Detoxing Emotions Part 2: Faith Retreats- Podcast Episode #29

The contents of this presentation are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This presentation does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

[0:00 – 1:04] Prelude to Detoxing Emotions

Mama Z: And there was one thing we did want to do before we left, and that was ride the bikes.

Dr. Z: Around the whole island.

Mama Z: Yea. And I remember that they had changed the schedule of the ferries on the way back. And my girlfriend had told me a scary story where they had done that on her weekend. And they missed the ferry, and they ended up having to charter a helicopter.

Dr. Z: Whoa!

Mama Z: And it was like boo-koo bucks. And so, remember, we rode the bikes so fast that they didn’t even charge us for using the bikes, because we rode them so fast around the island. I was just so afraid that we were going to get dished. And then I had wanted to ride the little bikes. It was the two-fer bike.

Dr. Z: Oh, I wouldn’t do that.

Mama Z: And you wouldn’t do it.

Dr. Z: So, no way you would have done it.

Mama Z: Well, then, we saw it, remember? We saw a guy, he is chugging, and she is in the back and she goes, “Shhh!”

Dr. Z: Yea, she’s like feet up.

Mama Z: And she had her feet up. And he was chugging the whole way.

Dr. Z: Going uphill. Not cool, not cool.

[1:05 – 1:39] Intro

Dr. Z: Hi! This is Dr. Z.

Mama Z: And Mama Z. And welcome to episode 29 of the Natural Living Family podcast.

Dr. Z: Each week we invite you into our home to talk about how you can master the art and science of natural living. And we share the very same tips that our family uses each and every day to enjoy an abundant life. And you’re going to love today’s talk.

Mama Z: So, come on in and get comfortable. After all, you’re one of the family, our natural living family.

Dr. Z: But before we dive into all the fun today, we’re excited to share a special note about today’s sponsor.

[1:40 – 2:05] Sponsor Spotlight: Thrive Market

Mama Z: As a special gift to our Natural Living Family podcast listeners, Thrive Market is giving you twenty-five percent off your first order.

Dr. Z: Plus a free thirty-day trial. Simply go to NaturalLivingFamilypodcast.com to find the special link so you could redeem this deal on the show notes from today’s episode.

[2:06 – 5:07] Diffuser Reveal: Synergy Blend

Dr. Z: Yay! Part two of our “Detoxing Your Emotions” podcast series. This is going to be the last five steps. The first part to this, episode 28, was “Detoxing Your Emotions, Part One.” And we took the first seven steps of our “Twelve-Step Detox Program” from The Essential Oils Diet book. So, we’re diving deep in the book. Right now we’re at page 192. And we’re going to cover the last five steps. So, I’m excited about this.

Mama Z: But—

Dr. Z: What?

Mama Z: Before we do,

Dr. Z: Yay, happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday Mama Z, who’s older than me by two years now. Happy birthday to you. And many more.

Mama Z: In two days, in two days.

Dr. Z: You’re going to be forty-one.

Mama Z: Whoo-whoo!

Dr. Z: Ma’am, you’re a hotty!

Mama Z: Oh, you’re so sweet!

Dr. Z: You know, that’s why we’re calling your exercise program, the one that’s coming out in January, “Forty and Beyond.” Because if Mama Z can do it at forty-one with four kids, you can do it, too.

Mama Z: You can do it.

Dr. Z: Yay! Happy birthday Mrs. Georgia! Hopefully, God-willing, soon to be Mrs. America.

Mama Z: Yea! We leave in a couple of weeks, and that’s it, yea.

Dr. Z: If you’re local to Las Vegas, if you’re local to San Diego, if you’re local to whatever, come to Vegas August 21 and root Mama Z on.

Mama Z: Yes. We do have preliminaries earlier that week.

Dr. Z: Yep.

Mama Z: That’s a good benchmark to see everything else that’s going on in the competition.

Dr. Z: Yay, cool!

Mama Z: Now, so, what’s in our diffuser today?

Dr. Z: I don’t know.

Mama Z: So, I thought you covered some of the more heavy things in the first part. So, the second part of our “Detoxifying Our Emotions,” I picked a synergy blend.

Dr. Z: Oh.

Mama Z: And I figured that now that we’ve gotten through the tough stuff, now it’s about synergizing and getting the last things shored up so that our life works well just like this blend. And there are a lot of favorites in here.

Dr. Z: What’s in it?

Mama Z: Frankincense, lime, lemon, orange, vetiver, ginger, spearmint, and vanilla.

Dr. Z: Wow! That’s a nice blend!

Mama Z: Yea.

Dr. Z: I like this better than the first one. We talked about that. Sometimes I like the blends, but most of the time I like how they make me feel. So, I’m just like, “Okay.”

Mama Z: So, you kind of like this one for real?

Dr. Z: I actually like this, and I like how this makes me feel. It’s a two-for-one deal.

Mama Z: That’s a two-fer.

Dr. Z: Yay! We talked about that. I mean do you eat to live, or do you live to eat? Do you use essential oils to live, or do you live to use essential oils? So, there are sometimes when really, really, it’s not my favorite smell. But it’s like, “Okay, I like it. It helps me focus or something.

Mama Z: Right. So, we’re hoping this blend, as well as the rest of your steps, will help create synergy in our lives.

[5:08 – 7:18] Testimonial Time

Dr. Z: Yep. Hallelujah! Cool! You know what else is cool? All the great reviews we keep on getting.

Mama Z: I know.

Dr. Z: I got another one. I’ve been liking this.

Mama Z: Yea, I like the reviews.

Dr. Z: I like the reviews.

Mama Z: I mean, we can read the same review a hundred times, and I would probably still like it.

Dr. Z: We’ve got some good reviews.

Mama Z: We’ve got some really good ones.

Dr. Z: This one was actually on Facebook.

Mama Z: Oh!

