Abundant Health™ Blog

September 10, 2016
by Abundant Health™
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Odor-Blocking Toilet Spray

Leave the bathroom better than you found it with this odor-blocking formula! Just spray it on top of the water before you go, and you won’t leave behind any odorous evidence. The soap and essential oils create a film on the surface of the water and leave a fresh scent instead!

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Odor-Blocking Toilet Spray

Servings: Yield=35 ml | Time: 5 minutes | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

Instructions

  1. Combine castile soap, glycerin, rubbing alcohol, and essential oils in a small glass spray bottle.
  2. Shake to mix thoroughly.
  3. Spritz toilet water a few times before you “go” to trap the odors.
  4. Shake well before each use.

This is great to carry along on trips or while visiting somebody else’s home!

September 8, 2016
by Abundant Health™
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Essential Oil Spotlight: Peppermint

 

Peppermint essential oil is steam-distilled from the leaves, stems, and flower buds of the Mentha piperita plant.

For centuries, peppermint has been used for a variety of purposes. It is known to soothe digestion and freshen breath, as well as treat headaches and heartburn.

The French have been known to use peppermint to alleviate asthma, diarrhea, indigestion, migraines, itchy skin, and throat infection.

The antibacterial, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties of peppermint make it a versatile in uses that aid the digestive and respiratory systems as well as muscles, bones, and skin.

It may also be used to help anger, arthritis, colic, depression, morning sickness, and toothaches.

The aroma is both purifying and stimulating to the mind. It can reduce fevers and increase mental accuracy.

See the Reference Guide for Essential Oils to learn more about peppermint essential oil and many other pure essential oils.

Source: Reference Guide for Essential Oils, 2016 Edition, pp. 112–14.

September 6, 2016
by Abundant Health™
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Crunchy Chocolate Mint Power Balls

Try these power balls for a delicious and healthy snack! They taste like a cookie with a bit of a crunch and will leave you feeling satisfied.

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Crunchy Chocolate Mint Power Balls

Servings: 18–20 balls | Time: 20 minutes active | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (90 g) oats (quick or rolled)
  • 1/3 cup (53 g) chia seeds
  • 1/4 cup (22 g) cocoa or cacao powder
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 1/2 cup (125 g) almond butter
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) honey
  • 2 drops peppermint essential oil
  • 3/4 cup (139 g) cooked quinoa

Instructions:

  1. Combine oats, chia seeds, cocoa or cacao powder, and sea salt in a mixing bowl.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine almond butter, honey, and peppermint essential oil. Mix well, and then add cooked quinoa. Stir until well combined.
  3. Combine the wet and dry ingredients together, and mix well. You may need to use your hands.
  4. Roll mixture into 1 1/2″ (4 cm) balls.
  5. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Note: To cook quinoa, place 1/4 cup (43 g) quinoa and 1/2 cup (120 ml) water in a small pot, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork, and continue cooking for 5 more minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed all the water. You can also cook the quinoa in a rice cooker as you would cook regular white rice.

September 3, 2016
by Abundant Health™
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Bubbling Lavender Bath Salts

Make bath time even more relaxing with these Bubbling Lavender Bath Salts!

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Bubbling Lavender Bath Salts

Servings: 4–6 | Time: 10 minutes active; 24 hours inactive | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients & Supplies:

Instructions:

  1. Mix all ingredients in a glass bowl.
  2. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Spread the mixture out on the cookie sheet, and let dry for 24 hours. Stir every few hours or so to make sure the mixture dries evenly and doesn’t stick together.
  4. Once fully dry, break up any large chunks, and pour into the 16 oz. PET jar.
  5. To use, place 1/4 cup (~60 g) of bath salts in the bathtub as it is filling with water.

September 1, 2016
by Abundant Health™
2 Comments

Easy Citronella Candles

Summer and autumn evenings are a perfect time to get outdoors and enjoy time with family and friends, yet they are often accompanied by unwelcome visitors. To create a lovely ambiance and shoo away unwelcome mosquitoes and other bugs, try making this quick and easy citronella candle.

Citronella-Candle

Quick & Easy Citronella Candle

Servings: Yield=1 candle | Time: 5 minutes active | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients & Supplies:

  • Mason jar
  • Water
  • Olive oil
  • Floating candle wick
  • 2–4 drops citronella essential oil

Instructions:

  1. Fill the mason jar 3/4 of the way full with water.
  2. Fill the remaining 1/4 of the jar with olive oil.
  3. Add 2–4 drops of citronella essential oil to the jar.
  4. Set a floating candle wick on top of the oil, light the candle, and set it outside where bugs are likely to linger.

