Recently I was sharing essential oil information at a health and wellness fair. At my table, I was diffusing Frankincense (Boswellia carterii) essential oil (EO). Aside from the wonderful smell, people were asking me about its uses. I was familiar with EO users talking about its immunity support and had heard stories of cancer patients using it but had no factual data on the subject. So I went to PubMed and looked it up. I found multiple articles, many too technical for my purpose. However, I did find a study done in the UK that used aromasticks in a cancer clinic with very good results:

• 77% (n = 123) of all patients reported deriving at least one benefit from the aromastick.
• In anxious patients, 65% reported feeling more relaxed and 51% felt less stress.
• 47% of nauseous patients said that the aromastick had settled their nausea and
• 55% of those experiencing sleep disturbances felt that aromastick helped them sleep.

Frankincense wasn't the only EO that was used in the clinic. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), lemon (Citrus limon), bergamot (Citrus bergamia), sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) and peppermint (Mentha x piperita) were also used by patients successfully.
So indeed, factual data does exist!

I was with friends recently and we were discussing massage. A few of my friends suffer from fibromyalgia and one commented that the massage experiences weren't always pleasant. In fact one therapist had refused to provide lighter pressure and objected to my friend calling a halt to the massage. That just made me sad (and angry)! Massage therapists ALWAYS need to listen to their clients. No one knows someone else's body better than they do. People's pain tolerance can vary from day-to-day based upon the season, their activities, medications, and many other reasons.
An unfortunate outcome for my friend was the decrease in motivation to seek massage. That's sad because massage greatly benefits those suffering from fibromyalgia in the following ways:

• increased serotonin level
• decreased circulating stress hormones
• decreased levels of substance P
• decreased tender point pain
• improved sleep patterns
• improved overall sense of well-being

So for those who suffer with this condition, I encourage you to give massage a try. For more information, please check out this article on the National Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Association website.

Had my 6 months cleaning at Dr. Wu's a few weeks ago and the hygienist was amazed with how great my teeth and gums were. I puzzled over this a bit . . . I knew that my electric toothbrush (Phillips Sonicare) had greatly improved the maintenance of my dental hygiene, but that's been the case for the last several years. So what had changed?
It dawned on me that I had changed toothpaste. I attended the mini health fair within the Del Mar Fair last summer and had purchased a new toothpaste, Davids. It's fluoride and sulfate free. It uses peppermint essential oil - so it also tastes good!
Ethically I also approved of its recyclable material and that it was 100% American made - really, what's not to like?! So I wanted to give a shout out about it and let others know what a great product it is.
Happy Brushing!

I read a very interesting article today . . . something that I hadn't heard about before. It was an article about research that's been done over several years that proves Vitamin D levels can prevent colds and the flu. In many cases, Vitamin D supplements are as effective or more effective than the flu vaccine. Here's a key excerpt from the article:
"Most recently, a scientific review of 25 randomized controlled trials confirmed that vitamin D supplementation boosts immunity and cuts rates of cold and flu. Overall, the studies included nearly 11,000 individuals from more than a dozen countries."
If this topic has captured your attention, like it did mine, take a look at the article.