Dr. Z: Angela B.

Mama Z: You strayed off the Apple podcast review list. I am so proud of you.

Dr. Z: Most of the people that leave reviews, because seventy-five percent of all podcast listeners are on iTunes. So, statistically speaking, you’re going to get an iTunes.

Mama Z: Well, I have iTunes, but it doesn’t mean I necessarily listen to all of them on there.

Dr. Z: Well, you are the exception in every area.

Mama Z: But I don’t think I can review our podcast. I mean that’s just not right.

Dr. Z: Oh, you could. Why not? And you’d better give it five stars. So, in response to episode 22, this is in response to a specific episode.

Mama Z: Oh.

Dr. Z: Which is cool. Episode 22, if you haven’t listened to I, please do. It’s titled, “Gifts, Talents, and Your God-Given Purpose.” So, this is from Angela. And Angela’s response was pretty touching. She said, and I quote: “I listen to podcasts. But this is the first time I’ve actually watched the video. Hubby and I watched twice.”

And we actually put this up on Facebook. And we put these up on You-Tube as well, if you didn’t know that. You can go to Natura Living Family. Check us out on You-Tube and on Facebook.

So, she’s like, “Look, I listen to these. But this is the first time I’ve watched. And we WATCHED TWICE! We were just talking about this yesterday. I’m struggling with time wasted outside of my talents, and fear I’ve lost my opportunity to thrive in what God created me for. My husband is searching for his overall purpose. This resonated with us so much I took out some blank notebooks and we are starting our discovery journal.” (Heart, heart, heart)

Hallelujah! “Thank you for being so transparent through the Lord.” Isn’t that sweet?

Mama Z: Oh, that is so sweet.

Dr. Z: Listen or watch episode 22.

Mama Z: Absolutely!

[7:19 – ] News and Announcements

Dr. Z: And for those of you who are watching or watched this, we are on a different schedule. The actual audio podcasts are every Monday morning at 7 a.m., like clockwork. We’re actually right now filming today, which is for August 5. What is today’s date?

Mama Z: I don’t even know.

Dr. Z: It’s end of June sometime. Mama Z is tired. Chris, what day is it? Twenty-four, Chris says. Chris, are you there?

Chris: Yes sir.

Dr. Z: Here’s Chris. And so, Chris is helping us do the audio and video. So, we try to stay about a month to month a half behind. And we’re going to have like a going dark. We’re being like blackout. What do they call it, blackout dates or something?

Mama Z: Yea.

Dr. Z: We have a blackout date. No filming at all for anything in August, because we are prepping and planning, you more than me, for the Mrs. America pageant.

Mama Z: You’re working on being Mr. Georgia.

Dr. Z: No, I already am Mr. Georgia.

Mama Z: Yea, but you’re working on representing.

Dr. Z: Forget that. I’m focused on Mr. America.

Mama Z: Okay, Mr. America.

Dr. Z: Yea.

Mama Z: I got you a crown, by the way.

Dr. Z: I don’t want a crown. I’d rather have like a muscle shirt.

Mama Z: It’s kind of manly. It’s like a manly crown.

Dr. Z: With holes in it that I could drop essential oils in it.

Mama Z: Think like royal family.

Dr. Z: There you go. I don’t know about that. Well anyway.

Mama Z: I think it will look good on the video.

Dr. Z: So, we have a little bit of a marketing conference thing to do quick, but more of like an elongated date. And then it’s going to be Mama Z and I hanging out. And then it’s all about the pageant.

Mama Z: Oh, speak for yourself. I get to work there. I’m doing the awards.

Dr. Z: You do. You’re going to be doing appearances everywhere.

Mama Z: I have like some interviews. And then I’ve got some other things to do with Annmarie Skincare. And it will be a power-packed time.

Dr. Z: A lot of friends and colleagues are going to be there.

Mama Z: And then my girlfriend says, “So, when you get back” (I think it’s like the 11^th or whatever; I think that’s what it is), she’s like, “So, basically, from the 11^th to the 17^th, I’m not going to get any sleep, right?” And I said, “Yea, probably not.”

Dr. Z: You’re right.

Mama Z: Until we’re Mrs. America.

Dr. Z: Ready, ready, ready.

Mama Z: So, anyway, it’s really close. And we’re so excited, yea!

Dr. Z: Well, I’m excited to continue our emotional detoxification.

Mama Z: Absolutely.

[9:34 – 17:30] Detoxing Emotions – Step 8: Have Faith

Dr. Z: So, again, for those of you who didn’t get a chance to tune in to the last episode, do, because we’re talking about detoxing your emotions. Why?

Well, according to what I’m reading here, page 191, of The Essential Oils Diet book, according to Johns Hopkins psychiatrist, Dr. Karen Swarz (she’s a medical doctor), such ongoing emotional states like anger, bitterness, hurt, discouragement, resentfulness, regret, shame, sorrow, powerlessness, or a combination of the above, any ongoing emotional states like this, that essentially last and last and last, can weaken (and I would say will dampen) your immune system.

Mama Z: Yes.

Dr. Z: And over time, and I’m not making this up.

Mama Z: No.

Dr. Z: It will increase your risk of depression, heart disease, diabetes, and other diseases like cancer. So, we have found, and this is why this is part of our diet book. It’s just so much more than just eating the right way and using essential oils. Regular emotional healing detox breaks will help you get a handle on your emotions and cleanse your entire system, so that you can reach your full potential and enjoy the abundant life.

Mama Z: Amen.

Dr. Z: So, a quick recap, The Twelve-Step Detox Program. Number one, first let it go. Forgive others. Number two, forgive yourself. It’s easier said than done. We get it. Listen to the last episode. It will help you. Number three, practice self-love. Number four, recite positive affirmations. Number five, don’t look back. Number six and seven are all about crying. First cry by yourself, and then cry with someone that you love. It’s actually proven to help release toxins related to cortisol, the stress hormone, and is very soothing and mood boosting.

