Essential Oils and Anxiety

We all suffer from anxiety or some sort. The bills are due, the kids are sick, you're late for work, the car broke down...you could fill a book with reasons for anxiety to kick in. A study shows 40 million adult Americans suffer from anxiety disorder. Depression seems to go hand in hand with anxiety. Either problem by itself or combined is debilitating. And there is no shortage of medications one can be prescribed for either disorder. Neither is there a shortage of side effects. Let's look into the side effects of anxiolytics (anti anxiety medications). These were taken from the Physician's Desk Reference, National Institute of Health's Medline Plus and/or drug labels themselves list 32 possible side effects, not including addiction. Antidepressant medication provides 17 side effects. Now, I'm not saying ditch all your medications. I'm on an antidepressant myself. But if you can relieve some of the effects of anxiety and depression without any side effects, why not give it a whirl?

A study conducted in Germany showed the healing compounds in essential oils can be found in the bloodstream as quickly as five minutes after skin application. When you inhale the essential oils, the nose sends signals straight to the limbic system of the brain; the part that rules emotions. That's why certain oil scents can trigger a peaceful and content sensation. The limbic system is also connected to the parts of the brain that control major functions: Your blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, stress levels and hormone balance. It makes sense to provide this system with something nontoxic such as essential oils which can balance the emotions and other functions of the limbic system. 

What oils can be used?

The list is about as long as the side effect list of the medications. Here are a few to get you started:

• Bergamot: A citrus oil that creates uplifting effects. (In fact a study performed on teachers showed that 10 minutes of aromatherapy with bergamot showed a reduction in blood pressure and heart rate. (Bergamot is a photosensitive oil. Avoid sunlight if used on skin)
• Lavender: Well known for it's relaxation effects, heart health and general well being.
• Orange: Along with is uplifting scent, a study from Yale Scientific showed patients with depression needed smaller amounts of their medication after using citrus aromatherapy such as orange.
• Clary Sage: A study conducted by the Department of Basic Nursing Science in Korea document that clary sage oil has antidepressant-like effects useful after highly stressful situations and may even be more powerful than lavender in women. 

Here's a useful anti-anxiety mix:

5 drops lavender

3 drops Ylang Ylang

3 drops bergamot

Add to liquid soap for a relaxing shower. Add to 4 oz. coconut oil for a moisturizing cream. 

(This is in no way intended as medical advice or to replace the advice or your healthcare practitioner.)

Tea Tree Oil

I recently picked up some nasty bug from somewhere. Several of my friends have picked up bugs, too. And it's not even flu season! Therefore, I think the topic of Tea Tree oil is appropriate for today. I think this is one of my favorite oils just because I think it smells so good. I don't know how to describe it but it smells...clean. And fresh.

Tea Tree Oil's botanical name is Melalueca Alternifolia. The oil is derived from distillation of the twigs and leaves from the tree which is native to Southeast Queensland and New South Wales, Australia.

So what's the big deal about Tea Tree oil? First, it's not a tree that grow tea. That's what I thought when I was young and first heard the phrase. It's pretty much a miracle oil, in my humble opinion.

• It's antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral. These are all the "anti's" you want in your life! Let's talk about antiviral. Viruses are pests, am I right? They can live in almost any condition. Why? Because they develop sort protective barrier around them, called a cyst. Some viruses are smart enough to create new cysts every time they're activated in order to trick our immune systems.Meet the reason for the common cold virus. Turns out Tea Tree oil is something that can rupture this cyst in some viruses and helps cure viruses like mumps, influenza, measles, pox and the common cold. If you're suffering from a cold, cough, congestion or bronchitis, drop a drop of Tea Tree oil on your pillowcase. Or rub it directly on your chest for relief. (Test a little area first to be sure it's not an aggravating oil for your particular skin.) Otherwise, use in a diffuser. 

• Your immune system can benefit from inhaling Tea Tree oil. It's a stimulant oil, increasing hormonal secretions, blood circulation as well as your immune system to protect you from many types of infections.

