Pick Up Sticks

An easy healthy DIY for fighting colds, flu, and bad habits.

Lots of people are using essential oils these days, and it is pretty easy to get your hands on high quality, "therapeutic" grade essential oils, which is essential if you are going to put them in your mouth.

I'm a naturalist. That doesn't mean I don't "believe" in modern medicine. I just believe in the power my own body has to be healthy, and it makes sense that things from nature will be the healthiest. Distilling plants down to a pure oil seems as healthy to me as eating a diet of fruits, vegetables and herbs.

So, I've been experimenting, and I have found that essential oils can definitely open up the sinuses and make allergy symptoms less severe. They can clear up a headaches and muscle aches, and definitely can brighten your mood and give your energy and focus a boost.

But many people have skin or stomachs too sensitive to absorb the intensity of the oils straight up. So I looked up a basic recipe for flavored toothpicks, and adapted.

It is incredibly easy and inexpensive. A glass jar (spice jar) and a box of 250 round wooden toothpicks, and 100 - 120 drops of good oil. Leave it overnight so the sticks absorb all the flavor, and they are ready to nibble and chew. I made a bunch of different flavors and bought 100 test tubes from amazon to make them easy to carry and give away.

The easiest recipe that will for sure taste great is 80 drops of a citrus flavor and 20 drops of something minty. All the citrus and mints are good for energy, concentration, sinus, immune system, and overall wellbeing. But you can add 3+ drops of a more intense oil to punch up the benefits.

So far, my favorite is Lemon (70 drops) and Basil (30 drops). You could add 6 - 10 drops of black pepper oil for someone trying to quit smoking, or 20 drops of rosemary oil for better study power.

I've also made an allergy blend, a flu fighter, a blend to suppress appetite for dieters, and a power packed cancer fighter for a friend. Easy!