All right, now, number eight, have faith. Ask yourself, do I deserve to be well? Do I believe emotional balance and the abundant life are possible? If your honest answer is yes, you’re ready to move on. It’s your God-given right to be happy, healthy, and emotionally stable.

If your answer is no, like many people, you most likely have some forgiveness work to do. And you need to repeat points number one and number two. And what are number one and number two? Forgive yourself and forgive others.

So, do you really deserve to be well? And do you believe that the abundant life is possible? What do you think? Do you believe?

Mama Z: Yes.

Dr. Z: Why do you believe?

Mama Z: Because I know it is.

Dr. Z: Because the Bible tells me so.

Mama Z: Well, and because we focus on those areas. But if you don’t know about focusing on all the different areas, then you may or may not know that certain things are important. But it’s why we need a balance?

Dr. Z: Why do we know? It’s straight up in the Word of God.

Mama Z: Absolutely.

Dr. Z: What did John, in the book of Third John, say? “I wish that you be healthy and you will prosper as your soul prospers.”

Mama Z: Right.

Dr. Z: Like that is a desire or a wish.

Mama Z: But even in a natural sense, my health class. And I hardly don’t even have health class any more. But anyway, my health class in the tenth grade, that was the very first thing on the chalk board the very first day of school.

Dr. Z: What?

Mama Z: “Health is a balance between,” and then it said, “PSEMOS.” The physical, spiritual, emotional, mental, occupational, and social health.” And, of course, we added financial to that.

Dr. Z: Yea, it’s huge.

Mama Z: But just having a balance between all of those areas. And I mean the fight of life is to have a balance in all those areas. But that is truly where you get balance. And you can’t focus on one thing the whole time and then have everything else thrive. You have to make sure that you keep balance in every area.

Dr. Z: So, those heard Jesus. This is good. I’ve got to go back. All right, John chapter 10:

“I tell you the truth. Anyone who sneaks over the wall of the sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, will surely be a thief and a robber. But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger. They will run from him, because they don’t know his voice.”

Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant. So, he went on and explained it further. He said:

“I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.”

That’s the promised land. Actually, we should talk about that in a minute, the promised land. “The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy. My purpose,” Jesus says,” is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” Or other versions say “the abundant life.”

“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so, the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for money and doesn’t really care about the sheep. I am The Good Shepherd. I know my sheep, and they know me. Just as my father knows me and I know the Father, so I sacrifice my life for the sheep.”

Mama Z: So, one thing you said, first of all, is that they know His voice. So, you have to know the Lord’s voice. And so, I remember people saying, “Well, how do you know that?” Well, you know that by the Scriptures. You know that by being in prayer.

But if you think of it in a natural sense, if you can think back to if you played sports, you know your coach’s voice. Like you know it and listen for it. You can hear it above anybody else. It is like tunnel hearing for your coach. In the audience, even at the pageant, I can hear Sally’s voice. I heard Gail’s voice. I heard LaLona’s voice. I heard my mom’s voice. When Miss Terry could come, I heard Miss Terry’s voice. I always heard Miss Terry’s voice.

But a coach, there’s something. It’s like direct. And if you look at Jesus as your coach, I mean you have to know your coach. And then you have that personal relationship.

Dr. Z: You spend time with your coach. It’s how you get to know somebody.

Mama Z: That’s right.

Dr. Z: That’s why it said Adam knew Eve in the beginning. They had an intimate relation. They knew each other. We need to know God intimately.

Mama Z: Right. And so, if you think of it in terms of a coach, because a lot of people play sports. A lot of people know that voice. And my dad was our coach for a lot of our speed skating time. And I could hear him calling out times and stuff like that. And so, it’s really important to know God’s voice. And not in the sense of necessarily like you and me talking together, although people do have that intimate relationship. But what the Word says, what God says about a certain topic or whatever, that you do know Him in that way.

[17:31 – 28:04] Does God Really Want You to Be Well?

Dr. Z: So, why are we talking about this right now? We’re talking about emotional detoxification. And one thing we have found, especially in the body of Christ, is a lack of faith that God really wants them to be well, I mean ultimately. And this has been a problem with a lot of the different religions and the different, I’ve got to say, it’s tough, denominations, subsects, you know the sects. You’re looking at me like I’m saying bad words. I’m not saying sex. I’m saying sects. You know what I’m talking about, Chris. Chris, you know what a sect is?

Chris: Yea.

Dr. Z: Exactly. See? Chris, thank you. Sabrina was like, you were looking at me like, you don’t want to–look at her eyes.

Mama Z: You look like you’re turning red.

Dr. Z: Let’s just start over. Let’s go back to episode 1. I’m done. Anyway, you have a group of people that have

Mama Z: I get it—a section of people.

Dr. Z: That have been taught, “You must suffer, only suffer.” And enjoying good things isn’t good. Like there are some segments of Christianity that it’s actually in their doctrine, they teach that sex is actually unholy. That’s why the Catholic Church teaches that Mary never had kids. So, a God-given, evolutionarily required act to sustain the entire population of humans.

Mama Z: But wait a second. She had Jesus and John, right? Was it John?

Dr. Z: Jesus had many brothers and sisters, according to the Bible. And so, what you have is you have a group, because I was raised Roman Catholic. And so, I learned. I was actually going to be a priest. And so, I got really deep in the doctrine.

And one of the doctrines was Mary was conceived without original sin. And not only that, because she was sinless, according to the Catholic faith, she would never do anything that was sin, because she was crowned queen of heaven and earth when she died. And so, she never had sex. And so, you have that part of the Christianity where it’s like, okay, sex is evil. And so, that’s one reason why they restrained the priests and the nuns from being married.

