Why do we Stress Eat?

I'm sure you've heard of the fight-or-flight response, and you probably know that it's the way your body reacts to danger, fear or stress. But do you know what the fight-or-flight response is?                                     Well, it has to do with hormones. When you are faced with danger or fear, your adrenal glands release three hormones: norepinephrine, epinephrine (aka adrenaline), and cortisol. Norepinenephrine and epinephrine cause several changes inside your body to help "survive" during this time, including an increase in heart rate and blood pressure and a decrease in insulin so you have blood sugar available for energy and a decline of your appetite. After the danger, fear or stress is gone, cortisol tells the body to stop producing norepinephrine and epinephrine and then your appetite returns.

This is the way your body deals with short-term survival situations. But your body deals with ALL stressors this way.  Deadlines, kids fighting, laundry piling up, late for work, argument with your mate, busy traffic, forgot to pay a bill, and the list goes on and on. The problem is when stress is constantly present, your body can't get rid of the excess cortisol built up in the blood. 

Then it turns into fat cells! WHAT?! 

Stress can make me fat? Excess stress turns into excess cortisol which turns into fat cells and increases your cravings for high-fat and high-carb foods! So the term "stress eating" is not just a statement, it's a scientific fact. When you give into these cravings, your body releases "happy" chemicals to your brain that encourage you to start an addiction to that food, it becomes a coping mechanism that your body will want to fall into the pattern of doing. 

It creates an addictive behavior- you stress, you eat. 

If you don't control this pattern, you can become psychologically and physically dependent on that way to manage stress. You can help keep cortisol from turning into the bad guy by avoiding simple carbs, processed foods, refined grains and an excess of 200mg of coffee a day. Get plenty of protein and drink plenty of water throughout the day. It is critical that you find other stress- relief techniques that keep you from grabbing the nearest donut or chocolate chip cookie. If you can keep your stress down, you will lower your cortisol levels and doing so will help you keep the extra pounds away!

Maybe I should have mentioned this BEFORE the holidays??? Oops :)

www.yourvibrantessence.com or aprilgeigley@yahoo.com

You can do it!!

For the New Year and "new you", think about what is possible and then start taking action to make your dreams for your future a reality. You must do something different for this to happen. Sitting around hoping, wishing, dreaming of a better future for yourself will not magically make it happen.

Courage (opposite of fear) is a vital element of change. If you can cultivate courage in yourself, you’ll have what it takes to see the limitless possibilities for your future, shut out the voices telling you what you can’t do and come into owning true feelings of confidence.
Courage isn’t comfortable. Courage means breaking out of your comfort zone. Moving toward positive change forces us to confront uncertainty, doubt, and the possibility of failure, and that is what scares most off from taking action.
A great attitude gives that extra boost that keeps you going.  Positivity is uplifting and contagious.  It sets the tone for the attitude of others around you as well. If you are negative, down, or critical, it becomes a domino effect of decreasing productivity.
A real winning attitude establishes standards of excellence and personal discipline. It allows you to connect with people, listen to them, and maintain a positive outlook—even in difficult times.
Adversity is not going away anytime soon. Luckily, we don’t really want it to. The ability to bounce back when adversity strikes is one of the greatest qualities to long- term success and happiness. When you discover that you can learn from and find real meaning in the trials of life, you’ll know that you have what it takes to be successful in life. Adversity introduces you to yourself.  How you react and how you respond when the stuff hits the fan can determine whether you survive and thrive or let circumstances destroy you.
The first step in journey is accepting the fact that you are worthy of positive change.You can start from where you are with what you’ve got and go where you want to go. All it takes is the courage to step up and take the opportunity when it comes along!
Stepping up and taking ownership of your future takes courage, but if you pass on opportunities out of worry that you’re not cut out for it, you are passing up chances to grow and live the life you really want.
Dreaming big is great, but the real key to achieving any goal in life is to do big! Step into Action!
Want this change? I can help! Contact me at aprilgeigley@yahoo.com or visit www.yourvibrantessence.com  Find your Vibrant Self!

What do Essential Oils have to do with hotdogs?

