Think of sunshine and you might just think of a delicious freshly ripened and squeezed orange juice to toast to the morning sun. Americans consume about 5 million gallons of orange juice each year. Why? Because we can! We grow more oranges than any other country and because we get it fresh, it taste good. But, why do we drink it in the morning?
Just follow your nose. Orange juice and more specifically the peel is rich in essential oils. The scent has a cognitive effect on us. It invigorates and wakes us up. And since about 90 percent of what we perceive as tasting good comes from our sense of smell the sweet scent of orange has an uplifting effect on our mood.
The very smell of orange juice reminds us of happy moments. It is energizing. That is why it is used in aromatherapy as an uplifting modality. In 2005, the Washington Post wrote an article about a shopping mall using the scent of orange to infuse the common area of the mall. Shoppers reported feeling more energetic and perceived the mall to be cleaner and a more pleasant environment. In recent years, hospitals and other institutions have been using the scent of oranges and other aromatherapy products to produce an uplifting environment.
High in Vitamin C the orange is known for its anti-viral effect. We think flu or cold and we think a glass of orange juice. However, the juice of the orange needs to be squeezed fresh and must contain some of the white pulp because the white pulp is what we call bioflavonoid and vitamin C needs the bioflavonoid so the Vitamin C is absorbed into your body.
Oranges can be peeled and eaten or used in many recipes. The juice is sometimes used as marinate. In ancient times the juice was used for a variety of medicinal purposes. Orange blossom water was used to scent linens and as a perfume.
Oranges are suitable for everyone, but make sure that the intake does not exceed three a day. The best is one orange a day. The orange should not be eaten before a meal or on an empty stomach as the organic acids in the orange can stimulate the secretion of gastric acid which is not good for our stomach. Do not drink milk one hour before or after eating an orange as the protein in milk will be solidified when it meets with the acid and hence negatively influence digestion.
If at all possible, eat the whole orange. That way you’ll be
getting the maximum nutritional benefit. Make sure the oranges are organic if
eating the peel as oranges are often sprayed with pesticides. And be sure and
take a moment and inhale the sweet scent of the orange oil as you cut into the
skin. Happiness starts when you take a
moment and smell the oranges.
Doctor Lynn
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