We're all still waiting for spring. Personally, I would have thought it would be nice enough out so that I would have forgotten about staying indoors and cleaning anything. But it is still cold out....so...maybe you want to spruce up your house a bit before you get to abandon it completely for a few months as we move outdoors. :-)
For those of you who were unable to attend my Green Cleaning seminars at 2 different Goodness Me! locations, here are some quick ways to keep your house sparkling without doing damage to your indoor air, the environment, your skin or your lungs.
First, make sure anything you throw out is going to the appropriate place. Paints and paint thinners, car oil, old computers, old phones and printers.....look online to see where these items need to go. It is NOT in the garbage.
When doing laundry, get rid of your fabric softener, whether you use dryer sheets or a liquid in your washing machine. Instead, use a small amount of inexpensive white vinegar in your automatic rinse dispenser. You will not believe how effective it is! And no, your laundry will not smell like vinegar. A top loader needs about a quarter cup; a front, high efficiency washer needs only a tablespoon. Add a few drops of essential oil (I use lavender, but lemon and orange are attractive, too) to the automatic dispenser if you like, you don't have to. Your towels without the greasy buildup you get from liquid softener or dryer sheets will be 25% fluffier. No static! Good for you, your clothes, and the environment.
If summer ever gets here, hang at least some laundry outdoors to dry. I don't have an official clothes line, but, you can buy fold out metal drying racks, and, I even use lawn chairs when needed. It's amazing how fresh your clothes and sheets smell when hung outside! Your clothes dryer is one of the high energy appliances in your home. A bonus will be a lower electrical bill.
Avoid ALL synthetic air fresheners!! They contain man made chemicals that pollute your indoor air. Manufacturers are not required to list ingredients, as these are considered "proprietary formulas." Under the heading of "parfum" or "fragrance" you will find, not listed, phthalates (a known hormone disruptor) or formaldehyde (a known carcinogen.) Instead, open the window! Or, if you simply can't let the fresh air in, take one cup of water in an empty spray bottle from your local dollar store, add 15 drops of essential oil of your choice. Shake vigorously before spraying your room for a natural, non-polluting spray.
Castile soap cleans EVERYTHING. It's fantastic on hardwood and ceramic floors....the counters...pretty much anything! Just don't use too much. Two teaspoons or less in a small pail full of water is plenty.
What castile soap won't clean, vinegar and baking soda will!! Vinegar is a natural disinfectant. Diluted half and half with water, it can clean shower stalls, countertops, glass and mirrors. Warning: don't use vinegar on marble or other porous surfaces. Baking soda is slightly abrasive, but doesn't scratch. Perfect for stainless steel, sinks, toilets and countertops.
Surf the net for how to clean any and everything....safely! Just type in what you are trying to clean, and the words, "Green" or "natural" and "clean" and you'll have your pick of recipes and solutions.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Monday, April 29, 2013
The Power of Scent
Lately there has been a lot of research into how smell affects our cognitive (thinking) abilities. Rather than spend an entire post on each article, I will give brief summaries here.
First up is the scent of rosemary. Researchers have shown that inhaling rosemary (the essential oil that comes from the common cooking herb) improves your ability to give correct answers on mathematical tests involving subtraction. This is an enormous simplification of this research, but does show that what you smell can affect the speed and accuracy with which you think. This particular article goes on to talk about the possible role rosemary might play in eventually being used as a diagnostic tool for having suffered a concussion, and, how it might help diagnose the early stages of Alzheimer's. If interested, you can read the entire article here:http://cerebrovortex.com/2012/03/14/scent-of-a-brain/
The May 2013 issue of Chatelaine magazine had a small sidebar article detailing that the smell of peppermint helps athletes achieve a "burst of energy" and second wind when engaged in on-going strenuous exercise (like long distance running.)
Topical application of peppermint alleviates tension headaches. Menthol, the primary ingredient of peppermint, is, in fact, the active ingredient in eScential Wellness' Headache Help. You can read the synopsis of the study, published on PubMed, here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8805113
Smelling peppermint or cinnamon can increase alertness, reduce fatigue, enhance performance and increase alertness. What a great, easy cure for those long distance drives!! Every car should have a car diffuser. Read the full article here: http://www.newswise.com/articles/peppermint-cinnamon-lower-drivers-frustration-increase-alertness
There's plenty of scientific studies to support the ability of citrus oils (lemon, orange, grapefruit) to uplift your mood.
