Last weekend, I went to Boulder, CO for a doTERRA essential oils conference.  I don’t know what I was expecting, but I can tell you that the conference was from 9 to 5 both Saturday and Sunday, and as much as I wanted to learn more about the oils, I was also dreading sitting in a conference for both of my weekend days. I mean, how am I supposed to enjoy being away from home in Boulder when I’m sitting in a class/meeting room all day for both days??

My mom and I flew in Friday night so we were prepared for an early Saturday wake-up. And that it was…aren’t vacations meant for sleeping in?? My sister-in-law also joined us for the weekend, so it was a nice girls’ weekend (at least there was that) :) Well, the three of us head downstairs around 830 or so (after breakfast, of course, which was Whole30 compliant!!) to get signed in and find some seats (in the back, closest to the door for easy escapes!). The first thing we’re told is that there were going to be no breaks because they had so much information to cover. What?! Don’t they know how much water I drink and how often that means I’m in the bathroom?? Ugh.

But then the conference started…and boy, was I wrong for dreading it. Because it was absolutely amazing! Hayley and Wes Hobson, the people holding the conference, were amazing! Their stories were so relatable and they were so personable and easy to talk to. Plus, the other stories I heard were so uplifting and life-changing. Knowing that I wasn’t alone in my struggles was refreshing. I can’t tell you how many times I cried that weekend listening to others’ stories and seeing how the oils have changed
their lives. I’ve been there! I have the same stories!

My weekend in Boulder changed my perspective on essential oils. I used them daily prior to the conference (and I still do), but how I view them as a part of my life and a part of my business is very different now. The fact that there is an oil for EVERYTHING still amazes me! Have a sore back? I have an oil for that. Having hormonal/cycle issues? I have an oil for that. Have an insect bite? I have an oil for that. Have acne? Yup, you guessed it…I have an oil for that! What about snoring? I have an oil for that too! This stuff is amazing! And it is truly life-changing!

I got into using essential oils basically as a last resort. I had tried EVERYTHING for my insomnia, fatigue, and acne. My mom started using them and suggested a few that she thought would work best for me. At first, I wasn’t a believer. I thought it was going to be something that I spent a ton of money on and then it would end up under the bathroom sink, only to be thrown away months later when I was cleaning out the mess that accumulates there (seriously, how many half-empty bottles do you have under your sink??).

So I signed up for a wholesale account with doTERRA in July 2014. I bought a small kit so I could have the oils and see how they would work for me. Almost immediately, I could see and feel the difference. I started using lavender on the bottoms of my feet to help me sleep and noticed I was falling asleep easier. I purchased the calming blend and added it with the lavender and holy crap! I was sleeping through the night!! I started using the digestive blend for my digestive issues and noticed I wasn’t having issues going to the bathroom anymore! I even started using the oils to help balance my hormones! And for the first time in YEARS, I have a normal cycle…WITHOUT ANY MEDICATION! I’m not on birth control and I’m not taking anything to keep me regulated. Oils have helped me with that (plus a healthy diet and exercise)! Seriously though…how crazy is that??

Then, one day at training for work, I got bit not once, but twice, by a horsefly. Now, if any of you have been bitten by one, those suckers are super itchy, like above and beyond a normal bug bite itchy! Nothing was helping! So I did a little research on the oils I had on hand and it said peppermint and oregano would help. I thought it was a bit weird, but I tried it. And the itching stopped!!! Within a matter of days, the bites/welts were gone and I no longer itched! I was a believer! Oregano helps with stopping infections and if you aren’t careful with horsefly bites, they can get pretty badly infected. I would have never known that without using the oils! I mean, I smelled like a minty pizza, but I wasn’t itchy anymore!

Seriously, these things are amazing. They have changed my life and how I look at medications. I first turn to the oils when I have a pain (headaches, anyone?). There are oils for headaches/migraines. I even got my boyfriend, Scott, converted. He used to have migraines pretty badly and would take medicine routinely for it. Now he uses the oils instead. He knows they aren’t messing with his internal system like regular medications do. We also use them on his three children, who are 12, 10, and 5. I’ve even used them on my godson when he was 3 months old!!! These oils are safe for everyone, people (caveat is that they need to be diluted with children)!!! And they work!!