And then you have other groups, like some Baptists that we see, certain subgroups of Baptists don’t allow dancing. And they don’t allow for other things, like maybe music or certain movies that might be, I don’t know, bad, not good, whatever. But it’s enjoyable. You can’t do these things if they’re enjoyable. And when you start with that mindset,

Mama Z: If you focus on what you can’t do, then

Dr. Z: Yes, that’s where I’m going at. And this is religion for a thousand, two-thousand years, hit over the head, over the head, sex is bad, money is bad, fun is bad. Just basically walk on glass and give all your money away, because that’s the point. But that’s not the life that Jesus talks about.

Mama Z: Well, and even giving, like part of it is the worship part. The other part is the money part. And so, when people miss that part, you’re missing half the bus.

Dr. Z: So, we’re dealing with centuries of, I’m going to just say, a brainwashing, centuries of misinformation being laid down as doctrine. And people are ultimately afraid of their salvation. They’re afraid of what it is that they’re supposed to do in life. And they’re like, “Okay, I’ve got cancer. That must be God’s will.” And what we’re seeing are people, a mass amount of people, that are like, “Okay, this is just my cross to bear.”

Mama Z: But that’s not what the Word says.

Dr. Z: Oh, we’ve seen it. “Oh, this is the thorn in my side, autoimmunity, this constant pain.” Well, how do you know? Like that’s the thing. If something, and just trust me, we’re going to land on this for minute. Oh man, I didn’t even press start. We could be, how long is this? I have no idea.

Mama Z: My guess is ten minutes.

Dr. Z: Ten? No way. We’re on twenty-five. Chris is like. How long are we at, twenty-five?

Chris: About twenty-five.

Dr. Z: Hah! I’m telling you. You’ve got no sense of direction and no sense of time.

Mama Z: I have sense of direction.

Dr. Z: No, you don’t.

Mama Z: Yes, I do.

Dr. Z: Your sense of time

Mama Z: My sense of time might be off. But my sense of direction is awesome.

Dr. Z: No.

Mama Z: Yes, it is.

Dr. Z: We’ll talk later about that. Okay, we’ll focus on time. Anyway, we’re almost half-way here.

Mama Z: You’re about ready to sleep on the cot; no, the massage chair.

Dr. Z: Well, hang out here for a minute. This is number eight. This is so critical, because it has been passed down to us from generation to generation to generation. Now people are guilty. They’re guilty to make money. They’re guilty, like, “Man, everyone was okay with us being broke.” We talked about this a couple of episodes ago.

Mama Z: Oh, yes. People would pray with us all the time.

Dr. Z: “Oh, we just feel bad for you. You’re just like everyone else. You’re broke. Okay, it’s great. Oh, you just lost a baby. Okay. It’s everything is great, all the bad stuff happening. Oh, you’ve got mold in your home. You’re sick, oh.” But now it’s like, “Oh, we’re doing good. We’re making a couple of dollars. You win a pageant. It’s like we’re traveling the world. We’re on documentaries and TV. Now it’s like, “Oh, how dare you?! Gluttons.” Like Jesus, “You’re gluttonous and you’re a drinker. You’re a drunkard.” Like the Jews.

Like we’re dealing with this religious spirit that’s making people feel guilty for doing things and being well. And part of that is healing. Do you believe the abundant life is possible? Do you believe that you’re supposed to be joyful and have peace; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, the fruit of the Spirit?

Mama Z: And I feel like when we were in all of that, I mean the fact that we remained healthy, we ate well. I mean like we had watched other people go through a process that didn’t eat well.

Dr. Z: Well, no, but we weren’t always healthy, though. Remember? Go back a couple of episodes. Fat pants story for me. And then toxic mold.

Mama Z: I’m not talking about that.

Dr. Z: We were under attack.

Mama Z: I’m talking about making good food choices.

Dr. Z: We did the best we could.

Mama Z: And I thought we did very well with what we ate, and how we lived.

Dr. Z: We did.

Mama Z: And so, it was really interesting to me, because even when the transition happened to graduation, to our summits, and some of the other things, the people that would like pray with us and be by our side, they like fell off the wagon, so to speak, when we were doing well. And I think it’s important to always be really mindful and be excited for your brother and sister in Christ as they grow and as things change. Because we’ve never compromised our standards, whether we were going to the grocery store and using our food stamps or going to the grocery store and using our bank account.

Dr. Z: All right, 1 Corinthians 13. I actually got my Bible out the last two episodes here.

Mama Z: I like it.

Dr. Z: “When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, everyone of us, as in a cloudy mirror. But then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete. But then I will know everything complete, just as God now knows me completely.”

Someone’s success is often times perceived as a threat to someone’s not success, incompetence, and “failures.” That’s how people see it. And so, ultimately

Mama Z: I just don’t think I’ve ever been that way.

Dr. Z: I get that. But this is also why in a couple of episodes we talked about chasing your dreams in spite of opposition and in the face of opposition, especially when people are against you. So, what I’m trying to do here, I’m trying to paint the picture of, if you’re listening at this point, if you haven’t tuned us out, this is good. You get what we’re trying to say. You need faith.

Mama Z: Yes.

Dr. Z: You need absolute faith, because all this other stuff

Mama Z: Yea, “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

Dr. Z: You need to believe and wholeheartedly believe that it is God’s will for you to be well.

Mama Z: Right.

Dr. Z: And I don’t understand sometimes, and look at the book of Job. Sometimes God allows things for a temporary season for ultimately His good and His purpose and for us, too.

Mama Z: Yea, “He works all things for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Dr. Z: He is so not focused on this second. He’s so focused on eternity. He understands that we have to go through our own working out our salvation with fear and trembling, to get to that point where we can be that vessel of gold and silver. God wants to make you a vessel of gold and silver for honorable and noble purposes for His kingdom, to help people, to bless people.

