Ormus Minerals Blog

You’ve heard of aromatherapy, but are wondering if it’s for real? Are there any tangible health benefits to using aromatherapy? The answer is yes: there have been studies on aromatherapy, with exciting conclusions.

Many people use aromatherapy to create a sense of calm or to change their mood. It’s possible to stimulate specific physical reactions by using scents. This is because the sense of smell is so primal; when you smell something, a very primal space in your brain reacts without you putting  alot of thought into it. This is why we have such strong reactions to smells, especially if they are linked to experiences we’ve had.

One of the scientifically proven aromatherapy health benefits is the effect of the smell of lavender on the body. The physical effect of lavender is to slow your heart rate and actually lower your blood pressure. This why massage therapists put lavender in their massage oils–to help your body relax. Some nursing homes use lavender-scented lotions to massage the hands of patients with dementia to help them calm down and behave appropriately. Another option is geranium esential oil, since that also slows heart rate and lowers blood pressure.

The scent of peppermint has also been studied scientifically. It has been determined that peppermint enhances your ability to focus, increasing your alertness and mental clarity. One study evaluated kids who chewed gum while testing; the kids who chewed peppermint gum outscored the kids who chewed other flavors.

A lot of people use grapefruit essential oil because it is supposed to work as an appetite suppressant. Another fun thing about grapefruit essential oils was discovered in a study evaluating men, scent, and age–apparantly men think women who smell like grapefruit are younger than those who wear other scents.

However, you have to be careful when choosing aromatherapy products. Synthetic scents do not have the same effect as essential oils. High grade essential oils are more effective than low grade oils. Buy an all-natural essential oil and then use to diffuse in your home and to add to almond oil or lotion base.

Kids need self esteem boosts, and sometimes we parents aren’t sure how to deliver the necessary shot in the arm of self confidence. These ten tips will help you give your child the self esteem boosts he or she needs.

Praise your child for specific behaviors. It’s not enough to say, “You’re a good kid.” Children need to hear specifics, like, “I appreciate how hard you worked on this science project.” They need to hear you mention exactly what they did right.

Tell your child what you like about him or her, saying exactly what it is you appreciate. Nab opportunities to praise your child for doing something right.

Invest quality time with your kid. Every minute you spend with your child shouts the message “you are important to me”.

Give your child your full attention when he or she is speaking. Show you are listening by nodding and asking questions.

Support your child’s interests. That may mean sending your child to lessons, practicing with your child, and listening to him or her talk about the subject.

When you must discipline your child, do so assuming your child will listen and obey. You need to remain optimistic that this time your child will finally get it, even if it’s a tough issue.

Think about your facial expressions, being sure to smile. Many adults don’t realize how serious their expressions are, and how frightening a serious face can be to a child.

Be affectionate with your child. Touch is a basic human need, and you are the most important person in the whole world to your child.

Notice when your child improves in an area. This is especially important if your child has struggled in a subject. Your compliment will make your child believe he or she can succeed.

Post evidence of your child’s success somewhere it can be seen.

Bonus Tip: Check out parenting books for help building your child’s self esteem. If you have a preteen daughter, read Reviving Ophelia; if you have kids who can’t get along, read Siblings Without Rivalry. If raising boys, consider reading Raising Cain, and if your child is overly energetic, read Raising Your Spirited Child.

When you take a look at the list of chemicals in your shampoo and hair dye, it is no wonder people are looking at greener options. People are beginning to experiment with less traditional hair care routines to see how they can go more green here also.

Check your local health food store.  You may find a new option called a shampoo bar for your hair cleaning needs. Please note that these are not just your average bar of soap. These are soaps tailored to hair care routines. These bars are created from rich oils that are saponified with lye to create a very mild bar of soap. There are a lot of oils that are left unsaponified that help to condition your hair and scalp.

Some people have had a lot of success using these sulfate and sulfite free shampoo bars. Those who have soft water may find it easiest to use these bars. People who suffer with hard water may have to do a herbal tea rinse after they wash their hair to remove any soap residue caused by the hard water.

