Nutrition and Your Health

One of my favorite citrus fruits is the lemon.  You can eat the fruit in many different ways like juicing for lemonade, sorbets, pastries and some even take the pulp and incorporate it into muffins for breakfast.  But there is more…

The science of lemon:

Lemon (Citrus limon) has a strong, purifying, citrus scent that is revitalizing and uplifting. Lemon consists of 68 percent dlimonene, a powerful antioxidant. It is delightfully refreshing in water and may be beneficial for the skin. Lemon may also be used to enhance the flavor of foods. Lemon essential oil is cold-pressed from the rinds of lemons. Jean Valnet MD estimated that it takes 3,000 lemons to produce one kilo of oil. In his book, The Practice of Aromatherapy, Valnet wrote that lemon is a tonic for supporting the nervous and sympathetic nervous system.* Lemon has an approximate ORAC of 6,619 (TE/L). TE/L is expressed as micromole Trolox equivalent per liter.

According to the Young Living Researchers lemon has been  popular  since 200 AD and was introduced by Christopher Columbus.  The lemon became one of the primary fruits used on ships for the sailors to prevent scurvy and other vitamin deficiencies.  There might however be some confusion between lemon essential oil and that of the fruit ‘lemon’.

Both sources are varied in their usage, the essential oil of lemon is taken from the rind of the fruit and thus does not contain any Vitamin C.   The fruit of lemon is more often used in food preparations such as lemon zest, lemon curd and of course the all popular lemonade.

Diffusing lemon oil in aromatherapy has been known to refresh and stimulate the mind, improve memory and promote a sense of well-being as well as act an insect repellant..  The essential oil of lemon can also be used for basic home remedies.  It strengthens nails, removes sticky substances and can be used as a general all purpose cleaner.  When ingested it is a good source of d-limonene, a powerful antioxidant.

A teaspoon of lemon essential oil to a cup of mineral oil makes an effective furniture polish or add a few drops to your dishwasher for spot-free dishes…enjoy!

By choosing your herb plants wisely you can grow long lasting color in your garden.

There are a lot of herbs out there that have wonderfully colored foliage before and after their flowers have bloomed and gone.   You can add constant color to your garden to help summer interest after spring blossoms by choosing herbs with vibrant colored foliage.

Here is a list of common herbs that will add a splash of color:

For yellow foliage we have the following:

• Golden fever-few
• Golden oregano
• Golden thyme Variegated lemon balm
• Lemon thyme

Herbs with a red or bronze color in their leaves try the following:

Bronze Fennel offers a radiant reddish brown color

• Purple ruffles basil
• Bronze fennel
• Perilla
• Tricolor sage

To offer an upscale accent try silver leafed herbs:

• Silver thyme
• French thyme
• Curry plant
• Artemisia

Artemisia

The strong chemicals of store bought detergents and cleaners can cause much greater harm than a headache or your skin feeling rough and raw.  A large percentage of products on the market often contain such potent chemicals like formaldehyde, methylene chloride or napthelene all carcinogens as well as hormone disruptors that may affect pregnant women.  All be it we just want a clean house not to expose ourselves to the unnecessary dangers of toxic chemicals.  So, here are a few alternatives that are much safer not only for you but for the environment as well!

A scouring scrub

This recipe uses the essential oil ‘rosemary’ of which according the the University of Maryland Medical center that several studies of rosemary have shown that it inhibits food borne pathogens and holds microbial properties.

Ingredients for scouring scrub:

• 10 drops of rosemary essential oil
• 1 c. of baking soda
• 2 tbsp of castile soap

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir until mixture is of a smooth consistency.  Apply to surface to be cleaned with a scrub brush or an abrasive sponge.

All purpose cleaner

Ingredients:

1 gallon of distilled water, heated on the stove (distilled water doesn’t contain minerals so it will not leave any residue on the cleaned surface)

• 1 cup of vinegar (just plain ole vinegar)
• 1 tbsp of basil essential oil
• 1 tbsp of thyme essential oil
• 1/2 cup of castile soap

Using a bucket pour all ingredients together and use.  This can be used to clean any non-porous and non wood surface such as floors, tiles, sinks etc.

Note:  castile soap is very gentle but effective cleanser

Your homegrown herbs can be preserved nicely by drying them and it is relatively simple to do

To dry herbs

1. Begin by cutting healthy branches from your herb plants, this is usually done in late summer but for all season herbs it can be done even in winter!
2. Remove any dried out or diseased leaves, then gently shake the branch to remove any insects.
3. If necessary, rinse the branches with cool water and pat dry with paper towels, please note that wet herbs will mold and rot
4. Remove the lower leaves along the bottom of the branches that you have picked, about an inch or so
5. Taking anywhere from 4-6 branches bundle them together at the bottom of each branch and tie with a string or rubber band around the ends.  (check your bundles periodically to tighten the string or rubber band as the drying process will cause shrinkage of the bundle)
6. Hang your bundles in a warm, dry and dark place.  The best temperature for drying is around 68 degrees, however if this is not available, you can use a brown paper sack and place each bundle in it’s own sack, but be sure to pierce holes in the sack for ventilation.
7. Let the herbs dry for 1-3 weeks, check them weekly to see how they are doing.  If they become crumbly when rubbing between 2 fingers they are ready for further processing.

Processing your dried herbs

• Once the drying process is finished you can crumble the herbs and get them ready to store in glass jars.  This can be done simply by using your hands or rubbing the leaf herbs between your fingers or you can use a grinder to finish the process.
• Pick out any fluff, woody pieces or other undesired material as you remove the leaves
• Seeds should be left whole and crushed when needed for use

Storing your dry herbs

A lot of people make the mistake of storing their dry herbs near the stove for ease of use, however this is not advisable.  The continued heat exposure from the stove or oven will defray the herbs of their fragrance and their flavor.  And exposing them to sunlight will do the same thing, so it is best to store in a cool dark place, like a cupboard away from the stove or a pantry.

Label your jars and date them, you can store herbs for up to one year.  Remeber to check for freshness before use.

Checking for Freshness

Before use of your herbs, check for freshness.  Take about ½ tsp and put in the palm of your hand then with the other hand take a small sample and rub the herb between two fingers.  The herbs should be fragrant, if it is not aromatic it is best to discard and try something else.

Checking for freshness