Teas

What makes a tea medicinal?

Steeping a store bought tea bag for 5 min. can taste amazing, but it won't pack the same medicinal punch as making a decoction or infusion.

A decoction is a method of making a tea through boiling parts of herbs that are a bit more difficult to extract nutrients from. Think roots, bark, etc. Simply add these ingredients to cold water and bring to a boil for 20 min or so.

An infusion is probably what you think of for "regular" tea.. simply steeping leaves, flowers, or more delicate parts of a plant in hot water. For medicinal benefit (i.e., making sure you are steeping out the actual parts of the plant that hold benefits), steep for 15 to 20 minutes for a simple infusion or even overnight for a "super" infusion.

See some examples of infusions and decoctions below!

Berries and Spice

This is an immune boosting tea made with elderberries, calendula flowers, rose petals, cinnamon bark, and ginger root!

Hearthside Slumber

This is a tea made with lemon balm, passionflower, skullcap, spearmint, and chamomile. I personally drink this tea when I have trouble sleeping and it helps me drift into a dreamless sleep without making it difficult to wake up in the morning.

Passionflower and skullcap have traditionally been used for restless bodies and active minds (respectively), and chamomile and lemon balm have historically been considered as gentle nervines (herbs that help you calm/relax).

Glowing Ember

Glowing Ember is intended ot be made as a decoction and it contains lots of roots— licorice, marshmallow, echinacea, and ginger; and a bark- cinnamon.

Licorice has traditionally been used for respiratory ailments such as coughs and sore throats, among other things. What I didn’t know about licorice root before I started working with it is that it’s super sweet and, to me, doesn’t have the “licorice” taste I was worried it would (I’m not a fan!) Fun fact? That licorice flavor in things like black licorice is usually from Anise!

Marshmallow root is a mucilaginous plant, which means it has a slimier texture when extracted in water (don’t worry, not too slimy!) that historically has been used in respiratory conditions to coat the throat and provide moisture.

Echinacea is commonly used to support the immune system. Many people have historically taken it at the beginning of a respiratory illness to shorten its duration.

Ginger and cinnamon not only add excellent flavor, but they both have antimicrobial properties (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5486105/). They have also been used historically as anti inflammatory agents for sore throats.

All this to say that Glowing Ember is the tea I love to drink when I first feel my throat getting itchy or sore. It’s based on a throat soothing tea recipe by Rosemary Gladstar. During an acute illness, I’ll drink a cup every couple of hours. I have also just drunk it for the taste, because it’s perfect during the fall season with all the spices and the sweetness of licorice!

Hearthlight Moonmilk

Moon milk is a traditional Aryuvedic drink typically made with turmeric, milk (or coconut milk), and adaptogens. In this version, I've included turmeric (an amazing anti-inflammatory), warming spices (like cinnamon, black pepper, ginger, nutmeg-- all of which are anti-microbrial, anti-viral, and good for blood pressure and blood sugar), and ashwaghanda (an adpatogen, which helps the body adapt to stress by doing things like regulating cortisol, blood sugar, blood pressure, etc.). Moon milk should be added to a milk of your choosing and then ideally some sort of fat is added (like ghee or coconut oil) to help the body absorb the beneficial compounds better.

Gentle Tides Tea

This tea is to support women during their menstural cycle. It's made with red raspberry leaf (which is nutrient dense and is a uterine tonic, with support for easing cramps), lemon balm (an adaptogen with calming and soothing properties), oat straw (a replenishing herb that can soothe frayed nerves, soothe cramping, and ease bloat), nettle (which is a good source of iron, to support blood loss), and rose (an anti-inflammatory with calming properties). It also just tastes good!

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