Evidence is just growing that the sense of smell is underestimated in its usefulness for helping us to cope with external challenges!
Friday, April 12, 2013
Essential Oils 101 - Last Post
I encourage you to read the first two blog posts in this series, to better understand essential oils.
As mentioned last time, doing testing on an essential oil allows you to know what is in it. Gas chromatography is one common method, another is spectrometry. Both of these highly sophisticated techniques are able to tell you what, and how much, of a component is in an essential oil. For the most reliable results, it is always best if the oil has been sent to an independent, third party testing facility. One of the problems I have with many essential oil companies is that they do their own testing. In theory this should work, but, it is like an agency policing itself. Not much incentiveto be honest if it affects the bottom line (that is, profit.) I don't like "taking their word for it." If the testing agency is independent, you should get true results.
Other companies insist that they do testing - lots of it - but will not share or disclose the results. This is just nonsense. Why should I believe them? Maybe the testing was, indeed, done. Maybe what the testing shows is that it is a true, pure oil, but, for some reason, is of poor quality. In every oil, there are "main" components, the ones that are responsible for the effects of the essential oil. For example, the sedative quality of lavender comes largely from its linalyl acetate component. Maybe this particular oil, though tested, has, for some reason (read blog post 1) very low linalyl acetate. It may not give you the results you are hoping for. If a company has paid the money to have the testing done, whyever would they hide the results? They should be proud of the fact that they test their oils. After spending that money, it's just silly not to share the information.
Another problem is that some companies will test just the occasional batch of oils. As you now know from my previous posts on this subject, an oil can vary widely in its makeup. Ideally, each batch of each oil should be tested, and the results should be available. Even if not a chemist, you can determine if one batch has "more" or "less" of a component.
In a nutshell, the best oils are batch tested for quality, by an independent facility, and the results are available. This alone, in my mind, makes a company more reliable than others.
So who does this? Well, not many. Of course, you can always ask an aromatherapist where they get their oils from, and purchase from them. And although I will apologize in advance for any companies that do this, and I don't know about them, I will highly recommend the following 2 companies: www.aromaticsinternational.com and www.stillpointaromatics.com
Both of these companies visit the distilleries where they purchase their oils. They know the distillers and can personally guarantee their purity. The oils may not be certified organic, as this certification is costly, but, they are all either wildcrafted and/or unsprayed. Every batch of every oil is tested, and the results are readily available online.
If you know of any other companies who do this, email me and let me know!!
Always happy to answer questions, too. On the website, go to the contact page, and email me with any questions you may have.
As mentioned last time, doing testing on an essential oil allows you to know what is in it. Gas chromatography is one common method, another is spectrometry. Both of these highly sophisticated techniques are able to tell you what, and how much, of a component is in an essential oil. For the most reliable results, it is always best if the oil has been sent to an independent, third party testing facility. One of the problems I have with many essential oil companies is that they do their own testing. In theory this should work, but, it is like an agency policing itself. Not much incentiveto be honest if it affects the bottom line (that is, profit.) I don't like "taking their word for it." If the testing agency is independent, you should get true results.
Other companies insist that they do testing - lots of it - but will not share or disclose the results. This is just nonsense. Why should I believe them? Maybe the testing was, indeed, done. Maybe what the testing shows is that it is a true, pure oil, but, for some reason, is of poor quality. In every oil, there are "main" components, the ones that are responsible for the effects of the essential oil. For example, the sedative quality of lavender comes largely from its linalyl acetate component. Maybe this particular oil, though tested, has, for some reason (read blog post 1) very low linalyl acetate. It may not give you the results you are hoping for. If a company has paid the money to have the testing done, whyever would they hide the results? They should be proud of the fact that they test their oils. After spending that money, it's just silly not to share the information.
Another problem is that some companies will test just the occasional batch of oils. As you now know from my previous posts on this subject, an oil can vary widely in its makeup. Ideally, each batch of each oil should be tested, and the results should be available. Even if not a chemist, you can determine if one batch has "more" or "less" of a component.
