Post date: Apr 30, 2014 2:53:59 AM
From: http://www.anniesremedy.com/
Agrimony/Raspberry Nightime Tea:
Unlike green tea, drinking this herbal blend before sleep will decrease nighttime bathroom visits and may help prevent bedwetting. 742.1
Alfalfa-nettle daily tonic
Alfalfa and Nettle leaf contain a broad spectrum of nutrients, including considerable quantities of protein, trace mineral and vitamins, dietary fiber and chlorophyll. This blend is great for reducing stress too. 580.1
Bee Balm Summer Tea
Bees delight in the nectar of this American garden favorite. A lesser known member of the mint family, Bee Balm Mondara, spp AKA Oswego, was a favorite tea of early North American colonists and one taste will make it one of yours as well. Fragrant, aromatic tea recalls both citrus and mint, but with a spicy, musky accent that is uniquely its own. Grow this beautiful and useful plant if you have any garden space, it is not widely available for purchase. The best tea is made from the newest leaves from the top of the plant before it flowers. 680.1
Bilberry Tea
Bilberry tea tastes so good you could slip to the the kids and tell 'em its grape juice. Known for it's effect on circulation and vein health, bilberry is a good tonic for those who bruise easily. 660.0
Birch, Ginkgo & Red clover tea
This brew will get you moving in the morning, or is great as an afternoon pick me up. It contains no caffeine like stimulants, but works by improving circulation, and the elimination of toxins from the bloodstream. 664.0
Cautions: Birch leaf is a powerhouse diuretic and helps to eliminate any fluid buildup in the system rather quickly. Use with caution if you have any kidney trouble
Ingredients:
· 1 part Birch leaf
· 1 part Ginkgo leaf
· 1 part red clover leaf/flower
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea : Use 1 tablespoon of herbal blend to each cup of heated water. Infuse about 10 to 15 minutes, or until cool enough to drink. 2 to 3 cups a day., one or two days a week.
Bitter Melon Tea
Dried bitter melon slices can be made into a tea. The tea has a mild, nutty taste and is very pleasant to drink, even without adding any sugar or honey. 740.1
Ingredients:
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Use 4 or 5 slices of dried melon, or a teaspoon of powder to each cup of water. Infuse for 3 to 5 minutes and drink warm. Consult your healthcare provider for the correct dosage if you are under treatment for diabetes or cholesterol.
Buchu tea
Buchu can be used alone or combined with other antiseptic and diuretic herbs to treat bladder infections, and water retention. Buchu is often combined with couchgrass, corn silk, cranberry, cleavers, dandelion, goldenrod, parsley, and/or uva ursi. 444.0
Ingredients:
Buchu *
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea : Drink several cups a day while the infection lasts.
Burdock tea
Burdock tea is good for any skin condition that would benefit from detoxification. Blends well with dandelion root as a tonic drink for the liver. 151.0
Ingredients:
Burdock *
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Simmer 1 tablespoon of dried root in 2 cups of water for 20 minutes. Drink up to 4 cups daily. Tea can also be used as a skin and face wash. Apply the cooled tea to the skin with a clean facecloth, and rinse in cool water.
Calendula tea
Calendula is so gentle, it is often given to children for upset stomach. It's astringent and anti-inflammatory properties make it particularly useful for treating heartburn. As a skin wash, calendula stimulates the grows of skin cells to fight wrinkles, keeps complexion smooth, moist, and helps fight acne breakouts. 173.0
Use calendula in the same way to treat your animal companion's flea bite, rashes, and scrapes, it is safe and non-toxic if they lick it off.
Ingredients:
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :
· For tea: Steep 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried flowers in 1 to 2 cups of hot water for 10 minutes. Drink as needed.
· Compress: For eyestrain, brew a strong tea using a tablespoon of dried calendula flowers per cup of boiling water. Steep until cool. Apply using a cool compress put over your eyelids, and lean back and relax for at least 10 minutes.
· Face wash: Apply to the face with a cotton ball or clean cloth, or use as the liquid base of a lotion
Cardamom Tea
Cardamom tea is warm, fragrant and a joy to the taste buds as well as the soul. It has a mellower, lighter taste that that of cinnamon, and can be used in many of the same recipes. As an after dinner tea it sweetens the breath and aids digestion. It is also one of the favorite teas of pregnant women everywhere who suffer from morning sickness. 331.1
Catnip tea
Catnip is not just for cat lovers. A warm cup of catnip tea will relax nerves, help with sleep, and is safe enough for the whole family to enjoy. At the first sign of a cold, drink a warm cup of catnip tea, and bundle yourself off to bed. 68.0
Catnip is a safe and effective herb for animals digestion, colds. Catnip brewed as a tea does not have the "feline high" effect, but calms nervous animals. Add a few fresh leaves to drinking water, or mix a small amount directly into food.
CFA - Stomach Ease Tea
The simple remedies are usually the best and this one has stood the test of time. Using just these three seeds can provide relief from gas and bloating while improving digestion for most if not all people.
