Snow Farms Holistic Wellness

As yesterday was the 4th of July, I decided to take a day break from the blog to spend time with friends and family having fun with fireworks. Hope y’all were able to do the same and celebrate our great nation safely!

Back to the main top: using herbs to beat the summer heat!

The weather the past week in Oklahoma has been hovering around 100 degrees and it has been humid which makes it feel much hotter. I live on a farm and have a toddler who loves to spend time outside so it is imperative that I find ways to stay cool during the scorching heat! One way I like to stay cool is by using herbs to help my body cool down. These herbs can be used in a tea, a smoothie, or even an herbal infusion to gain nutrients while helping the body cool down.

One of these herbs is peach. If you have some peach trees that have green leaves on them . . . you are in business! Just harvest some leaves that you can either use fresh or dry for later. Take a handful of the leaves with 2 cups of water, and a bit of honey. Bring the two cups of water to a boil and then remove from the heat. Add the dried or freshly cleaned peach leaves and allow to steep for 5 to 7 minutes. Strain into cups and add the honey or other natural sweetener. Chill with ice cubs and enjoy! The peach leaves provide many added benefits including calcium, a boost in your metabolism, may lower your blood pressure, contains antioxidants along with vitamin C to boost your immune system!

Another cooling herb is hibiscus because it has energetics that are both cooling and moistening! This tart tea that is reminiscent of cranberries can be enjoyed hot or cold. Drinking this tea will keep you cool and refreshed on a hot, dry summer day plus it can even aide in lower blood pressure, reducing the growth of bacteria, and possibly even aid in weight loss. It also is high in antioxidants which help to defend against free radicals. Hibiscus is also known to aid in keeping your liver healthy and in good working order. To make this tea, simply add dried hibiscus flowers to a teapot and pour boiling water over them. Steep for 5 minutes and then strain. Add a natural sweetener if desired and drink up or chill!

Next on the list is elderflowers. I am particularly excited about this because Russ is awesome and has planted several elderberries around the property. While they are not big enough to produce anything yet, they are growing strong and healthy so there will be some out put in the next couple of years! Elderberry flowers are mucilaginous (a fancy word for moistening) and slightly sweet in taste and their energetics are cooling and drying. Along with being cooling, these flowers aid in early or late stages of colds and flu! You just need a teaspoon of flowers, some boiling water, and a strainer. Cover to steep for 10 minutes and enjoy hot or cold preferably without sweetener because it doesn’t have a strong taste, but you can tell it has a flowery aroma. Make sure that you avoid all leaves, sticks, and roots as they are toxic.

My favorite herb to use is mint! I currently have chocolate mint growing in my cottage garden. I have loved mint and when I get a whiff of the scent I am immediately taken back to summer days in Idaho driving past mint fields! It has a sweet, spicy, and aromatic taste and smell. It is energetically cooling and drying. Peppermint has many benefits including helping become more alert, improving your memory, helping in the reduction of stress, calming of upset stomachs, and cools you down on a hot summer day! My favorite thing to do is pick a sprig of mint, wash it carefully and add it directly into my water. I also love to add a slice of lemon or cucumber as well.

Let me know which of these herbs you are going to try to help you stay cool below!