Jo's Health Corner: water

Add Essential Oils to Your Drinking Water

I like to add essential oils to my drinking water. I add lemon water to my drinking water first thing in the morning since it is said to counteract acidity and make the stomach more alkaline. Lemon is also a powerful antibacterial and it stimulates the action of the white blood corpuscles. It also tonic for supporting the nervous and sympathetic nervous system and it also has a tonic effect on the circulatory system.

When it is hot outside I add peppermint essential oils since it is said to cool the body down. Peppermint is also one of the most effective oils for the digestive system. It is best to dip a toothpick into the bottle of peppermint and then swirl around in the water.

Other oils I add to my drinking water are grapefruit, tangerine and orange. They are powerful antioxidants due to the d-limonene content.

Try to add some essential oils to drinking water but make sure that the oils you use are listed as dietary supplements. It is important that the company you buy the essential oils from list their oils as suitable for ingestion. Ask me if you want to know more the oils I use from Young Living.

Before you leave:

I recommend that you always perform a skin patch test when you try a new oil.

Check out my safety page to make sure you are aware of any contrindications before you use essential oils. Some oils are not suitable when suffering from certain conditions. Also, Read this Before You Start Using Essential oils. Some oils should not be applied prior to sun exposure so make sure you check this list before spending time in the sun.

Not sure how to apply the oils? Visit these pages to learn how to apply the oils:

Topical Application

Inhaling Essential Oils

Are You Diffusing the Oils Correctly?

How to Dilute Essential Oils

Vita Flex Technique

If you're new to essential oils you might want to check out my Getting Started Guide.

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Johanna is an aromatherapist and she is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives.
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

This post is linked to:
Waste Not Want Not Wednesday, WFMW, The Mommy Club, Raising Homemakers Link Up, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Party Wave Wednesday, Natural Living Link Up, Simple Lives Thursday, All Things Thursday, Fight Back Friday, Mop it Up Monday, Homemade Mondays, The Gathering Spot, Fat Tuesday, Titus 2 Tuesday, Domestically Divine, Teach Me Tuesday

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Make Your Own Flavored Water

It is getting warmer outside so it is important to stay well hydrated. I like to add essential oils to my drinking water for some extra healing effects. It adds a nice aroma and taste. Essential oils have high antioxidant value, may detoxify the body, and most oils are anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial. Many oils are also energizing and uplifting. So, really, I can't go wrong by adding a couple of drops to my bottle of water. Essential oils are extremely potent, for example, it takes about 3000 lemons to produce one kilo of essential oils. A couple of drops is plenty for my bottle.

I found this cool glass bottle at Starbucks a while back. It is mostly made of recycled glass, and it has a silicone cover.

You have to be absolutely sure that the company you buy from are selling essentials oils that meet AFNOR standards, and that they sell therapeutic grade essential oils before your ingest any oils. Far too many companies cut their oils with harmful ingredients. I refer to Young Living Oils in this post, and their website have instructions on how to ingest their oils.

There are a few things to consider before you decide to add essential oils to your water:

Only use therapeutic grade essential oils that meet the AFNOR standards, are Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS), or certified as Food Additives (FA) by FDA. Young Living will tell you if their oil is safe to use as a supplement.

Essential oils should always be diluted in rice milk, honey, or in at least 4 ounces of water.

No more than 2-3 drops should be ingested at one time (during a 4-8 hour period).

Essential oils should not be given as dietary supplement to children under the age of 6.

I alternate between lemon, orange, grapefruit, tangerine and peppermint:

Lemon, (Citrus limon)

has a purifying, uplifting and revitalizing aroma. It clears the mind and sharpens the senses. It is a very pleasant and soothing oil. The main constituent is limonene, which has been studied for it's anti-cancer effects.

Lemon is a powerful antibacterial and it has been proven to kill Diphteria bacilli at a 0.2 solution. According to Jean Valnet, MD, the vaporized aroma of lemon can kill meningococcus bacteria in 15 minutes, typhoid bacilli in one hour, Staphylococcus aureus in two hours, and Pneumococcues bacteria within three hours.

