Since this was a Thai verison of Chinense Fried Rice, I paired this dish with Galangal. Galangal Essential Oil is an excellent candidate as a culinary essential oil for your pantry. The Galangal root is hard to find even in many Asian markets here in the US. It is akin to Ginger, but it’s skin is thinner and more flesh like with a reddish uwe. Ginger tends to be spicy where Galangal has a more floral note. It can make many of your asian dishes taste more exotic.

This Thai style Fried Rice is a great one pot meal for your family. The pineapple gives it a sweetiness to the sour/saltiness of the fish and soy sauce. If you like it spicy add more of the chili paste. I used the Galangal as part of the cooking process and at the end for more flavoring.

1/2 lb. extra-large shrimp (26 to 30 per lb.), peeled and deveined
Kosher salt
2 Tbs. coconut oil or another nut or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced lengthwise (about 2 cups)
1 large scallion, thinly sliced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. fish sauce; more as needed
5 drops of Galangal Essential Oil
1 tsp. chili-garlic sauce
1/2 cup of carrots, diced
1/2 cup of green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 cups day-old unsalted cooked jasmine rice
1-1/2 cups medium-diced fresh pineapple (about half a large pineapple)
1/2 cup whole cashews
1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari; more as needed
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro; more for garnish

Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Heat 1 Tbs. of the oil in a 12-inch skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the shrimp and cook, flipping once, until pink and opaque, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a plate.

Heat the remaining 1 Tbs. oil in the skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently with a spatula, until browned on the edges but not completely soft, about 2 minutes. Add the scallion and cook, stirring, until browned and wilted, about 30 seconds. Combine 3 drops of the Galangal with the fish sauce. Add the garlic, galangal infused-fish sauce, and chili-garlic sauce and cook, stirring, until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the rice and cook, stirring to break up any clumps, until the mixture is well combined and heated through, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the shrimp and any accumulated juices, the pineapple and cashews. If you want to add more galangal at the end add 2 more drops to the soy sauce. Add it the rice dish. Season to taste with more soy sauce or fish sauce.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Serve garnished with additional cilantro.

Next week I will use Ginger Essential Oil in Mixed Herb Salad with Honey Lime Dressing.

Happy Cooking!

Let’s review the steps for blending:

1.  Define the issue

2.  List the oils that seem relevant, if working with a person focus on their particular needs or create a general blend

3. Decide how much you will make and the container needed.

4. Determine the ratio of the blend or how many drops essential oils. 1-20%

5. Decide upon a carrier.

1. What is gingivitis?

Well it took me a while to get back to blogging. I skipped  ahead to a recipe using Nutmeg by the request of a student. I made this cake in a Gritman class.

Nutmeg comes from a slow-growing, big ever-green tree. Every 8 years, flowers form and the produce a husk with a seed in it. The seed when dried becomes nutmeg and the outer husk when dried is mace. It was considered a luxury item and traded as a precious commodity by Arab traders. Even today it only grows well in a few places in the world.

Nutmeg tends to be main flavoring for sweets: cookies, cakes, puddings, sprinkled over hot drinks in the winter especially around the holidays here in the states. However it can be the secret ingredient in many savory dishes. Italians are famous for this. It can be an excellent pairing with chicken and ham.

The essential oil of Nutmeg is a wonderful complement for your spice cabinet and will keep for years. I used the essential oil in the icing of the cake. It was a big hit with the class we had in December. The “surprise” in the cake are beets and keep the cake moist. Your family and friends will never guess.

For the Cake
2 medium beets, trimmed
1/2 Tbs. vegetable oil
6 oz. (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened; more for the pans
9 oz. (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pans
2 oz. (2/3 cup) natural cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3 drops of Nutmeg Essential Oil

For the Frosting
5 oz. (10 Tbs.) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2-1/4 oz. (3/4 cup) natural cocoa powder
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. instant espresso powder
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
28-30 blackberries (a pint and half optional for garnish)

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Put the beets on a piece of foil large enough to wrap them. Drizzle with the vegetable oil and turn to coat well. Enclose the beets in the foil and roast until tender when pierced with a paring knife, about 1 hour. Let cool.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans generously with softened butter. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment and coat the parchment with butter. Dust the pans with flour, tapping out any excess.
Peel and finely grate enough of the beets to yield 3/4 cup. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-low speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the grated beets and the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and carefully add half of the flour mixture; mix until fully incorporated. Add 1-1/4 cups hot water and the remaining flour mixture, return to medium-low speed and mix until smooth, about 2 minutes. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans, smoothing the tops.

