Essential Oils and Why You Should Be Using Them!

Want to start using essential oils? Read this first!

Essential oils have been a huge addition to our healthy lifestyles. You could say they have changed our lives – and believe us, we were skeptics when we were first introduced to them. How on earth could a sniff of this or a rub of that help to improve our family’s health or wellbeing?

But before we explain why essential oils are so great, you might be wondering what they actually are!

What are essential oils?

Essential oils are the oil of the plant from which they were extracted. They’re basically concentrated herbs! They contain all the goodness that protects and maintains the plant, and we can use them to help support our own bodies’ health and wellness.

There are many different kinds of oils out there, and they all have different properties and uses. From well-known plants like Bergamot and Eucalyptus to unusual and exotic ones like Petitgrain and Spikenard, there’s an unfathomably huge range to choose from – and they each provide all sorts of different benefits and uses.

How can essential oils help promote the health and wellbeing of you and your family?

We are not scientists (and you probably aren’t either), so we’ll explain how essential oils have helped our loved ones and us…

• I personally use Stress Away every night to help me relax and get a good night's sleep!
• Allergies are always a big issue for us and diffusing Lavender, Peppermint, Frankincense and/or Lemon has provided amazing relief and helped us to breathe easy.
• Got a headache?  Peppermint gets used topically to rid ourselves of the pressure and pain of headaches.  It works great and is far easier on the body, especially the liver.

Those are just three examples, but essential oils have also replaced many everyday products that we used to spend a fortune on. We now clean our homes with oil-infused natural cleaners rather than toxic chemicals from the supermarket, for example. We cleanse our faces with oil-infused natural products too. And everyone in the family benefits from using calming essential oils in the diffuser before bedtime!

Can you just use any essential oils?

In our opinion, no. We’ve done a lot of research into this and if you ask us, there’s one particular brand that stands head and shoulders above the rest: Young Living.

Introducing Young Living Essential Oils!

There are many reasons why this brand is so great, but here are our three favorites:

1: The source matters

One of the most important things we’ve learned in our journey to healthy living is that it’s not just what something is – it’s where it comes from, how it’s grown, and how it’s processed. Whether it’s blueberries fresh from the farm, or cows on green pasture, or a soft organic t-shirt, we know that the source matters.

We did many hours of research to find an essential oil company that we felt we could trust with our family’s health. Young Living is that company: they truly care about quality.

To ensure the purity of their oils, the team at Young Living set the highest standards for planting, harvesting, and distilling on the farms they own and co-op. And if we’re going to be putting products on our family’s skin and around our homes, we want to know they’re pure and unadulterated!

2: You become part of a big, friendly community

As a Young Living member, you automatically become a member of a big oily family that will give you all the support and advice you need! It’s a wonderful feeling to know you have the help and reassurance of a generous and caring community of moms, dads, experts, and lifelong users.

We’ve been using our oils for a long time, but we still reach out to the our close-knit community for their advice and expertise!

3: The Young Living Premium Starter Kit is the best introduction to essential oils (and it’s such great value, too!)

No other essential oils company offers such a great-value and comprehensive range of products to get you started.

The Young Living Premium Starter Kit contains your everyday staples – all the oils and equipment you want to have on hand for a variety of situations. There’s an excellent user guide, too, which will help you understand how to use everything contained in the kit.

Here’s what else is great: once you buy the Premium Starter Kit, you automatically become a “wholesale member” of Young Living. This means you can continue to buy other Young Living products for a huge 24% discount off the retail price! You’re under zero obligation to buy any other products as a wholesale member, but if you do, you get 24% off!

Ready to buy your Young Living Premium Starter Kit?

Here’s what you get:

• Ten 5ml bottles of essential oils: Lavender, Peppermint, Lemon, Frankincense, PanAway, Thieves, Purification, Copaiba, RC and DiGize. Plus a bonus bottle of the popular Stress Away blend.
• A choice of diffusers (Home, Bamboo or Dew Drop).
• Aroma Glide roller fitment (to turn any oil into a roll-on)
• Two sample packets each of Lavender, Peppermint, Peace & Calming, Lemon, and Thieves (for you to share with your friends)
• Two NingXia Red 2oz samples (an antioxidant drink concentrate that’s a great supplement for supporting health and wellbeing)
• 10 small sample bottles to share your oils with others.
• A variety of documentation and information on how to use your oils.

