Information about using doTERRA Essential Oils to support Celiac sufferers.

Pure therapeutic plant oils can help to boost essential nutrition, natural immunity and cleanse the body.

There is currently no pharmaceutical medicine for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. Diet is the single main area of focus for helping people to relieve the symptoms and eliminate the risk of occurrence – not only eating gluten free but also ensuring a diet of nutrient rich, healthy food to compensate for damage and disruption to normal nutrition.

In reality, a varied healthy diet is not hard to achieve without gluten, but our wheat-eating culture (gluten is also in rye and barley) means that there will be habits to break and many processed foods to avoid.

The good news is that pure therapeutic plant oils have nutrient, immune-boosting and cleansing properties that can support a damaged body or help the body to recover more efficiently as you make the transition to a gluten-free diet.

Should I be worried about gluten intolerance?

In the USA approximately 1% of the population has a gluten-related condition called celiac disease. Another 6% is thought to have a less defined condition known as gluten sensitivity. Countries with a comparable western diet have similar statistics though in New Zealand some experts are suggesting that up to 50% of the population could have symptoms related to gluten sensitivity.

Ingested gluten can trigger an immune response which causes antibodies in the gut to attack the gluten proteins. In celiac patients this attack is not limited to gluten but also assaults the wall of the small intestines. It is an auto-immune condition that can compromise not only the absorption of essential nutrients to the body but also the protective barrier that would normally keep bacteria and toxins from entering the bloodstream.

In gluten sensitive people the immune response is more general and does not damage the stomach wall in the same way. While celiac presents with more severe health issues, the immediate symptoms in either case are often similar and are sufficiently vague and varied that diagnosis can be hard to pinpoint.

If you have had on-going health issues connected to any of these symptoms, you might want to look into gluten intolerance and ask your doctor about testing – first for celiac and then by elimination for gluten sensitivity.

What about gluten-free food?

Gluten-free has become such a buzz word in natural health circles that a lot of people actually consider it to mean the same thing as healthy food.

The reasons for this are varied.

• For people with celiac disease, eating a 100% gluten free diet is the most important step towards improving natural health.
• Since about 83% of those people go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, simply trying a gluten-free diet has the potential to make many people feel radically more healthful.
• A potentially much greater percentage of people suffer from gluten sensitivity without ever being diagnosed and again those people will experience significant health benefits from a gluten-free diet.
• People suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome also gain some level of improvement from not eating grains that contain gluten (because these grains have a high level of a certain sugar that causes IBS).
• Studies suggest that a number of other immune-related disorders are improved when gluten is cut out – arthritis, diabetes and hypothyroidism to name a few.
• Alternative non-gluten whole grains like quinoa, buckwheat and wild rice are nutritious health foods.

So while the trend to eat gluten free might not specifically mean greater health to the majority population, for those people who genuinely have an intolerance to gluten, gluten-free is definitely food for health.

How can I use pure therapeutic oils if I am gluten sensitive?

You can use pure oils that are very high in essential minerals and nutrients to supplement your dietary intake.

Since leafy-greens are recommended to help boost iron intake, a good salad habit makes perfect sense. Avoid processed salad-dressings that often contain gluten and instead create your own mega-food salad base to keep on hand in the fridge to dress up with garlic, mustard, black-pepper sea salt etc,. as you choose.

(1-2 drops of Peppermint in half a teaspoon of Olive oil massaged clockwise to the stomach will help ease indigestion and bloating.)

We can also use organic essential oils in a more focused way to help the body cleanse itself of toxins and particles that overload immune defences. They have an active cleansing dynamic that works right into and around the tiny finger-like projections of the colon wall making nutrient absorption much more efficient.

It is very important to drink sufficient pure water to ensure that all body systems can work efficiently. You can add essential oils to drinking water for additional cleansing power. Twice a day, in a large glass of water add:

• 1 drop Lemon or Lime & 1 drop Grapefruit

Lemon and Lime are also especially good to help boost immunity.

Maybe try a nutrient-rich smoothie.

• 1 banana | 1 cup blue berries | 2 cups almond milk  | 1 tablespoon of spirulina (good to improve iron levels after gluten related anaemia)

Any fresh fruit will work. Iron-rich leafy greens can be added too. You can also add a flavour drop of cleansing, digestion-boosting essential oil such as organic Peppermint, Lemon, Grapefruit or Ginger oil.

We also have a blend called ZenGest and this contains the following;

• Ginger Rhizome/Root oil / Peppermint Plant oil / Caraway Seed oil / Coriander Seed oil / Anise Seed oil / Tarragon Plant oil / Fennel Seed oil

ZenGest can support the following:

• Before a road trip, apply one to two drops for a calming aroma.
• Have ZenGest on hand when enjoying heavy holiday meals to promote digestion.
• When traveling or trying new foods take ZenGest to soothe occasional stomach discomfort.
• Add to water or tea to maintain a healthy gastrointestinal tract.
• Eases feelings of queasiness.
• Use with fractionated coconut oil for a soothing abdominal massage.
• Helps reduce bloating, gas, and occasional indigestion.

Why this combination of oil?

Ginger, Fennel and Coriander are in the mix to help with occasional stomach discomfort like indigestion and motion sickness.

Peppermint, Tarragon, Anise and Caraway help to maintain a healthy gastrointestinal tract; they help with digestion.

The combination of these oils are ideal to help with any stomach discomfort! My favourite part about using ZenGest is that I don’t have to worry about any “side effects” that I have had previously from the many prescribed digestive medications I have taken. Knowing that it is 100% pure and all natural, gathered from the plants in their natural habitat puts my mind, and gut, at ease.

Why the oil blend when there are supplements I can take?

I love the oils for “on the go” situations, and immediate relief! I will discuss all my happy thoughts about my doTERRA supplements, but the best part about having ZenGest oil on hand is that within seconds of rubbing it on my belly I feel relief!

You know those days when you feel nauseous and it just wont go away? Or when you are so bloated that you feel miserable? A drop or two of ZenGest rubbed directly onto your gut and you will feel instant relief! I have literally watched my bloat go down within minutes after rubbing ZenGest oil on my belly!

Can I use ZenGest oil other ways besides just rubbing it on my belly?

There are lots of ways to use ZenGest. Many new mothers, unfortunately, have to deal with a restless baby at night, often caused by stomach discomfort. ZenGest, diluted with fractionated coconut oil, on the bottom of the feet of those sweet babies, is a great way to use ZenGest. I have had multiple new mothers tell me how thankful they are for this oil because they are now able to get a good night’s sleep, along with their baby!

You can also take the pure ZenGest oil internally, in a capsule. There are some days I just don’t want to smell like ZenGest, but I still have a stomach ache – a capsule is perfect for days like that! It doesn’t have a bad smell. I can also recommend the softgels they are a great way to use them too.

You can also use ZenGest oil for a stomach soothing tea! Just add 1 drop to a cup of warm water. I personally am a bigger fan of Peppermint oil tea to help soothe an upset stomach! I think personal preference is what it comes down to.

I hope this helps and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me anytime.