But grapefruit can also be a fantastic addition to our personal bath and body care regime. Grapefruit aromatherapy has been gaining in popularity over the past decade or two and has become a favorite of many for its bright citrusy scent.

The essential oil of the grapefruit provides the base for this invigorating scent and as an oil, it provides many other healing and health improving benefits. The oil is normally produced through a cold pressing process of the rind of the fruit.

Once only grown in the tropics, today, grapefruit is a widely grown citrus tree in the United States and other parts of the world. If you are an aromatherapy lover, here are a few of the ways you can incorporate grapefruit aromatherapy into your goals of maintaining a healthy, happy body and mind.

o A good long soak in a warm tub with small amounts of grapefruit essential oil is said to help alleviate migraines, reduce tension and calm the nervous system.

o The acidic properties make this essential oil a great toner and it is also a fantastic oil to rub into your skin to relieve oily congestion, tone and even reduce the appearance of cellulite.

o By opening clogged oily skin, it can be a great way to detox the liver and kidneys.

o Its relaxing aroma is said to work wonders at overcoming the effects of jet lag. Simply add to a warm bath or relax in a quiet room with an essential oil of grapefruit aromatherapy candle or warm oil burner. Many online stores even offer a grapefruit aromatherapy candle in a small travel tin that packs easily into your luggage so you can relax and unwind once you’ve reached your destination.

o The pore opening properties also help improve circulation which can in turn help with maintain healthy shiny hair and even promote hair growth.

o Inhaling the stimulating scent is also believed to reduce the craving for sweets and control appetite. It is a flavored aromatherapy choice for those wanting to lose weight and in some cases as part of natural treatments of eating disorders.

Throw away the old idea that you have to have greens in a salad; instead, enjoy this fantastic and healthy citrus salad.

Get blood oranges if at all possible; pomelos are another good alternative, but they can often be expensive to purchase.

When picking fruits for this salad, you should stick to sweeter fruits, such as clementines, tangerines, navel oranges, and even grapefruit, in order to have a good mix of flavors.

Prepare all of your fruit; you can start by leveling off the fruit. Just chop the ends off, then stand it up for easier access. Following that, cut the peel off, leaving as little of it left on the pulp as you can, getting the pith out of the way as well.

Cut disks of fruit and make it aesthetically pleasing by coming up with a beautiful arrangement for it. Slice or chop shallots or red onions and sprinkle that over the citrus salad, along with some salt.

Top it all off with a salad dressing that will accent the wonderful flavors of the citrus fruit. Here’s my dressing recipe: citrus juice, sherry vinegar, olive oil, and a little bit of honey. Mix it all together and pour it over your salad; voila! When it comes to the citrus juice, use either lemon or lime; if you want to mix it up a bit, try sprinkling black pepper or cayenne into it.

Get that great anise flavor in by including fresh tarragon, and you’ll end up with a great way to wait out the winter in a very delicious salad.

Here are five helpful and handy citrus oil remedies:

Acid Reflux: In recent studies, citrus oil and juice has been shown to alleviate a great deal of the discomfort associated with acid reflux. It is believed that the acids in the citrus remedies counteract the body’s own acidity and as a result decreases the amount of reflux and calm any burning sensations.

Fatigue: Citrus oil can have an extremely rejuvenating and energizing effect when used as aromatherapy. When essential oils are added to warm bath water, anyone can take advantage of this and can successfully decrease the symptoms associated with fatigue, sleep deprivation or low energy.

Hair Growth: When combined with other essential oils such as cedar wood, rosemary and lavender, citrus oil is said to rejuvenate damaged hair follicles and increase the amount of new hair growth. Though this remedy is not scientifically proven, studies done recently in Scotland showed a 44% increase in hair growth for all participants!

Common Cold: Though citrus oils may be too strong for these remedies, lemon juice has often been used to cure the common every day cold. Whether added to tea, steeped with whiskey or used in humidifier mists, citrus juice and oils are known worldwide to alleviate many cold symptoms such as congestion, chest cough and sore, scratchy throats.

