It’s time to take a little break from the serious topics we’ve been discussing regarding diet and wellness culture, food addiction, and eating disorders.
I’m inviting you to sit back, relax, and listen-in to some scent-sational learning.
In this post, we are going to dive into two podcasts that highlight one of my all-time favorite healing modalities, essential oils!
First, I was interviewed by the esteemed Natural Nurse, Ellen Kamhi, on her show, Herbally Yours. Ellen has decades of experience in teaching about the clinical applications of natural medicine, so it was an incredible opportunity to be on the air with her live! (Listen to the replay on the Spreaker Website from iHeart Radio.)
Next, I had the joy and privilege of reconnecting with one of my favorite former professors, Dr. Zampieron (“Dr. Z”), on his podcast, The Natural Nurse and Dr. Z. Dr. Z is an expert in botanical medicine and well-known for his knowledge as a naturopathic doctor. I was taught botany by him, and he spurred his students’ passions to truly experience herbs and not just be “mail-order naturopaths.” It was such a pleasure to share knowledge with a “master in naturopathic medicine” again! (Listen on the Natural Nurse Website.)
I was truly honored to discuss essential oils with Ellen and Dr. Z, as I also gleaned pearls of wisdom from these two amazing educators and clinicians. I have been following their work over the years to continue to learn from them. So, I hope you will tune-in to take advantage of these great minds!
You can access the show notes below.
Make sure you also visit my resource page to learn more about essential oils and grab your free goodies! I also have a class for practitioners on the therapeutic and clinical use of essential oils. (Continuing Education Units are available!)
Essential Oils Therapy with the Natural Nurse from Herbally Yours (approximately 30 minutes)
Topics:
- How I got interested in essential oils and how they opened me up to naturopathic medicine and integrative therapies
- The difference between an essential oil and herb of the same plant. (Distillation of aromatic compounds results in specific constituents which are not produced in the extraction of compounds from herbs.)
- Safe use of essential oils and cautions
- For pet lovers, highlighting using essential oils with cats
- How to diffuse essential oils, even when traveling, and why to choose an atomizer diffuser
- The different ways that essential oils impact mind-body responses including:
- Their aromatic influence on emotions and memory
- The physiological actions of their constituents including how they interact with cellular receptors to impact healthy immune response, hormones, neurotransmitters, detoxification, and more
- Combining their therapeutic biochemical actions with their aromatic influence
- Functional medicine as a holistic and system-based approach to healthcare
- The top three essential oils to start with: lavender, citrus oils, and peppermint
- The properties of lavender and its use for anxiety (it is branded as a pharmaceutical in Europe), sleep, brain health, and more
- Why essential oils have so many actions
- How to apply essential oils and why you should dilute them in organic carrier oils
- The caveats of finding quality essential oils and why organic is not enough
- What I consider “aromatherapy” and “essential oils”
- How scent triggers memory and impacts our responses, including the sense of safety
Get access to the content on the Spreaker Website from iHeart Radio.
Essential Oils Therapy on The Natural Nurse and Dr. Z (approximately 55 minutes)
Topics:
- How I got interested in essential oils and integrative health
- What are essential oils?
- The mechanisms of actions of essential oils, using the example of pain pathways
- How aroma impacts physiology
- The function of odor receptors
- The different schools of aromatherapy
- Using essential oils for treatment of certain conditions
- The best methods to extract essential oils and the dangers of solvents
- The mind-body effects of essential oils and how aroma impacts memory
- Using aromatic influence to improve recall and memory (including for naturopathic medicine exams!)
- Using aromas and essential oils to influence mood
- Essential oils for mental health and mood – how they work on different neurotransmitters, hormonal pathways, and the electrical physiology of the brain (e.g., lavender’s impact on the brain for anxiety and sleep)
- Essential oils for the summer: citronella oil for mosquitos, lavender for sunburns
- Applications, cautions, and safe use of essential oils, including the use of carrier oils
- Essential oils as haptens in allergic responses and avoiding skin sensitization reactions
- Different carrier oils for essential oils
- Determining quality essential oils
- Basil uses and its different chemotypes
- Essential oils for biofilms
- Essential oils for dental health, highlighting clove
- Essential oils and the microbiome
- Essential oils for pain: eucalyptus, peppermint, wintergreen/birch, spice oils, and copaiba
- Access to my EO Database
Summary of Essential Oils Therapy
Essential oils are volatile, secondary metabolites extracted from aromatic plant material by steam distillation or mechanical expression from the rind of fruit (citrus oils). They are produced by plants in order to provide defense from infestations, enhance immune function, and to support various molecular pathways needed for thriving. They are very concentrated, and one drop can contain hundreds of molecules. This means they have many actions and a variety of properties.
The combination of essential oils aroma with their biological actions offers them the ability to instantaneously and simultaneously shift emotions, change brain wave patterns, influence neurochemistry, support physiology, and change our biochemistry for the better!
Due to their amazing properties, essential oils are the perfect tool for supporting the mind and body. They can be used synergistically with most integrative and conventional treatments.
Learn exactly how in the two podcasts!
Click here to learn more about my approach to whole-person, mind-body care.
Free resources and more education are also available to you here.
Stay tuned for an upcoming opportunity that can support you in holistic mind-body-heart-soul healing. (Join my newsletter below to learn more.)
Many blessings.
*Important Note:
If you struggle with mental health, please reach out for professional mental health support.
You may also wish to consider implementing holistic resources and partnering with a naturopathic doctor.
For example, I offer mind-body support for general mood issues using a functional medicine and wellness-oriented approach.
Grab My Free Guide to Using Essential Oils & Access My Naturopathic Wellness Newsletter
If your a seasoned oiler or brand new….
Grab this guide with information on essential oils and access to future health and wellness topics.
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Disclaimer: 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.)
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.
Thanks Pixabay and Canva.