Bake the cakes, rotating halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool the cakes in their pans on a rack for 10 minutes and then turn them out onto racks and peel off the parchment. Let the cakes cool completely.

Make the Frosting
Melt the butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and cocoa powder and mix until combined. Stir in the cream, espresso powder, vanilla, and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until smooth. Pour the mixture into a bowl and cool slightly. Refrigerate, stirring every 10 minutes, until soft peaks form. After 30 minutes add the Nutmeg Essential Oil. Continue with stirring every 10 minutes until frosting is completely cool, about 1 hour.

Assemble the Cake
Place one of the cakes on a cake plate and spread a generous 1/2 cup frosting evenly over the top. Top with the second cake and spread a generous 1/2 cup frosting over it. Frost the sides with the remaining frosting. Add blackberries to the circumference of the cake.

Happy Baking!
Next week I will go back to the alphabet and continue with a recipe using  Ginger Essential Oil.

Let’s review the steps for blending:

1.  Define the issue

2.  List the oils that seem relevant, if working with a person focus on their particular needs or create a general blend

3. Decide how much you will make and the container needed.

4. Determine the ratio of the blend or how many drops essential oils. 1-20%

5. Decide upon a carrier.

1. Define – What is Acne?

Inflammatory disorder of the sebaceous glands of the skin. Blackheads, whiteheads, and pustules result. Acne is found on the face, neck, chest, and back. Most common in teenagers especially boys as male hormones are implicated, but can be found in any age group. Thought to be the product of hormonal imbalance (puberty, before menstruation, during pregnancy, and menopause), digestive issues as intolerance or allergies to certain foods primarily milk and wheat, hereditary factors,  stress, and reaction to certain drugs taken internally such as tranquilizers, antidepressants, antibiotics, oral contraceptives, and anabolic steroids .

2. The oils effective against acne (There are many more oils effective against acne at the Gritman Store. These are just a few.),:

Tea Tree – anti-infection and especially good with treating pus related skin issues, mild inflammatory

Patchouli – strong astringent so good with oily skin, skin regenerator which helps minimize scarring, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and counters stress

Geranium – hormone balancer,  good skin regenerator, astringent so tightens pores, and stimulates lymphatic  system to remove toxins

Clary Sage – hormone balancer especially in women, anti-inflammatory, astringent, skin regenerator

Blue Chamomile – excellent inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and counters stress

Texas Cedarwood -astringent so good with oily skin, antibacterial, and counters stress

Juniper Berry – astringent, mild inflammatory, antiseptic, refreshing

Lavender – superior skin regenerator. mild inflammatory, antistress

3-4. Is this blend going to be used with men and women or are we going to be gender specific? This is important because men will not like the sweet scents on their face nor will women want to smell like men. This blend is to be used for both genders then the scent needs to be neutral. This blend will be neutral so that both genders can use it comfortably.

Blue Chamomile has a very neutral scent. It is not sweet nor manly and since it is one of the best anti-inflammatories, we will use it. Tea Tree also has a good medicinal scent and it is particularly good with pus producing infections.  Juniper has a reviving, refreshing scent to it and is also an astringent with healing properties. Patchouli because it decreases scarring and helps produce new skin cells and its scent while strong and deep is gender freely. Lavender will add some sweetness but not enough to be offensive to men. The Albanian lavender will be nice here. All these oils will be good at reducing stress.

Let’s make a 1 oz bottle. This gives us 750 drops. A 1% dilution  is 7-8 drops. At 5% this is 35-40 drops. We will go with a 5% dilution. We would make this higher if the acne was severe or less if it was a very mild case. Do we want one oil to dominant?  No, I want blue chamomile and tea tree to dominant with 20 drops because acne is primarily an anti-inflammatory and infected skin issue. We can do 10 drops of each. If I was making this for a woman, I would use more geranium and clary sage. I do want to use geranium because it does balance hormonally, so we will use 5 drops Egyptian Geranium. Patchouli because it has such great anti-scarring properties. Let’s use 7 drops. Lavender for its scent value, counters stress, and balances skin with 5 drops.

Add Blue Chamomile, Tea Tree, Geranium, Patchouli, and Lavender to a 1 oz bottle with dropper. We could also use a roll-on, but since acne is highly infectious, a dropper is better.

