Basil is a natural anti-inflammatory, has antibacterial properties and is very high in antioxidants. It can be used to soothe the stomach, calm a cough or take the sting out of a bug bite.

1. Basil is a member of the mint family so it should come as no surprise that it’s often used to settle the stomach. The easiest way to use it is in tea.
   Add 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped basil to boiling water and steep for about 5 minutes then strain. Sweeten with raw honey to taste and sip slowly to help with digestive issues. This can also soothe a cough.
2. To soothe a sore throat you can brew a basil tea in the same way but skip the honey and let the tea cool then use it as a gargle.
3. To soothe a headache add about 5 basil leaves to boiling water and continue to boil for a few minutes then cool. Sip slowly. Basil works on headaches because of it’s muscle relaxing qualities so this works best on tension headaches.
4. Boil water and add a few chopped basil leaves. Remove from heat and breath the steam in to help with congestion. (don’t get close enough to get a steam burn!) May also help with headaches.