About Our Guest- Dr. Mariza Snyder – Essential Oils and Aromatherapy
Dr. Mariza Snyder is a functional practitioner and the author of seven books, including the National Bestseller, The Essential Oils Hormone Solution, focused on balancing hormones with the power of essential oils, and the #1 Amazon Bestseller The Smart Mom’s Guide to Essential Oils.
For the past ten years, she has lectured at wellness centers, conferences, and corporations on hormone health, essential oils, nutrition, and detoxification. She has been featured on Dr. Oz, Fox News Health, Oprah Magazine, MindBodyGreen and many publications. Dr. Mariza is also the host of the Essentially You Podcast, designed to empower women to become the CEO of their health. Check out her website, drmariza.com, for women’s hormone tips, including recipes and remedies.
Tools mentioned in this episode
Carrier oil (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321639) – Used in aromatherapy, a complementary therapy where various essential oils are applied to the body to aid both physical and emotional health and well-being. Carrier oils dilute the concentrated essential oils so they can be applied to the skin without side effects.
Oil diffuser (https://www.amazon.com/oil-diffuser/s?k=oil+diffuser) is a device that breaks essential oils down into smaller molecules, dispersing them into the air for a pleasant or calming effect—depending on the oil that’s been put into the diffuser. The diffuser’s job is to evenly disperse the particles at a comfortable concentration that’s easy to breathe and doesn’t overbear the room.
The smart mom’s guide to essential oils (https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Moms-Guide-Essential-Oils/dp/1612436463) – Dr. Mariza Snyder’s in-depth guide to essential oils with over 50 of the most useful essential oil recipes for tackling every mom’s daily needs.
The Essential Oils hormone solution (https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Moms-Guide-Essential-Oils/dp/1612436463) – Dr. Mariza Snyder’s second book will teach you how to heal hormonal chaos and revitalize the body from the inside out with the support of high-quality essential oils.
Full Podcast Transcription
Dr. Mariza Snyder 00:00
So having a wintergreen or a peppermint oil on my neck, I love that cooling sensation. But sometimes it can be a little bit much for people personally, I love to put it on and then get in a hot shower. So I really amp it up.
Diva Nagula 00:12
You’re hardcore! Hello, this is Dr. Diva Nagula. Welcome to From Doctor To Patient, where our goal is to bring you topics of discussion that will educate you on various healing modalities to help balance the mind, body, and spirit. Today I am pleased to introduce you to Dr. Mariza Snyder. She is a functional practitioner and the author of seven books, including the national bestseller The Essential Oil Hormone Solution, focused on balancing hormones, with the power of essential oils, and the number one Amazon bestseller of The Smart Mom’s Guide to Essential Oils. For the past 10 years she’s lectured at wellness centers, conferences, and corporations on hormone health, essential oils, nutrition, and detoxification. She has been featured on Dr. Oz, Fox News Health, Oprah Magazine, Mind Body Green and many publications. Dr. Mariza is also the host of the Essentially You podcast designed to empower women to become the CEO of their health. Check out her website, DrMariza.com for more women’s hormone tips, including recipes and remedies. Hi, how are you today?
Dr. Mariza Snyder 01:45
I am doing great. Thanks for having me.
Diva Nagula 01:47
It’s such a pleasure to have you on and I cannot wait to take a deep dive into essential oils and aroma therapy. So I think my listeners are just going to be so pleased to hear about this. There’s a lot of people that know about essential oils and they see it at the stores, they see it at health stores they probably get email blasts about it. But everyone’s like, what are they? How do you use them? So talk to me about like, how I know essential oils are a form of aroma therapy. Yes, aroma therapy is a way of utilizing your nose for a simple term to attain or optimize well being and essential oils is a mode for this. Talk to me about how this all works and our complicated brain?
Dr. Mariza Snyder 02:34
Absolutely. Well let’s take away back like to well before the advent of modern medicine, we’re what we had was the beauty of plant medicine around us. And so we’ve always… I think about plants I think about the kale in my smoothie this morning, the blueberries that I had, the ashwagandha rhodiola that we were taking, the holy basil tea that I drink last night, like we think about it, our lives are benefited, our bodies are benefited, from these beautiful herbs, constituents, these organic substances that comes from plants. And I would wager to to guess that a lot of how we stay healthy is really because of the plants and mother nature around us. So essential oils are are volatile, aromatic chemical constituents that are really part of the lifeblood of these beautiful plants around the world. They come from all over the world, they are carefully extracted. And ideally, you are working with a plant that is beautifully grown, cultivated, harvested in its natural habitat. And then we’re able to take a bunch of that, that plants substance, whether it’s the stems, the leaves, the flowers, all aspects of the plant, depending on the type of essential oil, extract it for its beautiful health benefits. Now we know that essential oils for plants can help with survival, help with growth, help with reproduction, really helping with the plant’s ability to make it out in the wilderness, because plants have got to survive too. And just like we are, so we are actually leveraging that intelligence that plants use for our own biochemical benefits. And so that is in a nutshell, what essential oils are now essential oils can be used aromatically like you were talking about. And it’s the fastest way to get essential oils not only into the brain, but also into the bloodstream. What we know is that we actually have olfactory receptors, more than just inside of the limbic system, inside of the brain, inside of the lungs, we actually know that there’s a factory receptors in more areas of the body. We are still learning so much about how essential oils and how plants can really serve us in a holistic and in a beneficial way. And as we continue to do the research, we’re realizing oh my gosh, these chemical constituents not only are binding to cell receptors on side of the cell membrane, but there’s actually olfactory receptors all over the body which is really fascinating to me.
