Abundant Health™ Blog

January 19, 2016
by Abundant Health™
4 Comments

Essential Oil Lingo

Are you new to essential oils and unfamiliar with the lingo? Even if you aren’t an essential oil newbie, this post might be a good refresher for you or help you be able to explain this stuff to others.

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Essential Oils (often abbreviated as EO): Substances created inside aromatic plants that are both volatile (they evaporate) and oil soluble (they easily mix with oils and fats).

Volatile: A substance that will evaporate when exposed to air is referred to as volatile. Volatile substances are typically light substances with small molecules.

Single Oil: A single oil is one type of oil (e.g. lemon, peppermint, lavender) by itself.

Oil Blend: An oil blend is a mixture of two or more single oils. Oils are typically blended to combine their individual properties or aromas.

Therapeutic Grade: This refers to the quality of the essential oil. One of the factors that determines the purity and therapeutic value of an oil is its chemical constituents. These constituents can be affected by a vast number of variables, including the part(s) of the plant from which the oil was produced, soil condition, fertilizer (organic or chemical), geographical region, climate, altitude, harvest season and methods, and distillation process. When using essential oils for therapeutic purposes, it is necessary to obtain the purest therapeutic-grade essential oils possible. Anything less than pure, therapeutic-grade essential oil may not produce the desired results and can, in some cases, be extremely toxic.

Steam Distillation: In this method of extraction, plant material is placed in an extraction chamber, and then steam (produced by boiling water in another chamber) is released into the bottom of the extraction chamber where the plant material is. Both the steam and the essential oil rise to the top (this is because essential oils are volatile). The steam and essential oil are directed to another chamber where they are allowed to cool. Since essential oils are hydrophobic (essential oils do not mix with water), as the oil/steam mixture cools, the essential oil rises to the top of the chamber while the water stays at the bottom. The essential oil can then be easily separated from the water.

Cold Pressed: Cold expression, or cold pressing, is the method most commonly used for extracting essential oils from citrus fruits. Mechanical pressure is used to “press” the oils out of the plant material—most often from the peel or rind.

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Topical Application: Topical application means that the oils are applied directly to the skin, hair, or other surface of the body. This can be through massage, bath, direct application of the oils, or application of the oils within a cream, lotion, bath gel, or soap. While many oils can be applied neat (without dilution), others may need to be diluted with a vegetable or “carrier oil” before topical application, especially in cases of young or sensitive skin.

Carrier Oil: A carrier oil is a vegetable oil derived from the fatty portion of a plant, usually from the seeds, kernels, or the nuts. Carrier oils are used to dilute and “carry” an essential oil into the skin during topical application. Common types of carrier oils include Almond Oil, Fractionated Coconut Oil, Jojoba Oil, Coconut Oil, and olive oil.

FCO: FCO is an abbreviation for Fractionated Coconut Oil. This oil is a common carrier oil because it is clear, odorless, and absorbs easily into the skin.

Neat: This refers to the essential oil being applied without dilution.

RollOnDilution: This refers to combining an essential oil with a carrier oil so its effects are not so concentrated in one area. Since essential oils are really potent, and some oils may cause irritation, diluting the essential oil with a carrier oil is recommended. Children, pregnant women, and those with sensitive skin should always dilute essential oils. Please see the Single Oils section of the Reference Guide for Essential Oils for recommended dilutions. Diluting an essential oil in carrier oil is also a great way to help spread the essential oils over a larger area.

Roll-on: A roll-on bottle (or roller bottle) is useful for diluting an essential oil for topical application and applying essential oils easily to the skin.

Photosensitive: Using some oils such as lemon, orange, grapefruit, mandarin, bergamot, angelica, etc. before or during exposure to direct sunlight or UV rays (tanning beds, etc.) may cause a rash, pigmentation, or even severe burns. These oils are designated as photosensitive, and care should be taken after applying these oils on the skin to protect the skin from direct, prolonged ultraviolet light exposure for 1–3 days.

Aromatic Application: Aromatic application means that oils are inhaled through the mouth and nose. This could include inhaling the aroma of the oil directly from the bottle or inhaling the aroma of the oil after it has been applied to the hands or to another material, such as a tissue or a cotton wick. It could also mean breathing in the vapor or mist of an oil that has been diffused or sprayed into the surrounding air.

Diffuse: The definition of diffuse is to spread or cause to spread something over a wide area. So, in the essential oil world, to diffuse means to spread essential oils into the air. Sometimes, the oils are diffused over a wide area; but other times, the oils are diffused within one’s personal space.

