Hey guys! Here comes a mishmash of info comin’ at ya! Take notes 🙂

HEALTHLINE: I have a few new interesting and research-based rheumatoid arthritis articles up on Healthline.com. Please check ’em out, here.  (Link will take you to all of my Healthline articles, so feel free to browse through and read/share whatever piques your interest!)

ALSO:

In addition to being a certified health coach and Beachbody Coach, I’m also now a distributor of  Essential Oils.

The essential oils have already helped me greatly, and if you’re interested in giving them a try, I can give you a recommendation based on your symptoms (muscle pain? joint stiffness? sinus issues? gastrointestinal problems? headaches? anxiety? Let me know and I can help.)

If you’re going to try Beachbody products, I’d recommend PiYo because it is a low-impact workout, along with Shakeology, as a meal-replacement shake. BUT — all of the products are fab.

If I’m being honest, I use all of the above, and I make the most commission off of Beachbody 😉  …BUT I’d probably recommend the essential oils most for immediate relief. It’s also a more affordable option. Then, I’d recommend PiYo or Tai Cheng to start getting into an exercise routine. The Shakeology will work great to boost the immune system and get you your nutrients, BUT, they’ll take a few months for you to really see results. So if you’re budgeting, that would be my suggested order of operations as far as giving these things a try! But they’re ALL worth the prices! 😉

I wanted to fully disclose that I DO sell the products above. BUT: I USE THEM, TOO! Religiously. Some of you have asked how i exercise and seem to be able to generally thrive despite living with rheumatoid arthritis (for 21 years so far …), lupus (SLE), Sjogren’s syndrome, Celiac disease, and Chiari Malformation plus chronic migraine, pernicious anemia, and mixed connective tissue disease … well: here’s your answer: these products play a big role.

The ONLY RA medication I’m on is Enbrel and I JUST started it back up yesterday. I’ve gone off Lyrica and Lodine for widespread pain. I stopped the chemo drug Rituxan. I only take oxycodone in an extreme flare, and the only other pharmaceuticals I take are occasional migraine medications or OTC sinus medication. It’s relatively rare for me to use them. If you’d look in my cabinets at home, I have TONS of bottles … but almost all of them are natural supplements, powders, and oils. This stuff works. I’m not saying that you need to be 100% natural or homeopathic, but, this integrative approach is what works for me and is proven to help a lot of people! These meds take a lot out of us — it’s important that we put good nutrition back into our bodies and to care for our symptoms however we can.

Here is my list of recommendations. (Please keep in mind that I am a certified holistic health and integrative nutrition coach, plus a board-certified drugless practitioner. I also live with all of the aforementioned illnesses right along with you. An asterisk means I sell the product. If there is NOT an asterisk, I don’t sell it, but I do use and recommend it!) GOOD LUCK!

1) Essential Oils *   for various uses

2) PiYO or Tai Cheng workout by Beachbody *  for low-impact workouts

3) Bolouke Lumbrokinase  for inflammation and circulation

4) Hairfinity for hair growth

5) Garlic Oil Supplements for joints, cardiovascular health, and immune system

6) JuicePlus+ supplements for overall health, nutrition, and immune system

7) Shakeology by Beachbody * for metabolism and nutrition

8) Neurolast cream for muscle spasms and muscle pain

9) Gellert Joint Care cream for joint pain and muscle pain — I’m not sure if they sell this anymore but it worked great for me (and I’d stockpiled it awhile back!)

10) OTHER: I recommend yoga, acupuncture, and regular massages. I also recommend low-impact exercises, tai chi, meditation, prayer, journaling, stretching, epsom salt baths, and proper balanced nutrition. I’m gluten-free and 80% vegan, 20% vegetarian, but I recommend anything that works for YOU. It could take a while to find out what that is.

I am trying the Cefaly Migraine Headband also and will keep you all posted on how it works!!!!

• To learn more about health coaching for your own health or to help others, click here.
• To order essential oils click here.
• To try PiYo or Shakeology, or learn more about Beachbody, click here.

Feel free to “like” my health coaching page on Facebook. I’m working on a new Ultimate You website but you can follow on Twitter @UltimateYouHHC as well as following the hashtags #ultimateyou, #rheuminder, #arthritisashley on Instagram!