Andrew Weil's Blog: Dr. Weil's Healthy Living Blog, page 14

Essential Oils: Lavender Oil

Lavender oil which comes frome the leaves and flowers of the lavendr plant (Lavandula officinalis / Lavandula angustifolia) has been popular since Roman times, when a pound of flowers was worth a farmer’s wages for a month. The word “lavender” is thought to come from the Latin word “lavare” which means “to wash,” and may refer to an ancient practice of adding lavender to wash water for its pleasant scent. Lavender has been used for thousands of years and is even mentioned in the Bible.

Uses For Lavender Oil: 

Sleep: Lavender oil is widely used to promote sleep and relaxation. One clinical study found that ingested capsules of lavender oil had a significant ability to ease anxiety and sleep disturbances. Other studies have found similar effects on sleep and anxiety when lavender oil is used in aromatherapy.
Headaches: Lavender oil can be comforting for people suffering migraine, and is safe for children with these headaches. One study, published in 2012, showed that out of 129 headache episodes, 92 responded entirely or partially to lavender, and a three-month long randomized controlled clinical trial showed a reduction in the frequency and severity of migraines among participants who used it. To use lavender oil for headaches massage a few drops into your skin or add two to four drops to two to three cups of boiling water and inhale the vapors.
Pain: Some studies have shown that lavender oil can help relieve chronic pain, although the results have not been long lasting. Lavender also may reduce labor pains and pain stemming from burns. One study found that inhaling lavender helped temporarily ease menstrual cramps. Lavender can also be used to soothe insect bites.

Cautions:

Lavender oil may enhance the effects of sedatives and sleep medications, causing excessive sleepiness. Because there isn’t enough information about the safety of use during pregnancy or breastfeeding, women probably should avoid ingesting lavender at those times. Some research has linked the use of lavender oil to abnormal breast growth among young boys (which disappears after use stops) so boys who haven’t yet reached puberty should avoid using lavender oil and products containing it. Effects on young girls are unknown. Ingesting lavender may cause constipation, headache and increased appetite; using lavender on skin may cause irritation.

Dr. Weil’s View On Lavender Oil:

I enjoy using dry bundles of lavender as a natural air freshener and drops of the essential oil on wool balls in the clothes dryer. I also use lavender as a culinary herb, sprinkling bits of it on grilled fish and vegetables. Lavender is great to use for infusing water, giving it a unique flavor and providing an alternative to iced tea on a hot day.

Source:

P.Sasannejiad et al, “Lavender essential oil in the treatment of migraine headache: a placebo-controlled clinical trial.” European Neurology, April 17, 2012, doi: 10.1159/000335249

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Essential Oils: Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is derived from the Australian tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia), native to the eastern coast of Australia. The oil is clear, strongly aromatic, and a powerful disinfectant. (It is not the same as tea oil, which is used for cooking.)

Tea tree oil became popular in the U.S. in the 1920s and 1930s due to its ability to treat bacterial infections. Its use declined after World War II when effective antibiotics became available, but interest resumed during the 1970s.

It is an effective remedy for fungal and viral infections, particularly those affecting the skin. The compound terpinen-4-ol, one of more than 98 compounds, is responsible for most of it’s antimicrobial activity.

Tea Tree Oil Uses:

Acne : Five percent tea tree oil may be as effective as five percent benzoyl peroxide for acne treatment. Tea tree oil takes longer to work but may be less irrigating to the skin. Dosage: Apply 5 percent gel for 20 minutes to affected areas twice daily.
Toe Nail Fungus : A topical application of 100 percent tea tree oil, twice a day for six months, eradicated toenail fungus in about 18 percent of patients studied. It also improved the appearance of the nails in about 60 percent of patients.
Athlete’s Foot: It oil also appears help relieve symptoms (although it doesn’t cure the fungus). One study found that 10 percent tea tree oil reduced scaling, inflammation, itching, and burning when applied regularly. Apply a light coating of dilute oil (25 to 50 percent) three or four times a day. Continue for two weeks after symptoms resolve.
Bacterial vaginosis: One small study found this essential oil effective for treatment of this vaginal infection.