If you are interested in learning more about essential oils, please reach out :)I would love to work with you on any health concerns you may have and determine how we can make you the happiest, healthiest version of YOU!! If you are interested in making some money by sharing the essential oils, definitely reach out! It’s a great opportunity to be a part of an amazing organization that has even more amazing products!! I truly believe in this product and how it’s changed my life. What can it do for you?

We woke up to this Sunday morning in Boulder :)  Isn’t it beautiful?!

With love and wellness,

Whitney

Welcome back!  I hope you had an amazing Thanksgiving and spent it with loved ones!  This was the first year I hosted Thanksgiving with my boyfriend and, if I do say so myself, it was a huge success!  We had a great day (albeit a busy one) and we enjoyed great company and even better food!  So think back to my last post when I was talking about my health problems and how I was attempting to fix them on my own.  I ended it with a discussion on juice cleanses and how they were great, but didn’t really work for me.

So onto 2013…I decided I would become vegan and gluten-free and continue my quest to cook real, whole foods. I’d also been doing a lot of online research about acne and how to cure the underlying hormonal issues that were a problem. A lot of the other issues I was having (anxiety, insomnia, etc.) were also related to my underlying hormone problems. Of course, the dermatologist wanted to put me back on antibiotics or for me to go back on birth control (I took myself off them in 2011 – that’s a whole other post). They also wanted me to try Accutane, but after reading the side effects and seeing how dried out it makes people really turned me off. I already had naturally dry skin; I didn’t need the extra help. Plus, the other side effects in general scared me. So I made it my journey and goal to find out how to cure myself naturally. Being put on a drug, whether it was on antibiotics or birth control, was a last resort…and one I really didn’t want to take.

In October 2013, I was still breaking out and couldn’t figure out what was causing it, even though I was eating pretty healthy and was doing my best to eat real, whole foods. I was eating a lot of nuts (as snacks and in meals as replacement items), still drinking alcohol, and had a wicked sweet tooth. I would make “healthy” sweet treats after dinner almost every night. I think I had myself convinced it was okay because I was using paleo ingredients. That makes it okay, right?! By that point, I had had enough. I came across a 21-day sugar detox that really spoke to me – this is the one I did: http://balancedbites.com/category/21-day-sugar-detox. I knew I needed to break my addiction to sugar…because yes, sugar is addictive. Once you have some, your body continues to crave more and more of it. I stopped drinking alcohol, cut out the sweet treats, limited the amount of fruit I was eating, and quit eating food that had sugar in it or converted to sugar after eating it. Two weeks into it, my skin was clearing up and I started craving meat like you wouldn’t believe. Specifically, I started craving bacon. I learned to finally listen to what my body needed and give it the right fuel to keep me going. I started eating meat again and have more energy and feel so much better than I did before. I have my sugar moments still, but it’s definitely not as bad as it once was. And I learned that sugar and eating a lot of nuts, specifically almonds, triggers my acne. It’s taken me years to figure this out, and sometimes it’s still a learning process. I’ve also tried my hand at a couple Whole 30s – http://whole30.com, which is 30 days of paleo eating; i.e, taking out alcohol, bread/gluten, grains/rice, any sugar, etc. I feel so much better when I eat that way, but it is very restrictive and time consuming. It truly is meant as a reset for your system, not as a way to eat forever.

