FOREVER YOUNG

The secret to beating winter blahs? Inhale these healing aromas for speedy relief from seasonal bothers

Right about now, most of us are starting to feel pretty worn-down by winter’s seemingly endless gray days. Fortunately, there’s an easy, natural way to ward off the blahs: Breathe in the scent of essential oils. “With targeted use, these oils can help you feel your best,” promises Prudence Hall, M.D., director of The Hall Center in Santa Monica, Calif. “And they work fast!”

FIGHT FATIGUE

If winter doldrums leave you feeling drained, cinnamon can help. Researchers in India have discovered that breathing in the spicy aroma increases the brain’s production of energizing beta waves to chase away tiredness in as little as 45 seconds — and you can get the benefit with powdered cinnamon or cinnamon sticks from your pantry. Heating the spice maximizes the release of its aromatic particles, so experts suggest adding it to a hot drink or simmering cinnamon sticks in a pot of water.

SHARPEN FOCUS

To increase your concentration, focus and short-term memory by 50 percent in just two minutes, try inhaling the scent of fresh or dried basil, suggest scientists reporting in the journal Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. Why it works: According to study author Babar Ali, Ph.D., natural oils in the herb prompt the brain to release focus-enhancing chemicals.

ELIMINATE CRAVINGS

Inhaling the scent of frankincense essential oil can tame food cravings in as little as a minute, suggests research published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. According to study coauthor Albert Pinhasov, Ph.D., the aromatic oil calms the brain’s hunger control center and prompts the release of moodboosting brain chemicals, so you’re less likely to eat mindlessless when stressed. To experience the benefits, try adding a few drops of the oil to an unscented lotion and rubbing it on your neck.

OUTSMART SADNESS

Blue moods plague up to 55 percent of women during winter’s dark days. But Italian researchers say inhaling the aroma of orange (either from a vial of essential oil or by sniffing the fruit’s zest before adding it to a meal or drink) can improve your mood by 25 percent in just 60 seconds. That’s because the fruit’s sweet, citrusy aroma stimulates the same brain receptors as mood-boosting hormones like dopamine do.

“I love eucalyptus oils to breathe in when I have a cold… It helps clear my sinuses… I have different oils for

different reasons.”

Leeza Gibbons, 60