***This is not to be construed as medical advice. I am not a medical practitioner. This is simply my opinion and experience. Please seek medical advice prior to implementing any new lifestyle practices.***
The Forest's Healing Power...Sound woo woo??? I promise you it isn't.
Trees, especially cedar, oak, and pine along with other plants like onion, garlic, and tea tree give off substances called phytoncides. Phytoncides are VOCs (volatile organic compounds), or wood oils given off by the plant or tree, they are given off to protect the tree from invading viruses, fungi, etc.
Different plants and trees give off different phytoncides, which have different purposes for the plant. But, here's the cool thing, they have a measurable affect on our bodies and minds as well. Measurable, as in scientifically proven.
It has been shown in studies that these phytoncides reduce the stress hormone, cortisol and it stays reduced for up to 7 days.
Blood pressure has been shown to be reduced as a result of forest walking and being exposed to the phytoncides, along with psychological benefits as well. Which makes sense if it is reducing cortisol levels as seen in other studies.
Where I think it gets really cool, is that it has been shown to increase NK cells in the body. NK cells are Natural Killer cells, they are cytotoxic cells of our immune systems that attack virus' and cancer cells.
Think it doesn't matter to you because you don't have cancer? Guess what, we all have cancer cells in our bodies. Our bodies immune systems, when working well, just know how to handle them so you never develop a tumor. It's the tumor environment that determines if those tumor cells proliferate, or not.
What affects the tumor environment? Our diet and lifestyle choices, here is just one study (there are more) that states that 70% of tumors are due to environmental factors and up to 90-95% environmental factors in breast cancer. I have heard well known integrative oncologists say recently that they think the general number is 90-95%, not just specific to breast cancer. I firmly believe that.
What does this mean exactly? It means genetics only accounts for 5-10% of cancers. Which means YOU have CONTROL. YOU have POWER. Your genetics do not control you and leave you powerless! YOU ARE POWERFUL!
God created magnificent bodies for us, we must begin to care for them and they will work beautifully so that we can live LONG and STRONG!
What we do and don't do has an effect on whether we develop cancer or not. So, what are you going to choose to do, and not do, to make you more resistant to cancer and disease in general?
Am I perfect with all this? Um, no. Yesterday I ate 2 Reese cups and Pizza King, (also hiked 7 miles, not that it excuses it, but it's better than sitting on the couch and eating that). The night before I had several glasses of wine. Today, I don't feel so hot. I have not given my body the nutrients it needs to fuel itself well. And, I literally put toxins into my body. Afterwards, I always ask myself why I just did that, because honestly it doesn't give me the same gratification that it once did. I am not going to beat myself up over it, I'm simply going to move on:)
Today is a new day, and I think I'm going to fast for at least 24 hours and go sauna. Clear stuff out a little.
Wow, rabbit trail.
Let's check out the beauty of the woods before I get back on track, lol. This was a BEAUTIFUL hike at the Hensley Settlement in Cumberland Gap, TN that my sister, dad and I did a few weeks ago. The house belonged to my great grandfather (I think I've got that right). It was a 7.2 mile hike that was actually a 10 mile hike. The road up to the settlement was closed so my dad said let's just hike it!
Back to the benefits of getting out in the woods.
Or, if you absolutely can not get out into a wooded area, here's this study that shows essential oils can have the same affect on NK cells. I'm diffusing cedar and sweet orange as I'm writing this blog post (it'd be really good with some cinnamon, but I'm out of that one). Make sure you are buying your essential oils from a reputable company, you don't want them cut with other things, and some companies do that. I bought from the store a few times and they all gave me headaches. I know there are companies out there besides Young Living that are reputable, they are just what I've used for several years and haven't had the time to research something different.
In light of this new information I'm ordering Pine and Sacred Mountain Essential Oil Blend this month in my Young Living order! You can shop my Young Living site here:)
I 100% believe that God is leading me and guiding me in my journey. He DID NOT give me the cancer, but He is using it to open up my eyes to the deleterious lifestyle I had perpetuated. For months now I have felt I need to get out in the woods twice a week, haven't always achieved that, but I've done a pretty good job of it. So, when I found out about phytoncides I thought, "cool, I'm on the right track", THEN when I read these research articles showing the benefits of being in the woods, specific to cancer AND that the benefits are found to last approximately 7 days...I thought, "Thank you Lord, You truly are leading me and guiding me".
So, wherever you are in life, I'm here to tell you that God knows right where YOU are. Be open to change and new ideas, God has something better than you can imagine in store for you.
Get out in the woods and give your immune system a boost today!
Sidenote: I also like to do some deep belly breathing with a slower exhale when I'm out in the woods. Get all that good stuff deep down into the body. Deep breathing with a slower exhale also helps to reduce anxiety, stress, heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol!
Better yet, get out there barefoot and even out some of those EMFs we are exposed to all the time! My friend Stephanie and I did a 2.5 mi hike barefoot at Shades State Park this summer, always fun to have a friend that will try things with you!
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