Diva Nagula 04:59
I didn’t know that, I always assume that olfactory receptors are in our nose or in our brain that’s
news to me, because I didn’t realize it was in other areas of our bodies.
Dr. Mariza Snyder 05:08
Yeah, it’s news to a lot of us, it’s recent news.
Diva Nagula 05:13
When you were talking about the olfactory receptors being housed, or being in the limbic system, which is where we like, produce our memories and emotions. So I guess when we smell something, it’s often times that it triggers like a specific emotion that we correspond that smell with, or it triggers a specific memory because it brings us back to a place that might be pleasant, where we have an association of that pleasant memory with that smell. Is that is that accurate?
Dr. Mariza Snyder 05:43
Absolutely. So one of the things that a lot of people don’t know is that our sense of smell is our most powerful, we’re talking about like by a hundredfold relative to every other sense in our body. And that’s because our sense of smell has a no holds barred directly into the limbic system, impacting our amygdala, our hippocampus, or hypothalamus, which is the hormone control center, I was thinking about the amygdala as being the stranger dangerous center, right? We’re always sensing what’s going on and now we know that not just the amygdala is kind of doing that stranger danger. Since sensing, actually, a lot of cells inside of our body, a lot of our body can actually sense danger, you know it because ultimately, our core mode of operation is survival more than anything else. And so what we’ve learned is that when it comes to smell, it doesn’t have to be modulated by the thalamus, or the cortex, or the midbrain. It just goes straight up so that you can make an emergency decision based on the circumstances. But we also know because of that, like you walk in, and you smell your grandmother’s apple pie, or her beautiful chai tea recipe, or whatever it may be, you even smell that walking down the streets of New York, or wherever you are, and it immediately sends you back to that place. And that’s because scent is so imperative to our survival, that it is deeply rooted in our in our memory and our emotional well being or vice versa. Right? It can send us into kind of an emotional tailspin as well.
Diva Nagula 07:12
I guess with these essential oils, they’re extracted from plants. And that’s how you were talking about that? Is it a requirement for an essential oil to be produced… is the prerequisite to have a lot of the substance? How much oil can we extract from a plant?
Dr. Mariza Snyder 07:31
It depends on the plant. And so for example, and I don’t have anything in front of me, but think about like a 5ml bottle of jasmine, it requires 1000s upon 1000s of petals. And not just that, if it’s a pure Jasmine essential oil and talk a little bit about the benefits of jasmine. So my favorite essential oils, it’s since literally the essence of intoxication, like it is so yummy. And it’s the oil of confidence, but it’s phenomenal for mood support. So Jasmine oil, it has to be picked before sunrise. So at dawn has to be hand picked at dawn, because that’s where the the most essential oil you’re going to find on those petals are, if the sun comes out, I talked about volatile chemical constituents, the essential oils will evaporate because they’re that delicate. So enough sun hits those flowers and it’s a done deal that the that essential oil is gone. So then they have to be hand picked, hand carried to the distillery so that there is no environmental D
toxins or anything damaging or exposing these beautiful petals. And then there’s a like specifically for Jasmine, there’s a different process where we just get a jasmine absolute because it’s that delicate of an essential oil. And that’s just an example of jasmine, you know, it takes a lot less lemon oil than it does take lavender or takes jasmine or versus like a sandalwood tree. So depending upon the specific plant that we’re working with, there is going to be a certain amount that’s necessary and the distilling process can be very different. So you really have to have people who not only know the botany of the plants, how to grow these plants, make sure that the sustainability of the plants are are preserved. But then also, the distillery of that particular plant is its own. A lot of lot goes into creating these beautiful chemical constituents to make sure that they’re bioavailable for our bodies, because ultimately, a lot of essential oils on the market are used for flavoring. Essential oils are actually even used to make the flavor of Coca Cola. Like if you want that exact, I haven’t had a soda or a coke in like a decade or two decades. But I know that there’s an exact science to making that specific formula and it is a combination of very specific essential oils that make that Coca Cola flavoring. However, we’re not using those types of essential oils for benefits around our homeostasis or our biological processes, when it comes to those, you’re working with a very high quality essential oil, you, it’s really important that it goes through all of the purification testing, we want to make sure that it’s coming from a great source. Clearly there are essential oils on the market that are not super pure, and you’re not going to get the result that you’re looking for. So always looking out for purity, where these oils are coming from, because at the end of the day, they were plants once upon a time. And that’s really what we’re leveraging, we’re just leveraging that plant chemistry to have that result inside of our body.