5. What carrier will we use? Since the skin tends to be oily with Acne, we will not want to use an oil. We might use Jojoba because it works with the skin’s sebum and is a wax.  Witch Hazel is a good astringent and Alcohol is drying. I prefer witch hazel. Add 1/3 oz jojoba to the 1oz bottle. Shake. Fill the bottle with witch hazel and shake. Cap.

On the Label give instructions on how to use. Shake before use. Clean face with warm water and a mild natural soap like Lou’s Lavender Soap.  Apply to skin upon waking and before bed. Takes several days before results will be noticed. Continue to use for three weeks. If condition does not clear, consult a physician.

Gritman and the Garden
The drought continues, but we did get a good rainfall this week. We just need about twenty more good rains, but we certainly enjoyed the precipitation. First freeze also came this week. We were hoping to be spared this as the winter and fall were so delightfully mild. Seeds here next week for summer bloom. The fall garden is completely in with clary sage, roman chamomile, mugwort, mother’s wort, dyers chamomile, nasturtium, calendula, fennel, dill, parsley, carob tree, rue, and cilantro.
Catalogs
Amy is finishing updates to the 2012 catalog and should have it available at the beginning of February. Some Prices have gone up, but also others have gone down. If you would like a paper catalog please e-mail us at info@gritman.com or call us. All the updates will be reflected on the website.
The Website
We are still finding bugs on the website. If you see something that is not working or needs to be corrected, please let us know. Amy is correcting them as fast as she can, but we discover new glitches every day. This is a love/hate adventure. Love having a wonderful beautiful new website, but hate the hours still left to get things straight.  Amy has taken this on as her personal baby and spends so many extra hours on it while still being a great mom and wife. Being a little company is challenging as we all wear so many hats.
Gritman Products in Houston
Not to long ago, Amy posted on Facebook about having our products on the north side of Houston. She got a great response with a new addition, Nature’s Gift Holisitic Center, for the northside of Houston. Others asked where else in Houston to go for our products. So we are posting the wonderful stores and spas that support Gritman. In the future Amy would like to have these listed on the website along with other places nationally. If you would like your business list as a store or distributor for Gritman let us know.
North Houston: Nature’s Gifts Holistic Center, 12834 Willow Centre Suite F 281-440-0082 http://www.massagetherapybyzada.com/
Galveston: The Witchery 2116 Postoffice St., 409-515-0669                 www.witcheryonline.com
League City: Yoga Lola 1701 Hwy 3 South, 281-684-3168 http://www.yogalola.com/
South Houston: Reflections Medical Spa 10950 Resource Pkwy, Ste B,                              281-922-0772, http://www.reflections-medspa.com/
Houston (inside the loop): Body, Mind, and Soul 4344 Westheimer on Mid Ln. 713-993-0550 , http://www.bodymindandsoulhouston.com/                               Lucia’s Garden 2360 West Alabama 713-523-6494, www.luciasgarden.com
Katy:  Cinco Spa, 23050 Westheimer Parkway, Katy, TX 77494 281-693-5772, http://www.cincospa.com  E-learning Classes
This has proven to be overwhelming. We are scaling back and hope to see a one hour introductory class on the web soon.   It will be free and open to anyone that wants to watch it. If you have particular concerns or questions you want answers, let us know and we will include it in this presentation.
The Blog
Jill Horn, our Professional Certified Aromatherapist, is blogging away in her Just Ask Jill. She answers questions and comments on health issues and how to use the oils. Amy is adding more recipes on food and wine. Meg blogs on a variety of subjects, but she has started a blending blog. There is so much confusion on the web about blending. It seems the prevalent format is perfume blending which is great for perfumes but most blending is about other subjects and the rules change. If you are interested in learning more about blending, follow Meg on the blog and comment, as she will comment in return.
Spiritual Aromatherapy Certification
Level One Spiritual Aromatherapy Certification last August was fabulous. This class is being reworked into 2 levels. Certification One will cover an overview of all 9 dimensions and focus on the first four. Level Two will focus on 4-9 dimensions. This material is particularly relevant to the growth and health of those entering New Earth. We are all in a particularly powerful time to clear the old and make it new. This is happening on many levels and for those in the healing professions this information is invaluable to creating the new paradigms necessary to make the transition.  Level One will be presented in June 23-24. Level Two will be presented in August  18-19. For those that have already taken the Level One but would like to revisit this new reworking, you may attend at a nominal fee. Call.
The class last November that made the oil cases was very successful. As a testing tool for oils and spiritual readings, these cases become very necessary. An inexpensive way to have access to the oils. We are considering doing the kit weekend again. It is incredibly demanding for us to get ready for it. It took several months of intense effort. We will make that decision in August, so if you are interested let us know.
Spiritual Aromatherapy Certification in Washington State
June 1-3, Meg will be in Olympia, Washington doing a three-day intensive. This is an incredible opportunity for those of you in the area that have wanted to take the class but unable to travel here. It will be held in a beautiful retreat center. River Arborvitae is our sponsor and contact person in the area and she can be reached at rootsoflight@gmail.com.This is Meg’s first travel since Amy’s pregnanc  Amy, Pregnancy, and Essential Oils
Amy was asked by several women within the birthing community if she could teach a class on prenatal and postpatum issues and what essential oils work well. Amy was thrilled that there is interest in this. Aromatherapy for Prenatal and Postpartum Motherhood is a great class for moms, doulas, midwives, doctors, nurses and anyone else interested in helping easy into the transition of motherhood naturally and effortlessly.

