Late Spring / Early Summer is the perfect time to do a "Spring Cleaning" on ourselves...

Morning is the natural time for flushing out the system, before any solids are taken and in place of any caffeine, begin with the following "liver flush" drink. The liver is the largest and one of the most important organs in our body, a complex chemical laboratory, which sorts out all of our toxins... and for most of us, it has been sorely overworked because of dietary abuses. The "liver flush" will aid in restoring it, as well as in cleansing the kidneys and intestinal tract.

LIVER FLUSH:

2 Tablespoons cold-pressed oil (preferably Olive)

Juice of 1 large or 2 small Lemons

Juice of 1 or 2 Oranges (or 1 Grapefruit)

1 to 4 cloves of Garlic (if this is too strong, the Garlic can be eaten in a luncheon salad later)

Dash of Cayenne Pepper

Throw the ingredients into a blender on high; to break down the Garlic and emulsify the oil with other liquids. After drinking the mixture, follow immediately with 2 cups of herbal (not black) tea, this is a great time to customize your herbal blends to treat any problem areas that you may have.

And while this is the season to be outdoors, so are the pests... but these helpful tips may make it just a little more enjoyable:

Use Citronella to keep mosquitos at bay (typically burned in candles or the plant itself, as a centerpiece.

The essential oil of Rose Geranium makes a great tick repellent, worn neat on the body as a fragrance, or by adding about 20 drops of the eo (essential oil) to 2 Tablespoons of Almond oil (which contains Sulphur, also a tick repellent), you can cover more skin surface with this mixture. It is also safe to use on your pets, rubbed into their hair or a drop of Rose Geranium eo directly onto a cloth collar.

And Cinnamon for ants: Cinnamon acts as a natural repellent, since ants can't stand the smell. So soak a cotton ball in a solution of Cinnamon eo and water and wipe down any common ant hot-spots, such as around doors and windows, or if crawling across your picnic poses a problem, just dab the Cinnamon oil directly onto the blanket, towel or table.

If already bitten, Basil works wonders to stop its annoying effects, you can dab on the essential oil or crush and rub a Basil leaf directly on the bite.

Lavender oil is great for treating bug bites because it can be applied directly to the skin, and has soothing pain relieving properties. And a few drops of the eo added to distilled water, in a spray bottle, and you have a lovely linen spray, that is not only relaxing, but will keep the mosquitos away.

Chamomile tea for an itchy bug bite. Chamomile has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cleansing properties, so it is effective when used as a Chamomile ice cube, because