Dr. Always

Posted on March 1, 2013 by jenni

I’m re-creating this post, trying to figure out how to block the spammers from commenting.

My first footzoning teacher was a rather amazing lady from Sweden (Katri Nordbloom) whose curriculum required many months of studying physiology. She often reminded us that people in Sweden know much more than Americans about how the body works and insisted that we become better stewards of the housing that God gave us.

Katri gave herself the alias of Dr. Always and said she used this name whenever she had to write down the name of her family’s doctor. She stated simply that she was always her own doctor and the one she trusted most with her family’s health. As far as I’m concerned, she certainly had credentials — and an incredible knowledge of human anatomy.

It occurs to me that since we are always our own first responders, and many of us also want to be Dr. Always, we need to be more knowledgeable about how our bodies work so that we can take more responsibility for our own health. Whenever a health issue comes up in my family, I spend time researching to find possible causes and approaches for treatment. It’s critical that we look out for ourselves.

Recently I’ve been helping my mother – age 85 – manage her health issues, going from doctor to doctor and getting test after test. For the same symptoms she’s been diagnosed with emphysema, aortic aneurism, congestive heart failure, and multiple pulmonary embolisms. Even after two CT scans, we don’t really know what’s going on.

There have also been several instances where the medical profession has definitely dropped the ball. We were given $100 a dose pre-filled hypodermic needles and told to give her shots, with absolutely no training. She was prescribed a blood thinner and left unsupervised on it for a week and a half before I could get someone to be accountable for her care. I can’t even remember all of the crazy things we’ve been through the past few months. In addition to this, she has piles of prescriptions from assorted doctors to manage. Who knows how they interact and if they are helping or hurting?

Now, I could blame the doctors and accuse them of negligence … but to me these are just examples of the confusion and poor treatment that can result from not looking out for yourself.  It takes a lot of time and tenacity to get the answers and assistance you need but if you don’t do it, who will?

The same principle of Dr. Always applies to using essential oils. They are potent and powerful and not something to be treated lightly. And there is a plethora of information out there — no excuses for just reading a few lines about an oil and making an impulse purchase. If you’re serious about improving a health issue, do a little research to see what’s available and what might help.

There’s a good, comprehensive article on the basics of using essential oils at Taking Charge of Your Health.

The essential oil that you choose will depend on the purpose—do you want it to help elevate your mood or do you need something to treat a burn? There is no “laundry list” that specifies which essential oil is used to treat which health condition. Instead, you need to be proactive about doing research and talking with qualified individuals.

The internet is chock full of essential oil information, but there’s nothing like a book with a nice index and cross references to have on hand for studying and looking things up. To make things easy for you, here’s a list of reading material compiled by Taking Charge.

Websites

National Association of Holistic Aromatherapists
This organization is an educational, nonprofit agency dedicated to enhancing public awareness of the benefits of true aromatherapy and promoting academic standards in aromatherapy education and practice.

Aromatherapy Registration Council
This website gives information on the registration examination for aromatherapists and provides a register of qualified aromatherapists.

International Council for Aromatic and Medicinal Plant (ICMAP)
The Council’s objective is to promote international understanding and cooperation between national and international organizations on the role of medicinal and aromatic plants in science, medicine and industry, and to improve the exchange of information between them.

Books

Here are some good, reliable books:

Battaglia, S., (2003). The complete guide to aromatherapy. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia: The International Centre of Aromatherapy.

Bowles, E., (2003). The A to Z of essential oils. London: Quarto Inc.

Buckle, J. (2003). Clinical aromatherapy: Essential oils in practice, 2nd Ed. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

England, A. (2000). Aromatherapy and massage for mother and baby. Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts Press.

Mojay, Gabriel (2000). Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit. Healing Arts Press.

Price, Shirley (1991). Aromatherapy for Common Ailments. Gaia Books.

Price, S. & Price, L. (1995). Aromatherapy for Health Professionals. Churchill Livingstone, London, England.

