Okanagan Discovery Guide
  • Blog
  • Reviews
  • Who We Are
  • Get In Touch
  • Blog
  • Reviews
  • Who We Are
  • Get In Touch
THE ULTIMATE

discovery guide

DIY All Purpose Sanitizer-Thieves Oil Blend

3/29/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
I just remembered about an unique essential oils blend that works very well. I have heard about it from a friend who worked in a reception area during the flu season and was swearing that Thieves oil blend helped her stay healthy. I bought it and kept for future needs.
The opportunity to try Thieves Oil Spray presented itself during a spring season, when I just started working for a family business. At first, older family members came to work with flu -like symptoms, sneezing and coughing. The next day I brought my Thieves oil spray and sprayed around myself at least three times a day. Within a week, maybe a week and a half,  younger family members contracted the same symptoms. I continued to spray around myself and remained in good health.

The history

It is one of the oldest and most interesting oils, based on the unique history of how and why it was developed. Legend has it that in the 15th century, when a terrible plague spread like wildfire across Europe claiming more than millions of lives, four thieves from Marseilles were busy notoriously robbing people, who were dead, of all their possessions. The thieves themselves did not contract any infection as they had applied a powerful herbal blend of natural oils on their bodies. This came to be known as thieves essential oil.

Thieves essential oil is a blend of five essential oils, which include clove
 essential oil, rosemary essential oil, lemon essential oil, eucalyptus essential oil, and cinnamon bark essential oil. It has a rich, spicy, and earthy aroma. This essential oil has potent antiseptic, disinfectant, and antibacterial properties, according to a report published in The American Journal of Essential Oils and Natural Products.
Thieves essential oil 
is well known to reduce stress, neutralize bacterial and viral pathogens, improve digestion, strengthen bones and reduce inflammation, as well as lowering fevers, healing skin conditions, aiding weight loss and strengthening the respiratory system.

DYI Thieves Essential Oil Blend

You will need:
10 drops Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil
20 drops Clove Essential Oil
8 drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil
18 drops Lemon Essential Oil
5 drops Rosemary Essential Oil
and an empty dark glass bottle (sold at any health stores like Nature's Fare)
I bought all ingredients online at Natural nutrition website, but you also can get ingredients from any health store. Prepared Thieves Oil is also sold - I bought one bottle for immediate use and waiting for components to arrive to make more of my own.

Uses: add 30-50 drops into spray bottle (100ml) with distilled water and sanitize your hands, air around you, any surfaces. It can be used in a scent burner, aroma diffuser.
It also smells divine!
0 Comments

How to help your immune system during COVID-19 pandemic?

3/22/2020

0 Comments

 
Eating healthy, nutritional meals is super important to keep immune system balanced and working well.
I strongly encourage everyone to absolutely eliminate alcohol or cigarettes from your life not to overburden the immune system.

Dairy Free Potato Soup

Picture
This potato soup is our family favorite, vegan friendly and contains only 8 ingredients!
You will need:
  1. Yellow flesh potatoes cut in chunks (5-6 large)
  2. Carrots, peeled and cut in chunks (2-3 large carrots)
  3. Onion, cubed (1 large red or white onion); 2 garlic cloves smashed
  4. Celery sticks cut in chunks (2-3 sticks)
  5. Vegetable Broth ( 3 cups)
  6. Full fat coconut milk-one can
  7. Salt 1/2 tsp and black pepper 1/2 tsp, 1/2 tsp dried dill, 1/2 tsp celery salt
  8. Fresh kale for nutrition 
  9. Bacon for serving-several crisp links, or fried pancetta
Instructions: add first seven ingredients into pot, close the lid and cook for 25-30 min. After that open the lid, add washed kale leaves and let them wilt for about a minute. Using immersion blender puree the soup.
​Serve with bacon crisp or pancetta bits.

Cranberry punch

Picture
Ingredients:
  • 1 bag of frozen cranberries, thawed;
  • 1l water or cranberry juice (use 500 ml water and 500 ml juice). Apple/Orange juice will work too;
  • 1 orange cut in wedges;
  • 1/3 cup of sugar
  • Cinnamon stick and star anise (one each) if desired, but not necessary
Add thawed cranberries into the pot and smash them, releasing jelly-like substance. Place smashed cranberries into the sieve over a clean bowl and squeeze juice from smashed cranberries. Reserve the juice ( we preserve vitamins in raw juice).
Add smashed cranberries into a pot, add water, apple/orange juice if using, sugar, spices and bring to boil. Turn of heat and let it cool. Add reserved cranberry juice. Pour into mugs and decorate with orange slices.
0 Comments

COVID-19 impact

3/15/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
As of today, March 15, 2020 officially there are 73 COVID-19 virus cases in British Columbia, with two being identified in Interior BC region.
If in the beginning of March 2020 health officials were concerned about people coming back from China, lately virus cases were reported globally for total 156,400 confirmed cases. The virus spreads in geometrical progression domestically as well. 
There are 5,833 reported deaths from COVID-19 globally, with only one being in British Columbia. Top 5 countries with the most reported cases-China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain.
Canada ranks 20 on that list with 252 confirmed cases. Those numbers are probably skewed (my guess by 1.5), as not everyone reports their sickness.
I got my information from Center for Systems Science and Engineering
gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/
Picture
Media created a panic response from the masses: toilet paper disappeared from each supermarket. I actually don't have a logical explanation why exactly toilet paper? 
I have seen the video of people in Costco erratically running towards toilet paper isle and loading up. That created a response "Monkey see, monkey do".
As of yesterday shelves with non-perishable food, such as canned vegetables, fish, meat got emptied. Despite the announcement from the government officials that there is no shortage of food is foreseen. Well, Corona virus spread in Canada was not foreseen either, right?
Below is the picture from WalMart Center showcasing empty shelves, where canned food used to be.  Pictures above are from SuperStore.
Picture
Picture
Empty boxes where tuna once was.
It is probably wise to stock up on food items, planning for self isolation if you or any of your family member will be diagnosed with a virus.
Here is the shopping list that might be useful for stocking up:
1. Cold and flu symptoms reliving medication (such as Tylenol, NeoCitran), cough suppressing medication, nasal congestion sprays.
2. Water- you could get a water filter, bottled water.
3. Hot liquids: green tea, chicken broth.
4. Food. When you are sick, it is best to eat light and easy digestible foods like vegetable soups, rice with vegetables. With all the madness surrounding shopping, still buy two weeks worth of supply: bag of rice, bag of oats, frozen vegetables and meat, eggs, etc.
5. Cleaning supplies. It is a fact that virus is capable of living for several hours outside of a carrier. That means we have to be prepared to clean surfaces with disinfectants: Lysol, Bleach, Windex.
Last, but not least: stay away from crowded places like shopping malls, crowded stores. Remember to dress according to the weather- it is cold outside, so the jacket is mandatory.
There is no need to panic, historically there are ups and downs. It will turn up eventually!
0 Comments

Activities in February-March 2020

3/5/2020

0 Comments

 
This article is not for snowbirds, that fly to Mexico, Arizona and Palm Springs for winter months. Those lucky folks are having  a blast by simply being outside in the sun. I sincerely have to admit, I want to be able to do that too. However, our livelihood connected to Canada so tight, that we stay in Canada all year around.

If you spend your winters in Canada, than most likely you thought about ways to add fun activities. The most interesting and exciting activity for Canadians is HOCKEY.
Picture
There are multiple ways to participate in National Religion-play yourself, register your kids, visit live games or watch on TV. Whatever works.
Picture
We are Canucks fans and watch their games. 
The next best thing is skating- each city has a skating rink open to public for free. It is a fun activity. Here are the pictures from Valentine's Day skate, where couples came to skating rink as a date night.
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

    Archives

    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

      To receive a notification about new blog postings, please subscribe.

    Subscribe to Newsletter
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.