I also recently started using Essential Oils and became a Wellness Advocate with DoTerra. I was a little skeptical at first as to how using oils like that would work for me. But I don’t like taking medicine and I don’t like using things that aren’t natural on my skin. So little by little, I tried them out. I used different oils for headaches, which I tend to get when I’m stressed. I was amazed when they worked! I also started using different oils for PMS symptoms and cramps. Once I found the right combination and when to use them, I was once again amazed they worked. I now use essential oils for almost everything. I use lemon in my water in the morning to help flush my system and get the day started right. I use lavender, frankincense, and melaleuca as part of my face moisturizer in the mornings and evenings. I also use lavender and a blend called serenity at night on my feet and in a diffuser to help me sleep. And when I get bug bites (which is often), I either use lavender or a mix of peppermint and oregano to help stop the itching. I recently used a mixture of coconut oil and lavender on my boyfriend’s feet when he had a massive amount of bug bites from a night spent in dirty water. Within days, his feet were healed and clearing up with no itching. I’m amazed at how these oils work, and I continue to learn more about them every day.

I also stopped using any products with ingredients that I couldn’t pronounce or had to look up to learn what it was. I use all natural products for my face wash and I use coconut oil and tamanu oil in conjunction with the essential oils as my moisturizer. I buy natural shampoo and conditioner. Anything you put ON or IN your body affects you! Your skin is the largest organ of your body, so whatever you put on it will be instantly absorbed. So it makes sense that if you’re using highly processed lotions and soaps that your internal system is going to have that much more to detox out. Add that to any highly processed foods you’re eating and your body has to work that much harder to flush it all out! It’s amazing how all the little changes add up to a happier, healthier version of myself!

I’ll end this post on that note and hope that you have a beautiful Monday!  And a happy first day of December!  I can’t believe how quickly this year has flown by!  24 days til Christmas!!  How’s your shopping coming along??

With love and wellness,

Whitney

Hi, and welcome to Wellness Wisdom with Whitney!  I have a very important question for you:

Have you ever felt trapped or imprisoned by the endless diets and rounds of exercise that seem to go nowhere? I want to help you escape that endless trap and help you create a healthy, lasting lifestyle for an authentic, happy YOU!!

I am Whitney Cumpson, an up and coming Health Coach and a doTerra Wellness Advocate in Virginia Beach, VA. I am currently enrolled in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) and will be a pre-certified Health Coach in December 2014, and a Certified Health Coach upon obtaining my certificate in June 2015. First and foremost, I want to say that I don’t believe in the word “diet.” I think a person who “diets” sets themselves up for failure, because it’s all about restrictions and things they can’t have. Instead, I’m here to help you focus on lifestyle changes and focus on all the amazing foods you CAN eat! There is a wide array of real, whole foods that are nourishing and healthy and absolutely delicious!! I want to help you discover that deliciousness!

Now I know some of you may be asking what, exactly, is a Health Coach and a Wellness Advocate?  A Health Coach is someone who works with you to help you understand and create healthy eating habits, build a healthier relationship with food, define your specific health goals, gain awareness around lifestyle nourishment, provide you support and motivation, as well as help you create a personalized action plan to reach your health goals. I’d work with you on all these things (and more) and help hold you accountable on your progress.  A Wellness Advocate provides you information and education on doTerra essential oils and how they can help you in your every day life.  They are safe and easy to use for you, your children, your family, EVERYONE!  Essential oils go hand in hand with your health and lifestyle goals!  I’ve recently started using them for all sorts of things and I LOVE them!!  But I’ll tell you a bit more about that in a later post.

First, I want to tell you a little about myself. It’s been a long road of personal discovery into my health problems, one that’s involved a lot of doctor trips and not understanding why I felt the way I did. It’s also one that involves a lot of self-discovery and learning about myself, as well as how to create the healthiest, happiest version of myself I could possibly be.

