Lavender Essential Oil: An “Adaptogen”?

I read this article in the newest Young LIving Essential Oils newsletter, about how lavender is considered an adaptogen.  That means it will "adapt" to either calm or invigorate, depending on the individual. Lavender is my favorite scents, and one of my favorite essential oils.  So I wanted to share the article with you.  Here it is:

The term “adaptogen” has many meanings: to have a ‘normalizing effect’, to adapt or adjust (from the Greek adapto). An adaptogen that has different results depending upon the need seems to be an unusual meaning of the term. Lavender essential oil is the perfect example for the two opposing adaptations we discuss below.

Lavender is known worldwide to calm and relax. Babies crying with colic were soothed by abdominal massage and lavender oil in a study conducted at the Department of Pediatric Nursing at Pemkkale University in Turkey¹. Dental patients in London who nervously awaited appointments were found to be calmer and less apprehensive after lavender was diffused in the office waiting room, in a randomized controlled trial². Additionally, in a Thai study to assess the effects of lavender oil on emotional states and other bodily systems in healthy adults, the group that inhaled lavender oil categorized themselves as “more active, fresher, relaxed than subjects just inhaling base oil”.

But what happens to lavender’s famous calming and relaxing abilities when given to people who are experiencing a bone-weary fatigue? This is where the “Swiss Army Knife” of essential oils earns its nickname. Researchers at Sanyo Hospital in Japan gave fatigued subjects aromatherapy, a footsoak in warm water containing lavender for 10 minutes, and reflexology with jojoba oil containing lavender for 10 minutes.  Fatigue scores improved significantly.

No matter how to define “adaptogen”, lavender seems to be able to adapt to the needs of the person who uses it.

References

1.               Centrikaya B. Basbakkal Z. Int J Nurs Pract. 2012 Apr;18(2):164-9

2.               Kritsidima M., et al., Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2010 Feb;28(1):83-7.

3.               Sayorwan W. et al., J Med Assoc Thai. 2012 Apr;95(4):598-606.

4.               Kohara H., et al., J Pallit Med. 2004 Dec;7(6):791-6.

Lavender Aromatherapy May Prevent Falls in the Elderly

Families of the elderly live in fear of an accidental fall of their loved one, which often means a broken hip and the beginning of the slide downhill to death.  As people age, they encounter risk factors like “physical weakness, gait and balance instability, sedating and psychotropic medications, and cognitive impairment”.¹  Thus, falls are a major health problem in the elderly.

Researchers at the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine in Sendai, Japan, tested the effects of lavender olfactory stimulation intervention on the incidence of falls in elderly nursing home residents.

Three nursing homes were randomly selected in northern Japan, where 145 residents over the age of 65 were tested. The residents received either a lavender patch for continuous olfactory stimulation or a placebo unscented patch.

Before we get into this Japanese study, we need to take an in-depth look at the idea of lavender as an olfactory stimulation. Lavender is known to be calming and sedating. ^{2, 3} The fact that it can also be a stimulant is confusing, unless you realize that lavender is an adaptogen. It adapts to what the body is most in need of and then supplies it.

Several studies demonstrate lavender’s energizing and stimulating effects. In research conducted by Yamanashi Prefectural University, also in Japan, researchers analyzed three groups during a recess from work sessions: a placebo group not exposed to aroma, a group exposed to jasmine aroma, and a group exposed to lavender aroma. Not surprisingly, it was found that concentration was lowest in the afternoon period, when afternoon drowsiness is strongest. The lavender group had significantly higher concentration levels during this drowsy time period than the control group. No effect was found for the jasmine group. The study concludes, “Although lavender is a sedative-type aroma, use during recess periods after accumulation of fatigue seems to prevent deterioration of performance in subsequent work sessions.” ⁴

Now back to the study mentioned in the beginning of this article that used lavender aromatherapy for the elderly in nursing homes. One hundred forty-five patients 65 years of age and older were either given an unscented placebo patch or a lavender-scented patch. The primary outcome measured was resident falls. ⁵

There were fewer falls in the lavender group and a lower incidence rate of falls in this group as well.

