Herbal Collective Source

By Marilyn Zink

You may not have realized it, but lavender and mint make a nice iced tea. The lavender gives a delicate, flowery perfume and exquisite taste to this iced tea.
Don’t like lavender? You can try lemon thyme in place of the lavender for another delicate yet wholly different flavour.

Here’s what you need:
2 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lavender petals or 4 tsp. dried lavender petals
3/4 cup fresh mint leaves or 4 1/2 Tbsp. dried mint
Honey or sugar to taste
8 cups of water

How to Make:
Bring water to a boil in pot over the stove. Add the herbs.
Turn off the heat and allow the herbs to steep 5 minutes or until tea reaches the strength you prefer.
Sweeten if desired with honey or sugar.
Allow the tea to cool, then strain into a pitcher and chill for several hours.
Garnish with slices of lemon.
Punch up the flavour by adding 1 cup of carbonated water or club soda.

Discover more interesting herbal recipes.
Marilyn Zink is the publisher of the Herbal Collective magazine. 

 Dr. Shalini Hitkari is a Naturopathic Physician at the Vancouver Island Naturopathic Clinic and Integrated Health in Victoria, B.C. www.islandnaturopathic.com.
This article was first published in the Sept/Oct’10 issue of the Herbal Collective, www.herbalcollective.ca.  

By Marilyn Zink 

Quick now, what do you think about when you think of Italy.
I`m guessing you said pasta, right?

I`m thinking of basil, pesto, olive oil and sundried tomatoes. 
I`m also thinking of making some herb-infused oil with basil. I have this sweet tasting basil growing in a huge half barrel in our yard with tomatoes and parsley.
I want to make this oil and then dip home-made foccacia bread made with rosemary and oregano into the oil and vinegar.  Sounds delish, doesn`t it?

Then tonight I made a pasta dish with sundried tomatoes, sliced black olives, olive oil, red pepper and onions with tuna in a home-made sauce sprinkled with oregano.

It doesn`t help that I recently finished reading “Eat, Pray, Love,` about a woman who travels to Italy, India and Indonesia over the course of a year.  I guess you can figure what part the ‘èat’`is.
Now the movie by the same name is coming out this weekend starring Julia Roberts.All of this is fueling my desire to go to Italy, specifically Tuscany.
But  hey, I`ll take Rome, Venice and the Amalfi Coast as part of the trip.According to the book by Elizabeth Gilbert, the Italians know how to enjoy themselves, and also how to eat with great pleasure and gusto.
Eating fresh healthy food is the best way to eat, as long as you don`t overdo it.
Maybe that’s where the praying comes in. :>)If you eat too much food, get overweight and suffer ill effects, then you might be praying for solutions.
Solutions to ill health effects such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, joint conditions and other conditions.It’s why I really believe in eating right and eating healthy. Good health starts with what you put in your mouth every day.
It’s what I try to help people with through the Herbal Collective magazine and our Herbguide site, where we have a number of healthy recipes that taste good, are nutritious and fairly easy to prepare. All utilize herbs and are low in sugar, saturated fat, salt, processed foods and white flour.Healthy food doesn’t mean boring. Healthy food can be and often is delicious, especially with the addition of herbs and spices. Instead of thinking about what you can’t or shouldn’t eat, re-orient that thinking to enjoying and savoring healthy food. Bon Appetit.

Marilyn Zink is the publisher of the Herbal Collective magazine and administrator of Herbguide, which seeks to guide people to learning about herbs through education, cooking, gardening, health, aromatherapy and crafts.

By Marilyn Zink

Making your own blends of herbs and spices is one of the joys of using herbs.
Not only does it cut down on the cost of purchasing prepared blends, you will also get a fresher blend, as it’s difficult to know exactly how long herbs have been in a container in the store.

One of the best places to buy dried herbs is from a reputable health food store, either in your local neighborhood or online. The dried herbs should have a nice aroma, still be green and crumbly, instead of powdery. The more powdery dried herbs are, the less intense the flavour. 

