I get asked all the time, " Where do I begin?" "What should I eat when one opinion says 'don't eat this' and another opinion says 'do eat this'?" And then I hear, "It's just SO overwhelming!!" I won't lie, it sure can be overwhelming when changing your diet! We get accustomed to eating a certain way and then when we become creatures of habit and it is hard to change! I always suggest starting slow. Don't try to completely change your diet all in one week. 

Now there are times that we face a major health issue and it may be necessary to completely remove a problem food all at once. This was my situation 10 years ago when I had to completely remove yeast from my diet in order to get my health/life back on track. There have been other times over the years that I have slowly changed my diet to try to pinpoint a trigger food and obtain optimal health.

I came across this 10-Step list the other day and thought it was good to share. This would be my advice to anyone who is looking to get themselves/their families on a path to better health. 

10-STEP METHOD TO CHANGING YOUR DIET FOR THE BETTER:

If you are really interested in changing your diet for the better, it is best to start simply instead of making radical changes all at once. I recommend doing one of these steps every two weeks. An excellent book to read about eating right is “Food Rules” by Michael Pollan. He gives more explanation for a lot of these food rules.

Step 1: Pay attention in the grocery store: Start reading labels! Become familiar with what you are eating. Notice that all the fresh foods are on the outside aisles and all the processed foods are on the inside aisles. Eventually, most of your cart will be filled from the outside aisles, which makes shopping so much easier!

Step 2: Eliminate everything in your diet that has hydrogenated fats in any form. Partially hydrogenated is just as bad as fully hydrogenated.

Step 3: Eliminate everything in your diet that has corn syrup in it, high fructose or otherwise.

Step 4: Eliminate everything in your diet that has artificial sweeteners except for natural stevia.

Step 5: Eliminate every grain in your diet that is not a whole grain. Don’t be fooled by multi-grains that aren’t whole grains. Who cares if its 10 different grains if they are all stripped of their nutrients?

Step 6: Eliminate white sugar from your diet.

Step 7: Eliminate low-fat and no-fat versions of your favorite foods from your diet. (yes, that’s right!!! Your body will crave less fat since it is getting more of the right fats and you will want less. )

Step 8: Eat as much produce as you can that is grown in your area when it is in season. Buy organic as much as possible.

Step 9: Rotate your foods. Don’t eat the same food more than 3 times in one week. (This is particularly hard to do with breakfast foods.)

Step 10: Don’t eat anything with ingredients that your great-grandmother wouldn’t have recognized.

Try not to get overwhelmed. Take it a step at a time. Try to find others who are seeking the same outcome and work together to encourage one another. Our Society has been on a downward spiral of junk food, fast food, and 'feel good, comfort food'. I am seeing a change recently though, of more and more people trying to 'get back to the basics'. So if you are trying to get healthier, you are not alone, and the support is out there!

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There is nothing like peeling a citrus fruit and being squirted with the acidic juice in the eye.  :)
Orange and tangerine are both citrus fruits but they are not the same. Though they are considered to be belonging to the same species, orange and tangerine differ in many aspects like their shape, smell and taste. The peel of tangerines are easier to remove than oranges.  Like all the citrus fruits the essential oil is cold pressed out of the rind of the fruit.

Everyday uses you might like to try...
* Add a drop or two to water or unsweet tea to add flavor.
* Apply topically to skin for a fresh uplifting scent, use a perfume.
* Diffuse!!!! 
* Use as a degreaser, or make your own household cleaner.
* Add a couple drops to your favorite unscented moisturizer or shampoo.

* Use to prevent stretch marks when pregnant.

* Add to a capsule and take for digestive issues.

* Mix with water and use as a fresh room spray.

* Add to an epsom salt bath to relieve muscle cramps or tired muscles.

A couple of things to note when using citrus oils. 

When mixing with water you always want to use a glass container.  Since citrus oils draw out toxins, when using plastic containers, citrus oils can pull out toxins from plastic and break down your container.  