About 5 years ago, I was ending a very unhealthy relationship – one that included an engagement ring and a lot of wedding plans. I was unhappy, my face was breaking out (which I attributed to stress), I wasn’t sleeping well at all (insomnia, waking up with night sweats, etc.), I was unsatisfied at work, my anxiety was through the roof, and I had zero energy – I had enough to get up, work out, drag my sorry butt to work, then come home to eat dinner, sleep and do it all again the next day. It was no way to live my life. At the time, I did the “normal” thing of going to my regular doctor, who tested my thyroid and iron levels and found that everything was “normal.” He told me I was super healthy and that if all his patients were as healthy as me that he wouldn’t have a practice. However, I was still exhausted (this really doesn’t accurately describe how I was feeling) and breaking out and unhappy. I went to a dermatologist, as well, for my acne. Surprisingly, they put me on antibiotics. This wasn’t the first time I’d been on them for this issue, nor was it the first time I’d been on them in my life. I started having strep throat every year from a young age and was on antibiotics on an annual basis to cure it. In fact, I had strep throat three times in the first semester of my freshman year in college!! Yes, I still had my tonsils then. I didn’t get them out til I was almost 26!! Needless to say, I’d been on antibiotics almost my entire life!!

When I started realizing what the antibiotics were doing to my body, I talked to my dermatologist about going off them and asking if food could be causing my issues. Of course, the answer was no. So I did what anyone would do – I stopped taking the antibiotics, obviously. I didn’t want to have to rely on a medication for the rest of my life just to have clear skin. Shockingly, my skin issues came right back. There was a period where I didn’t want to go anywhere in public it was so bad. It seemed as if the only thing that worked was antibiotics…talk about super depressing.

Fast forward to 2011, I’m still having a lot of health issues – from severe anxiety to insomnia to acne. I yo-yoed between feeling okay and feeling awful, and between clear skin and severe break-outs. Nothing had really changed from the past couple years – I was unhappy with how I felt, how I looked, my overall health and physical body, my emotional and mental state, and my career path. I was at my wit’s end; I was tired of going to doctors and having them tell me nothing was wrong, that I was healthy. For goodness sake, I was miserable!!! I didn’t know how to turn it all around, so I started doing some of my own research online (who doesn’t love Google?!) and attempting to learn all I could to make the necessary changes I needed. I’d been a vegetarian for three years at that point, and my mom recommended a chiropractor and nutritionist for my ongoing issues (I also had neck/shoulder/back pain from a previous injury). The new doc immediately put me on a “cleanse;” now, mind you, I was already eating no dairy and no meat, but he put me on a very restrictive cleanse. On this cleanse, I wasn’t allowed to eat bread, alcohol, certain fruits or vegetables, no dairy (but I could substitute coconut yogurt, for instance), to name a few. The problem was I was starving! And I had no energy to do much of anything! It was even worse than before!! I barely had the energy to get out of bed and make it through the workday, let alone keep up my active lifestyle of running and working out. I knew this cleanse wasn’t working for me.

I guess I should back up and say that I was one of those “unhealthy” vegetarians. You know, the ones who eat fake meat and all the processed stuff that comes in the frozen section, as well as continuing to eat the high sugar “low fat” treats. Let’s just say cooking was unheard of for me. I wanted to eat right away without having to wait for anything. Having the microwave beep after 3 to 4 minutes to let me know my meal was ready was enough for me. So in comes 2012/2013: I made a resolution to start cooking (basically to teach myself how to cook) and use more whole foods. I HAD to break myself away from the processed, frozen meals! It took me awhile to find “easy” recipes that I was willing to try and that I enjoyed, and honestly, I felt like I was hungry all the time, but once I got “better” at cooking, I found I actually enjoyed it, and felt so much better! My face started clearing up, although I was still having breakouts, and still having insomnia issues. I felt better, but I knew I wasn’t where I wanted to be. I even went through a stage where I did a juicing cleanse and tried to have at least one “juice” meal a day. I can honestly say it was very healthy and I felt great, but I was STARVING all the time. I don’t think juice as a meal replacement works for someone as active as me. But they were definitely good and good for me, just not the best way for me to “cleanse” my system.

I could go on for days about how awful I felt, but I need to start preparing for Thanksgiving tomorrow!  I can’t believe it’s already this time of year!  Friends, family, and yummy food!  It doesn’t get any better than that!  Enjoy your holidays and look for post 2 in the next week!

Lots of love and wellness!

Whitney