Tag Archives: Rosemary

Sweet Fennel

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Essential Oil Allies: Sweet Fennel

Fennel essential oil is obtained by steam distilling the seeds of Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce. It is mainly grown and distilled in France, Spain, Germany, Hungary and India for its essential oil.

Originating around the Mediterranean basin, this hardy perennial has been introduced to and naturalized across Eur-Asia, India and North America—adapting to most temperate climates. An ancient plant, the Ancient Chinese, Indian, Egyptian and Roman cultures employed this herb for medicine and culinary uses. According to Grieve: “It has followed civilization, especially where Italians have colonized.”

The Birth of Venus, c. 1485. Uffizi, Florence by Sandro Botticelli

Like many plants from the Apiaceae family, fennel’s seeds have been used for centuries to address digestive complaints (mainly through chewing the seeds, infusions and tinctures). Sweet fennel has also been used to promote lactation, to aide in eyesight, ward off hexes and evil spirits and as a detoxifier/slimming agent (according to Grieve, it was originally called “marathon” by the ancient Greeks, derived from maraino, to grow thin).

Hildegarde von Bingen realized both physical and emotional benefits of fennel: “A person whom melancholy is harming should pound fennel to a liquid and rub it often on his forehead, temples, chest and stomach. His melancholy will stop.” This statement made hundreds of years ago still holds true—fennel essential oil is quite an uplifting and clearing agent. Its volatile oils ease into the mind-body, clearing away the cobwebs so thoughts and creativity may be freely and playfully expressed.

Sweet fennel essential oil shines in the realm of woman’s health, supporting breathing space, spastic pain and uplifting the mood. Fennel is widely used to support digestion but an herbal tincture, infusion of the seeds or chewing the seeds is best used for this versus the essential oil. However there are always exceptions: check out this online French Aromatherapy course to explore the internal use of essential oils, a great way to support digestive issues once you have solid guidelines.

Following are core applications for the essential oil:

System Core Applications
Reproductive Balancing to hormones, PMS, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, lack of or reduced sexual drive, lack of or reduced milk flow in lactating woman (fennel tea is indicated or inhalation of fennel e/o), cramps, menopause, perimenopause
Respiration Anti-inflammatory, bronchodilator, spastic coughing
Musculoskeletal & Circulatory Muscle spasms or cramps, general muscular aches and pains, detoxifier
Nervous/ Psyche/ Emotion Inflamed mind, difficulty communicating, mental fatigue, expressive, creativity, light-hearted, throat & sacral chakras
Digestion Massaged onto the abdomen for gaseous cramping, inhaled to promote digestive fire, and quell nausea

Chemistry Highlights: Sweet Fennel essential oil is rich in phenylpropanoids, specifically trans-anethole, which lends to its “anise-like” aroma, and methyl chavicol.

Of note: sweet (dolce) fennel of is not to be confused with the bitter (amara) variety, which is not used in aromatherapy due to its relatively higher content of fenchone and its more “harsh” nature.

Is Sweet Fennel Essential Oil Safe?

Due to its trans-anethole content, fennel essential oil should be avoided by any route (method of application, especially oral) in pregnancy, breastfeeding, endometriosis, and estrogen dependent cancers. Trans-anethole exhibits estrogenic actions. Essential oils with estragole (Methyl chavicol) should also be used carefully (especially internally) for its effect on the blood.

Blending with Sweet Fennel Essential Oil

Fennel stands well on its own and may over-take a blend (depending on country of origin)—start with fewer drops and add more as your blend matures and your olfactory sense sees fit. When blending with fennel, think about the core issue you are trying to address AND how you cook using fennel as it gets along quite well with many other culinary herbs and citrus.

Fennel essential oil swiftly, but sweetly, announces itself: bringing gifts of honey, clear blue skies, open meadows and pollinating insects. It exudes a slightly sweet-floral note, reminiscent of almond and anise confectionary. A bright, clean smell is apparent: memories of seafoam and clean blue water. The dry-down brings an expressive honey-hay aroma that playfully communicates fennel’s memory of its nectar-giving umbels that elegantly looked up at the same sky as you.

