Rita Heikenfeld is  a certified modern herbalist and her weekly column in the Community Press Newspapers often features tips and recipes for cooking with herbs. For more information, visit Rita’s website.  Listen to the interview.

I can’t wait to make Rita’s Spa Water.  Fill a pitcher halfway with peppermint. Add lemon slices. Fill with good quality water and then bruise the fruit and mint with a spoon as you stir it all together. A single stevia leaf can sweeten the entire pitcher, or you can add a bit of honey. The water, of course,  keeps your hydrated. The peppermint fools your brain into thinking  it’s full and is  an energizing herb. The lemon helps you to burn carbs more efficiently, helps to form and repair collagen and is a gentle liver cleanser.  Rita’s site has tons of other great spa product recipes you can make at home, too.