In a nutshell, the best oils are batch tested for quality, by an independent facility, and the results are available. This alone, in my mind, makes a company more reliable than others.
So who does this? Well, not many. Of course, you can always ask an aromatherapist where they get their oils from, and purchase from them. And although I will apologize in advance for any companies that do this, and I don't know about them, I will highly recommend the following 2 companies: www.aromaticsinternational.com and www.stillpointaromatics.com
Both of these companies visit the distilleries where they purchase their oils. They know the distillers and can personally guarantee their purity. The oils may not be certified organic, as this certification is costly, but, they are all either wildcrafted and/or unsprayed. Every batch of every oil is tested, and the results are readily available online.
If you know of any other companies who do this, email me and let me know!!
Always happy to answer questions, too. On the website, go to the contact page, and email me with any questions you may have.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Dr. Oz - Smell & Appetite
Everyone knows that smell and taste are inextricably linked. The aroma of freshly popped popcorn at the movie theatre entices us to buy some.....and the smell of a backyard barbecue can get the ol' salivary glands working.
Of course, losing your sense of smell can also affect how we taste things. When you have a cold, it is common that you can't taste your food because your nose is blocked.
But did you know that smell can also suppress appetite? Happily, yes! Merely smelling grapefruit or peppermint essential oils can make your food cravings more manageable!! YES!! It's true!! And backed up by no other than Dr. Oz himself!! Here is what he has to say about the smell of grapefruit: "Preliminary studies in animals show that the scent of grapefruit oil—yes, just the scent—has an effect of reducing the appetite and body weight (rats exposed to the scents for 15 minutes three times a week enjoyed the effect). The cause? It's unclear, but it may work through grapefruit oil's effects on liver enzymes."
And peppermint? Dr. Oz, again: "You may be able to get some extra willpower against the munchies by following your nose. In a study, inhaling the scent of peppermint every couple of hours helped people eat less overall—and eat better. By the end of the 2-week study, the people who had sniffed peppermint every couple of hours during the day had also consumed fewer calories and eaten less fat, less saturated fat, and less sugar than the nonsniffers did. Bonus: Peppermint also reduces feelings of hunger."
Other studies back up Dr. Oz. Why not try eScential Wellness "Food Craving Tamer?" It's an inhaler that you can keep in your purse or pocket, and discreetly sniff when you need a little motivation to avoid overeating. Check it out here: http://escentialwellness.com/products/food-craving-tamer
Of course, losing your sense of smell can also affect how we taste things. When you have a cold, it is common that you can't taste your food because your nose is blocked.
But did you know that smell can also suppress appetite? Happily, yes! Merely smelling grapefruit or peppermint essential oils can make your food cravings more manageable!! YES!! It's true!! And backed up by no other than Dr. Oz himself!! Here is what he has to say about the smell of grapefruit: "Preliminary studies in animals show that the scent of grapefruit oil—yes, just the scent—has an effect of reducing the appetite and body weight (rats exposed to the scents for 15 minutes three times a week enjoyed the effect). The cause? It's unclear, but it may work through grapefruit oil's effects on liver enzymes."
And peppermint? Dr. Oz, again: "You may be able to get some extra willpower against the munchies by following your nose. In a study, inhaling the scent of peppermint every couple of hours helped people eat less overall—and eat better. By the end of the 2-week study, the people who had sniffed peppermint every couple of hours during the day had also consumed fewer calories and eaten less fat, less saturated fat, and less sugar than the nonsniffers did. Bonus: Peppermint also reduces feelings of hunger."
Other studies back up Dr. Oz. Why not try eScential Wellness "Food Craving Tamer?" It's an inhaler that you can keep in your purse or pocket, and discreetly sniff when you need a little motivation to avoid overeating. Check it out here: http://escentialwellness.com/products/food-craving-tamer
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Essential Oils 101 continued :-)
You should probably re-read my previous post about the challenges of harvesting essential oils. The many variables explain why one oil, even when harvested from the same place, by the same person, can have a very different chemical composition.
