Aromatherapy is so Mindful

Your nose is incredibly sensitive to scents, odors and smells. In fact recent research has found that you may be able to differentiate between close to 100,000 different compounds and molecular combinations. And that makes sense because humans used to be keen hunters, and relied on their nose to detect prey, sense danger, check food for edibility, find water, detect dead animals to scavenge, locate fire, and find important herbs and flowers. And those naturally growing flowers all had individual scents or essences, commonly referred today as Essential Oils (like vanilla, lavender, gardenia, jasmine, sage, almond, basil, lemon), and are at the core of aromatherapy. They possess healing and medicinal purposes that those who understand the power of aromatherapy benefit from today. Not to mention that the flowers early man knew about, and knew the location of, are also harbingers of the fruits and vegetables they could gather from those plants after they had been pollinated.

But the biggest benefit of aromatherapy that even many people today don’t realize is that they promote serotonin, the “rest and digest” or “feed and breed” hormone. And the feeling of contentment and relaxation that comes with smelling serotonin promoting plants and oils is an underrated prize in our stress-filled societies.

We all have the ability to benefit from smelling the serotonin-producing essential oils, and consuming the plants, fruits, nuts and berries that they produce. For instance, vanilla is a super essential oil, so special that it was prized as a potent aphrodisiac (read ‘breed’) by the Mayan Indians. The vanilla bean is a superfood and has antioxidant-rich relaxing properties, enhances mood and brain health, and contains essential trace minerals.

The best vanilla beans come from Madagascar, and those are the only ones we use when we make Vanilla MUD, our dairy free ice cream sweetened with dates. We think of it as an Essential treat. Of course we also have Chocolate MUD, made from the highest quality cacao beans. So, make sure you let your nose enjoy all that MUD has to offer and get nice and relaxed before you feed your body with its superfood goodness. Mmmmm.

The above information is for educational purposes only, and gathered from a variety of different sources. It should not be construed as medical advice, or as an endorsement of any particular product. Your healthcare provider is your best source for medical and nutritional direction, and should be consulted on any health decision you make.

© 2021 Eat MUD