This essential oil also may help manage dandruff, bee stings, scabies, and lice. Laboratory studies suggest that it may have a therapeutic role in management of abscesses and boils, especially those due to MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).

When added to hot water, creating a steam inhalant, tea tree can help treat cough, bronchial congestion, sore throat and overall pulmonary inflammation.

Caution:

Tea tree oil is toxic when swallowed and should only be used externally. Because it may irritate skin, apply only a small amount at first and discontinue if irritation appears. The oil may burn if it comes in contact with the eyes, nose, or mouth. Do not apply tea tree oil to non-fungal rashes or broken skin.

Tea Tree Oil For Household Use:

Added to vinegar/water solutions it can kill mold and mildew on kitchen and bathroom surfaces. To clean countertops and tile floors add 50 drops to a bucket of water.

Dr. Weil’s View On Tea Tree Oil:

Tea tree oil is the best treatment I know of for fungal infections. It is an excellent alternative to the harsh chemicals found in most over-the-counter treatments for athlete’s foot and jock itch. It is also gentle for people with sensitive skin, offering much-needed relief for dandruff and acne.

Source:

K.A. Hammer et al, “In Vitro Susceptibilities of Lactobacilli and Organisms Associated with Bacterial Vaginosis to Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) Oil.” Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, January 1999.

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Essential Oils: Thyme Oil

Thyme oil which comes the thyme plant (Thymus vulgaris) is a perennial herb with a long history of use going back to ancient Egypt and Greece for purposes ranging from embalming and warding off evil spirits to gaining courage. Thyme is native to Asia, the Mediterranean region and southern Europe.

Thyme has antibacterial and antifungal properties, Thymol, a primary constituent of thyme oil, has potent antioxidant activity and may help prevent tooth decay as a mouthwash ingredient. (It is used in many commercial mouthwashes.) Thyme essential oil is added to soaps, deodorants, and insect repellents. It is also antiseptic.

Thyme Oil Uses

Thyme oil may help ease chest congestion, sore throat, gas, and indigestion. It is a mild diuretic and appetite stimulant.

Treatment of cuts and wounds: Since thyme has antiseptic properties, the oil can be applied to minor cuts and wounds. As an antifungal, it can help treat toenail fungus.
Baldness : Some research suggests that combined with lavender, rosemary and cedarwood oils, thyme oil may improve hair growth, although it can take seven months to work, and success is not guaranteed.
Infections: Thyme oil can be used to treat bacterial and fungal infections in the ears.
Colds and bronchitis: Thyme oil can help treat respiratory symptoms, including congestion, cough, and sneezing. You can diffuse the oil in a steamer for direct relief.
Thrush: Thyme essential oil has been shown to help kill the fungus (Candida albicans) that causes oral thrush.

Cautions:

Thyme is believed to be generally very safe. However, avoid using large amounts if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.  Due to thyme’s blood thinning effects, if you’re scheduled for surgery avoid thyme oil for at least two weeks before the procedure. If you’re allergic to oregano or other plants in the mint family, you also may react to thyme. Because it can act like estrogen in the body, avoid the oil if you have any condition that might be worsened by estrogen exposure. While thyme oil is considered safe for application to skin, it can cause irritation in some people. Not enough information is available to be sure that thyme oil is safe for children when taken by mouth or used on the skin.

Thyme Oil For Household Use

Research suggests that thyme oil may help eliminate low concentrations of mold and may help preserve foods against foodborne bacteria.

Dr. Weil’s View On Thyme Oil

hyme can play an important role in treating mild health concerns. It can help to suppress coughs and is a useful antifungal agent. I like to use fresh thyme in cooking. It is one of the easiest herbs to grow.

Source:

Natural Medicines Comprehensive Data Base, “Thyme”, webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-...

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What Legacy Letters Give To Its Writers #5

Reflection:

When Dr. Andrew Weil endorsed Women’s Lives, Women’s Legacies, he wrote, “The ethical will [‘template’ of legacy letters] is a wonderful gift to leave your family at the end of your life, but I think its main importance is what it can give you in the midst of your life.”