• It's a sudorific. That's a fancy word for it makes you sweat. We get toxins in our bodies and one of the natural ways we release them is through perspiration. Tea Tree boosts this mechanism. So if you're feeling yucky, hop in the bath and put about 15 drops or so in the water. Add some Lavender for its relaxation properties and you'll begin to feel better. Just being submerged in the water with oils helps me to feel better. 

• It relieves muscle pain. How? Because of that stimulant property, it increases blood circulation and is also an anti-inflammatory. The blood flow speeds up healing and helps new tissue to grow. 

• While we're on the subject of increased blood flow, Tea Tree can be helpful as a hair product. Dandruff is caused by dry skin. Using the oil will help the skin on your scalp become healthier, less dry.  Just apply a diluted amount (use it in a carrier oil such as coconut oil) to your scalp.  

• Got Athelet's foot? Fungal toenails? Drop some Tea Tree oil on there. It's an antifungal, remember?

• Tea Tree Oil has insecticide properties.  If you're anything like me, you get eaten alive by mosquitoes and whatever other carnivorous blood suckers are out there. Apparently, they abhor Tea Tree oil. Not sure if it kills them or not and since I just found out about this, I haven't tried it yet, but it's said they won't come near you. If anybody has tried this, let me know!

I'm sure there are many more benefits but here's the caveat: Do not ingest Tea Tree Oil!  This information is not in any way meant to be a replacement for the advice of your healthcare practitioner. 

Coffee, Anyone?

I'm having a giant cup as I type this. I love coffee. Cold coffee, hot coffee, flavored coffee, coffee with whipped cream on it...okay, I'l stop. You get the idea. So it's no surprise that I fell in love with this fabric which depicts...yeah, you guessed it...coffee. I couldn't resist making a hot/cold therapy pack from it. (Follow the link in the photo to my website)

  

Coffee Time!

But let's talk about coffee for a moment. Medical news vacillates in it's opinion; it's good for you, it's bad for you; it's good for you... Of course, we're talking in moderation. Fifteen cups a day is probably not so good. But in moderation, coffee has great health benefits. Here's one: I actually was told by my doctor to drink coffee daily  Why? Because it's good for liver disease. Finally, doctor's orders I can get on board with! Haha.  I'm a happy girl. What else is it good for? Check out some of the benefits: 

1. Reducing type 2 diabetes.
2. Helps to control Parkinson's disease movements.
3. Reduces risk for cirrhosis of the liver.
4. Helps prevent heart failure.
5. It can help you burn fat!
6. Gives you an energy boost.
7. May protect you from Alzheimer’s or dementia.
8. May help with depression.

Here's a great source of info on the topic. Here's another source .

So go ahead, grab a cup of coffee and better your health!

Ahh, Heat

Why use heat therapy for non-inflammatory pain?

When we hurt there's nothing so comforting as warmth, at least in my opinion. Ever notice when you go to the chiropractor, they put heat on you? There's actually a science behind it. By applying heat it stimulates your sensory receptors to block the pain signals traveling to the brain. Viola! Instant and effective pain relief.

 We can get pain from overuse of our muscles (muscle strain) muscle spasms, and trigger points (muscle knots). Then there's always the plain old fashioned 'tight' muscles, You know, the whole been-hunched-over-the-computer-all-day general neck and shoulder tension. That "clenched" feeling. Muscle pain is probably the source of more and worse pain than people realize and muscle responds very well to heat.

So what does heat actually do besides sooth?

• Beyond the comfort of warmth, applying heat to these muscles increases tissue elasticity. 
• Heat will reduce your muscle tension and helps relax away those pesky knots. 
• The sedation and soothing that comes from the heat will also soothe any irritated nerve endings. 
• Deep heating increases your blood flow to the area of pain. This brings nutrients to the injured or painful area while flushing out any injured debris.
• And last but not least, deep heat stimulates your natural metabolic rate. In plain English this means there is more energy available to heal the injury quicker. 

Having said that, a heat therapy pack is probably the best favor you can do yourself all year! And it just so happens I make them. Hop over to my website where you can design your own and choose the essential oil scent that appeals the most to you. I'll make it and you'll have it delivered to your doorstep to envelope you in soothing, healing warmth. 