Diva Nagula 10:31
You brought up a good point about trusted brands and trusted processes. And I want to get your take on what are the best brands out there and why, we’ll talk about that a little bit later. But what I would like to get into is how essential oils are not only used for purposes of enhancing smell and healing through smell, but it can be also used topically, correct?
Dr. Mariza Snyder 10:57
Yeah. Oh, yeah. That’s my favorite. Well, I all of them are my favorite ways But there are lots of
benefits.
Diva Nagula 11:03
Are there any specific points or areas that optimize the absorption?
Dr. Mariza Snyder 11:09
Yes, absolutely. So as I mentioned earlier, the fastest way to get them in systemically, is going to be by breathing them in. So just taking a bottle, whether I have a diffuser running right here, we have oils everywhere in this house, like I cannot look anywhere and they’re not being oil. So at any given time, I can pick one up, breathe it in and elicit the response that I’m looking for. If I want to feel happy, I want to feel elevated and joyful. I’m picking up a citrus oil because of the limonine and monoterpenal content there. If I want to take things down a notch, I’m going to grab a lavender, ylang ylang, a bergamot, clary sage, those have really beautiful phenols, and really calming essential oil chemical constituents. And again, breathing one of those in will just shift you from a sympathetic dominant state of fight or flight state to a parasympathetic state like that, it’s very fast and effective. So if I’m looking for a brain function, I’m looking for alertness, I’m looking to calm a panic attack on a flight. If I’m looking for sleep, I’m gonna breathe them in aromatically. If I want it systemically as well, I’m breathing in automatically. But if I’ve got a headache, or a migraine, I am applying them topically where the area of origin is. And I’m focusing on oils that can boost boost oxygen to the brain, like really focusing on kind of reducing that tension and helping the flow of oxygen to the brain. Depending on what type of headache it is. If I’ve got a digestive issue, I’m going to be applying oils directly to that area of concern. So if it’s acid reflux, it’s going to be fennel, closer to the sternum, if it’s a bowel situation, I’m going to be placing them below the belly button or around them around the belly button, depending on what’s going on there. If I’ve got a sore knee, I’m going to be placing it on my knee, not on my ankle, so area of concern is super important there. And so when it comes to addressing what I consider to be like an area of concern that’s causing you discomfort, whether it’s a digestive issue, a respiratory issue, a pain issue, a headache issue, even a skin issue, then I’m going to be applying the oil directly to that area. And I always want to use a carrier oil like coconut oil, almond oil, grapeseed oil, whatever you love. Two reasons for that is these oils are very, very potent, and very, very effective at getting the job done. But they can also be irritable. So you want to make sure that we are diluting them to reduce any level of irritability. Also, as I mentioned, the oils are volatile, so they will evaporate before they actually go into your skin. And so if you want to ensure that you’re getting that full concentration, whatever that concentration is, you want to make sure that there’s a carrier oil there. So it allows for those lipophilic essential oil constituents to actually absorb into the tissues and down into the bloodstream.
Diva Nagula 13:57
I really was hoping that you would talk about the carrier oil, because that’s I hear that a lot. The idea is to prevent the caustic nature of some of these oils in causing in a reaction on the skin. So how would you apply? Is there a ratio that you would use for the essential oils to a carrier oil? Or what’s the formula?
Dr. Mariza Snyder 14:19
Yeah, it really depends on the age, it depends on the purpose. So like for Yeah, it does. And I don’t want to make it complicated. That’s never my intention. But there are a couple of factors. So like the concentration I would use on a five year old, it’s not the same concentration I would use on a 15 year old. And if it is a acute issue, I’m going to step up the concentration a little bit more than if it was just something that we were addressing, like if it was a cut, I’m going to get to it with with with like melaleuca or lavender to really clean that wound and to really promote promote cellular healing, they’re very quickly so the concentration would be a little bit higher where it’s If you’ve got just a persistent, nagging shoulder pain, we you know, it wouldn’t be the same as if I was dealing with an acute issue. Does that make sense? So concentration varies. On average, you know what my favorite modality, I’m just gonna grab it real quick if I can get it. Sorry about that is like a $10 roller. So this is two teaspoons of a carrier oil, whatever carrier oil you love. And normally I operate on average at a 10% concentration, it’s a pretty safe concentration to start with. And I in my books I go through, I literally give you a dilution chart for every age and all the kinds of option. I pre make recipes so that you don’t have to think about this, you just just make it and put it on but in this particular bottle, I would do anywhere between between, I would say 10 to 20 drops would be in a 10 ml bottle, depending on what I was trying to do. But a safe place to play is fill this whole thing up with a carrier oil and then 10 drops of an essential oil.
Diva Nagula 16:04
So you fill the entire bottle with a carrier oil, how many cc’s would that be?
