Author Archives: brianzajac

doTERRA Aromatherapy Essential Oils for Autoimmune Disease

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Why Do I Use doTERRA Aromatherapy Essential Oils for My Autoimmune Disease?

Everything created starts from basic elements.  For example, the Enbrel that I took for 9+ years is derived from Chinese hamster ovary cells to create a genetically engineered protein to suppress the autoimmune system.  The problem is the vast list of side effects when taking Enbrel or other medications.

Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants and have been used throughout history in many cultures for their medicinal and therapeutic benefits (Example:  Frankincense was given to the baby Jesus from one of the 3 wise men when he was born).  doTERRA Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils claim to have very little side effects.  For more information on how it all works, please watch their promo video below:

What doTERRA Essential Oils Do I Use for My Autoimmune Disease?

As recommended by a naturopath and their recommended website, here are the oils and methods I use:

doterra-oils-supplements

doTERRA Oils & Supplements I Use

Morning & Evening Supplements Taken with Food

As with any supplement, take one type at a time and test for a minimum 4 days.

  • TerraZyme (1) – Enzymes to help with digestion.
  • Alpha CRS+ (2) – Helps immune function & inflammatory response to oxidative stress in cells.
  • xEOMEGA (2) – Similar to fish oils, it helps joint function, heart health, and brain function.
  • Microplex VM (2) – maintains the cells by supplying vitamins and minerals commonly missed in diets.
  • Zendocrine (1) – Suggested by my naturopath, it’s a detoxification supplement.  My heart raced & I received a flare-up when using.  I do not recommend.
  • Except for TerraZyme, these supplements are sold together as doTERRA’s Life Long Vitality Pack.

Oils and Methods

  •  With an empty vegetable (Size 0) capsule, I digest these oils together:
    • Ginger (2 drops) – anti-inflammatory to replace the Prednisone medication.
    • DigestZen (2 drops) – digestive blend to replace the Asacol HD.
    • Frankincense (4-6 drops, still testing) – anti-inflammatory to replace the Prednisone medication.
    • Peppermint (1 drop) – digestive blend to replace the Asacol HD.
      ..

    Lotus-DiffuserWith an aroma diffuser (photo on left), I use 2 drops each of these oils for aromatherapy:

    • Lavender – overall stress, use for daytime
    • Serenity – calming oil used before bedtime to induce a restful sleep
    • Lemon Grass – daytime oil for headaches and pain
    • Balance – Geared toward the central nervous system, this oil helps calm spikes in emotions.
    • Breathe – Use at the onset of cold, flu, and congestion.

 

Do doTERRA Oils Work for my Autoimmune Disease (Initial Review)?

Since the timing of this post, I have been using the above protocol for a month. Before I was on the oils, I tried getting off Prednisone and had multiple symptoms come back the next few days.  On 2/19 I tried again by not taking any Prednisone at night and the usual 1/2 pill (5mg) daytime.  While the first morning was difficult, I am now able to manage my symptom and pains without needing the Prednisone again at night.  The next test will be next week when I get off Prednisone completely and the final major test for these oils will probably be a month after my body is in remission.  At that time, I will stop using the oils & supplements to see if there is a difference.


natural-solutions-kit

Which Products Did I Buy? 

The naturopath suggested to start out with the natural solutions kit, but you need to sign up with a doTERRA representative to get it.   By purchasing the kit, you automatically become an “Independent Product Consultant” (IPC) and get discounts on doTERRA’s product lines.

Feel free to comment below on your experiences with doTERRA.

 

Healthy Sauces for Autoimmune

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While there are many varieties of sauce recipes, I tend to use these healthy sauces as they work well with my autoimmune condition.

White Sauce

White Sauce in Healthy Meal

White Sauce (Above) and Red Sauce (Below) with Healthy Meal Examples   ……. 

Red Sauce Red Sauce Healthy Meal

 

White Healthy Sauce

This white sauce is a slight modification found in the Whole Foods recipe section.

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 white onion, finely chopped
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup raw cashews
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon brown rice miso
  • Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes

Directions

Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add white onion and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor, add almond milk, cashews, nutritional yeast, onion powder, miso, nutmeg and pepper flakes and purée until smooth.

Red Healthy Sauce

This red sauce is a slight modification found in the Whole Foods recipe section.
*** Although the recipe calls for tomato paste, any canned tomatoes / tomato paste flares me up.  If you need to use it, start out with a small dose like 1-2 Tsp.

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 cup finely chopped white onion
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste ***
  • 3 – 4 beefsteak tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and crushed red pepper and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste *** and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium, stir in tomatoes and cook about 15 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally to make sure mixture doesn’t stick to the pan. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Serve warm or chill until ready to serve.

White or Red Healthy Sauce Meal Example

Taken from the healthy meal I used to make every morning for 4 months, you can use the white sauce to amp up the flavor.

  • 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
  • 1/8 cup diced onion
  • Ground pepper
  • 1/5 Container of Butterball Fresh Ground Turkey
  • Simply Organic Chicken Grilling Seasons (Get at Whole Foods)
  • 2-4 Tbsp cilantro
  • 1-2 types of leafy veggies – Bok Choy, Kale, Collard Greens, Swiss Chard, Sunflower Sprouts, or anything that’s in season at the farmers market.  Start out with a few leaves and adjust accordingly.
  • 1/4 diced red or yellow or green pepper
  • 2 crushed / finely diced garlic cloves
  • 3-5 sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1/2 diced tomato
  • 1/2 cup cooked brown rice 

Healing Meal Directions

On medium heat, add coconut oil, onion and ground pepper and wait until onion is translucent or browning.  Add in the turkey, seasoning, and cilantro.  Cover and cook until the meat is cooked (not browned).  Add in leafy veggies, pepper, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic for 3 minutes.  Turn off heat & add in tomato & brown rice for another 2 minutes.

