When a person becomes your home (originally posted on BayArt)

Inspiration

Last night when I was texting my boyfriend I got inspired to write a post. His message lit up my phone screen and it said: „My home is so empty without you.“  I quickly without thinking about it one bit replied with „ I hate home without you.“  When I pressed sent was when that sentence really sank and settled in my mind. It got me thinking how a home has stopped being a place and Its a person now for me.

Home and a force called “Love”

I really love this idea of a word „home“. I noticed that he wakes up all those feelings I had when I came home from kindergarten or school when I was little. Nobody ever did that. I remember how when I passed the corner and was finally walking down the street to my house I would start to run, I felt like I grew a pair of magnificent wings. I would smile and run knowing I am flying into my safe sanctuary. A place where my entire being is accepted and I am allowed to be myself. When my eyes greet him my heart picks up the pace, I smile automatically, my legs start to walk faster just one step away from running. Just to hug him and kiss him the sooner I can. When I see him I am no longer in control of myself, I am being guided by a force. Force that I trust now with my entire being, a force called „Love“.

Trust the force

I had been through some dark times in the past. I had a house but I didn’t have a home. Ever since then I never got it back. I thought I forgot that feeling of rushing home, that feeling of relief when you see your house down the block. I thought I would never feel safe again. How could I give my heart to someone when my heart was all ripped up in pieces? Who would want that and even worse, who would wanna waste their time trying to fix it? Well, If you feel like that I am going to tell you something and please trust me, believe every word cause It is true.That heart ripped up in pieces, take it. Gather all the pieces together and hold them in your hands, hold them with your palms open and wait. A stranger will pass by, a stranger that will love each and every one of that piece. If you let them and please do, with time you will show him and give them each and every one of those pieces, even the tiniest one.That stranger will no longer be a stranger, they will become your home. Your heart will no longer be ripped up.  I imagine my heart now like a plant with powerful seeds. They can destroy my growth so far, they can rip me out and ran me over but with each punch my seed will fall on the ground and grow larger then ever.  With that someone by your side your heart will be nourished and will grow each day.

Prayers are always answered

I got back my home. I got it back in an even better form than I was praying to get it. I got it in a person. Trust your prayers, you will get what you need but in a way you didn’t even hoped you would. Send what you want to be given and please give people a chance, we are so connected, each and every one of us. Even if we are not close together we create the entire Cosmos, one by one. Our energy fields and auras interwind and together we make this Universe so alive. By posting this and sending you my positive energy and so much love. All those miles away from you yet I become a part of your day by you reading this. I hope I will become a part of your days and help you any way I can. We are all so connected so let’s spread love. Just remember that it all starts from you, what you send out in the Universe comes back like a boomerang, spread good vibes.

 

Let your heart be free,

Lots of love, Ellodie.

©2017EllodieAid. All Rights Reserved

Aromatherapy and nutrition for anxiety and depression

Part two:  Nutrition

I could dive deep into the tedious details about nutrition and how it effects our body and mental health. Honestly while I was in class I would just sit there and read through the slides with my eyes half closed. In the meantime our teacher was having the same amount of fun, reading those slides with the most monotonous voice I had ever heard. I don’t want my post to be the product of that.

Nutrition is a very interesting and important topic and I will do my best at presenting it to you in that light. Let’s first be aware of the fact that our brain is always working. It is responsible for all of your thoughts, reactions and movements. It is the reason you are breathing while reading this post. You reading this post are another one of the brains credit. You can even thank your brain for those lovely dreams you had because the brain works hard even while you’re asleep.

Like a car

Now imagine that hard working brain of yours as a beautiful car. Like every car it means your brain requires a constant supply of fuel. For us humans that fuel comes from the foods you eat. What’s in that fuel is what makes the difference. That fuel is what is responsible for your cars function. What you eat directly affects the function of your brain therefor your mood aswell.

Like a shiny expensive car, your brain functions best when it gets only high- quality fuel.  Eating high-quality foods that contain lots of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals are what get our brain in its best condition. Therefore it protects the brain from oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is a mischievous group of free radicals that are produced when the body uses oxygen. Our body doesn’t need them. In fact, they can be extremely harmful for us.

Your brain can be damaged if you take bad, fatty foods just like a car when you put anything other than premium fuel in it.

Most important hormone for mental health

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is extremely important for our mental state. It helps regulate mood, appetite and sleep.  About 95% of your serotonin is produced in your gastrointestinal tract and your gastrointestinal tract is filled with a hundred million nerve cells, or neurons. Therefor it makes sense that the inner workings of your digestive system are not here just to digest food but also to guide and regulate your emotions.

Listen to your body

Start paying attention to how you feel depending on the food you ate that day. Change up your diet and write down how you felt during that period of time. Try eating raw and clean foods like fruits, steamed and cooked vegetables. You also might want to try going dairy-free. In fact, the milk we drink as infants is the amount of milk we need for the rest of our life. Then again a lot of people said that they feel better when their diets are grain-free. It is all individual, see how you feel. Then slowly introduce foods back into your diet, write down your feelings again.