Schnaubelt, Kurt (1998). Advanced Aromatherapy. Healing Arts Press.

Tisserand, Maggie (1996). Aromatherapy for Women. Healing Arts Press.

Wildwood, Chrissie (1996). The Encyclopedia of Aromatherapy. Healing Arts Press.

Worwood, V. (1996) The fragrant mind. Novato, CA: New World Library.

Worwood, V. (1991). The complete book of essential oils & aromatherapy. Novato, CA:  New World Library.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Let me give you a couple of examples of fascinating subjects that I’ve encountered in my meanderings to whet your appetite for learning.

Effect of aromatherapy massage on abdominal fat and body image in post-menopausal women. This is a bona fide study done by the Wonkwang Health Science College, Korea, — published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine. This study verified that aromatherapy massage could be utilized as an effective intervention to reduce abdominal subcutaneous fat, waist circumference, and to improve body image in post-menopausal women. The control group used grapefruit, cypress, and three other essential oils with grapeseed carrier oil, massaging themselves twice a day for six weeks, with positive results. Too bad they don’t say what the other three oils were!

Essential Oils Studied for Treatment of Alzheimer’s

Two paragraphs stood out to me:

Several essential oils thought to sharpen the mind have shown the same action — inhibition of cholinesterase. These include Lemon and Rosemary essential oils, the top two oils tested for improving study skills and test taking ability. Spanish Sage has also been the subject of many laboratory studies, and even a clinical trial, with successful results. Spanish Sage shares primary chemical constituents with many other oils, including Rosemary (the natural chemical 1,8-cineol is predominant in both oils). Don’t get too hung up on the specific species on the studies, as again, many bright-scented essential oils appear to have these effects.

Interestingly, none of the individual constituents seemed to be as potent in preventing the breakdown of acetylcholine as the whole natural oil. Aromatherapists know well that the complete oils will virtually always have a more therapeutic effect than any single compound produced in the laboratory.

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I love to learn, and the study of essential oils provides extremely fertile ground for  growing a personal knowledge base. There is so much research going on that new information comes up practically every day.  I already know how effective essential oils are in my life, but it’s great fun to see others making the same discoveries and more!

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That’s a New One on Me!

Posted on October 5, 2012 by jenni

My daughter, who is studying nursing, said she sure was glad she had her Peppermint oil at the cadaver lab. :-)

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Helping Kids Avoid the ‘Bugs’ at School

Posted on April 29, 2012 by jenni

One of my nieces asked for advice on using essential oils to keep kids from getting sick and missing school. Here’s what I wrote to her.

If I had kids in school, I would put some Deliverance oil in a little spray bottle (diluted with water) and spray some in their mouths and on their hands before and after school. It’s easy and it’s good for killing bugs of all kinds. Also, just using any oil (best to use a variety) everyday can help keep them from getting sick and/or shortens the time of sickness. I am a big believer in this.

Also, whenever I think I’m starting to get a cold, I breathe Tea Tree (and soak in the tub with a few drops). I do this faithfully and I hardly ever get a cold. There are also some good oils, like Aspire, Breezey, Eucalyptus, and Pine for respiratory problems.

The other oil I would recommend is Inside Out for tummy problems. This one can stop a bad tummy ache right in its tracks. I use it myself when I feel any weird tummy thing coming on.

Hope this helps!

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Custom Dandruff Blend for a Friend

Posted on April 3, 2012 by jenni

One of my friends called the other day saying she and her daughter had suddenly developed bad cases of dandruff. Was there an essential oil that could help? I knew there were all kinds of oils recommended for the hair and scalp so I told her I’d do some research.

What I found was surprising. There is a wide variety of proposed causes for dandruff: hormones, yeast and fungal infections, overactive oil glands, dry skin caused by harsh shampoo or too hot of water, stress, sugar, and low fat diets, to name a few.

