Lose It! – July 2019

BEST IDEA

BY NICKY PERKS

EASY WAYS TO USE

LEMON BALM AT HOME

10 LOSE IT! VOLUME 31

SIP LEMON BALM TEA

Add two teaspoons of lemon

balm leaves to a cup of boiling

water. Let the tea brew for five to

15 minutes, strain and enjoy.

RELAX IN AN ESSENTIAL OIL BATH

Add six to eight drops of Melissa

essential oil to your bathwater. You can

also use it in a massage oil, cream or

aromatically in an oil burner.

FLAVOUR FOODS

Marinate chicken breasts in olive oil,

garlic, chopped lemon balm leaves, salt

and pepper. Heat coconut oil in a frying

pan, cook the chicken breasts and

garnish with fresh lemon balm leaves.

MAKE A HOME-MADE CLEANER

Its antiviral and antibacterial properties

make lemon balm a great all-purpose

cleaner. Mix equal parts water and

white vinegar in a glass spray bottle

with a few drops of lemon balm

essential oil. The essential oil can

cause a plastic bottle to degrade.

BALM

LEMON

This leafy green herb

comes from the same

family as mint and gets

its name from its lemony

scent and f lavour. Its

medicinal use dates

back centuries.

this day,

traditional

healers and

herbalists use lemon

balm to enhance mood,

reduce anxiety, promote

wound healing and ease

insomnia – and that’s the

short list! Lemon balm

is available as tinctures,

salves, capsules, medicinal

teas and essential oils.

You can apply a lemon

balm ointment to your

lips to treat cold sores

or consume lemon balm

in a more concentrated

capsule to ease anxiety.

Besides its healing

properties, lemon balm

can also be used in foods

and beverages. The

citrusy leaves work well

for a herbal tea, to infuse

water and enhance the

flavour of foods such as

fish, chicken, vegetables

and salads.