Cautions: None noted
Chamomile, Lavender and Lemon balm tea
This good tasting tea is formulated to calm nervous tension and lift mild depression. 591.0
Cautions: Avoid licorice root if you have high blood pressure
Chickweed tea
Chickweed tea is said to be just an old wives' remedy for weight loss, however those old wives may have been on to something we modern folks should pay attention to. Chickweed is known for its ability to calm inflammation and purify the blood, so only good can come out of adding this healthy green plant to your diet plan.
Cooled chickweed tea has an anti-inflammatory action in rashes and and skin irritations, and can be used as a skin rinse for pets coats & skin.
Chocolate Mint Tea
The combination of Chocolate and mint is a classic taste that needs no introduction. This tea is a healthy way to satisfy a craving for chocolate, something I am quite prone to. If you have some chocolate mint growing in the garden use that, otherwise regular mint will do.
chocolate peppermint plant
Cleavers tea
Cleavers main use is to help detoxify body tissues by supporting the lymphatic system, the system that washes the tissues of toxins, and as a mild diuretics. Toxic buildup is thought to be an underlying cause of chronic skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis and acne as well as autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis. Use cleavers tea as a bath additive or skin wash to treat skin damage from sunburn, rashes and cuts. It makes a good hair rinse for dandruff and dry scalp. 373.0
Corn Silk Tea
Corn silk tea can be made from fresh or dried tassels, fresh being preferred. Tea made from the silky strands helps eliminate excess water and calm cramps. Extract made from the fresh silk can be added to other herbal teas and cranberry juice when treating bladder and kidney problems. 443.0
Corn Silk is specifically indicated in FLUTD, and is effective as a general kidney tonic. It is gentle enough to be used as a long term medicine.
Daily Nettle/Mint Tonic Tea
Nettle is one of natures best nutraceuticals, containing protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, beta-carotene, along with vitamins A,C, D, and B complex, all in a form that is easy for the body to use. Combined with mints and alfalfa it forms a pleasant tasting, depurative and nourishing blend for body and soul.
Damiana and Mate Weight loss tea
This weight loss blend works to boost your metabolism and help burn fat. The addition of lemongrass adds flavor as well as a digestive boost. 301.0
Eucalyptus/Yarrow flu blend
This remedy is an all purpose cold, cough and flu reliever. In addition to its expectorant action, it soothes the throat, opens the lungs, reduces fever, reduces body aches, and helps stop the muscle spasms that trigger coughs. Add boneset for the relief of even the toughest symptoms. 73.0
Four Winds Stomach Tea
Caraway and fennel team up well in teas blend to ease stomach distress caused by gas and bloating. Chamomile and peppermint calm spasms and add flavor to make the classic Four Winds Tea a family favorite. 761.0
Ingredients: Equal Parts
Fennel Seed * Caraway Seed * Peppermint Leaf * Chamomile *
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea : Mix the seeds in equal parts. Crushing the seeds makes it easier to extract the active principles. You can do this ahead of time and store a few weeks worth of the crushed seed mixture in a tightly sealed glass jar without losing much in the way of efficacy. 1 to 2 teaspoons herbs to a cup of water, leave to infuse for 10 to 20 minutes and drink 1 cup after the evening meal. Unsweetened tea works best for stomach problems. For sweet tea use stevia instead of sugar or honey if you are nauseous or have heartburn.
Frangula and Senna Laxative Teas
Senna is a reliable and powerful laxative. Frangula is mild to medium strength with less irritating properties. The ratio of senna to frangula can be adjusted to your body's needs. The aromatic additives, fennel, chamomile and peppermint ease the stomach and improve the taste 765.1
Alder buckthorn (Frangula)
Cautions: . Laxatives should never be taken for too long - a few weeks at most, while efforts are made to adjust the diet to regulate the bowels.
Garcinia and Orange Diet Tea
This is a diet tea that uses two herbs commonly found in extract form, bitter orange and garcinia fruit. Products are often labeled Garcinia cambogia and standardized to contain a fixed percentage of HCA. Why use the whole fruit? What garcinia fruit offers that HCA supplements do not is potassium. The HCA in supplements is bound to calcium and is poorly absorbed. 597.0
Cautions: May interfere with sleep if taken too close to bedtime.
Hibiscus and Ginger Tea
Hibiscus and ginger are two tastes that complement each other so well it's like they were made for each other. Both of these plants thrive in the tropical climates and Jamaica Sorrel is one of my favorite summer drinks. This blend is an antioxidant powerhouse that helps keep you feeling good all day long. 749.1
Hibiscus and ginger tea
Hibiscus, Pennywort Circulation Tonic
Drink this tea for the joyful taste, and enjoy the health benefits. Pennywort is served in Thai restaurant as a cooling drink, and along with hibiscus works to improve circulation and tone the veins. Lemongrass and a hint of clove complete the flavor combination. 667.0
Hibiscus tea
Holy Basil Tea
Holy basil, or tulsi, is a revered herb in the Ayurveda medicine tradition believed to clear the aura and open up the heart and mind. Holy basil is especially called for when there is difficult breathing and cough. The dried leaves of holy basil make a mellow tasting tea that is light, spicy but cool, with an enticing undertone of cloves. 739.1
holy basil tea
Hot Flashes Tea
This strong grounding tea of motherwort and sage cools hot flashes and calms your mind. Go ahead and drink it with a good measure of honey and be good to yourself for the rest of the day. 199.0
Hot Toddy
This old fashioned cold remedy is so good people will fake cold symptoms to get a cup. Good warm up for cold, winter nights. 93.0
Immune Support Tea
This blend is an all purpose immune system boost, and can support treatment for viral, and fungal infections such as: urinary tract infections, candida yeast, and skin flare-ups due to toxic buildup.