Conclusion? “Lavender olfactory stimulation may reduce falls in elderly nursing home residents: further research is necessary to confirm these findings.”⁶

References

1. “Lavender Aromatherapy Reduces Falls in Elderly Nursing Home Residents”. Herb Clip, November 30, 2012.
2. Sayorwan W, et al. “The effects of lavender oil inhalation on emotional states, autonomic nervous system, and brain electrical activity”. J Med Assoc Thai. 2012 Apr;95(4):598-606.
3. Hongratanaworakit T. “Aroma-therapeutic effects of massage blended essential oils,” Nat Prod Commun. 2011 Aug6(8):1199-204.
4. Sakamoto R, et al. “Effectiveness of aroma on work efficiency: lavender aroma during recesses prevents deterioration of work performance”, Chem Senses. 2005 Oct;30(8):683-91.
5. Sakamoto Y, et al. “Fall prevention using olfactory stimulation with lavender odor in elderly nursing home residents: a randomized controlled study,” J Amer Geriatr Soc. 2012Jun;60(6):1005-11.
6. Ibid.

(from The Essential Edge News, Volume 3.2 Feb. 2013)

Herbal Ear Oil Recipe for Ear Infections That You Can Make At Home

Here's a recipe you can make to help with ear infections this coming cold season - from the website Frugally Sustainable


Herbal Ear Oil Recipe
Ingredients
4 ounces good-quality, organic olive oil
0.25 ounce dried mullein flowers
0.25 ounce dried garlic
10 drops tea tree oil
10 drops eucalyptus essential oils
5 drops lavender essential oils

Method
1. Make an herb-infused oil with the dried mullein flowers and garlic. Click here and read this article for detailed instructions on creating an herb-infused oil.
2. To your mullein flower and garlic infused oil, add the essential oils of tea tree, eucalyptus, and lavender. (available at my website:  www.youngliving.com/laurasoils).
3. Fill dark glass dropper bottles full of the medicinal oil. I like these 1 ounce or 2 ounce size bottles.
4. Because cold oil applied to the ear will often increase the pain, always warm the oil to body temperature by placing the bottle in warm water before application.
5. Instill 2-5 drops in the ear three times daily.
6. For best results — and for the highest level of pain relief – follow the application of ear oil with a 10 minute warm compress. A gentle massage behind and below the ear using this recipe for lavender oil will aid in pain relief as well.
7. This oil should keep for 6-12 months in a cool, dark place. Feel free to add a few drops of vitamin E oil in order to extend it’s shelf life.

Please note: It is always best to have the ear drum physically inspected by a licensed health care practitioner prior to applying this or any herbal ear oil.  Ear infections can cause hearing loss and deafness if left untreated.

Where Can I Get This Stuff?
-Mountain Rose Herbs…they have everything (dried herbs, essential oils, and the cute little dark glass dropper bottles) you’ll need for this remedy! It’s your one-stop-shop!
-The Bulk Herb Store also carries many of these ingredients if you’d like to price check.

Now it’s your turn…what all-natural remedies do you use for ear infections?

Thyme Out for Colds, Flu, and Other Organisms by Willow Tohi

Thyme out for colds, flu, and other organisms

by Willow Tohi

(NaturalNews) Another member of the labiatae, or mint, family, thyme is an herb native to the Mediterranean basin and comes in many varieties. There is only one plant, thymus vulgaris, but the composition of the oil distilled from the plant shows variations in chemical components based on the location or region the plant grows in, despite being botanically identical. The microbial power of thyme is so powerful that some oils are safe to use in all situations, and some are not. Thymus vularis ct. linalol is the best oil for beginners to use and it is the safest to use on the skin, in baths, and on children and the elderly. Other chemotypes (ct) such as thymus vulgaris ct. thujanol, thymus vulgaris ct. thymol, and thymus vulgaris c.t carvacrol should be left to qualified aromatherapists. Thyme is one of the most used and most useful oils in aromatherapy, but always use thyme oil with care, in moderation.

