Energy, Fitness and Sleep
With our supersonic lives, how often do we find ourselves wishing for even more energy – for sport and fitness activities, or even just for families, work and life!
Achieving optimal energy and fitness is a journey, and here are 5 essential steps to speed you along that track.
1. Optimise your Nutrition so you can keep up with yourself
2. Have an Exercise Toolkit to provide energy and support during and after exercise
3. Increase your Sexual Energy, the core of your life force
4. Boost your Stamina with Essential Oils, to remain energized and balanced throughout the day
5. Access high quality sleep – so your body can revitalize and replenish
These superfoods and supplements from Young Living will ensure your body is receiving all the critical nutrients it needs, so it’s able to function in a high energy state, and recover quickly after exercise.
1. NingXia Red
There is a reason why this product is at the top of the list! It’s the best all-round whole-food super-juice you’ll find. This delicious drink is packed full of vitamins and minerals….it’s pure nutrition for our body, and good nutrition creates an abundance of natural vitality! In fact, 60ml of NingXia Red is equivalent in biological activity to consuming 118 heads of broccoli, 200 oranges, or 45,628 almonds!
NingXia Red contains 16% NingXia Wolfberry puree (as well as Blueberry, Plum, Aronia, Cherry and Pomegranate juice, and stevia as a sweetener).
The Ningxia Wolfberry puree is obtained from organic goji berries (wolfberries) from the Ningxia Province of China. Located near the Mongolian border, this region is fed by beautiful, pure, mineral-rich glacial water, which many attribute as the “secret ingredient” in the wolfberries. These wolfberries are so popular in China, there is even an annual festival to celebrate them!
And no wonder – the Ningxia wolfberries have more Vitamin C than oranges and more beta carotene than carrots, they are high in Xeaxanthin (a nutrient needed by our eyes to optimize vision). The ancient Chinese used wolfberries to support the health of their muscles, ligaments, bones, liver, heart, brain and eyes.
There is a famous Chinese text written in 1593 AD. It talks about a wolfberry elixer which was given to an elderly man. After drinking it, this man “Could walk extremely fast, as if he were flying, and his grey hair turned black again.” Why? Because mineral loss in the body can cause premature greying of the hair. Support the body to have healthy levels of minerals, and it becomes supple and youthful.
Drink 60ml of NingXia Red….and if you love the taste of oranges, add 2 to 4 drops of Young Living Orange or Tangerine oil in it. Add filtered water if desired (as some people like it “neat”, others like it diluted). Available in handy 60ml sachets – perfect for taking to sports and fitness activities. Also available in 750ml bottles (2 pack and 4 pack).
2. NingXia Zyng
Ready for a hit of pure energy? With 35 mg of natural caffeine per can, NingXia Zyng is a refreshing carbonated energy drink based on wolfberry puree, blackberry and pear juice concentrate, and white tea leaf extract. Containing Lime oil and Black Pepper oil, and sweetened with organic evaporated cane juice and stevia leaf extract, NingXia Zyng is the perfect thirst-quencher at the gym
Tip: If you want a great party cocktail idea, mix 60ml of NingXia Red into a chilled can of NingXia Zyng, with 4 drops of Orange or Tangerine oil.
3. Mineral Essence
Minerals are essential to an active, vibrant life. They generate electrical impulses in order to drive muscles, including the heart. They feed the brain, and they help cells to balance water pressure so that vitamins and other nutrients can be absorbed.
According to Dr. Gary Price Todd, MD, the human body requires at least 60 minerals for optimal health, yet only 8 minerals are available in any kind of quantity in most of the food we eat today. This is because many of our soils are now depleted in minerals, so even the very best organic food can be mineral-deficient.
Ionic minerals are the very best type of mineral supplement, and the most easily absorbed by our intestines, according to Dr. Alexander G. Schauss, Ph.D..
Young Living’s Mineral Essence is an ionic mineral supplement that is organic, and has more than 60 different trace minerals, including beryllium, bismuth, boron, bromine, calcium, carbon, cesium, chloride, chromium, copper, gallium, germanium, gold, hafnium, indium, iodine, iron, lithium, lutetium, manganese, magnesium, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, rubidium, scandium, selenium, silica, silver, sodium, strontium, sulfur, tantalum, thallium, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, yttrium, zinc and zirconium.