Options for flavoring: cinnamon, orange peel, licorice root..
Make an herbal infusion using four to six tablespoons of the herb mixture to a quart of water. Drink three to four cups daily. 122.0
Kudzu Hangover Remedy
Don't fight the urge to vomit, it helps cleanse your system. Eat a light meal as soon as your stomach is settles down.
Ingredients:
Chrysanthemum * Kudzu *
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Use 1 tsp of powder to a cup of water. Drink 2 to 3 cups per day
Lady's mantle tea
Brew an infusion of the leaves and flowers of this magickal, medieval flower. Treats menstrual irregularities and difficulties. Rich concentrations of tannin make it especially valuable in curbing heavy or excessive menstrual flow, and staunching bleeding from cuts and wounds.
Ingredients:
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Standard brew - one to two teaspoons of dried herb to each cup of water. Drink warm to relieve cramping.
Lavender Evening Tea
Lavender tea made from the fresh or dried flowers is very relaxing, both as a sipping tea, or bath tea. The taste and effects of lavender on its own can be a bit too strong, lavender works best in small doses- so lavender is generally blended with other herbs.
Dried lavender for tea
Ingredients:
Lavender *
Additions: Honey, lemon
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Using 1 -2 teaspoons of herb mixture to each cup of water, infuse the herbs in hot (not quite boiling) water for 10 to 15 minutes. Swollen feet or ankles benefit from a cool foot bath with lavender flowers. Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to the water to enhance the effect. Good for spider veins in the feet
Lemon balm Tea
Lemon balm is one of the best fresh leaf teas you can enjoy in the summer. Lemon balm also is sweat inducing, and antiviral making this tea a winter favorite as well. Drink at the first sign of colds and flu,
Ingredients:
Additions: Lemon, stevia
Variations:Combine with mints, basil, or lemon verbena
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Use hot, not boiling water to gently infuse the leaves, keeping the pot covered. The amount of fresh leaf will vary with how potent the harvested leaves are. A French press works great for lemon balm tea.
Linden with Lemongrass
Linden and lemongrass complement each other perfectly in taste and in properties. Lemongrass is considered a universal tonic in India, while the mightly Linden tree is sacred to European traditions. Relax and unwind with a cup of this light and golden tea, especially after a heavy evening meal
Ingredients:
Lemongrass * Linden *
Additions: Agave, honey
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Equal parts of each 1- 2 tablespoons of dried herbs to 3 cups of water. Heat water to just before boiling and infuse for 10 min in a covered vessel
Lobelia Tea
Preparing lobelia as a tea lessens the side effect of nausea it can cause when smoking it. Lobelia has and anti-spasmodic, and expectorant effects, which make it useful in treating asthma, bronchitis and dry, nagging coughs. The herb relaxes both the body and mind, easing tension and stress. I find it combines well with Valerian for inducing restful sleep.
Ingredients:
Lobelia *
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea
Meadowsweet Anti-Inflammatory Tea
Meadowsweet herb is beneficial for much of the same things you would use aspirin for: influenza, respiratory tract infections, arthritis, rheumatism, and fevers. The leaves and flowers make a mild though rather woody tasting tea that combines well with spices.
Ingredients:
Variations: Combines well with chamomile, raspberry leaf, and mints
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Use one teaspoonful of dried flowers and/or leaf blend to each cup boiling water. Infuse for 10 minutes and drink warm. Add honey and cinnamon to improve taste and soothe sore throats.
Memory and Focus Tea
This mildly stimulating tea will help your focus and concentration at work or study. Do not take too close to bedtime, as it could keep you awake.
Ingredients:
Eleuthero * Ginseng * Gotu Kola * Rosemary *
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Use one teaspoon of herbal mixture to each cup of hot water. Infuse in a covered vessel.
Mint Ease
Unwind after a stressful day with a soothing cup of this raspberry, chamomile and mint tea. Wonderfully soothing for a headache, upset stomach, or heading off a cold.
Ingredients:
Chamomile * Peppermint * Raspberry Leaf *
Additions: Honey and Lemon
Variations:Try using lemon balm in place of chamomile
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Use 1 teaspoon of dried herbs to each cup of hot water. Infuse in a covered container for 10 minutes. Delicous hot or cold, but hot is best for cold tea.
Source: References
Motherwort Tea
Motherwort is a herb to help you be calm, strong and focused. Sweet woodruff, another old fashioned mint, takes the bitter edge off motherwort, adding a gentle light spirit to the mix. Drink this tea when you feel anxiety, stress and life in general are getting you down.
Motherwort leaf detail
Ingredients:
Additions: honey, lemon
Variations:Add scullcap or valerian to sleep, fennel or lemongrass for nervous stomach
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Steep in a 2 cup of heated water for 10 minutes, sweeten and drink in a quiet, relaxed time of the evening.