Diffuser: A diffuser is a device that disperses oil into the air. There are 4 types of diffusers: nebulizing diffusers (diffuses straight oil), humidifying/ultrasonic diffusers (uses water and an ultrasonic disc to diffuse the oil), fan diffusers (a fan blows the oils into the air), and heat diffusers (uses heat to help disperse the oil). Click here for more information about diffusers.

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Internal Application: Internal application means that the oils are taken orally as a dietary supplement. This is done either by adding the oil to a food or beverage that is then consumed or by swallowing a capsule with the oil inside. Not all essential oils can be taken internally. Please see the Single Oils section of the Reference Guide for Essential Oils for oils safe for consumption.

Capsules: One of the best ways to take essential oils internally is with the aid of empty capsules. Using capsules allows one to not only bypass any unpleasant tastes, but it also enables the oils to descend to the right area of the body before dissolving to allow for greater absorption. It is important to dilute essential oils when using a capsule. The best way to do this is fill the capsule halfway with essential oil and halfway with olive oil. You can dilute your essential oils ahead of time in a dropper bottle for an easier time filling the capsule when you need it.

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Reference Guide for Essential Oils by Connie and Alan Higley: This book is sometimes referred to as the Higley Book, the Reference Guide, or abbreviated as RG. The Reference Guide to Essential Oils is very useful in understanding and using essential oils. In fact, most of the information in this article can be found in the Reference Guide. The book contains several sections including Science and Application, Single Oils, Oil Blends, Personal Care Products, Supplements, and the Personal Guide as well as many useful charts and helpful information. You can look up an oil and see what information is available relating to it and what it can be used for. You can also search by a condition and see what oils can be used to help.

Oils and Water: Oil and water do not mix! If essential oils get into your eyes by accident or if they burn the skin a little, do not try to remove the oils with water. Water will only drive the oils deeper into the tissue. It is best to dilute the essential oils with a pure vegetable oil or carrier oil.

Source: Reference Guide for Essential Oils by Connie and Alan Higley, 2014 Edition

January 16, 2016
by Abundant Health™
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Recipes for Your BlenderBottle® – Meatballs and Salad Dressing

Have you heard of these BlenderBottles®? Perhaps you already have one that you use for shakes, but did you know that these BlenderBottles® can be used in so many ways for everyday cooking?

9246 – 28 oz. Large BlenderBottle®
9201 – 20 oz. BlenderBottle®
9220 – 22 oz. ProStak BlenderBottle®

Each BlenderBottle® includes the patented, surgical steel BlenderBall® that rotates like a wire whisk inside the bottle to completely blend any liquid or powder ingredients, allowing you to quickly make shakes, salad dressings, drinks, baby formula, eggs, sauces, and so much more! The screw-on lid and snap cap are completely leak-proof, so you can take your bottle anywhere.

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Below are a couple examples of recipes that are found in the book 101 Quick and Easy BlenderBottle® Recipes.

Tangy Meatball Bites

Servings: 4 | Time: 35 minutes active | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup saltine crackers, crushed
  • 2 Tbsp. milk
  • 1/2 tsp. rubbed sage
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. vinegar

Instructions:

  1. In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, egg, crackers, milk, and sage. Mix well, and shape into 1-inch balls.
  2. In a large skillet, brown meatballs over medium heat; drain.
  3. In a small BlenderBottle®, mix the rest of the ingredients. Pour over meatballs, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and cover for 15–20 minutes or until meatball centers are no longer pink and are thoroughly cooked.

Note from Abundant Health™: This recipe also tastes great with essential oils! Try adding 1 drop each of rosemary, sage, thyme, and/or oregano essential oil to either the meatballs or the sauce.

Source: 101 Quick and Easy BlenderBottle® Recipes, p. 22

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Servings: 4 | Time: 15 minutes active; 1 hour inactive | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
  • 1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp. paprika
  • 1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/8 tsp. onion powder
  • 10 oz. fresh spinach (rinsed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces)
  • 1 quart strawberries (cleaned, hulled, and sliced)
  • 1/4 cup almonds, sliced

Instructions:

  1. Mix first 8 ingredients in a small BlenderBottle®. Chill dressing for 1 hour.
  2. In a large salad bowl, combine spinach, strawberries, and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Source: 101 Quick and Easy BlenderBottle® Recipes, p. 69

What have you used your BlenderBottle® for? We would love to hear from you!

January 14, 2016
by Abundant Health™
0 comments

Homemade Body Balm

It is always good to have a balm on hand in your home to soothe your skin. This balm uses essential oils that are known to support the skin and aid in its recovery. Lavender, melaleuca, and frankincense all have antiseptic properties. Lavender is also known for its antimicrobial properties and its analgesic (pain-relieving) abilities. Additionally, melaleuca is antibacterial.