Mama Z: Well, a lot of things happen between coal and a diamond. You know that I’m saying? It just doesn’t like roll out there.

Dr. Z: For sure, I’m telling you.

Mama Z: And, you know, roll down the aisle there. I mean there are some things that happen.

And I’ll tell you, I mean we went through a lot to be in the season that we are. And I think no matter what season you’re in, you’re always going to have challenges. You’re always going to have to fight balance. You’re always going to have certain things. But God never promised that everything would be all sunshine and roses. But He did promise that He would be by our side. And we never know with people who are ill or whatever, if they’re going to get their healing on this side of Heaven or the other side. And I think it’s important to know that God’s will for us it that we are healed.

Dr. Z: We don’t give up hope.

Mama Z: That’s right.

Dr. Z: Never give up hope. It’s not God’s will for you to be depressed. I’m telling you. But I’m telling you that it is natural for you to be depressed. But let me clarify, it’s not God’s will, emphatic, it’s not God’s will for you to be in depression.

Mama Z: Right.

Dr. Z: It’s not God’s will for you to be suicidal. It’s not God’s will for you to be constantly anxious and chronically stressed, no way, shape, or form, because you can’t function. You can’t function, and trust me, you’ll end up being in a situation where you won’t be fruitful. And God wants us to be fruitful.

Mama Z: That’s right.

[28:05 – 30:31] Do You REALLY Take God at His Word?

Dr. Z: “I am the Vine; you are the branches.” God wants us to be fruitful. And so, we have to work out through these things. It’s so key to get your faith in the right place and to believe God. Do you take God at His Word? And that’s something that I’m really glad that our church that we’re going to is teaching a series on the Bible, like the actual backstory of the Bible. Because a lot of us, do you really believe the Word of God?

And I’ll say this is one thing I really appreciate about this series. Because what got me, ultimately convicted me, was I studied the history of the Bible and I looked at The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith, written by Lee Strobel, an atheist who was converted, because He wanted to prove that God didn’t exist. And through archaeology, through history, through philosophy, through all the different world religions, I was faced with the eternal question: What is this Book? Really, what is the Book?

I’m not talking about anything else but look at the Book as a whole. Is it really the true, infallible Word of God that was inspired by His Holy Spirit, written for us as a guide, the actual Word of God, to be taken literally? Or, it this just like a really good story-tell book. I mean bottom line, that’s it. Do you really believe in the Flood? Do you really believe in the serpent? Do you really believe that Jesus died and three days later rose? Do you really believe what we just read, “I came to give you life and to have it to the full?”

You have to come. To me, I was absolutely convinced, convicted, and I was like, “Whoa, this Book is the Word of God, the actual Word of the Lord.” I’m not worried about translations, transcriptions. All of that stuff will work itself out. Trust me. All of that stuff will work itself out. But at the end of the day, look at where this Book has come from.

And no other book on the planet has been reinforced and confirmed by other books, by other resources, by other everything. The account of Jesus alone, through Josephus and other historical texts is indisputable. And then you have this as our guide. So, with that said, we encourage you to really test your faith. Question. Do you believe? And if you do, now you are on a fantastic way to move forward to emotional, mental, and physical stability like never before.

Mama Z: Mic drop.

Dr. Z: Well, probably a good time for a word from our sponsor.

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[31:15 – 35:02] Detoxing Emotions – Step 9: Find a Retreat

Dr. Z: All right here everyone, back to episode 29, “Detoxing Your Emotions, Part Two.” We’ve been covering faith. We’re going to be talking about some of the light, fun things—finding a retreat and removing distractions, ditching social media, and pampering yourself. All right, finding a retreat.

Mama Z: We get to do that this weekend.

Dr. Z: Yes.

Mama Z: And we’re going to be able to offer it to our people.

Dr. Z: So, number nine, find a retreat, a quiet, relaxing place. And again, I’m reading from page 192 of The Essential Oils Diet.

Mama Z: And that was before we even knew that we were doing that.

Dr. Z: I love it. Is that fun? “A quiet, relaxing place in which to reflect is vital to restoring mental health and emotional balance and finding your center. Find a local park, take a walk or hike, or just find a place to sit and take in all God has created. Your health depends on it.”

Mama Z: Yes.

Dr. Z: So, if you’ve got a couple of bucks, and if you can actually do a retreat. Remember our marriage retreat?

Mama Z: Oh, my goodness! Okay, so, we went to a marriage retreat on Mackinaw Island.

Dr. Z: We were newlyweds.

Mama Z: It was only like, I would say we had been married about ten months at that point. It was right before we conceived Esther. And it was so much fun. And I’ve never been to Mackinaw Island before, because my mom always said it just smelled like horse poop and fudge.

Dr. Z: And it does, actually. If you know anything about Mackinaw Island, there isn’t a lot of cars, so, there are a lot of horse-drawn carriages and fudge, Mackinaw Island fudge.

Mama Z: Yes, yes. We had a blast. And there was one thing we did want to do before we left, and that was ride the bikes.

Dr. Z: Around the whole island.

Mama Z: Yea. And I remember that they had changed the schedule of the ferries on the way back. And my girlfriend had told me a scary story where they had done that on her weekend. And they missed the ferry, and they ended up having to charter a helicopter.

Dr. Z: Whoa!

Mama Z: And it was like boo-koo bucks. And so, remember, we rode the bikes so fast that they didn’t even charge us for using the bikes, because we rode them so fast around the island. I was just so afraid that we were going to get dished. And then I had wanted to ride the little bikes. It was the two-fer bike.

Dr. Z: Oh, I wouldn’t do that.

Mama Z: And you wouldn’t do it.

Dr. Z: So, no way you would have done it.

Mama Z: Well, and then we saw it, remember? We saw a guy, he is chugging, and she is in the back and she goes, “Shhh!”

Dr. Z: Yea, she’s like feet up.

