Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Mint ~ Not Just For Fresh Breath! PLUS! Soup recipe!



It is widely known that mint is wonderful for providing fresh breath. Our toothpaste, gum, and breath fresheners all have the benefits of mint. My favorite ice cream is mint-chocolate chip and I also love peppermint patties, but did you know that fresh mint has many more benefits than that? 



Cold season is fast approaching, for some of us it is even already staring us in the face. Mint can help give relief if a cold does strike you and your family. The strong aroma of mint provides great relief of congestion and irritation in the nose, throat, and lungs. This means you can breathe easier when you have a common cold or even ongoing respiratory disorders, like asthma. That being said, do not overuse mint for these purposes because too much can cause irritation.



Now that shorter days are coming, some people may feel the Winter Blues. This is a very real thing, but mint can help you combat it. Mint is a natural stimulant. Sometimes, just the smell alone can kick your brain back into high gear. When you are feeling tired, anxious, sluggish, or even depressed try fresh mint or essential oils. Add some to your tea or coffee, take a deep whiff, or even dab some on your skin. You will notice a quick, refreshing recharge. 



Even though insects are not as prevalent during cooler months, they will be swarming us again before we realize it. Mint has anti-pruritic properties, which are wonderful when used to treat insect bites such as mosquitoes, wasps, hornets, and more. Mint provides a cooling sensation which will calm the itching sensation these bites cause and a natural anti-inflammatory to bring the swelling down. Mint is also a wonderful repellant for bugs because the smell is unappealing to them. The same properties that give you relief from insects will also help with acne. It will soothe pimple irritation as it helps swelling and itching go down.


Mint aids in weight loss in a natural and healthy way. Not only does it stimulate your mind, mint also stimulates your digestive enzymes that absorbs the nutrients from food and consumes fat to change into energy. This means when you add mint to your diet, you are aiding in turning fat into energy. Not only will you feel like being more active, you will burn more fat while you are active. That is a win-win to me!



Growing Mint is simple. You don't have to have a lot of space to do it in either. I love the Nancy Jane Stacking Planter. It allows you to grow many different herbs and plants all at the same time. You can have a full blown herb garden in less than a foot of space! Maybe you would like to spruce up a drab wall or railing, Wallpots are perfect for that. Attach them right to your wall and start growing!
 If you would like to start your herbs from seeds, then a Seed Sprouter is just what you need. It takes
up very little room and you can keep an eye on those precious seedlings.
 
If you plan to use fresh walnuts that you gather yourself, then we would like to help you gather and crack them. Use a Nut Wizard to roll right over them, even in grass, so you don't have to bend over to gather them. We also carry a nice selection of quality Walnut Crackers so you can put that hammer down! 

All of these items and so much more are available on our websites. 

 

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