Dr. Mariza Snyder 16:09
I don’t know how many cc’s but I do know it’s two teaspoons of it.
Diva Nagula 16:18
And then you put in 10 to 20 drops. And that’s any essential oil or is that the ones that
specifically are caustic to the skin?
Dr. Mariza Snyder 16:31
I always like to play it safe I go very conservative… I may not be as conservative in my home based on what I know works for us and what I’ve been what I’ve been doing for so long, but very conservatively Yeah, in the cost of oils are oftentimes you’re really hot oils. So hot oils are oregano, cinnamon, kaseya, clove, thyme, a lot of our herbs, herbal oils, and these these oils, particularly two are phenomenal for supporting environmental threats, boosting the immune system dealing with any type of viruses or bacteria. They’re phenomenal for colds and flus. But they are very, very warm not only to the touch, but they’re just highly concentrated. So always want to be mindful of those. Then on the other side, we’ve got our cooling oils like wintergreen, peppermint, spearmint, eucalyptus, those are great for respiratory support, some of them are great for digestive support, but again, can be very, very cooling. I love it. Sometimes if I’ve got a really sore neck, that’s where kind of my it’s my Achilles heel is my neck. So having a wintergreen or a peppermint oil on my neck, it’s I love that cooling sensation. But sometimes it can be a little bit much for people personally, I love to put it on and then get in a hot shower. So I really amp it up. But that’s again that’s just me.
Diva Nagula 17:48 You’re hardcore!
Dr. Mariza Snyder 17:50
Well, when you really want to loosen those muscles like that’s gonna really get the job done or I’ll even… we have heated seats in our cars I’ll put them on and then go sit in my car but it works and then all of a sudden that neck pain or the tension it’s gone within about five minutes. And for me that’s a big win.
Diva Nagula 18:13
I mean, isn’t it amazing how you can apply something that’s natural made from a plant and apply it to your area of discomfort and within five to 10 minutes experience relief. And it’s natural I mean that’s what amazes me it’s instead of like popping 4 Tylenol or 2 Advil for discomfort for relief of pain, which who knows what it’s doing to your system.
Dr. Mariza Snyder 18:38
Your poor liver, oh my goodness your poor liver!
Diva Nagula 18:44
This is such a nice option to have and and not only we’re talking about pain relief, but we’re talking about relief for so many other elements like we’re talking about nausea, upset stomach, there’s a multitude of options and indications for essential oils to help.
Dr. Mariza Snyder 19:02
well and I think what’s important to me is that this is our first line of defense, anything that comes up in our house, whether it’s a cut, or it is a headache, or it’s a it’s a sunburn or whatever it may be. This is what we use we travel with oil sometimes we’re gone for a month at a time we about 25 oils on our person at any given time, because things are gonna pop up, you’re gone for a month best believe someone’s gonna run into a pole or someone’s gonna get sick or someone’s gonna get motion sickness or someone’s gonna get a headache, or someone’s going to eat something out of town that absolutely did not agree with them. And so that’s absolutely going to happen. So for us, it’s just what we do first. And the beautiful thing is is that you know, we are well insured, we can go to a doctor anytime I’ve got amazing friends you can be of assistance but this is what we do always first and where we they really show up for us is focus concentration, energy, mood support, stress. It’s the everyday intangible root causes that are driving us into a state of chronic disease that we don’t really pay attention to or notice until much time has gone by. So for me having these tools that I can pull from literally they sit by my desk, they sit in front of… I’m working on a new book right now, they’re in front of my book, and I just, if I’m feeling exhausted, I’m dealing with brain fog, or I’m feeling stressed, or I’m feeling a little anxious, I can grab essential oils for those moments, in the moment, and they work so fast. I can’t tell you how many classes I’ve taught, where someone has come in, hung over, or they’ve come in with a digestive issue or they’ve come in exhausted, or they’ve come in stressed out, or they have some type of respiratory thing. And I just pass an oil to them whatever that oil is, and then have them apply it, I tell him what to do put it on, and check in literally three minutes later. And they have forgotten what it was. They were like, oh my god, I don’t even know what it was anymore. And just watching that social, that social proof over and over and over again. It’s incredible. And it’s so simple.
Diva Nagula 21:26
Well, this is great. I kind of want to, I don’t want to steal all your secrets because I want people to purchase your book. But it would be great if you’re able to give us like a secret regimen, like if someone was experiencing anxiety and depression, right? What will be a stack of essential oils or just an individual oil that you can use that you can inhale or apply topically to get over the anxiety and or depression?