Mugwort tea
Mugwort is a bitter tonic that stimulates digestion, relieves gas and is more palatable than the closely related wormwood. This herb also acts as valuable tonic for women and as a relaxing sleep aid.
Ingredients:
Mugwort *
Additions: Honey, mint, or citrus
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Use one teaspoon of herbal mixture to each cup of hot water. Infuse for 10 minutes in a covered vessel. Drink before or after meals to aid digestion, or take in divided doses throughout the day for delayed menstruation.
Nighttime Indigestion Tea
Lemon Balm and aromatic seeds can provide relief from indigestion and stomach cramps. Indigestion often causes sleepless nights. Add valerian root tincture to the tea if indigestion is keeping you awake.
Ingredients:
Caraway Seed * Fennel Seed * Lemon Balm * Valerian *
Additions: Stevia, valerian
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Crushing the seeds makes it easier to extract the active principles. Use 1 to 2 teaspoons herbal blend to a cup of water, leave to infuse for 10 minutes and drink 1 cup after the evening meal or before bed.
Oat Stress Buster Tea
This tea combines an adaptogen with calming herbs and is good for calming daytime anxiety, while leaving you alert and functional. Use stevia instead of sugar, which can be draining on nerves. Add a pinch of dried leaf to the tea, instead of using a crystallized extract and you will avoid much of the bitterness.
Oatstaw tea
Ingredients:
Lemon Balm * Oats * Orange Peel * Reishi *
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :
Oatstraw Tea
Avena (oatstraw) herb teas are very soothing to the nerves and have a slightly sweet and mild flavor. Oatstraw tea can be sipped throughout the day. Blends very well with Chamomile. Soothing and nourishing, these herbs are good for anyone whose nervous system feels frayed or stressed.
Oatstraw tea
Ingredients:
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Use 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried oatstraw, oat tops, or a oat/chamomile mix for each cup of water. Infuse gently with hot water in a closed container. Strain after 10 minutes and drink freely.
Old fashioned Mints tea
Motherwort and wood betony are members of the same plant family as the more well known mints. This old fashioned combination will gently ease nervous tensions and calm the heart for better rest and relaxation before sleep.
Ingredients:
Motherwort * Peppermint * Wood Betony *
Additions: A touch of honey to bring out the flavor
Variations:Add valerian if you have trouble sleeping
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Chop fine and mix well. Put a large tablespoonful in a teacup, fill with boiling water, stir and infuse for 20 minutes. Strain and sweeten to taste. Drink the warm infusion before going to bed for a restful nights sleep.
Source: Grieve, Maud Mrs. "A Modern Herbal Vol I" (1931)
Passionflower Tea
This relaxing herb is a perfect addition to evening teas. Prepare alone as a standard brew, or combine with other relaxing herbs such as valerian or hops for sleep blends.
Ingredients:
Additions: honey
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Use one teaspoonful of dried flowers and/or leaf blend to each cup boiling water. Infuse for 10 minutes and drink warm. Add honey and cinnamon to improve taste.
Pennyroyal tea
Pennyroyal is often found in cottage gardens, as an infusion of the leaves, known as Pennyroyal Tea, is an old-fashioned remedy for colds and menstrual problems.
Ingredients:
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea
Source: Grieve, Maud Mrs. "A Modern Herbal Vol I" (1931)
Peppermint and Catnip tea for cramps
A hot cup of peppermint tea mixed with catnip will help intestinal cramping that comes with diarrhea and sooth a nervous stomach.
Ingredients:
Catnip * Peppermint *
Additions: Honey and lemon
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Use 1 teaspoon of herbs to one cup of water. Infuse in a covered container for 10 minutes. Drink warm
Raspberry leaf tea
A high tannin content makes raspberry leaf tea effective for diarrhea, but gentle enough for children. Raspberry relieves cramping and nausea too, and is often recommended for heavy periods.
A strong infusion of raspberry leaf tea can be fed at a dose of 2 ounces/per 20 pounds of body weight twice daily or the powdered leaf can be sprinkled onto food 1 teaspoon/20 pounds of body weight.
Ingredients:
Additions: Lemon and Stevia
Variations:Add mint, lemon balm, or ginger for nausea
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Pour 1 cup boiling water over 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried raspberry leaf and infuse in a covered vessel until cool enough to drink. (15 minutes or so). The longer the infusion time, the better extraction of the tannins that make raspberry so effective.
Source: Tilford, Gregory L. "Herbs for Pets", BowTie Press, (2001)
Red and gold - Rooibos and ginseng
Replenish your vital energies. 1 part rooibos
1/2 part fresh grated ginger
1/4 part ginseng powder
Ingredients:
American Ginseng * Ginger * Rooibos *
Additions: raw honey, lemon, dash vanilla
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Make enough to enjoy a second cup of this brew as a energizing cold drink in the afternoon.
Red clover tea
There are plenty of good reasons to drink red clover tea; to help purify the liver, clear up skin problems, and calm menopause and menstruation related problems. Red clover in a good tonic for women of any age. The taste isn't really much, sort of mild and grassy, but it blends well with other herbs in tea blends, add citrusy or minty herbs to improve flavor.
