Did You Know That You Can Add Essential Oils To Food?
There are essential oil variants that are not only meant for making your home smell good
We’ve all used one or more essential oils for aromatherapy, or known a friend who has gotten into “oiling.” This all-natural trend is touted to improve health and overall wellbeing, but did you know that you could also add some essential oils to your food and drink to improve digestion, calm the nerves, and more?
Vicki Chan of doTERRA explained at an essential oil blending event that EOs can be used in three different ways: aromatic (through a diffuser), topical (applied to skin with a carrier oil), and internal (mixed in with food and drink). However, she cautions, not all EOs are safe to be consumed internally.
To use EOs safely, make sure you read the labels, consult beforehand with an EO expert, and use all-organic, diluted properly in a carrier oil like olive or almond oil, and used very sparingly (a drop or two is enough). Remember, some EOs are not meant for ingestion at all (for example, a teaspoon of pure wintergreen or eucalyptus oil is toxic), so err on the cautious side.
Here are some drinks and all-natural balms you can make with safe, food-grade essential oils:
Mix it into your tea
According to this recipe from doTERRA, you can make a comforting and delicious tea with a few of their oils. All you need is to heat up three cups of almond milk, put a drop each of ginger, cinnamon, clove, and vanilla essential oils, add honey, and whisk it all together.
Add a bit of citrus to smoothies
Try a dash of (properly emulsified) orange oil to your fruit shakes for a boost of immunity.
Make into DIY cough drops
It’s that time of the year when the bug could hit anybody, so it’s good to have these DIY drops on hand. The ingredients: coconut oil, one teaspoon each of lemon juice, cinnamon, and honey, and one drop of rosemary or inula oil. For the complete recipe, click here.
How about an all-natural mouthwash?
If you hate the sting and burn of commercial mouthwash, you might want to consider DIY-ing your own natural mouthwash with EOs. Add two drops each of food-grade peppermint essential oil and tea tree oil to a half cup of distilled water mixed with two teaspoons of baking soda. Decant into a bottle. Don’t swallow the mouthwash.
Bake a cake!
It may sound kind of crazy at first, but some EOs pack quite a punch in flavoring earthy, all-natural cakes. In this article, Celine Mackay says that EOs are a fantastic cost-effective and easy alternative for some ingredients, as only a drop or two gives lot of flavor, as compared to peeling the rind of a lemon and throwing the rest away. For her recipe of her Citrus Olive Pound Cake, click here.
Remember to use safe, food-grade essential oils only (always read the label on the bottle), and to prepare them properly. For a full list of essential oils declared generally safe by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), click here. Always consult with a doctor before using essential oils for whatever purpose.
SOURCES: mindbodygreen, drericz.com, doTERRA. Follow Vicki Chan at @theessentialqueen on Instagram