What does essential oils have to do with hot dogs? Well, I'm going to tell you.
I'm going to spill it because I feel like I need to educate my fellow "users" or soon to be "users" out there. When looking at essential oils, aren't they all marked 100% pure?? So what's the difference? The difference is what is inside the bottle, not the label! Let me explain.
Problem #1
THERE IS NO FDA REGULATION FOR ESSENTIAL OILS, SO AS LONG AS IT TESTS 10% PURITY, YES I SAID 10%, OR HIGHER, IT CAN BE LABELED 100% PURE.
NOW WHAT? Which ones do you chose? There are SO MANY out there and they all CLAIM to be the same BUT they are NOT!
Just like with hot dogs, they are not created equal, although appear to taste and smell similar. Would you like 100% beef hot dogs or 10% or unknown amount of beef with the rest fillers, animal parts, pesticides, chemical additives, preservatives etc.?
So with essential oils you have a difference between 10%-100% purity. You don't know what you are getting because they don't have to tell you. As long as it's over 10% pure, it's claimed to be 100% to the rest of us.  The oil may be pure but then the rest of the bottle is filled with coconut oil or some other filler.
Problem #2
Where the oil is made from is the other important part of this equation. Lavender can be grown many places, even here in Michigan, but do you think it's going to have the best quality?  NO! The environment in which the plant or tree comes from is so important in the quality of the oil and its benefits. If your essential oil bottles all say they are from one place, for instance, that's a red flag. Oils are from all over the world, not just one place.  Lavender grows best in France so that is where is should come from. How do I know that? Hold on, I'm getting there.  The way the oil is produced, either cold pressed or stem distilled has to be done in such a precise fashion or the oil quality is altered. Here again, would you like to eat meat from a cow that has been organically farm raised? Or massed produced with antibiotics, growth hormones and synthetic properties? 
Problem #3
Let's talk about the price. Seriously, do you know what they put in hot dogs? That's why they are only less than $1 per pack, sometimes on sale for 2 for $1. Think about it! The ones that are worth eating are close to $6 pack. There is a reason! Just like with essential oils. If Frankincense is being sold for $7.99 on line, there is clearly a reason. Because if you actually knew how the frankincense resin is harvested and produced, you would appreciate the reason it retails over $90. You pay for what you get! 
Problem #4
"But what I'm using is working just fine." or "I'll stick with this company because its cheaper." Obviously if you already use essential oils, you already do have some concern about your health and using natural solutions. So don't be lied to about the quality and purity you are getting. If it is working, it could be working better! You can buy generic medications, save money and have them work the same but that doesn't work in the world of essential oils. If you are really concerned about the cost, use the ones that you are getting the best value for your money. The reason peppermint may be 3 times more expensive somewhere else, is because there is 3 times the amount of pure oil in the bottle. Did I lose you? If you actually compare cost per drop of pure oil, you are actually spending more for that pure oil in the cheaper version because there is less of it. Get it?
SOLUTION....Oh yes I'm finally there.
There is ONLY ONE, yes ONLY ONE essential oil company that has raised the bar on the standard of essential oils.  Their purity AND quality is tested more than 7 times down to the ARC plot!  And is the only company that this process is certified by a trademark, that no one else has. So when their bottles are marked 100% pure, it's exactly what you are getting. Anyone can put "certified pure" on their label but you can't trust it, but with this company you can!
This is not my opinion but with lots of research and seeing for my own eyes this process, I can stand before you with confidence in what I'm telling you.
For the sake of the FDA, name calling, or advertising, I have left the names of companies out of my blog. I would love to help answer any other questions that you may have. I want the best for you and your family and want you to be informed!  Would you like ketchup with your hotdog? :)

aprilgeigley@yahoo.com or www.yourvibrantessence.com

 

 

I just read your mind...

Are you ready for CHANGE? Are you looking for a way to work from home, but have never found anything that worked for you or that could provide a part time income that actually fit into your busy life?

• Wouldn’t it be AWESOME if you had the ability to spend more time with your family doing the things in your life that really matter to YOU?
• Wouldn’t it be OUTSTANDING if you could quit your job and earn just as much money or more, but do it from home with a flexible schedule?
• Wouldn’t it be FABULOUS having your own business, working with other women and moms, where every day you are making others feel great and you are impacting lives in a positive way?

AND wouldn’t it be GREAT to do this with BALANCE as a mother, not sacrificing your desires to care for your family?
I'm here to help make that happen. Are you living pay check to paycheck or feel like there is more to life than what you are doing right now?
If empowering others with natural solutions and essential oils is in your heart, I'm here to help you start your journey!
I would love to chat with you and start unlocking your purpose and passion for life!
Contact me at aprilgeigley@yahoo.com or visit www.yourvibrantessence.com.  WHY WAIT?

How to use Essential Oils aromatically.

The olfactory bulb transmits smell information from the nose to the brain, and is thus necessary for a proper sense of smell. The olfactory bulb is a part of the limbic system. It performs the important task of controlling the nerves related to odor in the brain system. Even if someone does not have a sense of smell, they can still benefit from inhalation of oils because of the wonderful work of the olfactory bulb.

Using essential oils can influence you in a variety of ways. The most common aromatic use is for improving a person's mood.

An inhalation of the joyful blend (lavender, hawaiian sandlewood, tangerine, melissa, ylang ylang, elemi, osmanthus, lavandin and lemon myrtle) or invigorating blend (wild orange, lemon, grapefruit, madarin, bergamot, tangerine and clementine) first thing in the morning can help you wake up and get motivated.
Diffusing eucalyptus and basil throughout the day can help you stay productive.
Peppermint and wild orange can help you stay focused. Peppermint or respiratory blend (eucalyptus, peppermint, laurel, melaleuca, lemon, ravensara and cardamon) can help you through a workout.
Diffuse or drop a few drops to your pillow of lavender or vetiver at night for a more restful sleep.
Just simply inhaling the aroma of an essential oil is effective for calming nervous or anxious feelings.

Try these diffuser blends to help you get through your day!

Sunshine For Your Day
3 drops Bergamot
3 drops Wild Orange
1-2 drops Ylang Ylang

Avoid the Afternoon Blahs
2 drops Lemongrass
4 drops Wintergreen
3 drops Wild Orange

Time to Relax
3 drops Vetiver
3 drops Lavender
4 drops Cedarwood

There are many other blends I could put together for you, these are just a select few. Contact me for more information at aprilgeigley@yahoo.com or visit me at www.yourvibrantessence.com.
Also on face book - Your Vibrant Essence. Thanks for coming by!