How Much Do YOU Like the Smell of Garlic?

First of all, I want to let you all know, my semester is over!!!! I don't have homework until January! Wahoo! I have to take advantage of this time and unfortunately there is so much on my list that I want to do. Lucky for all of you, this blog is high on that list! :)
Second of all, I want to give a shout-out to Jennifer, who commented on the previous post about using the Digest-Zen on her baby! I love hearing success stories like that and am so happy for you Jennifer that you found something that worked! 

Okay, I'm sure you are all wondering what my title has to do with this post. Before I go on any further, I want to begin by saying, this could end up being a long post. In addition to my blabbering on, it might seem a bit...personal type of information you are reading. I debated whether to put this on, but, this blog is dedicated to helping you all feel better, lead healthy lives, using essential oils and other products to help you do that - THE NATURAL WAY! So the following is an experience I have had recently, actually, am still currently having and I share in hopes that I am able to help someone else out there who might have the same problem. I am not intending to gross anyone out. If I do, please keep your comments to yourself and skip this post until the next one comes along! :) So, are you ready? Here we go! :)

I have a yeast problem. I have for about 7 1/2 years now. I used to eat so much sugar when I was little. I think that might have had something to do with it. I would get vaginal yeast infections all of the time! Pain in the butt! Then I started having kids. It would seem like I would have one the whole pregnancy. Then I'd breastfeed and get the thrush on my nipples and in my baby's mouth. Painful. If you have never had to deal with one, please count your blessings. They are uncomfortable and painful! Nothing good about them. I usually would just go get the Monistat cream and stuff and it would go away for the time being. Eventually though, it always came back. Then I heard somewhere that Monistat only takes away the symptoms and not necessarily the yeast problem. This made sense to me because it was always a short time later that I'd get another yeast infection.
I learned pretty quickly to drink cranberry juice, although I never saw it do too much for me. But, if I felt like one was coming, I'd start drinking (it isn't my favorite juice!). I'd get the prescriptions when I'd have it from nursing and we'd deal with the pain for a while but eventually it would go away. Then during my third pregnancy, I started to get the thrush in my own mouth. Believe me, if you think it is gross just reading this, try being the one who has the problem! 

Throughout this time that I have started going A Nat-ur-el, I have realized how much of what I eat effects this problem with yeast that I have. It is the sugar!  Not just the candy and the pop though. It is all of the white bread, potatoes, other starches, white rice, etc. that turns into sugar when it goes into your body. So for the last year, I've tried really hard to eat healthier, just in general. At the point in time, I don't typically eat white bread at all, only wheat and whole grain. I eat more vegetables. I do eat fruits, like with my green smoothies, but eating too much fruit can be bad for the yeast problem too because of the natural sugars in them. I just try to control the pop and candy and replace it with water. 

Since using the oils, I have had no yeast infections since my last baby was born, so back in April. That is quite a while for me and quite amazing actually. Nursing has been going great and I absolutely love it! She is a good eater and because of the LifeLong Vitality pack and a mega cranberry pill that I take everyday, my milk has been great. Basically cream is what I'm feeding my child, ha ha. Then I decided to add some oils to my teeth-brushing regiment and I think it started to somewhat detox and push out the yucky stuff. This is when I got thrush/yeast infection from breastfeeding. That was about two weeks ago. The oil that is necessary for this is Melaleuca. Just my luck, mine was gone! So I got it put on my next autoship, but that wasn't going to come for two weeks (I just got it yesterday, ha ha). I got on the doTERRA google group and started asking for help. It was starting to get really painful to nurse, to the point that I had to tense up my whole body and hold my breath cuz it hurt so bad. I was told to try taking Oregano and OnGuard in a pill everyday. So I did. Then I read the Oregano can make your milk decrease. Between that and just struggling with nursing cuz of the pain, I felt my milk decreasing. I am not ready to wean and so that was the last thing I wanted. so for about three days, 1-2x a day, I rubbed basil on my breasts hoping that it wasn't too late and that my milk was gone for good. I felt like maybe the yeast infection wasn't getting worse, but it certainly wasn't better. I noticed the thrush in Rory's mouth and thought, there has to be something else! So I got back on to the google group and asked more questions. I had one lady tell me about garlic and how good it is for killing off the yeast. Here is where my title comes into play. What I had to do is vaginally put a clove of garlic in me and change it about 3x a day and then give Rory some. 