This explains a few things. One, why some oils are so much more expensive than others. Not all plants yield the same amount of oil. Rose oil, for example: you need 60 roses to get one drop of rose essential oil!! (For a fascinating look at rose oil, you can read Wikipedia, here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_oil Because of the large volume of plant matter needed, and, the care and difficulty expended to get it, pure rose oil is very, very expensive. Paying $60 for 5 ml (one teaspoon!) would be quite acceptable.
Other oils are more forgiving. Five pounds of peppermint leaves will yield one ounce (30 mls, or 2 tablespoons) of essential oil. A more reasonable price here would be approximately $15 for 15 mls....three times as much oil as rose, for 1/4 of the price!! So we can tell you one thing for certain:
Rule #1 - Essential oils should all be priced separately. There is no way you can price an entire line of essential oils the same price, as, the expense of obtaining the oil varies so widely. If you find essential oils to be uniformly priced, beware!!!
Unfortunately, what some oil sellers do, is take a tiny bit of the expensive oil, and "adulterate" or add a less expensive oil to it. For example, rose geranium smells a bit like rose, but, it is much less expensive. Unless your nose can smell the addition (and most of us can't) you may not be getting what you think you are getting. It is even possible that the expensive oil is adulterated by adding something completely foreign, like vegetable oil, or solvents. This means there always exists the chance that you are not getting a "pure" essential oil
The only way to know exactly what is in an oil is to have it put through some tests. One commonly used test is the gas chromatograph. This is a complex, sophisticated machine that can take a drop of essential oil (or many other compounds, for that matter) and break it down to tell you exactly what is in the oil, and how much of it. For example, in a typical sample of lavender oil, there can be up to 100 different chemicals, but, probably only about 20-30 "main" components. And of these 25 or so, the 2 present in the greatest quantity should be linalol, an alcohol, and linalyl acetate, an ester. These 2 compounds are often the ingredients that give lavender its great disinfectant (the alcohol) and sedative (the ester) qualities.
Of course, if you don't have access to these results, or, even if you do but do not know chemistry, and most casual purchasers of essential oils don't....how do you know whether or not you have a good oil?
We'll leave that discussion for next time!!
This explains a few things. One, why some oils are so much more expensive than others. Not all plants yield the same amount of oil. Rose oil, for example: you need 60 roses to get one drop of rose essential oil!! (For a fascinating look at rose oil, you can read Wikipedia, here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_oil Because of the large volume of plant matter needed, and, the care and difficulty expended to get it, pure rose oil is very, very expensive. Paying $60 for 5 ml (one teaspoon!) would be quite acceptable.
Other oils are more forgiving. Five pounds of peppermint leaves will yield one ounce (30 mls, or 2 tablespoons) of essential oil. A more reasonable price here would be approximately $15 for 15 mls....three times as much oil as rose, for 1/4 of the price!! So we can tell you one thing for certain:
Rule #1 - Essential oils should all be priced separately. There is no way you can price an entire line of essential oils the same price, as, the expense of obtaining the oil varies so widely. If you find essential oils to be uniformly priced, beware!!!
Unfortunately, what some oil sellers do, is take a tiny bit of the expensive oil, and "adulterate" or add a less expensive oil to it. For example, rose geranium smells a bit like rose, but, it is much less expensive. Unless your nose can smell the addition (and most of us can't) you may not be getting what you think you are getting. It is even possible that the expensive oil is adulterated by adding something completely foreign, like vegetable oil, or solvents. This means there always exists the chance that you are not getting a "pure" essential oil
The only way to know exactly what is in an oil is to have it put through some tests. One commonly used test is the gas chromatograph. This is a complex, sophisticated machine that can take a drop of essential oil (or many other compounds, for that matter) and break it down to tell you exactly what is in the oil, and how much of it. For example, in a typical sample of lavender oil, there can be up to 100 different chemicals, but, probably only about 20-30 "main" components. And of these 25 or so, the 2 present in the greatest quantity should be linalol, an alcohol, and linalyl acetate, an ester. These 2 compounds are often the ingredients that give lavender its great disinfectant (the alcohol) and sedative (the ester) qualities.
Of course, if you don't have access to these results, or, even if you do but do not know chemistry, and most casual purchasers of essential oils don't....how do you know whether or not you have a good oil?