Some people are beginning to dye their hair with henna. Henna when used as a hair dye imparts a very red tint to your hair. Make sure you are ready to be committed to red hair before you use henna because it is extremely permantent.  The only way to get rid of the color is to cut your hair. People who use this plant have anywhere from a orange red color all of the way to almost purple.  This is partially dependant on the color of your natural hair. The more you dye your hair with henna the richer and deeper your red becomes. People that have wild curly hair have reported that their curls have relaxed a bit once they used henna.  And another constant comment was how much their hair shined.

The only color henna can dye your hair is red, so if you see a package claiming to be black henna, or brown henna, don’t purchase it. These other “color” hennas may have dangerous chemicals added to them to create these colors. To help make sure you are lowering your chances of getting bad henna, look for body art quality henna. Henna can certainly dye your hair a great red if that is the color you like in your hair.

It will be interesting to see if some of these “green” hairs care practices catch on. These are certainly becoming more mainstream as this information is showing up more on blogs and forums all of the time. Do a bit some further research on these issues if you are interested there is a lot to learn.

A bad headache can ruin your whole day. You can put an end to most headaches if you can determine what is causing them and how to make the appropriate environmental changes.

When you have a headache, basically you’re responding to the swelling of vains and muscles in your scalp. Those sensitive nerves shout an alarm to the brain, telling you in no uncertain terms that they do not like this swelling. The end result is a terrible headache.

Most headaches are related to tension. A tension headache feels as if someone wrapped a rubber band around your head. It can occur anywhere, but usually is localized to the back of the head and upper neck or across the forehead. Menstruation, dehydration, noise, exhaustion, sugary foods, and stress are all triggers for this kind of headache. Tension headaches can usually be relieved by a nap, massage, a cool compress, or time alone in a quiet area.

The second most commonly reported headache is related to sinus pressure. You may feel this headache radiating down from the crown to spots on your face, as pressure from the sinus cavities causes this condition. Try drinking fluids, clearing your sinuses, massaging your temples and sinuses, and taking hot showers.

Migraines are one of the most debilitating types of headaches. Migraine headaches are severe in nature, causing nausea and vomiting, visualization of stars or bursts of light, sharp stabbing pains, dizziness, and painful sensitivity to light, sounds, and smells. You can beat a migraine by lying down in a dark, quiet place and sleeping it off.

If you experience a severe headache that is chracterized by seizures, involuntary muscles movements, high fever, or the loss of your ability to communicate, you will need to see a doctor to make sure you are not suffering from a stroke, meningitis, or encephalitis.

In most cases, you can find headache relief if you change up your diet or environment. You may find that a good rest and a couple of analgesics (such as ibuprofen) will do the trick. However, if your headaches persist or are intense in nature, you will want to see a doctor for an evaluation.

Even though the brain is one of the most valuable assets any human has, many people do not realize that their brain can become sharper with practice and work or can become more flaccid if they fail to give it the attention it needs. Perhaps you are recognizing that you have been neglecting your mind as of late, but even though it will take a little while for your brain to start becoming as sharp as it once was, you can use these tips and tricks to get your brain to where you want it to be.

Memory games: There are all sorts of different memory games that you can buy in stores or even use for free online; many of these games are fun, and they also cause your brain to stretch itself in new ways that will improve your memory in other areas of your life as well.

Memory Improvement Techniques!

Puzzles: A couple things that are great for your brain are such puzzles as Sudoku and jigsaw puzzles; you can also exercise your brain (and – in time – sharpen it!) by doing word search puzzles and crossword puzzles.

Read: You might hear people brag about the fact that they “only read” non-fiction books or self-help books – but really, it hardly matters what you read so much as it matters that you read, as reading will go a long way in allowing your capacity for thought to broaden and forcing your brain to work out. And in any case, it is much better to entertain yourself by reading books – even if they are commercial fiction books – than to come home and flip on the television (and turn off your brain!) in order to get entertainment.

Creative activity: Creative activity such as painting, drawing, playing an instrument, or writing are all great ways to exercise your brain, and not only will you get the satisfaction of having creative output you can be proud of, but also, you will be able to enjoy the benefits of a brain that has been worked out.

Master Your Brain Now!

As you take these steps to make sure you continually exercise and stretch your brain, you will notice that your capacity for memory and thought are much greater (and much sharper!) than they have ever been before.