Several of the articles advised making up a blend of oils and applying it to the scalp. Of course, there were lots of oils mentioned so I had to do some thinking on that, too. Since both of them started getting dandruff at the same time, I wondered if it might be a yeast or fungal problem, so I started with Tea Tree because it’s antiseptic, anti-fungal, and also fights bacteria – all of which can cause scalp irritation.

These are the essential oils I chose for this custom blend:

  • Tea Tree is anti-fungal, antiseptic, and fights bacteria.
  • Patchouli is great for treating skin conditions and reducing irritation. It’s said to promote cell regeneration and also helps regulate the amount of oil produced in your scalp.
  • Cedarwood has traditionally been used for dandruff and other skin conditions. It is also soothing and grounding.
  • Chamomile is a mild, calming oil that’s known to help with skin irritation and also dandruff, because of its strong antiseptic properties. Chamomile is used by people with light colored hair to cover gray.
  • Rosemary has traditionally been used for dandruff and itchiness of the scalp and is also great for your hair, especially dark hair.
  • Ylang Ylang is calming and also helps with skin regeneration and balancing oil production.

I often go by intuition when deciding which oils to use, and that’s exactly what I did here. I used about 15 drops of each oil, except for 10 drops of Patchouli. I had some Jojoba carrier oil on hand, so I put about two ounces in a flip top bottle and dropped the essential oils into that. I started with Cedarwood as the base, and added the others in this order: Ylang Ylang, Patchouli, Chamomile, Rosemary, and Tea Tree. (I’m working on some basic instructions for blending oils.) I don’t mind giving someone a pre-mixed blend of essential and carrier oils if they’re going to use it fairly soon.

This is how I would use the blend.

  • Heat the oil mix slightly.
  • Pour over the hands and fingertips and massage into the hair and scalp, getting plenty on the scalp.
  • Wrap your hair in a towel and let it sit for at least 10 minutes – longer is probably better.
  • If you start to feel a burning or tingly sensation, wash it off immediately with a mild shampoo.
  • Use a vinegar rinse, instead of conditioner, to restore natural pH, remove build-up and residue from shampoo and hair products, and to relieve itching. You may not like this idea, but the vinegar smell doesn’t last long, and you can add a few drops of essential oil to improve the aroma.

Some of the articles I read said that it could take two weeks or so for the dandruff to completely disappear. I haven’t heard back, but if I do I’ll let you know how it worked.

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My Mom’s Passing — bittersweet, but mostly sweet

Posted on February 7, 2012 by jenni
One of my mom's watercolors

One of my mom's watercolors

This may not seem like the happiest subject, but it’s something close to my heart.

Right before my mom passed away two and a half weeks ago, I found an incredible article called “10 Signs Death Is Near.” It jumped out at me on the internet and it was such a blessing. I noticed right away that she had all the signs, even though she didn’t have anything terminal.

Mom mom was 85 and her body was shutting down. We were planning on spending the winter with her, but we both knew that my little family would be leaving in a month or so to continue building our new home in North Idaho. She always said, “Just stay with me ’til I die,” but we wondered how that could possibly work out.

When I found this article, I knew it was going to happen. And it did. What I want to share is how the article prepared me — and my mom, because she wanted to read it, too. Among other things, it told us not to worry that she wanted to sleep most of the time and wasn’t much interested in eating. For every sign mentioned, they told how to respond to it. Very enlightening! I highly recommend this article, so here’s the link: 10 Signs Death Is Near.

May we all be blessed with those things we really need, right when we need them. ~ Jenni

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Home Building Wonders

Posted on January 18, 2012 by jenni

Cozy House

When my husband and I started building our new home last year, we weren’t sure we had another one in us. We’ve both build homes before – but we’re in our fifties now and are a little more tired than we used to be for tackling a total DIY job. Luckily we had help from our fourteen year old daughter – what a trooper – and a kind neighbor who topped off what we call our ‘geriatric building crew,’ since he’s almost 70. But I have to admit, this has been really, really, really hard.