So here is the update. I went and got my garlic this morning and started it. I was also told that Grapefruit seed extract is great, so I got that to give to Rory so that it would taste a little better for her. I put about 5 drops in a bottle of water and she just sips on it periodically. Because the pain has gotten so bad, just thinking about nursing made me cringe in pain. So I have been pumping bottles to give her so that we have a break and don't just keep passing the infection back and forth. Well it is 11:15pm. I have done the clove of garlic thing three times today, I have pumped bottles so that we have a little break, I have given Rory some of her special water, and I continue to wash with warm water and put a drop of Melaleuca on my nipples after every pumping/feeding. Here are my results: I FEEL 10 TIMES BETTER THAN I DID THIS MORNING!! Having the garlic in you puts it into your bloodstream and therefore you will smell like garlic. I could smell it and taste it in my mouth all day. It doesn't stink to me, but it sure gets old after a little while. But, the most important factor is that it is working! I am laying low on the sugar still (I think after two weeks of doing this I have even lost a pound or two!) and drinking a lot of water. I am still going to pump for probably another day but then I will start nursing again. I am thinking that after I am done nursing, I need to do a cleanse. Another problem with yeast is that stress can make it worse. Just my luck, it is the end of my semester and life has been VERY stressful for me the last couple weeks. But now that it is over and I can relax a little bit, I am confident that I will be doing so much better by the end of the week. Oh, and during this whole thing, when I have been pumping, I was only able to get about 2-4 oz of milk out (that is both breasts combined). Today, I pumped a 9oz bottle!! I feel like I have plenty now to keep going for a little while longer since my Rory loves to nurse so much.
Sometimes an oil won't be the answer. Just as in this case, I needed something stronger than Melaleuca. Garlic cloves are working wonderfully and will definitely not ever forget this experience so that I can keep this solution in my files.
I wanted to share this experience because I know a few of you moms out there are nursing or maybe there are some of you out there who might have the same problem I do. I have realized my body really cannot handle a ton of sugar, even more so since I have stopped eating so much. This blog is about being healthy and finding healthy ways to take care of yourself and those you love. 

I hope I didn't gross anyone out and I hope my message makes sense. My brain is kind of fried!

Don't Forget To Listen...

One of the things I wanted to post about, especially before we get too far into the holiday season, is about knowing your body and listening to what it is telling you. Now, I know that by saying that, some might roll their eyes and think, "This woman is a nutcase!" But let me tell you, since I learned more about this concept, my life has changed. Sounds too simple and crazy, but it is true. I have learned to realize it is I'm feeling like when I am full, when I am hungry, when I am bored, when I need more sleep, and when I need to get my butt moving and exercise! So I urge you all to do the same through this holiday season. This is the time of year we all love, but we all dread because of all of the treats and stuff. We tend to be busier with chatting and snacking and forget to take a walk, or eat a handful of carrots. (silly example, yes, I know! ha ha.)
Back in October, when I went through that long space of no blogging, I was getting into the middle of my semester (I go to school full-time, for those of you who don't know that), life was busy with my kids and I was just struggling keeping up with it all. I stopped getting enough sleep because I was trying to get everything else done, I was eating too much candy and drinking too much pop (it was Halloween and that sugar was just too readily available), and I was stressing which was giving me a headache. Oh, and since I wasn't exercising, my arms were falling asleep while I was sleeping. Crazy! I know! Then one day is really hit me that I wasn't taking care of myself and listening to the signals that my body was giving me to tell me that it was being strained. The headaches were from a lack of sleep. The sleeping arms were because I was not exercising. The lack of energy was from not eating the right foods and not taking my daily Lifelong Vitality Pack and my Cranberry pill. From the signals I was receiving, it was evident I needed to take better care of myself. After all, especially with being a mom, if I don't take care of myself, how can I expect to be able to take care of everyone else? It is not selfish. In fact, taking care of yourself is the best thing that you can do for everyone else. It has taken me some time to get to know myself, in a sense. But it has come over time and it has had lasting impressions that I know will help me in the present and in the future. So here is my challenge to you this holiday season: Listen to your body. When you feel full, stop eating. If you are tired, go to sleep and get more sleep. If you have a headache, maybe you need to take a breather and eat a bite of chocolate. If you are starting to feel really stressed or sluggish, get out and take a walk or head to the gym to pump some iron. Whatever it is your body is telling you, listen. It is as simple as that. For your brain to operate correctly and effectively, it needs oxygen. Make sure you take a few deep breaths during a stressful moment. This will help you get through the season with a better attitude because you will feel your best.

Now how does the oils tie into this? Well, first of all, I cannot say enough about the Lifelong Vitality pack. I take these vitamins everyday and can definitely feel a difference if I don't. I love how they help me feel better and get through my day. I am giving them the credit as to why my milk is so good, since I am nursing my 7 months old daughter. Just wonderful. If you are interested in learning more, I will post about it soon, but feel free to email me at corinnehoyt@yahoo.com and we can talk more about how it would help you out. Another oil that is great to carry around with you this holiday season is Elevate! Elevate is great for any feelings of depression. Whether we like to admit it or not, depression can hit people really hard this time of year. Take a few deep breaths of Elevate or diffuse it in your home and I'm sure you will feel better. Some of those holiday treats leaving your stomach unsettled? Use a drop of digestzen. 20 minutes later, if you don't feel good yet, use another drop. Just put a drop directly on your stomach and rub it in. I like to take a couple deep breaths of it when I am really not feeling good. If you have a headache from the stresses or the commotion, put some Peppermint behind your ears and rub down your neck. Headache will be gone before you know it! Having some heartburn? Rub a drop of lemon on your chest and you will feel some relief. There are so many options for you. Feel free to email me or comment here with any questions.
Has anybody else had any experiences with this whole "listen to your body" type of thing? :) Please leave a comment and tell us all. We can all learn from each other. It is better than me ranting and raving all of the time! :)