Hypertension or high blood pressure (HBP) is a chronic condition in which blood pressure is elevated above its normal range of 120 mm Hg of systolic pressure or above 80 mm Hg of diastolic pressure.

HBP is often asymptomatic and requires blood pressure readings in order to be identified.  However, it can cause nose bleeding, headaches, a red or flushed face, dizziness, fatigue, nervousness, insomnia, blurred vision, fluid retention, and shortness of breath (Marieb & Hoehn, 2013).

Treatment for HBP involves lifestyle changes, although other types of support, such as the use of aromatherapy, can be beneficial.  Here are 3 essential oils that can aid with HBP.

I recently got an email from Emily Z, a 14-year old who is aspiring to be a mental health professional.  She alerted me to an informative webpage on eating disorders.

Emily’s enthusiasm inspired me to look more into the topic, especially in how it relates to teenagers since they are more susceptible to develop them.  I have however, also included some information about how eating disorders affect adults.

An eating disorder happens when a person develops an unhealthy relationship with food and can involve under eating and/or over eating.  Often, eating disorders are associated with distorted body image (Maryville University, n.d.).

There is no identifiable cause for eating disorders, although there are factors that have been linked with eating disorders. I will explain these here, as well as possible treatment options.  I will start by explaining the more common eating disorders.

Our bodies communicate regularly with us.  They tell us when things are going well.  We feel comfortable in our own skin, we move with ease, and we do things freely.  We go on with our lives without much thought.

They also tell us when things are off.  We feel tightness, aches, pains, illness, or discomfort.  We know there is something amiss, and we rest, we take supplements and/or medication, we exercise, and we do what we feel is necessary to take corrective steps.

The same thing happens to us with our food.  When we eat something, and it works well for our bodies we respond well. In fact, we don’t even think about it. But, when we eat something that is not good for us, we feel discomfort.  Often, we get so used to the discomfort, either because it happens frequently or because there is too much going on in our lives, that we stop listening.

The key behind getting control of our diet is remembering to listen to our bodies. That means learning to eat intuitively. I mentioned eating intuitively in an article about how to get vitamins from our diet, and I mentioned I would dedicate a separate article on how to eat intuitively, and here it is.

Last week I explained why balanced chakras are the key to vitality, and what it means when our chakras are in harmony.  I also gave you a description of each chakra.

The lower chakras, namely the root, sacral, and solar plexus, affect our wellbeing and our ability to relate to our self, our sense of self, and the tangible world.  The upper chakras, namely the throat, third eye, and crown, affect how we connect with the outside world.  The heart chakra brings both together, as it foments our ability to lovingly connect with ourselves and others.

When one or more chakra is out of balance, we can bring them back to center by engaging in activities, behaviors, practices, thoughts, and intentions that allow energy to flow freely.

To know what to do, it is first important for us to recognize which chakra needs attention.  I will share how we are likely to feel physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually when our chakras our out of balance.  These are generalizations but hopefully can help to bring awareness to what we may be experiencing.  Symptoms can stem from over expressing the energy of a chakra, and other times from under expressing it.  I share a bit of what happens in both cases.

I have explained chakras in the past, and provided basics on how to balance them.

Chakras are energetic forces in and around our bodies. Different schools of thought claim a different number of chakras, some located within and some just outside our bodies. There is no dispute, however, that there are at least seven chakra points within our bodies.  These seven chakras are the ones I focus on.

Chakras work on us on a physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual level.  The epicenter of each chakra sits in the midline or center of our body, and they rotate forming vortexes or wheels around our being.  The word chakra is Sanskrit for wheel.  I will tell you the vitality we experience when our chakras are balanced.

I wrote about vitamins back in December, and I explained the different kinds of vitamins.  I also shared with you that if we are relatively healthy, I do not believe we need to take vitamins tablets or other supplements.  Instead, we can get the vitamins we need from our daily diet.

Recently, I came across 16 Best, a website that specializes on doing research on a myriad of products from clothing and travel to food items.  They curate the internet to find the best options available, and vitamins was one of the topics they wrote about.

The snapshot of the infographic above is included in its entirety below.  It goes through the vitamins we consume, their uses, signs to know if we are deficient, and natural sources where we can find them.  You will have to scroll down a bit below to see the wealth of information they provide on each of the vitamins.  I do recommend you look at it as it provides succinct, yet valuable information.  The image is courtesy of 16 Best.

Here is some more about what they have to say.

Most of us have experience with inflammation, lymphedema, and vertigo.  These are common ailments that can come up on their own, as a consequence of an illness, or as a symptom of an illness.  In addition, most babies experience seborrhea or cradle cap.

It is easy to find medications to treat these conditions, but there are also ways to treat them naturally.  I will start by describing each of these conditions, and then give some simple and even nature-based remedies to incorporate.

Arthritis means inflammation of the joints.  It is a debilitating disease that results in swelling, stiffness, and pain due to the destruction of cartilage, bone, and/or synovial fluid around the joints.  Causes of arthritis are varied, and can be due to wear and tear, infections, autoimmune conditions, or other conditions.  There are different types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

We often think that arthritis is a symptom of us getting older, but arthritis can strike at any time. I have known people in their 20s who suffer from arthritis, although it is more typical to see arthritis in older adults.

Arthritis is not believed to be curable, and treatment is typically focused on alleviating symptoms.

Essential oils from the pine family or the Pineaceae family, can provide great support for arthritis.  I will tell you about these oils, but first start by sharing some information about joint development and health.