Dried red clover flowers for tea
Ingredients:
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Use the standard brew of 1 teaspoon of dried flowers and leaves to each cup of water. Infuse for 5 to 10 minutes. Drink hot or cold.
Red poppy cough tea
Red poppy tea is are a common home remedy in Europe for coughs. Not nearly as strong as its cousin Papaver somniferum,the opium poppy, red poppies are mild enough for use in children. Flavor with honey to soothe the throat.
Ingredients:
Additions: Honey
Variations:Mint, anise, lemon
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Infuse 2 teaspoons of dried petals in boiling water for 10 minutes.
Rooibos and yerba mate
If you are looking a smooth, good tasting, healthy tea with a kick, yerba mate fills the bill. Indeed, it tastes so smooth and mild that its easy to overindulge. Mixing yerba mate with red rooibos, produces a sweet, lighter mix that is higher in antioxidants with half the caffeine. Adjust the mix to suit your own caffeine tolerance and taste.
Ingredients:
Rooibos * yerba mate *
Additions: stevia, lemon, A touch of orange, vanilla, or lemon extracts
Variations:Lemongrass, honeybush
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :1 teaspoon of herbal blend to each cup hot water. Heat water to just under boiling and infuse for 10 minutes. Drink in the morning, and sip iced in the afternoon for a quick pick me up. Great tea for dieters.
Rose Hips tea
Rose hips, the fruit left after the flower bloom falls, make tasty red tea high in Vitamin C and antioxidants Rosehips have a tart, tangy flavor that can be enjoyed alone or used in herbal tea blends.
Ingredients:
Rose *
Additions: Lemon, Honey, Stevia
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Use a teaspoon of hips to each cup of water, infuse for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain and serve. Tastes great iced. Enjoy 2 to 3 cups daily if you need to increase your Vitamin C levels.
Rose petal Oolong tea
Oolong tea has a full bodied, but mild taste as the result of a unique partial fermentation ending with both off-green and black leaves. The tea has become more popular in the West, marketed mainly as a diet aid, but this is a narrow view of oolong. Like all teasbrewed from Camellia sinensis, oolong is rich in antioxidants that can help prevent cancer, heart disease and contribute to well-being.
Ingredients:
Oolong Tea * Rose *
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Oolong can be served hot or cold. Steep in hot, not boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes to avoid bitterness. A refreshing summer diet tea is made from mixing 1/2 ounce rose petals and 4 oz Oolong tea. Serve un-strained in clear glasses so the petals are visible at the bottom of the glass.
Source: References
Sage cold tea
Herbal tea may not be the first thing you think of when you think of sage, however, sage has many medicinal properties and contains a good amount of healthy antioxidants that makes it a great remedy to ward off colds in the winter.
Ingredients:
Lemon * Sage * Wild Ginger *
Additions: Lemon, sugar
Variations:Blend with yarrow, peppermint, and elder for a tastier tea.
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :You can make a simple infusion of sage, however, this cold remedy found in Mrs. Grieves "A Modern Herbal" is quite good.
The old-fashioned way of making it is more elaborate and the result is a pleasant drink, cooling in fevers, and also a cleanser and purifier of the blood. Half an ounce of fresh Sage leaves, 1 oz. of sugar, the juice of 1 lemon, or 1/4 oz. of grated rind, are infused in a quart of boiling water and strained off after half an hour.
Source: Grieve, Maud Mrs. "A Modern Herbal Vol I" (1931)
Scullcap/lobelia sleep tea
I reach for the lobelia and skullcap when I am a bit achy in the evening, and want to prevent tossing and turning. These herbs relax tense muscles and put your mind in a comfort zone.
Lobelia flowers
Ingredients:
Lemongrass * Lobelia * Skullcap *
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea : Use 1 tablespoon of herbal blend to each cup of heated water. Infuse about 10 to 15 minutes, or until cool enough to drink.
Source: References
Speedwell tea
If you find this pretty little blue wildflower growing in your yard, try making an herbal tea from the flowering tops. An expectorant cough tea,speedwell may also be used as a wash for wounds and skin problems.
Ingredients:
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea
Spices and lemongrass dinner tea
Lemongrass and spices help digest a heavy meal. Unwind and relax after dinner.
Ingredients:
Cardamom * Cinnamon * Fennel * Ginger * Lemongrass * Sassafras *
Additions: Honey, lemon
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Infuse herbs with boiling water in a closed container with a well fitting lid. Steep for 10 minutes, strain and serve hot.
St. John's Wort tea
Many choose to take St. John's in capsule or tincture form which affords standardization of dosing when dealing with mild depression. However St. Johns Wort tea offers the synergistic benefits of the whole herb. The taste is not unpleasant but rather woody with a slightly bitter undertone which can be improved with the addition of sweeter herbs. Drink St. Johns tea as a daily nerve tonic and as a nightcap to calm the bladder.