Fennel essential oil blends well with: other members of the Apiaceae family (Angelica archangelica, Coriandrum sativum), friends from the Lamiaceae family (Clary sage (Salvia sclarea), Sweet marjoram (Origanum majorana), Rosemary ct. cineole (Rosmarinus officinalis ct. cineole), Peppermint (Mentha x piperita), the Zingiberaceae family (Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), Ginger (Zingiber officinale)), Citrus oils (Grapefruit (Citrus x paradisi), Mandarin (Citrus reticulata)) and florals (Cananga odorata Complete, Pelargonium graveolens, Rosa spp.)

Creating Wellness Products with Sweet Fennel

Supporting Feminine Power

This hormone-balancing massage oil is intended to support women of all ages (except during pregnancy and breast feeding). It features plants from the Apiaceae family and is supported by plants from the Lamiaceae family—these plant families have many powerful feminine allies.

What you need:

  • 1 ounce bottle (I prefer glass, pump-tops)
  • 1 ounce fixed oil of your choice: choose penetrating oils like Sesame (Sesamum indicum), Tamanu (Calophyllum inophyllum) or Hemp (Cannabis sativa) for pain.
  • Label
  • 5 drops Fennel seed (Foeniculum vulgare)
  • 5 drops Clary sage (Salvia sclarea)
  • 5 drops Angelica root* (Angelica archangelica)
  • 8 drops Coriander seed (Coriandrum sativum)
  • 12 drops Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

How to make:

  • Combine the essential oils in the glass bottle, affix the cap and shake to combine.
  • Allow the essential oils to mingle for at least a few hours
  • Add the fixed oil(s) of your choice to the bottle
  • Affix the bottle dispenser and label the bottle

How to use:

  • A best practice to use powerful oils like these on a protocol: use one week before menses to work with PMS symptoms and during menses for cramping and mood balancing. Then take a break from this blend, until 7 days before menses starts.
  • Use up to 3 times per day, especially when experiencing cramping.
  • Apply a small amount of oil to the lower abdomen and pelvic joint-creases.
  • Massage the oil over your lymph nodes and utilize the hair follicles to help the oils absorb into the body.
  • *Safety note: Angelica archangelica root has photo-toxic properties. Keep the treated area out of UV/sunlight (and tanning beds) for at least 12, if not 24 hours.

Brighten Your Day with this Mind and Lung Opening Blend

My experiences with this synergy have been absolutely joyous and bright, always quite expansive and dare I say bubbly. Use this synergy of allies for a pick-me-up during any time of the day. Consider using it during meditation and breathing exercises to harness the benefits of these cephalic oils.

Create the synergy in a standard 5 ml bottle equipped with a cap and orifice reducer. Combine the essential oils and let them sit for at least one day. Use as needed for your preferred method of application. I suggest using it in a nebulizing diffuser, an aromatic inhaler or with direct palm inhalation.

  • 10 drops Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce)
  • 8 drops Rosemary ct. cineole (Rosmarinus officinalis ct. cineole)
  • 14 drops Black pepper (Piger nigrum)
  • 12 drops Frankincense (Boswellia carteri)
  • 16 drops Lemon (Citrus limon)

Foaming Soap for Spring Cleaning the Soul and Hands

Bring the uplifting, cleansing qualities of fennel to a nourishing and gentle foaming soap base. Create the following synergy of essential oils and add to this recipe.

  • 15 drops Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce)
  • 15 drops Rose geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)
  • 25 drops Lemon (Citrus limon)

Be with the plants in their many forms, take their messages and let them guide you. I bid you much joy in blending and creating.

Spice Your Way to Health

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                           Spice Your Way to Health

It’s a myth that if a food is good for us, it probably tastes like cardboard. For proof, we need look no further than the beneficial properties of herbs and spices. In fact, a new study reveals that frequent consumption of spicy-hot foods may reduce all-cause mortality and, in some cases, cause-specific mortality.