Certification in Skin Science
Jill is starting a Skin Science Certifying program. She will be creating protocol sheets for different skin conditions. This will make it easier for you to look up different conditions and know how to treat them. The seminar will end with everyone getting a facial that is always great fun, and you leave beautiful. This class is the first of three. Once you finish the three classes, you will become certified in skin science and get a lovely diploma with a binder full of protocol sheets.

Our Adorable Ava
Ava entered Preschool this last fall. The art projects line our walls and we had an Indian princess at Thanksgiving complete with macaroni necklace. The Christmas program was wonderful seeing her with all the other kids. The hand motions and dancing were adorable. This holiday season was full of merriment and joy. Bless the children.

We are happy to announce that Meg will be offering a 3 day Spiritual Aromatherapy course in Olympia, Washington, June 1-3, 2012. Meg has been working with Spiritual Aromatherapy for over 20 years. Recently she made a major paradigm shift within this work. It is all about frequency. This has been totally misconstrued within the aromatherapy/essential oil world. This class will allow you a basic understanding of the nine dimensions and how the oils work on each dimension. This will create new paradigms for healing and new understandings why the oils work and why you intuitively are doing what you do.

This class will follow the curriculum for Certification for Spiritual Aromatherapy Level 1 plus an extra day to develop advanced skills. There will be individual as well as group work opportunities. There will also be emphasis on working with minerals and crystals, so participants are encouraged to bring their favor healing stones.

Focus will also be on developing and working with your intuition. The essential oils, the frequency, the minerals, the individual, and the intent of healing are woven together in a magical yet logical tapestry. Who we are as earth, solar, galactic, and universal beings is explored with many opportunities to heal and connect.

Prepare to have new insights into:

The World Tree and who we are within the 7 directions

Natural world of microorganisms, elementals, minerals as a cooperative healing team

Expanding underlying thought forms around punishment and the ego/Self

How negative energy works and how it can be released and transformed

Creating a new healing protocol so that the healer facilitates consciously within the 9 dimensions

This work is very exciting and on the cutting edge of the Earth Shift. This will be the first time that this work is presented outside of the GritmanFacilities. For those of you in the Northwest wanting to take a Gritman class but unable to travel, this is your opportunity.

For more information comment on this blog

or

Contact River Arborvitae 253- 514-7422 RootsofLight@gmail.com

All the tree oils will support the immune system and these are the cedarwoods, the eucalyptuses, cypresses, firs, juniper, pines, tea trees, and spruces. Cinnamon Leaf, Cassia Bark, Basil, Black Pepper, Laurel Leaf, Cardamon, Grapefruit, Lemon, Niaouli, Peppermint, Ravensara, Rosemary, and Thyme are usually on the list of powerful antivirals and lymph supporters.

Now that we have a list of oils. The next question is which one and how many drops? Unfortunately many people believe that you need to be a perfume blender to put a blend together. Therapeutic blending is not about the perfect combination of notes to create the balanced fragrance. Therapeutic blending is about putting oils together that will achieve the results you want. It may smell great and it may not.