Bacteria and Germs: Need an all-natural antibacterial hand soap to help combat bacteria and seasonal germs? Consider using citrus oils and juices. When rubbed on hands, lemon and lime oils can help to kill any bacteria that regular soap leaves behind. This is the perfect remedy for anyone who finds themselves working in germ-infested conditions such as school classrooms, public washrooms or even pet care!

The premise here is that grapefruit, unlike any other fruit contains a supposedly proven ingredient which leads to rapid weight loss and boosted metabolism. The problem is, the weight loss is primarily body fluids, and as soon as the dieter returns to their regular eating patterns, the weight will return as well.

When compared to other diet plans, the grapefruit weight loss diet is based on the same approach as many high protein/ low carb diets. The main rule being to enjoy only lean proteins while avoiding empty carbohydrates and simple sugars. These dietary practices will of course lead to weight loss, but in truth will have the same effects whether the dieter is eating large quantities of grapefruit or not.

If you are considering trying the grapefruit weight loss diet, here is what you can expect as far as meal plans;

Breakfast:
A serving of egg white substitutes

A couple slices of turkey or chicken bacon (products with reduced sodium are ideal)

Half of a large, fresh grapefruit and a tall glass of grapefruit juice or milk

Lunch:

A large salad of mixed greens with a little olive oil based dressing

A single serving of grilled chicken breast or turkey cutlet

Half of a large grapefruit and again, a tall glass of grapefruit juice.

Dinner:

A large serving of lean meat, fish or poultry.

A garden salad with dressing and one half of a large grapefruit.

To drink you can enjoy a glass of grapefruit juice and a half pint of light beer.

Bedtime snack:

A tall glass of milk

And half of a whole grain piece of toast.

Other grapefruit weight loss diet suggestions include:

• Drinking as much water as possible, preferable more than 8 glasses a day

• Kick the soda habit and choose black tea, grapefruit juice or other citrus drinks

• Exercise and physical activity for thirty minutes, three times a week

• Only consume unsweetened grapefruit juice

• Avoid adding sugar to your grapefruit halves

• And finally, all dieters should consult their family doctor before committing to this or any other dietary plan.

One of the easiest and most natural ways to accomplish this is to eat well and supplement our daily diet with immune boosting products like grapefruit extract. This healthy herbal remedy is produced by grinding the pulp and seeds of grapefruit into a usable form for ingesting either as a liquid or capsule. Grapefruit extract is very bitter and is not meant to be used as a beverage.

Most of the diseases our body encounters are caused by a poor PH environment that allows bacteria and viruses to take hold and flourish. If we can create a more alkaline environment inside our system, we can have a head start on keeping these nasty bugs under control. Grapefruit seed extract helps to maintain this chemical balance and create a healthy immune system.

In addition to this ph balancing, grapefruit extract has many additional benefits. If you have been considering starting a grapefruit extract regimen, here is a list of its 5 most common health benefits.

1. It is very high in antioxidants which can help control the free radicals that are indicated in many types of cancer.

2. It can be very helpful in the treatment of acne and scars.

3. Due to its alkaline boosting properties, it can be very beneficial in the treatment of yeast infections as well as other fungal infections such as thrush and athletes foot.

4. The fantastic immune boosting properties make it a great help in increases one’s ability to fight off the common cold and seasonal flu.

5. The pH balancing properties make it an excellent choice for treating digestive upsets such as nausea, diarrhea and indigestion.

Very small amounts of grapefruit extract taken daily can provide long lasting health benefits. Another positive thing that should be mentioned is that there are no known side effects.

It is available at most health food stores and often in the natural herbal supplement section of your pharmacy.

Vitamin C is also used to keep your joints, bones and skin strong. It also helps heal wounds and helps the immune system.

So, every morning, to help your body fight off disease and stress, drink a large glass of orange, lemon or grapefruit juice.  Your body will love you for it.