We'll leave that discussion for next time!!
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Dr. Oz & Environmental Toxins
I'm going to interject this post between my "How can you assess the quality of a good essential oil?" blogs. I couldn't resist...seeing as I receive posts from Dr. Oz in my inbox. This particular one refers to a topic so dear to my heart: toxins in personal care products.
This particular Oz post is from his Real Age website; and is titled, "Breast Cancer Risk May Be Linked To Toxic Environmental Factors." There's a heading to catch your eye. Even though heart disease is the #1 killer of women in North America, women are understandably, and intelligently, concerned with the risk of breast cancer.
The 300 page report from the Institute of Medicine suggests we should avoid environmental toxins from all sources. There ARE things you can do. Minimize exposure to environmental toxins, and, of course, get screened for breast cancer at the appropriate age/time and as recommended by your physician. Here are 4 things you can do:
(1) Don't breathe in toxic fumes (tobacco smoke, car exhaust, gasoline fumes)
(2)Keep toxic vapours outdoors (for example, paint thinner.) Air out newly dry cleaned clothes outside before wearing and consider using filters on your tap water if solvents are in your water supply
(3)Avoid hormone disruptors - the most common being BPA. Although now out of plastics, it still is in the majority of canned goods, in the lining on the inside of the can, and, on many thermal receipts.
I am going to quote #4 in it's entirety: "Be choosy about personal care and household products. There's plenty of carcinogen controversy about certain chemicals in cosmetics, soaps, shampoos, and more. The Environmental Working Group has a cosmetics database of worry free products, and Green Seal is one good guide to choosing nontoxic cleaners (try baking soda and vinegar, too)."
Other things in your control include staying active, keeping yourself at a healthy weight, with your waist measurement under 33 inches.
If you want to read the entire article, the link is here:
http://www.realage.com/womens-health/breast-cancer-risk-may-be-linked-to-toxic-environmental-factors?eid=1010677252&memberid=27848315
I do not like to make people anxious.....but, personally, I always feel empowered when I learn of small things I can do to improve my health and minimize risk.
This particular Oz post is from his Real Age website; and is titled, "Breast Cancer Risk May Be Linked To Toxic Environmental Factors." There's a heading to catch your eye. Even though heart disease is the #1 killer of women in North America, women are understandably, and intelligently, concerned with the risk of breast cancer.
The 300 page report from the Institute of Medicine suggests we should avoid environmental toxins from all sources. There ARE things you can do. Minimize exposure to environmental toxins, and, of course, get screened for breast cancer at the appropriate age/time and as recommended by your physician. Here are 4 things you can do:
(1) Don't breathe in toxic fumes (tobacco smoke, car exhaust, gasoline fumes)
(2)Keep toxic vapours outdoors (for example, paint thinner.) Air out newly dry cleaned clothes outside before wearing and consider using filters on your tap water if solvents are in your water supply
(3)Avoid hormone disruptors - the most common being BPA. Although now out of plastics, it still is in the majority of canned goods, in the lining on the inside of the can, and, on many thermal receipts.
I am going to quote #4 in it's entirety: "Be choosy about personal care and household products. There's plenty of carcinogen controversy about certain chemicals in cosmetics, soaps, shampoos, and more. The Environmental Working Group has a cosmetics database of worry free products, and Green Seal is one good guide to choosing nontoxic cleaners (try baking soda and vinegar, too)."
Other things in your control include staying active, keeping yourself at a healthy weight, with your waist measurement under 33 inches.
If you want to read the entire article, the link is here:
http://www.realage.com/womens-health/breast-cancer-risk-may-be-linked-to-toxic-environmental-factors?eid=1010677252&memberid=27848315
I do not like to make people anxious.....but, personally, I always feel empowered when I learn of small things I can do to improve my health and minimize risk.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Essential Oils 101
I have had soooooooooo many questions about what constitutes a quality essential oil, I have decided to do a few blog posts on that topic.
Essential oils are made by plants. Plants do not make unnecessary things. The oils serve a purpose in a plant, and, quite often, they serve a similar purpose in people. The differences between a plant cell and a human cell are quite small. Plant cells have different cell walls and vary in a number of interior cell structures. However, the interior of the cells, and their working parts, are very similar. This explains why essential oils may have similar effects in human and plant cells.