What exactly does legacy writing give legacy writers? What does it mean today and over time, and in what ways does it transform legacy writers’ lives?

Following the needs to belong, to be known, to be remembered, and to make a positive difference with our lives in the June, July, August, and September 2018 Tips & Tools, we’ll explore for October our need to bless and be blessed.

The historical precedent for blessings, one of the fundamental elements in legacy writing, is found in Genesis 49. Jacob lay on his death bed and passed on his values by blessing each of his 12 sons, giving his moral and ethical instructions. At the end of the book of Exodus (chapter 39) Moses blessed the Israelites. So too for us as we approach the end of our lives, blessing future generations is a natural and responsible act.

Blessings are not only for children written by their grandparents. We all need blessings – no matter our ages. Many of us didn’t have families in which we were regularly blessed; yet we can bless our loved ones. One more look at the ancient story: when Esau realized that his younger brother Jacob had stolen his blessing from their father Isaac, Esau went to Isaac (Genesis 27:34) asking poignantly, “Have you no blessing for me, father?”

In my experience the only act sweeter than receiving a blessing from someone I respect is to offer a blessing to a loved one. We can do this as the close of a legacy letter, no matter the topic of the letter, and irrespective of age, gender, or circumstance of the recipient of the letter.

Once many years ago (‘in a land far far away’) I remember leading a short legacy program for a dozen elderly seniors. I focused on blessings after a brief introduction. I passed out pens and index cards suggesting they each write a short (3 minutes) blessing to someone in need of a blessing. After their writing, I invited them to share their blessings. They each

read their blessings; they were touching, sincere, and well received. Finally there were two women left, who I’d noticed earlier hadn’t written. I asked the first if she’d like to share. When she stated, as crisply as an autumn apple, that she hadn’t written, I asked her in my naivety, “how come?” [Big mistake.] She replied confidently that only priests, ministers, and rabbis could offer blessings. I had no response, but luckily our time together was over. I thanked them all for coming, offered them a brief blessing for health and peace, and escorted them outside to their waiting bus. For years after that experience, I shared a hand-out I’d prepared of spectacular quotations about blessings and their importance, written by clergy and non-clergy, extolling the spiritual gift of offering blessings.

When we look closely at Jacob’s blessings, what we read feels more like instructions, less like blessings – natural too for us to want to use the wisdom we’ve accumulated through our experiences to instruct those who will come after us. However in contemporary legacy writing, I suggest that we bless, not instruct, our loved ones. [As a self-admitted rebel all my life, instructions were meant to be broken or ignored, but blessings always nourished me.]

How can we tell the difference? Read aloud to yourself the blessings you have written. If you’ve written an instruction, the words will be experienced in your head. If you’ve written a blessing, you will feel it as coming from your heart.

 

Words that come from the heart enter the heart.

–The Talmud  

 

Writing a personal blessing on a beautiful card to celebrate a friend or family member’s birthday, wedding, anniversary, graduation, job promotion, etc. is much more satisfying than relying on Hallmark’s words, or Facebook’s emojis,.

 

To review the June Reflection about our need to belong, go to: https://www.drweil.com/blog/spontaneous-happiness/the-significance-of-writing-legacy-letters/.

To reread the July Reflection about our need to be known, go to: https://www.drweil.com/blog/spontaneous-happiness/what-legacy-letters-give-to-its-writers/

For the August Reflection about our need to be remembered, go to: https://www.drweil.com/blog/spontaneo...

To review the September Reflection about our need to make a positive difference with our lives, go to this link. : https://www.drweil.com/blog/spontaneo...

