Blackberries
There are many uses for this fruit and its leaves.

As a diuretic
Prepare an infusion with dried leaves by addind a dessert spoon of dried leaves per cup of boiling water. Leave it covered for 10 minutes. Drink it in small sips and you may drink up to 4 cups per day. Stop this treatment as soon as your symptoms subside.

To treat diabetes, drink the above infusion 4 to 6 times per day.

To treat fevers
Make an infusion with 40 to 80g of fresh leaves per litre of water, drink throughout the day in small sips.

For inflammations in the mouth
Mash a few blackberries to remove the juice then add a little water and use as a mouth wash.

As amoras para a tosse

Para fazer um xarope de amoras, esmague bem algumas amoras negras e recolha o maximo liquido possivel delas, depois coloque num recipiente de vidro. Junte acucar com o dobro do peso do sumo e aqueca em lume brando, quando esta mistura adquirir a consistencia de xarope retira-se do lume, deixa-se arrefecer e guarda-se num frasco de vidro bem fechado, num local frio e escuro. Toma-se uma colher de sopa de xarope de tres em tres horas.
Para as inflamacoes da garganta, junta-se 2 colheres de cha do xarope com agua morna e fazem-se gargarejos com esta mistura.

Herbal hair rinses

Rosemary for dark hair

Infuse 40g fresh rosemary in 1 litre of boiling water in a bowl for 1 hour and then strain.


Chamomile for fair hair

Infuse 25g dried chamomile in 1 litre boiling water in a large bowl for 1 hour and then strain.

Avocado
This fruit is a powerhouse in monounsaturated fats, proteins and vitamins E and C which are antioxidants protecting the body from free readicals that cause deterioration and aging.
One avocado a day gives you the essential vitamin E for boosting energy levels and strengthening the immune system. The vitamin C content has numerous benefits such as, cold prevention, and stress reduction. Both the vitamins found in this fruit complement each other, fortifying the other's effect on the system.

Para os Portugueses...

A pera abacate e muito importante na dieta de um diabetico, pois sao aconselhados a cortar no colesterol. Este fruto ajuda a manter os niveis de glucose no sangue.
Metade de uma pera abacate tem aproximadamente 160 calorias, o que a faz uma grande aliada em dietas e contem fibras necessarias ao sistema para eliminar gorduras excessivas.
A pera abacate esta associada a prevencao de doencas cardiovasculares, obesidade, diabetes, alguns tipos de cancro e tensao alta.

Sweet Potatoes
Rich in Vitamins A, C and E, antioxidants that help prevent heart disease and cancer, the sweet potato boosts the immune system and slows down the ageing process promoting sharp vision and healthy skin.

Its essential nutrients include vitamin B6, potassium and iron, dietary fibre helps to promote a healthy digestive tract, best results obtained when eaten with the skin.
Their most attractive trait is that they are virtually fat free, no cholesterol and low sodium levels with only 500KJ per one and a half cups of boiled sweet potatoes, making them one of the dieter's best friends, not to mention the fact that they're healthy too.

Moonstone
This crystal is associated with the heart chakra and so can bring calm responses thus avoiding overreaction. It also enhances the feminine energies within the sacral and crown centres, receptivity, intuition, sensitivity, emotional balance and psychic abilities. On the physical level, it aids the pituitary gland function, hormonal conditions and menstrual problems.

As with other sacral stones, moonstones support new beginnings. As it is a stone of lunar energy, it is beneficial to the unsettled, insecure and the ones given to mood swings. Its energy brings with it, the understanding that what we yearn for, is often not what we really want. It balances desire levels bringing the wearer into a positive frame of mind. It may be used as a complementary stone draining lower energies from all the chakras.

It is also very beneficial for eye, hair and skin imbalances and is excellent in a detox programme or phase, as it cleanses through its antiseptic vibrations.

Being a fertility stone, it is excellent for stimulation and conception supporting the female hormone energies.


Algumas dicas para os Portugueses
Banana
Este fruto e bastante rico em ferro, por isso ajuda em casos de anemia. Sendo tambem bastante rico em potassio e com baixo teor de sal, a banana torna-se numa forte aliada contra doencas de tensao e tromboses.

A banana ajuda tambem com prisao de ventre pois contem muita fibra. Tambem e boa aliada contra ressacas, tomando um milkshake feito com banana, leite e adocado com mel. A banana acalma o estomago e com a ajuda do mel, aumenta os niveis de acucar no sangue enquanto o leite hidrata e alivia o sistema.

Este fruto tem efeitos antiacidos no corpo de maneira que se sofrer de azia coma uma banana para aliviar o estomago.
Comer bananas entre as refeicoes tambem ajuda contra os enjoos matinais pois este fruto mantem o nivel de acucar no sangue e assim evita os enjoos.

Se for atacado por mosquitos, use a parte de dentro da casca da banana para esfregar na pele, reduz o inchaco e irritacao na pele causados pelas mordidelas de mosquitos.
A banana acalma o sistema nervoso, devido ao seu alto teor de vitamina B.

Juicing - The healthy alternative

Anti Celulite
Apples and pineapples are great allies in this fight due to their detox properties and also by cleaning the lymphatic system.
In a juice extractor, mix 1/3 pineapple, 1 apple and a small piece of shredded ginger. This helps remove the excess water found just under the skin. Do not add any sugar.



Green Aventurine

This crystal is often used on the heart chakra and it is said to relieve anxiety and to calm one's
emotional states. It is also thought to be a lucky stone in gambling, it attracts opportunities and enhances one's creativity and leadership qualities.

Rosemary
As this herb is known to improve the blood flow to the brain, it is thought to aid memory.
Make an infusion using a sprig of the fresh herb per cup of boiling water. This tea may also be used in the bath to soothe and energise aching muscles after a tiring day.

If you have high blood pressure, avoid rosemary.



Citrine

This crystal brings added zest to sensitive people, aids clarity of thought and expression and opens new avenues, frees emotion and daily stress and develops self-love and confidence.

It attracts light, hope and abundance.

It is a good crystal to use on the third chakra, the solar plexus.

Umas dicas para os portugueses

A Canela

A canela tem um efeito relaxante no estomago e estimula o fluxo sanguineo, por isso se torna benefica para mulheres com periodos fracos e dolorosos.

Para fazer uma infusao de canela, use 2.5cm de pau de canela quebrado, numa chavena de cha com agua a ferver e uma rodela de limao. Cubra e deixe por 10 minutos, depois adicione 1 colher de sopa de mel se dejar, para adocar.

Tome duas chavenas por dia ao aparecerem os primeiros sintomas de um resfriado ou para aliviar as dores menstruais.

Como ha pessoas com alergia a esta especiaria, tome com cautela.