Getting ready for Spring can mean trying out some new tea.
Using Herbs For Your Health and Wellness
There are many herbs that are great for the springtime. In his book: Staying Healthy With The Seasons, Elson, Haas, MD speaks on some great herbs.
The first is called Sassafras bark.
A spring tonic with an enjoyable flavor. Use with caution because there can be some side effects if you use it in large does however, Sassafras tea is known to purify the blood, and act as an aromatic, stimulant, diaphoretic and diuretic. It is also great for use on the skin, joints, kidneys, bladder and chest. There is some evidence that it can help with throat problems as well as the common cold.
For the stomach and bowel, sassafras can also relieve gas. Used both internally and externally, it can help with the skin, even in the case of poison oak and ivy, as well as rheumatism and arthritis.
A good recipe: Simmer one teaspoon of sassafras bark per cup of water for 10-15 minutes. Pour over some leafy herbs such as peppermint and let seep for another 10-15 minutes.
One cup of Sassafras tea every day will clean the whole system of the body.
Dandelion
Another great springtime healer. Dandelions are high in Vitamin A and good in salads or used to make tea. A great liver cleanser it is also used as a root to cleanse the kidneys and blood.
It is a cleansing stimulant for the liver that can be used as a tea for jaundice. The roasted root is a nice coffee substitute, along with chicory root and roasted barley.
When making tea, the roots should be simmered for 15-30 minutes depending on their density and hardness. For dandelion root, a medicinal does is one tablespoon per cup, simmered about 20 minutes, and then seeped another 15 minutes, 3-4 cups daily.
In general, a tonifying does for herbs is 1 tablespoon per cup, once daily for a month or longer.
Peppermint
Peppermint is a great herb and for year it has been a common household remedy. It can grow prolifically in your garden. Peppermint tea is great for a drink that cleanses and it freshens the breath. It is also aromatic as a oil, relieving headache and sinus pressure.
Peppermint tea is a good balancing tea for the upcoming hot weather.
It can help as a antispasmodic and stomachic. For colds and fever, peppermint mix with equal portions of elder flower can help with fever and colds.
Taken in part from: Haas. E. ( 2003) Staying Healthy With The Seasons. Celestial Arts.San Rafael, CA.