St. Johns Wort tea
Ingredients:
Additions: honey, lemon
Variations:Add a pinch a cinnamon or ginger to taste
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea : Make it as a standard infusion by pouring boiling water over the herb, and leaving to steep until cool enough to drink. Use 1 to 2 teaspoons of herb for each cup of water. Make a strong decoction if using for herpes lesions and apply as a compress.
Stinging Nettle tea
Stinging nettle makes an almost iridescent emerald green tea that is very nutritious, mild and slightly grassy. Nettle leaves contain natural antihistamines and anti-inflammatories that open up constricted bronchial and nasal passages to ease hay fever and allergy symptoms. This herb is one of natures best nutraceuticals, containing protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, beta-carotene, along with vitamins A,C, D, and B complex, all in a form that is easy for the body to use. Use as a daily tonic for bone health.
Ingredients:
Additions: lemon, honey and spices
Variations:Mixes with lemongrass and mints
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Use two teaspoons of dried nettle leaves per pint of boiling water. increase to three to four teaspoons per pint for medicinal tea.
Source: References
Stress soother tea
Mix equal parts chamomile, blue vervain, anise. Use 1 tablespoon of mixture per cup of hot water. Prepare as a herbal tea. Drink warm to sooth nerves.
Ingredients:
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea
Surprisingly good turmeric tea
This tea is burn your mouth hot, but it tastes surprisingly good! You can feel a welcome warmth spread to cold achy joints. This brew also does double duty when you need to clear a stuffy head quickly.
Turmeric tea
Ingredients:
Black Pepper * Cayenne Pepper * Ginger * Turmeric *
Additions: Agave or honey
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Add all the herbal ingredients to the cold water and bring to a boil over low heat in a covered saucepan. Simmer for 10 minutes. Serve hot.
Three Leaf Mint Tea
Summer means fresh mint teas. Cool and refresh your spirit, a tasty reward for a hard working gardener, or just the thing for lazy summer afternoons.
fresh mint tea
Ingredients:
Additions: Lemon, stevia, sugar
Variations:Experiment with other mint and basil cultivars
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :The delicate flavor is best expressed from fresh leaves when made as a sun tea. Chop or cut mint and basil leaves and cover with distilled water in a clear glass jar. Steep in a sunny location for 3 to 4 hours. Garnish with fresh lemon/and or a sprig of mint.
Three Seed Digestive Tea
This tea is excellent following a heavy, or greasy meal and gives a special assist to those who have trouble digesting their food.. But you can enjoy it after dinner just for the taste. Any one or combination of these three carminative herbs will work, but together they form an ever more powerful digestive remedy.
Ajawain, Fennel and Dill Tea
Ingredients:
Additions: Honey
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Use 1 teaspoon of seed mix to each cup hot water. Infuse in a closed container to retain the volatile oils of these aromatic seeds. Sweeten with just a touch of honey.
Tulsi Cold and Flu Tea
Holy basil (Tulsi) is used in traditional teas in India for colds, fever, congestion and flu.
Ingredients:
Cinnamon * Ginger * Holy Basil *
Variations:Add a few cloves or a pinch of pepper
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Use one teaspoon of herbal mixture to each cup of hot water. Drink hot in small doses throughout the day. Keep bundled up against chills. A generous dollop of honey will improve the taste and sooth sore throats. Drink hot 2 to 3 times daily.
Source: Usha Lad & Dr. Vasant Lad. "Ayurvedic Cooking for Self Healing" (2006)
Valerian and Ramon Nut
Valerian is one of my favorite sleeping teas, because it helps me relax into a deeper sleep, especially on those nights when nagging aches and pains keep you awake. The pungent root of valerian is an acquired taste however, and can use some help in the taste department. Ramon nut powder, with its chocolate like roasted flavor actually makes this blend taste good. .
Ingredients:
Additions: Pinch of cardamom, anise, or mint
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea : Infuse with a generous cup of hot water (close to, but not boiling), and add a touch of honey or stevia. Drink a cup or a half hour before bedtime.
Wild Lettuce Relaxation Tea
Wild lettuce makes a soothing night time tea, and I use it most often in those times when arthritis or other aches and pains are preventing me from dropping off to sleep. Wild lettuce is not especially tasty but can be made palatable with the addition of a small amount of honey.
Cautions: Wild lettuce tea used in moderation, 1 - 3 cups per day, does not produce unwanted side effects. Those seeking to misuse the herb to get high often consume large amounts that can lead to toxicity.
Combines well with in relaxing herbal teas
Ingredients:
Additions: Honey or Stevia
Variations:Add lemongrass for flavor
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :. Use 1 teaspoon per cup hot water. Pour hot, almost boiling water over herb leaf and Infuse in a closed container for 10 to 20 minutes.
Wild oats aphrodisiac tea
Many herbalists recommend wild oats, often in combination with ginseng and yohimbe, in tea blends..