Thyme has remarkable antiviral, bactericidal, fungicidal, antibiotic, diuretic, antispasmodic, expectorant, and antiseptic properties that make it wonderful to have around during cold and flu season. In addition to killing microbes, thyme helps the body to eliminate toxins and boosts the immune system by supporting the formation of white blood cells, increasing resistance to invading organisms. Its familiar, warm, herbaceous aroma is powerful and penetrating, and the origin of its name, which comes from the Greek word 'thymos' meaning 'to perfume.'

The history of thyme

Thyme has a long and fascinating history. Used by all the early civilizations of the Mediterranean as a medicinal plant, both Hippocrates and Dioscorides described its uses in their writings. The ancient Egyptians used it for embalming. The ancient Greeks burned it as an incense in their temples and used it in their baths for courage. The Romans brought the herb to Europe, and used it to purify their rooms and give 'aromatic flavor' to cheese and liqueurs. In the Middle Ages, thyme was placed in bedrooms to ward off nightmares, given to knights for courage, taken into courtrooms to ward off diseases, and used at funerals to assure safe passage to the afterlife. Before modern antibiotics, thyme was used to medicate bandages.

Thyme is an easy to grown perennial shrub that can tolerate hot, sunny places well. It has long been used as a culinary herb. It delays the putrefaction of meat, a very useful trait in warm climates before refrigeration. Studies in modern times have verified this use with tests that prove adding essential oil of thyme slowed the proliferation of bacteria, preserving the food for an additional three days. Ingesting thyme also stimulates the digestive system and serves as an intestinal antiseptic.

Health benefits throughout thyme

Other traditional uses of thyme include the treatment of respiratory infections. An excellent pulmonary disinfectant, thyme is useful against flus, colds, sore throats, asthma, catarrh, coughs, laryngitis, whooping cough, and bronchitis. Inhale for nose, throat, and chest infections; for mouth and gum infections (such as thrush, gingivitis), use in toothpaste or mouthwash/gargle. As little as a .1 percent solution is effective. After a study in Germany, many researchers believe the effectiveness of cough medicines is due to the exhalation (after swallowing) of the local action of the essential oil on the respiratory tract. (essential oil available at Laura’s website: www.youngliving.com/laurasoils).  Extensive research has shown the effectiveness of essential oils, including thyme, as expectorants and to increase mucus secretions to relieve dry coughs. Inhalation in small amounts worked best; too strong has the opposite effect. Inhaled treatments are especially effective when treating chronic infections that linger in the sinuses.

Thyme is used as a remedy for physical and psychological weakness, and still is today. Useful for regaining strength after illness, chronic fatigue, or depression it can also be used to help insomnia as its effects are balancing. It stimulates circulation, aids concentration, raises blood pressure that is too low, and has even been thought to increase intelligence and memory. It revives, strengthens, and balances both mind and body.

The essential oil of thyme is antibacterial, acting on the bacteria's enzymes. As such, it has been used in soapy solutions for disinfecting hands before surgery, being a stronger antiseptic than most used in hospitals. Thyme can destroy staphylococcus at a dilution of 1,000 times. A study in France showed thyme to be among several essential oils that were found to destroy 90 percent of microbes within three hours, when used in a vaporizer. It deodorized the air and purified it from proteus, staphylococcus, streptococcus, and cryptococcal.

Additional uses include:

• Thyme is useful on infections of the urinary tract and bladder, and also acts as a diuretic, increasing its effectiveness

• Also use for candida and vaginitis

• Use to kill nail fungus

• Thyme is an ingredient in natural hand sanitizers

• Add thyme to a hot compress to relieve rheumatic pain, muscular aches and pains, sprains, sports injuries, sciatica, arthritis, gout

• Crush the fresh herb or use diluted oil as first aid on insect bites and stings

• Use on athlete's foot. For this use, you can apply the oil neat, or undiluted, but protect the skin with some fatty cream. Other neat applications include animal bites and boils.