This balm goes a long way. It doesn’t take a lot to soothe your skin. The recipe makes 6 oz. of balm. Put it in our 2 oz. glass salve containers. Keep one at home, one in a tote for on-the-go, and give the third to a friend.  As an alternative, you could host a make-and-take class and send your attendees home with their own 1/4 oz. salve jar of balm.

This body balm will become something that you love and use on a regular basis. Try this recipe today, and start feeling the benefits.

Skin-Balm

Homemade Body Balm

Yield: 6 oz. | Time: 10 minutes active | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

Instructions:

  1. Melt the beeswax and coconut oil together in a double boiler.
  2. Once the beeswax and coconut oil have melted together, carefully remove from heat. Slowly add the melaleuca, frankincense, and lavender essential oils.
  3. Slowly add the witch hazel to the mixture, using a hand blender to mix it in. Blend on high for a few seconds until the cream is well incorporated.
  4. Spoon the cooled cream into sealable glass containers, and it’s ready to use. It should go on smooth, and you can expect a more waxy and balm-like texture. To avoid contaminating the cream, try not to touch it directly with your hands; use a cotton swab or clean tissue to apply it to skin. This keeps any stray bacteria that might be on your hands out of your helpful cream.

(Information on this page is from the Reference Guide for Essential Oils by Connie and Alan Higley, 2014 Edition. See “Frankincense” (p. 76),  “Lavender” (pp. 88–89),  and “Melaleuca (Tea Tree)” (p. 96) in the Single Oils section.)

January 12, 2016
by Abundant Health™
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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Do you need a quick and healthy snack for when you are running out the door? Even if you just need something healthy to nibble on when you get hungry, these pumpkin chocolate chip granola bars are just the thing for you! Go ahead and give this delicious and hearty snack a try!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Servings: Yield=12 granola bars | Time: 25 minutes active; 1 hour inactive | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 drop cinnamon essential oil
  • 1 drop clove essential oil
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 1/2 cup almonds
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips (try using these healthy chocolate chips without the peppermint essential oil)
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup pepita seeds
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 1/4 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/2 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease an 8.5″ x 12.5″ baking pan, and line it with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, vanilla, maple syrup, and essential oils.
  3. Using a food processor, pulse the rolled oats a few times until they are coarsely chopped but still have lots of texture. Stir the oats into the pumpkin mixture.
  4. Place the walnuts and almonds in the food processor, and pulse until coarsely chopped.
  5. Add the chopped nuts, chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, pepita seeds, chia seeds, sea salt, and pumpkin pie spice to the pumpkin oat mixture. Stir until well combined.
  6. Spoon the mixture onto the prepared baking dish, and press it down evenly across the baking dish until smooth and compacted.
  7. Bake for 25–35 minutes, or until firm and lightly golden colored along the edges.
  8. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan; then lift the parchment paper with the granola bar slab out of the pan, and place it on a cooling rack to cool completely.
  9. Once the granola bar slab has cooled, slice it into bars, and enjoy!
  10. Store any remaining bars in a bag or air-tight container in the fridge or freezer.

January 9, 2016
by Abundant Health™
0 comments

Essential Oil Spotlight: Eucalyptus Globulus

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Eucalyptus globulus essential oil is steam distilled from the leaves of myrtle shrubs and trees and is known for its fresh, woody scent. Historically, eucalyptus leaves were used to bind up serious wounds and were known to prevent infection and promote faster healing.

Eucalyptus is known for its analgesic, antibacterial, anticatarrhal, anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antiviral, diuretic, expectorant, insect repellent, and stimulant properties.

Eucalyptus is commonly known to help support the body when dealing with asthma, bronchitis, carpal tunnel, cataracts, congestion, dysentery, emphysema, fever, high blood pressure, hypoglycemia, jet lag, kidney stones, measles, migraines, neuralgia, neuritis, pain, shingles, sinusitis, spina bifida, strep throat, tennis elbow, and tuberculosis.

Aromatically, eucalyptus is known to promote a sense of health, well-being, purification, and healing. Other common uses for eucalyptus include acne, allergies, burns, flu, inflammation, sore throats, and viruses.

Would you like to learn more about eucalyptus essential oil? See the Reference Guide for Essential Oils for more information about this and many other pure essential oils.

