New To Essential Oils? Check Out Our 10 Favorites

May 27, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Essential aroma oil with lemon on wooden background. Selective focus.

Essential oils are the highly concentrated, volatile, aromatic essences of plants. They contain hundreds of organic constituents, including hormones, vitamins and other natural elements that work on many levels, and they are 75 to 100 times more concentrated than the oils in dried herbs. These oils can be harvested from their plant constituents in many ways, including cold pressing, distillation and extraction using chemical solvents.

You may think that essential oils are only good as perfume or to help boost your mood, but they have many varied uses, killing bacteria and viruses to fighting inflammation and helping rejuvenate the skin.

In addition to giving each plant its characteristic fragrance, essential oils have antibiotic qualities that protect the plant or provide other functions – See more at: http://www.amrita.net/what-are-essential-oils#sthash.oikwmTQf.dpuf

Below are our 10 favorite essential oils, along with some popular uses for them:

  • Bergamot: Bergamot is a small citrus fruit that gives Earl Grey tea its unmistakeable scent. It’s also used to calm the mind and relieve depression and anxiety, as well as as an antiseptic.
    Perhaps even above any of its therapeutic benefits, Bergamot is loved the most for its euphoric scent, which is the fragrant ingredient responsible for the unmistakable aroma of Earl Grey tea, – See more at: http://www.amrita.net/bergamot-organic-2104.html#sthash.Ju9McmWe.dpuf
    Perhaps even above any of its therapeutic benefits, Bergamot is loved the most for its euphoric scent, which is the fragrant ingredient responsible for the unmistakable aroma of Earl Grey tea, – See more at: http://www.amrita.net/bergamot-organic-2104.html#sthash.Ju9McmWe.dpuf
  • Sweet Orange: This sweet, warm, sunny scent soothes irritability, moodiness and frustration while increasing joy, harmony and creativity. It is also wonderful for skin care and aiding in digestion.
  • Eucalyptus: The warming effect of Eucalyptus Radiata is helpful in soothing sore throats and breathing passages. It may also be good for treating and preventing colds, particularly with congestion. Eucalyptus is antiseptic, attacking mucus and the cold virus.
  • Frankincense: For thousands of years Frankincense Essential Oil has been considered precious for spiritual and physical purposes. Frankincense is used to treat anxiety, stress and tension and is helpful for calming the mind, aiding the attainment of a meditative state. Its astringent properties make Frankincense helpful in clearing the respiratory channels affected by cold or flu. It also has tissue regeneration capabilities, so it is helpful in decreasing fine lines and wrinkles on facial skin, as well as healing scars and wounds. Frankincense also has pain-relieving properties.
  • Lavender: Due to its pleasing scent and wide range of therapeutic benefits, Lavender is the most popular oil in aromatherapy. Lavender is healing, rejuvenating and cleansing for your skin. It is well-known for its ability to heal burns, as well as cuts, bruises, insect bites, sore muscles and scars. With its mothering energy and soothing aroma, it is the first choice in the treatment of insomnia and all stress-related conditions.
  • Lemon: While most people think of lemonade and lemon-scented dish soap, Lemon Oil has been used for centuries as an amazing healing oil for the body, mind and spirit. Compared to a high-toned whistle, its “high vibration” scent is the epitome of alertness and optimism.
  • Peppermint: The invigoratingly fresh and potent Peppermint Essential Oil is possibly the world’s most widely recognized, celebrated and versatile essential oil, with a host of practical benefits for daily living. Refreshing and stimulating, Peppermint Essential Oil has remarkably immediate effects on mental functioning. It seems to produce clear thinking and the ability to focus. It also is an excellent pain reliever and is always useful to have around.
  • Grapefruit: Grapefruit has a cool, dry, uplifting and reviving scent that stimulates digestion and curbs the appetite.
  • Tea Tree: Amrita’s Tea Tree Essential Oil is widely used to treat all three infectious organisms: bacterial, viral and fungal. A powerful immune stimulant, Tea Tree is a must-have oil to keep on hand at home and at work.
  • Ylang-Ylang: Pronounced Eee-lang Eee-lang, this euphoric oil is distilled from the flowers of a tree native to southeast Asia. This uplifting and soothing oil can help treat depression, rapid breathing and heartbeat, high blood pressure and premenstrual syndrome (PMS). It is also a powerful aphrodisiac.

Filed Under: Aromatherapy

Do You Need More Magnesium?

May 18, 2015 by Leave a Comment

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By Sheila Landis, Nutritional Therapist

Stress, excess caffeine, and busy schedules are often the most obvious scapegoats for a poor night’s sleep, tense muscles and high blood pressure. But what if a mineral deficiency is the cause of these commonly experienced symptoms?

