ESSENTIAL OILS 101

ESSENTIAL OILS 101

Since the beginning of the year I have become obsessed with essential oils. I have learned that there is so much more to oils than aromatherapy, and so many more oils than lavender and patchouli. I knew there was more but I didn’t understand how much more. If you know a little about essential oils and would like to learn more then this article is for you. If you already know a ton but are obsessed with oils as I am, then this article is for you too.

Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds found in plants. Basically, essential oils are the LIVE essence of the plant. They carry all of the active chemical constituents that the actual plant has itself and are 50-70% more potent that the herb itself. 

The identity of the first person to utilize the healing properties of plants is unknown but well sealed urns filled with aromatic resins have been unearthed in the tombs of Pharaohs. The ancient Egyptians, Indians, Chinese and Greeks used oils for perfumes, drugs, spiritual and ritualistic purposes. Evidence shows that essential oils have been used for well over 6,000 years.

Essential oils have individual elements which work with the body’s chemistry to affect certain organs or systems as a whole. Essential oils have three modes of action within the body, pharmacological, physiological and psychological. The pharmacological affect happens when oils are ingested and enter the bloodstream thereby reacting with the hormones and enzymes of the body. Physiological is the mode in which the oils affect the systems of the body by sedating or stimulating. The psychological affect happens as a result of the odor being inhaled. This area is the most commonly known however, it is the least understood. It is basically known that the scents can induce an immediate and powerful response that defies rational analysis. However, it is not only the aroma that is important for therapeutic benefit but also the chemical reaction between the oils and the body.

The potential of essential oils has yet to be fully realized even though medical herbs have been used for centuries, although many have been exploited to form compounds for use in our modern pharmaceutical world. Research has long held the traditional belief of the therapeutic benefits of particular plants although terminology has changed quite a bit. For example, basil was described as an herb that “taketh away sorrow” and as “good for the heart” whereas modern terminology now describes it as an antidepressant and/or a prophylactic. It is also important to note that essential oils can cover a wide range of activities, for instance one oil can be a stimulate for one particular body system while being a sedative for another.

During the course of the year I have learned Essential oils are anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-parasitic, anti-fungal, anti-tumoral, and anti-inflammatory in nature, some are just more effective on certain ailments than others. Essential oils are also lipophilic which allows them to pass through the cell wall and destroy viruses that antibiotics cannot reach.   

With this knowledge I have given my medicine cabinet a makeover. I no longer turn to the over-the counter chemicals or seek prescribed chemical concoctions to treat ailments that my family and I sometimes encounter. I turn first to nature’s medicine – essential oils. I am assured that by using nature’s medicine I don’t have to worry about harmful side effects so I take them and strongly recommend that my family and friends use them.

When it comes to safety I make sure that the oils I use are CPTG – Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade. There are four grades of essential oils - 1) Grade A essential oils are pure therapeutic quality (highest grade) and are usually made from naturally (often organically) grown

plants distilled at the proper temperatures using steam distillation.  2) Grade B

essential oils are food grade; they may contain synthetics, pesticides, fertilizers,

chemical/synthetic extenders, or carrier oils. 3) Grade C oils are perfume grade and

may contain the same type of adulterating chemicals as food grade oils. They also

usually contain solvents which are used to gain a higher yield of oil. 4) Floral Water

is a byproduct of the distillation process and can be very high quality if it comes

from a Grade A distillation process. Accordingly it is of very low quality if it comes

from poor quality raw materials and/or poor distillation processes.

There are a number of products on the market that claim to be essential oils or contain essential oils. However, most of these products do not use 100% pure essential oils, often using synthetic chemical substitutes. Make sure that oils you decide to use are CPTG or Grade A.

There is so much more that I could write here but for the sake of time and space I’ll stop at this point. However, over the next days and week I will continue to post more about essential oils and maybe info on herbs as well. I will begin featuring an Oil of the Week post so that you will have more information for your health arsenal and you will know what oil I am fascinated with that week as well.

