LEMON BALM

Lemon Balm helps relieve anxiety attacks, palpitations with nausea & phobias & when used as a sedative it is good for children.
It combines well with peppermint to stimulate circulation & can also be used for colds & flu & is most effective in the early stages of a cold.
The tea is used to treat headaches & tiredness, mild depression, laryngitis, colic & dizziness & is reputed to enhance the memory.
It calms a nervous stomach, controls high blood pressure, relieves menstrual cramps, promotes menstruation & treats insomnia.
Fresh juice is used to treat goitre & Grave's Disease, a hyperthyroid condition.
It is especially suitable for children & makes a good substitute for chamomile.
A crushed fresh leaf applied to insect bites eases discomfort. As a poultice it treats sores & tumors.
In ointment, it is good for cold sores.
Lemon balm is used for digestive problems, including upset stomach, bloating, intestinal gas (flatulence), vomiting & colic, toothache & for mental disorders, including hysteria & melancholia.
Lemon balm is also used for Alzheimer's disease, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),swollen airways, rapid heartbeat due to nervousness, high blood pressure.
Being a mild, nutritive herb it’s great to use every day. While it calms anxiety it also acts to restore depleted energy & revitalize us. Lemon Balm can also act as a decongestant & antihistamine, helping with even chronic problems like asthma or allergies.
Enhancing understanding & memory.
The hot tea brings on a sweat that is good for relieving colds, flu's & fevers & an anti-viral agent has been found that combats mumps, cold sores & other viruses.
Lemon Balm can help with chronic fatigue syndrome & shingles, due to the anti-viral action.
It is thought that the volatile oils in lemon balm contain chemicals that relax muscles, particularly in the bladder, stomach & uterus, thereby relieving cramps, gas & nausea.

PRECAUTIONS:

Pregnant & breastfeeding women should not take lemon balm.
When lemon balm is used with both prescription & non-prescription drugs that promote sleepiness, the effects of the drug may be exaggerated, resulting in sedation or mental impairment.
Lemon balm may cause excessive sedation if it is taken with other potentially sedating herbs such as: Catnip, Hops, Kava, St. John's Wort & Valerian.
Due to its potential effects on thyroid hormone utilisation, lemon balm may interfere with therapy for hyperthyroidism (thyroid hormone excess) or hypothyroidism (thyroid hormone deficiency).

RECIPES:

Lemon Balm Tea:

Steep 1 tsp of dried leaves or 1 tbsp of fresh for about 15 minutes.
Mix with some honey & this is a great tea for children over 2 years old that have a fever or a cold.

Infusion: 

Fill a glass jar  1/3 full of the dried lemon balm leaves or about 3/4 full of fresh.
Fill the jar with boiling water, cap & let steep for at least 4 hours. The long steeping time brings out much more of the medicinal qualities of the herb.

 Lemon Balm Asparagus: 

2 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp lemon balm, finely chopped
2 tsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
salt & pepper to taste
32 steamed asparagus tips

In a pan add butter, lemon balm, coriander, salt & pepper. Allow to sizzle gently until herbs are softened, but not fried.
Put asparagus on a serving dish.
Drizzle over the sauce.

Bananas with Strawberries & Lemon Balm: 

6-8 firm bananas, sliced in half cross ways
1/4 cup brown sugar
8-10 lemon balm leaves, chopped finely
1 tablespoon rum or brandy
fresh strawberries

Heat a little butter in a frying pan & saute the bananas lightly.
Add sugar, stirring well, then add the rum & lemon balm.
Quickly add the strawberries, heat all through & serve immediately, either alone or over ice cream.

Honey & Lemon Balm Biscuits:

1 cup butter
1 cup honey
3 eggs
3 cups self-raising flour
1 tbsp milk
2 tsp lemon juice
4 springs lemon balm, chopped

Cream the butter with the honey, add eggs, beat well.
Add remaining ingredients.
Drop by spoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet & bake 8-10 minutes at 190C.

Lemon Balm Lemonade: 

125g sugar
3 lemons
300ml boiling water
2 large sprigs lemon balm
handful borage leaves
borage flowers

Peel the rind thinly from the lemons & add, with the sugar, to the boiling water.
Stir until the sugar is dissolved & then add the chopped leaves of lemon balm & the borage.
Leave until cool, then add the freshly squeezed juice of the lemons.
Stir well, strain & chill.
Dilute to taste with chilled or soda water & garnish with the borage flowers. Serves 2.

Rose & Herb Tea:

1/2 cup dried red rose petals
2 tbsp dried lemon balm
1 tbsp dried rosemary

Mix well. Use 1 teaspoon for each cup & pour boiling water over the herbs, then strain after 5 min.

Lemon Orange Cheese Spread:

50 g unsalted butter, softened
200 g cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp orange marmalade
1 tsp orange zest
1 tbsp fresh orange juice
3 tbsp chopped fresh lemon balm

Blend the butter & cream cheese until smooth.
Mix in the other ingredients.
Chill overnight & serve at room temperature.

MAGIC:

Lemon balm is said to influence love, healing & success so if your looking for any of the mentioned carry a few sprigs with you!
It is used in spells associated with healing, health, friendship, love & success.
Historically, it is a symbolic plant used to transmit messages between lovers.
Carry Lemon Balm in a charm or sachet to find love, or burn it as an incense when doing spells related to success.
Drink as a Tea to ease emotional pain after the break-up of a relationship or other personal hurt.
Soak leaves in wine for several hours, strain, then share the wine with the object of your affection to influence love.