Dr. Mariza Snyder 22:44
Absolutely, well, let’s start Well, I treat them differently. I have recommendations for them both to let’s start with anxiety. So a combination of oils that I love for anxiousness and I have a fear of flying and I fly a lot. So this comes up for me every time the plane takes off. And I don’t know what I would do without my oils or my favorite playlists. I got a playlist I got some Chaka Khan and some Aretha Franklin because those are the songs that are gonna get me through that take off moment. And then I’ve got my oils and so the oils that I really lend to are going to be lavender and vetiver. So lavender, vetiver, cedarwood and clary sage, those are my top four big players for dealing with anxiousness, maybe a panic attack, I have it in a premade blend. And to keep it super simple, the blend would be either five drops of lavender and vetiver. Or you could do three drops of all four, like lavender, vetiver, cedar wood and clary sage. And then you would top it off with a fractionated, coconut oil or grapeseed oil, whatever that may be. And what I do in those moments, is I roll the blend over my palms like this, I take some deep belly breaths, I also have it on my temples on my wrists, I just really want to be connected, I also put it over my heart before I get on the plane. So I wanted over my heart center as well. And I call it the power of the pause, I take a deep breath in, I hold it for five, I breathe all the way out and I hold it for five. And I take my hands. Deep breath in, hold it for five. And I just repeat that until everything begins to just relax and slow down for me. I don’t feel so elevated in that state. And then I have a little mantra that I say and I say I choose peace over this. I choose peace over this. And so that will literally take me from a 100 on the panic scale down to about a 10 really quick.
Diva Nagula 24:37
it’s you’re using obviously the power of essential oils, you’re using a little breathing exercising, actually gets them more into a rest or digest parasympathetic, and then you’re also using positive affirmations. So these are the techniques they’re using. And it’s amazing because they all work in synergy to optimize the treatment of the anxiety that the person is experiencing.
Dr. Mariza Snyder 25:01
And you forgot the Aretha Franklin. I also got that going on.
Diva Nagula 25:04
We got the sound too, we can’t forget that one.
Dr. Mariza Snyder 25:08
So I’m just a multitasker clearly, I can do affirmations and listen to rock steady and breath in
my oils!
Diva Nagula 25:17
You’re my hero. Yes, this is great. I mean, this is awesome because it’s such a simple thing. And you’re utilizing multiple modalities to get over a panic attack essentially, or try to hit it before it even starts. And this is so important because typically what you would experience is okay, well, I’m going to go to on a plane where I am so fearful and I hate flying. I’m going to pop in a Valium or a Xanax. Or if you’re in first class, you’re gonna get that glass of Mimosa.
Dr. Mariza Snyder 25:49
I haven’t ever taken Xanax before. And I travel some there’s been months where I’m on a flight four to five times a month, and sometimes only twice a month. But usually at least twice a month. I’m on a plane. And that’s been offered to me by many doctors over the years, just emergency Xanax is totally fine. But I do know that the accumulation of Xanax we’re seeing new research that shows that it can lead to dementia. And it’s just things to be mindful of and I just have I’ve chosen to you what kind of natural solution can I lend to first and foremost, so don’t become reliant on those for depression. So a couple different oils that play a big role. And again I always think it’s important to kind of figure out what works best for you. But my go to oils, any citrus, citrus literally boosts, all citrus oils, whether it’s tangerine, wild orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, green mandrin, whatever, whatever you want. There’s so many beautiful citruses out there. But they have a high limonene meaning content, and they boost happy neurotransmitters so they boost serotonin, they boost dopamine, they will take you from… I literally start every single morning with tangerine essential oil, because it’s like this bubble of joy, it’s just amazing. It’s like this effervescent moment. I start every day that way. Because you can’t gang bang on your day when you breathe in an essential oil like that. And so I have a beautiful morning ritual that goes with that.
Diva Nagula 27:20
Is that your essential oils stack for uplifting and sorting out your morning?
Dr. Mariza Snyder 27:25 Absolutely. Yeah.
Diva Nagula 27:26
And in terms of how much of each, what’s your formula?
Dr. Mariza Snyder 27:33
I just do one drop on my palms, rub my palms together, you can have a little roller. So I do have a roller of a trio of citruses that I love. So it’s tangerine, wild orange and grapefruit. Because grapefruit it’s energizing, it’s clean, and it smells very different than the orange and tangerine. I do 5 drops of each. So 15 drops go into a roller then I topped it off with a carrier oil, I just roll it on my palms like I had suggested and then breathe it in. Yeah, but citruses are very, very safe. The only thing that you should be mindful on with citruses is they are photo sensitive. So if you don’t put them on your face and then go outside into the sun, and that’s the same…. that’s why when I was a little girl we used to use lemon oil to lighten in our hair. Same thing. So if you were to like suck on limes for whatever reason and lime juice got on your face, it would burn your face and so all citruses do this. So just be really mindful around essential oils because they’re highly concentrated citruses. But just breathing it into your palms very, very safe. I like essential oils like citrus essential oils, literally out the bottle pure. So full concentration. I just love the way that they smell and they feel but you can absolutely put them into a roller. So I stack those oils and start my day like that. But they’re phenomenal for boosting happy neurotransmitters. The other oil that I absolutely love that I think is a game changer for depression is Frankincense. Frankincense is a powerful neurological booster it’s great for brain function. It’s also great for boosting happy neurotransmitters as well. And then two of the most expensive oils that are great for depression is going to be melissa and rose oil, but they’re expensive. So those are the really powerful players in reducing feelings of sadness and despondency. But the other oil that I would choose that I absolutely love. I’m just like picking through my Rolodex of oils right now would be ylang ylang, so in that combination, you could do a citrus, frankincense, ylang ylang and it would definitely boost those those happy feelings that you’re looking for.