The study, which followed a prospective cohort of 487,375 participants, aged 30-79, living in China, determined that spicy food consumption was inversely associated with total mortality, after adjustment for other potential risk factors. (Risk factors controlled for included marital status, age, level of education and physical activity.) Compared to individuals who ate spicy foods less than once a week, the adjusted hazard ratios for death were 0.90 (95% CI, interval 0.84 – 0.96), 0.86 (0.80 – 0.92), and 0.86 (0.82 – 0.90) for those who consumed spicy food 1 or 2, 3 to 5, and 6 to 7 days per week, respectively. (The absolute mortality rates were 6.1, 4.4, 4.3, and 5.8 deaths per 1000 person-years for subjects who ate spicy foods less than once a week, 1 or 2, 3 to 5, and 6 or 7 days per week, respectively.)

Participants who consumed spicy foods 6 or 7 days a week showed a 14% reduction in relative risk for total mortality, compared to those who ate spicy foods less than once per week. When alcohol consumption was looked at as an additional factor, the seemingly beneficial influence of spicy foods on mortality was stronger in non-drinkers. Regarding cause-specific mortality, inverse associations were noted between spicy food consumption and deaths due to cancer, respiratory diseases, and ischemic heart diseases.

It is important to note that this was an observational study, based on food frequency questionnaires, which are known to be somewhat unreliable. Nevertheless, the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and potentially chemo-protective properties of popular culinary spices and herbs, such as ginger, turmeric (curcumin), rosemary, oregano, black pepper and hot chili peppers are well established.

Another way spicy foods might confer health benefits is by helping to induce the secretion of digestive enzymes and fortify the brush border of the small intestine. With an ever-expanding list of chronic health conditions being linked to poor digestive function, it may well be that the influence of spices on the digestive system could be the reason behind the decreased all-cause mortality found in the Chinese study. Better overall digestive function leads to more complete breakdown of foods and better absorption of nutrients, which can influence health positively throughout the whole body. A study in rats indicated that black pepper, red pepper and ginger extracts stimulated brush border enzymes in the jejunum. They also led to beneficial changes in the structure of the intestine; specifically, there was an increase in the length of micro-villi, thereby increasing the absorptive surface, and, ultimately, enhancing the extraction of nutrients from food.

Piperine, from black pepper, stimulates the secretion of pancreatic digestive enzymes and reduces gastrointestinal transit time. Ginger has been recognized since ancient times for its influence on healthy digestion, and is often included in teas formulated to alleviate an upset stomach. Mixtures that included turmeric, red chili, black pepper and cumin were shown to enhance the activity of pancreatic lipase, amylase and chymotrypsin in rats by 40%, 16% and 77%, respectively. This mixture also stimulated increased production of bile, with a greater concentration of active bile acid. In rats fed a high-fat diet, ginger, piperine, capsaicin and curcumin enhanced secretion of bile and pancreatic enzymes. Moreover, they also prevented the accumulation of triglycerides in the liver, and reduced the activity of lipogenic enzymes, while increasing activity of hormone-sensitive lipase, which is instrumental in releasing fatty acids from fat cells in order to be burned as fuel elsewhere.

Beyond the fact that spices, themselves, have beneficial effects, these effects might be compounded by the likelihood that the spices were added to healthful, nutritious foods cooked at home, in lieu of processed foods that are high in sugar, refined grains, and vegetable oils. So it may be that people who frequently consume spicy foods consume these spices in the context of a diet that would be healthful even without the spices. For example, a curry stew made with fish, or grass-fed lamb, organic vegetables, coconut milk, and lots of turmeric, ginger, cayenne, and other spices, may influence health differently than, say, spicy-hot chicken wings eaten with a side of fries and washed down with a beer

 

Lamb

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                                                                    LAMB

It’s always nice when off-the-charts amounts of nutrients come wrapped up in delicious, satisfying foods. And patients are more likely to stick to healthful diets when they know they can eat foods they genuinely enjoy. One food that health professionals can confidently recommend to patients is lamb.