 

Practice:  

Make a list of the people in your life who need a blessing at this time. (Consider the usual birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, new jobs & promotions.) But also include those more painful transitions, for those who are ill, struggling with divorce and its family ramifications, those experiencing painful losses of all kinds.
Choose the most pressing one first. Step into that person’s shoes to get a sense of what this transition or loss may be about for them and what you can offer them. Write for 3-5 minutes.
Then edit your blessing (For assistance see Women’s Lives, Women’s Legacies, pages 151-152]. This editing is not for grammar and punctuation, but for clarity of thought and feeling. Feel free to use the Thesaurus or The Synonym Finder to choose the words that most accurately express your thoughts and feelings in your blessings.
Before copying it onto a beautiful blank card, read it aloud to yourself to be sure it is heartfelt, rather than head-instructional.
Return to your list and create blessings regularly and as needed adding names as circumstances change.

May your heart be full

with gratitude

for the blessings you’ve received

and for your opportunities to express

blessings to those you love,

– Rachael Freed

 

Rachael Freed, LICSW, senior fellow, Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing, University of Minnesota, is the author of Your Legacy Matters and Women’s Lives, Women’s Legacies rachael@life-legacies.com  and  www.life-legacies.com

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Why Are B Vitamins Important?

Why are B vitamins so important to maintaining balanced health?  The healthiest way to insure that you’re getting all eight B vitamins is to eat a varied diet that includes fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, healthy fats, and protein. Find out why we need all the B vitamins – from vitamin B1 to vitamin B12 – to maintain lifelong optimum health.

 

Why Are B Vitamins Important

Video Transcript

Vitamin B1, also called thiamin, plays an important role in nerve transmission. It also helps helps support:

The nervous system
Proper muscle function
Carbohydrate metabolism
Healthy digestion.

Vitamin B2, or riboflavin, mobilize other B vitamins. It is also required for:

Normal cell growth and function
Energy production.

Vitamin B3, also known as niacin:

Is important for heart health.

Vitamin B5, or pantothenic acid, is important for the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats:

It is also essential for breaking down fatty acids and keeping your skin healthy.

Vitamin B6, also called pyridoxine, is important for keeping older individuals’ immune systems functioning:

It also helps in the production of neurotransmitters.

Vitamin B7, also called biotin, has a variety of applications – it can help:

Decrease insulin resistance
Address high blood glucose levels
Maintain healthy hair and nails
Improve energy metabolism and glucose tolerance.

Vitamin B9 is commonly called folate or folic acid:

It is essential for human growth and development, which is why pregnant women need to make sure they get enough vitamin B9 during pregnancy.
Vitamin B9 also encourages proper brain and normal nerve functioning, and may help reduce blood-levels of the amino acid homocysteine.

Vitamin B12, also called cyanocobalamin or cobalamin, aids in the production of RNA, DNA, and neurotransmitters:

It also affects the development and maintenance of red blood cells and nerve cells.

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Best Food Sources Of Vitamin Bs

There are eight separate vitamins in the B family that are normally referred to as B-complex. Each B vitamin is unique and yet they all have closely related functions needed for a healthy body. They are found in a variety of common foods – here is a short video outlining best food sources of vitamin Bs.

Learn more: Vitamin B Foods, An Infographic
Best Food Sources Of Vitamin Bs Video Transcript

Looking for food with B vitamins? This list covers all the B vitamins, and good food sources of each.

Vitamin B1

Add whole grain foods, nuts, legumes and seeds to your diet to get more vitamin B1.

Vitamin B2

Good food sources of vitamin B2 include dairy products, fish and dark, leafy greens.

Vitamin B3

Sweet potatoes, carrots and eggs are good food sources of vitamin B3.

Vitamin B5

Add whole grain cereals, legumes, avocados, and yogurt to your diet to get more vitamin B5.

Vitamin B6

Get more vitamin B6 into your diet by eating bananas, brewer’s yeast, legumes and eggs.

Vitamin B7

Good food sources of vitamin B7 include nuts, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, mushrooms and fish.

Vitamin B9

Green vegetables, beans, legumes and lemons will deliver more vitamin B9 to your diet.

Vitamin B12

Enhance your intake of vitamin B12 foods by including eggs, dairy products, poultry and fish.

