Good Monday morning!
I hope you had a lovely holiday weekend! I went on a Christmas bender yesterday and started decorating the house and baking treats…what can I say?! I love a theme.
Of all the seasonal flavors, peppermint is one of my favorites. I like all things minty, and peppermint is just great. While peppermint as a Christmas motif is adorable — love the red and white swirls — real peppermint actually has some great health benefits!
Peppermint comes from a plant, and has been used as medicine for thousands of years. It is known to soothe an upset stomach; chewing the leaves or, more likely in our cases, drinking peppermint-infused tea, has been used to treat indigestion and IBS for centuries. (Wait…is that why it’s called Pepto Bismol?! OMG…) I always associate peppermint with being very fresh and clean, and that’s probably for a reason: it has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties!
You can also get peppermint in oil form from health food stores. It’s not terribly expensive; definitely under $10, but likely under $5. You can add a few drops of the oil to tea or even water to drink when you have a stomachache, or you can put it in steaming water to give yourself a nice vapor treatment if you’re feeling under the weather.
I also like to warm peppermint fragrance oil using an oil warmer. The scent is a great pick-me-up when you hit a 3:00 slump, and again, the fragrance has a way of making me less hungry.
Peppermint oil is great to have on hand for those days when you’re struck with, “OMG what did I eat last night?!” stomach cramps…or just for flavoring treats! The high menthol content means it gives a strong flavor, which is why I like it so much — a little goes a long way. Strong minty flavors tend to curb my appetite. I’ve read that peppermint tea is a good appetite suppressant, especially at night when you’re tempted to wander into your kitchen every five minutes looking for something to munch. Makes sense — I love candy canes, but I can’t remember a time when I ate my way through a whole box! A seasonal treat that keeps me from getting carried away…umm…that puts a little pep in my step!
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Peppermint is my favorite too. There are about a million cookies/recipes i’ve seen that I want to make for our holiday party. Also, Sarah and I enjoy the Edy’s slow churn peppermint ice cream with some hersheys syrup on it….soooo yummy and not even many cals (as long as you use moderation…)!
Funny you posted this… I must be fighting off a bug or something, but I have terrible nausea at work today and am drinking peppermint tea. It’s a favorite of mine for soothing tummy woes – as is ginger (another nice holiday-ish flavor)