Frankincense oozes out of a wound in the frankincense tree. This particular essential oil is actually a resin...not oil-like in consistency at all. The resin acts as a "band aid" for the tree wound. It disinfects it, and speeds healing. Not surprisingly, frankincense has great disinfectant skin rejuvenating properties in people, too. Frankincense was one of the ingredients used back in ancient Egypt to mummify the pharoahs. It has a myriad of other properties...but to keep this simple, we'll just leave the comparison at that.
There are so many factors that can influence the chemical makeup of an essential oil. They are very complex, and, on average, contain approximately 100 components. The components often work in synergy; meaning that they can be more potent and effective together than when isolated. Unlike pharmaceuticals, where one ingredient is purified and its effects are strong, essential oils are most effective when used as nature made them: as a complex blend.
Each plant is unique. Harvesting an essential oil has relied on millenia of research to determine when it is best to harvest the oil. For example, neroli oil is best harvested early in the morning, on a warm, sunny day. An overcast sky can affect what is in the oil. They must be picked at the right stage of maturity: too immature, and you get a lower oil yield, as well as a change in the chemical building blocks of the oil. Too ripe, and much of the oil will evaporate as it is transported to the distillery.
Other factors that affect the composition of the oil include: the weather endured by the plant the year of harvest (wet or dry? Hot or cold? ); how the plant material is transported; how the plant material is stored (proper temperature? too hot or too cold? too long?); the composition of the earth in which the plant grows; the temperature and length of time that the plant material is exposed to during distillation; whether the oil itself is properly packaged (clear bottles or dark?). The list is extensive. This provides you with some idea of how complicated harvesting an oil can be, and, why each harvest of the very same oil can be very, very different - even when you are harvesting the same plants in the same region.
Whew! Well, it's a start!! Next month, we'll talk more about essential oils and why some are "better quality" than others.
Essential oils are made by plants. Plants do not make unnecessary things. The oils serve a purpose in a plant, and, quite often, they serve a similar purpose in people. The differences between a plant cell and a human cell are quite small. Plant cells have different cell walls and vary in a number of interior cell structures. However, the interior of the cells, and their working parts, are very similar. This explains why essential oils may have similar effects in human and plant cells.
Frankincense oozes out of a wound in the frankincense tree. This particular essential oil is actually a resin...not oil-like in consistency at all. The resin acts as a "band aid" for the tree wound. It disinfects it, and speeds healing. Not surprisingly, frankincense has great disinfectant skin rejuvenating properties in people, too. Frankincense was one of the ingredients used back in ancient Egypt to mummify the pharoahs. It has a myriad of other properties...but to keep this simple, we'll just leave the comparison at that.
There are so many factors that can influence the chemical makeup of an essential oil. They are very complex, and, on average, contain approximately 100 components. The components often work in synergy; meaning that they can be more potent and effective together than when isolated. Unlike pharmaceuticals, where one ingredient is purified and its effects are strong, essential oils are most effective when used as nature made them: as a complex blend.
Each plant is unique. Harvesting an essential oil has relied on millenia of research to determine when it is best to harvest the oil. For example, neroli oil is best harvested early in the morning, on a warm, sunny day. An overcast sky can affect what is in the oil. They must be picked at the right stage of maturity: too immature, and you get a lower oil yield, as well as a change in the chemical building blocks of the oil. Too ripe, and much of the oil will evaporate as it is transported to the distillery.
Other factors that affect the composition of the oil include: the weather endured by the plant the year of harvest (wet or dry? Hot or cold? ); how the plant material is transported; how the plant material is stored (proper temperature? too hot or too cold? too long?); the composition of the earth in which the plant grows; the temperature and length of time that the plant material is exposed to during distillation; whether the oil itself is properly packaged (clear bottles or dark?). The list is extensive. This provides you with some idea of how complicated harvesting an oil can be, and, why each harvest of the very same oil can be very, very different - even when you are harvesting the same plants in the same region.
Whew! Well, it's a start!! Next month, we'll talk more about essential oils and why some are "better quality" than others.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