If you would like more information about essential oils and health, please feel free to contact me at Cheryl@hallsofhealing.com or call me at 703-801-7228.

Nuts: an important component of an anti-diabetes diet

This is great, very useful information from Dr. Joel Furhman, an expert in the field of diabetes, for those of us working to prevent or reverse this disease.

Nuts: an important component of an anti-diabetes diet

A Short Update

Hi All,

I hope I'm not talking to myself at this point, but if I am serves me right for neglecting this blog. The neglect hasn't been intentional I promise.

I'm seeing more clients now so that eats up a good chunk of my time.  In addition, I'm working on my Ph.D dissertation, which needs a lot more of my time than its been getting and I'm writing alternative health and wellness articles for an online magazine, ZenMatrix. Please go over and check it out when you have a chance. Plus you all know I have a husband and for all of the wives out there, need I say more?  LOL!

Excitotoxins at Work

I'm planning an article for this blog about excitotoxins. I've been seeing so much about excitotoxins lately, nothing good I might add, so I think it's really important to investigate and pass on all of the information that I find. If any of you have any questions that you'd like for me to address please feel free to shoot me an email and I will definitely get the info you need.

I would like to promise that I will be back here writing within the next week or so, but I really just can't make that guarantee. Please just know I am thinking about all of you and I will drop by as often as I can to say hello, share a recipe or two and update you all on the happenings in my life and/or around the food and nutrition world.

Until next time stay,

Positively Raw!

I'M STILL HERE!!!

Helloooo, anybody there?

I know it's been forever and a day since I posted anything, but I'm still here.  So much has been happening in my life as I'm sure it has for you; but I'm still here.

I just wanted to drop by and add this little note so that if anyone is still checking for new posts on happenings in my positively raw life, you will know that I'm still here.

I will drop by again within the next few days to add a new post with updates on what's been happening with me and a new recipe or two.

Until then, be Positively Raw!

BOOTYCANDY, by Robert O'Hara at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

Featuring the one and only Phillip James Brannon.

I will be seeing this play on Friday, June 3rd, after which I will post a review. Disclaimer: Since one of the feature actors is my son, the review is obviously biased, but I am an honest person therefore the review will be an honest accounting. Also, I have had the privilege of meeting Robert O'Hara, the writer and director of this play and personally I think he is a genius. However, don't just take my word for it, go see for yourself.

Robert O'Hara's Bootycandy, made up of comic sketches about language, sexuality and labels, gets its world premiere by Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company May 30-June 26. Expect a "Kaleidoscope of sassy lessons in sex education" that "speaks the truth about growing up gay and African American. With outrageous humor and real heart, it tests how we talk about our bodies at home, in church, and on the corner." (www.playbill.com)

written and directed by
Robert O'Hara

Featuring Company Member Jessica Frances Dukes with Phillip James Brannon, Sean Meehan, Laiona Michelle, and Lance Coadie Williams.

May 30 – June 26, 2011

Appropriate for ages 16 and up.

This production contains nudity.

UPDATE: I apologize for the delay in posting my biased review of this play. However, if you by chance were waiting, you will be happy to know that the play has been extended until July 3, 2011.  Personally, I think this is great news as it is a great play and everyone should have the chance to see it.  The play is very funny, I was laughing out loud from beginning to end. My son asked me how I would describe what the play is about. My response: It is about the phenomenology of sexuality within the Black culture.

In addition to my very talented and smashing son, Phillip James Brannon, there are four other smashing and very talented actors who do not go un-noticed; Lance Coadie, who will begins his task of cracking your side as the cross-dressing minister; Laiona Michelle and Jessica Frances, two beautiful actresses who morph into their characters as easily as a chameleon changes color, and Sean Meehan whose troubled soul character causes compassion to ooze from the audience.

