Take a Scent Back in Time - The Amazing Benefits of the Rose

Take a Scent Back in Time, the Old English Rose Garden Offers Fresh Inspiration

The power of scent is one of our most powerful and underrated senses. Most of us can our feel our body and mood affected by different scents around us, transporting us back to good times, special places and stand-out experiences. I know every time I catch a whiff of fresh pine, I’m instantly brought back to being eight or so, trekking through the snow with my sisters in search of the perfect Christmas tree. This amazing ability for simple scents to cause both a mind and body reaction is something we can use to our benefit in everyday life.

The rose holds a candle for no flower, recognized as one of the world’s most beautiful, the rose has also made its way into innumerable myths, stories and legends; it has become a symbol of intense love, desire, chastity, birth, rebirth and even death. Roses, though native to Asia, grow all over the world and in a rainbow of colors and range of size, from petite vines, to the towering bushy sort. In addition to smelling fabulous and being beautiful, roses been studied for their effects on the emotional and psychological state of mind, finding these flowers have incredible benefits that go beyond the bouquet.

Rose oil and rosewater have been used for centuries for their aromatic and therapeutic benefits, calming the nerves, easing worry and quelling depression. Greeks and Roman would add rose petals to their bathes for a relaxing touch, while women for centuries have taken advantage of the scent of rose oil to alleviate symptoms of menopause and menstruation cramps. 

In the 2000s a variety of studies began showing the powerful scent of rose showed positive results in improving levels of general stress and anxiety, easing pain caused by menstrual cramps and has been shown to significantly improve the symptoms of menopause. In 2014, one study revealed how much aromatherapy could affect someone under some of the most severe physical and emotional constraints. While giving birth. Not surprisingly, anxiety is the most common emotional response during labor, and it can have adverse effects on both the mother and the baby.  This study compared the effects of rose oil aromatherapy anxiety levels during labor. The group using rose oil had an overwhelming reduction in anxiety by 71%!

Topically, the rose has been a staple in the beauty industry for hundreds of years, blended into creams and salves not for its intoxicating scent, but for its ability to soothe and hydrate irritated, dry skin. Diluted rose oil or rose water is highly effective at promoting balance of the skin’s pH, leaving it clear and glowing. Natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory components make rose water a perfect treatment for skin conditions such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, sunburns, and a fabulously gentle facial toner, astringent or daily hydrating spritzer to balance all skin types.  

LINK: eczema, psoriasis

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/eczema/article_em.htm

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/psoriasis/basics/definition/con-20030838

To really appreciate rose oil, you have to know what goes into it. Steam distillation is the most common method, taking 60,000 roses to make just one ounce of undiluted rose oil! Not surprisingly it’s one of the most expensive essential oils in the world. Luckily, rose water is also created in the process of steam distillation, and has become increasingly popular for its light, gentle aroma with many of the same properties at a lower cost.

LINK – steam distillation

https://www.naha.org/explore-aromatherapy/about-aromatherapy/how-are-essential-oils-extracted/

So what is it about the rose that make it so special? It’s hard to say exactly, as more research done, it seems there’s more figure out. There are over 300 individual scent ingredients in an individual rose and there’s about 200 species of rose out there; to make even more complex, researchers say environmental factors, such as where the roses grow and the composition of the soil and water can also play a factor in the overall genetic make-up. In a typical gas chromatography analysis, rose oil exhibits over fifty individual compounds. So while we can’t quite pin down what makes it so special, who really needs an excuse to stop and smell the roses?

I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck.

-Emma Goldman

More about rose varieties:

http://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/rose/

More information about roses in symbolism:

http://www.swide.com/art-culture/rose-history-symbols-and-meaning-of-the-flower-of-passion/2015/05/10

References:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4270653/

http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/natural-medicine/aromatherapy/aromatherapy-rose.htm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/julie-chen-md/aromatherapy_b_3698319.html

https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/essential-oils/health-benefits-of-rose-essential-oil.html

Why Drinking More Water is a No-Brainer

I drink A LOT of water. It was one of the better habits I picked up while in the Army. So there are tons of reasons why water is important, the first, and most important is obviously, you can die without it! Your environment can be an important factor in how much water you should drink. I live in the desert, so you notice really quickly when you're dehydrated. So lift those glasses, bottles, jugs and jars, here's to water!

Your Body CRAVES it.

Water is essential for a slew of normal body operations and is constantly being lost through these functions along with filtration and sweat, for it to operate at peak performance, it needs to constantly be replenished. Think how fast a canoe can be pulled down a huge gushing river in the winter, but that same canoe barely moves in the summer when the river is trickling.

Give Your Metabolism a Boost! 

Studies show drinking the hour following drinking 16 ounces of water, increases the metabolism 3%, as an added bonus, drinking colder water will burn a few more calories in heating it up to body temperature.

Easiest, Most Accessible Appetite Suppressant

Our brains are pretty impressive, however the signal that triggers thirst is a lot like the "E" for Empty on the gas light indicator, the tank is already pretty low by the time it comes on, prior to that, it mimics that of hunger. To win over your biological triggers, try drinking 16 ounces of water, wait 20 minutes and reevaluate your hunger level; the feeling of hunger is often calmed by hydration. Try this before meals as well!

Give Your Skin an Aquatic Glow.

Skin THRIVES on hydration, water is essential for cells to rid waste, regenerate and heal. Dry skin often appears older looking just due to dehydration.

Exercise is Easier.

Water composes a bulk of our muscle tissues, without it, you can feel weak, dizzy and fatigued. Poor hydration means a workout FEELS harder and muscles can cramp and ache for extended periods after.

Is this water thing a bit hard to swallow, literally? Ease yourself into it, once it's a habit it's easy to keep. Be aware and accountable of how much water you’re drinking to start, start the day with keeping a tally on the top of the hand, (somewhere super visible and impossible to ignore) let each tally represents one 16 ounce water bottle, make a goal for the end of day so you can spread it out throughout the day, drinking half a gallon of water before bed is not recommended. Add citrus fruit or cucumber to liven up your water. I like squeezing in orange and adding a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar, makes the taste buds go crazy, yum!

How do you measure up? I average 10 cups (80 ounces) normally, about 128 ounces in the summertime.

Cheers!