In fact, avoid powdered dried herbs. But you can purchase powdered spices. What’s the difference?  Spices are generally made from the seeds or pods of a plant and have a more intense flavour, so they are more likely to last longer as a powder.  However, you can buy some spices whole, like allspice or cinnamon bark, for example, though these are used for specific purposes. 

Herbs, though, are made from the leaves and branches of a plant, which tends to break down quicker and does not last as long. The texture should be slightly crumbly.  If possible, ask the store owner where the herbs have been sourced and how long they have been in the store. This will give you some clues as to the herbs longevity.

Generally, herbs should be used within six to eight months of purchasing them.  Store the herbs in a cool, dark place in a sealed container that keeps the herbs free of air or moisture. Do not put the herbs in glass jars next to the stove. While this tends to be a common practice, it is not a good idea as the heat from the stove will cause the herbs to break down and lose flavour quicker.

Once you have a selection of dried herbs, you can experiment with using them and making different herbal blends such as herbes de provence, bouquet garni and Chinese 5 spice. When using dried herbs, remember that the flavour is more intense than with fresh herbs. Generally you will use half the amount of dried herbs compared to fresh herbs.

For more information on herbal blends, how to make your own and recipes on using them, join Herbguide today, the definitive resource on herbs.

By Marilyn Zink

Women tend to deal with stress differently than men.

There are several signs that indicate a woman is going through stress and it’s time to do something about it.

Hormonal Imbalance 

One of these is the hormonal aspect. Women who are stressed will often discover that their hormones are impacted, creating hormonal imbalances that affect their cycle. Women who menstruate will notice that they tend to have periods that are quite heavy or that bring a truckload of uncomfortable symptoms - bloating, headaches, fatigue, etc.
Other women who are stressed will have irregular or infrequent periods, and they will be more likely to become sick as the immune system is lowered. Strengthening her immune system prior to and during a woman’s period is one of the best things she can do.

Aches and Pains

More aches and pains are another sign indicating a woman is stressed. Some women will have cramps (though this is often hormone-related), and digestive disturbances such as constipation, flatulence or diarrhea. Others get headaches and migraines. Others will get muscles spasms or tension in various parts of the body, though the back is a common area for holding tension. So frequent backaches are a sign of stress, though some will experience it more in the neck or shoulders.

Emotional Irregularities

Frequent outbursts along with periods of melancholy and depression are certain signs a woman is experiencing stress. Many women experience these outbursts prior to and during the menstrual cycle and this should not be considered normal. If a woman is experiencing anxiety, tension, irritability, forgetfulness and over-reaction to small annoyances, this is a sure sign of excess stress.  Particularly if she is experiencing an overreaction to small annoyances that don’t bother most people.

Ups and Downs with Weight

If a woman’s weight is cycling up and down on a frequent basis, or if she is steadily losing or gaining weight, that is another sure sign of stress. Women are more likely than men to turn to food, particularly high carbohydrate foods. Poor nutrition and poor food choices are more likely to happen when a woman is stressed. I mean, who reaches for a healthy salad when feeling stressed? It’s usually the donuts or something chocolate that gets chosen over healthy foods.
When a woman is constantly making poor food choices though, that is a strong indicator she is continually stressed. Making a conscious effort to eat the right foods will help her get on the path to dealing with that stress.

Poor Sleep
It’s hard to get a good night’s sleep when feeling stressed. Worrying about the events of the day or what the next day will bring will keep a woman tossing and turning at night.  Frequent poor sleep patterns are a strong sign a woman is stressed. Choosing herbs such as a herbal tea or essential oils to calm her before bed can help with better sleep. Going to bed earlier or having an afternoon nap can help with poor sleep. Naps should not be too long or too late in the day though, as that will interfere with a good sleep.

To learn how to deal with stress, listen in right now for some stress-busting tips and join the Herbal Collective’s free newsletter.