My biased opinion is that everyone should go see the show because my son is a beautiful, geniusly talented actor who is present in every scene, except maybe one as Sutter. He makes the show as he transitions from an inquisitive young one to a sulky, sultry adult.  My unbiased opinion is that everyone needs to see the show because it is full of very talented actors who can and will make you laugh so hard you side cracks while also envoking deep reflection about the political, cultural, and racial experiences of sexuality in your life.

You will realize from the moment you walk through the doors of the theatre that you are in for a once in a lifetime experience. It begins by..... well go see for yourself, you won't be disappointed.

The Amazing Power of Vitamin D

 

A few months ago I found out that my Vitamin D levels were extremely low, so of course my doctor put me on a high dose of Vitamin D to increase my levels.  Within a day or two of being on the vitamin D therapy I began to notice an increase in my energy. I began sleeping better and my mood had improved tremendously – I felt myself coming up out of a fog of depression.  When I expressed my excitement over this improvement, one of the comments I received was, “What the hell! It’s just a vitamin right? So of course I had to set out to find exactly what this seemingly miracle vitamin was actually about.

Vitamin D is not really a vitamin at all - it is a pre-hormone that's produced in your skin in response to sunlight exposure. As such, it is an integral part of human health and longevity. It is critically important for the development, growth, and maintenance of a healthy body, during the entire life cycle. There are several forms of vitamin D: supplemental vitamin D, pharmaceutical vitamin D, and those that exist in the body called vitamin D's metabolites.

Supplemental Vitamin D comes in two forms, Vitamin D3 and Vitamin D2.  Vitamin D3 is labeled as the “real” Vitamin D as it is the form produced in human skin in response to sun exposure. It can be derived from either lanolin or cod liver oil and according to the Vitamin D Council, it is the only form that should be used to treat Vitamin D deficiency.  Vitamin D2 is derived from fungal sources and is not naturally present in the human body and may have actions within the body different from those of vitamin D3, however many doctors still prescribe vitamin D2.

After vitamin D is formed in the skin, it is metabolized into two different substances within the body: 25-hydroxyvitamin D, or calcidiol, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, or calcitriol. Calcidiol is made in the liver and it is a prehormone and the body's main storage form of vitamin D. Calcitriol is made in the kidneys as well as in other organs, and is the most potent steroid hormone in the human body. It is said by the experts to “unlock” a cell’s DNA library.

The human body was designed to receive vitamin D by producing it in response to sunlight exposure, therefore this should be the method of choice. Over exposure is not necessary since Vitamin D is produced within minutes – in about half the time it takes for the skin to begin changing color, all of the Vitamin D the body will make for the day is produced.  For vitamin D production, sun exposure should be during midday between the hours of approximately 10am-2pm. These hours will vary depending on latitude but the closer to solar noon, the more vitamin D produced.

Vitamin D production occurs faster in those with light skin than in those with dark skin.  This is because darker skin has higher melanin content. Melanin is Nature's built-in protection against skin damage from excess ultraviolet exposure and so it allows less UV to enter the skin.  This is why those whose ancestry is native to regions near the equator have darker skin than those native to regions located at higher latitudes. It is also why those with darker skin living at higher latitudes have higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency.

Food sources rich in Vitamin D include fatty fish eggs, red meat, and liver. However, a great vegan source is light-exposed (wild) mushrooms which can provide up to 100% of the recommended allowance of vitamin D.

Being “D-ficient” may increase the risk of chronic diseases, such as osteoporosis, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, and cancers such as breast, colon, ovarian, prostate and others, as well as infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis and the flu. In addition it helps to prevents type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and high blood pressure, lowers the risk of excessive inflammation, support mood stability and cognitive function.  Vitamin D regulates insulin activity and blood sugar balance, regulates immune system response and helps prevent chronic fatigue – I could go on.