Source: Reference Guide for Essential Oils, 2014 Edition, p. 68–69

January 7, 2016
by Abundant Health™
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Makeup Brush Cleaner with Essential Oils

This all-natural makeup brush cleaner is effective at cleaning your brushes and leaves the bristles moisturized. Not only do the essential oils in this recipe leave a lovely scent on your brushes, but they are also great for your skin!

Makeup Brush Cleaner

Time: 5–10 minutes active; 8 hours inactive | Difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients:

Instructions:

  1. Pour a little Fractionated Coconut Oil into a Shot Glass. Add essential oils, and stir to combine.
  2. Pour a little Castile Soap into another Shot Glass.
  3. Swirl your makeup brushes in the oil solution until you see the makeup stored in the brush start to come out (about 15–30 seconds). Rub against the palm of your hand or a paper towel to agitate it a little and loosen the makeup. Keep the bristles pointed down.
  4. Rinse the brush under warm running water. Gently squeeze the brush bristles until the water runs clear. Note: Make sure to point the bristles down during this whole process. If tipped with the bristles up, the oils and water may loosen the glue that holds the bristles to the brush and shorten the life of your brushes.
  5. Swirl the brush in the Castile Soap for 15 seconds, and rinse again with warm water. This helps remove the oils from the brush.
  6. Gently squeeze all liquid from the brush, and hang your brushes to dry (bristles pointed down) or let dry flat on a towel.

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January 5, 2016
by Abundant Health™
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Chocolate Mint Chia Seed Pudding

This pudding is so delicious that you may be tempted to eat all of it at once. Plus, because it is healthy, you can even eat it for breakfast—just top it with a little granola and fruit! To make it even healthier, you can use any milk you desire and substitute the maple syrup with 5–8 pitted dates.

Chocolate Mint Chia Seed Pudding

Servings: 4–6 | Time: 5–10 minutes active; 5–10 hours inactive | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups milk of choice
  • 1/3 cup chia seeds
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 2–3 drops peppermint essential oil

Instructions:

  1. Mix together the milk, chia seeds, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and salt. Whisk until well combined.
  2. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 5 hours until it reaches a pudding-like consistency. If possible, stir once or twice while it is setting to break up the chia seed clumps.
  3. Once set, pour the pudding into the blender, and add the peppermint essential oil. Blend until smooth. Serve chilled alone or with desired toppings such as fruit, whipped cream, granola, etc.

Extra Idea:

This pudding would make a great healthy refreshment at an essential oil class. You can even serve it in a shot glass that your class attendees can take home with them. Click here to see a similar idea.

December 31, 2015
by Abundant Health™
2 Comments

Essential Oil Veggie Dip

Serve a healthy vegetable platter with this delicious essential oil–flavored dip at your next class, meeting, or social gathering. This can be a great way to introduce cooking with essential oils!

Veggie-Dip

Essential Oil Veggie Dip

Servings: 8 | Time: 10 minutes active | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups low fat cottage cheese
  • 1 package ranch dressing seasoning mix
  • 1 toothpick basil essential oil
  • 1 toothpick dill essential oil
  • 1 toothpick oregano essential oil

Instructions:

  1. Pour cottage cheese and ranch dressing mix into the blender. Dip a toothpick in each oil, and then swish the toothpick in the cottage cheese mixture (use a different toothpick for each oil).
  2. Blend all ingredients together until smooth.
  3. Serve with your choice of vegetables.

December 22, 2015
by Abundant Health™
0 comments

Holiday Diffuser Blend: Candy Cane Mist

This holiday season, try this refreshing blend in your diffuser! It’s a great way to fill your home with the wonderful scents of the season!

December 17, 2015
by Abundant Health™
0 comments

Creamy Potato, Sausage, and Kale Soup

This delicious, creamy soup is the perfect meal on a cold winter evening. It is quick and easy to make and has a wonderful flavor.

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Creamy Potato, Sausage, and Kale Soup

Servings: 4 | Time: 30 minutes active | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

  • 5 small potatoes
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup polish sausage (fully cooked)
  • 1 cup chopped kale
  • 1 drop rosemary essential oil

Instructions:

  1. Peel and chop potatoes.
  2. Place potatoes in a medium-size pot with water over medium-high heat.
  3. Cook potatoes until soft. Remove from heat.
  4. Use an immersion blender to partially puree the potatoes (or pour the soup into a regular blender). Add more water if needed to create a creamy soup consistency.
  5. Stir in olive oil and salt.
  6. Add kale and sausage to the potato puree. Return to medium heat on the stove, and cook until kale is tender.
  7. Remove soup from heat, and stir in rosemary essential oil.
  8. Serve soup warm with a roll or bread.