Teas for Health and wellness

General Tea Tips

Green tea is the freshest type of tea to buy and fights off many diseases like cancer and stroke. The black teas are processed but taste a little stronger than green, with a hearty flavor. All the teas contain antioxidants for good health and fight free radicals in our bodies. Tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world. The herbal teas don’t contain real tea but can be mixed with some for many added health and wellness advantages. Simply add a tea bag or tea infuser with loose dry leaves into a large jar, some fresh cut stems from your herb garden and steep outside in the sun for at least 6 hours. Strain and sweeten to taste. Add real lemon slices and ice for a refreshing summer tea.

 

Dry some bunches of lavender, chamomile, parsley, catnip, mint, lemon thyme, bee balm. These can be added to tea (camellia sinensis) for aiding digestion, help with colds and flu to boost immune systems, reduce fever and headaches, cleanse for a detox tea after the flu. Peppermint tea aids gas and digestion as well as sleep. Mix lemon and honey to chamomile tea for insomnia. Yarrow, lambs ear and parsley will help boost immune systems to fight off colds, flu, sore throats, infections, allergies and fever. They also have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Catnip tea aids in a calming effect to aid sleep.

 

Herbal, black and green teas all need to steep at least 5-8 minutes to release the oils for flavor. You may mix all kinds of cool teas for iced drinks or use in smoothies. The health benefits are endless. Use boiling water to steep 2 or 3 teaspoons of dry herbs with loose tea leaves in a tea ball or strain. Cover the pot to allow the tea to infuse. Strain and drink hot or cold. Cold tea should only be kept in the refrigerator for a day. Add honey, lemon or maple syrup or stevia to sweeten.

 

SUN TEA: For a basic herbal tea, place a couple of tea bags or loose tea in a large glass jar of water, add a cup of fresh mint leaves and cover with a lid. Place the jar out in direct sun for at least 5 or 6 hours to steep. Strain, sweeten to your own taste and add lemon slices and ice. The benefits of tea are endless and are easy to add to a daily diet. The natural antioxidants fight high blood pressure, infections, strokes, intestinal cancer, wrinkles and aging, heart disease and controls cholesterol. It helps with tooth decay, pain and inflammation of joints and arthritis. The polyphenols in tea are what help our bodies in so many ways. Health and bulk stores sell many kinds of loose leaf teas and they all contain organic properties that we can use daily. Start out with 2 to 4 cups per day for a healthy drink. Lemon mint, Parsley, Thyme and Lavender are all very easy to grow in most any type of garden soil or in pots on a balcony or deck.

 

Special plants with special uses as good companions

Herbs: plants of which the leaves, stems, roots and seeds are used for food, medicines, scent or oils for flavoring. They are helpful if gathered from the wild or home grown in gardens and can be most useful if planted along side other crop plants. There are a lot of ways to use plants to ward off pests, attract bees and other pollinators we need and want in our garden. They can be planted around other plants to deter bugs from dining and make organic fertilizer for plants. The strong smelling herbs contain oils and compounds as well as poisonous leaves you can put to good use to keep food safe. Yarrow, rosemary, chamomile, mints and dill can be planted in between the food plants. These help provide food and shelter for bees and butterflies so they can come to pollinate. They spread the pollen for foods like cucumbers, melons, squash, corn, wheat, potatoes, onion, beets, broccoli, cabbage, beans, peppers, pumpkin, strawberries and many other important foods we grow to eat. If not for them we would not have all our favorite fruits and vegetables.

 

Bees like colorful flowers and nectar but it’s the pollen that they come for, pick up and spread that aids your garden the most. A few good choices to bring the bees are: sedum, monarda or bee balm, basil,
lavender, clover, heather, globe flower, pulmonaria and goldenrod. The strong aroma in herbs are found in the oils of the plant contained in leaves, flowers and stems. Once you steep or ferment them you will have organic insecticide or fertilizer for various uses around your garden.

 

Rhubarb and chrysanthemums have built in bug repellent. They are poison to humans also but can be made into an organic tea to spray on plants. Chop up some leaves and place in a large jar or bucket to let sit and ferment for 1 or 2 weeks. Keep covered then strain into a spray bottle. Keep all the utensils in a shed or garage for just this purpose. DON’T eat the sprayed plants for at least two weeks. To help keep pests under control use garlic, chives, basil, artimesia, hot pepper spray mixed with a teaspoon of dish soap. Some wild things that are easy to get for insecticidal soap are: dandelion, nettle, mint, tansy. Sunflowers, chamomile, yarrow, hyssop and basil have the flowers to attract many beneficial insects. Our ancestors used folk medicine handed down over generations to treat rashes, infections, coughs, for cooking and flavoring food, healing wounds, making perfumes and cosmetics and teas for General good health. Many of the teas are blended and contain vitamins and antioxidants to boost our immune systems and fight free radicals that harm our bodies.

Plants for Health and Wellness

Medicinal Plants

Using plants for medicine has been a common practice for thousands of years. People have dried them for cooking, tea, vinegar, soap, shampoo, or to treat illnesses like headaches, asthma, gas and sore throats. Some of the most common herbs to aid in sleep or relax us are easily grown in our backyard gardens. A good many of the plants used for medicinal teas or flavored vinegar are: basil, dill, peppermint or other mints, parsley, lavender, bee balm, chamomile, marjoram, sage, lemon balm, oregano, chives, garlic, catnip, yarrow and thyme. Soaps, compresses’ and bath salts are very easy to make using your own dry plant material. Moth repellent bags are easily made of dry herbs, hung in closets or tucked in linen drawers for seasonal storage of wool coats or blankets.

Drying herbs can be done by hanging them in a closet or shed, in a dehydrator, or in an oven on the lowest temperature setting. Once dry store the blooms and leaves in a airtight container or jar.

To make bath bags to give as gifts for family and friends, use dry herbs as follows:

A sweet mixture using dry rose petals makes for a soothing bath or foot soak along with dry sage, lavender and parsley. Mix a few teaspoons of herbs to 1/2 cup of Epsom salts or sea salt. For a large jar mix 1 cup herbs to 3 cups salts, cover with a lid and infuse about 2 weeks. Essential oils can be mixed in too, then cut 8 inch squares of Muslim or any gauzy shear material. Place a 1/2 cup of mix in the middle of the cloth and tie with a ribbon. Store your bath bags in a lidded container or jar. Just throw a bag into your foot bath or tub and leave it for 5 to 10 minutes. These bags ease stress, help with aches and pains, calm and promote sleep, soothe dry skin and heal insect bites.

Many herbs are also used to make lotions, lip salves, ointments, wines, vinegar, flavor butter, gargles for sore throats and many other health issues. Parsley tea is loaded with vitamin C and will calm a cough as well as boost your immune system. Add it to meatloaf or potatoes every day for good health. Fresh and dry herbs can be used in bread, salads, pickled vegetables, pesto, sauces and marinated meat dishes. Use and grow a few of the herbs you like. Dill, parsley, rosemary and basil all grow well in pots indoors and out, can be easily cared for to use year round

 ROOM Freshener Spray

Mix in a small spray bottle: 1/4 cup cooled boiled water, 2 tablespoons of vodka (40%) alcohol and 20 to 30 drops of essential oils. Combine lavender and lemon for a fresh bright scent to clean fabrics or just as an air freshener. Make your own combinations to refresh linens, spray onto curtains and sofas, or to add a wonderful natural scent to sweaters or jackets.