And remember: once you’ve purchased the kit, you automatically become a wholesale member – which entitles you to 24% off all future purchases from Young Living! There are NO monthly minimums or fees.

Click HERE to learn more about the above mentioned oils and how they can benefit you and your family!

Also, scroll down to read a very informative article by Dr. Josh Axe on Essential Oils.

If you know me, you know I have become a full-fledged essential oil junkie! We started our journey using essential oils a few months ago, and we haven't looked back!  The success we have encountered using oils has been overwhelming!  From healing colds and infections to learning how to clean our home without harsh, toxic chemicals, the benefits have been many!

Although many people express great interest in using oils, few people are willing to put "fire" to their "desire".  Honestly, I really think it all boils down to a lack of knowledge.  "If I don't know how to use essential oils, why purchase them"?  Well dear friend, stick with me and I will do my very best to educate you regarding the beauty and simplicity of using essential oils and hopefully dispel that line of reasoning!  It's time to say goodbye to toxic cleaners and medicines with endless side effects, and hello to natural health alternatives!

Check out this fantastic article from Dr. Josh Axe!

Dr. Axe’s Essential Oils Guide

Essential oils are organic compounds extracted from plants with tremendous healing properties. Using essential oils for healing purposes is often called aromatherapy which is a holistic treatment seeking to improve physical, mental and emotional health.

For over 5,000 years, many different cultures have used these healing plant oils for a variety of health conditions. They are often used for relaxation, beauty care, home cleaning and most often used as natural medicine.

Just adding some of the most common essential oils like lavender, frankincense, lemon, peppermint and tea tree oil to your natural medicine cabinet can:

• Fight cold and flu symptoms
• Relax your body and soothe sore muscles
• Heal skin conditions
• Alleviate pain
• Balance hormones
• Improve digestion
• Reduce cellulite and wrinkles
• Clean your home
• Used in homemade personal care products

What Are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are extracted directly from the bark, flower, fruit, leaf, seed or root of a plant or tree and just one drop can have powerful health benefits.

They are typically created through the process of distillation which separates the oil and water based compounds of a plant by steaming.

Essential oils are highly concentrated oils that have a strong aroma. By concentrating the oils of these plants you are literally separating the most powerful healing compounds of a plant into a single oil.

For instance, in order to get 1 single 15ml bottle of rose essential oils it take 65 pounds of rose pedals!



These therapeutic oils in plants protect the plant from insects, shield the plant from a harsh environment and help them adapt to their surroundings. By taking essential oils you are harnessing the protective and healing powers of a plant.

Essential oils are composed of very small molecules that can penetrate your cells and some compounds in essential oils can even cross the blood-brain barrier. They differ from fatty oils (like those in vegetables or nuts) that come from large molecules because they cannot penetrate your cells so they are not therapeutic in the same manner.

History of Aromatherapy

Since the use of essential oils is present in many countries, it is difficult to pinpoint where the practice originated. Oils have been used by the Jews, Chinese, Indians, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans both as cosmetics, perfumes, and for their medicinal purposes. Some cultures even used oils in spiritual rituals.

In 1928, French chemist, René-Maurice Gattefossé used lavender oil to heal a burn on his hand. He then decided to further analyze the properties of lavender oil and how it could be used to treat other types of skin infections, wounds, or burns.

With this the science of aromatherapy was born. Gattefossé’s main goal was to help injured soldiers during World War I. The use of these oils began to spread especially with practitioners of alternative medicine, such as massage therapists and beauticians throughout Europe.

Aromatherapy did not become popular in the United States until the 1980s, when essential oils began to be added to various lotions, candles, or other fragrances.

There are also trained professionals such as aromatherapists, physical therapists, massage therapists, nutritionists or even doctors of natural medicine who use aromatherapy in their practice and are trained in specific uses for essential oils.

Essential Oils Now Used In Medical Hospitals

Aromatherapy has a variety of health benefits and can be used in various settings. It is a great non-invasive way to treat a variety of medical conditions and can be used safely in combination with many other therapies.

Many traditional hospitals like Vanderbilt University Hospital are catching on to the benefits of essential oils and are using them in the treatment of anxiety, depression and infections in hospitalized patients.

