Episode 148: Natural Support for Your Digestion and A Look at Motivate Touch

doTERRA: There are a lot of things that can disrupt your digestion, causing you a lot of discomfort. Thankfully, there's also a lot that you can do to take care of your digestion. Today, we're going to talk all about a few ways that you can naturally take care of your digestive system.

Welcome back to Essential Oil Solutions with doTERRA, the podcast where you'll hear exciting, useful, and simple everyday uses for essential oils from experts in the field. If you like what you hear today, rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen. We always appreciate hearing from you.

Today, we're excited to talk to Samantha Lewis all about supporting your digestion, and we'll also be taking a look at the oils in the Motivate Touch blend. Samantha, thank you so much for joining us today.

Samantha Lewis: Yeah, thanks for having me.

doTERRA: So this is kind of a topic that I think sometimes doesn't get talked about enough because sometimes we're a little hesitant to talk about our digestion issues. But can you let us know some things that maybe can interrupt our digestion?

Samantha: I totally agree. It's kind of an interesting topic, but it's an important one. And really, there are so many things that can interrupt digestion from different health conditions to changes in diet, even lack of water, or a change in medication. I really think it's important to keep note of changes in your daily habits. So when things like digestive upset occur, you can hopefully connect it back to a cause and avoid or mitigate that cause in the future.

doTERRA: That is a really good point to just kind of keep track of what's going on in your life and to that point, what are some lifestyle choices that I can make to help support healthy digestion?

Samantha: Well, just like there are many things that can cause digestive upset. There are also so many things that can help promote healthy digestion in general, from something as simple as increasing your daily water intake to eating foods high in fiber and vital nutrients, you could support healthy digestion.

Think of your digestive system as its own ecosystem or garden. When you're trying to nourish and take care of a garden, you'd make sure the soil has proper nutrients, the plants have plenty of water, and are probably taking note of what worked and didn't work. Really, the same goes for your digestive ecosystem. On top of fiber and water, try to provide your own ecosystem with nutrients that will help it thrive like digestive enzymes and probiotics.

doTERRA: I love that. So if we're doing all of that, we're kind of taking care of our garden, keeping track of things. How can we incorporate doTERRA products into those choices we're making?

Samantha: Truly, it's so simple. We have some amazing base supplements and nutritional products that I think should be part of most people's daily routine, especially if you already have digestive concerns, as I mentioned, fiber. So if you struggle to get enough fiber or greens into your diet, our new Fiber and Greens powders are great additions to a morning shake, and they actually don't taste too bad either.

There's also daily support through things like PB Assist^®+, which is probiotics. And then DigestZen TerraZyme^®, which is digestive enzymes. So many supplements.

And of course, we have many essential oils that can help support a healthy digestive system, depending on what concerns you have. A few things I haven't really touched on like if you have an unsettled stomach, oils like Spearmint or Peppermint are great options to try. There's also Ginger, Coriander, and especially our DigestZen^® blend that helps support your digestive system. Truly, the list could go on and on, depending on what you're helping to support.

doTERRA: And I think that's such an important aspect that you touched on right there, that there are different things that you might be trying to do and make sure that you're using the product or the essential oil that is going to help with the specific concern that you might have.

Samantha: Yeah, absolutely.

doTERRA: Well, Samantha, you have definitely taught me a lot about how many different options doTERRA has to help with my digestive health. Thank you so much for being here today.

Samantha: Yeah, thank you for having me!

doTERRA: Today, we're going to talk about some of the ways that these plants were used internally, historically, but we want to remind you that dōTERRA Motivate^® Touch blend is for aromatic or topical use only. Any of the internal uses or benefits that we discuss are for the individual oils that we are talking about in the blend and are not applicable to the aromatic or topical use of the blend.

We all need a little encouragement now and then, and doTERRA Motivate Touch provides exactly that. When frustrations and setbacks arise, this encouraging blend can help you reset and stay resilient. Fresh, clean, and minty, it's a combination of Peppermint, Clementine, Coriander, Basil, Rosemary, Yuzu, and Melissa that make this blend a daily favorite.

Peppermint Plant: Mentha piperita

Did you know that some of the earliest mentions of peppermint appear in Greek mythology, by Roman philosophers, in the Christian Bible, and by monks in the Middle Ages? There are even ancient Egyptian texts dating as early as 1550 BC that include peppermint.

