The Minimalist Guide To Essential Oils
JAMES COLQUHOUN
Here at Food Matters HQ, we love nothing more than an aromatherapy vaporizer filling the air with motivating/healing/relaxing essential oils, restoring our Zen and keeping us focused.
In fact, essential oils are one of our favorite holistic ways to remain energized, with these little power packs of goodness offering hormonal, mental, physical and emotional support just when we need it.
So what exactly are essential oils, and why are they so fantastically useful?
1. THEY ARE MOTHER NATURE’S GIFT
Essential oils are naturally occurring plant extracts (found in flowers, trees, plants, roots, bushes, and seeds) which are packed with valuable medicinal properties.
2. THEY ARE BOTH A MIND AND BODY MODALITY
Having been used for thousands of years by ancient cultures in promoting wellness, these elixirs of health are uniquely capable of treating not only our physical attributes but also our mental states, including our brain chemistry, emotional well-being and spiritual wellness – offering an integrated approach to mind and body synchronicity. Winning!
3. THEIR BENEFICIAL PROPERTIES ARE EASY TO TAP INTO
The two main ways to incorporate essential oils into a daily wellness practice is via aromatherapy or contact with the skin.
Aromatherapy involves the inhalation of essential oils via a diffuser, vaporizer, or even directly from the bottle, while the application of oils onto the skin requires the essential oils to be combined with a base carrier oil (such as a jojoba or almond oil), and massaged onto the body. Alternatively, the blend can be simply dotted on pulse/chakra points (great for a mental boost if you have an important meeting or nerve-wracking deadline). Some essential oils do not have to be blended, but can be applied directly. It is always wise to follow the guidance on the label which will advise of this.
Another way to use essential oils (which is one of my favorites) is to add them to a bath. It’s the perfect way to wind-down after a long day. I always sleep so well afterwards.
4. THERE IS AN ESSENTIAL OIL FOR ALMOST EVERY HEALTH REQUIREMENT
There are more than 90 essential oils, each with its own range of health benefits for getting and staying well. Most essential oils have antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and antibiotic properties. Now that’s pretty cool!
In fact, these small but mighty extracts of natural goodness are increasingly being explored by the scientific community for the treatment of various diseases including cancer, HIV, asthma, bronchitis, heart disease, depression, anxiety and many more.
Three essential oils I personally couldn’t live without including lavender (so calming – we diffuse it into Hugo’s room at bedtime or add a drop to his pillow), peppermint (great for settling tummy aches) and lemon (mentally reviving, and so good for the skin).
5. THEY HAVE THE POWER
Essential oils carry the essence of plants in such a potent form that a single drop can equate to multiple teaspoons of the equivalent dried herb. They are therefore far more powerful than the botanicals from which they were extracted. For example, it would take 25 cups of peppermint tea to match one drop of peppermint oil! Yep, we’re talking supercharged bottles of vitality!
So there you have it. Now you can see why essential oils are part of my go-to happy kit of wellness.
They are affordable, natural, medicinal, emotionally strengthening, mentally recharging and easy to administer. What’s not to love?
*Extra nugget of advice: When choosing essential oils, it is always best to look for purity. Since quality regulations are virtually non-existent, knowing where your oils come from and how they are created is vital to ensure quality. Look for organic therapeutic-grade essential oils that are concentrated naturally through steam distillation.
What Are Your Favorite Oils & Why?
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James Colquhoun is the filmmaker behind Food Matters, Hungry For Change, and Transcendence Seasons 1 & 2 and founder of Food Matters and FMTV. Along with Laurentine ten Bosch, James founded the Food Matters community following the release of the 2008 documentary, giving people the tools (films, books, articles, and guided programs) to take charge of their own health. From here, FMTV was born! It was designed as a place where you can access vital information by watching all of your favorite inspiring documentaries, expert interviews, & recipe videos in one place, and in early 2020 FMTV found it's new home on Gaia.