A 2009 study found that pre-operative patients who received aromatherapy with lavandin oil were significantly less anxious about their surgery than controls. Other oils such as sandalwood, neroli oil, and lavender oil have also been used in traditional medicine to help patients better manage anxiety.

Certain essential oils have also been used by midwives to help reduce fear and anxiety during childbirth. A 2007 study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine suggests that women who used aromatherapy during labor reported less pain overall and were able to use fewer pain medications.

Essential oils can also have antibacterial or anti-fungal benefits used in medical settings. Many oils when massaged on the skin can heal or help treat skin conditions, such as burns, or cuts and scrapes. Others may help boost the immune system, help with insomnia, and aid with digestion.

And essential oils are even being used to fight cancer and there is a plentiful amount of research on frankincense shrinking brain tumors.

Top 15 Essential Oils Health Benefits

Each and every essential oil contains compounds with unique healing and therapeutic benefits. Here are some of the most popular essential oils and how to use them.

1. Clove: Anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic and antioxidant protection.
2. Cypress: Improves circulation, reduces varicose veins, lifts confidence and can help heal broken bones.
3. Eucalyptus: Improves respiratory issues like bronchitis, sinusitis and allergies. Also invigorating and purifies the body.
4. Frankincense: Builds immunity, reduces inflammation, heals age spots, supports brain and fights cancer.
5. Ginger: Reduces inflammation, supports joints, improves digestion and relieves nausea.
6. Grapefruit: Supports metabolism and cellulite reduction. Mix with coconut oil and rub on areas of cellulite or take a few drops internally with water.
7. Lavender: Helps with relaxation, improves mood and heals burns and cuts.
8. Lemon: Great to use in homemade cleaning products, improves lymph drainage and cleanses the body.
9. Myrrh: Natural anti-septic and can prevent or reduce infections. Also, supports beautiful skin, reducing stretch marks and hormone balance.
10. Oregano: Powerful anti-microbial properties, can kill fungus and help you kick a cold fast.
11. Peppermint: Supports digestion, improves focus, boosts energy, fever reducer, headache and muscle pain relief.
12. Rose: Incredible for reducing skin inflammation and great for creating glowing skin. Add a few drops to your facial moisturizer. Also, one of the most valued essential oils in the world at $1000+ for 15ml.
13. Rosemary: Can naturally thicken hair so it is great to add to homemade shampoos. Also, it improves brain function and memory so it’s great to used when working, reading or studying.
14. Tea tree oil (melaleuca): natural anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, reduces bad odors and can help stimulate the immune system.
15. Sandalwood: Natural aphrodisiac that improves libido and can also improve energy.

Different oils can be blended together to enhance each other’s energy or can be blended with a base oil to be used for massage, shower gels, or body lotions.

Essential Oil Applications

Ready to let essential oils guide you back to health? Here are the 4 most common ways these healing oils are used today:

Topically – Essential oils have a very small size and of the chemical weight of less than 1000m (m = weight of molecule). According to scientific testing, any substance with a molecular weight below 1000m should be absorbed by the skin.

This means that essential oils are able to penetrate the skin and pass into the blood stream and into different areas of the body for internal therapeutic benefits.

Aromatically – There is great evidence that essential oils are absorbed into the bloodstream when inhaled. The large amount of blood vessels in the lungs absorb the oils and then circulate them throughout the body.

Using a diffuser can help you experience the benefits of essential oils. You can diffuse lavender to reduce stress, melaleuca to cleanse the air, wild orange to improve mood, frankincense for spiritual enlightenment and peppermint to improve focus and energy.

Ingestion – Essential oils can be used as a powerful form of medicine but it should be remembered that again, essential oils are powerful. Most essential oils are safe for internal use but a little bit goes a long way. Usually 1-3 drops is plenty mixed with water.

Oils like peppermint, lemon and frankincense have great internal benefits and can be taken with water. Other essential oils like clove and oregano need to be diluted and shouldn’t be taken internally for more than 1 week.

Personal Care – Today, the fastest way essential oils are being used is by making homemade DIY personal care products. This is an excellent away to take advantage of essential oils to improve your beauty, home and long term health.

Some of the best DIY recipes to use essential oils with include: shampoo, body butter, toothpaste, bug spray, lip balm and household cleaner.

Best Carrier Oils For Aromatherapy

Essential oils are extremely small so they can pass through the skin and into the body quickly. But if you want to keep the oils on your skin and dilute them to create more gentleness on the skin you can combine them with carrier oils.

