Liz Dover

Can scent improve brain function?

It’s true that I’m not the most dedicated of gardeners, and if our front wall is looking pretty this year, it’s a happy accident. But I’ve always loved fragrant plants: herbs, roses, lavender and scented leaf geraniums.

A friend once said that going for a walk with me was like walking a dog, as I had to stop and sniff everything.

In my own defence, I only stop to smell nice things; the same can’t be said of our Wheaten Terrier, Birdie, whose nose is always drawn to less savoury things, usually to be found at ground level or on lampposts.

Also in my own defence, it turns out I may be warding off dementia!

One of the most hopeful developments in medicine in recent years is the growing understanding of neuroplasticity - the brain’s ability to adapt and learn or relearn functions that were thought to have been lost because of trauma or illness. Sensory stimulation is something that is being investigated, and prelimary research suggests it may improve cognition.

In spite of its rather unappealing name, Olfactory Training strikes me as particularly interesting: it’s so easy to rub some mint leaves or lemon balm between your fingers and breathe in the smell.

Small studies have been done in this area, with some interesting results. If you want to dig deeper put something like 'Does Olfactory Training Improve Brain Function and Cognition?' into Google and links to various scientific reviews should come up.

LEMON ESSENTIAL OIL

Anyone in the UK longing to fling open their curtains each morning and see blue skies not grey, now that it’s nearly mid June? Me too!

In May 2017 we went to the Greek island of Hydra. We arrived after dark, and when I got up and opened the shutters the next morning, this was the sight that greeted me. Lemons growing right outside, so close I could have reached out and picked one, without even leaving the bedroom!

I love all citrus oils. They smell wonderfully fresh and cheerful. If it’s raining where you are, and you want to transport yourself to the Mediterranean, LEMON OIL might just do the trick.

Much of the LEMON OIL imported to the UK comes from Spain or Italy, where it's obtained by hand expression from the peel of the fruit.

The British Navy gave sailors on long voyages lemon and lime juice to ward off scurvy as early as 18th century, and it's still used to treat bacterial and fungal infections. It can be added to natural cleaning products, and is lovely in an oil burner.

In massage blends, I tend to use it because it is so uplifiting, yet not overly stimulating. It's a scent that never fails to make me feel better, and I like it blended with lavender and marjoram, black pepper, ginger, or juniper.

Care needs to be taken when adding it to the bath as it can irritate the skin, so it’s wise to dilute it first (see below)

For massage, add 1 drop of lemon oil per 2ml base oil (adults), 1 drop per 4ml base oil (10 - 18 year olds), 1 drop per 10ml (5 - 10 year olds). For use in the bath, dilute 4 - 5 drops in a little unscented vegetable oil first

Such sad news about Michael Mosley. The world needs more people like him - willing to explore all aspects of our well being, and even use himself as a guinea pig.

The late, great Michael Mosley’s 11 tips to living well From standing on your leg while brushing your teeth to chewing slowly – the TV doctor was full of insight into living better

I’m currently laid low with COVID yet again, with no sense of smell and little sense of taste, thinking that the only thing I'd like to eat is gingerbread fresh from the oven. Sadly I’m too ill to bake. And where is my private pastry chef when I need them?

So for anyone else feeling low on festive cheer just now, maybe this will help you feel cosier:

GINGER ESSENTIAL OIL is extracted by steam distillation from the tuberours roots of the plant. It originated in Asia, and was one of the first spices to travel the famed ‘spice route’ ending up in Jamaica, amongst other places.

Dioscorides - a Greek physician and botanist working around 40-90AD - noted that the herb aided digestion, and it’s widely used in Asian cooking for this very reason. Its strong antimicrobial action means it’s also a useful preservative. Herbalists have been prescribing ginger for centuries for nausea, stiff muscles and arthritis, and any condition that would benefit from heat.

GINGER ESSENTIAL OIL itself is most commonly used to relieve stiffness and pain in the joints and muscles, to improve poor circulation, and relieve indigestion and nausea.

For massage I like to use it in one of these mixes in 10ml of base oil (for adults only - it needs to be twice as dilute for children)

Ginger x 2 - Marjoram x 1 - Orange or Mandarin or Lavender x 2 for a warming, relaxing blend later in the day

Ginger x 2 - Lavender x 1 - Lime x 2 is slightly more refreshing and uplifting, while still being great for pain relief

Ginger x 3 - Black Pepper x 2 - very warming and really effective for muscle spasm and joint pain

Ginger x 2 - Frankincense x 2 - Lavender or Marjoram x 1 - warming and deeply stress relieving

Be careful using it in the bath - it can irritate your skin! So just use 1 -2 drops or dilute 5 or 6 drops in any vegetable oil first.