Mama Z: And she had her feet up. And he was chugging the whole way.

Dr. Z: Going uphill. Not cool, not cool.

Mama Z: So, if you remember, do you remember the picture we took on the day of the gala that we had that night? We were all dressed up and dolled up. And we called it the president’s picture.

Dr. Z: It was nice. It was on

Mama Z: On the steps.

Dr. Z: Yea, on the deck.

Mama Z: Yea.

Dr. Z: A beautiful wrap-around deck at the Grand Hotel.

Mama Z: It was celebrate your marriage.

Dr. Z: Right at the Grand Hotel?

Mama Z: Yes, conference.

Dr. Z: Celebrate your marriage.

Mama Z: I think our room was like pink. It was so pretty.

Dr. Z: It was a wonderful retreat. Whether you go on a marriage retreat, a men’s retreat, if you can afford it. Before we had a lot of money, or before we had any money, we would go on a men’s retreat. And it would cost like sixty bucks for like two days. And we would go to this place called the Hike Inn.

Mama Z: Right. And I made all the food before you went.

Dr. Z: Yea. And we would go camping, like at a men’s retreat.

Mama Z: Yep.

Dr. Z: You just need to kind of get away.

Mama Z: Right.

Dr. Z: And I know sometimes you might not be in the situation, single moms. I understand, a sick spouse, you’re a caregiver, you can’t leave. Okay, okay. You could still find a park. You can do this, and you have to. This is part of why we’re sharing this. If you can’t sneak away for a day or two, if you can’t sneak away for a week, then you need to sneak away for an hour. At least start with what? So, how do you do it?

[35:03 – 39:14] Mama Z’s Self-Care Detox Hacks

Mama Z: So especially when we were in school, one of the things was I had a friend who was a massage therapist. And then I taught group fitness. So, once a week; no, twice a week, we would do, I would train her for an hour. And then she would do a two-hour massage on me on the weekend.

Dr. Z: Yep.

Mama Z: And we just traded. So, even if you have a service, everybody has something to offer. We could have just hung out. But she wanted to do something for her body. I needed to defragment for a little bit. And so, we were able to trade out. And that was like so life-giving.

Dr. Z: And garden.

Mama Z: And gardening.

Dr. Z: Go get a garden. Start gardening. That’s like free. That’s one thing we get. We get this a lot. “Well, I can’t afford that.” Well, everyone can afford this stuff.

Mama Z: And I had friends like Olivia that came over and would garden with me, that didn’t have a garden at the time. She was in school, too, and didn’t have a place for a garden.

Dr. Z: Yes.

Mama Z: And so, I had different friends that would say like, “Hey, if you’re going to be gardening, let me know. I would love to come over and garden with you.” And sure. I mean that was time to chat, and we would do stuff in the garden. But also, we would take the kids to the movies in the summer time. A lot of the movie theaters have like kids’ days specifically in the morning.

Dr. Z: Yep.

Mama Z: And so, I had certain moms that I would like meet up. And then the kids would get to go. They would get to watch a movie. And the moms would sit together. It was all filled with moms and kids. So, it wasn’t like they were going to go anywhere. I mean, it was perfect. So, whatever it is that relaxes you

Dr. Z: You’ve got to do it.

Mama Z: You’ve got to do it.

Dr. Z: You have to do it. Put it in your calendar.

Mama Z: Well, and one thing that was said, and I can’t remember what preacher said it, but it was a long time ago. It was like sometimes you just need some silence, too. And not just for being silent, because people are always trying to fill space, but so that you can hear what God is revealing to you, or if you’re in your prayer time or prayer closet so to speak, just some of the things that are coming up in your spirit, and thoughts that are brought up at that time. Or just if you’re praying for the next area in your life to grow. I mean God is always faithful to show you what that is.

But taking time to be quiet. And a great place is if you’re at a gym. If you have a gym membership, in the sauna or in the shower at the gym, God always speaks to me in the shower. I know, the weirdest places. But maybe it’s because that’s like an alone time spot. If I go into the bathroom, everybody follows me. It’s like seriously, does this really have to be a party on the potty?

Dr. Z: I know. “Mommy, mommy, mommy!”

Mama Z: And I remember one of the moms in my Bible study that I was in, they had a bunch of kids. Her mom used to take her apron and throw it over her head. And she was spending time with Jesus, because that was the only time that she got.

Dr. Z: Hah, hah, hah!

Mama Z: So, you’ve got to go wherever that you do.

Dr. Z: Yep.

Mama Z: But find a way to carve that out. You know, for me, waking up extra early in the morning, I’m all by myself. You know, a really quiet time in the morning. And I need that time.

Dr. Z: Yep.

Mama Z: I need that time. And then I have my time on the way to the gym, and then on the way home from the gym, too. So, I think it’s really important to find. You know yourself. At least I hope you do by now, right? And so, just finding time to connect with yourself and with the Lord is crucial.

[39:15 – 41:48] Dr. Z’s Self-Care Hacks for Detoxing Emotions

Dr. Z: I enjoyed my lunch breaks a lot when I worked at jobs that I didn’t particularly like, corporate jobs.

Mama Z: You were like, “Yea, I really didn’t like working, but boy, I liked lunch.”

Dr. Z: No, really, I took my lunch breaks as a detox. I didn’t realize what I was doing, but I would just go. And I would rarely eat on my lunch break. That was a secret. I would actually do something that would like nourish my soul, whether it was reading the Bible at a park, or whether it was walking around. Or even sometimes going, I remember I worked inside of a big box store at Meijer. Remember when I managed that bank inside of that store, Meijer?

Mama Z: Yea.

Dr. Z: I used to just sometimes get a tennis ball and go outside and find a place and just throw my tennis ball at the wall.

Mama Z: Whoa! Get a hobby, buddy!

Dr. Z: Well, what do you do? As I said, you get a half an hour.