Mood boosters:

 Tryptophan-Rich Foods

Tryptophan can have a positive effect on stress. This amino acid helps your brain produce feel-good chemicals. Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin, and serotonin, as a neurotransmitter, helps you feel calm.

Where to find it: sesame seeds, milk, turkey, chicken, bananas, milk, oats, and cheese, soy, nuts, peanut butter, and sesame seeds.

 

Vitamin B

Deficiency in B vitamins such as folic acid and B12 can cause depression.

Where to find it: leafy greens, legumes, oranges and other citrus fruits, rice, nuts, and eggs.

 

Whole Wheat

Carbohydrates increase production of serotonin in the brain. When you are craving carbs choose whole grains, such as whole wheat bread or brown rice, rather than processed food such as sugar, candy, or even white bread.

Grains take longer for the body to break down, and release sugar into the bloodstream slowly. Therefor it has a long-lasting effect. Processed carbs will give you an immediate energy boost but will be followed by an insulin rush, which rapidly drops blood sugar levels, leaving you feeling more tired and weary than before.

 

High-Protein Foods

Protein helps stimulate the production of the brain chemicals norepinephrine and dopamine. Dopamine like serotonin, are neurotransmitters and they carry impulses between nerve cells. Higher levels of norepinephrine and dopamine have been shown to improve mental energy.

Where to find it: Greek yogurt, cheese, fish, eggs, beans, soy, lentils and nuts.

Ideal potion for mood-boosting is to combine complex carbohydrates with protein, and to spread your meals throughout the day. Little bites and healthy snack get your metabolism constantly working which helps your body digests food quicker and gets all the goodies through your brain faster.

Food to Avoid:

Caffeinated Drinks

People like to drink coffee and other beverages that contain caffeine such as: tea, hot chocolate etc. to help boost their energy levels. But the problem is that caffeine has been shown to inhibit levels of serotonin in the brain. When serotonin levels are suppressed, you can become depressed and feel irritable. Caffeine also can keep you awake, leading to stress and anxiety. Remember that you need to sleep well to be in a positive mood.

Candy

Well let’s be honest we all need sweets, and they do make us feel better but again it’s a temporary lift.  Why? Sugar is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream. The absorption causes a high surge of energy. But that surge wears off as the body increases its insulin production to remove the sugar from your bloodstream. As a result: You then feel tired and low.

Alcohol

Now alcohol is a well-known buddy to depression.  Depressed people drink alcohol because it seems to ease stress and it makes them forget their worries. Unfortunately, the happy time is only temporary. In fact alcohol is a depressant. Like caffeine, alcohol is a diuretic, and it’s important to stay hydrated for a number of reasons, including mood. Therefor drink in moderation.

I hope you enjoyed todays post like always feel free to like, share and comment.

Question the food you see,

Lots of love Ellodie

Aromatherapy and nutrition for anxiety and depression

Since I graduated from a cosmetology high school I thought I share with you some things I learned there, including aromatherapy that will be our topic for today. I also had nutrition as one of my subject so this topic will be separated into two posts.

Part One: Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is a holistic approach in a form of a therapy like the word says itself. It is a use of essential oils that to support physical and mental health. In the following I will try to explain it in a nutshell so that I don’t shove too many informations in a short period.

We have two main categories of oils: Carrier oils and Essential oils

Carrier oils – such as: olive oil, coconut oil, almond oil, grapeseed oil etc.

Carrier oils are naturally derived from vegetarian sources and have a very neutral smell. They aren’t harsh like essential oils, which gives them the privilege to serve us as a base in combination with essential oils.

Essential oils – such as: lavender oil, orange oil, rose oil, macadamia oil etc.

Essential oils are volatile, which means they evaporate rapidly and contain that natural smell and characteristics of the plant itself (can and probably will give you headache if inhaled for a long time in highly concentrated circumstances). This can make them too strong to apply directly and undiluted.

Carrier oils do not evaporate or have a strong aroma, making them the perfect pair especially in strong essential oils. How it works is they simply reduce the concentration of the essential oil without altering its therapeutic qualities. When you combine an essential oil with carrier oil you can also control its concentration before applying.

Now that I broke it down for you guys a bit, let’s get into the goodies we are all here for.

Best essential oils for anxiety and depression:

Lavender oil- has calming and relaxing effect, helps with inner peace, panic attacks, nervous stomach and nervous tension in general. Lavender scent improves the quality of your sleep. Little tip: Use Lavandula Agnustifolia – soothing lavender not Lavandula Latifolia- stimulating lavender commonly used for scent in candles.

Rose oil- it’s known for its ability to reduce emotional distress and it’s personally a Master Jedi for my relaxation. Fun fact: essential oils have energy vibrations. Rose has one of the highest frequencies of any essential oils, Many believe it opens your heart so that it consumes and spreads more love. Just like rose quarts but that’s a different topic.

Bergamot oil- used to reduce pain from headaches and muscle tension as well as stimulate hormonal and digestive juices. Releases emotional pain, reduces stress and works as a powerful antidepressant.

