Tip of the Week - Lemon Balm

Healthy Living Natural Beauty

                                                                             Lemon Balm
                                 

    With summer here, I thought I'd write about an herb called Lemon Balm.  It grows easily, it's a perennial so once planted it will grow back every year and it will spread quickly in your garden so you need only a few plants to make a larger Lemon Balm garden.  Lemon Balm leaves look just like mint leaves and can be used to help fight off cold sores.  They can help reduce the duration of a cold sore and can help extend the length of time between outbreaks.  Lemon Balm can also be used to make some great homemade teas!  You can put a few of the leaves in your tea pot and steep them with hot water to get a great lemon tasting tea.  These leaves can also be used as a great lemon substitute.  If you happen to be out of lemons on a hot summer day, you can pull some Lemon Balm leaves to put in ice water to give it a lemon taste.  You can also put it in any flavor tea you like to add a taste of lemon.

    On the website WebMD, Lemon Balm is listed as reducing agitation and improving symptoms of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.   It is also known to have a calming effect and can help you relax or sleep better if mixed with other herbs or teas.  In my garden it smells great.  It's like a lovely, lemon scent that attracts bees.  If you like lemon and want an easy herb to grow in your garden give Lemon Balm a try!


                                                                      Pictures courtesy of Pinterest.