BONUS: Healthy Salad Dressing

If you’ve made it this far on the list, I’ve got one more sauce (well, technically a healthy dressing) for you to try:

Combine 1 tablespoon brown rice miso, 1/4 cup orange juice (or 1/2 – 1 orange), 1-2 stalks green onions, and 1 teaspoon ginger in a food processor.  Enjoy!

Water Kefir for Autoimmune

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Water Kefir Grains

Water Kefir Grains

What is Water Kefir?

Water kefir is made from kefir grains, also known as sugar grains, tibicos, tibi, or Japanese water crystals. The grains make up cultures of various strains of healthy bacteria and yeast, held together in a polysaccharide matrix created by the bacteria. The symbiotic relationship of the microbes produces a stable growing culture. The microbes feed on sugar and produce lactic acid, alcohol (ethanol), and carbon dioxide, yielding a fermented carbonated beverage. The alcohol content is usually very minimal, less than 1%.  In a nutshell, it’s a large dosage of Probiotics in the natural form.  

What are the Autoimmune Natural Health Benefits of Water Kefir?

They are a natural supplier of Probiotics to our digestive track. Probiotics refers to the healthy bacteria that usually feed on the “bad” unhealthy bacteria in our stomach and intestines. Bacterial overgrowth can lead to many illnesses some of which include fungi, yeast infections, indigestion, obesity, Irritable Bowel Syndrome + Crohn’s Disease (my autoimmune disorder stems from these), skin disorders, etc. By drinking water kefir you will bring natural balance to your internal microflora.  By contrast, there is milk kefir [review comparison], however the dairy in it could be problematic and thus the reason I use water kefir.

UPDATE 7/3/13 – CONFIRMATION THAT WATER KEFIR WORKS FOR GOOD BACTERIA – Review the  Metametrix Gut Ecology Test Results for bacteria levels within my system.  You will see the predominant levels of bacteria (the good ones) are high and the pathogenic / opportunistic bacteria (the bad ones) are low and this is due strictly to the water kefir.  The only bacteria I need to supplement are the Bifidobacter and am taking a one month dosage to bring those levels up.

What are the Side Effects of Water Kefir?

Although some have reported candida-like issues, it usually stems from detoxification and only lasts for a few days.  In my research, I have not come up with any significant side effects nor have I developed any major flare-ups while taking water kefir.

UPDATE 4/12/13 – Taking water kefir every morning 4-8oz. with no side effects except mucus with stool if I have too much water kefir.  My body has improved since taking it and is one of the few enhancements / supplements I take now.  Kefir grains stopped growing 3-4 weeks after shipment but that makes it easier to manage.

UPDATE 10/21/13 – INCREASED FUNGUS LEVELS:  Review the  Metametrix Gut Ecology Test Results for Yeast / Fungi and you will see an elevated level of Saccharomyces.  If you read the various strains of healthy bacteria and yeast for water kefir, you will notice it contains Saccharomyces cerevisiae.  After stopping the water kefir for over a month, I have seen no significant side effects or improvements taking away the water kefir.  Therefore it is safe to say that the water kefir is benefiting me (due to increased good bacteria levels) and that this test shows I have an overgrowth of the good bacteria Saccharomyces cerevisiae and not the bad Saccharomyces.

UPDATE 5/17/15 – ACIDITY:  After 5 months of being only on Humira 1X/mo, HCL tablets (scroll to item #3 after clicking link), and water kefir, I noticed higher levels of acidity in my esophagus, some heartburn (especially if I don’t take enough HCL from my other meals), and more burping due to carbonation.  However, I solved this issue by diluting the water kefir, combining the drink with meals, and not letting it ferment more than 2 days (especially the more months you continue to ferment it).  And I also determined that as each month goes by, the water kefir alcohol strength increases (drinking 1/4 – 1/2 mason jar in the morning will almost always give me a buzz in the morning).

How to Make Water Kefir

Tools Needed (Only use plastic / glass, no metal):

  • Plastic strainer
  • Plastic measuring spoons
  • Plastic spoon or knife
  • 4-Cup Glass Measurer
  • Ball Mason jar 3 Glass Ball Mason jars
  • Small coffee filter
  • Rubber band

Ingredients Needed:

  • Filtered or spring water
  • Water kefir grains
  • Organic cane sugar
  • (Optional) Unsweetened, unsulfured dried fruit (apricots, figs or raisins)
  • (Optional) Organic lemon / lime

My Simple Instructions:

Cut lemon / lime in half & then cut again to make 4 pieces. Add 4 Tbsp of organic sugar to 3 cups of spring water.  Stir with plastic knife until sugar dissolves.  Add in strained water kefir and 4 pieces of lemon / lime.  Cover with the coffee filter and wrap with a rubber band for 48 hours in a cool, dry place.

After 48 hours, uncover & strain into a new Mason jar.  Make a new water sugar solution  into the 3rd Mason jar and repeat the steps shown above.

Here is a general video on how to make natural water kefir and what to look out for:

There are many varieties of making natural water kefir and changing the taste.  Look at the video below for more info:

Where Do I Find Natural Water Kefir Grains?

I originally purchased the grains from Green Mom Zoe.  Feel free to order from her & let her know you ordered from my site.

Photos of My Water Kefir Process

Sugar Water - Before Adding Kefir

Sugar Water – Before Adding Kefir

Before & After Water Kefir with Dried Figs.

Before & After Water Kefir with Dried Figs.

 

Water Kefir with Apricots.

Water Kefir with Apricots. Dried and Fermented Versions at the Bottom.