Mother Nature’s Medicine Cabinet

What image comes to mind when I say the word peppermint? Gum? Andes candies? Tea, perhaps? What if I told you that peppermint can also calm a hot flash, reduce a fever, relieve headaches, substitute for caffeine, and serve as a memory aid for test recall? Peppermint essential oil can do all of those things and more.

Essential oils, the volatile liquid of a plant, have been used for medicinal purposes since the time of the Ancient Egyptians. They are the regenerating, oxygenating, and immune defense properties of plants, which help promote emotional, physical and spiritual healing. Essential oils are antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial, antiviral and antiseptic. They can penetrate the cell wall to kill both bacteria and virus.

Essential oils can be used in a number of ways. Aromatically, they improve mood and assist with emotional issues. Used topically, they are small enough to penetrate the skin and reach every cell in the body in as little as 20 seconds. Some Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade oils, like those from doTERRA, can also be ingested. CPTG oils do not have additives and are processed in order to retain the therapeutic chemical constituents.

Suffering from physical pain is not a pleasant experience, but pain is the communication tool the body uses to tell us when something needs attention. We can choose to mask the pain with a drug, which may alleviate the discomfort but cause unwanted side effects, or we can choose nature’s drug, essential oils, to attack the root cause of the pain and give us relief without side effects.

Essential oils can be used for everything from acid reflux to arthritis to headaches, and are a great addition to any medicine cabinet. They have even been proven to cross the blood brain barrier, and are being used to help people cope with illnesses such as Lou Gehrig’s disease, Alzheimer’s, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s.

Emotional issues can also be addressed through the use of essential oils. Some teachers have found great success diffusing essential oils in the classroom. They are used to calm the students down or perk them up, and also to alleviate test anxiety and help promote memory recall. Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee diffuses essential oils in the ER to benefit patients and staff. A recent report suggests orange oil has positive effects when used within the prison population.

Essential oils are beneficial in the home as well, and can be used to replace chemical cleaners. Some examples of disinfecting oils are Lemon, lime, cinnamon, thyme and peppermint. Lemon also removes gum and grease.

The uses for essential oils are almost limitless. To learn more about essential oils, please join us for a class sponsored by Margeau’s Free to Be Project on May 30, 2013. The class will be held from 6:30 – 8:30 pm at the French Creek YMCA in Avon, Youth Programing Room. There is a charge of $20/person. You can register via email