Make as many candles as you’d like to create ambiance and repel bugs.

Save

August 31, 2016
by Abundant Health™
2 Comments

EO Dry Shampoo For Dogs

This dry shampoo for dogs smells fresh and sweet! The baking soda and cornstarch absorb the stink-causing oils from your dog’s skin and fur, making this recipe the perfect solution to keeping your dog smelling clean between baths!AH_DryDogShampoo

EO Dry Shampoo For Dogs

Time: 5 minutes active | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

Instructions:

  1. Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl.
  2. Pour mixture into a plastic spice jar.
  3. Sprinkle a little on your dog’s hair, and rub it in with a good petting and scratching.

Your dog will love the attention and will smell better instantly!

August 27, 2016
by Abundant Health™
2 Comments

Soothing Lavender Lotion

Help your kids sleep at night by massaging a little bit of this soothing lavender lotion on their feet. This lotion is so smooth and smells amazing—you may even be tempted to just apply it to yourself!

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Soothing Lavender Lotion

Servings: Yield=8 oz. (240 ml) | Time: 15–20 minutes active | Difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients & Supplies:

Instructions:

  1. In a double boiler, melt shea butter and beeswax pellets over low heat. Once melted, add coconut oil, and continue heating until almost melted. Remove from heat, and stir until everything finishes melting.
  2. Stir in fractionated coconut oil and jojoba oil.
  3. Heat distilled water until warm.
  4. Using a hand mixer, start beating water and slowly add the oil mixture while continuing to beat. Keep beating for a couple minutes. As you blend, you will hear a change and feel the lotion thicken. Let stand for a few minutes. If lotion separates during this time, continue to blend it again for a couple more minutes. If it doesn’t separate, then it has emulsified properly.
  5. Mix in lavender essential oil.
  6. Pour lotion into a plastic bag. Snip off a corner of the bag, and squeeze the lotion into the 8 oz. bottle with pump top.
  7. To use, pump a little into your hand, and massage into the skin as needed.

*Shea butter contains latex. If you are allergic to latex, substitute 1/4 oz. Cocoa Butter and 1/4 oz. Coconut Oil for the shea butter in this recipe.

August 25, 2016
by Abundant Health™
1 Comment

Banana Sushi with Essential Oils

Making banana sushi is a great way to have some fun during snack time! Give yourself a chance to get creative and practice your chopstick skills while eating a healthy treat! There are countless flavor combinations, so feel free to experiment and find out what you like best.

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Banana Sushi with Essential Oils

Time: 5–10 minutes active; 0–60 minutes inactive | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

  • Bananas
  • Essential oils safe for consumption (such as lemon, lime, orange, cinnamon, cardamom, etc.)
  • Sticky substance (such as peanut butter, melted chocolate, yogurt, whipped cream, jam, chocolate-hazelnut spread, etc.)
  • Toppings (such as chocolate chips, coconut flakes, sesame seeds, chia seeds, nuts, berries, etc.)
  • Dipping “sauce” (such as melted chocolate, yogurt, chia seeds, etc.) (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Peel each banana.
  2. Mix 1 drop (or 1–2 toothpicks) of essential oil with 2–3 Tbsp. (30–45 ml) of your sticky substance. Taste, and add more essential oil if desired.
  3. Spread your sticky substance over the top of the banana lengthwise.
  4. Sprinkle on your desired toppings.
  5. Freeze for 30–60 minutes, if desired.
  6. Slice the banana with a sharp knife.
  7. Use chopsticks to pick up banana slices and dip in your “sauce.”

Possible Flavor Combinations:

  • Peanut butter with 1 toothpick of cinnamon essential oil • chocolate chips • coconut flakes
  • Plain yogurt with 1 drop of lemon essential oil • blueberries • chia seeds
  • Melted white chocolate with 1 drop of lime essential oil • raspberries • cashews
  • Melted dark chocolate with 1 toothpick of cardamom essential oil • chopped pistachios • chia seeds or coconut flakes
  • Peanut butter • melted dark chocolate with 1 drop orange essential oil drizzled on top • sesame seeds or coconut flakes
  • Plain yogurt with 1 drop of lemon essential oil • jam of choice • chia seeds
  • Chocolate-hazelnut spread with 1 drop of orange essential oil • coconut flakes • chopped nuts
  • Whipped cream with 1 drop of lemon essential oil • strawberry or peach slices • chia seeds or chopped nuts

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August 23, 2016
by Abundant Health™
1 Comment

Luscious Lip Balm

glosson

Not only will this tangy, sweet lip balm soften and nourish your lips, but it is a handy take-along on outings and makes a great gift!