Today is WORLD SLEEP DAY.

It’s fair to say I’m a bit obsessed with sleep. I’ve lived with ME/CFS/fibromyalgia since 2001, and sound sleep makes all the difference between me feeling just about okay-ish, and feeling as if I’ve been run over.

Sleep isn’t just important for those with long term health issues; it’s critical for all of us. Poor sleep increases your chances of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and depression, amongst other things.

So what can you do to make sure you drift soundly to sleep each night, and wake refreshed? There are many things: exercise regularly, manage your blood sugar levels, learn to control stress, sleep in a cool room with blackout blinds. And here are some more specific tips:

Give your CIRCADIAN RHYTHM (which regulates cycles of sleep and wakefulness) a helping hand by:

Being outside, even on a dingy UK day, for 20 minutes as soon after waking as possible.

Limit screen use for a few hours before bed, and try blue light blocking light bulbs in your bedroom.

Cut down on stimulants such as caffeine from 6pm and reduce alcohol intake: alcohol may help you nod off, but often leads to disturbe sleep.

Try ESSENTIAL OILS in a bath or burner before bed.

For many people, LAVENDER is the first oil that springs to mind when you mention insomnia. Yet not everyone responds to it.

I prefer MARJORAM, FRANKINCENSE and CHAMOMILE (Roman), and recommend these much more often for sleep problems.

When trying to treat insomnia, less is more. The best ways to use these oils are:

Add 4 drops to a warm bath
Add 3 - 4 drops to a diffuser
Add 1 drop per 2ml of base oil and massage in to the skin

Dilutions for children should be halved, roughly, and quartered for under 5s!

SWEET DREAMS!

SWEET ORANGE ESSENTIAL OIL

In common with other citrus oils, orange smells sweet, fresh, and cheerful.

Is it possible for scents to be fun? I’m not sure, but if any essential oils fit that description, orange, mandarin and lime surely do. While we’re on the subject, another ‘fun’ smelling blend is FRANKINCENSE with ROSE GERANIUM. Frankincense has long been burned during religious ceremonies; mix it with rose geranium and it suddenly smells like Turkish Delight. What could be better? Other than actualTurkish Delight, of course…

Like Frankincense, I use Orange oil most often when I want something calming, though orange is a bit more uplifiting, and also aids digestion.

All citrus oils contain limonene, a natural antimicrobial. The oil was found to prevent the proliferation of E. coli bacteria in a 2009 study published in the International Journal of Food and Science Technology.

I particularly like it with ginger, marjoram and benzoin - it lifts and brightens any blend containing these warming oils, and works well the earthiness of vetivert too. For use in a burner or diffuser you could try that classic Christmas combination of orange with clove oil. Just don’t add it to the bath or massage it in. You'll wish you hadn't! Clove, like cinnamon, has a high concentration of eugenol, which is horribly irritating to the skin.

For massage, add 1 drop of orange oil per 2ml base oil (adults), 1 drop per 4ml base oil (10 - 18 year olds), 1 drop per 10ml (5 - 10 year olds). For use in the bath, dilute 4 - 5 drops in a little unscented vegetable oil first.

New Ambassador for Charity Talks Sleep - The Sleep Charity TV scientist, author and new ambassador for the Sleep Charity, Mark Thompson, tells us about how his relationship with sleep has changed following his crazy marathon lecture – don’t try it at home! As an astronomer, I have, for most of my life, had a poor relationship with sleep. I’ve been fas...

There is considerable debate about whether fibromyalgia and ME/CFS are similar or different illnesses, and the results of a recent systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that almost half of patients with fibromyalgia also meet diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS. Does this mean the illnesses share some disease-causing mechanism such as infection or genetic factors?

Read more: meres.uk/3y9eX8T

HAPPY SUMMER SOLSTICE!

I love midsummer, but I’m not a fan of high pollen counts and hayfever, and I’ve never found antihistamines very effective.

Essential oils won’t necessarily cure seasonal allergies either, but they can take the edge off some of the symptoms.

Most useful are:

Chamomile, Lavender and Frankincense - all are good anti-inflammatories which means they help calm irritated mucuous membranes

Eucalyptus and Peppermint are decongestants and can help with breathing and blocked sinuses

As always, it’s best not to apply any of these oils neat.