Blend for Supporting the Immune System

This will be a blend for a massage or bath to encourage lymph movement.  We know that the immune system is dependent on the lymph system to kill and eliminate invading organisms. We will want one oil to stimulate the circulation (Black Pepper, Cinnamon Bark or Leaf, and Cypress), one oil to encourage fluid elimination (Grapefruit, Lemon, Juniper), and one oil to stimulate the lymph system (Grapefruit, Peppermint, Rosemary).

Cinnamon Bark is also a powerful antibacterial and a very hot oil. Care must be taken with it especially in the bath. Since we are not dealing with infection and want the blend to be bath friendly, we can pass on the cinnamon. We may want it in our environment by diffusing it especially if we are concerned that we could “get something.” Black Pepper is considered good for increasing blood cells, supports the spleen, and helps to remove blocked emotions. Since we do not perceive any problems just want to support the immune system, we can pass on this oil. Cypress is considered a premier circulatory stimulant especially with the veins. Arteries carry blood from the heart and the veins return the blood. The veins will be carrying toxins for elimination. We want to support this and relieve any venous congestion, so we choose cypress.

For fluid elimination, grapefruit is considered an excellent diuretic as well as a lymphatic stimulant. This is probably an oil we want to use. Lemon has similar properties to grapefruit, but considered better at detoxing which is what we are also encouraging. Both oils could work and we can use them both. Juniper is considered an excellent diuretic but it can stress the kidneys and we must be sure that who uses this blend has strong kidneys, so we will pass on this oil.

Grapefruit we have mentioned. Peppermint is a premier lymph stimulant. It has a chilling effect and if put into warm water, the person may only feel cold. We would prefer warmth to stimulate the system. Rosemary is also a good stimulant for circulation but probably more famous for its ability to stimulant the brain. Let’s go with Grapefruit since we are wanting this to go into a bath, as it is also very relaxing.

We have chosen Cypress, Lemon, and Grapefruit for our blend.

We will use a 1oz bottle which is 750 drops. What percentage of essential oils do we want in our blend? If this is for the retail market, we would stay with 1% which is 7-8 drops essential oil to 1oz carrier. An aromatherapist would probably blend from a 10% ration or 75 drops but the aromatherapist would be supervising the treatment. Retail must be much more careful.

Which carrier are we going to use? I like Calendula for lymph and skin issues. Calendula grows here and we make the maceration here at Gritman. Calendula Maceration has astringent properties and reduces venous congestion while being very good for the skin.

In a 1oz bottle, we will use how many drops of cypress, lemon, and grapefruit? Since the lemon and grapefruit are so similar in properties, we can emphasize the cypress. We can drop 35 drops of cypress with 20 drops of lemon and 20 drops of grapefruit. We now have 75 drops in our bottle. We fill the bottle with calendula. Cap. Shake. Label.

We can use 30 drops of this in our bath and use the rest for a massage. The bath needs to be as warm as we can take it and once out of the tub, we wrap in towels and sweat. Drink, drink, drink water.

For the massage, we think about starting at the extremities and going towards the heart. Lymphatic massages are not deep as the touch is light. The relaxing and tightening of the muscles can stimulate the lymph, so as you massage encourage the person to contract and relax.  This can be done before the massage or during.

It’s cold outside and we are indoors. The flu season begins. The best way to prevent the flu is to take care of your immune system. A good immune system can fight off most viruses. Essential oils can help boost the immune system. Try the Gritman Immune Boost Blend.

Here are some tips from Gritman on how to keep your immune system in good health. The immune system uses the skin as its first line of defense. Sweat, sebum, and mucous membranes all have a pH balance and some white blood cells to discourage and cleanse bacteria from entering the body. Getting into a warm bath with essential oils, deeply smelling the oils, soaking, and relaxing help to boost the immune system and support the adrenals. Once out of the tub wrap the body in towels and sweat. Drink water. It is important to hydrate as you are loosing fluids as you sweat.  This is much like taking a sauna. If you have sauna facility, oils can be used in the water that creates the steam.

Friction can also be used to increase the bodies immune system by encouraging the lymph system to remove toxins. Entering a shower that has been sprayed with essential oils and breathing them while cleaning your skin with a loofah. Also after leaving the shower, briskly towel dry and rub the skin with vegetable oils (We recommend Fractionated Coconut Oil)  containing essential oils. This allows the lymphatic system to remove toxins and unwanted invaders. Another blend that can be used is from the Pharaoh Line. It is called Imhotep.

