Chinese chef, Martin Yan, correctly proclaimed, “You can do almost anything with soup stock, it’s like a strong foundation. When you have the right foundation, everything tastes good.” That is sort of how I feel about essential oils. I believe they provide a firm foundation for a healthy lifestyle.
When my dad was a young man, he was a civil engineer. He worked for the State of Indiana. During this time, he built a bridge in Indianapolis. His whole life we had heard about this bridge, but if you know my dad, then you know he was a modest man, who was content taking the back seat to the rest of us. When we would ask him about the bridge he designed, he would nonchalantly say it was on the south side of town, but really nothing more.
In recent years, when I visited I would mention driving down to view this particular bridge, but we never did. When my dad passed away, one of the things I regretted was never going to see the bridge. I read an article in the paper that same week which said several bridges in Indy were being torn down or remodeled. I was bummed because I thought to myself, “Now we’ll never know where it was.”
At his funeral a man stood up to say some kind words about working with my dad when they labored together for the State. Much to my delight, he told the story about the bridge my dad had built; how well-crafted and beautiful it was and what a firm foundation it had, as it had stood the test of time for all of these years. We were surprised to find out that this was not a bridge that you drive upon, but a cross-walk sort of bridge over Madison Avenue on the south side of downtown Indianapolis. The man went on to further explain that the bridge had changed somewhat over the years, because eventually they had added fencing along the top; presumably to keep kids from falling or jumping on to the street below, but it had the same firm foundation as when originally built.
I have had several people ask me questions over the past year, regarding essential oils. Do they really work? Are they worth the money? What are they exactly? How do they enter your body? What are their benefits? How long have they been around?
So here is the scoop in a nutshell. Essential oils have been around forever. In fact, they are mentioned directly or indirectly in the Bible over 1000 times. They are the most powerful part of the plant. Essential oils are distilled from trees, flowers, bushes, roots, fruit and herbs. They consist of over 100 different, natural, organic compounds. In humans, these oils provide support for every system in the body; including the skeletal, muscular, circulatory, endocrine, respiratory and immune systems.
There are about 300 known essential oils on earth, but we need only about ten to twenty to nurture a healthy lifestyle. They enter the body topically, aromatically or by ingestion. In Sarah Harnish’ s book, Gameplan, she explains, “Tests have shown oils reach the heart, liver and thyroid in three seconds when inhaled; they were found in the bloodstream in 26 seconds when applied topically,”
Not all essential oils are created equally. If you have noticed they are popping up for sale everywhere. There are four categories of essential oils: Grade A, B, C and D. Grade A is therapeutic; meaning it is produced from organically grown plants and is distilled at low temperatures. But be advised, even if a bottle states “therapeutic grade” or “pure”, the FDA only requires that it contain a minimum of five percent essential oil. Do your research and buy from a reputable company. (For more information on 100% pure essential oils, you can check out Young Living’s Seed to Seal Promise. http://www.youngliving.com)
People are always touting what they use their essential oils for, how they help them with this or that, and how they are better than chemical based this or that. But what I would like to focus on today, is the firm foundation essential oils provide for a healthy, chemical free lifestyle.
Just like my dad’s bridge has stood the test of time, and stands proudly over Madison Ave, essential oils have been around for thousands of years. Just like Dad’s bridge provides support for people who want to safely cross a busy road, essential oils prudently support every system in our body. Just like there are several ways to access my dad’s piece of work, essential oils can be safely ingested, topically applied, or deeply inhaled. Lastly, there are millions of bridges in the world, but only one is special to me because my dad designed it. Similarly, there are lots of products on the market today, but it pays to research and choose the best; 100% pure, Grade A, therapeutic essential oils. Remember, soup is yummy, bridges are beautiful, essential oils are the bomb, but they all provide a firm foundation!!
Taking Back Happy 