Food for Thought by Honored Guest Chrystle Fiedler

Please welcome LadyKillers Honored Guest, Chrystle Fiedler. Chrystle Fiedler is  the author of SCENT TO KILL, (Gallery  Books/Simon & Schuster) the second in the NATURAL REMEDIES MYSTERY series,  DEATH DROPS: A Natural Remedies Mystery, the non-fiction title THE COMPLETE  IDIOT'S GUIDE TO NATURAL REMEDIES (Alpha, 2009), co-author of BEAT SUGAR  ADDICTION NOW! (Fairwinds Press, 2010), currently in its fourth printing, the  BEAT SUGAR ADDICTION NOW!COOKBOOK (Fairwinds Press, 2012) and THE COUNTRY  ALMANAC OF HOME REMEDIES (Fairwinds, 2011). Chrystle’s magazine articles  featuring natural remedies have appeared in many national publications including  Natural Health, Vegetarian Times, Better Homes & Gardens and Remedy. Visit www.chrystlefiedler.com.

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Since this week's theme is food, I thought I'd provide some food for thought, specifically, how to benefit from natural remedies. SCENT to KILL, my latest Natural Remedies Mystery, features tips about aromatherapy, the practice that uses essential oils to improve health and well-being. Aromatherapy can ease stress, insomnia, anxiety, depression, aches and pains, and more. Three of my favorite scents are lavender, jasmine, and roses, so I thought I’d share a few simple tips on how to use them  today.

Lavender

Not only does Lavender (the Latin verb lavare means “to wash”) smell terrific, it’s calming and soothing and good for cuts and burns, insomnia, diaper rash, tension headache, PMS, and cramps (use with clary sage and Roman chamomile). The phytochemicals (plant-based chemicals linalool and linalyl acetate) in lavender are absorbed in the skin and in the membranes inside your nose, slowing nerve impulses, and reducing stress. An easy way to start using lavender is to put five to ten drops of essential oil in your bath.  Add the oil after you have filled the tub so you can enjoy the full benefits of this wonderful aroma.

Jasmine

The aroma of jasmine (Jasminum officinale v. grandiflorum) is intoxicatingly sweet, exotic, and floral. It’s also incredibly therapeutic for a variety of conditions. Jasmine essential oil eases mild depression, anxiety, and tension. It also balances energy and helps you feel more optimistic. It calms coughs and laryngitis, soothes sore muscles, stiffness, and sprains. You can apply it topically, use it on a warm or cool compress, put it in the bath, inhale it from your palm, or put it in your diffuser. It will make any room an oasis.

 Roses

I  love the rich, sweet floral bouquet of roses and the approximately 275 compounds have a myriad of therapeutic uses. For example, if you apply it topically, rose oil can help banish eczema, wrinkles, and acne. If you feel blue, rose essential oil will naturally lift your mood. If you have painful periods, it helps to balance hormones (just put the oil on a warm compress and apply to your lower  abdomen). Rose oil also eases nervousness, anxiety, anger, sadness, and grief and can be helpful if you have respiratory problems such as allergies and hay  fever. You also use rose oil to help you sleep better and feel happier. For all these conditions, simply put some on your palm and inhale it or put rose essential oil into a diffuser. Your bedroom will smell like an English garden.

Here’s the scoop on  Scent to Kill: A Natural Remedies Mystery

Willow McQuade, naturopathic doctor, along with her hunky ex-cop boyfriend Jackson Spade, attend a party for a psychic TV show that is filming on Long Island’s idyllic East End. However, Willow is much more interested in visiting the estate’s lavender farm, seeking inspiration for the new aromatherapy workshops she'll be holding at her store, Nature’s Way Market & Café. 

Before the party is over, Roger Bixby, one of the producers, is dead and the police suspect murder. Roger was working on the show, MJ’s Mind, with Carly Bixby, his ex-wife and the new girlfriend of Willow's ex from L.A., TV  writer/producer Simon Lewis.  

After Willow leaves the party, she gets a frantic text from Simon asking for her help. Since Simon had a fight with Roger earlier in the evening, and because of his death is now the primary shareholder in Galaxy films, Willow's ex becomes the prime suspect. Simon begs her to crack the case and clear him of the  murder. MJ McClellan, the psychic and star of the show also asks Willow for  help. She hires Willow to provide natural remedies, including aromatherapy, massage, acupuncture and yoga to soothe the agitated crew of her  show.

To  find the killer, Willow has to deal with ghosts in a haunted mansion, a truly dysfunctional family, death threats and “accidents,” while trying to untangle a homicide identical to one committed during prohibition. Thankfully, Jackson has been hired to provide security and is there to watch her back and help Willow solve this spooky mystery.

As a bonus, you’ll find dozens of natural aromatherapy cures throughout the book  that can improve your health. I think you’ll be surprised as how much they can help you feel better in mind, body and spirit!

For a chance to win  a copy of Scent to Kill: A Natural Remedies Mystery just leave a comment here  about your favorite natural cure.

 

Comments

[Liz]

External use of olive oil does wonders for extra dry skin.

[Chrystle Fiedler]

Thanks for stopping by Liz! Olive is amazing inside and out!

[Susan Shea]

I loved this post. For me, scent is a powerful agent of experience and a feeling of wellbeing. I dried rose petals and lavender for years from my big garden and even now have a stash of dried roses from that era that gently perfumes the linen closet. Thanks for visiting us at LadyKillers with such a lovely post!

[Carole Price]

Great post! I could almost smell the sweet floral bouquet of roses. I keep the petals until they're shriveled up. I drink one tablespoon of concentrated lemon juice in a small glass of water every morning. Better than most serious meds. I also keep lemons in the freezer to used on everything from salads to soups to pastas.

[Pat Morin]

Wonderful cadre of scents, and the mystery sounds like such fun! I would like to be at one of Willow's (great name) workshops. I'm personally allergic to roses, lilacs, and honeysuckle, so many perfumes and scents are out for me. However, I love sandalwood and vanilla. Wonderful to imagine the scents as you described the oils. Thanks!

[Margaret Lucke]

Congratulations on the book, Chrystle, and thank you for the tips. Lavender, jasmine, and rose are favorite scents of mine too. Another scent I love that might be less expected is cumin. I don't do this often, but opening the spice jar and taking a deep whiff always makes me feel better. And there's nothing like a taste of wasabi to clear one's head.

[Chrystle Fiedler]

Thanks to everyone for stopping by! The winner is Susan! I've just sent you an e-mail - thanks all!