Recipes with Strawberries and Essential Oils

The local strawberries are in season now at our local western NC farm stands and not a moment too soon! Like many, I love the scent and flavor of locally grown fresh strawberries. The only thing that makes these juicy and fragrant berries more sensational is their health benefits.

Presentations made at the 2009 Berry Health Symposium extend the benefits of berries and describe how they can help preserve heart and brain health. Several of the studies showed that berry consumption can improve cognitive function.

For instance, a study presented by researchers from the Chicago Healthy Aging Project showed that older adults who consume strawberries at least once per month have less cognitive decline. Women who consumed more than one serving of strawberries per month showed a 16.2 percent slower rate of cognitive decline, versus those who consumed less.

Britt Burton-Freeman, Ph.D., of the Illinois Institute of Technology summarized a growing consensus about the actions and benefits of berries:

“Consuming a diet rich in colorful fruits, like strawberries, shows promise for helping people to achieve and maintain a lowered risk for cardiovascular disease, particularly through their action in mitigating oxidative, inflammatory, and metabolic stressors that contribute to atherogenesis [arterial plaque buildup] and many of the chronic diseases burdening our society today.” (Burton-Freeman B. 2009)

Dr. James Joseph and Dr. Barbara Shukitt-Hale from the world-renowned USDA lab at Tufts University presented animal research showing that berries can reduce aging-related deficits in learning, memory and motor function, such as balance and walking speed (Shukitt-Hale B et al. 2009).

Combining Strawberries with Therapeutic-grade Essential Oils

Therapeutic-grade essential oils, like those form Young Living Essential Oils, are the only essential oils I use and recommend because of their superior quality. Therapeutic-grade essential oils contain many health benefits. I suspect also that there would be a synergistic effect when the essential oil is consumed in a recipe containing other nutritious ingredients; I suspect this based on the results of studies I’ve seen when therapeutic-grade essential oils had been added to supplements and NingXia Red juice.

I hope you enjoy these recipes for great nutrition and skin care as much as I have.

NingXia Red Smoothie

• 3 cups fresh, cold strawberries
• 1/4 cup Blue Agave or Honey
• 1 drop Young Living Clove essential oil
• 1 cup ice
• 1 Cup NingXia Red

Blend until smooth and creamy. May add cold water if too thick. NingXia Red juice contains wolfberries (goji berries and blueberries).

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Strawberry-Basil Vinaigrette

• 1 cup strawberries, chopped
• 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
• 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 2 TBSP Young Living Blue Agave
• 1 drop Young Living Basil essential oil

Puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Chill. Serve on tossed salad greens. Makes 1/2 cup.

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Strawberry-Wolfberry Vinaigrette

• 1 1/2 cups Strawberries
• 1/2 cup Dried NingXia Wolfberries, hydrated*
• 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
• 2 TBSP White Wine Vinegar
• 1/3 cup Agave
• 1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Sea Salt

*To hydrate the dried  wolfberries, cover 1/2 cup wolfberries with 1/2 cup warm water until soft, let them sit for 20-30 minutes until plump, don’t drain.

Puree all ingredients, except olive oil. Add olive oil to blender slowly to assist in the emulsification process. Only add as much as you think you need for consistency. Store covered in the fridge for up to two weeks.

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Strawberry-Peach-NingXia Red Smoothie for Two

• 4 peaches
• 12 strawberries
• 1/4 cup cashew butter
• 1 cup white NingXia Red
• 2 drops Young Living Lemongrass essential oil
• 4 drops Young Living Lemon essential oil

Chop peaches and strawberries.Blend together (in blender) with grape juice and cashew butter until smooth. Stir in Lemongrass and Lemon oil and serve!

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Strawberry-NingXia Red-Tangerine Slushy

• 1 cup Ice, crushed
• 1 cup Strawberries
• 1/2 tsp. Agave or Honey
• 1 oz. NingXia Red juice
• 1 drop Young Living Tangerine essential oil

Puree strawberries, then in a tall glass strawberries to the crushed ice, add Agave or honey, NingXia Red and Tangerine essential oil. Stir well and serve.

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Strawberries Dipped in Balance Complete Mix

Rinse and dip strawberries in Balance Complete™ powder for a tasty healthy snack. It is delicious! Balance Complete™ is a nutritious powdered shake mix from Young Living.

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Strawberry-Peach-Lemon Smoothie

• 4 Peaches
, chopped
• 12 Strawberries
, chopped
• 1/4 cup Cashew Butter
• 1 cup White Grape Juice
• 2 drops Young Living Lemongrass essential oil
• 4 drops Young Living Lemon essential oil

Blend all ingredients together (in blender) with grape juice and cashew butter until smooth. 
Stir in Lemongrass and Lemon essential oil. Serve. Makes 3 1/2 cups, serves 2.

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Strawberry-Lavender Body Scrub

• 3-4 drops Lavender essential oil (lemon or rosewood is nice too)
• 1 cup fine sea salt
• 3 ripe strawberries
• 1 TBSP V-6 Massage Oil, or apricot or almond oil

Pour salt into a bowl, add the essential oil and strawberries or raspberries and mash together.

Rub a small handful of the salt mixture over your body in brisk yet gentle circular motions – spending extra time on knees, elbows and heels. Use a very light and gentle application near any delicate areas.

Rinse off. No moisturizer needed.

Note: can be stored n refrigerator in a covered container for up to two weeks – ready to use.

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Strawberry-Lemon Facial Mask (for oily skin)

• 1 drop Young Living Lemon essential oil
• 2 egg whites
• 3 tsp honey
• 1 cup strawberries

Blend in a food processor all ingredients well. Apply to freshly cleaned face and leave on for 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

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Soothing Strawberry-Sandalwood Facial Scrub (for normal or combination skin)

• 1/4 cup plain yogurt, chilled
• 3-4 strawberries, mashed
• 1 drop Young Living Sandalwood essential oil

Stir all ingredients together. Apply to freshly cleaned face and gently massage strawberry mixture to exfoliate. Rinse with luke warm water, pat dry.

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Strawberry Body Rub

• 3-4 drops Young Living Lemon, Lavender, or Rosewood essential oil
• 1 cup fine sea salt
• 3 ripe strawberries (can use raspberries if strawberries are out of season)
• 1 TBSP apricot or almond oil

Pour salt into a bowl, add the essential oil and strawberries or raspberries and mash together.

Rub a small handful of the salt mixture over your body in brisk yet gentle circular motions – spending extra time on knees, elbows and heels if necessary.

Rinse off. No moisturizer needed.

Note: can be stored in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to two weeks – ready to use.

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Fresh Strawberries to Naturally Whiten Teeth

Take one fresh strawberry and rub on your teeth every day, or mash the strawberry and apply with your toothbrush (rinse mouth afterwards).

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Articles by Evelyn Vincent, Young Living Independent Distributor #476766

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"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly." ~ R. Buckminster Fuller