You could use them in steam inhalations, or dilute in a massage oil such as sweet almond or grapeseed - 1 drop per 2ml for teens and adults, 1 drop per 4ml for 8 - 12 year olds, 1 drop per 8ml for children under 8.

Chamomile, Frankincense and Lavender are all fine used in the bath too, but Eucalyptus and Peppermint can cause skin irritation.

Poor woman... and I bet she's not the only person whose Lyme disease has gone undiagnosed for years and years ☹️

Mum thought she had dementia for 29 years before antibiotics cleared up symptoms Mum-of-three Pauline Bowie, 54, suffered brain fog, headaches, muscle pain, carpal tunnel, and was even wetting herself after being bitten by a tick in America in 1989.

For years I thought supplements were probably unnecessary - a bit like an insurance policy that plays on people's fears of being ill but rarely delivers much return on their investment.

A while ago I changed my mind, and this is why:

Fruit and veg only 'half as nutritious' as 80 years ago, study shows Researchers at Coventry University examined the nutrients in 28 types of fruit and vegetable - including potatoes and bananas - sold in the UK in 1940, 1991 and 2019.

You don’t understand me! How to talk to your teenager If you’re a parent of teenagers it’s likely that you sometimes struggle to understand the way their brains work and find it hard to be close to them without an

Garlic oil beats antibiotics at killing Lyme bacteria in lab - Futurity "…these essential oils were even better at killing the 'persister' forms of Lyme bacteria than standard Lyme antibiotics."

MASSAGE FOR MATES, BACK RUBS FOR BUDDIES!

If you'd like to learn how to massage your partner, family or friends, why not book an hour and a half to two hours with me?

I will bring my massage table and oils to you and teach you and one other person how to use simple techniques safely to give an enjoyable and effective treatment.

This is a fun, relaxing way to learn - there's no pressure to get anything right, and plenty of opportunity to practice various massage strokes until you feel comfortable with them.

I recommend people start by learning a simple back massage routine. I've also taught Indian Head Massage and full body techniques in the past.

1 1/2 hours £50

2 hours £60

In case some wise person actually arrives at your house bearing FRANKINCENSE (I say wise because it's one of my all time favourite essential oils, and in my view one of the most useful), here are some things you might like to know about it:

FRANKINCENSE essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of the resin, which seeps naturally from the tree. Most oil is produced in North Africa and The Middle East.

FRANKINCENSE has been used for centuries in religious ceremonies and for medicinal purposes, as well as for embalming. When the English archeologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Egypt's boy-king Tutankhamun in 1922, jars were found containing the remnants of a perfumed oil. On closer inspection this was found to be a mixture of coconut oil, spikenard and frankincense.

Today FRANKINCENSE is widely used in skincare, especially products for ‘mature skin’. Being part dedicated aromatherapist and part sceptic, I’m always wary of claims that particular oils have ‘miracle’ properties, and can neither confirm nor deny rumours that it is fantastic for reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles…

However, there are two things I’ve used FRANKINCENSE for over and again, with great success for my clients and myself. Firstly, it is great for chronic sinus conditions. The easiest way to use it is to add 1 drop to 2ml of un-fragranced face cream or lotion and apply twice daily. If you do this and do happen to find yourself looking 10 years younger, please let me know!

The other thing I like FRANKINCENSE for is anxiety, nervous exhaustion, an overactive mind, in fact any kind of stress. FRANKINCENSE reputedly encourages people to breathe more deeply, which may be one of the reasons it helps them feel calmer.

One of my favourite blends is 3 drops Geranium 2 drops FRANKINCENSE to 10ml base oil - it has a hint of Turkish Delight about it!

I also use it often with Black Pepper or Marjoram or Ginger, in order to create a blend that is relaxing mentally and emotionally and also warming for the muscles.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE 🌲🎄🌲

One of my favourite winter scents is CINNAMON.

Grown widely in Asia, it has been used in both Ayurveda and in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years, especially for digestive problems and for any condition where warmth is beneficial. CINNAMON would usually be used in the form of teas and tinctures, and nowadays it’s easy to buy it as a supplement.

As for essential oils, two kinds of CINNAMON are available, both produced mainly in Sri Lanka. One is distilled from the leaves of the plant, and one from the bark. However both are highly irritating to the skin, and should be used with extreme caution.