• Use a one percent solution as an antibacterial wash for fresh produce

• Use in hair and skin care regimes, as a hair tonic or in a face wash and for treatment of things like acne or warts

• Use thyme in a sitz bath or massage to stimulate menstruation for weak or missing periods

• Use to kill parasites

• Thymol, a chemical constituent in thyme essential oil, has been found to increase blood-flow to the skin, thought to speed healing

• Thymol has been found to protect and increase the percentage of healthy fats found in cell membranes

• Dietary consumption of thyme has been shown to increase the amount of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid) in brain, kidney, and heart cell membranes

• Thyme will discourage insects from invading your home

• Use thyme with rosemary, lavender, and cedarwood in a mixture of grapeseed and jojoba carrier oils to treat alopecia areata. According to the double-blind controlled clinical trial, massage the mixture into the scalp daily for several months.

• Because of the risk of irritation, it is a good idea to use thyme in blends. It blends particularly well with bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, lavender, rosemary and pine.

Contraindications and considerations for use

It is not recommended to use thyme essential oil in its pure, concentrated form directly on the skin as it can be irritating to sensitive skin. The stronger oils, used in concentrated form could cause sensitization to the immune system or stimulate the thyroid gland and lymphatic system. Do not use if pregnant, but useful during labor to move along 'failure to progress' and expel afterbirth. Avoid in the presence of high blood pressure or epilepsy. If you have cancer, liver damage, or other serious health conditions, use under the guidance of a qualified practitioner.

A conservative but effective way to use essential oil of thyme is to massage it into the soles of the feet. This method is typically well tolerated, reaching the lower bronchial capillaries, then through the circulatory system, the whole body, all without being absorbed into the liver. It is also very effective to inhale thyme, using a few drops on a tissue or handkerchief, or putting in an aroma burner or vaporizer/humidifier.

Sources for this article include:

Davis, Patricia. Aromatherapy: An A-Z. Barnes and Noble Books, New York 1995. P. 313-315.

Fischer-Rizzi, Susanne. Complete Aromatherapy Handbook. Sterling Publishing Co, New York 1990. p. 212-213.

Worwood, Valerie Ann. The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy. New World Library, San Rafael, CA, 1991. P. 21-22.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyme

http://www.naturalnews.com/030814_rosemary_herbs.html

JOY Essential Oil Blend Can Help Overcome Deep-Seated Grief and Depression

Joy™ Essential Oil Blend is a luxuriously exotic blend with uplifting overtones that creates magnetic energy and brings joy to the heart. When worn as cologne or perfume, Joy™ exudes an alluring and irresistible fragrance that inspires romance and togetherness. When diffused, it can be refreshing and uplifting.

Wellness Solutions: Joy™ can help overcome deep-seated grief and depression.

The Mood Elevating 4 Oil Protocol was introduced by D. Gary Young (president of Young Living) at a class in Wyoming in 1994. Vicki Opfer was fortunate to be there and recorded this protocol. "I've shared it with tens of thousands of people since then, and it has helped MANY, MANY people feel better, including me. Now I even take it internally: 2-3 drops of each of the 4 oils, in a single capsule (all together), once or twice a day." Taking this protocol seems to prevent having "dark thoughts." According to Vicki, "I can still feel sad if someone hurts my feelings, or angry if someone does something mean or unethical, but I do not feel depressed, and 99% of my day is spent in joy. What a huge blessing!"

Many of our essential oils help relieve depression. They contain molecules which cross the blood/brain barrier, and they can probably help us more than anything else available. If you remember, even before Young Living, you probably heard that aromatherapy can "uplift the mood." Until recently, and throughout the history of our world, this benefit was simply observed and recorded. Now, we're learning through science and research as to why and how this happens. It's fascinating.

