Health fairs are fun for people like Dominic and I. You get a great opportunity to talk about something you care about in front of an attentive audience (if you have freebies to distribute that is). For someone who works from home, having the chance to meet and chat with hundreds of people in a few hours is stimulating.
I love my job and I love the population health industry. If people are going to spend between 40-50 hours at work each week it's my pleasure to build a culture of healthy living in workplaces. Typically, health fairs include your standard big businesses and local athletic clubs, but Friday was different. My table happened to be right next to that of a woman named Jamie Smith-Helper who was handing out fresh tea and selling essential oils. She took a second to give me some information on their uses and benefits. I think my AeroGarden may be calling...
Jamie had a tea made from fresh parsley, sage, rosemary, oregano and thyme. I had never considered making tea from herbs, but everyone who tried it at her booth really seemed to enjoy it. She was explaining what each herb's internal and external therapeutic uses were. For example, parsley contains vitamins A & C, calcium, thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. A handout she gave me adds: "Diuretic - stimulates kidney function and acts as a liver tonic. High chlorophyll content aids in digestion and sweetens breath." When sipped in this fresh-herb tea, parsley can sooth coughs and address indigestion. Not bad for a plate decoration I usually throw out! I was entertained all day by her conversations. Did you know oregano has anti-fungal, antiseptic and antioxidant properties? She recommends adding fresh or dry oregano to face steam for acne.
Someday I dream of having a full herb garden. Perhaps when I do I'll try Jamie's Rosemary Infused Olive Oil recipe once I can grow my own:
1 cup dried rosemary leaves
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
1 quart sized Mason jar
Opaque bottle for storage (re-use the olive oil bottle)
Medium sauce pan 1/2 full with water
Use dried rosemary for this recipe as any water in the plant material may spoil the oil. Place pan of water on stove to boil. Add rosemary leaves to a clean jar followed by the olive oil, cap jar. Reduce heat on pot of water to low simmer and place jar into pot, allow oil to warm for 2-4 hours (longer is better, all day is fine), taking care not to let the water evaporate. Once the oil is removed from heat, allow the herbs to steep for 24 hours before straining. Pour oil into an opaque bottle for storage. "Rosemary oil makes an excellent moisturizer for body and scalp massage and may also be used to impart a strong rosemary flavor to food."
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