These larger oils that come from the fatty part of the plant can increase the length of time the essential oils stay on your skin and also prolong the aromatherapy effects.

Some people mistakenly think using carrier oils reduces the effectiveness of the oil but really it can be the opposite. Dilution increases the surface area of absorption and with certain oils can prevent sensitivities.

Common carrier oils include:

• Almond oil
• Avocado
• Coconut oil
• Jojoba oil
• Olive oil
• Pomegranate seed oil

For most people I recommend 10% dilution which is 5 drops of oil per 1/2 teaspoon.

Essential Oils For Skin and Beauty

The skin and beauty industry is a billion dollar industry unfortunately it is filled with chemicals and hydrogenated oils that cause internal toxicity in the body.

The good news is you can create your own skin and beauty products that are more effective than any conventional product on the market. Here are some benefits of specific oils:

Calm irritated skin – lavender and roman chamomile

Reduce age spots – frankincense

Thicken hair – rosemary and sage

Natural SPF skin protection – helichrysum and myrrh

Improve acne – melaleuca (tea tree) and geranium

Here are some of my favorites DIY recipes for making personal care products:

Body butter

Healing bath salts

Anti-aging serum

Deodorant

Sunscreen

Essential Oils For Hair Growth

Essential oils for hair loss can make a significant difference at stopping it in it’s tracks. Oils of rosemary, lavender and sage can all help naturally thicken hair by stimulating the hair follicles.

Clary sage and lavender support hair growth by balancing estrogen levels and rosemary essential oil works by inhibiting DHT (dihydroxy-testosterone) which stops hair loss. Here is how to naturally thicken hair with essential oils:

1. Put 10 drops of rosemary oil and 5 drops of lavender oil different areas of your scalp
2. Gently massage into scalp for 2 minutes
3. Put a hot towel around your head and sit for 20 minutes
4. Finally, wash hair with natural homemade shampoo

Also, try these homemade recipes: Rosemary Mint Shampoo and Coconut Lavender Shampoo.

Essential Oil Bug Spray

Bugs and mosquitos can cause big problems in certain areas of the world. These pests can ruin vacations, BBQ’s and special occasions. To keep bugs at bay you can makehomemade natural bug spray that works!

Unfortunately, most people turn to chemicals sprays like DEET that are highly toxic to the body instead of using all-natural mosquito repellent and essential oil bug sprays. Here are the top essential oils to repel insects:

• Lemongrass
• Eucalyptus
• Citronella
• Peppermint
• Clove

Rub or spray all over body to repel bugs.

Natural First Aid Kit

Having a homemade first aid kit on hand for the everyday wound, sting, sunburn, muscle pain or injury is always a good idea.

Essential oils are used widely as natural medicine but without the side effects of conventional drugs like aspirin and antibiotics.

Here are some of the most common essential oils everyone should have stored in their personal medicine cabinet:

+ Lavender – to heal burns, cuts, rashes, stings, reduce anxiety and help sleep after trauma.
+ Peppermint – to improve pain in joints, muscles, relieve digestive issues, reduce fevers, clear sinuses, improve asthma, bronchitis and relieve headaches.
+ Frankincense – anti-inflammatory, heal bruising, reduce scars, boost immunity and emotional well-being.
+ Melaleuca – anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, can be used to prevent and reduce infection and clean air of pathogens and allergens.

Other oils you may want to have on hand to makeover your medicine cabinet include: eucalyptus, oregano, and clove.

Essential Oils For Weight Loss

When it comes to losing weight, most everyone understands that improving diet and doing the right type of exercise can support weight loss.

But, often times people want an extra boost to help them reach their weight loss goals. Unfortunately, most people turn to stimulants and caffeine for fat loss rather than plant based medicine.

These 4 essential oils have been proven to support fat loss:

• Grapefruit oil contains d-limonene which is found in citrus peels. A study found that supplementing d-limonene improved metabolic enzyme levels.
• Peppermint oil has been shown to improve weight loss because it suppresses cravings and improves digestion.
• Cinnamon oil helps balance blood sugar levels which will assist in weight loss and improve diabetes.
• Ginger oil contains gingerol which has powerful anti-inflammatory properties and increases thermogenesis which boosts metabolism.

