Perk-up with peppermint this holiday season!
Posted December 21st, 2006 at 11:45 AM by Valerie Cerami
Section: Nutrition, Health & Fitness
December is resplendent with decorations, parties, commitments and STRESS! Is the hustle and bustle of this holiday season taking its toll on your running routine? Well, have I got a treat for you!
Grab a candy cane!!! The simplest, sweetest solution to your winter slump comes in the fun-filled form of a red and white striped hard candy stick.
This traditional peppermint flavored treat is everywhere this time of year. Nearly 2 billion candy canes will be sold in the four weeks before Christmas and Hanukkah, so I’m certain you can get your hands on one. Just take a gander anywhere - or shot an email off to Santa’s helpers for directions.
Studies show that smelling or tasting peppermint offers a quick pick-me-up. “The aroma has the same effect as a whiff of smelling salts,” says Alan Hirsch, M.D., Founder, Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, IL.
Plus, a candy cane is as healthy as it gets when it comes to a sugary snack: 55 calories, 0 fat, and according to research the sweetness can curb your ravenous appetite for 30 minutes. What a terrific strategy to stave off hunger before a run – or to keep you in-check at the many cocktail parties this season brings … not bad for a decorating boost, either!
The magic of the candy cane lies in its peppermint content. Peppermint has high amounts of menthol and the oil also contains menthone and menthyl esters. It is the oldest and most popular choice of mint-flavored confectionery, as well as a favorite scent in a variety of non-edible items such as: shampoos, lotions and soaps, cosmetics, etc., which produce a cooling sensation on the skin, as well as the uplifting fragrance.
If a mere sniff leaves you wanting more, then you’ll be happy to know that when consumed, peppermint is believed to have many medicinal properties. These benefits include:
- Helps against upset stomachs
- Inhibits the growth of certain bacteria
- Can help smooth and relax muscles when inhaled or applied to the skin
Other health benefits are attributed to the high manganese, vitamin C and vitamin A content; as well as trace amounts of various other nutrients such as fibre, iron, calcium, folate, potassium, tryptophan, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, riboflavin, and copper.
This brings us to one of the fastest growing fields in alternative medicine: Aromatherapy. Aromatherapy means “treatment using scents”. It is a holistic treatment of caring for the body with pleasant smelling botanical oils such as rose, lemon, lavender and peppermint. The essential oils are added to the bath or massaged into the skin, inhaled directly or diffused to scent an entire room.
Aromatherapy can be beneficial for: relief of pain, skin care, alleviating tension and fatigue, invigorating the entire body, expectorants, reducing anxiety and depression, aiding in relaxation, diuretics, antiseptics, psychosomatic problems, PMS symptoms, easing menopausal complaints, and digestive disorders
Essential oils can affect the mood. When inhaled, they work on the brain and nervous system through stimulation of the olfactory nerves. It is believed that smells greatly affect our moods, emotions, memory and learning. (Makes sense, considering the sense of smell is 10,000 times greater than the sense of taste.) There are specific physiological, psychological, and therapeutic benefits in using these oils to improve – and even prevent –a myriad of illnesses.
Please note: Although Aromatherapy can help alleviate - or temporarily eliminate stress or other psychological factors – and can offer an alternative choice to taking prescription or over-the-counter chemical drugs - it is not meant to replace standard medical care, it’s aim is to complement it. It’s worth a “holistic” try… you may be delighted with the results that you experience.
Do something for yourself in this hectic time: Give yourself the gift of psychological and physical well being by giving yourself a candy cane.
My present to you: a recipe to make your own can be found below! Well you choose store-bought or home made, let’s all lift our candy canes … Here’s to your health!
Candy Cane Recipe
Ingredients:
- 3 cups Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Peppermint flavoring
- 1/2 cup Water
- 3/4 cup Lt. corn syrup
- 3/4 teaspoon Red vegetable coloring
- 1/4 teaspoon Cream of tartar
Directions:
The sugar, water, syrup, and cream of tartar you combine and heat until the sugar is dissolved very fine. Divide into two saucepans, boil, but don’t stir, please, until each lot is 280 F. Add 1/2 ts peppermint to each lot and add the coloring to one. Place on an enamel or marble table to cool. (First oiling the table, as a general rule). Like taffy you stretch and pull and form into ropes of red and white, now twist them around again and again. And form them into your cane. Now on an oiled surface you allow them to harden.
Finally, for all of you enthusiasts and converts to candy cane effects: National candy cane day is celebrated on December 26 in the United States!
Research sources and for more information: [WebMD], [Aroma Web], [Holistic Online], [Wikipedia], [Candy Cane Facts]
***Note: We encourage EVERYONE to see a doctor before altering their diet, taking a supplement and/or performing athletic, fitness or other strenuous physical activity. It is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any information, instruction, opinion or advice contained in the content. Please also see our complete disclaimer.***
Tags: aroma therapy, candy cane, candy canes, de stress, essential oils, olfactory nerves, peppermint, relaxation, stress
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