Sometimes I’ve likened our project to running a marathon every day. We’ve poured 80 yards of concrete, and I’d say that concrete is the hardest part of a construction job, hands down. But now we have 9 foot, concrete walls on the outside, two concrete walls on the inside, and a roof. It’s time for a rest.

Toward the end, I was so tired and sore every night that I was sure I couldn’t go on. I usually have enough determination and optimism to keep going, but I was beat. So, I put lots of essential oils on before bed, bundled up to survive sleeping in a trailer when it’s freezing outside, and prayed for mercy! And somehow, when morning rolled around, I would wake up and think, “I feel okay.” It was nothing less than a miracle every morning and I was able to keep going until we finally got frozen out and had to retreat for the winter.

I used to have this for my email signature: “I don’t believe in miracles – I count on them.” I’m glad it’s still working.

Snowshoe adventure with my girls

P.S. All of that hard work put me in lots better shape … so much so, that I actually survived a three hour showshoe expedition with my daughters and granddaughter.

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Dentist Chair Miracles

Posted on January 18, 2012 by jenni

I’ve been fretting about going to the dentist and here’s why. A few months ago, I chipped a tooth and made a trip to Joe Jeppson’s dental office in Provo, Utah. This happened while we were taking a break from house building. I just had him fix the one tooth, but he also mentioned that he was afraid I had a cavity starting under a crown and I might need to have it replaced. Unfortunately, the building project continued to consume all of our time and we neglected getting back to the dentist.

In the meantime, I tried really hard to take good care of my teeth. I am a bit of a fanatic when it comes to this, as you will see. :-)

I’d found in the past that I could get rid of a toothache by applying a compress with Deliverance essential oil (which is like Thieves) to my gums. I do this by cutting a small rectangle out of a paper towel, because it’s sturdy, folding it up, getting it a little wet, and applying a tiny dab of Deliverance. I place this against the gums by the sore tooth and let it sit there for ten minutes or so to work its magic. I don’t know if it pulls the toxins out or just goes in and attacks them, but it works for me.

I also figured that it would help to rinse regularly with a drop of Deliverance in a little cup of water. I put some of these cups by my toothbrush so I wouldn’t forget and I swished the mixture around my teeth with a vengeance. Flossing is a must, so I kept that up, too. Sometimes I’d find a couple of spots that were tender, so I went after those by putting a little Deliverance on the sharp end of a floss sword and holding that right against the tender spot.

Last, but not least, I knew my gums needed some attention. It’s been a few years since I’ve had the periodontal calculations on the gum pockets, and they weren’t that great at the time. If you know what I’m talking about, I had some fours and even fives. There wasn’t much reason to think they’d gotten better, but I always believe that the body is capable of healing if it has what it needs. So, I used a strategy learned from Master Lu in Salt Lake. Several times I’ve heard him tell people to use a circular massage on some injured spot on the body – rubbing 30 times clockwise and 30 times counter clockwise. That sounded like something that could work for gums, so I did it gently on places I thought needed help.

Oh, there was one more thing. I prayed hard that my checkup wouldn’t be too bad or end up costing a lot, because we’ve got a house to build!

Now comes the happy ending of the story. I went to my dental appointment and met the hygienist. She said things looked good and I only had a little plaque on the inside, bottom, middle teeth. She took x-rays and did the pocket measurements. I was watching TV with headphones on, but I thought I kept hearing her call out the number three. That sounded pretty good. When she was finished, she said I only had a couple of fours. That was a total miracle to me!

But there were more miracles to come. Dr. Jeppson said he didn’t see any problems in the x-rays and that maybe the dark spot under my crown had always been there. I didn’t need any further work. Yesssssssssss!!! I was so happy and grateful. I told him about using essential oils and he surprised me by saying he’d been seeing some great results from that. He even said he used some himself. So, I bravely told him I was also going to try rinsing with spearmint oil to strengthen my teeth. He asked, “Is it supposed to strengthen enamel like fluoride?” I said that I’d only read a little bit about it, but I was going to do some more research and experiment. He said he would, too. He is a great dentist, incidentally – smart as well as honest – and now I think he’s way ahead of his class.

