Naturally Decreasing Coffee's Acidity

There are a variety of coffees available that are labeled as “Low Acidity”. However, did you know that you can easily make your own? The answer comes from the herb world.

Peppermint, or any variety of mint, provides a natural acidity attacker. Either add some dried peppermint leaves to your coffee grounds. Or, pick some fresh mint and add the leaves before brewing your coffee. The amount of mint depends upon your taste. A small amount, the equivalent of three leaves, will not noticeably affect coffee's taste. Of course, a larger amount will provide a minty taste to your coffee.

In fact, mint-flavored coffee is very popular around the holidays. Instead of buying commercially-prepared varieties where you're really not certain what goes into the coffee....make your own.

Store your dried mint in a glass jar. Place a dated label on the jar. This helps prevent confusion once you acquire a variety of herbs. (Herbs have a tendency to look the same when dried.) Keep the jar in your kitchen cupboard.

If growing your mint, well...I'm sure you know how to grow it. Just pick off some fresh leaves, rinse them and use them. You can the leaves whole, chopped or broken apart. The decision is yours.

Make certain to take a good whiff of the mint prior to using it. :) It smells fantastic!

Find interesting? Kindly share....

Mint To The Rescue...Marvelous Mint

Do you enjoy the taste of mint and peppermint? If so, you can gain numerous benefits other than its refreshing taste. Here are some ways the herb can help you...

Aids indigestion. When you experience stomach upsets, take some mint. Make a tea out of the herb and slowly sip it. Drink a cup of warm tea after a meal to help your digestion process. Add a tablespoon of dried peppermint leaves (organic preferred) to one cup of boiling water. Let it steep for five minutes. Remove the leaves and enjoy your medical beverage. If you prefer, eat the leaves.

Controls cramps. Mint can help with your constipation, cramps and diarrhea. You can either use tea for this purpose, or take a capsule of peppermint oil extract to help relieve these symptoms.

Headache relief. Refresh your senses and ease your headache pain by using mint topically. Mix one drop of peppermint essential oil with one teaspoon of almond oil together. Apply the mixture to your fingertips. Gently rub both of your temples with the oil.

Increase alertness. Another topical use for mint can perk you up. Mix together five teaspoons of water and three drops of peppermint essential oil. Place this mixture into a spray bottle. Close the top. Shake to mix thoroughly. You can either gently spritz your face with this herbal mixture or lightly spritz your surrounding air. The choice is yours. Either way, you will begin to feel rejuvenated and alert. (This is great after one of those long BORING company meetings).

Aromatherapy. Simply smelling the fragrance of mint can improve your mental state. Grow some fresh mint and see what I mean.

Peppermint is used as a natural remedy for a variety of purposes due to its containing vitamins, menthol and essential minerals.

Enjoy!

Slow-Cooked Herbed Salmon

This recipe involves a crockpot, something I use on a regular basis. It is so easy, anyone can do it. The results give the appearance of special culinary skills. It's fun....

It is an great and tasty way to get your Omega-3s and heart-healthy salmon into your meal:

3-ounces salmon
Italian seasoning
water

Just cover the crockpot's bottom with water. Place the salmon into the crockpot. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. If you don't have Italian seasonin, use oregano, parsley, basil, thyme and rosemary.

Turn crockpot on high. Place lid onto pot. For extra insulation, I like to cover the lid with a thick towel.

Cook for about 1 hour. Turn the salmon over and sprinkle with other side with the spices. Cook for about another hour. Make certain there is enough liquid underneath the salmon to avoid sticking or browning.

When done, remove salmon from pot and serve. You may want to squeeze a fresh orange or lemon onto the salmon prior to serving. This provides extra flavor.

Willow Bark - A Natural Remedy

For those times when you need help with pain relief or inflammation, there is a natural alternative to aspirin or other pharmaceutically manufactured drugs. It is known as willow bark. Willow bark dates back to the days of Hippocrates when he had patients chew on the tree bark to help decrease pain and inflammation.

Being an herb, willow bark takes longer to see results from than drugs. And, the effects can last longer. Willow bark is known to have less side effects than pharmaceutical drugs. We know that acetiminophen (Tylenol) can be damaging to the liver. We also know that aspirin is a blood thinner and can cause stomach problems.

Try willow bark. You can find it in health food stores, or the natural living/healing section of your grocery store.

Also, you can find more information on it by searching the Internet. Enjoy!

Bilberry: Herb for Night Vision

Having suffered with night vision problems for along time, I have found one herb that has a reputation for improving this dilemma. Bilberry....

Bilberry was given to the fighter pilots during the World War to help improve night vision - for some background info.

If you can't find bilberry in capsules, make your own. Here's how:
* Find a health food store that sells bilberry in bulk.
* Buy as large a portion as you feel comfortable with. For about 20 capsules, I find it takes about
1/4 cup ground bilberry.
* Buy some empty capsules. These are sold in health food stores, also. Or, find them in the natural foods aisle of your grocery store. The capsules can be purchased either vegetarian or nonvegetarian. Your choice.

Store the bilberry capsules in an airtight container on your kitchen shelf away from heat.