Fall is actually one of the best times to grow herbs. If you like to have fresh, tasty herbs in your kitchen, consider growing them during fall. This is particularly true for areas with mild winters.  There are many great cold loving herbs that can be grown in the fall and winter. Mint is a great herb to grow as it’s able to tolerate most conditions.

Since mint comes in at least 30 varieties, you could “experi-mint” with flavors such as spearmint, pineapple mint or chocolate mint.

Mint used alone or in combination with other herbs, sliced fruits or vegetables, can increase your enjoyment of water and reduce your sugar intake.   As the cold weather approaches, hot mint infusion tea is a great way to boost your immune system.

• Start with a handful of clean, fresh mint leaves, tear them up and place in the bottom of a teapot or French press.

• Cover the leaves with 2 cups of boiling water and let this steep for 3-7 minutes.

Benefits of Mint

Mint provides small amounts of several B vitamins, Vitamins C and A and minerals such as manganese, copper, iron, magnesium and calcium.

Another great benefit is that mint helps to reduce your sugar intake. As Halloween gets closer mint is a great herb to use in recipes to help suppress sugar desire.

The American Heart Association (AHA) suggests that added sugar should be limited to 6 teaspoons a day for women or 9 teaspoons a day for men.  Added sugars may, according to a 2009 AHA statement, increase your blood levels of triglycerides, a cardiac disease risk factor, while decreasing the desirable HDL.

Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas with Chile, Lemon, and Mint

Courtesy of myrecipes.com

Photo: Jennifer Causey Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons olive oil

3/4 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper ( optional)

2 green onions thinly sliced and divided

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint

Directions:

Heat a large skillet and add 2 tsp. of olive oil.  Add snap peas, onions and sauté for 3 minutes until peas are crisp tender. Season with salt and red pepper. Toss in 1/4 tsp of rind and remove from heat. Garnish with mint.

The post Experi-mint with Mint first appeared on Inner Health & Wellness | Walnut Creek, CA..

There are 5 things that you should do to keep your body healthy and ensure an optimal and quick recovery.

1. Vitamin C

• The best form of this vitamin is buffered ascorbic acid. The natural form of it gives your body all that it needs to help it fight agains bugs.
• Berries and citrus fruit are great source of vitamin c and best to enjoy them for snack or with meals.

2. Antioxidants

• Amla- great antioxidant that helps protect the body against disease. It comes from the goosberry fruit.
• Elderberry- very frequently found, great to supplement or use as tea
• Euchinachea- Great herb that is rich in antioxidants and helps to boost immune system

3. Hydration

• 60% of our bodies are made up with water & important to keep it hydrated at all times

4. Movement & Exercise

• Exercise helps to increase oxygen flow to the body and helping our cells to combat different viruses and bugs.

5. Zinc

• Great mineral that helps to boost immune system and helps fight infection.

We can’t prevent what’s in our surroundings, but we can ensure to protect our bodies to help fight bugs and viruses and have a quick recovery.

The post 5 Ways to Protect Your Immune System Against Viruses first appeared on Inner Health & Wellness | Walnut Creek, CA..