Ingredients:
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea : Steep 1 tablespoon of dried tops per cup of hot water and drink 2 cups per day
Winter comfort tea
A healthy winter tea for prevention of colds and to be enjoyed as a general tonic. Equal amounts of catnip, comfrey, and red clover with half the amount of sage. M. Grieve writes "An infusion of red clover may with advantage be used in cases of bronchial and whooping-cough"
Red clover winter comfort tea
Ingredients:
Catnip * Comfrey * Red Clover * Sage *
Additions: Honey, Lemon
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea
Source: Adele Dawson "Herbs: Partners in Life," (2000)
Wood betony tea
Wood betony is a mint, but as an herbal tea it tastes more like black tea Camellia sinensisthan its minty cousin peppermint. Wood betony is a mildly relaxing tonic, rarely mentioned in herbal medicine today, though the ancients viewed it as almost a panacea. For sore throats and gum inflammations, gargle with the cool tea.
Cautions: Not for use in pregnancy
Ingredients:
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :1 to 2 tsp dried leaf and flower steeped in 1 cup of boiling water. Don't over steep, it will get bitter.
Yarrow Tea
Pale yellow and bitter, yarrow tea occupies a honored place on my medicinal tea shelf. Reach for yarrow when a severe cold or flu virus strikes. Add a pinch of cayenne to ease congestion and open the lungs.
Ingredients:
Yarrow *
Additions: honey, lemon, and a pinch of cayenne
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :Use 1 teaspoon of dried yarrow to each cup boiling water
Yerba Mate Blends for weight loss
If you are looking a smooth, good tasting, healthy tea with a kick, yerba mate fills the bill. Indeed, it tastes so smooth and mild that its easy to overindulge. Mixing yerba mate with other healthy antioxidant herbs like red rooibos, hibiscus, or rose hips produces a sweeter, lighter mix that is high in Vitamin C with half the caffeine. This blend tastes great, has a good energy. I make a pot in the morning and sip through the afternoon. Recommended for dieters.
Hibiscus and Yerba Mate tea
Cautions: Yerba mate is a stimulant. Adjust amount according to your tolerance for caffeine.
Ingredients:
Hibiscus * Rooibos * Rose * yerba mate *
Additions: Stevia, lemon, sugar or honey, ginger and spices
Variations:Add variety with lemongrass, lemon balm, or lemon verbena
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea : Use 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried herbs to each cup of water. Pour hot (not quite boiling ) water over herbs and leave to infuse in a covered container for at least 15 minutes. Serve hot or iced. Garnish with fresh mint , basil, and/or lemon slices.
Blood purifying tea
Detoxify and purify the blood at the onset and end of winter with this strong blend. Wormwood is bitter so ease into a bit at a time
Ingredients:
Burdock * Comfrey * Peppermint * Stinging Nettle * Wormwood *
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea
Source: Adele Dawson "Herbs: Partners in Life," (2000)
American Morning Liver Tonic
Native American classics Sassafras, Wild ginger and dandelion complement each other in taste and action. They help support the liver in its role to cleanse and depurify the body and stimulate the elimination of toxins through the kidneys. Drink this detoxifying blend in the morning. Good for anyone who wants to cleanse their system.
Cautions: Not for long term consecutive use.
Ingredients:
Dandelion * Sassafras * Wild Ginger *
Additions: Honey or Stevia, a hint of clove
Recipe Instructions: Decoction :Use 1 teaspoons dried, chopped root blend to each cup of water. Bring to a roiling boil over a low heat. Turn off and let stand with the lid on for 15 to 20 minutes. Drink warm with a touch of honey or stevia.
Fire Cider
This recipe is inspired by Rosemary Gladstars's classic fire cider remedy. It combines some of the best antibacterial and immune stimulating foods in your kitchen, namely garlic, onions, horseradish, and ginger in a spicy, sweet and hot mix. It can be taken in small sips as a daily winter time tonic, or added to hot teas as a remedy for colds and coughs. In the kitchen it works as a spicy salad salad dressing and adds flavor to all manner of vegetable dishes. Once you try your first batch you may be inspired to add your own inspirations to the mix; try lemon or orange peel, turmeric, fennel seeds and more. Feel free to add more immune stimulating roots like Echinacea or astragalus Adjust the hotness/sweetness to suit your own tastes. There are many as many variations of fire cider as there are home herbalists.
Ingredients:
Cayenne Pepper * Garlic * Horseradish *
Recipe Instructions: :
Source: Gladstar, Rosemary. "Herbal Healing for Women",(1993)
Parsley root diuretic tea
In herbal medicine a strong decoction of the flavorful root of the parsley plant is considered a kidney and liver tonic. Parsley is a diuretic that is helpful in UTI infections.
Ingredients:
Parsley *
Additions: Add anise and or cinnamon to taste
Recipe Instructions: Decoction :Use1 teaspoon of dried and chopped root to each cup of water. Bring to a boil over a low heat. Steep for 10 minutes
Sarsaparilla and Juniper
This purifying tea blend is tasty and well as healthy. Good anytime, important during flare ups of autoimmune disorders that are triggered by toxins in the blood.
Sarsaparilla root, chopped
Ingredients:
Juniper * Sarsaparilla * White Willow *
Additions: Stevia, Honey
Variations:Add a touch of cinnamon or anise
Recipe Instructions: Decoction :Use 1 tablespoon of herb mixture to each cup of water. Bring to a slow boil, starting with cold water and low heat. Boil gently for 10 minutes and let steep as it cools. Don't be in any hurry to strain, let the herbs settle to the bottom and pour off the top. This mix benefits from soaking overnight, I often make enough for 2 or 3 days at a time, keep it in the fridge, and reheat in the morning.
