Why Not Just Pop a Pill?

Shortcuts and quick fixes seem to be all our fast-paced world has time for, but to slacken the healing and care of the human body would hinder its intercommunication and surrender the reigns of our wellness. So maybe we missed it. Perhaps we went too fast. Brevity is not the answer to complexity. Maybe it’s time to turn back, make an exception, to take back the wellness that we have surrendered to convenience.

Can the newest wave of medicine be generated from 460 BCs ideology? Hippocrates, one of the great philosophers, opposed the Knidian school of medicine, boldly emphasized diet, exercise, strengthening the body, aromatic baths, and scented massage (to name a few )to build the body to resist disease. “Treating the patient and not just the disease” was his unaccustomed thought.

Human civilizations embraced aromatic plants for centuries. Widely found in Egyptian, Chinese, Greek, Roman, Arabic, and Israeli history. Common uses included religion, marriage ceremonies, cosmetics, medicine, and funeral services.

Now that we have taken a look back take a good look around. We realize what it means to control our health by incorporating healthy habits, decreasing our toxic load, and ridding toxins in our lives that are ubiquitous to our society. Progressive healthcare institutions are stepping up to the plate and facilitating the practice of true wellness.

Diet, exercise, essential oils, oh my!

What can we do to maintain optimal health so our bodies can do the very best to decrease the disease process’s likelihood? We’ve heard the basics about eating right, exercise, and meditation, but what about the revival of essential oils. They seem to be EVERYWHERE we turn. For those not familiar, here’s the lowdown.

Essential oils are aromatic compounds that come from various parts of a plant. They are harvested and distilled to yield an essential oil. These volatile aromatic compounds play a vital role in the preservation and vitality of the plant. They ward off unwanted critters, heal injury, and infection, to name a few. True nature’s medicine! Research is building on endless applications to support OUR health.

Let’s learn the basics: There are three ways one can partake in essential oils. Aromatic, Topical, and Internal. They are absorbed quickly into our cells because of their lipophilic nature, which means they do not need a receptor to enter a cell membrane.

Of course, there are guidelines to which oils are safe to ingest along with safe amounts. I highly recommend education before incorporating them into daily use.

Purity and Potency are of the utmost importance when choosing an essential oil brand. The potency of oil is dependent on its environment. Climate, soil, and temperature can have a drastic impact on this. Harvesting where the plant is indigenous yields the most therapeutic compounds. Now let’s take a look at purity and why it’s of significance. Well, for one, our goal here is to achieve optimal health, not cause harm. If oils are adulterated and have fillers, synthetics pesticides, or herbicides, they are harmful. Certified pure therapeutic grade ( CPTG ) is the highest grade in the industry and is where my trust lies when incorporating them into my family life and private practice. It gives me personal pleasure to empower my patients and the community with natural options that work!

Hospitals are starting to embrace the supportive and complementary therapy that staff and patients can experience with essential oils. It is quite an exciting time! For example, Citrus essential oils are being placed at nurses’ stations to improve the “smell” and enhance the staff’s overall mood. Lavender is used in many healthcare facilities to decrease feelings of anxiousness and for its calming effect.

Ah, did I mention emotional support? Emotional health impacts our physical well-being. If we listen and become conscious of our bodies, we can feel where stress is going in our bodies. So what does this have to do will essential oils? Our sense of smell uses olfactory receptors, which go directly to our limbic system in our brain. Our limbic system is our emotional center:therefore, smell affects our emotions! Aromatherapy naturally provides emotional support. Are you starting to get the picture of how profound adding a drop here and there can be?

So open your mind and explore the awakening benefits of peppermint, the benefits of Tea Tree to hair, skin, and nails. Support your immune function and nervous system with The king of the oils, frankincense. Let’s be in control of our wellness; let’s wed the best of the past with the best of the present, let’s use essential oils. More and more people are redefining lifestyle to put wellness first, and more and more organizations are aiding the opportunity to do so. Be proactive now because, at the pop of a pill, you could miss it.