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Is Winter Making You SAD? A Look at Seasonal Affective Disorder by Dr. Miczak Re-printed from News From the PHARM http://www.naginc.com/thepharm The American Psychiatric Assoc. includes Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), also called the “winter blues” as a distinct subcategory of affective disorders. Although there are many variations, this type occurs during the winter as the days begin to grow shorter in the fall & continues until spring returns. Typical symptoms include many of the same complaints observed in depression; sadness, decreased libido, withdrawal from social activity & impaired general function. To make matters worse there are also excessive need for sleep, daytime fatigue & drowsiness increased appetite & cravings for sweets with the resultant weight gain. In an effort to combat this disorder, a number of prescription drugs are used & often, with great success. However, many antidepressant drugs are known for their sometimes addictive attributes, so care should be taken in the evaluating this form of therapy before choosing. Phototherapy or the use of a light box is safe & often quite effective as well. Such units are is extensively in Alaska where this condition is seen more frequently. The patient may begin phototherapy with a 20 min. length of exposure first thing in the morning. Many have found a brisk walk in early daylight to be very helpful as aerobic exercise releases endomorphines or our body’s own “feel good” drugs. Along with the making of extra effort to get out into the daylight, studies have been made on the antidepressant effects of St. John’s Wort. Researchers have uncovered components in St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perfortum), that effect brain chemistry to the improvement of one’s mood & mental outlook. Aromatherapy may also prove helpful. Distinct essential oils stimulate the neurological centers of our brain to effect relaxation & a sense of well being. Popular plant essences for this purpose are rose, orange, lavender, jasmine & ylang ylang oils. These oils are uplifting, cheering, comforting & totally natural (do not try & use fragrance oils in the place of essential oils for this application -mam). They can be easily incorporated into the evenings ritual of winding down by adding them to a warm bath for better quality sleep. Six drops or less of one of these pure essential oils in a full bath diffuses the essence into the air & into the skin upon contact.
History & Lore Aromatherapy is the art of using pure essential oils for health & healing. Believed to have been first practiced by ancient Egyptians, the use of oils and aromatic woods traveled through out the middle east & onto Asia through the trade route. Traditionally extracted through oil infusion and Effleurage, the steam distillation method which is still used today was created which proved to be much more beneficial for extraction. The term Aromatherapy was first conined by Rene-Maurice Gattefosse who was a French chemist working in the perfume industry in 1928. At that time essential oils were used for perfumes instead of fragrance oils. After burning his hand badly in an explosion at his lab, Gattefosse plunged it into the first container of cold liquid he could find. This just happend to be Lavender essential oil. After a few days, his hand was almost completely healed much to his surprise. After that experience Gattefosse spent the rest of his life looking into the healing effects of essential oils. Other people who had major roles in forming the future of Aromatherapy include Jean Valnet and Madame Marguerite Maury. Basic Essential Oils To Have On Hand There are hundreds of essential oils available. The key is finding ones that will be of the most use to you. Some oils are used for their aromatic qualities, while others have wonderful healing powers that are enhanced by combining them with other oils for a Synergistic effect. Here is a list of oils that will come in most handy. LAVENDER: Lavandula angustifolia Good for burns, skin problems, depression, insomnia, PMS, shock & more. ROMAN CHAMOMILE: Chamaemelum nobile Great for skin problems, joint pain, headaches, stress & more. NEROLI: Citrus aurantium var. amara Works well on stress reduction, skin scars/mature skin, depression, poor circulation & more. TEA TREE: Medaleuca alternifolia Works great skin conditions as it is Anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, fungicidal. Also helps with colds, flu, fevers & more. Wonderful for disinfecting your home naturally! CLARY SAGE: Salvia sclarea Depression is one of the biggest uses for this oil. Also helps headaches, high blood pressure & more. Make sure you look for "pure" essential Aromatherapy oils. Steamed distilled is the best as they do not contain traces of chemicals like solvent extractions. Some companies now offer wild crafted & organic oils. Never use fragrance oils in place of essential oils. They are synthetic & only mimic the aroma not the healing qualities. If you find that a line of oils you are looking at is all the same prices think twice about buying any. Real essential Aromatherapy oils are priced differently because some botanicals yield a lower amount of oil.