Lamb is a staple food year-round in some regions of the world, but in North America, it’s more common in spring. Cultural practices and religious rituals dating back thousands of years used the traditional sacrifice of a lamb to honor religious laws and mark the beginning of the spring season. In the modern age, many families’ Easter dinners and Passover Seders wouldn’t be complete without a centerpiece of succulent lamb.

It’s interesting that, for many individuals, vegetables and fruit usually come to mind first upon hearing the phrase “vitamins and minerals.” The surprising truth is, the meat of ruminant animals contains an array of nutrients that rivals most produce. The nutrient profile of lamb is similar to that of grass-fed beef, which is known for its generous concentration of minerals and B vitamins. Besides being a fantastic source of complete protein, lamb provides impressive amounts of the B family, and is particularly high in niacin and B12. It’s also loaded with zinc, iron, copper, potassium, phosphorus, selenium, and even contains appreciable amounts of magnesium—a mineral more closely associated with leafy green vegetables. In light of all this, lamb might be the tastiest multivitamin around!

Most lamb available in North America is grass-fed and grass-finished. The raising of lamb for meat is still a relatively small industry, so unlike beef production, it does not rely on animal feed consisting mostly of subsidized grain. Many small farmers across the continent raise lamb on pasture year-round, so you can find it at a local farmers’ market or online. Imported lamb largely comes from Australia and New Zealand, where it is also primarily grass-fed and finished.

Of course, anyone who’s ever eaten a roasted leg of lamb, dripping with fat and juices, knows there’s more to lamb than just its meat. Mutton tallow—the rendered fat of an older sheep—contains mostly saturated and monounsaturated fats, with a smaller amount of polyunsaturated. A growing body of evidence suggests that, in the context of a lower-carbohydrate diet, dietary saturated fats have little undesirable effect on blood lipids. Moreover, despite the nearly automatic association of red meat with saturated fat, the predominant fatty acid in mutton tallow is actually not saturated, but monounsaturated. In fact, it’s oleic acid, the same one that is believed to be responsible for some of olive oil’s health-promoting properties.

Mutton fat is also a good source of the parent omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). With about 4.7g ALA and 11.3g linoleic acid per cup, the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is approximately 2.4:1, making it an ideal part of any low-carb or Paleo-style diet. As if all that wasn’t enough to reduce the practice of draining every last bit of fat and sticking only to “lean meat” when it comes to lamb, lamb is also a good source of conjugated linolenic acid (CLA), but the amount depends on the animals’ feed and supplementation.

Lamb is delicious and nutritious all by itself, but the nutrient profile gets boosted even higher from some of the culinary preparations it’s commonly paired with. Herb rubs and marinades containing fresh lemon juice, rosemary, and mint are classic with lamb, as is yogurt sauce. Yogurt contains probiotics that support immune health and may also aid in digestion. Phytochemicals in rosemary have been shown to be anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic, and the antioxidants in its primary polyphenols, rosmarinic acid and carnosic acid, are more potent free radical scavengers than vitamins C and E. Mint also contains powerful antioxidants, possible anti-carcinogens, and mint has been used for centuries to aid in digestion and calm an upset stomach.

So the next time a patient says that health food is boring, point them toward herb-marinated lamb. It’s one of the most delicious “diet foods” out there!

Note: As a Sicilian American, lamb was eaten often but especially in the spring. If cooked correctly, there is nothing better. I myself prefer American Lamb over Australian and New Zealand varieties as the latter two can be too gamey for me and that is a definite no no.

There is a school of thought that claims lamb is the only land animal that does not grow tumors and that it is the easiest of all animal proteins to digest –true or not I do not know.  AND the blood smeared on the doors during passover was the blood of the lamb–