Discomfort can come in all kinds of forms and for a whole host of different reasons, ever felt that ache in your neck or feet at the end of the day? A bit creaky when getting out of bed? Or stiff due to the parkrun the day before? Physical discomfort can affect us in many ways and keep us from living the life we want and doing what we want to do but it doesn’t have to be that way and there are many ways we can improve this regardless of where the issue is in our bodies.
Some fun facts for you, or not am I just a geek? Our body is a complex series of levers to enable movement and structures that protect the internal organs as well as provide a storage for calcium and the production of red blood cells. The adult human skeleton is made up of 206 bones which include the bones of the skull, spine (vertebrae), ribs, arms and legs, these bones are made of connective tissue reinforced with calcium and specialised bone cells.
Your bones need a constant supply of oxygen, nutrients, and blood to be healthy and as the body is constantly remodelling the skeleton by building up new bone tissue and breaking down old bone tissue as required in order to enable this to be achieved well you need a balanced diet, regular weight-bearing exercise and the right levels of various hormones. But the bones are just one part of the musculoskeletal system which also include muscles, ligaments, tendons, cartilage and other connective tissue and these also need nutrients to function well.
In order to keep our amazing body healthy and functioning like a well oiled machine we need to consider our fuel. We are what we eat and I personally recommend a wholefood plant based diet to optimise the health and well-being of your whole body but if that is not your cup of tea make sure you do add in plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables to provide the essential nutrients and anti-oxidants your body needs. Anti-oxidants scoop up the free radicals that cause inflammation and therefore our aches our pains and pains. There is also a lot of value in taking a supplement even with a great diet to support this (I was surprised to find this out too and my own health was testament to this) - read more in my blog post
https://www.thehealthfuldoctor.com/blog/2020/4/14/do-we-need-supplements/
But even with all the good will in the world we can still succumb to those aches and pain so relief using our wonderful essential oils can and does make a huge difference. Essential oils are a natural, non-addictive & organic way to reduce soreness throughout the body they can help relax muscles, soothe joints, promote circulation, reduce head tension, calm and soothe target areas, promote skin recovery, protect cells from oxidative stress, support a healthy immune system, detoxify the body and promote feelings of peace & relaxation. And with essential oils providing a myriad of benefits you don’t need to have a large collection to accomplish that all. I think that is pretty awesome.
My daily habits to get me moving well are the Lifelong Vitality pack to provide me with the essential nutrients from within, on top of my wholefood plant-based diet. I like to add in copaiba (why should just my dogs benefit from this amazing multi-purpose oil), Deep Blue Rub to provide targeted relief (ooh and popping it on top of copaiba just gives it an extra wow), beautiful Aromatouch for sore throbbing legs at the end of a shift is such a great way to relax too. For someone who was told 20 years ago they would never be able to run again I think I am doing pretty good!
Why not learn more and jump on one of my
classes so we can chat more about this in detail meanwhile here is a great DIY for a warming neck wrap that can help soothe sore muscles and enhance relaxation and when used in combination with essential oils it can provide additional relief and aromatherapy benefits.
Tube sock or dress sock
3 cups flaxseed or rice
doTERRA essential oil(s)
Instructions
Pour flaxseed or rice into sock.
Tie a knot in the top of the sock.
To use, place in microwave for two to three minutes and add two drops essential oil.
Tip: If you smell burning while microwaving your heating pad, you are microwaving it too long. Try cutting down the heating time or lowering the power setting to 50 percent.
Tip: Use the leftover fabric to make hand warmers.
Note: If you don’t have a microwave (like me, yes it is possible to survive without a microwave), heat your heating pad by putting it in an oven-safe dish and heating it in the oven at 60 degrees for 15 minutes. Remember to set a timer and to frequently check your heating pad to make sure it doesn’t get too hot and become a fire hazard.
CAUTION: The heating pad will be very warm and can burn you if you heat it for too long. Start by putting your heating pad in the microwave for one minute, and then increase by 30-second increments until you have achieved desired temperature. If you accidentally heat it for too long, let it rest until it becomes cooler. You might also want to place a wash cloth or towel against your skin to act as a barrier and to ensure you don’t get burned in case you heat it more than intended.