Diva Nagula 29:46
So that’s your regimen for obviously boosting, uplifting and maybe starting your morning What about winding down for the day and right before you’re going to sleep or just trying to de-stress from the day and decompress, What you’re recommended regimen for that?
Dr. Mariza Snyder 30:01
Absolutely. So my top five oils for sleep are going to be lavender, which is an easy one to get your hands on. Roman chamomile which that’s why we drink Roman chamomile tea right so very, very calming. Also Roman chamomile is great for anxiety as well just a heads up if you have it. So lavender, Roman chamomile… Cedarwood which is also another inexpensive one. Vetiver, which is profound that is your liquid Xanax right there, that is your liquid sedative, that oil will knock you out. Like I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sabotaged family, like who are up late or working late and I will start diffusing a combination of vetiver and oils and just watch them like start doing the nod off like that’s how powerful this oil is. And when Vetiver is combined with lavender or cedarwood you have got a powerful sleep aid, a natural sleep aid. Then my other one is going to be clary sage. I call it the Beyonce of hormone essential oils. But clary sage is also phenomenal for reducing worry, mental chatter, all of those bubbled up feelings that we may be experiencing. And the clary sage is also great a just shutting the brain down. So those top five, any combination of those top five work, even just two of the top five, I recommend a diffuser. So it literally an hour before bed, get the diffuser running and have it next to your bed, if you wake up in the middle of the night by a diffuser that runs for five to 10 hours, because they’ll go on and off on and off throughout the night. So that you’ve got those oils going over your head. Yeah, constantly. And that will keep people asleep. I’ve even had patients who use those oils for like night terrors like that’s, they really just keep you asleep. If that’s not enough, then I would make up a little roller and roll them over your palms, over your feet, and back of the neck,
Diva Nagula 31:58
Why the palms and the feet?
Dr. Mariza Snyder 32:01
So, Chinese medicine there are meridians here as well. But also, it’s just a really non invasive way to get the oils into your bloodstream. That’s really what it comes down to. It’s not necessarily that there, there’s more opportunity for them to go into the bloodstream. It’s just an easy path. So for babies, for children, putting them on their feet, putting them on their palms, putting them on the back of their neck and their spine is just an easy way to do it a very calming and gentle way to do that. And we can reach these areas pretty easily for ourselves. So that’s why we recommend it that way. Back in the neck, because as you know, that’s where the sleep center is. So again, we want to get these oils as close to the cerebellum and the midbrain as possible. So that’s going to be why the back of the neck.
Diva Nagula 32:49
Got it. And so Imeant to ask you before but this question just came up now. When we were using these essential oils for a single application or single use, what is the onset of time for it to take effect on our system? And what is the length of time that it lasts?
Dr. Mariza Snyder 33:06
Yeah, it’s a great question. So we know that we can metabolize, because ultimately, that’s what’s going on. Right. So these oils are not nutrition, but we do metabolize the chemical constituents, we also know that our bodies can break apart these chemical constituents and bind them to other important organic chemicals in the body. Like it’s so fascinating to see the way in which we leverage this chemistry inside of the body. I know that we can metabolize anywhere between two to four hours. So I always tell people, like let’s say it’s a cold or flu, like we’re dealing with a full on attack, with some type of virus of some sorts. I always recommend people put them on literally on the hour, so that you keep that systemic dosage pretty consistent throughout the day.
Diva Nagula 33:55
There’s no toxicity by doing that correct?
Dr. Mariza Snyder 33:57
No, you’re not going to overwhelm the system. Not to say that you couldn’t absolutely get yourself to a tipping point. It just requires so much essential oil to do that. It’s really really rare. In terms of adverse reactions that that companies get. It’s like .01-.05% it’s a very, very, very low amount. Even children who accidentally drink them it’s never really… not to say that you couldn’t drink a really caustic oil, you could absolutely do that. It would taste so awful, like it would but it’s not it’s not like you’re drinking a really serious crazy poison by any means. So it would require a lotm, you could be dumping these oils onto your body that would be that level of toxicity that would go up so yeah, I know you applying a couple of especially a diluted oil Every hour, yeah, no concern there.
Diva Nagula 35:03
Awesome, well, I want to have one more stack that I’d like you to discuss. Because we are in flu season, there’s this threat of all sorts of viruses that we’re going to be exposed to imminent down the road, or maybe not. But just just for people, let’s just discuss an optimal immune system stack.
