Musings of an Aromastrategist

Get Rid of Cellulite or Die Trying

Aromamuse — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:26:20 +0000

There are thousands of anti-cellulite creams on the market and hundreds more are launched every year.

The availability of so many brands claiming anti-cellulite capabilities only confirms one thing: there is no quick fix and no magic cure for cellulite.

Cellulite is a lifestyle problem and therefore making certain changes to your lifestyle is the most effective way to get rid of it.

Toxic chemicals are the biggest offenders; contained in many commercial anti-cellulite creams, they only add to the problem, as your body needs to flush toxins to get rid of the orange peel appearance of cellulite.

Ready made creams have made us lazy, but it’s time to get back in the driving seat.

What is cellulite?

Cellulite is the body’s way of protecting itself from the toxins it has accumulated.

Fat cells love toxins and they actually collect them and deposit them in places like our thighs, bums and arms to keep them away from our organs where they could do more damage.

It’s a very clever body mechanic, however the unsightly orange peel skin that results can be embarrassing.

How to get rid of cellulite

Despite being in an age of instant gratification, there is no overnight remedy for cellulite.

We just have to accept that.

BUT, changes to your lifestyle that include daily dietary and skin care/ body care changes CAN reduce the appearance of cellulite over time.

If you reduce the toxins you take into your body and help your body to flush them out, you’re in good shape!

Drinking more water, dry body brushing, salt scrub treatments and aromatherapy massage are effective measures as part of a broader treatment strategy to get rid of cellulite.

1. Drink more water

We are made of 70% water, and therefore it is vital for us to drink enough water to enable all of our systems to function at optimum levels.

Water carries oxygen and nutrients to our cells and plays a very important role of removing waste from the body. It moves toxins out of the body more quickly, which is ideal when you want to get rid of cellulite.

You can also mix together 30ml organic juniper or cypress hydrosol (the distillate from the production of the essential oils) with 1.5 litres of water and drink throughout the day.

Suzanne Catty, in her book Hydrosols: The Next Aromatherapy, recommends preparing and drinking this daily over a three week period. Take a week off and then repeat. This is capable of flushing out serious toxins to help you get rid of cellulite.

2. Dry body brushing

Dry body brushing is a great way to stimulate our organs of detoxification as it provides an internal massage.

It can help to stimulate the skin, gut, kidneys, lungs, liver, mucous membranes and the lymphatic system.

Dry brushing your whole body in a circular motion from the feet up towards the heart can be very effective if done on a daily basis. It shakes up all those toxic fat cells and helps to detoxify the whole body, so there is no need to focus only on the parts affected by cellulite.

Cellulite is symptomatic of your whole body needing to detox.

3. Daily salt scrub

Using salt in its natural state is as nature intended: full of minerals like potassium which will help balance your body. It is excellent for your skin – very cleansing and nutrient rich – and a great way to give your skin a daily massage and loosen all those toxic fat cells.

There are many organic salt scrubs available on the market but it’s great to make your own.

Making your own means you can add some highly effective essential oils which help to detoxify your body. See Kitchen Sink Beauty: Cellulite Buster for a great salt scrub recipe.

4. Massage with essential oils

Regular aromatherapy massage using oils like:

cypress
geranium
fennel
grapefruit
lemon
black pepper

can help to break down those toxic fat cells. Essential oils detoxify, balance your hormones and stimulate your lymphatic and circulatory systems. They are very effective at flushing toxins through your system and helping you to get rid of cellulite.

Cellulite is NOT the end of the world

Cellulite is a good indicator of how healthy and sustainable your lifestyle is.

Living a pure life, minimizing your toxic intake and helping your body to flush out the toxins is a great way to get rid of and prevent cellulite.

Following the above strategy as part of a daily lifestyle commitment over the long term can help you minimise the appearance of cellulite AND prevent it from occuring in your body.

REMEMBER: Cellulite is your protection! So, worst case scenario, be thankful that your body has such a clever mechanism to protect itself

Sources:

Grant, Suzi. Alternative Ageing, London: Penguin Books, 2006

Catty, Suzanne. Hydrosols: The Next Aromatherapy, Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press, 2001.

Filed under: Aroma & Aromatherapy, Body, Health

Delicious Recipe for Almond Milk

Aromamuse — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:22:40 +0000

Photo by HealthAliciousNess

Sick of regular dairy products, have lactose intolerance or just fancy a change?

