerful assistant in reaching a personal wellness goal. Your body knows how to use the compounds of a plant (a fruit or vegetable) when you eat it. So it makes sense that when you put essential oils (“plant juice!”) on your skin and absorb into your bloodstream, your body also knows how to use those plant compounds. (This is one reason why it’s so important to know the quality of our oils and nothing else is added to it that might inhibit the body’s inherent knowledge of what to do!) But the more you explore a holistic lifestyle, the more you’ll discover that the key is to combine those tools with targeted nutritional support.
Essential oils may provide a positive change without adjusting what we eat, but without a definitive change or improvement in nutrition and our environment, the oils are simply a Band-Aid and the effects will not be permanent. You simply cannot out-oil or out-supplement a bad diet, and unfortunately, the Standard American Diet is not the best thing we could be doing for ourselves.
When a member comes to looking for a solution, we look at the whole picture together. I’m going to immediately have a product recommendation or three in mind, but we’re also going to chat about nutrition and diet. What’s your typical meal or snack? Do you know of any personal food sensitivities or intolerances? Are you able to recognize the signs that a particular food or food group may be a concern? Are you familiar with the typical foods or food groups that are known to cause inflammation for many? I promise I’m not asking to pick on you or shame you for your food choices. But it’s vitally important to take this information into consideration so that we can improve on it and create a better game plan to deal with what’s at hand.
We’ll talk about gut health and what you’re doing or could be doing to support a healthy gut; that is, to support and replenish the beneficial bacteria and flora in our small intestine. Studies show that the gut is the second brain. A gut that is struggling means a brain and an immune system that also struggles. So while we are exploring the options for oils and supplements, it’s also going to be necessary to build a daily probiotic into the regimen, as well as digestive enzymes to help the body to properly process and absorb nutrition from our food.
Once we have the nutrition goals in place, then we look at essential oils and targeted nutritional supplements to further you toward your goal. We’re also going to get super personal and talk about hormones, and any exposure to harsh cleaning chemicals, endocrine disruptors, and synthetic fragrances in your environment, but that’s another post. 😉
Our bodies are complex, wonderfully created beings. There is no one-size-fits all story or strategy to accomplish a wellness goal. Healing can be as simple as cutting out a problem food (although we know that changing eating patterns can be anything but easy! Determination is key to avoid trigger foods!) and replenishing the gut over a period of time. Consistency is of the utmost importance.
All of us are a work in progress and we all have opportunities to know better, to do better in our personal journeys to wellness. Healing takes self-discipline, some trial and error, and a commitment to personal growth and to educating oneself about how the body works, but when all the pieces come together progress will be visible, positive, and lasting.
The information presented is for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is not intended to diagnose, prescribe, cure, prevent, or treat any health condition and should not be used as a substitute for consulting with a professional health care provider. This information applies solely to Young Living products and should not be used in conjunction with other brands of essential oils. The opinions and views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Young Living.