Essential Oil Contraindications

Because essential oils can act as a powerful form of natural medicine, there are a few instances where they are not recommended for usage:

Pregnancy – Basil, cinnamon, clary sage, clove, cypress, fennel, jasmine, juniper, marjoram, myrrh, rose, rosemary, sage and thyme.

In most cases, these oils are completely healthy but because they can effect hormones they are not recommended at this stage.

Heart medications (blood thinners) – Clary sage, cypress, eucalyptus, ginger, rosemary, sage and thyme.

Overall, aromatherapy is a great and inexpensive way to help promote healing, relaxation, and well-being without adverse side effects.

Essential Oil Quality

This is one of the most vital things you must know about essential oils… Not all essential oils are created equally. In fact, most of them are worthless to your health and often synthetic. When buying essential oils make sure they are certified pure therapeutic grade. 

Ah yes, Springtime!  The birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and people everywhere are sneezing, coughing, and working hard to see through puffy, red eyes!  Enter allergy season!

If you're anything like me, Spring is a time of great beauty and great suffering!  Allergies can make you absolutely miserable.  Still, there are plenty of natural remedies available to you that just might put the "spring" back in your step!

Thanks to Dr. Axe for this fantastic resource on natural allergy relief!  

Disclaimer:  I do not benefit monetarily from any article posted on my blog.  Please know, my sole purpose in posting these articles is for the betterment of those seeking healthy alternatives in a toxic world!  

8 Natural Allergy Relief Remedies

It’s that time of the year again.  Time for congested sinuses, headaches and watering eyes.  Allergy season is upon us and millions of American’s are going to turn to Benadryl, Claritin and other harmful chemicals to get relief.

The good news is there are eight amazing all natural remedies that can give you quick allergy relief.

There are more natural remedies for seasonal allergies than I can mention in this article. No wonder entire books have been written on them!

It was tough to narrow down the options, but after extensive research, I put together theTop 8 natural allergy relief remedies that EVERYONE can and should start today!

1. Neti Pot 

Clearing the nasal passages of allergens and irritants, sinus irrigation originated in the Ayurvedic medical tradition and people in India have been receiving astounding results for centuries.

Thankfully, this “alternative” approach has reached mainstream and the medical community has all but welcomed it with open arms. David Rabago, MD has conducted several studies on the subject and has proven clinically that using a neti pot is effective to prevent and treat several upper respiratory conditions including chronic and acute sinusitis, the common cold and seasonal allergies.

When you use a Neti pot, make sure that the water is distilled and as sterile as possible. Tap water is full of chlorine and fluoride and can actually aggravate your sinuses.

If you don’t want to use a neti pot you can do a salt water sinus rinse by mixing sea salt with warm water and sucking it up one nostril.

2. Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)

Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar is the best and you can now find it almost everywhere! It’s USDA & Kosher certified organic, GMO-free, unfiltered, raw (not pasteurized!), and contains the amazing “Mother” of vinegar.

Drinking a glass of water with a teaspoon of ACV in your water with some fresh lemon juice is the best way to wake up every morning. At the first sign of an allergy attack, put 1 teaspoon of ACV in your Neti Pot solution for a fantastic sinus flush.

3. Quercetin

Naturally found in cruciferous vegetables, onions/shallots, green teas and citrus fruit, quercetin is a bioflavonoid that stabilizes the release of histamine and helps to naturally control allergy symptoms.

A recent study out of Slovakia has shown that quercetin is so effective that it can help calm down allergic asthma by reducing the hyperactivity of airways. It is so powerful that Iranian researchers have proven that quercetin can help control peanut allergies, the leading cause of life-threatening/fatal allergy attacks.

Various sources suggest that it is best to use quercetin as a long-term remedy and people prone to seasonal allergies should start to take them a few weeks before spring arrives and plants start to bloom.

4. Local Raw Honey (Bee Pollen)

Telling you to eat something like raw honey for seasonal allergies may sound too easy because it is so sweet, but don’t discount this ancient remedy. Taking a tablespoon of local, raw honey every day will help your body build a tolerance to the local pollen that is running amuck on your sinuses.

The International Archives of Allergy and Immunology published an article in 2011 that tested how pre-seasonal use of birch pollen honey affected people with birch pollen allergies and discovered that patients taking the honey “reported a 60% lower total symptom score, twice as many asymptomatic days, and 70% fewer days with severe symptoms, and they used 50% less antihistamines compared to the control group” that took conventional meds.