Almond milk made from organic raw almonds makes a delicious and healthy milk alternative.

The recipe below is great for cereals, tea and coffee, baking and anything you’d use milk for.

I love adding it to Earl Grey tea, using it as a base for my favourite banana and kale smoothie, and adding it to porridge with cinnamon and maple syrup to make it really creamy!

Why home-made almond milk?

Knowledge that antibiotics and hormones are contained in store bought dairy milk as well as lactose and milk casein intolerance lead many people to seek milk alternatives.

Jamie Oliver’s revelation that store bought milk can contain huge amounts of sugar is increasing the awareness that every day milk might not be so good for you. (You can watch this brilliant video at the end of this post.)

Store bought soy, rice and oat milks might not be much more of a healthy alternative, however you can easily make almond milk at home.

What are the benefits?

Organic raw almonds are low in fat and extremely high in calcium, making almond milk a perfect milk alternative for those who wish to cut dairy out of their diet.

It makes a perfect milk for a super healthybreakfast.

Organic raw almonds are also an excellent source of protein. Protein is important for healthy functioning of your liver and your adrenal glands so your body will function better if you have plenty of it.

Having it in the morning will super charge your body for the rest of the day!

Recipe for almond milk

Ingredients:

1 cup of organic raw almonds – soaked overnight
4 raw organic dates – soaked for at least 2 hours & seeds removed
3 cups of water
1 tsp raw organic ground cinnamon
1 inch piece of organic vanilla pod, sliced in half, the insides scooped and the pod itself chopped (for easier blending)

Method:

Place all ingredients in a blender.
Start at a low speed and increase to high until you can see the nuts and dates are in tiny pieces. If you have a Vitamix blender this should take a minute or so.
Strain the mixture through a cheesecloth or nut mylk bag.

Et voila!

The dreamiest, creamiest, most delicious and healthy almond milk.

It should keep for 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Soaking the organic raw almonds is an important part of releasing the nutrients and activating their enzymes to make them more bio-available to your body.

Dates are a wonderful and nourishing sweetener for the milk, as are the vanilla and cinnamon.

You also benefit from the amazing nutritional qualities of these “sweeteners”:

Cinnamon relieves stomach upsets, cold and flu symptoms and is said to reduce cholesterol as efficiently as statins.
Vanilla is an antioxidant which prevents damage to brain cells.

So what are you waiting for?!

Buy some almonds on your way home and dust of the cobwebs from that blender of yours!

(If you liked this, you might also like Healthy Breakfast Smoothie Recipes.)

Jamie Oliver’s TED Prize wish: Teach every child about food

Sources:

Grant, Suzi, Alternative Ageing, 2006, Penguin Books, London
Jamie Oliver’s TED Prize wish: Teach every child about food www.ted.com – accessed 27 Aug 2010

Filed under: Body, Food, Health

Why Do We Sleep?

Aromamuse — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:08:54 +0000

Photo by Tambako the Jaguar on flickr

We all do it; birds do it; bees do it, and as the song goes, even fleas do it….

Although we spend over a third or more of our lives sleeping, we still have no concrete idea as to why.

Scientists have spent countless decades investigating the effects of sleep deprivation, sleeping disorders and cures for these disorders, such as insomnia, however the question of why we sleep is still one of the greatest mysteries.

What is sleep?

Sleep is technically a vulnerable state seemingly at odds with our need to nourish ourselves and propagate.

It finds us in a state of reduced responsiveness, reduced motor activity and reduced metabolism and therefore it is assumed that it must be necessary for a universal, but as yet, an entirely unknown and vital function.

The nature of sleep

There are questions raised as to how, despite being in a deep sleep, we can wake up at the slightest of noises; we might hear a tap dripping or a baby whimpering, but remain entirely unaware of a giant thunderstorm thrashing about outside our bedroom window.

We are certain of one thing: without it, we feel terrible!

Sleep is so important to our daily functioning that millions is spent on research into sleep disorders, including causes, treatments and the use of natural sleep remedies.

(If you are one of the millions of people who suffer insomnia, check out these tips for getting a good night’s sleep)

Why do we sleep?

