Nowadays, headaches are very common and all of us suffer from some type of headaches from time to time. But not only headaches, anxiety also is a common mental health issue.
If you have these kinds of problems, you should try lavender lemonade. This is one of the most delicious and natural ways to treat headaches and anxiety.
All you need to do is spice up your lemonade with lavender to enjoy its medicinal properties and its pleasant aroma that will relax your senses immediately. To make this lemonade you can use the flower of the plant or lavender oil, which is an extremely healthy essential oil.
There are more than 150 active constituents in its chemically complex structure and it has powerful antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiseptic, analgesic, antimicrobial, detoxifying, antispasmodic, hypotensive, antidepressant and sedative properties.
Lavender oil is known to soothe the anxiety and lower pulse rates in nursing students before they are put trough a stressful test. It is also known that, in hospital settings, lavender aromatherapy lowers pre-surgery distress and is even more calming than a massage.
This magical essential oil can also be very helpful in the case of insomnia, labor pains, hangovers, sinus congestion, and depression.
Because of all the calming effects it has, lavender has been traditionally used for centuries everywhere in the world.
Here are some facts about lavender that are a result of the findings from clinical trials on lavender aromatherapy:
1. Lavender aromatherapy, regardless if it’s with or without massage, is known to lower the perception of pain and the need for conventional analgesics in adults and children.
2. Just by receiving lavender oil (10%) olfaction for 3 minutes, people felt more relaxed, their mood was improved, and their scores of alpha power on EEG (an indicator of alertness), and speed of mathematical calculations were enhanced.
3. Lavender oil aromatherapy has anxiolytic activity in patients in intensive care units. In these studies, patients were given at least 1 session of aromatherapy with 1% lavender essential oil.
4. According to a study about lavender oil in burner use on staff mood and stress in a hospital setting found that 85% of the people involved in the study believed that lavender aroma improved the work environment.
5. Studies have also shown that the aroma of lavender is very pleasant and is directly linked to changes in the autonomic nervous system.
Also there was a study about how the effects of aromatherapy with lavender oil effects on depressed mood and anxiety in female patients treated with chronic hemodialysis. In this study were estimated the effects that aromatherapy has, by using the Hamilton rating scale for anxiety (HAMA) and the Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAMD). In this study was shown that lavender aroma significantly reduces the mean scores of HAMA.
Here are some instructions that will help you prepare lavender lemonade and enjoy its taste and health benefits.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup dried lavender or 1 drop lavender essential oil
- 6 lemons
- 1 cup raw honey
- 5 cups pure water
- Lavender sprigs for garnish
Instructions:
Boil half of the water and leave it to cool down. Once the water is cold, add the honey and the dried lavender. Leave it to steep for 20 minutes, then strain, and pour it into a larger container.
Next, peel and juice the lemons add the juice and the rest of the water, and stir well. Pour the lemonade in a glass container and keep it in the fridge.
There are many other ways how you can use lavender and improve your health by that:
For example, add 2 drops of Lavender per ounce into your favorite unrefined organic oil. In this way you will prepare a natural body oil which will relax your mind, keep insects at bay, help you sleep better, and improve your skin.
Add 5 to 6 drops of lavender essential oil to your bath water to keep your dry skin hydrated.
If you want to naturally relieve stress, just diffuse 10-12 drops of lavender into the air.