immune system | Tuesdays with Laurie

On watermelon’s heels, grapefruit is my second favorite fruit. In our house, we eat it, drink the juice (unsweetened), and use it as aromatherapy by diffusing grapefruit essential oil in a diffuser. It has a refreshing, citrusy aroma.

According to MEDICAL DAILY, eating grapefruit or drinking its juice, strengthens the immune system, boosts metabolism, reduces kidney stone risk, fights gum disease, protects against cancer, and reduces stress.

According to DOCTORS HEALTH PRESS, when using grapefruit essential oil in the form of aromatherapy, the vapors from grapefruit oil reduce stress, improve mood, reduce inflammation and reduce sugar cravings. It can also help reduce systolic blood pressure.

Not everyone is a fan of this slightly bitter/sour fruit. But even if you do like it, not everyone should have it because it may interact with blood pressure medications and antidepressants. As always, it’s best to consult with your physician.

What’s your favorite fruit or essential oil?

Pins and Needles by Laurie Buchanan

Do you find yourself dancing a wicked two-step with emotions such as depression, anxiety, or stress? Do these feelings jab at you like pins and needles in an otherwise beautiful existence?

Depression is about the past. It’s about something we lost, or perceive that we lost. It takes a great deal of energy to dwell in the past. For many, this is a place where anger and resentment reside. What’s more, worrying about the past can’t change anything that’s already occurred. That’s impossible. What’s done is done. It is what it is.

Anxiety is about the future. It’s about uncertainty; the unknown, the “What ifs?” Like the past, it also takes a great deal of energy to dwell in the future. For many, this is a place where fear resides. There’s not a single person in the history of mankind who has changed a future outcome through worry.

Stress is current. It’s how we cope with the present moment; the here and now. As a Holistic Health Practitioner, I can tell you that up to 90% of all illness is stress-related. Prolonged stress leads to a weakened immune system and the development of illness—body, mind and spirit.

As my friend Mary says, “Stress is not an event — it’s a reaction to an event.” We don’t always have a choice about the circumstance in which we find ourselves, but we always have a choice about how we react to it.

Listen with your heart,

Laurie Buchanan

“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.”
~ Laurie Buchanan

Tuesdays with Laurie

"Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing." —Laurie Buchanan

Tag Archives: immune system

Pucker Up!

Pins and Needles