II am absolutely fascinated by medicinal plants, the gentle gifts of our Creator to help us to improve our lives, treat health conditions, and optimize our health and fertility. One of my favorite ways to enjoy beneficial plants is through essential oils. If you don't already know, essential oils are a big health trend these days, and for good reason! These super concentrated essences of plants are aromatic, potent, healing, and just plain fun to use.  I have slowly graduated from cautiously smelling the cute little bottles to incorporating many different ways of using these oils in my home and daily healthcare. 

The essential oil industry however, can be quite contentious. There are dynamic  debates on safety, optimal use, and quality. Having a pure and high quality oil is very important if you want the product to be safe and beneficial. It's certainly vital to know and trust your essential oil manufactures and educators. 

Everyone and their brother seems to have an opinion on what brand is best, which is great! A competitive marketplace ensures that consumers have options.  However, this particular industry  becomes so heated and the competition downright brutal, and it can be just a bit  ridiculous. So what essential oil brand do I recommend?

I don't. I don't recommend any particular brand, because no one brand has the corner on quality and value. I could tell you which low quality brands to avoid, but that's another conversation. Let's talk a bit more about your basic options and where to start in choosing a good brand. 

Store Bought vs. Direct Sales
The biggest contention seems to be between the store-bought-only crowd and the direct sales diehards. Those part of a big mulit-level marketing (MLM) company might fear that any oils bought off the shelf at stores or on Amazon are diluted, additive-ridden garbage. On the opposite end,  those who dislike the MLM model may see any direct sale company as predatory and their products overpriced. Both viewpoints are far too generalized and unfair. 
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Both MLM  and store bought essential oils can be excellent products. No one company has the corner on quality oils. You just have to do your research and find a brand that's best for you. Or pick several! Who says you can't enjoy more than one?

Here are a few things to consider when deciding on what to buy:

•  Do you agree with the company's philosophy?
• Is there 3rd party testing available to ensure quality?
• ​What do unbiased reviews say?
• Is it in a price range that you and your family can afford?
• Are you looking for a product that is less expensive because of lower overhead, or are you looking for the community, support, and business opportunities from a direct sales/multi-level marketing company? (hint - there is no wrong answer)
• If you are buying retail, what's your source? (I'd trust brands selected by a health store more than something I'd find at Walmart, for example).
• If MLM, is it a brand new company that's untested, or one that has a good track record of successful products and happy customers?

So talk to friends, read reviews, books and articles, and try as many different brands as you can.   Good oils should smell good and have noticable effects. They should be enjoyable to use and worth their price. 

One website I love for non-brand specific essential oil information is Using Essential Oils Safely.  Check out your library as well - there are lots of essential oil books with reference information,  recipes, and creative ideas on how to use oils for health and wellness.
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I'm always on the lookout for alternative therapies to improve menstrual cycle health. So many women turn to powerful artificial hormones such as oral contraceptives for symptoms such as irregular periods, period pain, and even hormonal regulation. While therapies such as the Pill may mask symptoms temporarily, they do nothing to address the root cause of women's symptoms or balance a women's own hormones. 

I've long been aware of a unique kind of abdominal massage called Arvigo® Therapy, but practitioners with this kind of specialized training are few and far between. So I was delighted to discover that a homebirth midwife in my area is a certified Arvigo® practioner! She graciously agreed to an interview so that all of us could learn more about this fascinating modality and how it can benefit cycle health, fertility, and childbearing.

                                                                                                (This article may contain affiliate links)
When looking for resources about women's health and fertility, the sheer amount of information available can be overwhelming. There are countless books, blogs, magazines, websites devoted to the topic, some of which offer conflicting advice. I'd like to start writing some reviews about resources that I've found to be informative, research-based and useful. The first one I'd like to share with you was easy to pick - I use this book as a reference on at least a weekly basis! It's called Fertility, Cycles and Nutrition by Marilyn M. Shannon, M.A., and it is by far my favorite book on menstrual health that I've ever read. The author holds a master's degree in human physiology and biochemistry, and she has a special interest in nutrition and reproductive health. She is also a natural family planning instructor with decades of experience. ​

Fertility, Cycles and Nutrition could be read through from cover to cover, but it may be more suitable as a reference guide for everything related to nutrition and menstrual health.

Part One of the book consists of basic nutritional advice - useful for everyone, not just women! Chapter titles include Twelve Rules for Better Nutrition, Obtaining and Preparing Nutritious Food, and Basic Supplements to Consider. 

Part Two, which encompasses the majority of the volume, is titled Overcoming Reproductive Problems and Challenges. Shannon describes a number of ways that nutritional deficiencies can lead to or exaggerate reproductive issues, and how proper nutrition, supplementation, and other natural remedies can provide significant improvement. This section deals with a variety of topics including PMS, painful periods, thyroid function, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, luteal phase deficiency, yeast and vaginal infections, low sexual desire, endometriosis, infertility, miscarriage, and more. There are also sections focusing on optimal health for pre-conception, pregnancy, postpartum and breastfeeding. 

Throughout her book, Shannon gives specific vitamin recommendations, including dosage, to support various conditions. Her advice is clear, practical and easy to implement. 
Best of all, Shannon's background as a natural family planning instructor means that she readily understands and describes how charting fertility signs and interpreting that chart can provide valuable clues to a woman's overall health. 

I highly recommend this book to any woman of reproductive age, whether avoiding pregnancy, trying to conceive, or simply looking to improve her menstrual cycles and general well-being.

The latest edition can be found here.

(This post may contain affiliate links)

You may be familiar with raspberries as a favorite summertime treat. But you may not know that the red raspberry plant (rubus idaeus), particularly its leaves, has long been celebrated for its reported health benefits. Naturally full of nutrients such as vitamins A, B, C and E, this versatile plant is especially appreciated as an effective support for many aspects of women’s health. This plant is considered to be safe for women of childbearing age, including pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Here are just a few of the ways that red raspberry leaf has traditionally been used: