Many years ago when my mom was a little girl, her older brother Kumen got sick. My grandpa took him to the doctor and he was given a prescription for pneumonia. Shortly after taking the drug he got worse, much worse. My uncle that I never met, slipped into a coma, and died hours after taking the medicine at age 7.

Come to find out the pharmacist had accidentally given my uncle a prescription normally given to adults. My Grandpa was so distraught he decided to change his college major from horticulture to a pharmaceutical degree. He said if I can save one life it will be worth it.

For many years my grandparents owned a drug store in Wisner, Louisiana. One day a man came in to fill his prescription and my grandpa looked at the prescription and said “If I fill that prescription you will be dead tomorrow, I refuse to fill it”.

A week later this man appeared in the obituaries. Talking to another pharmacist, it became clear this man filled his prescription at another pharmacy. My grandpa, Alma Richie Sr., would often say “drugs are to sell not to take”.

I grew up in a home that tried every home remedy when you were sick before we would take medications of any kind. This is where I was first introduced to vitamin C for colds, Cayenne Pepper, and Echinacea Root capsules, I drank them with water to stay healthy. I will take Cascara Sagrada root when I am constipated. I drank a lot of peppermint tea when I had an upset stomach. When you have a headache, drink lots of water.

This is why essential oils make sense to me. Modern medicine is designed to manage symptoms and are made with isolated synthetic agents with side effects. Natures solutions are made of hundreds of natural compounds found in plants that increase physical and emotional health. They also help address issues and root causes, and have no side effects. For me this is a no brainer.

This is why essential oils are such a perfect fix for me and my family, because they are 50-70 times more powerful than herbs in their leaf and root forms that I used as a child. My first line of defense is always going to be a natural solution. If that doesn’t work or is not feasible I will go see the doctor. I challenge you not to not use drugs, and find a natural solution the next time you have a headache. It will change your life.