A quick skim over of my latest naturopathic blogs makes it very evident that essential oils are an important part of my naturopathic and functional medicine practice. I’ve often stated that they are my favorite wellness tools.
In this article, I will explain the five main reasons why these heavenly smelling plant secondary metabolites play such a vital role in how I support my clients.
5 Ways That Naturopathic Medicine and Essential Oils Make Perfect Partners
1. Essential oils have immediate, multiple beneficial effects which simultaneously impact the emotions, body, and spirit. For example, they have been shown to help mitigate stress, balance mood, support the brain of those struggling with “mental illnesses,” and aid in recovery from substance use disorder. These characteristics are all in alignment with the naturopathic medicine principle to treat the whole person, not just their symptoms.
2. Their multi-factorial and synergistic properties work with the body and mind, rather than manipulating them. Essential oils are gentle, yet powerful, and guide the organ systems in a non-invasive way. This honors the naturopathic medicine principle to work with the healing power of nature.
3. Essential oils seamlessly fit into many wellness practices. This is based on the naturopathic principle to teach healthy living.
For example, some oils are stimulating and invigorating and assist with exercise performance. Several studies have reported how cardamom and peppermint oils can augment workouts by increasing attention and cardiorespiratory fitness. (source, source) These same oils can also be used to help with focus during the workday.
Other essential oils are calming. They can be used after a workout, if one is over-stimulated from the day, or stressed from project deadlines looming. Various combinations of oils can be used with meditation or simply diffused to soothe the nerves, support the body’s defenses and aid recovery from stress effects.
4. My naturopathic and functional medicine specialties are emotional and mental health, digestive wellness, and hormonal balance; therefore, using essential oils allows me to incorporate an intervention that not only addresses physiological imbalances, but often what precedes or co-occurs with them.
As they modulate neurotransmitters, essential oils also balance hormones, assist digestion, and enhance mood. They also combine well with the herbs and supplements that I also often suggest. Care should be taken with using them with certain medications, but often essential oils enhance prescription drugs’ positive effects and decrease their side effects.
5. Essential oils’ effects are based on biochemical individuality. This means everyone will respond differently to essential oils based on many distinct factors including: one’s own unique chemical makeup, detoxification capacities, genetic variances in enzymes, health status, and associations with a particular aroma. This makes essential oils a form of personalized medicine that is so essential to naturopathic treatment.
Bonus: Prevention is the Best Cure
As a naturopathic doctor who upholds all of the six naturopathic medicine principles, I take to heart that “prevention is the best cure.” Starting with tips for a healthy fall using essential oils and moving into specific essential oils blends to inspire hope, abundance, joy and gratitude, I have been making a commitment to help divert the “festive stress” that peaks right about… now!
In just a few days, I will be sending out the passcode to my subscribers to access the latest webinar on using the sacred essential oils of the season. I wanted to get it out on time to divert this form of holiday havoc.
My hope is that you can use the information from this 18-minute webinar and my latest holiday posts to have a healthier, happier, and more serene holiday.
Make sure you subscribe to my blog to get access to the webinar and my upcoming post on additional naturopathic and holiday essential oils’ resources.
Coming Up: Holiday Essential Oils Webinar
Stay tuned for more tips for a happier, calmer, holiday season.
Make sure you don’t miss out on all the upcoming holiday extras for my subscribers, including my exclusive, free, holiday webinar.
It’s short and sweet to give you the information you need during the busiest time of year.
Visit my website to get essential oils resources and access to exclusive content, delivered right to your inbox.
You can also access my essential oils database and learn more about my practice here.
This material is for information purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prescribe for any illness. You should check with your doctor regarding implementing any new strategies into your wellness regime. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. (Affiliation link.)
Disclaimer: This information is applicable ONLY for therapeutic quality essential oils. This information DOES NOT apply to essential oils that have not been tested for purity and standardized constituents. There is no quality control in the United States, and oils labeled as “100% pure” need only to contain 5% of the actual oil. The rest of the bottle can be filled with fillers and sometimes toxic ingredients that can irritate the skin. The studies are not based solely on a specific brand of an essential oil, unless stated. Please read the full study for more information.
