Your nose knows the way to good health

by Dr. Karen Yale, D.C., C.C.N., D.A.C.B.N., F.I.A.M.A.

It's smack dab in the middle of your face, its prominence implying there's more to it than you'd think. Your nose is about 10,000 times more sensitive than your other senses, yet it's been studied the least. Surprising new research now suggests, however, that when it comes to influencing mood, mind and health, your nose knows the way like no other sense.

Try it yourself.

Close your eyes and picture yourself in the middle of a fragrant pine forest, moist from the morning mist, sunbeams casting gentle shadows on the needles that crunch below your feet. A dewy pine aroma fills your nostrils as you deeply inhale.

Now change the scene.

You're strolling in a formal rose garden on a picture-perfect day in May, sunshine warming your face as you shake off the last vestiges of winter. A soft breeze carries the distinctively sweet, delicate, yet powerful aroma of thousands of pink and white rose blossoms through the air.

How did these two walks make you feel? According to aromatherapists, if you're like most people, you felt invigorated and refreshed in the pine forest while the rose garden made you feel calm and happy. But you don't have to take a walk in the park or woods to enjoy the many health benefits of aromatherapy. Whether you bathe in them, apply them to your body or simply inhale them, essential oils can help lift your mood, ease your stress, and reenergize your day.

Essential oils and aromatherapy
Essential oils, the tools used in aromatherapy for thousands of years, are actually not oils in the traditional sense like olive oil is an oil. Rather it is a non-fatty liquid present in tiny amounts in the cells of plants, bark, leaves, petals, roots, flowers, herbs or trees. Besides their distinctive aromas, essential oils contain hormones, vitamins, and cleansing agents.

The distillation process used to create essential oils requires many pounds of plant materials to make one single pound. For example, it takes 50 pounds of eucalyptus leaves to make one pound of eucalyptus essential oil, 150 pounds for one pound of lavender essential oil and over 2,000 pounds to make one pound of rose essential oil. As you can imagine, it takes time to develop them and they are highly concentrated. Just a drop or two is all you need.

Get a whiff...and feel better
Essential oils are particularly useful for health concerns that involve a mind/body connection. Here's a list of concerns and specific essential oils that can help you.

There are many different grades of essential oils available, including synthetic. For maximum effectiveness, however, I always recommend using only pure essential oil like you find at Botanic Choice. They're 100% natural, derived from the actual plant it's named for, and guaranteed fresh. You'll definitely smell and feel the difference.

Read this review of Botanic Choice Calm Confidence Aromatherapy Roll-on:

"Last week my job was turned upside down - so many new things to learn and everything so fast. This is particularly difficult for a 56 year old grieving widow who has lost the man who encouraged her best. After a night of weeping, I went back to work. As I felt tears well up, I reached for Calm Confidence aromatherapy. I did this every time I felt overwhelmed during the day and it really, really helped. Thank you so much for this product." - Marguerite S., Magalia, CA