by MaryO

Created on: January 10, 2009   Last Updated: January 15, 2009

Among the most common medicinal teas are those for colds, stomach ailments, allergies, stress, anxiety/sleep problems, and immune system boosters. Many teas are made using common herbs and spices, blended, along with flowers, leaf's and roots. Many of the ingredients used can be easily grown, and all can be found at natural foods shops,and herbal suppliers.

One of the major benefits to making your own teas is freshness. All herbs have a limited shelf life. Fresh herbs provide stronger volatile oils as well as more substantial medicinal properties than those that have been processed, prepared, shipped, stored and eventually sold. Making your own teas gives you the opportunity to learn about common herbs used in teas and herbal medicinal blends. A basic understanding will help you to create a variety of tea blends suited to your need and personal taste. It is also much less expensive to grow your own herbs or to buy fresh herbs in bulk to use for tea, than to buy pre-packaged teas.

Some simple blends to begin with:

Stomach / flu tea: Mix equal parts of ginger, (or ginger root), chamomile, to this add half as much ground fennel, ground coriander seed and licorice root, and spearmint leaf. add cardamom seed, sparingly to taste, add a dash of cinnamon. Use fresh water, just below boiling point. Put the blend into a strainer or a pot with an infuser at approximately 1 tsp per cup. let steep, covered if possible, for 5 - 10 minutes.

Sore throat blend: Thyme leaf, lemon, cayenne pepper, lemon grass, mint, lavender flowers, marshmallow root herb, mix equal parts of thyme leaf, lemon grass, marshmallow root. add lavender flowers (1/.4 of the base herbs). add a dash of cayenne pepper. Prepare as above. Add fresh lemon, stevia or honey.

Memory tea: Ginko leaf, gingseng,gingseng root, schizandra berries, peppermint, lemon verbena leaf. Use equal parts, gingko leaf, gingseng, lemon verbena, add to this half the amount of schizandra berries and a quarter the amount of peppermint leaf and gingseng root. Blend well. Bring fresh water to a boil, pour over 1 tsp per cup (in a strainer or infuser) let steep covered for 10 minutes.

Sleeping aid tea: Passion flower, chamomile, lavender flowers, Rose hips, skullcap, spearmint leaf, stevia leaf. Mix equal parts of passion flower, chamomile, rose hips, add half as much, skullcap and spearmint leaf, to this add a quarter the amount of lavender flowers. Add stevia leaf very sparingly or add to taste after tea is brewed. (stevia is a sweetener).

Immune

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>