Application and use:

Now that we got our oils ready we need to know how to use them in the most beneficial way and to use them safely ofcourse.

As I mentioned previously putting essential oil straightly on to your skin can cause irritation due to its high concentration.  Therefore use one drop – one drop method and just add one drop of carrier oil one drop of essential (always the same amount).

Pressure points – they are all over our body. Most beneficial in aromatherapy for calming yourself down are the ones on and close to our head and face.  Simply dot a tiny drop of carrier and essential oil on your finger and rub it in slowly in a circular motion on the pressure point.

Here are some of the best pressure points:

Tw 15- located on both shoulders, between the base of the neck and outside of the shoulders.

B 10- located one finger width below the base of the skull, one half inch outside of the spine.

Gv 24.5- located exactly between the eyebrows also known as the “Third eye.”

Putting in oils in your bath

ONLY ADD A FEW DROPS (one drop-one drop method). One of my favorite methods it is a truly heavenly experience. Delivering you double benefit because you are inhaling it through your nose and absorbing it through your skin at the same time.

Inhalation- simply sniffing, opening the bottle, putting it into boiling water and breathing it in slowly. There are also diffusers that mix oils and water or you can just add a tiny drop in your candles.

TIP: Be on a look out for pure essential oils that have the botanical Latin name written on their bottles. Beware of those with “fragrance” or “perfume” written on their label! They are synthetic oils and they don’t have the same therapeutic benefits. They can be very harmful as well if put directly on skin.

I hope I inspired you to take some alone time and relax with our most powerful stress soldiers given to us by mother Earth.  If you like this post and want me to get more detailed with history of aromatherapy, oils, pressure points etc. feel free to comment and like this post and since sharing is caring feel free to share as well.

Be as happy as you can be.

Lots of love, Ellodie.

Steps to letting go ( originally written and posted on BayArt)

Letting go

Without letting go of the past you will never be able to live in the present. I want to emphasize the importance of letting go of any grudges any regrets, losses, missed chances or broken hearts.

Forgiveness my experience

I never truly forgave my mother. I was and I still am in touch with her, we see each other. Much more than we used to. In the beginning months would past and she wouldn’t call. I now have a better relationship with her than ever. I believe that is because I finally peeled of the mask I glued onto myself as a result of protecting myself. My soul was still clinching on my dads once broken heart and on the past. I had poison of blame flowing through my veins. Poisoning my heart daily for 7 years and I never really admitted it to myself.  Admitting is a first step in every aspect of our lives. Being honest with yourself is the healthiest decision and the greatest favor you do in your lifetime. I am going to share some steps that I followed in my letting go process because that is a hard but rewarding process trust me.

Admitting it

I know it’s hard to admit firstly let alone allow yourself to release the thorns in your heart. Past can be a beautiful rose that we water and admire everyday even after it’s rotten. Past can be a bunch of thorns that we hold onto tightly because we think it is the only thing that can fill our scars. Specially than its hard to let it go because it is not a pleasant feeling to bleed but bleeding stops. We just need to let the wounds breathe.

Steps

1. Cry it out – holding it in is just gathering all of the negative emotions in your body and mind. It will influence your health, both mental and physical. Negative emotions gather up and later lead to stress and depression.
2. Collect your thoughts, see what experience thought you and what you gained from it – every bad experience in our life is a great lesson, we become a better and stronger person because of them.
3. Meditate – Meditation is a big helper in every aspect of our life because we learn how to connect with ourselves in the deepest way possible. We unravel the truth; we learn how our mind really functions and how to treat it.
4. Acknowledging your progress – It is always important to acknowledge your success, It keeps you motivated and it makes you push even harder.
5. The only three options – you only truly have three options: moving yourself out of the situation, changing it or accepting it. If it is bothering you and affecting your life still than the first and the last option are obviously not working.
6. Just talk – Talking is the key to moving on, share your thoughts and emotions with others, find people that been through the same or similar situations.
7. Put on the other pair of shoes – See the situation from the other perspective; try to understand their reasons and emotions. Keep in mind we are all humans and we make mistakes. How we deal with them later is what makes the difference.
8. Visualize your present reality – see what surrounds you know and how you feel and live in this moment.
9. Metaphorically throw it away- I found this method in a book written by a Buddhist (“Don’t worry, be grumpy” by Ajahn Brahm) It works like magic. Write down all the negative thoughts on a ball or a piece of paper or glue them to a stick, visualize your past and everything you wrote down and throw it away. You can throw it in a garbage can or flush it down the toilet (don’t flush the stick or a ball of course) You can even organize a little event in your backyard, invite some friends, pour some glasses of wine and let that past go together.
10. Write a letter- Words are so important, writing is a great therapy for anyone. Write a letter to yourself or to the person that wronged you. Write how you felt, how you feel but also don’t forget to write that you forgive them ( or yourself if that is the case).

I hope I could help you with this post. Im sending you all of my support and positive energy.

Lots of Love, Ellodie.