Supporting the white blood cells in the body is another way to support the immune system. The body depends on certain white blood cells to engulf and kill invading microbes. The lymph system then removes them. Simply breathing the oils will allow them to enter the lungs and then into the blood system.  A quick way to get a blend into your lungs is to drop a few drops of the blend into a bowl of hot water. Cover your head and bowl with a towel, close your eyes, and breath in the vapors for about five to seven minutes.

There are also lymphocytes called T and B cells.  B cells live in the lymph nodes and their purpose is to kill cancer, virus, and bacterial agents and then  produce antibodies creating immunity. The nice thing about essential oils is that the body does not create immunity against them as your body does with antibotics.

To encourage lymphocytes within the lymph nodes, rub essential oils that are in carriers onto the neck, under the arms, and the node area where the legs are attached to the torso. This is especially effective after a warm shower or bath. A warm body receives the oils rapidly. Natural deodorants made with essential oils are another way to stay fresh and encourage a good immune system. Try Rosalina Deodorant Roll On.

Negative or depressed emotional states can depress the immune system. As Candance Pert in Molecules of Emotions explains that emotional states trigger the adrenal glands to create adrenaline and cortisol. This can suppress the lymphatic system decreasing the bodies defenses. Essential oils in carrier can be rubbed onto the back in the area of the adrenals to support them and help the adrenals defend against stress. Of course any method to support relaxation and good sleep supports the adrenals. Passion Flower Maceration is a good choice for a sleep aide.

Now that we know how to support the immune system. What are the essential oils that we want to use.  Tea Tree is probably the most famous essential oil for supporting the immune system. Most essential oils have some antiviral properties, but some are stronger than others. All the tree oils will support the immune system and these are the cedarwoods, the eucalyptuses, cypresses, firs, pines, and spruces. Cinnamon Leaf, Cassia Bark, Basil, Black Pepper, Laurel Leaf, Cardamon, Grapefruit, Lemon, Niaouli, Peppermint, Ravensara, and Thyme are usually on the list of powerful antivirals.

Now that we have our list. How do we decide which oils to choose for blending? We will discuss this in the next blog.

Dear Friend,

We love you. Your friend is an aromatherapist. Thank you for allowing me to write to you like this. From an aromatherapy perspective, we look to support your immune and lymphatic system. There is so much research on limonene and its effectiveness on the web, so just do a google search to access it. Limonene is found in orange, grapefruit, and lemon rinds. The essential oils are extracted from the rinds and a rich source of limonene. Frankincense is also associated with cancer reversal especially bladder cancer and the reduction of tumors.

Enclosing Lou’s Caribbean Breeze Soap which has lime (limonene source) and allspice (immune stimulant). Bathe with the soap and if you can, use with your hair. It is natural loving soap.
Make a Citrus Spray with orange, grapefruit, lemon, and lavender essential oils. Add a small amount of alcohol to the spray bottle, add the oils and shake. Add water. Cap and label. Spray onto pillow before going to sleep. Spray into shower before and during a shower. Breathe in the vapors. Vigorously rub the body to encourage the lymph to move.
Make a Massage Body Oil with Frankincense, Orange, and Silver Fir Needle in Calendula Maceration. Get as many massages as you can. These oils stimulate the immune and lymphatic system. Drink lots and lots of water. Hydrate!!! You can also rub this oil on you after a bath or shower.
You will need a Bottle of Organic Lemon Oil. It needs to be organic as you are taking this internally. Expressed oils can have undesirable substances in them, so organic is a better choice here. Add lemon oil to tea and other drinks. One drop per 8oz. Add to drinking water. The Cancer research is on the internal use of limonene. As the body breaks down the lemon oil it produces the chemicals that seem so effective with the breast cancer. Taking lemon oil internally becomes important for you. Put it in your salad dressings and any food that you think will be enhanced by it. Go to www.gritman.com and search for lemon oil to get more information on lemon if you so desire.
We also want you to have a bottle of Grief and Loss. You are going through so much change that feeling sad is just a normal part of the process. Inhale it when you thinks that you need it. It has a soothing, supportive effect.
The Gritman Rose Cream is a wonderful loving support preparation. It can be used on the body, face, and eyes. This cream holds a loving and nourishing vibration. Enjoy it!
The oils to avoid are those that smell like anise or licorice as they can act like estrogen in the body. Clary Sage and Geranium are also to be avoided as they can have a dramatic effect on the endocrin system. If you have questions on what essential oils you can use, please call or email us at 281-996-0103 or Info@gritman.com.
We are wishing you an easy recovery. There is love pouring out to you from here. Call us if you need anything.
Love, Meg, Amy, Lou, and Ava