Mama Z: You only got half an hour?

Dr. Z: Well, sometimes when you’re a manager, you get like five seconds. I mean they give you a call and you’ve got to be in there. I’ve only had one job that actually had a firm hour lunch kind of thing. I get it.

Mama Z: I had a couple of jobs that we actually had a full hour. They paid us for the hour. And they wanted us to eat together so we had fellowship with one another. And that was Barry at Darla’s studio. And I loved that, because we had that fellowship with one another. And it’s interesting, even at the chamber, it was really important that we have that hour. And many times we spent it together, because we wanted to.

Dr. Z: Yea.

Mama Z: And so, not everybody has that kind of situation. And not every situation lends itself to that either, especially if you’re in more of a competitive environment or other things like that. But like you said, you can steal away whatever time that you have.

Dr. Z: You do it, and you’ve got to find your place. Find your place. The kids and I found just a local airport. There’s like a little park. And it’s a really cool park. It’s a park that we’ve never seen. Everything is a different shape. It’s very modern. Even the swings don’t look like normal swings. Everything is kind of cool. You haven’t been there yet.

Mama Z: No.

Dr. Z: There’s a huge green space, huge, so you can play, kick the ball.

Mama Z: Where you do park the car?

Dr. Z: In the parking lot. There’s a nice parking lot. And then the planes, not a lot, but local planes come by. “Plane, plane!” Bella loves it.

Mama Z: But there are a lot more planes coming in and out of there now.

Dr. Z: But it’s fun. It was like that was a retreat. And that’s something that we do with the kids. And we were at the park this last Saturday for three hours. It was awesome! We picnicked. I got some food, and we had a picnic there. And we just hung out. And we met some friends. And that was our little retreat for us. So, anyway, find something that nourishes your soul.

[41:49 – 46:32] Detoxing Emotions – Step 10: Remove Distractions

Dr. Z: And here’s another thing, segueing into number ten, is removing distractions. And that’s part of why we want to find a retreat. But while cleansing negative emotions, and this is something that you can do. Again, we know what’s it like having a child glued to your hip at all times. That’s real for a lot of parents.

Mama Z: Yea.

Dr. Z: And you might be in a season where you’re glued to your job. And that’s something you want to force yourself to have that Sabbath. Honor the Sabbath. That’s the Fourth Commandment, that sort of thing. Actually, I should have included that. Add a Sabbath.

Mama Z: Oh, gee, that will be the next run of that.

Dr. Z: Yea, the next book. So, while cleansing negative emotions, we’re reading from page 192 of The Essential Oils Diet. So, number ten, remove distractions. “While cleansing negative emotions, you are more susceptible to hurt.” Keep this in mind. You’re more susceptible. It’s like the wound is being opened. “Be honest with yourself when opening up to others, and avoid people who feed on negative thoughts, as well as places associated with unpleasant memories.”

So, if you’re really going through this process, and kind of a quick recap here. You’re forgiving others. You forgive yourself. You’re practicing self-love. You’re reciting positive affirmations. You’re not looking back. You’re crying by yourself and with a friend. You have the faith. You’re really building up your faith by praying and being in the Word of God. You start to find little retreats here or there. And now that you’re in this situation where you’re really seeking the Lord, and you can sense and feel the emotions, the bad ones, just leave you, you’re more open.

Mama Z: Yes.

Dr. Z: We have found you’re very open. The memories are still there. Sometimes the hurt is still very real, especially if abuse or trauma, unpleasant memories. This is a really critical place right now, where if you’re in this place right now, some people are too afraid to push through. Some people find the darkness. They see it. The experience the negativity.

It’s something that I had to deal with years ago. And it really wasn’t until I accepted Christ into my life and I became filled with the Holy Spirit that I actually felt like I could do it, because I was empowered now. But you have to push through that darkness. And this is a critical point. It’s like you’re at a threshold.

Mama Z: Yea.

Dr. Z: And Jesus is like, “Come, have dinner with Me.”

Mama Z: Well, and like any threshold, if you think about the astronauts. When the thrusters are still on, there’s a lot of force, G-force, until you hit that place in the atmosphere where the boosters come off. And the most resistance is right before there is that release. And so, if you think of that in the spiritual sense—

Dr. Z: That’s good. That’s a good analogy.

Mama Z: Well, you just think about it, and there’s just like, maybe you’re right at the other side of your breakthrough. And you need to press through.

Dr. Z: Yep.

Mama Z: And you’re so close. But the adversity is so much. And it’s like just go back to that Scripture that we quoted before. And “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). But we know that “you will reap in due season if you faint not” (Galatians 6:7). And sometimes it’s that people grow weary in well-doing.

Dr. Z: Yes.

Mama Z: And we can’t do that.

Dr. Z: We’re not to grow weary in well-doing.

Mama Z: You might be right on the other side of your breakthrough. So, you have to allow yourself and the people around some grace, a measure of grace, especially if you’re wanting to receive that. But press through, because I guarantee that your breakthrough is coming soon.

Dr. Z: This is the time when the enemy of our souls, in my opinion, works overtime.

Mama Z: Oh, yea, right before.

Dr. Z: This is the time, every time. It’s always usually before the Super Bowl Win. It’s before the pageant win.

Mama Z: Yep.

Dr. Z: It’s before landing that deal. It’s before saying, “I do.” How many people get cold feet, and the runaway bride syndrome, and all of that stuff. It’s that moment. And so, this is where we’re saying remove distractions.

Mama Z: Yea.

Dr. Z: And here’s the number one distraction—people.

Mama Z: Yea.

[46:33 – 48:12] Detoxing Emotions – Step 11: Ditch Social Media

Dr. Z: People can be a distraction, and places that remind you of things that you shouldn’t be. And this leads into number eleven, social media. I mean if you’re in the season, and if you’re really trying to detox your emotions, ditch social media. Take a break from Facebook, please, and Twitter, and whatever, Snapchat, Instagram.