There are various theories as to why we sleep:

Freud and Jung believed that dreams are the way that our subconscious mind communicates with our conscious mind. Therefore by analyzing dreams we are able to solve day to day problems and issues in our lives
Modern scientists suggest that sleep is important for the brain’s ability to process and consolidate memories from the previous day. By the same token, it can help clear unnecessary memories and free up “disk space”, so to speak, for more neural connections to occur
There is also the theory that sleep helps to return the body to homeostasis and to repair any damage done to the body and the brain during the previous day. Its like a “top up” effect, bringing us back into balance on a daily basis
Last year UCLA neuroscientist Jerome Siegel proposed that sleep helps to optimize the timing and duration of day time activities by conserving (and thus recharging) energy

All theories are valid as they are interesting, yet none are definitive.

What we do know about the function of sleep?

There are many things we know about the function of sleep, at least in terms of what happens if we don’t get enough of it:

Sleep is critical for anti aging as our cells do the biggest repair job while we are sleeping. Less sleep means we age faster (and less gracefully!)
Lack of sleep causes a decrease in keratin and collagen. Keratin is a protein important for strong skin, hair, nails and teeth. Collagen, also a protein, connects and supports body tissues such as skin, bone, muscles, tendons and cartilage
Growth hormones are secreted at night and they repair the body’s tissues and encourage skin to grow but only after 6 hrs and optimally after 8 hours
Our responsiveness deteriorates after 18 hrs without sleep. At this stage our reaction times slow from a quarter second to half a second. We start to experience bouts of micro sleep where we zone out for anything between 2-20 seconds at a time. At 20 hrs without sleep our responsiveness slows to the same rate as someone with 0.08 blood alcohol
Sleep deprivation affects our concentration and effectiveness and makes us irritable, nervous, sleepy, tired and exhausted. It also creates aches and pains that aren’t usually there. See effects of sleep deprivation

Sleep is an adaptive state that maximizes the efficiency of all activities

While some people can get by on 4 hrs sleep a day, others may need upwards of 10 hrs plus for optimum functioning.

We know that sleep is crucial for our wellbeing, so until we understand more about it, just make sure you’re getting enough!

Sources:

Miller, Max Why do we sleep, Big Think, Accessed 15 Sept 2010
Gorman, Christin, Why we sleep, Times Online, Accessed 15 Sept 2010
Siegel, James, 2009, Nature Sleep viewed as a state of adaptive inactivity, Accessed 15 Sept 2010
Grant, Suzi, 2006, Alternative Ageing, Penguin Books, London

Filed under: Body, Health, Musings

Was God the First GREAT Perfumer?

Aromamuse — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:28:00 +0000

Ok, probably not. The Egyptians definitely hold that crown, however God did show some talent in the area of perfumery.

As part of the Alternative MBA suggested by Chris Gillebeau in his book The Art of Non-Conformity, I’m reading The Bible.

Now, before you say: “What the….!!!”, wait just a minute!

It’s brilliant.

I’m only two books in, having finished Exodus late last night, and am drinking in every word. It’s filled with drama: sex, incest, husband sharing and, of course, lots of sin.

We haven’t changed too much, by the sounds of it; still lots of that going on.

On a serious note, it’s opening my eyes to a deeper understanding of the way we live (how influential the book has actually been is a huge surprise to the girl who did not listen during the Sunday sermon), and, most of all, I’m enjoying the aromatic references.

Aroma is mentioned on two occasions, once in Genesis and once in Exodus, the first book of the Old Testament, when God is pleased by the aroma of the burnt offering of – vegetarians close your ears! – a sacrificial lamb.
Hyssop, one of my favourite essential oils, is mentioned in Exodus (an ex-boyfriend had asthma, for which it’s brilliant).

And then in Exodus 30:22:

The Lord said to Moses: “Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane, 500 shekels of cassia – all according to the sanctuary shekel – and a hin of olive oil. Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer.

It was then used to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony, the table, the lamp stand, the altar of incense, the altar of the burnt offering and the basin, as well as Aaron and his sons so that they can serve God as priests. He goes on to emphasise that this blend is sacred and whoever makes perfume like it, other than a priest, will be “cut off from his people”.

I’m loving these references – it’s so spicy and vivid! And dramatic.

I am surprised to hear so many stories of “religious” people who frown on natural remedies and raw materials as if they are “the work of the devil”.

Now you can say: “What the…..?”!

A friend’s ex-wife (a devout catholic) refused to let him treat is son’s eczema with an aromatherapy blend, citing it as “sinful” and I have heard other similar stories (though can’t remember them well enough to mention them here).