CINNAMON is not an oil I would ever put in the bath, and even diluted in a base massage oil I wouldn’t use more than 1 drop per 10ml. Also, there are other oils that are safer and have similar therapeutic effects: ginger is just as good for stimulating the circulation and improving digestion, as well as relaxing the muscles. Tea tree, eucalyptus, lavender and many other oils have antiseptic, antibacterial, and antiviral properties.

Various studies suggest that CINNAMON may help stabilise blood sugar levels, but as I suffer from what I like to think is healthy cynicism, I’ll reserve judgement until I either meet lots of people who have experience of this, or until larger studies are done.

So why buy the oil at all? For me, the smell alone is so comforting and festive that it’s nice to have a bottle in the house to use in a burner or diffuser. Two or three drops mixed with orange oil will make your whole house smell like Christmas!

Thanks to Mixed Pixel for another lovely design. The perfect Christmas present for some special person in your life. Or better still, you could ask them to get one for you! 🎄🎁

PINE ESSENTIAL OIL (Pinus Sylvestris)

One of my favourite things about Christmas is having a Christmas tree in the house. My partner would much prefer it if I got a fake one that didn’t drop needles. According to the Carbon Trust fake trees have more than twice the carbon footprint than real trees that end up in landfill, and more than ten times than real trees that end up being burned. I rest my case 😉

Anyhow, for me, nothing beats the smell of mulled wine, mince pies… and a fresh pine tree in my very own living room 🎄 I often dream of spending Christmas in a log cabin on a snowy mountain side, surrounded by pine trees and clear skies. For now, the tree will have to do...

Known as Scotch Pine in the UK and as Norway Pine in Scandinavia, the oil is obtained by steam distillation from the cones, young twigs, and pine needles of the tree. Scotch Pine is thought to be the only Pine to have survived the Ice Ages - apparently it can survive even at - 40C !!

I was talking about essential oils at a school once, and one of the pupils, smelling the pine essential oil, declared loudly that it was just like toilet cleaner! Sadly this can be the case, but you can find lovely fresh, soft scented pine oil too. It’s not an expensive oil, so you can afford to try a few and find one you like.

Pine is traditionally used for it’s antibacterial, disinfectant, anti rheumatic and decongestant properties. Be careful if you add it to the bath - 2 or 3 drops will do. For sinus infections, colds and any kind of nasal congestion, add 1 to 2 drops to boiling water with 1 drop of peppermint and 1 of cedar or sandalwood or tea tree, and inhale.

Pine oil blends particularly well with Black Pepper and Marjoram - mix in a base oil for massage using a total of 1 drop essential oil to every 2 ml base oil (for adults, children over 5 need half this amount).

Absolute Aromas are a really trustworthy essential oil supplier and this is a great value gift. Just be careful not to put clove oil directly in the bath - dilute it in something first 🌲🎄🌲

Every act of kindness makes a difference. Let's help create a happier world this December with our Kindness Calendar. Please use & share 💕🌎🎄

https://www.actionforhappiness.org/december

If there’s one essential oil we all need to have handy at the moment it’s TEA TREE. Here are some interesting facts about it:

The leaves of the tree Melaleuca Alternifolia, which is native to Queensland and New South Wales, have been used for medicinal purposes for hundreds of years by the indigenous people of Australia. When he arrived in Australia in 1770, British explorer Captain James Cook noticed this, started brewing tea from the leaves, and renamed the plant ‘Tea Tree’, though it bears on relation to Camellia Sinensis, which nearly all black tea comes from.

Commercial production of Tea Tree oil really took off in the 1920s when Arthur Penfold, a chemist with a particular interest in plant extracts and essential oils, suggested that Tea Tree oil had antiseptic properties.

By WWII Tea Tree oil was considered to be such a potent antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiviral and antifungal agent that Australian Army soldiers were all issued with a bottle as part of their first aid kit, and bush cutters were exempt from national service as their work was crucial to the war effort.

And here is how to use it:

In massage oils - adult dose 1 drop per 2ml of base oil (vegetable, not mineral oil) - children over 5 - 1 drop in 4ml, younger children 1 drop in 8 - 10ml

In steam inhalations - 2 drops in boiling water with peppermint and cedar or sandalwood for congested sinuses

In the bath - 3 - 4 drops maximum - more can cause skin irritation!

I do not recommend using Tea Tree oil neat unless it is directly on toenails with a fungal infection.