The name peppermint actually comes from Greek mythology. And as in all Greek mythology, there are many versions of the story. However, the most popular one says that Hades seduced the nymph Minthe, and his wife, Persephone, became enraged with jealousy and turned Minthe into a plant that people would constantly walk on.

Outraged by his wife's interference, Hades imbued the plant with peppermint, so that whenever the plant was crushed underneath footfalls, it would release a wonderful aroma. Hades hoped that by doing this, people would remember Minthe and recall how beautiful and full of life she had been.

Historical Uses of Peppermint

Pliny, a Roman scientist, and historian recorded that the Greeks and Romans both used peppermint to flavor sauces and wines. Sprays of peppermint also adorned their tables.

And ancient Greek physicians used two different species of mint in their practices, and there’s also evidence that the Egyptians cultivated peppermint and dried leaves were even discovered in several pyramids.

In parts of medieval Europe, mint was used not only as an herb but as a breath freshener. People mixed it into vinegar to make mouthwash, or just chewed on it to make their breath less gross.

Peppermint is also mentioned in thirteenth-century Icelandic. But it wasn’t until the middle of the 18th century that peppermint was cultivated for purposes in Western Europe and England. And we are so glad that it made its way over.

Clementine Peel: Citrus clementina

Clementines have been called the crown jewel of the citrus world. The clementine is part of the citrus family, more precisely, it’s a variety of mandarin. The clementine is a cross between a sweet orange and a Chinese mandarin orange. It grows on trees and the fruit looks like little mini oranges. Clementines are considered the tiniest in the Mandarin orange family. They are typically juicy and sweet, with less acid than a regular orange. Clementines also are called “zipper oranges” and “kid-glove oranges” because they are so easy to peel.

Surprisingly though, the clementine has not always had a high level of popularity in the United States. But in 1997, Florida orange crops were damaged due to the harsh winter, creating a shortage of oranges. The clementine was there to step into the spotlight, and it gained a huge boost in popularity, which continues today.

Historical Uses of Clementines

They are particularly popular during the holiday season. In the United States, they’ve often been called Christmas oranges because of their limited growing season in the US that falls during winter, making them the perfect holiday gift because they are just reaching their peak of deliciousness during the Christmas holiday. This made giving clementine oranges as a gift extremely popular.

Coriander Seed: Coriandrum sativum

Coriander is one of the oldest herbs and spices on record and seems to have been cultivated in Greece since at least the second millennium BC! Coriander grows wild over a wide area of Western Asia and Southern Europe, and it shows up in many historical references. Desiccated coriander seeds have been found in the tomb of King Tut and mentioned in ancient Egyptian texts. It was even mentioned in writings by Hippocrates as well as Dioscorides, both prominent Greek physicians.

Coriander is only one of the utilized parts of a plant. The leaves of the coriander plants are actually what you know as cilantro. In much of the world, coriander is used to refer to both cilantro leaves and the coriander seeds, but in the Americas, it generally just refers to only the dried cilantro seeds. If you have tasted both cilantro leaves and coriander seeds, you know that they taste very different, not like they’re from the same plant at all.

Historical Uses of Coriander

During the medieval and Renaissance periods, coriander was thought to be an aphrodisiac and was added to love potions. Robert Turner would appear to agree with this assessment and said that when consumed with wine, coriander “stimulates the animal passions.”

Ancient folklore says that its smell was also utilized with it being said that it was grown in ancient Persia and used to fragrance the hanging gardens of Babylon.

It was actually the pungent smell of coriander that led to its use. The ancients believed that anything with such a strong odor must surely possess powerful attributes.

Basil Herb: Ocimum basilicum

Basil has been around for over 4,000 years. It is believed that basil has origins in India, but the herb’s reach extended to all corners of the globe. There are some indications that basil may have originated even farther east than India, with records suggesting that sweet basil was used in the Hunan region of China. It was even found in mummies in Egypt.

Historical Uses of Basil

Ancient Egyptians used this herb for embalming, and the ancient Greeks also saw basil as a symbol of mourning. In India, the herb was considered a powerful protector. They planted it around their temples and placed it with the dead to protect them in the afterlife. In Crete, basil was considered an emblem of the devil. They placed this herb on their window ledges to help ward away this evil.

Today, basil is frequently referred to as the King of Herbs. But it was also once known as the “herb of poverty” because it was believed to provide protection to the poor.