In his book, The Practice of Aromatherapy: A Classic Compendium of Plant Medicines and Their Healing Properties, Valnet wrote that lemon is a tonic for supporting the nervous and sympathetic nervous system. Lemon also counteracts the acidity and makes the stomach more alkaline. I like to add lemon oil to warm water first thing in the morning. It also stimulates the action of the white blood corpuscles. It also has a tonic effect on the circulatory system. Historically lemon has been used in skin care due to its astringent effect. Lemon has an approximate ORAC of 6,619

Orange (Citrus sinensis)
is my favorite oil to add to drinking water and I really enjoy the fresh orange flavor. It is high in d-limonene (85-90%) and therefore a powerful antioxidant. Orange has an uplifting, rich, fruity, and at the same time a very calming aroma. It is a happy aroma. Orange aids in maintaining normal cellular regeneration. Orange has been used to settle the digestive system. It is known as a cholagogue and hepatic, and as such it may be used to improve the flow of bile and improve the metabolism of fats. It is considered to be one of the best all-round oils for the digestive system. Orange has an approximate ORAC of 18,898.

Grapefruit (Citris paradisi)
is uplifting and positive. It is a very energizing and reviving scent. This is another oil rich in the powerful antioxidant d-limonene. Grapefruit has diuretic and detoxifying properties and has historically been used to treat cellulite. It has unique fat- dissolving characteristics just like many cold-pressed citrus oils. It also has anti-depressant properties. Grapefruit may also have a cleansing effect on the kidneys, the lymphatic system, and the vascular system.

Peppermint (Mentha piperita)

has a strong, sharp, minty and refreshing aroma. The aroma is very potent and concentrated, so I dip a toothpick in the peppermint bottle first and then swirl it around in the water. The antispasmodic properties of peppermint has been confirmed in clinical trials. Peppermint is one of the most effective oils of the digestive system. The German Commission E Monographs recommend peppermint oil for obstructions of the bile ducts, gall bladder inflammations and severe liver damage.

Jean Valnet MD studied peppermint's supportive effect on the liver and respiratory systems. Peppermint has an approximate ORAC of 373,455 (TE/L).

Tangerine (Citrus reticulata)

has sweet, tangy aroma that is very similar to orange. It is very calming and may help with occasional irritability. Tangerine is also high in the powerful antioxidant d-limonene. It has a tonic effect on the digestive system, and it may be used for calming the intestines. Therapeutically, tangerine has similar properties to mandarin and orange.

As mentioned, make sure the oils you use are of high quality before you ingest them, I recommend to use Young Living Essential Oils.

Before you leave:

I recommend that you always perform a skin patch test when you try a new oil on the skin.

If you're new to essential oils you might want to check out my Getting Started Guide.

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This post is linked to:
Fresh Bites Friday, Fight Back Friday
Wellness Wednesday

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Most Children Are Not Drinking Enough Water

Is your child tired, irritable and have a hard time concentrating? Two thirds of the children between the age of three and fifteen are not drinking enough water. Four percent of the parents say their children don't drink any water at all. Some signs that the child may not be drinking enough are lethargy, headaches, bad breath and irritability. Children need water to develop mentally.

37% believe they are hungry when they are actually thirsty. A 3% dehydration results in slowed metabolism such as fatigue and weight gain. A 2% loss of water results in short term memory loss and trouble focusing. If a child is dehydrated the body will take water out of the colon instead. Pure water is needed for so many functions in the body. Water will carry the waste way, and it carries nutrients and other substances throughout the body.

It is important to keep the body hydrated, so a child should drink water every two hours. It is especially important during the hot summer months since the water helps the body regulate the temperature by allowing it to sweat.

So, is it as easy to just go and grab some bottled water at the store? I wish it was that easy, but it has been shown that bottled water is not as pure as many believe. An independent test performed by the Environmental Working Group revealed 38 low-level contaminants in bottled water, with each of the10 tested brands containing an average of eight chemicals. Disinfection byproducts (DBPs), caffeine, Tylenol, nitrate, industrial chemicals, arsenic, and bacteria were all detected.

We bought a water distiller a few years old for our house, and you can also use reverse osmosis system to make sure your water is free from contaminants.

If you have a hard time getting your child to drink water you can try the following.

Tips to make your child drink water

Freeze raspberries or strawberries into ice cubes and add to a glass of water.
Start by diluting some unsweetened fruit juice in water, and slowly add more water.
An obvious one, don't have any sugary drinks at home.
Be a good example and drink only water.
Let your child assist you in pouring the water.
Let the child drink out of a fun cup, and make the water accessible for everyone in the family. Make sure the cups are BPA free.

Buy Essential Oils Here

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Johanna is an aromatherapist and an independent distributor of Young Living Essential Oils She is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives. She also runs Naturally Sports & Wellness together with her husband.
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.