Together, as a community of like-minded people who want to be of service, we really can change the world...

Gary Young's Have A Great Day Protocol or Mood Elevating Protocol:
Start each day with Gary's simple routine — and discover how happy and confident you feel!

• Valor™ – Place one drop on the bottoms of the feet, or a single drop on one wrist and hold the other wrist to it for a few moments to balance your entire body system!
• Harmony™ – Apply a single drop, over your solar plexus area (just above your belly button) to calm your mind and promote positive feelings.
• Joy™ – Apply a single drop to the area just above your heart which helps bring happiness to y our mind and body.
• White Angelica™ – Place a single drop in the palm of your hand and rub hands together. Then lightly brush both of your hands over your forehead, top of your head, face, behind your neck, down your shoulders and arms, chest and stomach, and down your legs, right over your clothes, as though applying an angelic shield!

If you will apply these oils for yourself every single day, it will change your life!!!!

Joy™ Ingredients:

• Bergamot (Citrus bergamia)
• Ylang ylang (Cananga odorata)
• Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)
• Rosewood (Aniba rosaeodora)
• Lemon (Citrus limon)
• Mandarin (Citrus reticulata)
• Jasmine (Jasminum officinale)
• Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)
• Palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii)
• Rose (Rosa damascena)

Applications: For topical or aromatic use: Apply 2-4 drops directly to desired area. Dilution not required, except for the most sensitive skin. Use as needed.

Diffuse:  Apply 2-3 drops on a cotton ball or tissue and place in the room to disperse the aromas of the oils.  May also be added to a small bowl of cool water to diffuse the oils into the air.  Note it is not recommended to use warm water, as it will negate the beneficial oils. Home diffusers are also available at my website below.

Possible skin sensitivity. If pregnant or under a doctor's care, consult your physician. Dilution not required; suitable for all but the most sensitive skin. Generally safe for children over 2 years of age. Avoid using on skin exposed to direct sunlight or UV rays.

All of the above oils and home diffuser can be found on my website:  www.youngliving.com/laurasoils.

Have you ever tried essential oils to help elevate your mood?

Chipotle Cacao Grilling Glaze

I recently got a delivery from Mountain Rose Herbs (http://www.mountainroseherbs.com), including one of their catalogs.  While browsing through the catalog while drinking my morning coffee, I came across this recipe, which looks delicious!  I haven't tried it yet, since I'm not eating meat, but it looked so good I wanted to share it with you.  (Hmm, I'll bet it would work on non-meat protein, such as tempeh, too!)  EnJOY!


Chipotle Cacao Grilling Glaze

Ingredients:
3/4 cup organic brown sugar
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup organic rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup organic tomato paste
1/4 cup organic orange juice
2 Tablespoons organic cacao powder
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon Smoked sea salt
1/8 teaspoon organic chipotle chile powder
1/8 teaspoon organic cinnamon powder

Simmer the sugar and water together until completely dissolved.
Add the other ingredients and gently simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes.
Use  a basting brush to paint the sauce on your grilled protein of choice.
This is a flavorful glaze so one or two layers will do.
Throw the glazed protein back on the grill over  high heat until it caramelizes nicely, but be careful not to let the sauce burn.
Remove from the grill and dig in!

It Always Smelled Like Cinnamon

It always
Smelled like cinnamon
A welcomed warm surprise,

It always
Smelled of nutmeg
When grandma made her pies.

Sweet sugared buns
With frosted crumbs
Floured prints upon her blouse,

It always
Smelled like cinnamon
When we`d visit grandmas house.

Autumn days
Brought autumn nights
Light harvest winds would whisp,

And right behind
her oven door
The apple pies would crisp.

Pumpkin patch
in frosted dew
Bring pleasures to the eyes.

Yet it always
Smelled like cinnamon
When grandma made her pies.

~ Author Unknown