Throughout history, basil was believed to have almost magical powers. It was believed to give strength during religious fasting. In medieval times, many doctors thought basil was poisonous. But during this same time, others believed that basil was good for “cheering the spirit.”

Though basil had been prized in many countries around the world for centuries, basil was not introduced in Britain until the 16th century, and they later brought this herb to North America. Today it is grown all over the Mediterranean region and in California.

Rosemary Leaf: Rosmarinus Officinalis

The first mention of rosemary is found on cuneiform stone tablets as early as 5,000 BC. But after that, not a whole lot is known, except that Egyptians used it in their burial rituals. There aren’t any further mentions of rosemary until the ancient Greeks and Romans. Pliny the Elder wrote about it in The Natural History, Dioscorides also wrote about rosemary in his most famous writing De Materia Medica, one of the most influential herbal books in history.

Rosemary made its way to England at an unknown date; the Romans probably brought it when they invaded in the first century, but there aren’t any viable records about rosemary arriving in Britain until the 8th century. This was credited to Charlemagne, who promoted herbs in general and ordered rosemary to be grown in monastic gardens and farms.

Rosemary finally arrived in the Americas with early European settlers at the beginning of the 17th century. It soon was spread to South America and attained global distribution.

Historical Uses of Rosemary

Rosemary was even considered sacred to ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks. And in Don Quixote, the fictional hero even uses rosemary in his recipe for the balm of fierabras.

Yuzu Peel

Yuzu has a history of over 1,200 years. This fruit has origins from China in the Yangtze River Region. The Yuzu was then brought to Japan by way of the Korean peninsula during the Tang dynasty and is still cultivated there. The Yuzu tree takes great care to cultivate because it grows very slowly. It usually takes 10 years to provide fruit. Often, to shorten this process, the yuzu fruit is grafted onto karatachi or trifoliate orange trees.

Yuzu is unique among other citrus plants because it’s fairly frost-hardy, and it’s even able to grow in areas with temperatures that get as low as 15 °F. Yuzu is also known for its characteristically strong aroma, and the oil from its skin is marketed as a fragrance.

Historical Uses of Yuzu

One of the most well-known uses for yuzu is the role it has in Japanese bathing tradition. During Tōji, the winter solstice, there is a tradition of bathing with yuzu that dates back to at least the early 18th century. It’s said that the yuzu bath originated during the Edo period when the public bath was introduced in Japan. Whole yuzu fruits are floated in the hot water of the bath, sometimes enclosed in a cloth bag, releasing their aroma. The fruit may also be cut in half, allowing the citrus juice to mingle with the bathwater. The Japanese people came to recognize the beneficial effects of the yuzu bath, giving birth to the popularity of having the bath each year on the winter solstice to take advantage of the benefits.

Melissa Leaf: Melissa Officinalis

Melissa Officinalis is a plant native to south-central Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, Iran, and Central Asia. And is commonly known as lemon balm because the leaves have a mild lemon scent. During the summer, small white flowers of nectar appear and attract bees, hence the genus name Melissa, which is Greek for "honeybee.”

Historical Uses of Melissa

Melissa has been cultivated since at least the 16th century with the leaves of the plant being used in many ways throughout history, as an herb, a tea, and a flavoring. It’s also used to attract bees for honey as well as for an ornamental plant. Melissa has also been utilized in traditional medicinal practices. In fact, the use of melissa can be dated to over 2,000 years ago through the Greeks and the Romans. It is mentioned by the Greek polymath Theophrastus in his Historia Plantarum, written in c.300 BC, and referenced as "honey-leaf.”

It was formally introduced into Spain in the 7th century, and from there, its use and domestication spread throughout Europe. Its use in the Middle Ages is noted by herbalists, writers, philosophers, and scientists. The Swiss physician and alchemist Paracelsus even called it the "elixir of life."

Traditionally, an alchemical tincture of lemon balm was the first tincture an aspiring alchemist would be asked to make.

The English botanist Nicholas Culpeper considered lemon balm to be ruled by the planet Jupiter in Cancer and believed that one of its suggested uses was to cause the heart to become "merry.”

All of these incredible oils come together to make this fresh, optimistic blend ready to help you get through whatever comes your way.

Thanks for joining us and congratulations on living a healthier lifestyle with essential oils. If you liked what you heard today, rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen. Also, if you want to try any of the products you learned about, go to doterra.com or find a Wellness Advocate near you to place an order today.