Lemon Oil with Tracy Bhalla

Smart Health - Nature's Way - Tracy Bhalla Lemon Oil

Lemon has to be one of my all-time favorites – it has so many uses, BUT you do have to use it responsibly.

It is phototoxic (along with many, but not all, other citruses), this means that if you apply it to your skin and then go out in the sun, you could suffer from severe burns at the application site. As I said, use responsibly! You can apply it at very low dilution levels, 1-2% in a carrier oil, directly on the skin, but unless you really need to, why risk it? hard surface – think bathrooms, kitchens, stainless steel… 1 cup baking soda 2 tblsp water 15-20 drops of lemon essential oil (Citrus limon) Mix together, adding the water slowly so it doesn’t fizz up. Keep in an airtight container. Use on a damp sponge as needed. but firmly rub it off. The results are clear in the last photo! It looks like new and just with three, all-natural ingredients.

I will be posting a short video of the process on my blog this month –

www.LogHouseAromatics.com

Lemon has so many other uses, so let’s focus on those.

First it just smells so fresh and, well, lemony! It is known to uplift the spirits, so when you’re feeling a little low, put a few drops on a tissue or in a diffuser and let that lemon scent pull you out of the doldrums so you can face the day with a smile on your face. It is a proven anxiolytic – that is it is scientifically proven to reduce anxiety, so if you’re anxious anyway or just worried about a particular thing or event, take a good long whiff of lemon oil and feel those worries just melt away. I have successfully cleaned our stainlesssteel toaster with this after 10 years of neglect (!)

Here are the Before and After photos: Finally, lemon oil is also a good appetite suppressant. Although grapefruit oil is possibly the most well-known, many of the citruses can act in this way. It is thought this is due to their ability to lift one’s spirits. As food has many emotional connections and we often overeat when we are worried or tense or generally not feeling great about ourselves, so it makes sense that if those feelings are overcome then it is easier to say no to that slice of cake and yes to the apple instead.

You can also try adding Peppermint (Mentha x piperita), Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus), Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), and Black Pepper (Piper negrum), along with lemon, lime and/or grapefruit to a diffuser blend to help suppress your appetite. Any combination of the these will work for you, either on a handkerchief, in an inhaler, or in a diffuser. Any way works.

So, to conclude, Lemon essential oil has many wonderful applications, and it is also relatively inexpensive, particularly as you only need a few drops at a time. As always, please be careful where you buy from. Use a reputable essential oil provider, don’t expect something you pick up in TJMaxx to have the same potency as something you get from NYR Organic for example. It may smell nice, but it is unlikely to have the other qualities, it just has fragrance added.

It is also an awesome cleaner. The super high concentration of d-limonene in lemon essential oil is what gives it this quality. In addition, it is proven to be anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant; all good qualities to have in a cleanser of any kind. It helps support the immune system, protects the liver, and generally supports good health. Add to that the fact that it smells so great and why wouldn’t you want to replace those toxic cleaners and use this instead??

My favorite recipe for just about any So the first photo shows the toaster part way through the process – the point at which my husband was in disbelief at how amazing the toaster was looking (he was ready to buy a new one!) As you can see, the bar on the left is brown/black with residue, as were all three. In this photo you can see the right-hand bar has been cleaned already; the middle bar has had the cleansing paste applied and the left hand bar is still waiting to be cleaned.

After the paste is applied, just leave it for 10-20 minutes to let the lemon oil do its work. Then take a damp cloth and gently

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CRASHMAS MEMORIES

"A true story from the Greg files"

2020 was good to the last suck. What a year!

Five days before Christmas, I had the family truckster (as Clark Griswold would say) loaded for the 660-mile drive to visit my daughter in Fort. Lauderdale.

I’d begun packing days ahead. Gifts first. Tucked and covered. I have a checklist of several dozen items that must be packed. Red Christmas vest. Check. Seafood lasagna. Check.

Seafood lasagna? It’s a wonderful mozzarella cream sauce lasagna packed with shrimp and crab meat and my daughter has loved it her whole life. When I visit, it’s our traditional dinner on night one. I just find it easier to make a day early (tastes even better after it sets a day) and pack it in a large cooler (email me for the recipe).

All of this preparation is designed to allow a quick escape at 3AM CST. If all goes well, and it usually does, it gets Montgomery neighborhood because deer are often out at that hour. I’ve seen them. I relaxed when I reached Atlanta Highway, and was soon motoring smoothly southbound Hwy 231.

