Herbs and Your Skin~

I write a lot about culinary herbs, but do you know there are some simple ways to use herbs outside the body for healthy and beautiful skin?

These can all be made into tinctures and ingested...but, for now, I'm talking about simple applications that can be derived through steeping and using as a splash or spray.

Red Clover and Nettle...will cleanse and detoxify

Yarrow, Chamomile, and Calendula... reduce itching and redness from rashes and allergies.

Chamomile and Comfrey...soothe soreness from exercise or injury.

Thyme and Echinacea... fight infections.

Lavender...healthy skin growth.

Yarrow and Nettle... help eliminate waste via the kidneys.

Fennel and Clary Sage... help balance hormonal fluctuations leading to skin blemishes.

Lemon Balm and Sweet Marjoram...eases stress.

Horsetail and Oat... promote wound healing.

Bring a quart of water to a boil, add herb of choice, and gently boil for about 5 minutes...remove from heat, cover, and allow to steep for 20 to 30 minutes. Strain and store in a glass container.....fill a spray bottle as needed or use with cotton balls to apply to needed areas. 

I keep it in the fridge, it feels wonderful on a hot summer day, spritzed or applied to the face or even the feet,

Note...this in no way implies medicinal advice.

And please avoid the eyes when applying to the face :)

Happy and safe summer~Bug-free we can wish!

http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com

                                                    Calendula

Accolades To Spinach~and good health

According to Sage Hill Farms and Popeye :)

Spinach is one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet.

Spinach is native to ancient Persia (Iranian regions). Arab traders carried spinach into India and China. Traders also brought this green leafy vegetable to the Mediterranean regions of Europe and ultimately to the US. Today, there are three primary varieties of spinach available on the market. Typically the most popular is baby spinach, but you could also go for smooth-leaf or Savory (has curly leaves). ( Sage Hill grows and prefers the curly leaf...buttery and smooth.)

Powerful Plant-based Steroids
Spinach contains its own type of vegetable steroids called phytoecdysteroids. These are similar to insect molting hormones and have been proven to dramatically increase glucose metabolism. This keeps blood sugar levels stable and minimizes the requirement for the critical fat-storage hormone insulin.

Spinach is filled with blood purifying chlorophyll.
This chlorophyll is quickly metabolized and used to develop new red blood cells and pull out carcinogenic substances from the body. Chlorophyll has magnesium which acts to strengthen the blood-brain barrier and protect the neurological system from environmental toxins. Spinach is really an amazing source of glycoclycerolipids that protect the digestive tract from inflammatory damage. These are the main fatty acids that makeup the cell membranes of light-sensitive organs in chlorophyll containing plants.

Helps Boost Immunity
Spinach is also an important source of copper, zinc and selenium which help boost immunity. Spinach also contains some very newly studied carotenoid anti-oxidants called eposyxanthophylls. The epoxyxanthophylls that have been researched to show remarkable anti-cancer properties include neoxanthin and violaxanthin.

Vision and Brain Function
Spinach is also filled with the powerful carotenoid anti-oxidants lutein and zeaxanthin. These phytonutrients are extremely important for healthy vision & brain function. The carotenoids act to protect chlorophyll from intense UV radiation. Under intense sunlight, chlorophyll can convert into an excited form called triplet chlorophyll along with singlet oxygen molecules which act as potent free radicals. The more carotenoids a plant maintains the greater the degree of survivability it has and the enhanced nutritional bio-availability provides.

Why Buy Organic?
When purchasing spinach be sure to choose organic, as the non-organic commercial varieties are considered the most heavily sprayed edible plants on earth. Also, look to buy it fresh to avoid chemical preservative agents and aluminum found in the cans. It’s also quite simple to grow in areas of mild temperatures--it grows beautifully for me in the spring and fall.

Spinach will also grow very well in a large/wide container.-you can grow enough in a old wash-tub or whiskey barrel for 2 to 4 people and if harvested about twice a week will give you an abundant crop all season.

Happy Gardening.........................

EatWell-BeWell~

Bea Rigsby-Kunz
http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com
931-438-8328