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Welcome , fellow wanderers , to a delightful addition

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to the Global Journeys with Jill Dutton podcast

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introducing Postcards your

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passport to bite-sized travel tales

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. I'm Jill Dutton , your guide in

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this audio expedition , and I'm thrilled

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to embark on these journeys with you . In

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this new segment , postcards , we're

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flipping through the vibrant pages of travel

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, offering you quick glimpses into the captivating

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world that awaits beyond our doorsteps . These

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audio snapshots are designed to be your pocket-sized

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companions , perfect for those moments

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when you yearn for a touch of wanderlust but

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are short on time . While our traditional

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full-length episodes will continue to immerse

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you in the rich narratives of the individuals

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I've encountered during my travels , postcards

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steps into the spotlight as a frequent rendezvous

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with travel essentials brief , insightful

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and ready to transport you to far-flung

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corners of the globe . But further ado

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, welcome to this installment of Postcards

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. Postcard

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Mexico Damiana LeCour

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Herbal Aphrodisiac or Urban

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Legend by Jill Dutton of Chilled Magazine

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. Before

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departing on a recent trip to La Paz , mexico

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, I heard about a mythical spirit called

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Damiana LeCour . Always

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interested in herbal remedies and tinctures

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, I was eager to taste and learn more about

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this LeCour made from the Damiana

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plant that grows well in Baja California

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Sur's desert climate . It's said

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that the Damiana plant has certain medicinal

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properties . Locals sip the LeCour

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either neat or mixed in cocktails

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to cure ailments such as stress , insomnia

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and aches and pains . But its most

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sensational claim is that this sweet

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herbal LeCour is an Aphrodisiac

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. I knew I wanted to taste it for myself

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. Damiana is a small

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shrub that can be found in the rocky hillsides

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of Baja California , sur Mexico and

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other desert regions . In addition

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to its amour-enhancing benefits

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, the herb is said to improve digestion

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, treat constipation and create

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an overall sense of well-being . The

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Aphrodisiac aspects of the remedy

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are believed to come into play because the herb

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stimulates the intestinal tract

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, bringing oxygen to the genital

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area for both men and women . As

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there isn't any scientific data behind

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these benefits , mainly what you'll hear when you

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ask about the plant are tall tales

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of love found after ingesting the LeCour

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. According to Healthline , damiana

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is a low-growing plant with yellow flowers

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and fragrant leaves . In addition

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to Mexico , it's native to subtropical

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climates like southern Texas , central

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and South America and the Caribbean

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. Its medicinal uses predate

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written history . Healthline says

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that by the time the Spanish crossed the Atlantic

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, indigenous cultures had been using

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it for centuries as an Aphrodisiac

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and bladder tonic . Spanish

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missionaries noticed that native tribes would

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brew a Damiana tea with sugar

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to stimulate sexual performance . Although

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there aren't human studies , laboratory

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tests performed on rats showed

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increased sexual performance in both males

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and females , but in particular

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those with sexual dysfunction . Still

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, both sexes exhibited increased

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sexual activity . Although the

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Damiana plant is generally safe

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and non-toxic , like any herbal remedy

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, it shouldn't be consumed during pregnancy

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, while breastfeeding or by anyone with diabetes

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. The Damiana plant creates

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a sweet , minty , woody LeCour . Locals

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like to sip it on the rocks , take it

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as a shot or in place of triple

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sec or simple syrup in a margarita . Many

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consider it the perfect secret ingredient

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to the drink and others profess that

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the original margarita was created using

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Damiana LeCour . You can

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purchase the LeCour straight , or

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some distillers are mixing the essence of Damiana

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with a tequila base for a more potent

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drink . As I have an interest

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in tinctures , I was excited to learn

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how to extract the essences from

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Damiana to create a homemade tincture . Simply

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fill a jar with the leaves of the herb , cover

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with a liter of vodka and

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let sit for at least 10 days . I like

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to give the jar a good shake each day and keep

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it out of direct sunlight . After a couple

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weeks , strain the mixture through a coffee filter

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to remove the plant pieces . You

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can use the tincture to make a cup of tea by

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placing one drop or full of the alcohol

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in a cup of hot water with honey . To

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make a LeCour , add the vodka to

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500 ml of water , warm

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the infused water and add 1-2 cups of honey

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until dissolved , bottle the liquor

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to enjoy at your leisure . If

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you'd rather not go to the trouble to create the LeCour

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yourself , you can purchase a bottle at a

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liquor store or online . Heading

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back to the States , after my visit to La Paz

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, I stopped at the airport liquor store to ask

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about Damiana LeCour . The

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gentleman quickly offered me a sample . I

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told him I'd heard stories about its potent

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aphrodisiac qualities and said it

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might not be the best drink to taste before boarding

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an airplane . He told me oh

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, drink it and find out . I'm single Now

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. That's a good salesman . He poured me a

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small shot of agaveiro , a

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blend of 100% agave reposado

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and anahejo chiles

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with added Damiana flower essence

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. It was sweet and woody , but I only

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took a small sip , still worried about

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the consequences . The gentleman allayed

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my fears and told me in confidence that

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it's really a myth . He said tradition has

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it that guests would give the bride and groom a bottle

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of Damiana LeCour as a wedding

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present to enhance their honeymoon and increase

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the odds of fertility . Whether it's based

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on lore or not , people who enjoy

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the LeCour believe in its benefits

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. Now distributed in the United States

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, you don't have to visit Mexico to sit on the

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beach and sip this sweet , mythical LeCour

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, but it might be worth a trip south

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of the border just for the experience . Jill

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Dutton is the publisher of Evolving Magazine

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, the podcast host at Global

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Journeys with Jill Dutton and a freelance

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travel writer at GlobalJourneyswithjildedtoncom

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. Thank you

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for joining us on this episode of Global

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Journeys with Jill Dutton . Until next

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time , may your travels be filled with

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endless curiosity , open-hearted

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encounters and transformative adventures

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. Safe travels , fellow explorers

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, and keep wandering .