As for me, I’m still full of gratitude and hope for finding more ways every day to take care of this body I’ve been given.

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Essential Oils are Valiant Fighters

Posted on May 10, 2011 by jenni

Aromatherapy Oils ‘Kill Superbug’
Essential oils could kill the deadly MRSA hospital ‘superbug’, scientists have claimed.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4116053.stm

An article from the BBC News explores research done at the University of Manchester where they found that some of the essential oils destroyed MRSA and E.coli bacteria in two minutes.

Dr Peter Warn, who carried out the research, said: “When I tested the oils in the lab, absolutely nothing grew. Rather than stimulating bacteria and fungi, the oils killed them off.”

Other oils also killed the bacteria, but over a longer period of time.

Researchers suggested that oils could be blended into soaps to stop the spread of superbugs. (What a great idea!)

This is quite an interesting article, even though they are not willing to tell us which oils they tested.

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Essential Oils Provide an Alternative to Toxic Weed Killers
http://www.perfectlynatural.com

Perfectly Natural is a company that sells natural, organic products for killing weeds, etc. as an alternative to using toxic chemicals. Their products use essential oils, such as cloves, relieving concerns for the health of you, your pets, and your family. Testimonials claim that their weed killer is the best they’ve ever used and are very happy that they don’t have to worry about letting their dogs go outside after application. Also, it makes the yard smell great! I might just try my own experiment with clove, diluted in a spray bottle, on some dandelions.

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Aromatherapy at Work
http://www.profumo.it/perfume/aromatherapy/aromatherapy_work.htm

Several research projects determine that essential oils can affect efficiency in the workplace.

They [Workers] not only feel better in general, but are able to think more clearly and positively and even react
with more intuition (Dr. Barron, Perdue Univ. Indiana). In Japan, Shimizu, the third biggest construction company in
the country, places diffusers in the air conditioning ducts of the buildings that it constructs. It also suggests which essences to use according to the type of building. For example anti-stress for offices, anti-bacteria for hospitals, relaxing essences for train and metro stations, etc.

Research in Japan showed that people working with computers made 54% fewer typing errors when the workplace was scented with lemon oil — 33% with jasmine.

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Orange Essential Oils Inhibit Salmonella Activity
http://www.naturalnews.com/024723_orange_oils_oil.html

A study published in the Journal of Food Science claims that orange essential oil can inhibit the activity of salmonella and may be useful as a natural antimicrobial agent.

The results follow those of another recent study, conducted by researchers from Miguel Hernandez University in Alicante, Spain, and published in the journal Food Chemistry. In that study, researchers found that oils from grapefruit, orange, lemon and mandarin all inhibited the activity of the common food molds.

“It seems that citrus essential oils could be considered suitable alternatives to chemical additives for use in the food industry, attending to the needs for safety and satisfying the demand of consumers for natural components,” those researchers wrote.

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A Smattering of Interesting Articles

Posted on April 9, 2011 by jenni

Essential oils are definitely in the news and I like to keep up on what different people are thinking about and doing with my favorite little helpers. Here are a few interesting articles I’ve come across recently.
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Greening Your Cleaning

When it comes to choosing a cleaning product, the deciding factor is often as much about what is not in the product as what is.

Many common household cleaning ingredients raise worries about irritants and the environment. Fortunately, natural cleaners are becoming more affordable and effective, and do-it-yourself formulas are easier than ever.

Included are do-it-yourself recipes for:

  • Laundry powder
  • Glass cleaner
  • All-purpose cleanser
  • Toilet cleaner
  • Shower cleaner

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Ahhhhh is for Aromatherapy

This article takes you on a ‘sensory spa journey’ at a cosmetology school. Along the way you just might pick up some ideas that you could use to treat yourself or a friend.

