Woodford Files: On Summertime Herbal Iced Teas and Safe Sunscreens
You know the summer season has arrived when everyone starts reaching for cold beverages. There was a time when I grabbed a cocktail or frozen margarita to quench my thirst on a hot day, but these days the allure of alcohol has faded as the link between cancer and booze becomes more clear.
According to research by the University of Oxford, “New data from a large-scale genetic study led by Oxford Population Health confirms that alcohol directly causes cancer. Worldwide, alcohol may cause around 3 million deaths each year, including over 400,000 from cancer.”
Add to that the surging levels of turbo cancer being diagnosed in some heavily vaccinated populations, and you have a society at higher risk of this disease than ever before. (Statistics available at websites such as https://makismd.substack.com or https://diedsuddenly.info)
Needless to say, if we can find food and beverages which reduce our cancer risk, then so much the better. So this month we bring you Carol Little, Registered Herbalist, with her feature on “Hot Weather Herbal Refreshers.” Here we learn how to make infusions of herbs such as bee balm, chamomile, and hibiscus and then transform them into chilled iced teas or blended lemonades.
To make it easier, Little has created a template which serves as a guide to turn recommended herbs into chilled beverages which can slake our thirst while at the same time bestowing the medicinal properties of the plant.
For example, lavender (the herb featured on our cover) has soothing and calming properties and also helps to relieve insomnia. Since its strong flavour is best blended with other herbs, you may want to try the recipe for Lemon Balm & Lavender Lemonade which Carol likes to serve to her guests in the summertime. It tastes divine!
The summer season brings with it many other benefits and some hazards. I think the greatest benefit is increased sun exposure which amps up our vitamin D levels while it warms the kidneys. Those who like to slather themselves with sunscreen would do well to read the report in News & Notes on hazardous chemicals that can be absorbed through the skin. Check your sunscreen labels carefully and see if they contain any of the toxic ingredients listed in the article (see page 8 in our Summer digital magazine). Thankfully there are two ingredients generally recognized as safe: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
Personally I never use sunscreen, opting instead for moderate sun exposure while wearing a hat and moisturizing exposed skin with coconut oil. I also avoid chemical deodorants since their heavy metals can enter the body through lymph nodes under the arms. (Natural deodorants made with baking soda work just fine.)
Have a great summer and we’ll see you in July with our monthly newsletter. Order a FREE subscription for friends and family at: subscribe@vitalitymagazine.com To post a question or comment on this or any other article, see all our articles posted on www.vitalitymagazine.com
Julia Woodford, Editor
Julia Woodford
Julia Woodford founded Vitality Magazine in 1989, and has been its Editor-in-Chief for the past 35 years. Prior to a career in publishing, her studies included Political Economics at York University, Journalism at Ryerson, and Psychology, PhysEd, and Anthropology at University of Toronto. She remains a lifelong student of herbalism, nutritional medicine, and the healing arts to this day. You can read her columns on the Vitality website. She is also the former Show Manager for Whole Life Expo, Canada’s largest showcase of natural health and green living. In 2018 she received a “Hall of Fame” award from National Nutrition. In 2019, she was nominated for a “Person of the Year” award by National Nutrition.
The shift from traditional alcoholic beverages to herbal iced teas is a timely suggestion, especially in light of emerging research linking alcohol to increased cancer risk.