Mint

Nutrition hasn’t always been a passion of mine. I used to shove anything edible in my mouth without a second thought as to how my body would react. The kitchen was a foreign land and I was the Queen of Takeout until about the age of 26.

It’s a long story (which I will eventually tell… SPOILER: it involves a dog) but I eventually discovered that the kitchen could allow me to express my creativity and serve as therapy. I also discovered that I wasn’t bad at all when it came to cooking. (Baking is a whole other story…)

There’s so much more I want to talk about, but I’ll save it for another time because, today, I want to talk about MINT!

Mint has been used medicinally for thousands of years. Pliny the Elder, a Roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, even advised scholars to wear a crown of mint to help with concentration, since it was thought to promote clear thinking.

Mint is still used as an herbal remedy today to ease upset stomachs, to calm and revitalize the mind and body, to clear up a stuffy nose and to soothe a throbbing headache. I personally consider it to be one of the most comforting scents and use it quite often when suffering from migraines.

So while you may think that mint belongs in the medicine cabinet, it also deserves a spot in your kitchen!

Mint is the perfect herb for summer because it’s so refreshing and cooling. Just smelling fresh mint wakes + cheers you up instantly!

But the benefits of mint don’t stop there!

- Even though you don’t usually consume a lot of mint at once, you do get a nice bit of nutrients, particularly vitamin A which is really good for eye health

- Mint may help relieve digestion issues like upset stomach and indigestion (mint tea is perfect for this!)

- Mint could improve brain function, increase alertness and decrease levels of frustration, anxiety and fatigue

- Mint may also help rid bad breath and kill bacteria

And mint is incredibly easy to add to your food. You can add it to salads, desserts, smoothies, tea… my favourite way to incorporate mint into my summer diet (because I like to keep things REALLY simple) is by adding a few fresh mint leaves to my water. Want to get even fancier? Add a few slices of cucumber or lemon as well!

Want more super simple, healthy ways to add mint to your diet?

How about a Watermelon, Cucumber & Mint Salad? In a big bowl, mix together 2 cups diced seedless watermelon, 1/2 cup diced seedless cucumber, 1/4 cup mint leaves, the juice of 1 lime and salt & pepper to taste. If you're a fan of feta, sprinkle 1/3 cup of crumbled feta cheese over the top before serving.

Finally, why not try a Fresh Pineapple Mint Salsa? This would taste great with tortilla chips or on fish tacos!

In a large bowl, mix 2 cups fresh diced pineapple, 1 medium jalapeno pepper (seeded & diced), 1/2 cup chopped red onion, 3 tbsp chopped fresh mint, 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (omit if you're not a fan!), the zest and juice of one lime and salt to taste. Mix, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes or until you're ready to serve!

Finding mint is usually quite easy. Most supermarkets carry it and you can most likely find some very fresh mint at your local farmers' market. Growing your own mint is actually quite simple as well and can easily grow indoors, making it handy to just snip off a few leaves whenever you're ready to use it!