If God himself was a perfumer, and these raw materials were used to create sacred blends to anoint these sacred spaces, platforms and priests, then herbs, essential oils and perfume should be considered divine.

Fragrance has been used a medium for communicating with the divine for centuries, and it’s with this in mind that I’ll continue to enjoy it. Whether you’re religious or not, who can deny that their favourite aroma or perfume doesn’t, even if only for a moment, bring you a little piece of heaven.

Filed under: Aroma & Aromatherapy, Fragrance & Perfume, Musings

Turned On Women Will Change the World

Aromamuse — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:06:20 +0000

Photo ©Timothy Archibald

Described by Vanity Fair as “the latest in a long line of female pioneers who’ve helped America shake its reputation as the Land of the Repressed,” Nicole Daedone is making waves in all the right places.

Founder of Onetaste, Orgasm Meditation (also known as “OMing”), and author of Slow Sex: The Art and Craft of the Female Orgasm, Nicole is taking on the onerous task of liberating our orgasm, for within it lies a fuller experience of life, deeper connection with our parters, and the key to changing the world – a notion supported by none other than the Dalai Lama.

A slow and meditative practice where a man strokes a woman on the upper left quadrant of her clitoris for 15 minutes, Tim Ferris has dubbed it “required education for every man on the planet.” Recently invited to speak at TED, Nicole’s work is hitting the mainstream. While feedback is polarised, it’s the negative feedback that shows how far, as a society, we have to go in even discussing female orgasm. (You can view the TED video at the end of this post).

I caught up with her earlier in the year, when Onetaste were preparing for the opening of the NYC hub. She shared some insight on the practice of OM and how it feels to be in the driving seat of sexual liberation.

“Orgasmic meditation” – the name itself is open to misinterpretation. What isn’t it? (let’s set the record straight!)

I’ll be sitting with [people] and they’ll say to me “So tell me about this diddling.”

What?!

With all earnest they’ll say: ”Tell me about this mutual masturbation practice you have.

It’s not diddling, it’s not mutual masturbation, it’s not foreplay.

It’s not sex as we know it.

The best example I have is [to explain that] yoga isn’t a workout.

The two domains that have most affected me have been meditative practice and yoga so it’s no accident that those [elements] are in there.

I love this idea of sexual mindfulness; it seems we’re being given the opportunity to slow down in many areas of our lives. Where does “slow sex” fit into a more “mindful” way of living; how does it enhance our experience of sex itself, our relationships, our lives, and the world around us?

It brings sexuality back to what sexuality really can be, and that’s a sanctuary in the world where you have the opportunity to connect with yourself and with your partner.

If I could say one thing to men especially it would be to slow down.

He would be an infinitely better partner in the sexual arena but beneath is the fact that slow sex is really this antidote to this kind of super fast, cortisol, testosterone, adrenaline, inner flight response that most of us are living in, and the kind of reactive response to the world.

You said to the NY Times: “I don’t think women will really experience freedom until they own their sexuality.” What does that mean?

I think as women we’re still in a place where, sometimes, we see our sex as a bargaining chip rather than as a chance or opportunity to deeply nourish ourselves; or as a commodity; so we withhold or we desperately try to get more; or we give in when we don’t want to.

There’s all of [these] reactive responses.

I was having an OM maybe 6 years ago (after years of OMing) and all of a sudden this voice rose and said “I’m free.” And what that meant to me in my body was two things:

One is that sex took it’s right place. It took it’s full seat inside of me but it also wasn’t this exaggerated form. That’s the first piece.

The second is that I felt like I would [not] have to do something in the sexual arena that I didn’t want to [ever again], and that I could if I did.

Credited alongside the likes of Estelle Griswald, Brenda Howard, Alice Walker and even Madonna, what does it feel like to be passed this torch?

It’s daunting and, by the same token, [in order] to actually live up to that name I can see how much there is to do.

That’s really where my focus is.

I don’t know that it’s given me an added vision but it gives it an added legitimacy and makes it that much easier.

It really is like digging in cement with a spoon; getting any movement in this direction [is good, so] it was definitely a boost.

As with all these women you have met with friend and foe, some accusing you of running a cult etc. Why do you think the practice of and principle behind OMing may pose a threat to some?

I think it’s basic human nature and I think it’s going to require a tremendous amount of education.