I recommend taking 1 tbsp of raw local honey daily.

5. Stinging Nettle

Stinging nettle has a rich history of medicinal use dating back to medieval Europe where it was used as a diuretic to relieve people of joint pain. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, studies suggest that it can effectively treat a wide range of health concerns including:

• Urinary problems like urinary tract infections
• Benign prostatic hyperplasia
• Hay fever (allergic rhinitis)
• Joint pain, sprain and strains
• Insect bites

Research has specifically shown that nettle leaf naturally controls histamine, which is why a growing number of doctors recommend taking a freeze-dried preparation before hay fever season begins. It can also be used as a tea or tincture.

6. Eucalyptus Oil 

You can use eucalyptus oil for season allergy relief in a variety of ways. You can put several drops into your Neti pot, inhale it via a diffuser or use it in your laundry detergent as an antimicrobial agent.

An interesting study out of Egypt evaluated the effect that various essential oils had in killing the highly allergic house mites and found that eucalyptus oil ranked amongst some of the most potent.

For an eco-friendly, biodegradable addition to your natural detergents add 25 drops of eucalyptus oil to each load of wash during allergy season, especially if you or the kids are running around outside.

Also, if your allergy symptoms are going strong, mix eucalyptus oil with coconut oil and rub it on your chest and behind your ears and diffuse it in the air during the day and while sleeping.

7. Frankincense Essential Oil 

The almost unbelievable cancer-killing capacity of Indian frankincense has been well established in scientific literature for several years, but its life-giving power doesn’t end there.

In a study published by Phytotherapy Research, for instance, when mice took 1-10 mg of frankincense orally it was discovered that multiple levels of their immune systems were stimulated including IgG, IgM, and interferon.

In layman’s terms, frankincense can boost the immune system like no other and if you suffer from seasonal allergies, make sure you implement it into your natural health regimen.

I simply rub frankincense behind my ears and on my chest or diffuse frankincense essential oil in my home and office three hours daily. 

8. SBO Probiotics

It is becoming common knowledge that the immune system starts in the gut. In fact, more than 80% of your immune function is stored in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract! It should be no wonder that research keeps surfacing that links probiotic use to reduced risk of allergies.

They are so effective that a study published last year in the journal Pediatrics discovered that women who regularly take probiotics during pregnancy significantly reduce their child’s risk of developing allergies!

I highly recommend getting your soil-based organisms through probiotics in a supplement form or from food at farmer’s markets and your local garden.

Keep these side effects and natural remedies in mind as we approach what many are claiming will be one of the worst allergy seasons we’ve had in a long while!

The Real Reason Wheat is Toxic (it’s not the gluten)

The following article from the "The Healthy Home Economist" is probably one of the most revealing articles I've read in a long while regarding food production in America.  It's hard to believe farmers would be willing to engage in such practices, but given the economic challenges modern farmers face, it's no wonder.  Prepare to be shocked by what you read!

Special thanks to Sarah at "The Healthy Home Economist" for providing this vital information!

The Real Reason Wheat is Toxic (it’s not the gluten)

The stories became far too frequent to ignore.

Emails from folks with allergic or digestive issues to wheat in the United States experienced no symptoms whatsoever when they tried eating pasta on vacation in Italy.

Confused parents wondering why wheat consumption sometimes triggered autoimmune reactions in their children but not at other times.

In my own home, I’ve long pondered why my husband can eat the wheat I prepare at home, but he experiences negative digestive effects eating even a single roll in a restaurant.

There is clearly something going on with wheat that is not well known by the general public. It goes far and beyond organic versus nonorganic, gluten or hybridization because even conventional wheat triggers no symptoms for some who eat wheat in other parts of the world.

What indeed is going on with wheat?

For quite some time, I secretly harbored the notion that wheat in the United States must, in fact, be genetically modified.  GMO wheat secretly invading the North American food supply seemed the only thing that made sense and could account for the varied experiences I was hearing about.

I reasoned that it couldn’t be the gluten or wheat hybridization. Gluten and wheat hybrids have been consumed for thousands of years. It just didn’t make sense that this could be the reason for so many people suddenly having problems with wheat and gluten in general in the past 5-10 years.

Finally, the answer came over dinner a couple of months ago with a friend who was well versed in the wheat production process. I started researching the issue for myself, and was, quite frankly, horrified at what I discovered.