Learn more:  5 Food Sources Of B Vitamins

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An Alaska Cruise With Dr. Weil, June 2018

In June of 2018, I traveled aboard the Seabourn Sojourn: This lovely vessel sailed north from Vancouver, British Columbia where we got to explore such wonders as the Sumner Strait, Seduction Point, Tracy Arm, and Misty Fjords while we made our way to Seward, Alaska. I gave several lectures and special events, and shared this wellness program with friends and experts in the health and integrative wellness field:

Stephen Devries M.D., a preventive cardiologist and executive director of the Gaples Institute for Integrative Cardiology, located near Chicago.

Victoria Maizes, M.D. who is the executive director here at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine and a Professor of Medicine, Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of Arizona, in Tucson.

Belleruth Naparstek, a psychotherapist, author and guided imagery pioneer.

Sanford Newmark, M.D., a clinical professor in the department of pediatrics at the University of California, and the head of the Pediatric Integrative Neurodevelopmental Program at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine.

Jim Nicolai, M.D., is the former medical director of the Integrative Wellness Program at Miraval Resort and Spa.

I hope you enjoy some of my travel snapshots!

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What Legacy Letters Give To Its Writers #4

Reflection:  

Dr. Andrew Weil endorsed my first legacy book, Women’s Lives, Women’s Legacies. He wrote, “The ethical will [forerunner of legacy letters] is a wonderful gift to leave your family at the end of your life, but I think its main importance is what it can give you in the midst of your life.”

What exactly does legacy writing give legacy writers? What does it mean today and in the future, and in what ways does writing legacy blessings and letters transform legacy writers’ lives?

Following the needs to belong, to be known, and to be remembered in the June, July, and August 2018 Tips&Tools, we’ll explore our need to make a positive difference with our lives for September.

From the beginning of my work with legacy and sadly continuing to this day, many women, especially, respond negatively to an invitation to write legacy letters because they believe only publicly recognized heroes and contributors make a positive difference with their lives. Not so! We all have the capacity to make a positive difference, even if it is to love just one other person.

In this life  we cannot all do great things,  but we can do small things with great love.

–– Mother Teresa

When I hear women forsaking their voices and sinking into silent victimhood, I remember that transformative day in 1999 when I heard an inner voice commanding me to “turn this (the ethical will) into a healing tool for women.” It became clear that legacy writing was revolutionary: an opportunity for women to find and honor ourselves and to use our voices to express our values, to pass on our visions and dreams, our history and stories. This simple writing frees us from the silence that patriarchy has overlaid on who we are. Just one blessing, just one one-page legacy letter, makes a positive difference in our lives and for those who come after us.

 

If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.

–– Martin Luther

 

A pen transmits the voice of the soul.

–– Fennel Hudson

 

For those still struggling to accept our worthiness, the belief that we have something worthwhile to leave our loved ones, and the fearlessness to pick up our pens to write legacy blessings and letters, here is Joseph Campbell at his most inspiring:

 

The gift you carry for others is not an attempt to save the world,  but to belong to it.

It’s not possible to save the world by trying to save it.

You need to find what is genuinely yours to offer the world before you can make it a better place. Discovering your unique gifts to bring to your community is your greatest opportunity and challenge.

The offering of that gift – your true self – is the most you can do to love and serve the world. And it’s all the world needs.

–– Joseph Campbell

 

Values that determine our life choices demonstrate the difference we make with our lives, every day. One cultural value, for instance, for women, is to be unselfish. This makes it difficult to make decisions for ourselves, whether it be how we apportion our daily activities, or the career paths we choose. If you are aware of how you’ve balanced the “unselfish” and “selfish” decisions in your life and how you feel about your choices, this would be a valuable legacy letter for younger generations. They will learn not only from their observations of your life, but your thoughts about the decisions you’ve made.

To review the June Reflection about our need to belong, go to: https://www.drweil.com/blog/spontaneous-happiness/the-significance-of-writing-legacy-letters/ To reread the July Reflection about our need to be known, go to: https://www.drweil.com/blog/spontaneo... For the August Reflection about our need to be remembered, go to: https://www.drweil.com/blog/spontaneo...

