This blog is by guest blogger, Regina Hucks, our consultant on alternative therapies.
You will find an enormity of Essential Oils on the web, in health food stores, specialty shops, even grocery stores but one thing I can state as absolute fact … Essential Oils are NOT alike.
Rather than use an explanation from a biased source (a manufacturer or supplier) I’ve gone to the dictionary to answer the question, “What IS an Essential Oil?”
“An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetherolea, or simply as the oil of the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove. An oil is "essential" in the sense that it contains the "essence of" the plant's fragrance—the characteristic fragrance of the plant from which it is derived.[1] The term essential used here does not mean indispensable as with the terms essential amino acid or essential fatty acid which are so called since they are nutritionally required by a given living organism.[2]
Essential oils are generally extracted by distillation, often by using steam. Other processes include expression, solvent extraction, absolute oil extraction, resin tapping, and cold pressing. They are used in perfumes, cosmetics, soaps and other products, for flavoring food and drink, and for adding scents to incense and household cleaning products.”
Essential Oils cannot be reproduced in the pharmaceutical industry. Chemists can replicate some of the known constituents but it would be next to impossible to successfully replicate or recreate an essential oil in the laboratory without sacrificing purity and therapeutic value.
Essential Oils embody the regenerative, protective and immune strengthening properties of plants. These are very powerful antioxidants that neutralize free radicals which can cause cellular damage in the body. Many essential oils have antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-infectious, antimicrobial, antitumor, anti-parasitic and antiseptic properties.
So, right now you're asking, what does all of this have to do with dementia and nutrition? The answer is….quite a lot.
To read more about using Essential Oils in Nutrition Therapy, click here:
http://alternativetherapiesfordementia.blogspot.com/
To reach Regina with your questions or feedback, please, click the link below and fill in the form.
http://www.lbdtools.com/contact2.php
Next up: Touch and Massage Therapy using Essential Oils – We’ll discuss the recommended oils to use in both therapies and oils for specific disorders / diseases, improved sleep, reducing stress, depression and anxiety as well as effective massage techniques you can easily learn.
References:
1. Kiecolt-Glaser JK, et al. Omega-3 supplementation lowers inflammation and anxiety in medical students: a randomized controlled trial.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21784145
2. Kiecolt-Glaser JK, et al. Depressive symptoms, omega-6:omega-3 fatty acids, and inflammation in older adults. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17401057
For information about Lewy body disorders, read our books:
A Caregivers’ Guide to Lewy Body Dementia
Managing Cognitive Issues in Parkinson's and Lewy Body Dementia
Neither Regina Hucks nor Helen and James Whitworth are doctors, lawyers or social workers. As informed caregivers, they share the information here for educational purposes only. It should never be used instead of a professional's advice.
Sunday, August 20, 2017
Saturday, August 5, 2017
Traveling with Stress
We've been traveling, and experiencing multiple challenges. Every year we plan to leave Arizona and spend a good share of the summer in Washington State. Usually we leave in late May or early June. We make a leisurely trip north, taking a couple of weeks, with stops along the way to visit family and friends. This year was different. We weren't able to leave until mid-July and we didn't have time for visits on the trip north.
Just getting ready to leave overly warm Arizona was a challenge. Jim needed several unplanned-for doctors appointments first. We finally left with stitches in his arm where the doc had removed a skin cancer. Nurse Helen removed the stitches and that is now fine. The thermometer hit 120 degrees before we were finally able to pack up and go. We managed a marathon five-day trip in the motor home, driving 7-10 hours a day to arrive in Kettle Falls WA, up near the Canadian border for a family reunion I'd been helping to plan. Then we went from there to the family farm where my daughter lives for some more family time. Both were enjoyable but we ate something...or did something...and we've been laid low with digestive problems ever since. (I definitely do not recommend living in a motor home with two people with diarrhea!)
Jim's illness was more serious than mine. It was also more worrisome because anything stressful can trigger his Crohn's disease which has been thankfully dormant for over a year. Thus, I have had the honor of being caregiver when I wasn't feeling my best. I am blessed that even when he hurts, Jim is a gentle patient. Even so, we are both stressed and that of course, makes everything worse--and the likelihood of the Crohn's greater although so far, it is still quiet. The whole thing is a vicious circle that is hard from which to escape The difference for us is that we know that we will both recover and be able to move on with our lives. Our hearts go out to all of you who are dealing with less temporary situations.
We are now on our own in a favorite RV park. I am feeling better and we hope that soon Jim will too. From the time we left until now, we've not opened our laptops and so this is the first chance I've had to post. I think that is the longest I've gone without checking at least my email for over a decade! Sorry this is so late. I planned to post ever two weeks but it's been much longer. That's the way it is when life throws you curve balls.
For information about Lewy body disorders, read our books:
A Caregivers’ Guide to Lewy Body Dementia
Managing Cognitive Issues in Parkinson's and Lewy Body Dementia
Helen and James Whitworth are not doctors, lawyers or social workers. As informed caregivers, they share the information here for educational purposes only. It should never be used instead of a professional's advice.
Just getting ready to leave overly warm Arizona was a challenge. Jim needed several unplanned-for doctors appointments first. We finally left with stitches in his arm where the doc had removed a skin cancer. Nurse Helen removed the stitches and that is now fine. The thermometer hit 120 degrees before we were finally able to pack up and go. We managed a marathon five-day trip in the motor home, driving 7-10 hours a day to arrive in Kettle Falls WA, up near the Canadian border for a family reunion I'd been helping to plan. Then we went from there to the family farm where my daughter lives for some more family time. Both were enjoyable but we ate something...or did something...and we've been laid low with digestive problems ever since. (I definitely do not recommend living in a motor home with two people with diarrhea!)
Jim's illness was more serious than mine. It was also more worrisome because anything stressful can trigger his Crohn's disease which has been thankfully dormant for over a year. Thus, I have had the honor of being caregiver when I wasn't feeling my best. I am blessed that even when he hurts, Jim is a gentle patient. Even so, we are both stressed and that of course, makes everything worse--and the likelihood of the Crohn's greater although so far, it is still quiet. The whole thing is a vicious circle that is hard from which to escape The difference for us is that we know that we will both recover and be able to move on with our lives. Our hearts go out to all of you who are dealing with less temporary situations.
We are now on our own in a favorite RV park. I am feeling better and we hope that soon Jim will too. From the time we left until now, we've not opened our laptops and so this is the first chance I've had to post. I think that is the longest I've gone without checking at least my email for over a decade! Sorry this is so late. I planned to post ever two weeks but it's been much longer. That's the way it is when life throws you curve balls.
For information about Lewy body disorders, read our books:
A Caregivers’ Guide to Lewy Body Dementia
Managing Cognitive Issues in Parkinson's and Lewy Body Dementia
Helen and James Whitworth are not doctors, lawyers or social workers. As informed caregivers, they share the information here for educational purposes only. It should never be used instead of a professional's advice.
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