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The warm days of summer are upon us again, and along with them come mosquitoes, gnats and other biting bugs we'd be happy to keep off us. Synthetic insect repellent formulas have been in use for a long time -- they are effective, but many involved in natural health are still wary of putting synthetic solvents on their skin. The skin is known to absorb chemicals rather readily, and these chemicals are certain to show up in our bloodstream as well. The essential oils used as insect repellents however, are a completely safe, natural, and effective alternative; one that even the most discerning parent would be happy to use on their children. Insect repellent blends, both for topical and environmental defense, are some of the easiest aromatherapy formulations to create.
Posted: 2008-06-26
Category: Health & Fitness
The warm days of summer are upon us again, and along with them come mosquitoes, gnats and other biting bugs we'd be happy to keep off us. Synthetic insect repellent formulas have been in use for a long time -- they are effective, but many involved in natural health are still wary of putting synthetic solvents on their skin. The skin is known to absorb chemicals rather readily, and these chemicals are certain to show up in our bloodstream as well. The essential oils used as insect repellents however, are a completely safe, natural, and effective alternative; one that even the most discerning parent would be happy to use on their children. Insect repellent blends, both for topical and environmental defense, are some of the easiest aromatherapy formulations to create.
Posted: 2008-06-26
Category: Health & Fitness
Home-made aromatherapy sprays are one of the easiest yet most profound methods of using the aroma-therapeutic aspects of essential oils. They're also a great way to create a natural air-freshener for use in any space, one that will far surpass the aromatic beauty of a store-bought synthetic fragrance. In fact, many folks who find air fresheners distasteful, or may be allergic to them, will find scents made with pure and natural essential oils to be pleasant and satisfying. Further, you can create aromatherapy sprays to suit special health needs for yourself and your family by selecting oils with specific therapeutic effects.
Posted: 2008-06-13
Category: Alternative Medicine
The anti-bacterial action of essential oils may be their most studied effect, in-part because these are simple experiments to perform. Place a piece of filter paper saturated with an essential oil in the center of a petri dish and watch the growth, or lack of, bacteria around the paper. The larger the area where bacteria do not grow, the stronger the action of that particular essential oil inhibiting that particular strain of microbe. This test, known as an Aromatogram, was popularized by French scientist Paul Belaiche. Through extensive research, large tables of data now allow aromatherapists to quickly find the most efficacious oils once the infecting species of bacteria is known. But you don't have to be a scientist to make use of this information - there are many simple, effective means for using essential remedies for yourself and your family and children as part of a holistic natural health program for your household.
Posted: 2008-05-20
Category: Alternative Medicine
The anti-bacterial action of essential oils may be their most studied effect, in-part because these are simple experiments to perform. Place a piece of filter paper saturated with an essential oil in the center of a petri dish and watch the growth, or lack of, bacteria around the paper. The larger the area where bacteria do not grow, the stronger the action of that particular essential oil inhibiting that particular strain of microbe. This test, known as an Aromatogram, was popularized by French scientist Paul Belaiche. Through extensive research, large tables of data now allow aromatherapists to quickly find the most efficacious oils once the infecting species of bacteria is known. But you don't have to be a scientist to make use of this information - there are many simple, effective means for using essential remedies for yourself and your family and children as part of a holistic natural health program for your household.
Posted: 2008-05-20
Category: Alternative Medicine
We'll all cherish the day we learned chocolate was good for us. Maybe a few naysayers still remain skeptical, but study after study is proclaiming the health benefits, both mental and physical, of chocolate. Even the Life Extension Foundation includes chocolate extract in their flagship vitamin formulas. Many folks are switching from their daily dose of coffee to a cup of hot chocolate. It's an antidepressant, an antioxidant, its full of vitamins and minerals, it improves sex drive, AND it tastes good. Really good. So what is the best way to get the health benefits? Is it as simple as eating cases of your childhood favorite chocolates? As you might have thought, there are considerations when indulging in chocolate as a regular part of your diet. But it can be done! Let's see how...
Posted: 2008-05-15
Category: Health & Fitness
Chocolate is the new 'black'. Its making waves in all the health circles, as its health benefits appeal to medical and health practitioners with diverse educations and specialties. Laboratory studies reveal its potent anti-oxidant actions, and 'chocolate parties' reveal a great many other positive effects. We've all seen the surveys where many women would prefer chocolate over sex (this does not seem to be the case in European countries, however); add to this the results of an Italian study mentioning that women who eat chocolate have more sex, and the subject gets a little spicy. Spicy enough even to consider adding a healthy dose of chocolate to your life? Need more reasons? Chocolate makes your bones more dense, it prevents heart disease, its thought to attract abundance, and its full of mood-boosting and intelligence-boosting neurotransmitter precursors. Healthy, wealthy, wise and happy. So it is as easy and eating all the Hershey's bars you can get a hold of? Well, not quite...
