Not only do we offer a huge variety of all-natural Bulk Herbs, Botanicals, Supplements, and Tinctures at Olive’s Oils & Herbs, we also offer many Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils as well. All of our Pure Essential Oils are 100% pure and unadulterated. Our high quality oils can be used for aromatherapy, massage, cosmetics, and some for food applications.

Our goal being is to bring you the best quality products available. We believe that all herbs, spices, roots, flowers are a gift from our Heavenly Creator and are intended to nourish, heal, support, and soothe our physical & emotional bodies.

NEW!

"Common Scents"

A newsletter by Olive's Oils & Herbs

Welcome to the newest corner of our website; introducing our monthly newsletter where I hope to explore one new Essential oil or herb each month. I plan to offer some information and testimonies regarding the essential oil/herb of the month and perhaps present some recipes for that particular oil/herb as well.

"Don't scratch, Just Sniff!"

In this first issue of our newsletter, I would love to explore one of my favorite Essential Oils: Peppermint Essential Oil. (Mentha Piperita) from the family Lamiaceae or Labiatae.

Peppermint has been used by many ancient cultures, including the Egyptians, Chinese, and American Indians. It has been known to be extremely supportive for several body systems and has excellent health promoting properties. It is an excellent digestive aid, helps support the respiratory system, is an anti-inflammatory, and an antiseptic, and may be used as a painkiller among other excellent characteristics.

Some uses for Peppermint, but definitely not limited to: Cooling aid, pain relief, mood uplifting, fatigue, refreshing, nerve stimulant, energizing, alertness, congestion relief, fever reducer, reduces inflammation, digestive aid, intestinal distress, appetite reducer, mental clarity, itching skin, ant, mice and flea repellant (good riddance!!), headaches, eczema, air disinfectant, respiratory aid, motion sickness, bad breath, toothache, varicose veins, etc...

Testimony time!
I suffer chronic sinus pain and infections. Several members of my family suffer upper respiratory problems as well. Sigh…
I found peppermint oil to be immensely helpful in clearing out my sinuses as well as helping reduce the headaches that go with it. I simply place a drop in the palm of my hands. I rub them together, cup my hands over my face and inhale deeply for a minute. I also massage some into my sinus passages on my face. (Being VERY careful NOT to get any in my eyes!) I also rub some on the back of my neck up to the base of my skull, and along the shoulders.

I will try to offer more sinus help ideas in future newsletters. Since this is a chronic problem, I am always looking for new ways to help.

I will use Peppermint in conjunction with Pine or Cypress Essential oil for our children when they get that bronchial cough that won’t stop. You know the one that wakes you up in the middle of the night? Pine or Cypress oil will open up the bronchial tubes and Peppermint helps stop the hacking cough. Place one drop of each on the chest in the bronchial area.

Try placing a dab of peppermint oil behind your children’s earlobes when they feel sick to their stomach. It takes away the nausea! (Try this if you are expecting a little one and experience nausea.) Or massage a drop around the navel.

Sometime ago my sister suffered from a serious injury to a disc in her neck. She was out of commission for a couple weeks while in intense pain. I wanted to find a way to help her, in addition to helping her around her house, so I gave her a bottle of Peppermint oil to try for the pain. I massaged it (ever so gently) into the back of her neck and along her shoulder and down her arm. Much to her delight, she said that it worked better than the pain meds that the doctors had her on (plus it didn’t leave her in a stupor!) She found that the cooling sensation of the Peppermint helped so much she was finally able to get some sleep so she could begin to heal.

Here is an interesting tidbit regarding peppermint and weight loss: (Do I have your attention??)

From "Aroma Therapeutix" catalogue #41: "Dr. Allen Hirsch, M.D. F.A.C.P. is the Director of the Taste and Smell Treatment and Research Institute in Chicago and the world's leading authority on olfaction. (What's that mean???... Our sense of smell, that's what.). He did a groundbreaking study with 3000 people. This study revealed one could steadily lose weight using nothing more than the sense of smell. By smelling a pleasant fragrance three times in each nostril whenever one feels hungry, the portion of the brain that controls our eating (the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus) becomes satisfied. One is convinced they are no longer hungry and simply stops eating." The fragrances used in the original study was ***Peppermint***, Banana and Green Apple.