At Gritman, we believe that there are many ways to blend. Essential oils act upon many levels. Aromatherapy definitely addresses essential oils and how they can be applied to the physical body and treating disease. 1. This is called therapeutic blending. There is blending to support positive emotional states and clear negative ones. 2. This is called spiritual blending. 3. Stress, detox, and staying young belong to the massage and spa blenders.  4. There is sacred blending that is appropriate for churches and sacred uses. 5. Perfume blenders make thousands maybe millions of dollars a year. 6. Aphrodisiacs are also another major reason to blend and many perfumers belong to this group too. 7. There are many Biblical blenders of essential oils that are devoted to staying true to the Bible. 8. Magical blending is also popular as in love potions. 9. Then there is blending just for fun. You like a scent and wonder what would happen if you combine it with another.

Blending is the most creative part of aromatherapy. It is an art. This means that it takes study and time as well as an intuitive sense to become a great blender. There are some basic rules to blending. Once you get the rules, you are then free to use them or not. Art will take over and often masterpieces are created.

The first rule is to have fun. Amateurs as well as professionals can enjoy blending. You do not have to have a masters degree in essential oils to be a good blender. Your blends will not always be successful and others may find them offensive, but the process can be fun and enjoyable. As you learn, you grow in your knowledge and your intuition if you allow it.

The second rule is to decide what area do you wish to focus. Professional blending for treatment of illness, massage and spa blending, emotional blending for mental health, perfume blending, aphordisiac blending, Sacred blending or Biblical blending, and magical blending. Each different blending category will come with oils that are most associated with the subject under focus. Most blenders are comfortable with 50-80 different oils.

The third rule is that each blend needs time to mature. It can be from 3 days to 3 weeks. As we blend distinct oils together, they begin to blend with one another creating a new scent. When you are successful, the blend will have synergy. Synergy suggests that the parts have created a greater whole and each oil balances the others within the blend. Synergy can just happen or it can be an involved process.  Focus on the subject (person or reason for the blend), on the emotional or psychological underlying causes, on the presenting symptoms, or other factors that seem appropriate to the blending. Bringing this all together requires experience and patience.

The fourth rule is keep it simple. In the beginning, do not blend more than three or four oils. The oils selected by you have been studied by themselves. You have an appreciation and understanding of each oil. You have used each oil by itself to treat or create the mood desired. Professional perfumers can blend with over a 100 oils in one blend, but this is often not for the sake of the perfume, but for the uniqueness of the blend and difficulty in duplicating it.

The fifth rule is blend complimentary oils. If you want someone to sleep, blending with a stimulant and a sedative may not be the best idea. You need to  complement each oil within the blend. Therefore, you need an understanding of each oil’s properties.

The sixth rule is keep a record of everything you do. Putting a blend on the shelf for several days thinking that you will remember what you did is fool hardy. Also record the oils and proportions so that you can duplicate in the future. You can label your bottles with this information, keep a notebook, or organize a card catalog. Computers now have wonderful spread sheets and formulas and procedures can also be kept there.

The seventh rule is pleasurable scent or not. I believe too many blenders believe that blending is always about perfume blending. That the notes of an oil are what is important when you blend and that the pleasure of scent is all important. Some times this is important, but when you are blending for therapeutic reasons, it is far more important that the oil function as needed. Spending your time perfecting the scent and not its effectiveness can be a waste of time. Determine if pleasurable scent or effective scent is important. A blend for fighting a cold will combine an army of powerful oils to get the job done. This can create a medicinal scent that is not very pleasing but fights the cold and helps the person feel better.

Eighth step is know your carriers. Once you have a scent created, how are you going to carry it? Which fatty or vegetable oil are you going to use. Of course water and alcohol can also carry the  oils but they need shaking before use. Stability is important when choosing a fatty, fixed oil. Because fatty oils go rancid, care must be taken in their choice. Fractionated Coconut Oil is our favorite choice. It has been distilled like an essential oil, it is liquid at room temperature, does not go rancid, and is sterile. Jojoba being a wax does not go rancid either and is also a good choice. Avocado and Foraha or Tamanu are also some other choices that tend to be stable and can be added to the other two for more complexity and healing power.