There seems to be some debate over what the optimum levels of Vitamin D are but the majority of researchers seem to agree that adequate levels are between 39 to 70 ng/mL and for those with  health issues related to “D-ficiency” levels between 55 and 85 ng/mL may be necessary. Levels above 150 ng/mL are dangerously toxic.  To find out if your levels are adequate or “D-ficient” and for proper treatment see your doctor.

As of three weeks ago my levels have come up from 5 to 29.  So while there has been some improvement it is still quite low, especially considering that I am diabetic.  Vitamin D therapy continues for me and I must say I’m enjoying most of it….

Love from the Sea = SEAWEED!

I love seaweed, especially in seaweed salads. Lately my body has been craving seaweed and as you know, I usually try to listen to what my body is saying and give it what it wants. Because of this intense craving I’ve been having, I thought a blog post about seaweed was in order.

Seaweeds are found throughout the world's oceans and seas and none are known to be poisonous. Many are actually good to eat and even considered a great delicacy in many Asian countries. Seaweeds belong to groups of multicellular algae; red, green and brown algae. Some blue-green algae are also considered seaweed.

Seaweed has a variety of purposes, for which it is farmed or foraged from the wild. But of course the major use of seaweed is for food, especially in Japan, China and Korea, and in the Indian Ocean where seaweed cultivation has become a major coastal industry. The main food species which are grown in these countries are Nori (can you say sushi), Kombu, and Wakame. In Japan alone, the total annual production value of nori amounts to more than $2 billion making it one of the most valuable crops produced by aquaculture in the world. In most western countries, seaweed consumption is relatively restricted therefore there is no great pressure for mass development.

Seaweed extracts appear in the oddest places; you have probably eaten some sort of seaweed extract in the last 24 hours as many processed foods such as chocolate milk, yogurts, health drinks, and even the highest-quality German beers contain seaweed polysaccharides such as agars, carrageenans and alginates. Seaweed baths have been popular in Ireland and Britain since Edwardian times, and seaweed wraps and treatments have become more increasingly popular in the last few years.

Some good reasons for consuming seaweed are:

1. Increased longevity and youthfulness - polysaccharide which are important in the prevention of degenerative diseases including cardiovascular and diabetes increase the amount of feel-good chemicals in the brain, improves liver function, stabilizes blood sugar

2. Aids in weight loss - contains a variety of concentrated protein and healthy carbs, It is low in fat and very low in calories.

3. Acts as a detoxifier for the body - research has shown that seaweeds bind with heavy metals in the intestines, makes then indigestible and removes them from the body.

4. Helps prevent cancer - Sea vegetables contain large amounts of lignans which are plant compounds that protect against cancers of all kind.

5. Contains a variety of vitamins and minerals needed for optimal health - according to the authors of Vegetables from the Sea, all of the minerals required by the human body, which include calcium, sodium, magnesium, zinc and potassium are present in sufficient amounts in seaweed. Analysis has also shown trace amounts of vitamin B12, rarely found outside of animal products.

There is also so new research that shows that seaweed could hold the cure to diabetes. The substance, known as Alginate, extracted from seaweed is being wrapped around insulin-producing cells taken from pigs and injected into the patients’ body, hiding the pig cells from the immune system so it does not destroy them once they are injected. This allows the animal cells to carry on producing insulin, potentially banishing the need for patients to inject themselves with the hormone up to four times a day. Alginate is already widely used as wound dressings because the body seems to recognize it as friendly rather than foreign.

Seaweed Salad Recipe

Here’s my recipe is which is not completely raw but incredibly nutritious and healthy. In a raw version replaced the rice vinegar with lemon juice, and use raw sesame oil instead of toasted however, you won’t get the same flavor as from the toasted sesame oil.


Ingredients
Seaweed of your choice (raw or sundried)
Stevia, agave or sweetener of choice
Toasted sesame oil
Sesame seeds
Crushed red chili peppers
Bragg aminos or tamari
Rice vinegar
Instructions
For the dressing combine all ingredients then add to the seaweed. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.