Dr. Mariza Snyder 35:24
Absolutely. So this is actually the reason why I got into essential oils, I was sick all the time, seven to 11 times a year. And a friend of mine was like, I am so sick of you being sick and tired all the time. She’s like my family’s started using these oils, I’ve got a couple blends, I’m going to send your way just try them. And like the biochemist to me was like, I don’t know about this. But I did, I tried them. And I didn’t get sick for three and a half years. So I literally missed out on 30, colds and fluids. And really what it is, is boosting the immune system, right? It’s really about boosting the immune system, and really setting up the body for for success, if indeed we were exposed to a virus, whether you’re on a plane, or you’re at the grocery store, or whatever. So my go to oils for boosting your immune system. So let’s just take a roller like this, I would do five drops of melaleuca or tea tree oil, I would do five drops of oregano, I would do five drops of clove. And then I would do five drops of eucalyptus. So it would just be a heavier concentration, we’re talking about 20 drops of an oil in a 10ml roller. And then top it off with whatever carrier oil you prefer. And just roll during the season where environmental threats are more abundant, like right now, I would just be rolling that over my over my bottom of my feet every morning, just to keep the immune system up. That was what I recommend and diffusing around the house. So having a blend like clove, wild orange citruses are phenomenal for boosting the immune system as well as a clove, wild orange, maybe some eucalyptus, I’m even just eucalyptus would be a great oil to defuse in your house.
Diva Nagula 35:26
This is something that you don’t necessarily have to breathe, because it’s not something you’re trying to apply or breathe to get rid of something acutely. Wou’re just trying to build up your immune system, right? So that’s why you really get into the soles of the feet?
Dr. Mariza Snyder 37:22
Absolutely. And then I mean, if you know that you’re dealing with a respiratory concern, you want to open up the airways, and then yyou are going to step in the eucalyptus, you are going to step in the peppermint and the lemon. And if you want to like really open up the airways, what I recommend is taking a bowl of water heated up pretty hot. So it’s steaming, but not boiling, because these oils are volatile. So they will lose their efficacy if we boil essential oil. So we want to make sure that it’s hot enough but not boiling, then I want you to drop in three drops of eucalyptus, two drops of lemon, and a drop of oregano. And just put a little t shirt over your head or a towel. And just take those deep, deep, deep breath as you can. I mean when you’re stuffed up, it’s not easy to do. But those oils not only break up mucus, but open up the bronchioles and then the oregano I call oregano, the obliterator because it will go in and obliterate. And so just one drop of oregano because that oil will wake you up. I have had so many people with severe congestion, with sinus infections, all kinds of stuff, it just opened them fully up helping them to breathe better. And then you can even do like a little I have in my book, I have a recipe for a salve, you can actually put over your chest and the back to open up those airways. And if you kind of release any mucus or anything that’s going on in the in the lung.
Diva Nagula 38:49
And I guess you just wash, rinse and repeat until your ailments are gone. Right?
Dr. Mariza Snyder 38:53
Absolutely. And then wash your hands. You could even have a little spritzer that you take on the plane where you kind of spritz things down, which is just essential oils. Yeah. So you get a lot of people do that. We do that we have a little a little blend that we take with us on flights, on travel everywhere we go. And we have maybe in the last month…. I’ve been using essential oils, it’s almost eight years now. I want to say yeah, eight years. We’ve been sick maybe four times maybe, me and my family. And that’s the beautiful thing and you’re using them consistently. You’re just keeping your immune system just ready.
Diva Nagula 39:32
Yeah. And so what is your trusted brand of oils? There’s so many different manufacturers of oils
out there like who would you recommend using?
Dr. Mariza Snyder 39:43
So I have a I have a preference. I have a personal preference based on the research that I’ve done. My olis I love are going to be doTERRA essential oils. I love their sustainability practices, they know all of their growers. They really ensure that the oils are pure. I’ve actually planted trees with doTERRA as a part of their co-impact sourcing their sustainability, a huge sustainability project in Hawaii right now with Hawaiian Sandalwood. It’s the biggest sustainability project on the entire islands. And so I love how dedicated the company is to sustainability and making the planet a better place. And also, a lot of the farmers and cultivators of these beautiful oils. These aren’t always countries where they are fully equipped. And so being able to ensure that the farmers and the growers are very well compensated, there’s a lot of love and care and nurturing that goes into these oils, you can feel that when you use them on yourself and your family. So that’s the reason why I went with the company. I’ve always had great results with them, I’ve always seen such great results. But there’s other companies who who go to similar lengths. So just I think when it comes to choosing a brand, especially when it comes to, you know, the things that we’re putting on our family, the things that are putting on our own bodies, we always want to make sure that we’re doing our due diligence and doing the research. So looking into the type of… Are they showing you the type of purification practices and testing that they use? Are they full disclosure, letting you know where are these plants coming from around the world, and who is involved in that harvesting process? I think the more transparency that you see, with a company that’s working with literally plants around the world, the more you can feel like you can trust their integrity.