~ "The article, "Aromatherapy Benefits," was written by Kyle Roderick-a freelance health and medical reporter based in Los Angeles. Here's a summary of his article: This research was published in the Journal of Neurological and Orthopedic Medicine and Surgery in 1995. Dr. Alan R. Hirsh, MD, neurologist, psychiatrist and Director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation of Chicago, conducted a study involving 3000 subjects. Found that inhalation of certain aromas appeared to induce sustained weight loss over a six-month period. According to Hirsh, "Science has confirmed that 90% of taste is smell (Interesting!). We wanted to investigate if smelling pleasant food aromas would help reduce appetite and food cravings in people, thereby helping them limit their food intake." Hirsh and his staff supplied subjects with plastic nasal inhalers scented with banana, green apple and Peppermint. Individuals sniffed day and night - before, during and between meals. They also recorded how often they sniffed. Those who sniffed more frequently lost weight faster than those who did not. Hirsh explained that the inhalers are effective because odors have a direct effect on the satiety center in the brain, which is the area that tells your body when you've had enough to eat." If the satiety center is continually exposed to pleasant aromas, he explained, this helps convince the brain that the body is satisfied and does not need to eat. Scientists have long known that if the satiety center is damaged in a guinea pig, it will overeat until it kills itself. Hirsh's is the first research to establish the link between odors and successful weight loss." ~

Well, I literally live on Peppermint! I never made the connection for my own weight loss in the past until I read about it. (Which I need to start up again. You know, the Holiday weight gain??)
I did not realize that the peppermint oils really could have been playing a role in this! I love to inhale Peppermint in my palms and drink it in a hot herbal tea! I pour my hot water over the tea strainer, place one to two drops of Peppermint in the steaming water and place my face over the cup to inhale the fumes first! What an infusion! I love this part!!! I inhale the fumes right down to my toes! Once I can no longer receive an infusion from the steam, I then enjoy my hot drink. If this practice has been the main contributor to my weight loss I would say, bring on more peppermint! What a way to go!

"Scent"sible ideas!

"Yep, Mornin! Just tell me is the coffee ready yet????"
Many people, (including myself) have a hard time getting going in the morning. How many of us feel that we "need" that cup of coffee to get a jump-start to our day?
I also have cut out coffee from my diet. I never drank caffinated coffee because that would turn me slightly neurotic! I figured I am already half way there, so why push it? I am one of those people who like a little coffee with their cream though! The real cream too, none of that fluffy powdery stuff! By cutting out the coffee, trying to watch my carbs and replacing the coffee with the Peppermint tea, I just might have found a solution that will let my dear husband off the hook of being forced to take the blame for my weight gains, after the births of our children! (Don't worry! He can fend for himself! He would always say with a smile on his face as I tried to pass the blame, "It's all yours honey!" Funny fellow!)

~Recipe ideas~

Some of my favorite teas using peppermint are:

Peppermint Floral Tea
1 part Peppermint leaves
1 part Chamomile flowers
1 part Lavender buds

~Another recipe idea~

Try adding a drop of Pure Peppermint Essential oil to Lemon Tea

Pure therapeutic grade Essential Oils not only may produce many desirable effects in respect to our health, but they also provide a wonderfully scented atmosphere for our homes and may be substituted for perfumes.
I know for myself, that ever since I started using Pure Essential oils, I personally can no longer tolerate the scent of over the counter perfumes. Even my previous favorites, I no longer like the smell of them. They smell like "chemicals" to me instead of perfumes. I can barely stand walking into a room or store that is strongly scented of perfumes. Needless to say that the last thing I wish to do is wear any of them! Most of them now will trigger off an instant headache.

To help revitalize your body and help it feel rejuvenated, try this Facial Mist recipe instead of that caffeine, to get you going. You just might be able to skip that cup of coffee yet! Or, take a "splash" in this Mist instead of perfume and see how you like it.

Alertness Facial Mist

Add to a 2-4 oz atomizer-misting bottle:
30 drops Peppermint
20 drops Rosemary
20 drops Cypress
12 drops Clove (If Clove is too strong for you, try substituting Tea Tree Oil)
2-4 oz. pure water (Depending on how strong you like it)

Shake bottle well before each use. Mist over your head and face about 5 - 10 times. Every few sprays stop and inhale deeply. Be certain to close your eyes to avoid spray getting in!
Until next time!

Blessings & great health,
Jamie

As always, if you are looking for something special that you can’t seem to find, please drop us a note at olive@olivesoils.com and we will try to help.

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