Tea Tree oil is not a favourite of mine in terms of smell, but it is so useful for any kind of infection, and blends particularly well with Black Pepper, Eucalyptus, Ginger, Lavender, Marjoram, Peppermint, and Pine.

Tea Tree oil has been the subject of more studies than most essential oils - read more here https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1360273/

Of course I agree with much that's said in this article, and one of the worst aspects of the pandemic, especially in the early days, was that people became subtly wary of each other, as if other people were a source of danger.

But I do wonder what kind of world we live in that anyone needs to pay to attend a 'cuddle workshop'... that I find quite depressing!

‘Massage breaks the pain cycle’: the return of touch – after almost two years without it For many people, social distancing and lockdowns left them bereft of physical contact. Here, touch experts explain why it is so essential and what we lost in its absence

Choose courage over fear when it comes to asking for help

Image: http://morganharpernichols.com

It's World Mental Health Day.

Social media is awash with advice about how to care for your mental health. In fact there's so much advice out there that even scrolling through it and getting a sense of which advice would work for you can be overwhelming.

Years of helping people manage their stress, and learning to manage anxiety of my own when it crops up, have lead me to think that in the end what it boils down to is this:

The more you can be true to yourself - without upsetting other people - the calmer life will be, and the easier you will sleep at night.

This takes self awareness and a lot of practice, and most of all, it means not rushing to judgement or being reactive. It means giving yourself time to reflect on what's troubling you, and looking for the c***k of light in a gloomy situation.

It probably won't feel like there is a c***k of light, and when we fret, try and control things, and compulsively problem solve (the latter being a bit of a habit of mine, I admit), we won't be able to see it. But nearly always there is a c***k of light, and when you find it, things will usually feel a little better.

🌎It's . 💚Let's work towards a world with good mental health for all.

🔗Click on the link to learn more & get involved: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/world-mental-health-day

This not so little pooch is my excuse for not posting anything in ages…. and who knew that a 13 week old bundle of fluff could look so cute and yet smell so dreadful at the same time?

I can’t pretend that our house was always filled with the scent of freshly brewed coffee and baking bread, but it definitely didn’t smell of DOG!

As I’m not a fan of air freshener I tend to use essential oils in a vaporiser. There isn’t an absolute consensus about which oils are safe to use around animals, but this list of potentially toxic oils is generally agreed upon:

clove, cinnamon, citrus oils (including bergamot), eucalyptus, hyssop, juniper, peppermint, pine, rosemary, tea tree, thyme, wintergreen, ylang-ylang

If in doubt, I would stick to using essential oils in rooms your pets don’t go in, or in the bath or in massage oils.

Apparently it's WORLD CHOCOLATE DAY!!

I didn't even know there was such a thing until half an hour ago 😉

Anyhow, whether CHOCOLATE is good for you or not is still up for debate... but here are some quotes from articles that will give all you chocolate lovers hope:

A British study of 14,000 adults led scientists to claim chocs could be an alternative to antidepressants as the biggest consumers were 57 per cent less likely to suffer from the blues. (The Sun 5th July 2021)

And this is a headline in The Mail today:

"Chocolate for BREAKFAST? Eating the sugary snack as soon as you wake up may actually help burn fat, study claims" (the study consisted of a hefty (no pun intended) and not terribly convincing 19 menopausal women)

Please comment below if you'd like me to undertake my own one woman research project - I'll be happy to oblige!

When it comes to improving sleep, most people assume LAVENDER oil is the most useful. But some people don’t like it - and aromatherapy is meant to be a pleasant experience. Using something you hate the scent of won’t help you unwind and relax.

So what can you use instead?

Probably my favourite oil for sleep problems is MARJORAM. It is a warming, comforting oil that helps with muscle tension, headaches, stress and anxiety, as well as soothing the digestion.

After this, I would suggest CHAMOMILE (Roman). It’s a great oil for children, particularly if they are overtired and fractious. As well as being useful for irritability, over-sensitivity and anxiety, it can help with PMS and eczema.

Also, lots of people respond well to BERGAMOT, which is possibly the least stimulating of the citrus oils. Generally the citrus essential oils with feeling uplifted, and Bergamot can be used to help insomnia arising from depression.

When trying to treat insomnia, less is more. The best ways to use these oils are:

Add 4 drops to a warm bath
Add 3 - 4 drops to a diffuser
Add 1 drop per 2ml of base oil and massage in to the skin

I’m interested to hear what works for other people… do share any useful tips!