Diva Nagula 41:33
Thank you for sharing that. And I appreciate it the full explanation because it’s really helpful as to the explanation as to why and then some people are always are like, well, maybe there’s an affiliation. But this is purely because of their other practices and services. That is why you’re really gravitated towards this specific brand.
Dr. Mariza Snyder 41:53
I’ve been able to co-raise over $150,000 to end period poverty around the world with the company. And it’s because a lot of the plants come from areas where that is happening, where girls are getting pulled out of school. And so I love the heart of their initiatives. And I’ve been able has been able to be outside of the fact that I love the oils and the oils are effective, and they work. But I love a company who is so dedicated to supporting not only women, but families, cultures, around the world to create a better world to live in. So that that is always that’s near and dear to my heart is being a part of that and being able to, to work with them to raise that kind of money.
Diva Nagula 42:37
And we were talking about you’re talking about a book that you wrote previously. And recently, what is the name of the book, and I guess this is the book where you have all these recipes for essential oils for specific for various indications, right?
Dr. Mariza Snyder 42:50
Absolutely. So I actually have two books, the book that if you want colds, flus you want cuts and scrapes immune system, if you want to make over your entire home, you want green cleaning products, you want green personal care products, because again, we’ve got to reduce our toxic exposure to chemicals out there, like you want to make over the entire medicine cabinet like we have, from headaches to muscle aches to everything in between, it’s gonna be The Smart Mom’s Guide to Essential Oils, it’s gonna be that book! If you want recipes for a five year old versus a 12 year old, that’s the book, like literally you don’t think about it. And then the other book that came out last year was specifically on hormones. And so if you’re dealing with brain fog, hot flashes, menstrual cramps, gut issues using essential oils for all of these issues, or liver decongestion. That’s going to be The Essential Oils Hormone Solution. It digs into the biggest symptoms around women’s hormonal imbalance, but also looking at the root causes, like looking at toxic exposure, looking at digestive issues and how we can use plant based medicine to really help support us in that way.
Diva Nagula 43:58
And I’m assuming you can find these books on Amazon?
Dr. Mariza Snyder 44:00
Yes, you can find them on Amazon super easy to find them there. Yeah.
Diva Nagula 44:03
And if my listeners wanted to, like find out more information about you, where would they be
able to find?
Dr. Mariza Snyder 44:10
Well, if your listeners want to know more about women’s health, they want to dig really deep into root cause around anxiety, chronic pain, chronic fatigue, endometriosis, PCOS. My podcast is going to be my favorite place to go and check me out and that is Essentially You Podcast. Instagram, it’s @DrMariza and then the website is at DrMariza.com
Diva Nagula 44:32
Awesome. Thank you so much for being on the show. This is very educational. It’s a great topic to discuss. And I love the fact that we’re providing my listeners options other than pills that we’re so accustomed to using for, any amount from coming from a headache, nausea, whatever it is, it’s just nice knowning that there’s options that are natural that we can use and aren’t having toxic effects on our bodies.
Dr. Mariza Snyder 44:58
Absolutely. I’m really happy to have this conversation today, we essential oils were a massive paradigm shift. For me, it was one of the biggest changes we made it and I made in our life. And I can’t imagine a life where we go back from them. Because we don’t use any synthetic medications or over the counter drugs in our home. And we don’t have any toxic chemicals in our house. I mean, clearly, probably my rug has some, but like in terms of our cleaners, our personal care, everything is used with essential oils. And if I can do it, like do it yourself, anyone can do it!
Diva Nagula 45:29
Yeah, and I think that’s an important fact, to discuss real quick, because we might be able to eat really clean. And we feel that that’s sufficient in order to optimize our well being. That’s only part of it. There’s environmental toxins that are all over, that we just can’t help ourselves being exposed to. But in our homes, we have detergents, we have like cosmetics, we have a ton of these things that carry a lot of chemicals, which is harmful for our bodies. And if we switch some of these chemicals, where it’s more plant based, we’re eliminating the toxic burden on our bodies, and being able to really fully heal ourselves from the inside out, healing our guts, and really trying to raise that bar and optimizing wellbeing.
Dr. Mariza Snyder 46:17
Absolutely. Yeah. And it doesn’t take a lot to make to do it. It doesn’t take a lot to make over the cleaning cabinet. It doesn’t take a lot to make over the medicine cabinet and just start chucking the stuff that’s probably expired to begin with. And then the I would say that the biggest issue or the hardest thing to let go of oftentimes is our personal care. But even those you can slowly but surely. So our lotions, our conditioners, our hand soaps, all based with essential oils. And so it’s the things you don’t think about that you use every single day multiple times a day, that that slowly add up in the body. .
Diva Nagula 46:54
Mariza, thank you so much for being on the show with us. It’s great to have this chat with you and I look forward to actually checking out these books. That’s the first thing I’m gonna do when we get off this podcast and make that purchase.
Dr. Mariza Snyder 47:07
Thank you so much. It was such a pleasure to be here.