Blissful Basil

I love basil.

I love the smell of it. I love it in caprese salad. I love to watch it grow. I love it in pesto.

It makes me happy!

This spring I bought one pack of basil seeds and literally have about 30 blossoming basil plants in my garden, on my deck, in containers...everywhere. I plan to make LOTS of sauce and pesto soon and when my tomatoes are ripe, I'll plan to make many delicious salads.

Some other uses of basil:

• Basil is widely used in traditional medicine and Ayurveda. Basil is rich of hundreds of phytochemicals. It has anti-bacterial, antiviral and immune enhancing properties. Here are 18 wonderful uses for the basil.
• Application of the juice of the basil leaves mixing with a little amount of honey over the eyes twice daily to treat fresh cases of cataract.
• Basil improves the efficiency of kidney. Take the mixture of equal amounts of the juice of basil leaves and honey regularly for 6 months for eliminating the stones in kidney.
• Basil is a good medicine for diabetes. The antioxidants in basil reduce the glucose level in blood. So take a tea spoon of juice of basil leaves daily to keep the diabetes under control.
  Basil leaves improve memory power. The smell of these leaves is pleasant to us.
• Basil oil cures earache, while gargling with the decoction made with these leaves reduces throat pain.
• Taking the mixture of equal parts of the powder of basil roots and ghee can make you romantic.
• Tea made with the tender leaves of basil prevents Malaria and Dengue. Take the decoction of these leaves with cardamom powder for reducing high body temperature.
• Basil can reduce heart diseases as it reduces the cholesterol content in the arteries.
• Mix a tea spoon of honey and ginger juice in a cup of decoction made with basil leaves and take for getting relief from cold, influenza, asthma and bronchitis.
• The decoction made with the mixture of leaves, roots and flowers of basil acts as anti venom for a snake bite.
• The Eugenol in these leaves is a good pain killer. Rub the leaves on the wounds for healing and for relief from pain.
• Place few leaves of basil under the pillow or under the bed sheets to solve the problem of insomnia.
• Massage with basil oil on the affected limbs to reduce the severity of paralysis.
• Make a fine powder of basil flower buds. Mix a spoon of powder to a spoon of honey and consume it for relief from migraine.
• The mixture of equal amounts of yogurt and basil juice with a pinch of cardamom powder is considered to be a cure for venereal diseases.
• Leaves can be used to treat insect stings and bites.
• Wash the hair with the decoction of basil to condition the hair.
• Adding some basil flowers and leaves in bathing water makes the body feel fresh.

Basil info from www.healthmed.com