Can Some Scents Actually Improve Your Memory?

I have never heard anyone declare that their memory is fantastic. Frequently I hear laments about fogginess, forgetfulness and feeling overwhelmed with so much to remember and track.

We certainly have more information to retain than our ancestors ever did. Just the number of passwords have to remember alone is enough to make anyone doubt their cognitive abilities!

Cognitive issues are becoming more common, and no one wants to lose their marbles. Drugs won’t work because they only inhibit. There are many lifestyle choices and herbs that can help. But a new tool has been found and it doesn’t cost much, you don’t have to swallow it, and it isn’t fattening.

A study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience journal,i and performed by researchers at the University of California at Irvine, described an experiment where healthy senior participants were asked to use an aromatherapy diffuser for two hours each night while they slept. Seven different essential oils were used, on a rotating basis; rose, orange, eucalyptus, lemon, peppermint, lavender and peppermint.

There was significant improvement in word list recall and improved brain functioning as assessed by mapping brain pathways associated with Alzheimer’s.

I can think of other reasons to use some Aromatherapy. Eucalyptus clears sinuses, peppermint raises mood, and lavender is calming. Instead of the fake scented products like Glade room fresheners, which must be processed through the liver, try some of Mother Nature’s fragrances. You can even cook with them. I made a keto carrot cake yesterday, and added a few drops of organic orange essential oil along with the vanilla. Be sure to look for high quality oils. They are more expensive, but you only need a few drops at a time. Cheap oils are made with artificial fragrances and may be toxic. You can smell the difference.

If you have a child who is having difficulty focusing or sleeping it would be worth trying some essential oils for them.

There is a whole world of botanical medicine available. How perfect that some things that smell heavenly seem heaven-scent.

ihttps://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1200448/full

The American Revolution Brought Us Independence-and Coffee!

Coffee was first brought to the American Colonies in the 1600's by Captain John Smith. Captain Smith helped establish the Virginia colony at Jamestown. He had been a British soldier and he learned about coffee in Turkey before he set sail for the Americas. He is also credited with being the first person to name the northern colonies "New England."

The colonists did not embrace coffee immediately. They preferred their tea, hot cider, and ale. It wasn't until December 16, 1773, when Bostonians, dressed as Native Americans, tossed chests of tea overboard from ships moored in Boston harbor as a protest against the special tax levied on tea by the British parliament. That day was immortalized with the name "The Boston Tea Party." Overnight drinking tea became unpatriotic, so coffee owes its U.S. popularity to King George III. 

After the Revolution coffee houses sprung up in New York and Philadelphia. It was the Dutch who secured coffee seedlings from Arabia and coffee trees were planted around the globe. 

By 1864, coffee was pre-roasted, sold by the pound, and boiled over campfires by cowboys in the West. James Folger sold coffee to the California gold miners. 

Coffee became the preferred drink of the fledgling country and a symbol of the energy of people marking a new path on the world stage.     

Coffee drinking has become an American institution. In 2022, there were 38.4 shops primarily devoted to coffee drinks in the U.S. The coffee shop industry is valued at $46 billion. Of course, every eating establishment and gas station also sells coffee, so it is available on almost every commercial street corner.  

Hot or cold, black or laced with a milky addition, sweet or bitter, coffee brings people together, for dates, for business, for friendship. 

In grateful acknowledgment of those who conceived and created our country, I wish you a very Happy Independence Day!  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
 

Photo by cottonbro studio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-a-mug-with-the-american-flag-4676443/