Avoid using on skin if you are going to be in direct contact with sunlight or UV rays.

Leave a comment and let us know how you would use tangerine essential oil!

If you would like to learn more about specific essential oils and how they can be used or would like to join me and thousands of oil users in a private online Facebook community called The Lemon Drop Lounge, please leave me a comment or send me an email.

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Ahh.. I love the zesty, fresh scent of lime essential oil.  A sister to the lemon with many of the same therapeutic properties.

Everyday Uses you might like to try...

* Add a drop or 2 to water or tea for flavor.

* Use to add a zest of flavor to recipes.  Think salsa, guacamole, key lime pie, limeade, marinade fish and chicken.

* Mix up your own household cleaner to use in the kitchen and bathroom.

* Gargle with water to aid a sore throat.

* Diffuse to clean air and uplift mood.

* Mix up a coconut, lime sugar scrub for a boost of energy in the shower.

* For varicose veins, mix 2-3 drops in a carrier oil and massage on affected area.

* To cool a fever, use 2-3 drops in a cold compress.

Recipe you might like to try

As a worked on ideas for using lime essential oil, I couldn't help but think of the taste of key lime pie. Being that we were experiencing a snow/ice day, it seemed like the perfect dessert to pull together with ingredients that I had on hand.  I had to get creative with the crust.  I had some gingerbread flavored granola that blended well with crushed walnuts for a pie crust.

 Press crust mixture into pie pan. 

My lime juice helper.

A couple of things to note when using citrus oils.  

When mixing with water you always want to use a glass container.  Since citrus oils draw out toxins, when using plastic containers, citrus oils can pull out toxins from plastic and break down your container.  

Avoid using on skin if you are going to be in direct contact with sunlight or UV rays.

Leave a comment and let us know how you would use lime essential oil!

If you would like to learn more about specific essential oils and how they can be used or would like to join me and thousands of oil users in a private online Facebook community called The Lemon Drop Lounge, please leave me a comment or send me an email.

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I recently started using grapefruit essential oil to add a little boost to my lemon and peppermint weight loss regime. Grapefruit is suppose to be good to boost your metabolism. I love the fresh, clean scent of grapefruit essential oil.  I have heard a lot of people say they don't like the taste of eating the fruit, but the like the scent of the essential oil.

Some Everyday Uses you might like to try...

* Add a drop or 2 to flavor water or unsweet tea. It may help curb sugar cravings.

* Add a few drops to water in a spray bottle to make a pick-me-up room spray.

* To ease symptoms of fatigue, diffuse the oil or apply a drop over your chest to increase your energy levels naturally.

* Diffuse to help alleviate stress.  Put on a cotton ball and place in air vent in car.

* To reduce the appearance of cellulite in tough spots, mix 1-2 drops with coconut oil, or another carrier oil, and massage into the body in a kneading pattern every evening.

* Grapefruit aroma is said to help curb drug and good cravings and uplift the system.  Try applying 1-2 drops topically over the stomach or back of the neck, or inhale from the bottle.  

* To ease the pains of arthritis, muscle fatigue, rheumatism, and stiffness, use 2-3 drops in a coconut oil and massage on affected areas. Can also use 3-4 drops in bath water with epsom salts, or use in a hot compress.

* To help aid in dry scalp and add shine to hair, add to shampoo or conditioner.

* For a detoxing skin bath, mix grapefruit oil with epsom salt.

* Discourage fleas and flies on your dogs and horses by spraying them with diluted grapefruit essential oil.

A couple of things to note when using citrus oils.  

When mixing with water you always want to use a glass container.  Since citrus oils draw out toxins, when using plastic containers, citrus oils can pull out toxins from plastic and break down your container.  

Avoid using on skin if you are going to be in direct contact with sunlight or UV rays.

Leave a comment and let us know how you would use grapefruit essential oil!

If you would like to learn more about specific essential oils and how they can be used or would like to join me and thousands of oil users in a private online Facebook community called The Lemon Drop Lounge, please leave me a comment or send me an email.

Learn more »