I was in a festive mood, making great time but observing the 65MPH speed limit. Seriously.

Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, my field of vision was filled with a large deer! I slammed on the brakes but there was no chance of avoiding collision. The sound of exploding plastic was no different than striking another car. I screeched to a halt, my

me into Ft. Lauderdale around 2:30 (I lose an hour crossing into Georgia). I stay at a dear (no pun intended) friend’s house, grab a nap and make the final 50-mile journey to Janelle’s townhouse feeling refreshed.

At 3AM on this past 12/21, I reviewed the check list and backed down the driveway on time!

Taking no chances, I picked my way carefully out of our northeast

Deer Damages

The deer must have survived (they often do) because I saw nothing of the creature on the road or to the side.

I needed to check my Rogue to see if I could continue traveling, so I slowly began moving forward. My headlights seemed to be working. As I gained speed, I heard a slapping sound on the side of the car with no clue what was causing it. Believe me, I felt worse about hurting the deer than I did my car. My immediate fear was the slapping sound being caused by some part of the deer beating the car in revenge.

I drove several miles, enduring that sound, almost certain I’d be returning home. Luckily, the car was packed all the damage was outside. There was no seafood lasagna in the AC vents from screeching brakes.

At 3:45 I saw a gas station/convenience store and pulled into the lot. Troy is not exactly the city that never sleeps so I was thrilled to find anything open.

The slapping sound was a piece of plastic bent off the right fender. The bigger issue was “continue or not”? A very southern voice from behind me said “nasty critters, aren’t they?”.

I turned around and miracle of miracles- stood a man wearing a mechanic’s uniform! “Lemme help ya out here mister”. He’d seen it happen and followed me to offer help. He used a box cutter to saw the slapping plastic piece off. The headlights and turn signals worked. Most importantly, the hood was firmly locked in place and in no danger of flying off. I saw that happen on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. The green hood of a Yellow Cab flew up and spun like a guillotine. Fortunately, it missed everyone and everything. My mechanic friend said I should be good to continue. He wouldn’t even let me buy him coffee to say thanks.

Still shaken, I needed to tell a friend so I texted Rich Thomas, the one guy I knew would be up at 4AM. I still couldn’t get over how quickly it happened and told him how horribly I felt about hitting an animal. When I drove past the accident spot, I realized how everything happened so quickly. The ravine separating the north and southbound lines is deep. A deer concealed in the gully could easily leap out with no warning. No driver would have a chance. I also learned that these collisions can be fatal to the deer and driver.

I felt somewhat lucky it wasn’t worse.

When I got home, Donnie had already ordered the bumper, fender and other parts and had them painted. On the Monday after my return, he had my SUV staged for repair in the morning and by 6PM that evening it was detailed and ready! Great coordination while I was out of town! Best of all, the Rogue looked showroom new inside and out.

I may rethink the 3AM departures for future trips. That stunning instant of the deer strike still haunts me.

The total repair cost a little over $3,000.

Amazing how much damage can start with one buck.

I was almost to Georgia when daylight was finally illuminating the pastoral landscape. My morning show team would be starting up at 6 so I pulled up the NewsTalk app and tuned in for the comfort of my friend’s voices. Sure enough, they were talking about my deer experience and the first thing I hear? “Somewhere near Troy a deer family will be setting one less plate this Christmas”. Thanks for assuaging my guilt, gang!

Two minutes after that Showroom Ready Hallmark Moment I received a text from my buddy Donnie Turner. He owns Montgomery Paint and Body and has been a great, long term sponsor of the show. “Send me some pix as soon as you can!”.

He was listening! At my next stop in Tallahassee, Florida I took and sent a dozen shots from every angle. After 9, I contacted my insurance agent and when I arrived in Ft. Lauderdale (on time!) I filed a claim.

The Rogue held up fine through a memorable 5-day Christmas visit, and the subsequent drive home. I timed things so I’d be returning north on Hwy

(If you have a comment on this column, email me at gregbudell@aol.com. It's still fun to hear from new people!)

Greg Budell lives in Montgomery with his wife, Roz, Stepson, Sho, and dogs Hershey and Briscoe. He’s been in radio since 1970, and has marked 16 years in the River Region. He hosts the Newstalk 93.1FM Morning Show with Rich Thomas, Jay Scott & Jessie Lynn, 6-9 AM Monday-Friday. He returns weekday afternoons from 3-6 PM for Happy Hour with sidekick Rosie Brock. Greg can be reached at gregbudell@aol.com.