Wednesday, August 6, 2008

The Wonderful Uses Of Peppermint...!

If you don't mind, I want to shift gears a little here and start a discussion on the uses of aromatic oils to improve your life a bit.

Peppermint is plant that has been widely used for thousands of years. The Romans used it for digestive problems and it is, in fact, best known as a remedy for digestive upsets and has a beneficial action on the stomach, liver and intestines. It's benefits are well documented the world over. Even the Hermit knows about it and has used it from time to time.

Digestive Problems...

It is excellent for colic, diarrhoea, indigestion, sickness and stomach pains due to its anti spasmodic action which helps to relieve the smooth muscles of the stomach and the gut. You can use it, well diluted, to massage the stomach and abdomen in a clockwise direction. Drinking peppermint tea will also help, and can often be found with the other teas in nearly any grocery store. Just be sure that it is genuine peppermint tea and not just made with a flavoring of some kind.

Colds and flu ...

Peppermint helps to fight colds and flu especially when used in conjunction with Lavender or Marjoram. Its warming and stimulating properties will help to combat the chilly and depressed feeling that often precede the runny nose, sneezing and high fever. It also induces sweating which helps to reduce fever in a natural way. You can use it in steam inhalations or just inhale it from a tissue to clear the sinuses and nasal passages. This last method makes it very easy to carry with you as a treatment if you are away from home. The pleasant aroma assures that you don't smell like medicine in public or in a confined space, like an office.

Headaches...

Peppermint and Lavender blended together is wonderful for headaches! Both these oils are effective painkillers but where Peppermint is a stimulant, Lavender is a sedative. It is this combination of stimulant and sedative that is so effective. Many commercial pain killers such as aspirin contain this same combination, but the difference is the essential oils work on the causes that produce headaches such as mental fatigue, blocked sinuses, and congested liver rather than just reduce the pain!

Mice, Rats, Ants, Cockroaches…

Peppermint is a very good deterrent for vermin. Sprinkle on the runs of mice, cockroaches, rats and the like and they will usually go away. You could always use it alongside another strong smelling oil such as Eucalyptus. When I worked in the produce department of a large food market chain, we used oil of Peppermint mixed with water to help reduce the problem of fruit flies. It is safe to use as a mist around fruit or other foods and is very effective.

I've been told that putting Peppermint by the door or at a location where your cat keeps leaving a “present” and after the second time there should be no more “presents”!!

AROMATIP

Don’t use Peppermint in the evening as it can cause wakefulness. Also, with regard to homoeopathic remedies, Holistic Therapies Spain recommends you store your Peppermint far away from them and don’t use it if you are taking these remedies as it can antidote them!

Now let's go get some fresh coffee...

6 comments:

Manu said...

Good morning Jim...good to see you. Hope the rain has stoped, the winds died down and the kitties and you stayed dry...
Again i am a little more knowledgeable from reading your blog.;o) I knew about the first two uses for peppermint, but the rest was new to me. Thank you for this information.

Enjoy your day and your coffee,
Manu.

Anonymous said...

Bubba -

Remember those peppermint sticks we had as kids, the ones with big airholes in them, so you could drink your coke or milk through like a straw and get a little flavor? I have those same kind of candies, in a bite size, in my office. Keep a BIG bowl full all the time, and almost everyone who comes through takes some. Some folks make daily forays down here just for that purpose! Visitors like them 'cause they melt quickly, and give a clean, fresh feeling before going into a meeting or interview. Who knew what we enjoyed so much as a kid could still be giving that much pleasure today? So many smiles from a little piece of candy - I think it's memories that bring on a lot of them!
Love you lots -

Anonymous said...

Grandma King always said peppermint was the best cough syrup in the world. After many years of using it (and many other things) I have decided that she really was not just making excuses to have a piece of candy! What is the old saying...the older we get, the smarter parents, etc. get?!
Big Sis

HermitJim said...

Hey Manu...thanks for stopping by and for the comments. Glad you found something useful in todays offering. That's why I put these little things on here...to entertain and inform.

hey Baby Sis...having a piece of peppermint around the office is probably a good idea. Not only is it a stimulant, but is good for the breath as well. Thanks for coming by.

Hey B...glad you could come by. I remember Grandma King and her peppermints well. Funny how so many of the old home remedies turn out to be founded in fact. We were smarter than we knew even in the old days.

See ya
Bubba

blondie said...

And Peppermint is one of my favorite flavors. Love those peppermint patties!
Thanks for the info Jim,
I'll have to remember the kitty "present" one, lol

blondie

HermitJim said...

Hey Blondie...I thought of you when I wrote that...but don't know how the skunks will react to the smell of peppermint.

They might think it's desert or something...

See ya
Jim