"Uplifting winter scents that remind me of happy holiday times include the smells of baking with spices such as orange rind, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg," says Andrew Weil, MD, of Tucson, Arizona. To recreate that feeling, he recommends making pomander balls by poking holes in large navel oranges and filling them with whole cloves (Syzygium aromaticum) until the orange is completely covered with cloves.
The balls will keep for a few months.
"I like to leave them scattered around the house to play with because when I play with them, they continue to release the naturally restorative essential oils from the orange rind and the cloves."
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Research shows that orange (Citrus sinensis) essential oil lifts moods and increases a sense of calm (Physiology of Behavior, 2000, vol. 71, nos. 1–2). Plus, the cloves release volatile compounds, such as allylbenzenes and propenylbenzenes, that may also promote improved moods (Prague Medical Report, 2005, vol. 106, no. 1).