It contains Honey (a natural emulsifier and sweetener), and Royal Jelly, which is rich in amino acids, minerals and Vitamins B5 and B6, and which provides wonderful energy for the body. And it contains Lemon, Cinnamon Bark and Peppermint Essential Oils.
The recommended use is 5 droppers (5ml), diluted in a glass of water, juice or NingXia Red daily.
4. Sulfurzyme
Sulfurzyme is based on MSM (methylsulfonylmethane), a naturally occurring form of sulfur. Sulfur is needed by our body in order to maintain healthy muscles, ligaments and tendons. It even boosts our ability to recover from exercise.
In a 2017 study, scientists discovered that MSM supplementation lessened post-exercise muscle and joint pain. – Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2017 Jul 21;14:24 by E.D. Withee, K.M. Tippens, R. Dehen, D. Tibbitts, D. Hanes and H. Zwickey.
But just having MSM is not enough – you can eat as much as you like, but it won’t be absorbed unless you have the necessary co-factors present. That’s why Young Living’s Sulfurzyme has been formulated to contain both high quality MSM and NingXia wolfberry fruit powder. The wolfberry supplies the nutrients to enhance the assimilation of the sulfur. Contains Anise and Fennel essential oils, and the Australian version of Sulfurzyme also contains Copaiba essential oil.
It’s no wonder that Sulfurzyme can also be used to provide temporary relief from the pain of osteoarthritis!
5. Longevity Softgels
We all know that healthy exercise is great for our body, mind and spirit….however, it does have one down side. Exercise increases our aerobic metabolism, which in turn produces killer molecules in our body called “free radicals”. These free radicals cause cell damage and oxidative stress, the underlying cause of aging.
It’s a catch 22, and fortunately there is a simple solution that allows you to exercise and stay young at the same time!
Longevity softgels contain therapeutic-grade Clove, Frankincense, Orange and Thyme essential oil in a base of coconut oil. Take 1 cap per day of these fat-soluble antioxidants, in order to protect your cells from the damaging effects of free radicals.
6. BLM/Agilease
Exercise can place a lot of stress on our muscles and joints, and this is where BLM and Agilease come in. BLM is available in Australia, Agilease is available in the USA. Both are beneficial for athletes and active people of all ages. BLM:
And all this thanks to its powerful natural ingredients such as type II collagen, MSM and glucosamine sulphate, and the uplifting effects of Copaiba, Idaho Balsam Fir and Clove essential oils.
Agilease contains Frankincense resin powder, UC-II un-denatured collagen, hyaluronic acid, calcium fructoborate, and a blend of Copaiba, Northern Lights Black Spruce, Clove and Wintergreen essential oils.
7. OmegaGize3
This master supplement is a super-nutrient with 3 key ingredients which all work synergistically:
Omega 3
The Omega 3 is sourced from fish oil, which is very high in DHA and EPA. These are the good fats that our brain, eyes and heart need to stay healthy.
Scientists have confirmed that supplementing with Omega 3 can be effective in reducing delayed onset muscle soreness after intense exercise, as well as increasing range of movement. – Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 2009 Mar;19(2):115-9, by B. Tartibian, B.H. Maleki and A. Abbasi.
In a 2011 study, researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine investigated the increase in muscle protein on men aged 25 to 45, from taking 4 grams per day of omega 3 supplements for 8 weeks. The participants who took the Omega 3 supplement gained more muscle and developed larger muscle cells than the control group. – Clinical Science (London), 2011 Sep;121(6):267-78 by G.I. Smith, P. Atherton, D.N. Reeds, B.S. Mohammed, D. Rankin, M.J. Rennie and B. Mittendorfer
But with the contamination of our oceans, how do you know that your fish oil is free of heavy metals? Young Living uses only wild caught small fish, caught from the cleanest waters on our planet (such as off the coast of Alaska, and from The Grand Banks in the Atlantic Ocean). The fish are then put through a super-filtration process to remove any trace chemicals.
The problem with fish oil is that it goes rancid very, very quickly. To try and stabilize itself, it will drag Vitamin E out of your cells and tissues, because Vitamin E is a natural antioxidant. That’s so bad for your body, that the latest research is saying you should never take a fish oil unless you are taking a powerful fat-soluble antioxidant at the same time…and that’s what essential oils are! Young Living combines the Omega 3 with clove oil and other high-antioxidant essential oils, and also with rice bran oil (a natural source of Vitamin E).
Vitamin D3
This is an essential nutrient for our body, for strengthening bones, brain and metabolism. In Australia we have a massive Vitamin D3 deficiency due to our overuse of sunscreens (which block out the sunlight necessary to make Vitamin D3).
Inadequate Vitamin D3 levels are linked to muscle pain and weakness, as well as to breast cancer and other types of cancer. – New England Journal of Medicine, 2007 357: 266-81, by M.F. Holick.
That’s why it makes such good sense to supplement with Vitamin D3.
Coenzyme Q10
CoQ10 levels decrease with age….but it’s one of those substances that is absolutely vital to our health! Like oxygen and water, we wouldn’t exist without CoQ10!!! It acts like a super-vitamin to help us produce enzymes and energy. Like essential oils, it’s a powerful antioxidant. We do get it naturally from our diet, especially from fish and meat, however we’d need to eat 12 chicken breasts to get the same amount of CoQ10 that’s in one serving (4 caps) of OmegaGize3. So this is a great way to get the extra CoQ10 that your body needs to feel super healthy.
Scientists studied a fast-melt CoQ10 formula, and found that people taking it were able to exercise for longer before they reached exhaustion. This applied to both healthy untrained as well as trained individuals. – Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2008; 5:8, by M. Cooke, M. Losia, T. Buford, B. Shelmadine, G. Hudson, C. Kerksick, C. Rasmussen, M. Greenwood, B. Leutholtz, D. Willoughby and R. Kreider.
It is well known that unaccustomed or heavy exercise can lead to muscle fatigue, delayed-onset muscle soreness, and a decrease in athletic performance. – International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 2013 Feb;23(1):83-96 by T.D. Mickleborough
Take these products with you to the gym and other high energy activities, to give you a boost of energy, to relax your muscles after their workout, and to assist with post-exercise recovery:
Deep Relief Roll-on
This roll-on fits conveniently into your pocket, purse or briefcase, for easy use wherever you are. It contains nine powerful essential oils – Peppermint, Idaho Balsam Fir, Clove, Vetiver, Wintergreen, Lemon, Helichrysum, Copaiba and Dorado Azul. Simply roller it directly onto areas of muscle soreness or tension, including head or neck tension.
Cool Azul Sports Gel
With 10% (10ml) of therapeutic-grade essential oils in every 100ml tube, combined with Aloe Vera, this hydrating sports gel is the perfect choice to use before and after physical activity. It contains a topically cooling blend of Peppermint essential oil, menthol and camphor, combined with Plectranthus Oregano and Dorado Azul essential oil.
Orthoease/Orthosport
Orthoease and Orthosport are great massage oils to use on those tired muscles. With a base of fractionated coconut oil and grapeseed oil, and containing tension-relieving essential oils including Peppermint and Wintergreen oil, these massage oils are the perfect choice to use after exercise. Orthoease is more gentle, Orthosport is more intensive.
Peppermint Oil
When you reach that point of exhaustion during exercise and need “just a little bit more” oomph, reach for your Peppermint oil. Place 1 drop on the back of your hand, tilt your hand, and lick the corner of the drop off….or the whole drop, if you don’t mind how intense it is on the taste buds.
If you are feeling hot from your exercise, place a drop of Peppermint oil on the wrist. This creates a naturally cooling sensation on the skin, helping you to feel like the outside temperature has dropped by 5 degrees! Alternatively, make up a cooling spritzer.
Exercise: In a 60ml mist spray bottle, add 20 drops of essential oil, 1 teaspoon of Witch Hazel, and top up with water.
Why Peppermint Oil? It takes you beyond your limitations!
Enhancing athletic performance is a great desire among the athletes, coaches and researchers. Here are two very exciting scientific studies demonstrating the effectiveness of Peppermint oil on athletic performance.