Luscious Lip Balm

Time: 15 minutes active; 2 hours inactive | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients & Supplies:

Instructions:

  1. Mix first 4 ingredients in a bowl, and microwave for 1 minute. (Or place ingredients in a glass measuring cup, and place in a pan with an inch of simmering water. This creates a double boiler.)
  2. If making 3 separate flavors (like we did), divide melted solution into 3 small bowls for mixing.
  3. Sprinkle drink mix into each for color, and stir.
  4. Mix 1–2 drops of desired essential oil into each bowl. (If you’re only making 1 flavor, add 3–6 drops total of essential oil to the mixture.)
  5. Carefully pour mixture into your lip gloss containers, and pop into the refrigerator for 1–2 hours to cool.

August 20, 2016
by Abundant Health™
7 Comments

6 Nasal Inhaler Recipes to Take to School

Inhaling essential oils has been proven to help students in their studies. Using essential oils at school can not only help memory recall, but also reduce stress and anxiety, boost energy, and calm a person down if needed. Read our “Essential Oils for Back to School” post for more ways students can benefit from using essential oils.

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Just the scent of an essential oil can help with memory recall. Nothing is worse during a test than seeing a question and knowing that you studied the answer, but you can’t quite remember it. According to the Reference Guide for Essential Oils by Connie and Alan Higley, “A university in Japan experimented with diffusing different essential oils in the office. When they diffused lemon there were 54% fewer errors, with jasmine there were 33% fewer errors, and with lavender there were 20% fewer errors. When essential oils are diffused while studying and smelled during a test via a hanky or cotton ball, test scores may increase by as much as 50%. Different essential oils should be used for different tests, but the same essential oil should be used during the test as was used while studying for that particular test. The smell of the essential oil may help bring back the memory of what was studied.”1 Another study indicated that subjects who learned a list of 24 words while exposed to a certain aroma had an easier time re-learning the list when exposed to the same aroma than those who were exposed to a different aroma while trying to re-learn the list.2 Further studies have indicated that rosemary3 and peppermint4 aromas were found to enhance memory during clinical tests.

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The best way to have the scent of essential oils with you while you study and take the test is to place the essential oils in a Nasal Inhaler. We’ve created 6 essential oil blends that can be used in nasal inhalers. Simply drop the oils on the wick; then insert the wick into the inhaler, and push the base in to close it. Place the inhaler close to your nose and inhale the aroma.

Morning Sunshine:
4 drops orange
4 drops peppermint
4 drops lime		 Calm Down:
10 drops lavender
6 drops Roman chamomile		 Afternoon Energy Boost:
6 drops peppermint
4 drops rosemary
4 drops grapefruit
Mental Clarity:
6 drops lemon
2 drops basil
2 drops rosemary
2 drops frankincense		 Anxiety Helper:
8 drops lavender
4 drops lemon
4 drops ylang ylang		 Study and Testing Time:
6 drops peppermint
6 drops rosemary
4 drops lemon

Sources:
1. Alan and Connie Higley, Reference Guide for Essential Oils (Spanish Fork, UT: Abundant Health, 2016).

2. David G. Smith, Lionel Standing, and Anton de Man, “Verbal Memory Elicited by Ambient Odor,” Perceptual and Motor Skills 74, no. 2 (April 1992): 339–43.

3. Mark Moss, Jenny Cook, Keith Wesnes, and Paul Duckett, “Aromas of Rosemary and Lavender Essential Oils Differentially Affect Cognition and Mood in Healthy Adults,” International Journal of Neuroscience 113, no. 1 (January 2003): 15–38.

4. Mark Moss, Steven Hewitt, Lucy Moss, and Keith Wesnes, “Modulation of Cognitive Performance and Mood by Aromas of Peppermint and Ylang Ylang,” International Journal of Neuroscience 118, no. 1 (January 2008): 59–77.