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Ah, the sweet smells of fall.

Many associate the scents of spices, roasted turkey, and pumpkin lattes with autumn.

Others are seduced into a smile with the outdoor odors of musty leaves and soot from chimneys being primed for the even crisper days ahead.

Yet, these are more than just emotional, memory enhancing aromas.

They are evidence of the kindness of mother nature, our innate knowledge to thrive, and the wisdom of certain winter traditions.

I’ll explain how below.

 

Four Ways that Autumn Embraces Us with its Aromas of Health and Wellbeing

 

1. Those beloved spices of fall all have powerful immune and wellness properties.

2. That musty leaf scent is actually from chlorophyll being broken down and volatiles being emitted during the process of leaf senescence. These volatiles are also known as essential oils, which we know support the body, mind, and spirit in many ways.

3. Plants vary in the quantities of constituents produced in their essential oils depending on the season, climate, and atmosphere (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). This makes me awe-inspired at the profound intelligence of “the design.” The essential oils we are enjoying throughout the year are extracted from leaves of plants that are shifting their phytonutrient production for their survival. This results in better support for our human wellness needs as well!

Note: If your essential oils, which are distilled in seasonal climates, don’t vary in scent through the seasons, better read this and skim through my database for the subject of quality.

4. Phytoncides, powerful constituents released from the leaves and stems of fir oils, have been shown to decrease stress as they build up the immune system. This is a perfect combination for the winter challenges ahead.

Perhaps the tradition of Christmas Trees is based on an innate knowing that the exposure of these volatile compounds released will build up our bodies for the cold days ahead.

These factors, disguised as simple sensational pleasures, are providing us with a dual function. They are natural defenders for us at time when more respiratory challenges and critter invasions can arise.

 

The Unwanted Smells of the Season

 

As with most things in life, there is a mix of “good” and “bad.”

With all the soothing scents from the change to a colder season, also comes some unwanted whiffs. These include mildew, mold, excessive soot (the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons), and the potential off-gas of carbon monoxide from dusting off the fireplaces. (1,2,3,4).

Thankfully, these same aromas that embrace us with enjoyable scents are also potent tools for cleansing the air and offsetting the microbe and harmful toxin invasion.

Below are some resources from previous blog topics on how essential oils accomplish so many of these amazing feats:

 

Recently, I’ve been contemplating a new mechanism of essential oil’ role in respiratory protection. I will update you on this next week, so stay tuned!

Hint: it is related to my other favorite topic!

 

Two Ways to Pleasurable, Natural Immune Comfort

 

Now that we know all the benefits of our aroma-enticing essential oils, let’s put all that learning to use… in a fun way!

  1. Combine the comfort of a warm beverage, the pleasure of the taste of autumn spices, and the immune supporting properties of  essential oils by enjoying this recipe for pumpkin spice latte.
  2. Share this wellness-promoting coziness with your loved ones. Consider slipping a delightful surprise in their stockings with the seasonal items.

Happy, healthy, cozy smelling to you all!

 

 

An Announcement on Blogs

For a long time, I’ve been writing at least 3 blogs a week, two on my homepage and one on my Saratoga.com page. I’m also guest posting on other websites and writing journal articles.

Needless to say, as much as I love writing, there can be too much of a good thing.

With so much information available at our fingertips, it’s hard to keep our focus and take back our time into our own hands!

As a healthcare practitioner, I should be helping you cut out distractions and excess information so that you can live a happier, more well-rounded, diverse life.

Therefore, I’ve decided I will cutting back a bit on blogging, in length and quantity.

This is for self-care and for the world’s health-care.

I’ll still be posting on various topics and essential oils weekly on my homepage and Saratoga.com. However, you may come to my website at the beginning or end of the week to lead you to a post I wrote on another site. In this way, I can still inform you as I reach wider audiences and allow more space for new clientele and learning.

An article in Holistic Primary Care reports the following:

“But earlier this month, the World Medical Association voted unanimously to amend the venerable declaration to include a statement underscoring the need for physicians to take care of their own health with the same acumen and attention they apply to their patients.”

Hmmm….

Time to practice a bit more what I preach myself, I guess?

Happy Halloween!

 

 

 

Disclaimer: This information is applicable ONLY for therapeutic quality essential oils. This information DOES NOT apply to essential oils that have not been tested for purity and standardized constituents. There is no quality control in the United States, and oils labeled as “100% pure” need only to contain 5% of the actual oil. The rest of the bottle can be filled with fillers and sometimes toxic ingredients that can irritate the skin. The studies are not based solely on a specific brand of an essential oil, unless stated. Please read the full study for more information.

This material is for information purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prescribe for any illness. You should check with your doctor regarding implementing any new strategies into your wellness regime. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. (Affiliation link.)