You-can-lyptus

When I was in Girl Scouts, a very long time ago, my mother taught our class a song entitled, "Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree." Not knowing what a kookaburra was but knowing the song was of Australian origin, I simply assumed that a kookaburra was an alternate moniker for a koala... (full disclosure, I really only learned what a kookaburra was through the development of this post). And while I assumed a kookaburra ate gum "sitting in an old gum tree", I wasn't having it when I learned koalas ate eucalyptus leaves. But why shouldn't they? As I age and get out of my own silly head, I've learned that eucalyptus leaves (from the gum tree) are something of a benefit not only to koalas but to us humans as well.

Several weeks ago, I saw a photo of Meghan Markle walking home with an armful of eucalyptus stems. And while I've consistently wanted to get on board with essential oils in my diet, I'm really bad at two-step processes (as you may have noted through the story above). So, seeing a beautiful woman with an armful of beautiful petals in her grasp inspired me to simply go out and get a bunch, knowing that eucalyptus is not the most expensive plant and that its got a few health benefits.

  

 Eucalyptus: second row from the top.

As the old saying goes, "anything worth doing is worth doing well." And, as such, using eucalyptus which has been dried, pressed and turned into oil carries a myriad of health benefits including, acting as a fever reducer, mitigating coughs and bronchitis and even helping to heal wounds. But simply buying the plant and smelling its scent can carry benefits as well. According to HowStuffWorks.com, the simple scent of eucalyptus can, "increase brain wave activity and counters physical and mental fatigue." Ergo, simply placing the plant on your desk can help to stimulate your senses and (potentially) boost your productivity. Plus, eucalyptus costs a lot less than them fancy plants which cost another bundle than the one you'll carry home. So do yourself a favor and place some long stems in your study for both your eyes and mind. Both will thank you. Enjoy!