The good news is that the reason wheat has become so toxic in the United States is not because it is secretly GMO as I had feared (thank goodness!).

The bad news is that the problem lies with the manner in which wheat is grown and harvested by conventional wheat farmers.

You’re going to want to sit down for this one.  I’ve had some folks burst into tears in horror when I passed along this information before.

Common wheat harvest protocol in the United States is to drench the wheat fields with Roundup several days before the combine harvesters work through the fields as the practice allows for an earlier, easier and bigger harvest 

Pre-harvest application of the herbicide Roundup or other herbicides containing the deadly active ingredient glyphosate to wheat and barley as a desiccant was suggested as early as 1980.  It has since become routine over the past 15 years and is used as a drying agent 7-10 days before harvest within the conventional farming community.

According to Dr. Stephanie Seneff of MIT who has studied the issue in depth and who I recently saw present on the subject at a nutritional Conference in Indianapolis, desiccating non-organic wheat crops with glyphosate just before harvest came into vogue late in the 1990’s with the result that most of the non-organic wheat in the United States is now contaminated with it.  Seneff explains that when you expose wheat to a toxic chemical like glyphosate, it actually releases more seeds resulting in a slightly greater yield:   “It ‘goes to seed’ as it dies. At its last gasp, it releases the seed” says Dr. Seneff.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, as of 2012, 99% of durum wheat, 97% of spring wheat, and 61% of winter wheat has been treated with herbicides. This is an increase from 88% for durum wheat, 91% for spring wheat and 47% for winter wheat since 1998.

Here’s what wheat farmer Keith Lewis has to say about the practice:

I have been a wheat farmer for 50 yrs and one wheat production practice that is very common is applying the herbicide Roundup (glyposate) just prior to harvest. Roundup is licensed for preharvest weed control. Monsanto, the manufacturer of Roundup claims that application to plants at over 30% kernel moisture result in roundup uptake by the plant into the kernels. Farmers like this practice because Roundup kills the wheat plant allowing an earlier harvest.

A wheat field often ripens unevenly, thus applying Roundup preharvest evens up the greener parts of the field with the more mature. The result is on the less mature areas Roundup is translocated into the kernels and eventually harvested as such.

This practice is not licensed. Farmers mistakenly call it “dessication.” Consumers eating products made from wheat flour are undoubtedly consuming minute amounts of Roundup. An interesting aside, malt barley which is made into beer is not acceptable in the marketplace if it has been sprayed with preharvest Roundup. Lentils and peas are not accepted in the market place if it was sprayed with preharvest roundup….. but wheat is ok.. This farming practice greatly concerns me and it should further concern consumers of wheat products.

Here’s what wheat farmer Seth Woodland of Woodland and Wheat in Idaho had to say about the practice of using herbicides for wheat dry down:

That practice is bad. I have fellow farmers around me that do it and it is sad. Lucky for you not all of us farm that way. Being the farmer and also the president of a business, we are proud to say that we do not use round up on our wheat ever!

This practice is not just widespread in the United States either. The Food Standards Agency in the United Kingdom reports that use of Roundup as a wheat desiccant results in glyphosate residues regularly showing up in bread samples. Other European countries are waking up to to the danger, however. In the Netherlands, use of Roundup is completely banned with France likely soon to follow.

Using Roundup on wheat crops throughout the entire growing season and even as a desiccant just prior to harvest may save the farmer money and increase profits, but it is devastating to the health of the consumer who ultimately consumes the glyphosate residue laden wheat kernels.

The chart below of skyrocketing applications of glyphosate to US wheat crops since 1990 and the incidence of celiac disease is from a December 2013 study published in the Journal Interdisciplinary Toxicology examining glyphosate pathways to autoimmune disease. Remember that wheat is not currently GMO or “Roundup Ready” meaning it is not resistant to its withering effects like GMO corn or GMO soy, so application of glyphosate to wheat would actually kill it.

While the herbicide industry maintains that glyphosate is minimally toxic to humans, research published in the Journal Entropy strongly argues otherwise by shedding light on exactly how glyphosate disrupts mammalian physiology.

Authored by Anthony Samsel and Stephanie Seneff of MIT, the paper investigates glyphosate’s inhibition of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, an overlooked component of lethal toxicity to mammals.