We don’t have a context in which to understand a woman opening her sexuality in a way that’s beneficial. And so when people hear about it, the only models we have are kind of strange and on the fringe.

Thinking about moving this into the mainstream in some way just sounds scary and that’s really where I see my work in educating, so that this isn’t a freaky weird thing but a clean, well-lit way to understand and exploring sexuality.

My prayer and hope is that enough people try OM [so] that it can speak for itself.

Nicole and Onetaste are still working on the ways to make this accessible, citing video as the most popular: ”People really want their first interaction with OM to be private, and at home,” says Nicole.

With TV characters like Samantha from sex and the city, and readily accessible prom, we don’t have many models for what real sexual liberation looks like, but in the practice of OM we have the chance to explore it of ourselves and experience the transformation in our own lives.

If you, like so many other online commenters, doubt that any man would bother doing this for 15 mins, or enjoy sex perfectly well without orgasm, you and your partner are the perfect candidates, because orgasm IS important, and your experience of life after it will prove it.

For information about classes, retreats, coaching, Dvd’s, kits and ebooks like OneTaste Stroking Basics, go to the Onetaste website.

Filed under: Body, Musings

How to Develop Your Perfume “Nose”

Aromamuse — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:05:57 +0000

Photo by blogis.dvd.lc

Developing your “nose” for perfumery takes some some time, practice and dedication.

It may also involve flipping any previous knowledge of how to smell on its head; studying perfumery as an aromatherapist is changing my “smelling” perspective!

As an aromatherapist vetiver smells like “vetiver” and orange smells like “orange”.

As a perfumer vetiver smells like grass and wood, and orange smells like sunshine and happiness.

This is no wonder, as in aromatherapy, the aroma is secondary to the therapeutic benefits. We create a blend with a specific goal in mind: to heal or soothe body, mind or soul.

In perfumery we might be trying to create the smell of the ocean in The Bahamas, or the forest in South Carolina. We are seduced by the scent itself.

Smelling for perfumery

In perfumery, we take short “sniffs” to deconstruct complex formulas so that we can build the knowledge required to construct our own.

When we smell a fragrance, we are trying to understand the character and personality of the raw material, and decode the recipe of a formula:

What are the building blocks of the fragrance?
Is the spicy element from cinnamon or coriander?
Does the “rosy” smell come from rose itself, or rose geranium, or palmarosa?

Understanding the construction of a perfume can help us to learn how to make one; what are the the vital elements that keep it all together and make it “work”:

“Perfume is not just a random collection of pleasant smelling raw materials, it’s the result of a precise system of structures within the formulation,” say Robert Calkin and Stephen Jellenik in Perfumery: Practice and Principles.

Guided by the talented Ayala Moriel of Ayala Moriel Perfums, I learnt how to explore my personal relationship to the “note”, evaluate its physical characteristics, and identify its olfactory characteristics.

The smelling technique itself is as follows:

Take short sniffs
Hold your breath to “hold” the fragrance for a moment
Take a mental snapshot: Where do you feel it? What memories, emotions or visualisations does it evoke? What raw materials can you identify?

This learning takes quite a bit of practice, and is developed in several stages.

The first stage?

Get to know each raw material.

Blind testing the raw materials without knowing what they are can, actually, help you develop a deeper relationship with them.

Cedarwood Juniperis virginiana, for example, smells (to me) like:

Soap
Pencils
Paper
Dirt
Wood
Dry
Volcanic Ash

Vetiver, Vetivera Zizanoides smells:

Sweet
Heavy/ velvety
Woody
Earthy
Grassy

Bergamot, Citrus Bergamia smells:

Zesty
Pine-like
Early Grey Tea
Citrusy
Green
Floral
Fresh

As you do this exercise yourself, you’ll notice how hard it is to describe smells, and that your fragrance vocabulary will borrow words from your other senses, like sight and taste. This is normal. We have a limited vocabulary for smell in the English language, so borrow away.

I’m at the very beginning of my perfume odyssey, but the process is thrilling and new techniques are helping to develop an acute sense of smell.

Filed under: Aroma & Aromatherapy, Fragrance & Perfume, Musings

Look After Those Marvellous Feet!

Aromamuse — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:49:23 +0000

Photo supplied by Sunpower Yoga

Proper alignment of the feet is needed for strong energetic grounding, balancing and agility.