Posted: 2008-05-15
Category: Health & Fitness
Bergamot essential oil is subtle and uplifting, uniting one of the most enticing perfume aromas with the transformative potential of this plant's powerful healing effects. The light green oil is pressed from the peels of the nearly ripe bitter oranges, with an scent like candy for grown-ups; the bright top note combines a fresh sweet-tart orange with slightly spicy balsamic undertones. A member of the botanical family Rutacae, the Bergamot tree (Citrus bergamia) grows up to 15 feet high and yields small round fruit that look much like miniature oranges. The Bergamot essential oil used in aromatherapy should not be confused with the familiar bergamot plant, also known as 'bee balm', an herb indigenous to North America.
Posted: 2008-05-08
Category: Alternative Medicine
Bergamot oil is a staple essential oil in therapeutic aromatherapy, being particularly suited to stress-related illness. Its bright, sweet (but not too sweet) aroma is universally loved. Its an oil from the citrus family, along with orange, grapefruit, lemon and lime, with similarly effective mood lifting properties. Bergamot is a cold-pressed oil, a method of extraction that imparts a fresh, tangy scent. Bergamot is actually a tree that produces what appear to be small oranges; the oil is yellow to light-green, the color of the slightly unripe fruit from which it comes. The essential oil is truly versatile, with many practical applications; here's a quick look at how you can use this oil in your natural wellness program.
Posted: 2008-05-08
Category: Alternative Medicine
Bergamot essential oil is subtle and uplifting, uniting one of the most enticing perfume aromas with the transformative potential of this plant's powerful healing effects. The light green oil is pressed from the peels of the nearly ripe bitter oranges, with an scent like candy for grown-ups; the bright top note combines a fresh sweet-tart orange with slightly spicy balsamic undertones. A member of the botanical family Rutacae, the Bergamot tree (Citrus bergamia) grows up to 15 feet high and yields small round fruit that look much like miniature oranges. The Bergamot essential oil used in aromatherapy should not be confused with the familiar bergamot plant, also known as 'bee balm', an herb indigenous to North America.
Posted: 2008-05-08
Category: Alternative Medicine
Looking for a way to bring smiles to your family's faces? Aromatherapy offers many wonderful means of naturally uplifting the emotions, and one of the favorites is Bergamot essential oil. Its bright, sweet and tart aroma is loved by all ages. The oil is gently pressed from the rinds of Bergamot fruit, and is widely available in an organic variety. The oil is exceptionally safe, and can be used in diffusers, or worn as a natural perfume (as has been done for many centuries). Here we'll have a brief look at the history of Bergamot’s use, and some practical applications for its use for you and your family.
Posted: 2008-05-08
Category: Alternative Medicine
Bergamot oil is a staple essential oil in therapeutic aromatherapy, being particularly suited to stress-related illness. Its bright, sweet (but not too sweet) aroma is universally loved. Its an oil from the citrus family, along with orange, grapefruit, lemon and lime, with similarly effective mood lifting properties. Bergamot is a cold-pressed oil, a method of extraction that imparts a fresh, tangy scent. Bergamot is actually a tree that produces what appear to be small oranges; the oil is yellow to light-green, the color of the slightly unripe fruit from which it comes. The essential oil is truly versatile, with many practical applications; here's a quick look at how you can use this oil in your natural wellness program.
Posted: 2008-05-08
Category: Alternative Medicine
Bergamot oil is a staple essential oil in therapeutic aromatherapy, being particularly suited to stress-related illness. Its bright, sweet (but not too sweet) aroma is universally loved. Its an oil from the citrus family, along with orange, grapefruit, lemon and lime, with similarly effective mood lifting properties. Bergamot is a cold-pressed oil, a method of extraction that imparts a fresh, tangy scent. Bergamot is actually a tree that produces what appear to be small oranges; the oil is yellow to light-green, the color of the slightly unripe fruit from which it comes. The essential oil is truly versatile, with many practical applications; here's a quick look at how you can use this oil in your natural wellness program.
Posted: 2008-05-08
Category: Alternative Medicine
Perhaps you're just venturing into natural health for you and your family -- you know it's the right thing to do, but there are SO many varieties of medicines, herbs, tinctures and supplements that getting started is a little daunting. Have you given Lavender essential oil a try yet? Of the huge array of natural health products available online and at your local market, Lavender is a truly dependable choice. It has a broad range of effects, and can replace a number of not-so-natural items in your medicine chest and around your home. So if you're making the effort for natural health and happiness, here's a few tips on using this wonderful medicinal aromatic.
Posted: 2008-05-05
Category: Alternative Medicine
Yes, yes, yes -- we've heard it before: Lavender essential oil is 'a medicine chest in a bottle'. But we're not using it yet....why not? It seems many of us are being drawn to natural health and medicine, yet are afraid to dive in. We're not quite convinced, or we still think the best medicine HAS to have unpronounceable names, and come from secret laboratories in Switzerland. Well, here's some news: Lavender is real medicine. It works, it works well, it's cheap, it's readily available, and it's easy to use. And it might just open up a whole new world of health for you (or your family, or friends). Some studies have shown the single most important factor regarding the efficacy of a treatment is whether the patient believes in it or not. Give Lavender a try -- once you do, it might be hard to ignore the world of natural medicine any longer.
Posted: 2008-05-05
Category: Alternative Medicine
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