The currently accepted view is that ghyphosate is not harmful to humans or any mammals.  This flawed view is so pervasive in the conventional farming community that Roundup salesmen have been known to foolishly drink it during presentations!

However, just because Roundup doesn’t kill you immediately doesn’t make it nontoxic.  In fact, the active ingredient in Roundup lethally disrupts the all-important shikimate pathway found in beneficial gut microbes which is responsible for synthesis of critical amino acids.

Friendly gut bacteria, also called probiotics, play a critical role in human health. Gut bacteria aid digestion, prevent permeability of the gastointestinal tract (which discourages the development of autoimmune disease), synthesize vitamins and provide the foundation for robust immunity.  In essence:

Roundup significantly disrupts the functioning of beneficial bacteria in the gut and contributes to permeability of the intestinal wall and consequent expression of autoimmune disease symptoms

In synergy with disruption of the biosynthesis of important amino acids via the shikimate pathway, glyphosate inhibits the cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes produced by the gut microbiome.  CYP enzymes are critical to human biology because they detoxify the multitude of foreign chemical compounds, xenobiotics, that we are exposed to in our modern environment today.

As a result, humans exposed to glyphosate through use of Roundup in their community or through ingestion of its residues on industrialized food products become even more vulnerable to the damaging effects of other chemicals and environmental toxins they encounter!

What’s worse is that the negative impact of glyphosate exposure is slow and insidious over months and years as inflammation gradually gains a foothold in the cellular systems of the body.

The consequences of this systemic inflammation are most of the diseases and conditions associated with the Western lifestyle:

·         Gastrointestinal disorders

·         Obesity

·         Diabetes

·         Heart Disease

·         Depression

·         Autism

·         Infertility

·         Cancer

·         Multiple Sclerosis

·         Alzheimer’s disease

·         And the list goes on and on and on …

In a nutshell, Dr. Seneff’s study of Roundup’s ghastly glyphosate which the wheat crop in the United States is doused with uncovers the manner in which this lethal toxin harms the human body by decimating beneficial gut microbes with the tragic end result of disease, degeneration, and widespread suffering

Got the picture yet?

Even if you think you have no trouble digesting wheat, it is still very wise to avoid conventional wheat as much as possible in your diet!

You Must Avoid Toxic Wheat No Matter What

The bottom line is that avoidance of conventional wheat in the United States is absolutely imperative even if you don’t currently have a gluten allergy or wheat sensitivity. The increase in the amount of glyphosate applied to wheat closely correlates with the rise of celiac disease and gluten intolerance. Dr. Seneff points out that the increases in these diseases are not just genetic in nature, but also have an environmental cause as not all patient symptoms are alleviated by eliminating gluten from the diet.

The effects of deadly glyphosate on your biology are so insidious that lack of symptoms today means literally nothing.

If you don’t have problems with wheat now, you will in the future if you keep eating conventionally produced, toxic wheat!

How to Eat Wheat Safely

Obviously, if you’ve already developed a sensitivity or allergy to wheat, you must avoid it.  Period.

But, if you aren’t celiac or gluten sensitive and would like to consume this ancestral food safely, you can do what we do in our home. We only source organic, preferably low gluten, unhybridized Einkorn wheat for breadmaking, pancakes, cookies etc.  But, when we eat out or are purchasing food from the store, conventional wheat products are rejected without exception.  This despite the fact that we have no gluten allergies whatsoever in our home – yet.

I am firmly convinced that if we did nothing, our entire family at some point would develop sensitivity to wheat or autoimmune disease in some form due to the toxic manner in which it is processed and the glyphosate residues that are contained in conventional wheat products.

What Are You Going to Do About Toxic Wheat?

How did you react to the news that US wheat farmers are using Roundup, not just to kill weeds, but to dry out the wheat plants to allow for an earlier, easier and bigger harvest and that such a practice causes absorption of toxic glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup and other herbicides, right into the wheat kernels themselves?

Did you feel outraged and violated like I did? How will you implement a conventional wheat-avoidance strategy going forward even if you haven’t yet developed a problem with gluten or wheat sensitivity?

What about other crops where Roundup is used as a pre-harvest dessicant such as barley, sugar cane, rice, seeds, dried beans and peas, sugar cane, sweet potatoes, and sugar beets?  Will you only be buying these crops in organic form from now on to avoid this modern, man-made scourge?

Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist