Aromatherapy and Angels March-April 2015

By Shari Caspert, Mom of 18- year old Matthew

There has been a lot of news about Essential oils and how they may help you with many health issues. This is very exciting, yet confusing at the same time. We have been using Essential Oils for the past 4 years in our home. We are always looking for options to help our son Matthew (age 18 with AS) to help him with sleep, behavior, anxiety, stress, focus, digestion and to keep his muscles strong and pain free.

After much trial and research we have come to realize that his body is constantly changing and that we may need different strategies to help him at different times, regardless of how consistent we keep things for him. We use a holistic approach that has made a huge difference by removing toxins from his body and his environment. He does still take some medication.  For Essential Oils, he diffuses, drinks and uses only Young Living Essential Oils.  We have eliminated toxins like bleach, perfumes or any anti- bacterial products (only non-toxic  toothpaste, soaps, shampoos and cleaners) for Matthew and our family. It is amazing how we have stayed healthy this winter season with all of the super bugs going around.

What are Essential Oils?Essential oils are extracted directly from plants and can be diffused, inhaled, applied topically, incorporated into massage, or taken internally. They are available as single oils or blends that may have organic carrier oils added for ease of use. You need to be sure that any Essential oil products that you are considering are therapeutic grade and have no additives. Many labels say  that  the oils are “pure”  so you may think that they are fine to use. Not the case. You can smell the difference between pure, perfume grade and therapeutic grade right away. We only use Young Living in our home as they use a special “Seed-to-Seal” ™ process where they control the fields, soil and quality of the oils.

(visit www.youngliving.com to learn more about the process and safety)

Remember – Anything you are ingesting, spraying in the air or putting on your body should be Non-toxic. Read labels (If a toothpaste says that you can’t swallow it, I would take that as a red flag)..

Our kids , family & even pets may crawl on the ground, explore things by putting objects into their mouths, take baths and are often in their bare feet. The pores in our bodies take it all in!

Many thanks to Sybille Kraft for her advice on diet, Dr. Ron Thibert, Dr. Michele Palumbo at Mass General and the Angelman Syndrome Foundation for being such wonderful supports for us!

If you would like additional tips you can reach me at:  scaspert@gmail.com      www.YLivewell.com

Matthew’s Nightly Sleep Routine:

• Epsom Salt Bath with lavender
• Put on PJ’s
• Turn on rain sound machine
• Diffuse 8 drops of lavender, I keep it on while he sleeps. (Home diffuser turns off when empty).

Try these tips or create your own.