Practice:

Reflect and write about your accomplishments in your family and beyond.
Then write about your aspirations about the difference you hope your life is making, and will make going forward.


Consider how you feel about past decisions and choices, those that can be amended, and those that cannot. Include how the larger cultural context has influenced your personal decisions. Write about your regrets (if I could only do this over I would have done it differently) and perhaps more important, write about your understanding, accepting that you did the best you could given your internal and external circumstances.
Write a legacy letter to future generations about the universal need to make a difference with our lives. Let them know by your honesty and openness about your feelings that you and they are human, striving always, and not always succeeding. Conclude by blessing them with your love, and the sincere hope that your sharing will be helpful to them as they make decisions in their lives.

 

May your reflections and writing result in a deepened understanding that you can and have made a difference with your life.

– Rachael Freed

 

P.S. About the need to be remembered, our focus last month: if you’ve not seen the animated Pixar film, Coco, about the Mexican tradition of the Day of the Dead, I recommend it. It’s beautiful and moving –– About being forgotten: “When there’s no one left in the living world who remembers you, you disappear from the world of the dead; we call it the final death. Memories have to be passed down by those who knew us in life and the stories they tell about us. When there’s no one left alive to pass down our stories….It happens to everyone eventually.”

Rachael Freed, LICSW, senior fellow, Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing, University of Minnesota, is the author of Your Legacy Matters and Women’s Lives, Women’s Legacies rachael@lifelegacies.com  and  www.life-legacies.com

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5 Food Sources Of B Vitamins

Do you know which whole foods contain the B vitamins your body needs? B vitamins help your body turn food into energy. Watch this video to find out the benefits of B vitamins, plus discover common foods sources of B vitamins to keep on hand in your healthy kitchen.

 

Sources Of B Vitamins Video Transcript:

B vitamins are necessary for overall health, playing a role in energy production, the metabolism of carbohydrate, protein and fat, and helping to maintain a healthy nervous system. They can also be important in maintaining healthy muscle tone and skin. Sources of B vitamins can be obtained through a B-complex vitamin supplement or found in these five food ideas.

Avocados

Avocados are high in fiber and potassium, and a great source of several B vitamins including vitamin B3, vitamin B5, and vitamin B7.

Eggs

Eggs provide many essential nutrients, especially B vitamins such as vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin B7, and vitamin B12. Dr. Weil suggests choosing organic, free-range eggs that are omega-3-enriched.

Dark, Leafy Greens

Dark, leafy greens – such as kale, spinach, Swiss chard, arugula and mustard greens – are great sources of vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B7, and vitamin B9. Choose organic leafy greens when buying, as conventional varieties are commonly treated with high amounts of pesticides.

Wild Fish/Salmon

Fish, such as wild salmon, offers up several essential B vitamins such as vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B7, and vitamin B12. Dr. Weil recommends avoiding farmed salmon and instead opting for wild-caught varieties.

Legumes

Legumes are an excellent source of vitamin B1, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B7, and vitamin B9. A great way to get your B vitamins when on a budget, as they are inexpensive and easy to prepare.

A B-Vitamin Complex

A quality multivitamin contains the full complex of B vitamins and, in addition to diet, typically provides enough B vitamins for most people. An additional B complex may be useful for those who avoid animal products or who take medications that deplete one or more of the B vitamins.

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A Mediterranean Cruise With Dr. Weil, May 2018

In May of 2018, I was fortunate enough to experience a fabulous wellness journey aboard the Seabourn Ovation. I traveled with several of my friends and colleagues from the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, where we hosted workshops, discussions and events that centered around physical, social, environmental and spiritual well-being.

We embarked on an 11-day inaugural voyage and traveled the Mediterranean Sea from Venice, Italy to Greece and on to Barcelona, Spain. With stops in many historic ports, we were able to see much of the area’s rich history and sample the cuisine that forms the basis of the very healthy Mediterranean Diet. Take a look at some of our travel photos.

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