In this first experiment, the Peppermint oil was inhaled. 20 male and 20 female athletes were all given adhesive tape to place under their nose, and on this tape was put 2 drops of Peppermint oil. Compared to performing these tasks with no odor, they:
In this next experiment, the Peppermint oil was mixed with mineral water and given as a drink. 12 Male university students were each given 500ml of mineral water per day with 0.05ml of peppermint oil in each daily drink (that’s about 1 drop in 500ml of mineral water). At the beginning and end of this 10 days, the students were assessed using a standard treadmill exercise test for the time it took them to reach exhaustion, the total work expended, the maximal power, the vertical distance and horizontal distance (as computed by the treadmill’s software, taking into account the slop angle, speed and duration of each stage). The changes were as follows:
Scientists concluded that the “results strongly support the effectiveness of peppermint essential oil on the exercise performance” when taken in oral form like this. – Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2013; 10:15. By A. Meamarbashi and A. Rajabi. Published online 2013 Mar 21. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-10-15
Testimonial:
16 days of hiking to Mt Everest Basecamp was the toughest thing I’ve ever done. Whenever I was exhausted, I rubbed Peppermint oil on my chest and inhaled it. It gave my energy levels such a boost that I needed to consciously slow down my walking pace, otherwise I overtook everyone! Peppermint is now my go to oil for energy stamina. – Sharon Wild (QLD)
Not only is your sexual energy the core of your life force and physical stamina, it also leads to a strong sense of inner wellbeing and connected relationships. These 3 oils empower and boost energy in this very important aspect of life.
Progessence (Phyto) Plus
This is a women-only oil blend, so this is NOT to be used by men!!! Put 4 drops on your belly, wrists or throat each day. Do this for a few weeks, then review how you feel. If desired, you can increase to 4 drops twice a day (or more). When used daily, this blend helps women to feel more balanced throughout the month, and to access higher quality sleep. If you live in the US, it is called Progessence Plus, and contains wild yam extract. In other regions, it’s Progessence Phyto Plus, and is a different formula based on Vitex essential oil.
Shutran
This is a great oil blend for both men and women. Apply 2 to 4 drops (women) and 4 to 8 drops (men) to the forearms or feet and ankles.
For women, Shutran helps improve energy levels and focus. For men, it does these same things, but it also helps everything go upwards! It’s a great oil for enhancing the feelings of masculinity, and it smells fantastic!
Sensation Oil
Use a drop on the heart to increase self-respect and self-love, or a drop on the abdomen prior to lovemaking, to increase sexual arousal. The aroma of essential oils goes straight to the limbic region of the brain, which is the centre of our emotions. This makes essential oils a very powerful tool for stimulating all different emotions, including delight, pleasure and ecstasy.
To learn more about how to use essential oils for lovemaking, click here.
Whether you have an active exercise regime or not, you will love the benefits of these simple morning and evening essential oil rituals.
Morning EndoFlex and En-R-Gee ritual
Each morning, put 5 drops of EndoFlex oil blend and 5 drops of En-R-Gee oil blend into your palms, rub your palms 3 times clockwise, then rub the mix over your throat and also on either side of your spine just under the ribs (in the region of your adrenals).
The 3 times clockwise movement is optional, however it “activates” the oil by setting an intention into it. Our DNA spins clockwise when we are in balance, so by using that clockwise rotation with the oil, we are affirming health through every level of our being, including on a cellular and DNA level.
And why these 2 oils? EndoFlex is a fantastic oil for helping us remain balanced in our emotions and moods. Combining Spearmint, Sesame Seed Oil, Sage, Geranium, Myrtle, German Chamomile and Nutmeg, it helps to even out the energy dips of the day, and supports us in being able to “speak out” and be heard (hence the reason we place it onto our throat “chakra”, the energetic centre of communication).
En-R-Gee is your go-to oil for naturally lifting energy levels and helping you remain alert. Combining Rosemary, Juniper, Lemongrass, Nutmeg, Idaho Balsam Fir, Clove and Black Pepper, this oil blend is invigorating and stimulating, and hence the perfect way to kick-start your day!
Caution: If you’ve ever had an epileptic seizure, both EndoFlex and En-R-Gee need to be used with caution, so just use 1 drop of each oil as described above (instead of 5 drops of each), and when you do step 3, use Release or Frankincense oil instead of En-R-Gee up the spine. Also, EndoFlex is not recommended for children under 18 months of age.
If you feel your energy flagging in the day, have a friend give you an “energy balance”. This can also be adapted to do on yourself, with the sections of your spine you can reach.
Place a drop of Awaken oil on the third eye. This is located in the middle of the forehead, a couple of centimetres above the eyebrows.