But, aside from the odd pedicure, how do you really look after your feet?

Good alignment is heavily reliant on excellent foot health, both structurally AND cosmetically.

By including your feet in your daily cleansing ritual and using essential oils to keep them looking, feeling and smelling great, you can reconnect with HAPPY and HEALTHY feet.

Your feet are important for movement, body health and in life in general; so it’s time to pay homage to the foundation of your temple!

Daily foot care

By following a simple routine on a daily basis, you can keep your feet happy and healthy.

We spoke to Amanda Page from Holistic Health & Footcare in the UK for some tips:

Look at your feet. Are they dry or flaky? Are there any lesions or wounds? Are your nails trimmed? Do they smell good? Re-build a relationship with your feet.
Wash your feet every day. Dry them thoroughly, especially between the toes. Moisturise them if they are dry. Give them a massage before wearing socks and shoes.
Keep your nails trimmed, but not too short. “I would say you should be able to get your fingernail under the sides of the nail and the end of the nail,” says Amanda.
Indulge in a weekly footbath. Add 6 drops of essential oils and 1 cup of salt to a footbath and soak for 15-20 mins to relax and re-invigorate hard working feet. Try essential oils of peppermint, tea tree, geranium, rosemary, lavender, eucalyptus or lemongrass.
Exercise your feet. Keep the 33 muscles, 31 joints and 100 ligaments on each foot flexible and strong.

Exercise your feet

“Putting a tennis ball under your foot and rolling it, and picking marbles up with your toes; they are really good for strengthening your foot muscles. It’s good for keeping your feet really supple and also gets the circulation going. Even a tin of baked beans is really good to roll under the muscle of your foot!” says Amanda.

Katy Appleton, founder of appleyoga, agrees: “I carry a golf ball with me everywhere I go to help massage the soles of the feet and to encourage the feeling of spreading of the foot, and also a feeling of grounding.”

“Focus on how important your feet are. Looking good and smelling good are the first things that we can all do. Absolute simple foot regime, I call it!” says Anne-Marie Newland of Sunpower Yoga.

Love your feet and they’ll keep you grounded, balanced and agile; perfect for living your ultimate life

Filed under: Aroma & Aromatherapy, Body, Health

5 Simple Hangover Cures

Aromamuse — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:12:27 +0000

Hangover cures are the holy grail.

The trick is to keep it simple by avoiding rich, fatty, sugary foods that encourage the liver to be sluggish. A Bacon and Egg McMuffin is a sure fire way to prolong the effects of temporary liver stagnation and that hungover feeling!

These 5 simple hangover cures can help flush the toxins from your liver and help to relieve that hungover feeling.

But first……..(a little more science…)

A hangover is your liver in turmoil!

The majority of alcohol has to be metabolised by the liver so the hungover feeling is your liver struggling to flush all those toxins through your system. Despite the abuse it can suffer as part of a modern urban lifestyle, your liver is a very clever organ and can renew itself almost entirely in only six weeks. It can be reduced by up to ninety percent and still be able to regenerate itself. It filters more than a liter of blood every minute to remove bacteria and toxins from circulation.

When your liver is struggling to detox more toxins than usual, you’ll experience hangovers that range from dull headache to the shakes.

Try the following 5 simple hangover cures to recharge your liver and flush out those toxins.

Simple Hangover Cure #1: Drink plenty of natural fluids including water with lemon, juices and herbal teas

Lemon is your liver’s best friend.

Squeeeeeze some lemon into a glass of warm water and drink it.

Lemon stimulates your digestion, makes your system alkaline and is really rich in Vitamin C. This is great for a youthful digestion, strong immunity and gorgeous glowing skin. Drink plenty of water throughout the day and supplement your fluids with some powerful liver-detoxing fruits and vegetables by making a super juice.

Nettle, dandelion and chicory teas are also great liver helpers.

Head to your local juice bar for a super juice

Beetroot is high in natural chlorine which cleanses the liver, kidneys and gall bladder
Celery is a diuretic high in organic sodium which helps eliminate toxins
Ginger helps the liver detox
Fennel is a liver and digestion stimulant that shifts toxins and clears the skin
Anything green is high in essential minerals, calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium. They also make the system alkaline

You can also make super green smoothies.

All you need is a blender: Combine half a cucumber (chopped), half a head of parsley, one apple, half an inch of ginger and the juice of half a lemon to the blender. Blitz until smooth and drink.

