Working on your holiday menu already? If so, you might want to add peppermint to your shopping list. I'm not talking candy cane peppermint, though -- although a touch of it might do you some good. I'm thinking more like the healthy herb peppermint.

Nothing like a hot cup of peppermint tea while you sit by a festive roaring fire. It's good for the soul, for sure. And good for the body too, especially for upset tummies.

Reader's Digest (December 2008) lists this recommended recipe for a terrific tea: Steep two peppermint tea bags in a cup of boiled water for 15 minutes, keeping the brew covered so the essential oils don't evaporate.

Want more holiday diet tips? Head on over the Holidash by clicking on the link below.

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What can soothe your stomach, cool your skin and and awaken your senses? Hint: It grows in your garden and tastes great.

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?

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Bev gave us the candy cane lowdown recently and shared with readers that she's curbed her once addiction to the red and white striped sticks due to concern about calories. I've got good news for Bev -- and all others who seek a reason to indulge.

A new study from Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia found that adults consumed about 2,800 fewer calories per week when they were regularly exposed to peppermint.

"Smelling or eating peppermint seems to increase activity in the area of the brain responsible for alertness," says study author Bryan Raudenbush, Ph.D. "So you won't experience a slump that prompts you to seek out a snack."

Wow. What great holiday news! Even though candy canes might be heavy on the calories, they prevent us from going overboard with other treats. So by all means, grab a candy cane -- just don't grab too many.

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My ideal workout scenario is as follows: Get out of bed, exercise, shower, fix myself up, and be done for the day. There's something about accomplishing my fitness feats first thing that helps power me through the day. Sometimes things work out this way although on most days, my morning routine has me coaxing little ones out of bed, into clothes, to the breakfast table, to the toothbrushes, and into the car for the ritual school drop-off. By the time I get to my treadmill or to the streets outside, I've been up for hours. Not ideal. But that's the way my life goes.

Regardless of when I work out, there's one thing standard about my routine -- the feel-good sense I get when all is said and done. And the scents that surround me when I'm clean and ready to take on the day.

Yesterday, I picked up this yummy peppermint body stuff at Bath & Body Works. I got one bottle of a body wash -- which just so happens to double as a shampoo which doubles as a bubble bath -- and I got one bottle of body lotion. Twisted Peppermint, this product line is called. And I'll tell you: It's sure to put a bounce in your step.

According to holisticonline.com, aromatherapy means "treatment using scents." It's a holistic way of caring for the body with pleasant smelling botanical oils such as rose, lemon, lavender, and yes, peppermint. Aromatherapy is used to relieve pain, care for the skin, alleviate tension and fatigue, and invigorate the entire body. Aromas can affect the mood, knock out fatigue, reduce anxiety, and promote relaxation. When inhaled, they work on the brain and nervous system through stimulation of the olfactory nerves.

My new aroma is certainly working on my brain. It's simply invigorating. Stop by a Bath & Body Works near you and ask for a sample. You'll see what I mean.

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I'm not a huge fan of mint anything, really, so the fact that I'm not at all excited about a sports bra scented like peppermint is no surprise. But what do you think? FitSugar has a poll going on the topic, based on the new Reebock Pulse Scented Short Bra Top which "releases the refreshing scent of peppermint" when you workout. It seems like more people like it than don't (48% cool, 38% not cool, so far), but I'm not convinced. I keep thinking that it doesn't keep you from sweating so what does 'sweaty peppermint' smell like? That could be downright nauseating.

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While the gorgeous summer weather took a turn for the worse where I live today (cool and rainy after a month of solid sunshine), until now it has been hot, hot, hot and I know it will heat up again pretty quick. On super warm and humid days, it can be really tough to look good.

You can do your best to stay pretty sitting on a patio, out at a music festival or whatever fun outdoor locale or event you may wind up at, but often no matter how much time you spend beautifying indoors beforehand, once you head out the door your hair frizzes, you sweat though your clothes and your make-up melts. Not a pretty picture.

If you want to look your best all summer long, try out some of the products listed here. They include a leave-in conditioner to tame pouffey, out-of-control curls, lotion and blotting tissue for overly-oily skin, peppermint foot spray for sweaty, stinky feet and eye make-up that won't run down your face. Just because it's hot out doesn't mean you can't look cool.

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