Oils Not To Use Some Oils should not be used ever.... they include: PENNYROYAL, MUSTARD, WINTERGREEN, BITTER ALMOND, SASSAFRAS, YELLOW CAMPHOR, MUGWORT, RUE, SAVIN, TANSY, WORMWOOD, WORMSEED, BOLDO LEAF. These botanicals in other states can be perfectly fine but being that the essential oil is extremely potent, some plants produce toxic extractions. Pregnant women must also be careful of some essential oils such as: CEDARWOOD, CLARY SAGE, CORIANDER, GARLIC. JUNIPER, MYRRH, ROSEMARY.
Ways of Using Essential Oils There are many ways of incorporating
essential oils into your daily life.
Menopause Relief Q. I'm having mild symptoms of menopause, a few hot flashes, forgetfulness, etc. What natural products or herbs can I use to help myself? A. Believe it or not, diet does have an effect on estrogen production. Simple foods such as yams, tofu & soy milk have been seen to weak phytoestrogens which can make all of the difference. Unlike hormone replacement therapy, estrogen is assembled from these molecular building blocks upon need, so side effects are nonexistent. Herbs which help to balance out female hormone production include Chasteberry (Vitex agnus-castus) & Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra). These botanicals have been used by women for thousands of years to combat menopausal symptoms. Consult with a knowledgeable practitioner on proper amounts to avoid overdoses such as licorice in high doses can deplete the body of potassium. Topically yam cream, which is reported to help with the hot flashes & night sweats. Reprinted from News from the PHARM -winter '97-98/ Dr. M. Miczak © Heart health & Low Cholesterol The connection between cholesterol, atherosclerosis & heart attacks is probably one of the most studied aspects or coronary heart disease. High risk blood cholesterol levels correspond with age. For instance, the total cholesterol of a person 30 to 39 of 240 mg/di represents a high risk whereas that same value would indicate a moderate risk for person 40 years & older. Other factors for consideration include HDL (high-density lipoproteins) & LDL (low-density lipoproteins) ratios. The LDL's are the bad guys, obtained by dietary factors & virtually unusable by the body. It often ends up as plaque which slowly obstructs the arterial walls. HDL's on the other hand work to remove excess cholesterol from both the blood & tissues. The normal adult HDL level for men in the US is 45-50 & 50-60 for women. It is calculated that HDL levels of 70-80 will protect against heart disease. As your HDL decreases, however, your potential for heart attack increases, even if your total is on the low side. Reprinted from News from the PHARM winter '97 / Dr. M. Miczak © Find more articles on herbs by Dr. M. Miczak here: Dr. Miczak's Seeds of Good Health Violet (Viola odorata) Also know as: Garden violet, blue violet, English violet, purple violet. The violet has a long tradition in herbal folklore. Some of the traditional uses include: heart problems, skin conditions, bad circulation, etc. It has also been said to have very mild pain killing qualities. It has now been found that violets do contain a small amount of salicylic acid (aspirin). The violet is actually native to north Europe and parts of Asia it is now cultivated worldwide. With over 200 spices with the main types for perfume being Victoria odorata and Parma odorata. Violets are also edible and were frequently candied in Victorian times. Today the flavoring is still used in fine confections. Here is a simple recipe for violet salve which can be applied to the skin to help sooth it. 8 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon natural bees wax 1/2 Cup fresh violet flowers 2 drops Roman camomile 1/2 teaspoon honey In a sauce pan or small pot, heat oil. Add flowers, wax & honey. Mix until well incorporated. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Turn heat off. Let stand for another 10 minutes. Strain off flowers & add essential oil. Pour into a clean container & let cool in the refrigerator. NOTE: do not use on broken skin. Leaves can also be used if flowers are not available. -Marie A. Miczak Find more recipes & health topics in our forums area!
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