Mama Z: I don’t even know how to do that Snapchat. Am I old or what?

Dr. Z: Well, you’re forty-one.

Mama Z: I am not forty-one yet. I have two days, according to this podcast.

Dr. Z: Take a break from Facebook and all these social sites, at least while you’re in recovery. Trust us. Just please trust us. They can trigger feelings of jealousy and envy. And this is proven. Like I’m actually quoting research here. It’s actually citation number twelve.

Mama Z: So, you’re saying fasting.

Dr. Z: Yea, digital fasting.

Mama Z: That also has lots of benefits, as well.

Dr. Z: Yes, we’ll talk about that. Maybe we should do a natural living tip on fasting. The social media can trigger feelings of jealousy and envy and cause you to develop unrealistic comparisons and even lead to depression. And when Facebook first came out and it was starting to explode, there were, I forget, like 75, but unprecedent amounts of references to Facebook in divorce proceedings.

So, what am I saying here? Facebook can be a bad, bad thing when you are in a bad, bad place. When you’re in a place of recovery, you’re kind of like in that middle zone. It’s not really good. It’s not really bad. You’re like, “I’m getting there.” But we encourage social media when you are in a good place.

Mama Z: Right.

[48:11 – 51:12] Detoxing Emotions – Step 12: Pamper Yourself

Dr. Z: So, that is a big thing. Last here, number twelve, is pamper yourself. We’ve kind of already alluded to that with self-love.

Mama Z: That’s my favorite one.

Dr. Z: Yes. So, we’re going to give Mama Z a tip. Maybe you can do a natural living family tip on pampering. But anyway, you’ve got a minute to think about what you want to do.

And we have two podcasts, “The Art of Self-Love.” I believe it’s episodes 8 and 9 that talk about a lot of this. But here, again, straight from the book: Regularly (and this is key) reward yourself with something that you would consider pampering, whether it’s a nice long bath. That’s free. All you need is a little bit of time. A spa day, maybe an aromatherapy session, maybe buying an essential oil or two, or something just for you.

Also, take time to pray or meditate. And it’s not just also. It’s like be sure to take time to pray and meditate. And again, this is proven by research: “Individuals who live a spiritual life typically have better mental health and adapt more quickly to health problems than those who don’t.” And this is emotional health, mental health. Mental health is such an issue right now, in the church, out of the church, wherever the church.

So, pamper yourself. And really dive into God’s Word. And you know, now might not be the time to really get into like some exegetical book of Leviticus stuff. No offence to that.

Mama Z: You might want to hang out in Psalms there for a little bit.

Dr. Z: Yea, maybe hang out in some encouraging Psalms. Ephesians, if you’re looking for some recommendations, the book of Ephesians is one you can just really dive into. It’s very encouraging. The Gospels, of course; the Gospel of John, everyone just seems to be. You just want to really know who you are in Christ.

Mama Z: Right.

Dr. Z: And reinforce some of the beautiful things. Like don’t really dump into the battle of Armageddon and Revelation. Like you don’t want to like, no doom and gloom here.

Mama Z: Nope.

Dr. Z: So, there are some really good stories. Like the book of Esther is kind of wonderful. And take that up.

Mama Z: Yea.

Dr. Z: Look up Ruth. Like what’s going on with these folks of old? And so, with that, we want you to know that we love you. We appreciate you.

Mama Z: Yes.

Dr. Z: And when we wrote The Essential Oils Diet, we chose to cover the top ways, what we find, this twelve-step emotional detox program, because it’s so vital. We found that a lot of people would get themselves up to a place in their emotional, mental, physical healing, and they’re like, “Ah, I’m stuck.” And they’re stuck all the time. We mentioned earlier a friend of yours. Like whether it’s comfort eating or whatever it is that people go to, especially people that are sick and overweight, this is critical.

Mama Z: Yea.

Dr. Z: And so, we hope that you’ve enjoyed this short, little emotional detox journey. Do you have anything else on your heart? Or do you want to dive right into the tip?

Mama Z: It’s a two-part tip.

Dr. Z: So, you want to dive into the tip, then?

Mama Z: I do.

Dr. Z: All right, well, I think Mama Z says we’re good. Mrs. Georgia-America, let’s have a natural living family tip.

Mama Z: Absolutely.

[51:13 – 52:00] Natural Living Tip: Fasting

So, if you are in a battleground right now, and let’s face it, many of us are. So, one thing that we alluded to earlier was fasting and the dynamics of fasting. And I know we’ve talked about it on a previous podcast. But dive in deep into Isaiah 58. And find something in your life, a pleasant bread, to fast, whether it’s games on the computers, things on your phone, social media, other things that could be a hindrance. And really commit that to the Lord, and just watch certain things happen. Maybe it is food. Maybe that’s the area that you need to focus on. But fast something. And watch God just take your breakthrough to a new level.

[52:01 – 52:40] Sponsor Spotlight: Thrive Market

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[52:41 – end] Episode WrapUp

Dr. Z: All right, thank you everyone for listening. We hope you enjoyed the show. As a reminder, you can find all of the Natural Living Family podcast episodes, show notes, transcripts, and sponsor specials on NaturalLivingFamilypodcast.com.

And while on our website, don’t forget to sign up for our weekly podcast newsletter, which invites you to join our private Facebook group, so that you connect one on one with Mama Z and I and more than four-thousand other natural living lovers just like you. And don’t forget. Please subscribe to our podcasts and leave a review. We love hearing what you have to say about our show. And who knows? We may choose your review to read next time. Well, Dr. Z here.

Mama Z: And Mama Z.

Dr. Z: And our hope and prayer are that you and your family truly experience the abundant life. We’ll see you next time.

Mama Z: God bless!

Dr. Z: Bye, bye.