Did you know that 38 percent of adolescents and 36 percent of adults report consuming fruit less than one time daily? That is an alarming number considering the high percentage that accounts for consuming fast foods.

There are all kinds of reasons for why we do not eat as much fruits and vegetables as we should: time, money, convenience, taste, or texture, but it all boils down to what we are told to eat by advertisers and what is widely available on grocery shelves.

You see, the food industry has made it very difficult to maintain a healthy diet. Processed foods, fast foods and genetically modified foods are more available and accessible than fresh organic produce. It is a lot more expensive to buy fresh organic foods. Foods that are packaged as healthy and natural are often found to be the complete opposite. To maintain healthy eating, you really must do a lot of your own research and take matters into your own hands.

Our taste buds have become so accustomed to eating the unhealthy way, that we must re-train them to recognize and accept the right foods that are good for the nourishment of our bodies. Take a look at this interesting article from the doTERRA blog about eating the “rainbow”. Click here

Now let me put my disclaimer out there. I am not a medical professional and I am in no way whatsoever giving medical advice. This is my personal opinion and experience with mainstream medicine.

I am sure mainstream medicine has a place in treating illnesses and diseases, and I am in no way stating that all medicines or doctors are bad. But I have seen how medications are pushed by healthcare professionals instead of advising patients about the foods they should eat and exercise they need to get healthy and to stay healthy.

One such example is the Flu Season phenomenon. Since when is flu a season? This in my opinion is a way for big pharma to push flu shots, which often have severe side effects. Everyday you hear of a new drug that was previously approved as being safe by the FDA being recalled for being unsafe. Or the dreaded side effects that are babbled very quickly at the end of a drug commercial, that are often worse than the disease being treated. When does it end?

According to Ben Goldacre during his TED talk, doctors themselves often don’t know about the drugs they prescribe. They only have one side of the story

He states “When a new drug gets tested, the results of the trials should be published for the rest of the medical world — except much of the time, negative or inconclusive findings go unreported, leaving doctors and researchers in the dark. In this impassioned talk, Ben Goldacre explains why these unreported instances of negative data are especially misleading and dangerous” Watch the video

The time has come when we need to take the blinders off, stop trusting food and drug companies that only care about their bottom line, and take our healthcare into our own hands.

I have mentioned a few times in the past here on the blog about how I made a dramatic switch in the way I eat about 10 months ago. I literally got up one day, cleaned out my fridge and pantry of all processed and unhealthy foods (they were empty after that by the way), headed to Whole Foods and stocked up on fruits and vegetables. I bought a juicer and I have been eating this way ever since. My kids literally flipped a switch that day, but they have since gotten the memo. I hate to say that they cheat at the school cafeteria every once in a while, but for the most part, they eat the way I eat.

I would classify the way I eat as an almost raw vegan. My diet consists of mostly raw, and organic whenever possible – fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. I sometimes eat grass-fed eggs, and occasionally a piece of sockeye salmon, but that’s all the meat I eat. I juice vegetables and fruits a lot and I also make fruit smoothies. Cooking is limited to an occasional bowl of spinach and split pea soup or lentil soup, and of course hummus which I cannot live without

Before my diet change, I suffered from frequent migraine headaches, I was dehydrated from drinking soda and coffee instead of water, I was anaemic (iron deficiency), My body was very acidic (which is where diseases like cancer thrive) and I was borderline diabetic (which runs in my family). I am now on the road to being completely healthy.

I also try to stay active by going for a 2 mile run in the afternoons, but I have been slacking off because of the not-so-great weather here in Houston. I have started again since the weather has warmed up a bit. I hope to get back on track fully soon. I have also ben thinking about taking a spin class. I did a couple of years ago and actually really liked it.

I was also looking for a natural and holistic way to treat illnesses in my family. A great friend of mine introduced me to the powerful and amazing doTERRA Essential Oils and I have been using them since.

doTERRA Essential oils are Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade and are non-water based. They represent the safest, purest, and most beneficial essential oils available today. They are gently and skillfully distilled from plants that have been patiently harvested at the perfect moment by experienced growers from around the world for ideal extract composition and efficacy. Experienced essential oil users will immediately recognize the superior quality standard for naturally safe, purely effective therapeutic-grade dōTERRA essential oils. 

I have been using the oils to treat my son’s ADHD tendencies with great results so far. Read more here and here

I came home from the office on Monday and my son was sitting at the kitchen table doing homework. You may wonder what the big deal is in that statement, but if you know my son’s struggles with school work and homework you would understand that for him to take the initiative to do his homework and was half way done by the time I got home is a miracle. I can honestly say that this never happened before using doTERRA

He also brought me a list of books that he wants me to buy for him, and began telling me about a book they are reading in class called Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio. I almost cried when he started to give me the storyline and a synopsis of the book. He is finally focusing long enough in class to grab a hold of the story or lesson being taught. And was obviously enjoying that! It was a proud moment for me.

He continues to do well in football, and he has been asking about guitar lessons and doing gymnastics. Haha! This is a far cry from the latest video game he would beg for.

Our doTERRA protocol definitely seems to be working and I only want to keep using the oils more and more.

My daughter was honestly a bit skeptical about the oils until she suffered from her usual bad menstrual cramps this month. I rubbed her abdomen with Peppermint and within about 30 minutes she started to feel some relief. I used Deep Blue on a minor headache I experienced this week and felt instant relief.

I have even begun to use doTERRA in cleaning my home instead of the harsh chemicals. I have been using Lemon to clean my kitchen countertops. It is so refreshing! I read somewhere today that Peppermint can be a repellant of mice…….My son actually saw one in the garage this morning, so I have dabbed a few drops of Peppermint on a cotton ball and placed it by the garage door. I’ll let you know soon if it works :-) Eeekkk!

If you would like to experience doTERRA for yourself, you can join as a Wellness Advocate (whether you want to make it a business or not), and receive 25% off retail prices. You also get to enjoy special opportunities for bonuses. The best way to experience doTERRA is by purchasing the Family Physician Kit ($150.00) which contains ten samples of the oils including some of the most popular ones like Lemon, Lavender, Peppermint. When you purchase a Family Physician Kit, doTERRA pays your enrollment fee ($35).  Please go to my doTERRA website for more information, to purchase and to join. http://mydoterra.com/veronicasolomon

With Mother’s Day coming soon, doTERRA makes a wonderful gift idea for moms! Click for details about this special offer

Feel free to email me or leave a comment below if you have any questions.

Wishing you all a wonderful Wellness Wednesday!

Be Inspired!

Veronica Solomon, Casa Vilora Interiors
VeronicaSolomon.com

Please Note: The information I am providing is based on my own personal experience and is meant for informational purposes, and should not be relied upon if you have a serious injury or illness. Please consult a trained professional incase of a serious injury. Everyone’s experience with doTERRA Essential Oils will be different. I am not a doctor nor a trained healthcare professional and cannot diagnose or prescribe medications for you. This disclaimer acts as the explicit waiver of any liability of myself as a Wellness Advocate or doTERRA as a company. Information on this blog has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and products referred to are not intended to or guaranteed to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease