Only The Essentials

Where I'm from, this time of year is dreadfully COLD and the winter blues are no joke. In New York I often found myself taking the St. John's Wort* out of the cabinet for daily usage.  Although the bay area is remarkably warmer than New York City (60 degrees compared to 20) I can't help but notice the tendencies of feeling a bit down during these winter months.  The climate is not to blame, there is still plenty of greenery everywhere I look and yet everyone seems a bit on the grey side.  

There is a strong inclination to turn to comfort foods when it is chilly outside.  It seems that we are drawn to savory and warm foods during this season. However, I am surprised and also frustrated to see health-inspired magazines such as SHAPE and Eating Well encouraging its readers to consume highly palatable, rich comfort foods such as fried chicken and french fries.  As a result of recently seeing and thinking about how we crave nourishment and comfort during this season, I'd like to write a bit about aromatherapy as an alternative to indulging in our comfort foods.  

Last weekend I attended a couple of workshops that ended up sharing the same theme of herbal remedies and essential oils.  One of the things that I love about living in the bay area is the relationship that its inhabitants have to nature.  Locals here like their vegetables, fruit, beans, meat and herbs fresh ;) There is a high demand for quality and here people take the time and will pay any price for high quality, organic foods and ingredients. 

Lately, I have been experimenting with a local store in Berkeley called Body TIme.  Body Time, like other small boutiques, allows the customer to choose the scent of his/her own lotion, facial cleanser, face powder, etc. from an essential oil or other fragrances.  As I began to frequent this store, I started to notice the word essential on some of the oils and wondered about why they were honored with this description.  I have always been a bit infatuated with certain smells so I began to research the different essential oils.  

This past Saturday I went to a workshop on making soaps and lotions where we made almond oil and Argentinian lemon oil-scented soaps.  Then on Sunday I mixed rose petals, orange peel, coconut, calendula, camomile and lemongrass with white tea to make a tea blend of my own at a tea-making workshop.  I noticed a commonality with both of these workshops in that humans are naturally drawn to particular herbs and the oils they can produce.  

For a few years I have been burning peppermint and eucalyptus oils in a ceramic oil burner to wake up the senses and freshen and invigorate the house. A little bit of daily pampering can go a long way.  My facial cleanser is rosemary scented - good for stress. My body lotion is lemon, bergamot and gardenia. My face lotion is camomile and lavender and my eye cream is jasmine.  Last week I took a chocolate bath.  These smells are a little slice of yum that I don't have to consume, yet I get to enjoy them as much as any comfort food. This is my version of a cheap, at home, luxurious way to feel like I'm at a day spa in Napa!  

I highly recommend finding out more about your favorite scents and how to incorporate them into your life. These small additions to your daily routine will brighten up your senses and keep you feeling lifted. These smells and tastes are also a great way to keep you on target with your workouts and eating habits so that when bathing suit time comes we don't have to think about all the comfort foods of winter that were eaten while wearing a sweater.  

Here is a guide to help you find your favorite scents:

What is your favorite citrus fruit aroma? grapefruit, lemon, orange

What flower fragrance do you like best? rose, jasmine, pikake

Do you like a smoky or musty smell? sage, amber, sandalwood, juniper

Do you like a more astringent scent? tea tree oil, eucalyptus, myrrh, spearmint

Do you like a deep, spicy scent? cacao, cinnamon, clove, almond

A bit of info on essential oils:

• Esters and Alcohols - “It is the chemistry of an essential oil that determines its therapeutic properties. Two examples of the molecules are esters and alcohols” Lisa Adele Rojas, LMT Herbalist and Aromatherapist
• esters are anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic and have an immediate reaction on the nervous system, both calming and uplifting: lavender, clary sage, bergamot
• alcohols are detoxifying, anti-infectious, anti-fungal and anti-viral: tea tree oil, peppermint, eucalyptus

ENJOY!!

*St. John's Wort should not be taken with birth control pills as they cancel each other out.