Sarsaparilla root beer tea
The sweet roots of Sarsaparilla and Sassafras formed the basis of original root beers. They were used along with a host of spices, a few of which I include in the spice mix portion of these remedy. The roots not only combine well flavor wise, they have similar and complementary actions as blood purifiers.
Cautions: Sassafras oil contains safrole, which should not be used alone, but the teas whole root have an extended history of use with no reported side effects. Sassafras is a traditional American "spring tonic".
Ingredients:
Anise * Cinnamon * Clove * Dandelion * Orange * Sarsaparilla * Sassafras * Yucca *
Variations:Anise, nutmeg, lime, birch, burdock, yellow dock, licorice
Recipe Instructions: Decoction : This decoction benefits from soaking, especially the sassafras. Soak roots overnight if you have time. Bring to a boil slowly, and simmer, covered on a low heat for at least 20 minutes. Pour off from the top, allowing the brew to strengthen even further throughout the day. Drink 3 cups daily. To make frothy, foamy root beer at home it must be either fermented with yeast, or injected with CO2, while a fun project, is outside our scope here. There are loads of recipes and instructs on the net if you are interested
Sarsaparilla root blood purifier tea
This native American drink was the beverage of choice for the good guys in the old West. Sarsaparilla will immediately remind you of drinking old fashioned root beer.
Cautions: Not for long term, daily use.
Ingredients:
Additions: cinnamon, and a little raw honey.
Recipe Instructions: Decoction :Use 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried, chopped root for each cup of water. Bring to a slow boil, turn down heat and simmer for 10 minutes in a covered pan. You will smell the aroma as this root tea simmers on the stove.
Centaury Tea
Centuary is used extensively in dyspepsia, for languid digestion with heartburn after food, in an infusion of 1 OZ. of the dried herb to 1 pint of water. When run down and suffering from want of appetite, a wineglass full of this infusion The same infusion may also be taken for muscular rheumatism.
Ingredients:
Centaury *
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :taken three or four times daily, half an hour before meals, is found of great benefit.
Source: Grieve, Maud Mrs. "A Modern Herbal Vol I" (1931)
Cleavers tea
Cleavers main use is to help detoxify body tissues by supporting the lymphatic system, the system that washes the tissues of toxins, and as a mild diuretics. Toxic buildup is thought to be an underlying cause of chronic skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis and acne as well as autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis. Use cleavers tea as a bath additive or skin wash to treat skin damage from sunburn, rashes and cuts. It makes a good hair rinse for dandruff and dry scalp.
Ingredients:
Cleavers *
Additions: Honey
Recipe Instructions: Herbal Tea :2 to 4 grams of the dried herb in a cup of boiling water
Source: Grieve, Maud Mrs. "A Modern Herbal Vol I" (1931)
Herbs To Quit Smoking
Lobelia and other herbs can help you to ease off nicotine and stop smoking tobacco. The lobeline in Lobelia , commonly known as Indian tobacco, acts much like nicotine although it is less potent the herb can help fool the body into thinking it has nicotine in the system. (Duke,James, Ph.D.) The older Soviet era drug Tabex is a stop smoking supplement similar to nicotine replacement patches and gums, but at a much lower price. It was proved effective in a new trial published this month in the NEJOM. It is based on the alkaloid cytisine extracted from the Cytisus laborinum L. (Golden Rain acacia) plant. Not FDA approved. 1
Ease the Nerves: Mildly sedating herbs can help to ease the nerves as well as quell nicotine withdrawal. Green oats are thought to have a sedative effect as well as a tonic effect on the nervous system. Passion Flower is another calming herb known for fighting anxiety and panic attacksthat can be brought on by smoking cessation. Kava kava works as an antidote to the depression and mood swings that often occur when you stop smoking. Skullcap is a sedative herb that can help alleviate the anxiety that sometimes accompanies giving up cigarettes. Skullcap can be taken alone during the day, and combined with valerian at night to aid sleep. Valerian relaxes tense muscles, it can be used as a sleep aid if insomnia is one of your quitters symptoms.
Healing the damage: The human body has an amazing resiliency, and will start to rebuild damaged lung cells as soon as you stop destroying them with cigarettes. Herbal strategies for speeding the healing include ColtsfootSmoking certain herbs helps to soothe inflamed lung tissue, loosen secretions, and tones the lungs. Coltsfoot is also one of the traditional smoking herbs that formed the basis of many smoking mixtures.Coltsfoot helps soothe inflamed lung tissue, loosen secretions, and tones the lungs.White, Linda B. M.D.
Mullein tones the mucus membranes of the respiratory tract, soothes irritated lungs and speeds healing of damaged tissues. Licorice is helpful in quitting smoking in 2 ways, as an adrenal tonic it helps restore energy while it soothes the lungs. Turmeric This common, yellow, kitchen spice has been shown to help remove thecarcinogens that smoking puts into your lungs. Garlic helps counteract the addictive properties of nicotine and relaxes the blood vessels counteracting the effect of smoking on blood pressure