Lie face down, and have your friend drip 3 to 5 drops of En-R-Gee oil up your spine from base of spine to neck. This can be lightly massaged in, or else it can be “feathered in” using the backs of the fingernails to spread the oil up the spine with soft, feather-like movements.
Next, roll over so you are face up, and have your friend put 3 drops of Valor oil under each of your foot, and rotate in a clockwise direction to activate the oil. They can then hold their left palm to the underneath of your left foot, and their right palm to the underneath of your right foot, and hold like this for 5 to 10 minutes.
This will leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.
Caution: Awaken is photosensitive, meaning that this part of your skin (your forehead) needs to be kept out of direct sunlight for 24 hours, ie. wear a hat if you are going into the sun. If that’s not possible, place the Awaken oil under your big toes instead, as this corresponds to the head.
Each evening, rub 2 to 3 drops of Idaho Balsam Fir on your chest, and a couple of drops of Nutmeg oil over your adrenal area.
You can even put a warm moist towel over the top of your adrenals, and a dry towel over the top of that, and lay on your back for 10 minutes while the warmth of the towel penetrates your tired muscles, and the aroma of Nutmeg oil relaxes and uplifts you.
Nutmeg oil has been found to stimulate the brain and remove mental exhaustion, stress and occasions of anxiousness, and at the same time improve cognition.
Scientists have even discovered that Nutmeg oil increased the duration of sleep in young chickens, and especially deep sleep, after the chickens had been given ethanol (ie. alcohol) to induce the sleep state. This is why Nutmeg oil is great to use of an evening. – Experientia. 1978 Apr 15;34(4):492-3 by C.J. Sherry and R.E. Burnett.
High quality sleep could be described as the fountain of eternal energy. When you sleep, your brain sorts and catalogues the experiences of the day, and it releases hormones like melatonin and human growth hormone to regulate your energy, mood and mental capacity. To complete its work effectively, the brain needs 7 to 8 hours of work. Give it less than this, and not only your energy but also your moods, productivity, creativity and concentration takes a hit.
Healthy sleep has four cycles or stages to it. Stages 1 and 2 are lighter sleep cycles, gently unplugging the brain from the busyness of the day. The final stage, Stage 4, is called REM (rapid eye movement), and this is when we are dreaming the most, and our brain is active.
Stage 3 is called “deep sleep” or “delta sleep”. This is the deepest stage of sleep that we access, and it’s vital to our wellbeing. During this sleep cycle:
Ideally we want to be spending 15 to 20% of our night in deep sleep, which happens in the first third of the night. Without this deep sleep, our body misses the opportunity to keep us strong and healthy, and we can age at a faster rate.
Fortunately essential oils have been shown to positively impact on sleep, allowing us to slip into a deep state of relaxation.
In 1993, a study at the Tullamore General Hospital in Ireland applied one drop of Lavender oil to each of the four corners of patient’s mattresses, and the Lavender oil was also diffused through the night. Scientists discovered a 34% improvement in the number of patients who slept well using the Lavender oil. –G. Cannard 1993
In a 1995 study, a single drop of Lavender oil was applied each evening to the pillows of nine elderly patients for one week. 8 of the 9 patients reported improved wakefulness and alertness during the day, suggesting improved and higher quality sleep at night. – Hudson 1995
A 2016 study was undertaken with 60 nurses working shift work. The nurses were asked to inhale essential oil for 3 minutes at a distance of 10cm from their nose, and to sleep with an aroma stone 30cm from their head (for continued inhalation of the aroma). Scientists concluded that the inhalation of essential oil increased the quality of sleep and reduced the number of times the person woke, and could therefore be used to improve the quality of sleep in shift workers. – Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing by W. Kim and M.H. Hur. 2016 Dec;46(6):769-779.
The top 5 essential oils to aid in a restful night’s sleep
Whilst Lavender oil has had the most research done on it in relation to sleep, it’s certainly not the only essential oil to benefit deep and restful sleep. Most people like to have a range of essential oils on hand for sleeping, as the body can become desensitized to an oil. This means that rotating between oils every few days can be beneficial for some.
Practice Good Sleep Habits
In addition to using essential oils, ensure you are practicing good sleep habits (also known as “sleep hygiene”).