That's Fit

Each week, we'll be naming a Super Food and offering unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

Peppermint is a flavour we see in abundance: In candies, ice cream, gum, even our Grande Mochas at Starbucks. But peppermint is more than just a sweet treat; It's an effective cure for a variety of ailments, and a healthy flavour to add to your everyday diet.

First and foremost, peppermint has long been believed to be good for your stomach woes, from gas to nausea to gallbladder disease and even stomach cancer. And today, it's more than a just a belief -- According to this article from the Harvard School of Medicine, peppermint is an effective natural treatment for the symptoms of Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS,) including pain, cramping, bloating and diarrhea. In fact, in studies, 75% of participants with IBS saw a major reduction in symptoms when they took peppermint capsules daily.Pretty impressive, huh?
That's not all -- peppermint does so much more.

Suffer headaches often? Yeah, who doesn't, right? Peppermint oil can help relieve the pain of headaches. It can also help with nausea, whether ingested or used as aromatherapy. Women, got a urinary tract infection (UTI)? Yep, it can help with that too. In addition, peppermint can help with circulation, respiratory problems, dandruff, dry skin and even bad breath! All that and it helps reduce stress too. Really! I'm not making this up.

So how do you enjoy peppermint? You can buy capsules of peppermint leaf oil from your local health food store. But if you like the taste of peppermint, save your money and enjoy fresh peppermint in a variety of ways:

• Enjoy peppermint tea. You can pick some up from the grocery store, or steep some leaves in hot water. On a hot day, iced peppermint tea is a delicious treat.
  
• Enjoy fresh peppermint leaves on your favourite salad -- even fruit salad!
• Mix some fresh mint into plain yogurt and some seasoning for a yummy, creamy dressing.
  
• Throw some mint into your pasta sauce or enjoy with soup.
  

How do you enjoy peppermint?