Health: Benefits of Essential Oils

I am sure at one point or another you have heard about using essential oils. You may be into them or you maybe skeptical and that is ok either way. This blog today is to explain a little bit more about essential oils and how they can benefit your overall health. This blog would be too long if I go into specific oil detailed benefits so we will stick to general benefits for today :)

Essential oils have been around FOREVER! They can be used on a daily basis for living, home, cooking, alternative therapies to complement medical treatments, or to simply live healthier and rid toxins from your home!

We talk about how diet and exercise play such an important role in your health, but your environment and what you put on your body does as well!!

You may have heard of aromatherapy which is what most people think of when they think of oils. However, oils can be used in many ways:

1. Topical use (as perfumes, deodorant, massage, pain management, increased immunity, allergy relief, bug repellent, relieve muscle tension, with a heat or cold pack, wounds, aiding in digestion, etc)

2. Ingested (cooking, adding to water or taking in a vegetable coated capsule., dropping under tongue, etc.)

3. Inhalation (smelling directly from the bottle of essential oil, rubbing between hands, cover over nose/face and smelling it, spraying clothes or carpeting, etc.)

4. Diffusing (3-4 drops of one or more oils combined with 1/2 cup water in an essential oils diffuser to allow for aromatherapy and promote the environment you are looking for based on the oils you are using in the room you are in)

An example how we have incorporated pure essential oils (not the synthetic ones you buy from the store!) is through all of the above ways:

* We use an oil to help with upset tummies or digestion. We have some kids that are lactose intolerant and if their stomachs tend to get upset we can add it to water and they can drink it or we rub some on their belly. Anything you rub on your skin reaches the vascular system within 26 seconds! Imagine what you use on a daily basis and what chemicals or toxins are in that product that enters your vascular system if you do not wear gloves or prevent that from happening!

* We use many oils to help improve and boost immunity, use as bug repellent, use as air fresheners in home and care, use as diffusers to achieve the goal we are looking for (energizing, calming, relaxation, seasonal, etc), and we use it as a natural "perfume" or in homeade lotions and warmers (there are a ton of DIY essential oil warmer recipes on you tube!)

* We also use oils for random prevention or ailments from treating bug bites to wounds to eczema to nail fungus, to decreasing inflammation, promoting circulation, better sleep, relief for congestion or colds, pain management for sore muscles/arthritis/etc.

I have included a link to an article from the National Institute of Health that also discusses benefits of essential oils!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMHT0025082/

We would love to hear how you use essential oils to complement your health and avoid toxin exposure! Feel free to comment below!

*** Disclaimer: Please check with your provider to make sure that oils are ok to use for personal consumption as some herbal supplements may interact with certain medications or conditions that could harm you than help you. Sometimes we need to take medication so the risks and benefits should be based on individual needs and health)