BEAT THE HEAT
Nature provides us with the foods to support well-being for all seasons; all you have to do is look to the Earth. Take these helpful tips and hints, invite some friends over and create your own cooling summer meals.
Not only did Mother Nature provide us with an abundance of foods to keep us comfortable during the warm summer days, she also provided us with natural relief for this season's irritants.
Cool Sunburn
If you get burnt, seek relief from a green tea and chamomile bath. Green tea is a potent source of antioxidants that can neutralize cellular damage caused by the sun's rays. Chamomile has anti-inflammatory properties, which can ease the heat of a burn.
Here's a simple recipe:
* Add ½ cup of green tea and ½ cup of chamomile into 2 qts. of boiling water.
* After it cools, strain the liquid and add to a cool bath.
Soothe Bug Bites and Stings
Immediately clean bug bites and stings with an antiseptic to prevent infection. Echinacea is an effective herbal antiseptic—dab a liquid version of the herb onto the affected area. To relieve insect bite itching, follow this remedy:
1. 1 oz. with hazel extract
2. 20 drops peppermint essential oil
3. 10 drops lavender essential oil
4. apply to bite as often as needed
Heal Plant Rashes
An oat bath with lavender essential oil can relieve itching as well as soothe the nervous system: • Grind oats into a fine powder • Add 2 cups of the powdered oats to a warm bath • Add 10 drops of lavender essential oil • Don't rinse after the bath, gently pat dry
