Category: Health & Wellness

Homegrown First Aid – Aloe Vera

No matter how careful you are, accidents and incidents and other events requiring some level of medical attention happen. There are aisles and aisles in the drug store hawking products to treat, cure, soothe, and anesthetize everyday injuries and illnesses such as cuts, insect bites, sunburn, sore throat, and acne. Some of these products are …

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Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie Recipe

Cool off with a sensational smoothie Summer stirs up memories of hot days and cool treats – and there is no better way to cool off than with a refreshing fruit smoothie. With lemon, strawberry and almond beverage, it tastes rich, but is actually good for you. Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie Ingredients 3/4 cup (175 ml) …

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Add Some Fizz to Your Summer with Fermentation

There is a lacto-fermentation craze afoot. The superstar of the FIY (ferment-it-yourself) movement is kombucha, a fizzy tea-based drink that refreshes as much as it maintains your gut bacteria healthy and happy. Because it’s so good for digestion, proponents of kombucha recommend drinking it every day to make it a part of your body’s routine. …

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Using Lavender for Serenity and Health

Lavandula, commonly known as lavender, is having a moment. Lavender lattes are showing up on the hippest coffee shop menus all over the world, and with reason. The plant renowned for perfuming the southern French countryside and relaxing millions of people worldwide is easy to find and easy to grow, provided you have the right …

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Essential Oils to Lift Your Energy: The Power of Citrus Blends

The simple act of using citrus based essential oils can help increase energy and improve mental focus. Essential oils from citrus fruits such as grapefruit, orange, and tangerines have properties that naturally elevate mood and energy. The energetic frequency or “notes” as it is sometimes called in aromatherapy, of citrus blends invigorates energy to: * …

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Make an Herbal Medicine Chest from Backyard Weeds

What could be easier than growing an herb garden with no effort? Of course, you’ll have to harvest your weeds, but you would do that anyhow: it’s called weeding. Spring is an especially fertile time for harvesting your weeds – roots and all – and turning them into medicines. Here then are some tips on …

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Orange Cream Shake Recipe

by Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN, The Plant-Powered Dietitian Turn to the flavorful combination of oranges, bananas and yogurt to create a far healthier version of an Orange Creamsicle Shake. With just five healthy ingredients, you can create a smooth, rich, fruit-packed smoothie that will be a hit among young and old alike. Citrus fruits are packed with disease-protective antioxidant …

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Spring Break for Grownups: 4 Fresh Aromatherapy Recipes

Remember when your spring break was a hedonistic ritual that focused on excesses of sun, wild parties and alcohol? Now that you’ve outgrown that, you don’t have to give up the spring ritual of getting away from it all. Whether you are able to travel to a warm, sunny location for a vacation, or simply …

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Now Remember Rosemary

Mad Ophelia tells us: “There’s Rosemary, that’s for remembrance”. In Shakespeare’s day it was common knowledge that rosemary helped one remember. Today, as then, herbalists agree: “For weyknesse of ye brayne, sethe rosemaria in wyne and keep ye heed warme”. The leaves of this tough, evergreen shrub, are valued for both medicinal and culinary uses. …

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Essential Oils to Relieve Common Problems

There are many types of essential oils available at your local health food store, but what exactly can you do with them? If you’re unfamiliar with their versatile uses, the Canadian Health Food Association recommends trying these essential oils to help with three common problems. Chamomile oil to relieve tight muscles and tension. We’re all …

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