The good news is simply including some key foods in your diet to replenish magnesium, the anti-stress nutrient, may be helpful.

The need for calcium in reference to bone health is widely publicized but its essential balancing partner, magnesium is equally important. Calcium functions to constrict muscle tissues in the body, while magnesium enables relaxation. Adding magnesium through food or supplementation could be a key to more restful sleep, better focus, fewer muscle cramps and maintaining healthy blood pressure.

Mineral deficiencies are prevalent in our time-crunched culture and eating is a grab and go event. Compounding the mineral deficiency challenges are farming practices that favor fertilizers over organic-mineral rich soils. While small amounts of nutrient deficient foods may be tolerated, a lifestyle of chronic stress, lack of sleep, medications and limited exercise may deplete the body of key minerals. If any of the symptoms below plague your daily routine, it might be time to expand your magnesium menu.

Symptoms associated with magnesium deficiency include:

  • Constipation
  • Depression
  • Insulin Resistance
  • Restless Leg Syndrome
  • Muscle Cramps
  • Insomnia
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Migraine Headaches
  • Numbness or Tingling in Extremities

The Food Solution

Eating foods rich in magnesium is a healthy, risk free way to replenish this precious health aid. Here is a shopping list that includes some of the foods highest in magnesium.

Almonds and Cashews

Raw or sprouted, these nuts contain some of the highest levels of magnesium from a food source. A serving size is considered a small handful, approximately 12 to 15 nuts or a ¼ cup. Avoid roasted salted nuts as they can go rancid when exposed to high heat during roasting. Consider replacing dairy-based milk with a quality almond milk to add more magnesium while still preserving calcium.

Dark Chocolate (ideally raw cacao)

For those who crave chocolate, you may be craving magnesium. Modest indulgences of dark chocolate with 70% or higher dark cacao is a healthy option. For an even cleaner option, add raw cacao powder to a protein shake for a “guilt-free” treat.

Leafy Greens

Swiss chard and spinach are among the highest in minerals and specifically magnesium. A great way to ensure a healthy dose daily is to add green drink to a morning routine. Whether juiced or blended, greens mixed with a few berries, some apple and a dash of lemon juice will infuse your day with sustained energy. A green powder is another easy way to get green nutrients into one’s diet.

Seeds

Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, ground flax seeds and pine nuts are all excellent sources of a wide range of vitamins and minerals. They are a perfect afternoon go-to-snack in conjunction with a fresh piece of fruit.

Fish

Wild-caught fish packs a host of minerals and fatty acids in perfect balance with cofactors that allow assimilation of essential nutrients. Vitamin D and heart healthy Omega-3 fatty acids naturally blend with minerals to provide a functional food that reduces inflammation. You should eat at least two servings a week of a high fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines or mackerel.

Sea Vegetables

These gifts from the sea are typically known for their iodine content, but also contain a rich source of minerals including magnesium, and potassium. Kelp flakes can be added to salads or steamed vegetables several days a week. Or cook a few extra vegetables the night before and wrap the leftovers in a Nori sheet for lunch.

Magnesium Supplements

Supplementation may be needed if you have a magnesium deficiency and to support healthy levels of magnesium in the body. A whole food source is the optimum choice as it contain synergistic nutrients that provide a high level of bioavalability.

This post is re-published with permission from Innate-Edu.

Filed Under: General Supplementation

Meal Kits For Weight-Loss

May 1, 2015 by Leave a Comment

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We all want to lose a couple of pounds, and despite the deluge of cleanses, fad exercises and nutty diet plans for quick weight loss, we know that eventually, we’ll have to bite the bullet and do it with good old fashioned diet and exercise.

Unfortunately, meal planning, prepping and cooking don’t fit into most people’s busy schedules, and we end up eating fast foods full of sugar, fat and chemicals that make it that much harder to lose weight. Luckily, meal replacement bars and shakes make it easier to have healthy meals and snacks on the go, but most of them can be filled with the same sugars and chemicals that you’re trying to get away from, and they can taste, quite frankly, terrible.

This is why we’re so excited about our new line of medical-grade meal-replacement cookies and bars by Straight Medical Labs. Not only do they taste awesome, but they’re chock full of healthy protein, fibers, fats and other goodies to help you feel fuller longer, increase metabolism and even support blood sugar and cardiovascular health.

The best part about this new line is the no-muss, no-fuss kits, which feature either great-tasting non-GMO cookies, or gluten-free, non-GMO protein bars. The kits are available with six small meals per day (not including a dinner meal that you provide), or three meals per day if you want to supply more of your own healthy meals and snacks.

Purchase the Straight Medical Labs Starter Kits here.

 

Filed Under: Weight loss