You can also blend one or two of your favorite fruits with a heaped handful of spinach. Combinations, flavors and benefits are endless so experiment with your favorite fruits and greens.

Simple Hangover Cure #2: Eat brown rice for breakfast

A small portion of brown rice for breakfast is perfect for a liver cleanse as it’s rich in Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) and Vitamin B3 (Niacin).

Cooking tips: If you know you’re heading out on the town and will need a liver cleanse in the morning, soak some brown rice before you head out. For every cup of rice, add 2 cups of water. These two things will ensure it is soft and fluffy when cooked and in the best format for your body to break it down easily and release B vitamins, amino acids, carbohydrates, zinc, magnesium and iron that will help cure that hangover.

Simple Hangover Cure #4: Eat fresh, raw or steamed vegetables

Green is good. Eat lots of vegetables high in glucosinate that help the liver detox:

Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Cabbage
Kale
Cauliflower

Simple Hangover Cure #5: Invest in milk thistle

Prevention is the best hangover cure. Milk thistle is a herb that has been used for centuries to help to fortify the liver. Purchased from any good health food store, this herb can be taken prior to drinking and the morning after to heal, protect and regenerate your hard working liver.

Be good to your liver; and keep it simple

Remember to give your liver a rest and consume simple food and drink. If you can avoid the temptation to consume rich, fatty foods and stay well hydrated, your liver should recover in no time. Try these five simple hangover cures for a fast and efficient recovery the morning after.

What you drink also has an impact on the severity of your hangover the next morning. Some types of alcohol contain higher amounts of chemical impurities that will determine how you feel the morning after.

Sources:

Grant, Suzi, Alternative Ageing, 2006, Penguin Books, London

Filed under: Health

Book Review: The Art of Mindful Gardening by Ark Redwood

Aromamuse — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:00:08 +0000

“There is no separation between the garden and the gardener,” says Ark Redwood, a naturalist gardener, who introduces us to the art of being in the present moment.

In The Art of Mindful Gardening, we learn that we can be mindful during any garden task: planting, watering, composting and raking, as each is, in itself, a meditation that enables us to savour the simplicity and beauty of the moment. Imagine yourself as the tiny insect on the leaf of a beautiful plant in A Plant Meditation, or simply practice mindful pottering after a busy day at work.

Join Ark as he pays homage to the energy of spring, the abundance of summer, the magic of autumn and the exhilaration of winter; as the unavoidable cycle of life unfolds and repeats.

At once a spiritual journey through the seasons, it is also a practical month-by-month guide to what needs to be done: composting in May and deadheading in July, and useful tips on slugs, mulching and copper tools.

For the avid gardener, this is a glorious tribute to your mindful art, and for the novice greenfingers, this is an exquisite introduction to the insight that: “This is a holistic universe, all is truly one.”

Filed under: Mind, Musings, Spirit

Eat Your Heart Out, Jimmy Choo!

Aromamuse — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 22:29:38 +0000

Lady's Slipper Orchid

“Eureka” means: a cry of joy or satisfaction when one finds or discovers something.

That’s the moment I had when I cast my eye on the above beauty, also known as a “Lady’s Slipper”; it was clear why flowers have inspired hundreds of poems, literature, fashion, romance and, yes, even shoes!

Resembling a tiny slipper the size of my thumbnail, I thought of Jimmy Choo and wondered whether he and other inspired designers of shoes had ever cast their eyes on this orchid.

There’s definitely two schools of thought when it comes to flowers: “love” and “apathy”.

I remember when I was in the latter group; I was never interested in flowers as a child.

“You will be one day,” said my mother to my 7 year old self as she gazed at the zillionth field of poppies with reverie.

Like many children, I was certain that I would not, yet now I’m drawn to local botanical gardens like a bee to honey, enchanted and awed by the grandeur of the smallest of blooms.

But what is it about flowers that inspires, seduces and mesmerises? That inspires colour palates, design and love poems?

I think flowers have a magic that, as adults, most of us have forgotten or are oblivious to. It’s no wonder that faeries live amongst them; where else, as a faery, would you rather be?

I know that I can’t share my wonder with everyone, but for those of you who feel joy when you see or smell them, and a sense of pride as you watch your garden or house plants bloom, I’m happy to share it with you.

Filed under: Musings