A Little Bit About My Journey

Hi. My name is Lorri. 

In order to understand my desire to delve into more healthy alternatives, I should probably spill a little bit about my personal journey. 

I've been fatigued and in pain since I can remember. My mom was a real ball of energy and I struggled to keep up with her as a kid. When I say ball of energy, I mean when she said she wanted to go to "the mall" what she really meant was three malls. I used to sit on the floor nearby where she was looking for clothes and she'd shake her head and say, "Gee, I hope I never get as old as you." I was about 10 or so, as best as I can recall, maybe younger. I should have had boundless energy. I always thought she was some sort of SuperWoman. Me, not so much.

Anyway, it wasn't until many, many years later I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, and chronic fatigue. I was told my pain and fatigue was due to depression. While this was partly true, it wasn't the answer. I'm still on antidepressants and will need to be forever. But the pain and fatigue continued. I was sent to a pain clinic where I was subjected to all sorts of delightful painful procedures; steroid epidural injections, radiofrequency ablation to nerves, etc. I was given pain pills of every shape and color; morphine, fentanyl patches, Nucynta, Vicodin, Percocet, methadone, Toradol, and the list went on. And when they stopped working ( your body develops a tolerance after awhile) they tried combining them. The relief was minimal, I felt like a walking zombie and I spent far too much time visiting the pharmacy and the doctor. (Later, I would find out they caused liver damage.) I decided I'd had just about enough and started researching alternatives. I read somewhere that most people were deficient in Vitamin D and that it could help pain. I tried it. The pain lessened! I began the trek to wean myself off of the pain meds (nope, not fun) and successfully did it on my own. I figured if a vitamin could help so much, what else out there could help? And so began the journey. I embarked upon it supported by my husband as well as my best friend who is a clinical nutritionist and is a functional medicine educator.  

(I should add that I work in the medical industry as  transcriber and have for years. Over the course of this career, I've learned that while Western medicine has a place in our lives and is truly amazing, most doctors treat the symptoms with drugs instead of finding the cause of the problems and trying to use a functional approach. I also discovered this when my mother developed stage 4 breast cancer. She was given six months to live with surgery to remove her breasts, one side of her rib cage, and one lung, with chemo and radiation. She decided against all that therapy (much to my dismay at the time). She went to a friend of hers who was into alternative health therapy. She drank potions of green goo she tried to get me to drink, take tons of vitamins and tinctures, and did a whole slew of things while I watched in part awe and mild interest. But lo and behold, that women lived for 12 YEARS on her special regimen.) So here I am nine years later, on my own journey.  

I have found heat to be a tremendous help but one can't live their life in a jacuzzi or bathtub. Especially when one works with electronics for a living, haha. I use a heating pad a lot for pain but those cords are only so long. So I decided to make a hot/cold therapy pack for myself. And then some as gifts. And then some more because my husband was selling them at work. And then I decided I wanted to help as many people as I could get some relief from pain, be it chronic or acute.  I spend significant time making prototypes of these heat packs. I wanted something long enough to cover my shoulders or wrap around my neck. I didn't want to seams to be in uncomfortable places. I wanted to fill it with the right mixture of grain so that it wasn't too heavy, didn't conform nicely, or was bulky. I started studying up on essential oils to see what the best ones were to add to my packs to aid in relaxation and healing. And Grains For Pains was born. (The website is nearly finished but not up at this very minute.) 

So in conclusion to this long and rambling post, I've decided to post here information I accumulate for healthy treatment, wellness, and healthy alternatives to help with pain. I hope you find it helpful and I will be adding more frequently. To start with, I've added some information on essential oils I've found through attending seminars, etc. 
(See pages listed at top of blog.)  I'm also going to be offering a pain cream, some aromatherapy bottles and inhalers for headache shortly. I hope to add more as I attend classes. Meanwhile, here's a photo of my hot/cold therapy packs. (They can be found in my Etsy shop currently until my website is up.)