Here are just a couple of inspiring morsels.

Waving a variety of essential oil samples under my nose, one at a time, she asked which scent I preferred. I didn’t care much for the heavier aromas of patchouli or ylang-ylang. But at the first whiff of tangerine, I felt the stress of the previous week begin to lift. “The oil that appeals to you today will be used in some of the preparations for your facial,” Busuito said. “Next time, you might choose a different fragrance.”

“The two universal stress points are the head and the feet,” she said. “Feet take the most abuse, so treating your feet first is a way of grounding you so that you’ll begin to relax for the rest of the facial.”

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I enjoy reading an occasional scientific study regarding essential oils. Here are some excerpts from one that explores an Antimicrobial Study from Plant Oils in Algeria.

During the twentieth century, when exploring the natural environment, man has made great discoveries that have enabled him to use a considerable number of natural resources. Phytotherapy, the use of plants to medical purposes, is one of the oldest practices in the world. The traditional practice, based on empirical data, is considered as folk medicine and the approach based on scientific studies aims to extract and study active components from plants.

As proved with the antibacterial effect of essential oils extracted from several species of thyme [8,10], many researches devoted to substances extracted from plants have shown an antimicrobial activity. Thus, it was established that essential oils, extracted from  plants such as laurel, sage and rosemary, inhibited the growth of bacteria.

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Methods: Inhalation and Topical Application of Essential Oils has some really good information from Massage Today about the implications of diffusing different oils indoors.

Inhalation of essential oils is achieved through diffusion via machine or air sprays in the office or treatment room. It is also the most direct pathway of the aromatic blend or essence used during the massage. The therapist and other clients or office staff will also receive essences diffused into common areas via inhalation. Because of this, it’s good to note that regarding true essential oils (versus synthetic fragrance), once the brain recognizes and transmits the information of the essential oil molecule, the sense of smell is satisfied and the fragrance may stop being detected — unless we leave the room and re-enter, causing this to become “new information” for the olfactory nerve to deliver. However, the molecules remain active and in the air for hours.

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New! Pure Generic Essential Oils

Posted on March 8, 2011 by jenni

Pure Generic Logo

I’m pretty excited, and a little bit nervous, today to announce my own new line of essential oils.

lavender deliverance

These are the same great oils, at the same great prices, that you’re used to finding at Earth Sonnets. They’re just in a different package. My DH and I have been hard at work preparing to launch this product and we’re finally ready — well, as ready as we can be. And since my DH has the capability, he’s already informed me that the products are up on the website and I’d better just get it done!

This is nothing fancy, but it’s also no hype, no multi-level marketing, and no inflated prices. In fact, this has come about because I’m committed to bringing you ‘oils you can trust at prices you can afford.’ To keep moving in this direction, I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to gear down, sell a more limited variety of oils, and create my own line. Then I’ll have more control and will be able to keep prices down while, at the same time, preserving my sanity.

I want to help teach you how to use a handful of single oils, and a few favorite blends, to care for yourself and your family. This follows the line of thinking proposed by Valerie Ann Worwood, a well-known and highly respected aromatherapy author. She proposes a basic care kit of ten oils. When I look at the groups of assorted oil bottles I have in every room of the house, I know that my aromatherapy life is out of control! I’ll be talking more about this in future posts.

For now, I just want to explain what changes you can expect to find on the Earth Sonnets website.

Here’s what to expect for pricing at Earth Sonnets:

  • Our longstanding discount prices will now be available only on Pure Generic oils.
  • As we downsize our stock of Butterfly Express oils, you will find lots of them on sale at close-out prices, until they are gone.
  • The remaining Butterfly Express oils will be sold at list price.

We will be adding more oils to the Pure Generic line as time and fortune permits!

Read more about the product launch of Pure Generic oils in our March newsletter.

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