Herbal medicine is one of the easiest ways to support the health of our bodies! While there are many different types of herbal medicine, including tinctures, decoctions, salves, boluses and steams, drinking your medicine in the form of a tea is one of the simplest and nourishing ways to enjoy it.
Teas are incredibly simple to make at home or you can buy these herbs below in the form of a tea at your local health food store. It is always much cheaper to make your own tea bags with bulk herbs, but decide what is easiest for you!
Herbal medicine has been used by all cultures around the world for thousands of years. Not only does it provide the body with nutrients and minerals, but it also helps to balance functions in the body.
Below are my 3 favorite teas that I drink throughout each month~
1. Red Raspberry Leaf ~ in my opinion, Red Raspberry Leaf is the top herb for women's health. It has been used by medicine women and midwives for hundreds of years to support the body and offer necessary iron needed especially by women. Red Raspberry makes a lovely tea that is both comforting and nourishing and is a perfect routine for each morning. Red Raspberry Leaf was traditionally used to help tone the uterus (something that is beneficial after birth to support the uterus and prevent a prolapsed uterus) and flood the body with iron, allowing menstruation to come more regularly.
I find that low iron is common in nearly every woman I work with and so finding ways to naturally boost iron is always helpful for our health.
Note that Red Raspberry Leaf is not the red raspberry berry but rather the leaves on the plant. This is an easy herb to wild harvest in the fall. Always make sure you are 100% certain it is Red Raspberry Leaf before picking.
2. Nettle Leaf ~ Nettle is said to be the supplement in a plant! Bursting full of minerals like iron, manganese, magnesium and calcium, Nettle is a simple way to get more nutrients into your body! Nettle is often thought of as a weed, but truly, it is one of the most nutrient dense herbs that exist. The leaf can be easily purchased or wild harvested as well.
3. Dandelion ~ This beautiful herb is one of the top herbs for cleansing the blood as well as the liver. Yes, this little yellow flower that pops up all around your yard is actually one of the most healing herbs out there! The Dandelion Leaves are typically used in the form of a tea to support the liver, flush toxins out of the body, clean the blood and support blood health and also nourish you with high levels of natural sodium. The tea can be a bit bitter to some people, so add a bit of honey or stevia to mellow it out!
How to make a tea at Home ~
Making your own tea at home is really easy! Generally I recommend buying in bulk a large bag of your herb of choice, preferably organic. My favorite online resource is Mountain Rose Herbs. If you have a local herbal medicine store, it may be nice to support them!
When you have your organic herbs, you can then choose to buy organic reusable tea bags or metal tea balls. These are great options because they do not create waste and instead you can reuse the bags or tea ball. After brewing your tea, you simply dump the herbs into the trash can or better yet into your compost bin.
When you have filled the bag or ball half way full, pour boiling hot water into a mug and then allow the bag or ball to infuse the water for 5-10 minutes.
Then, simply enjoy!
As always, I recommend working with your physician and determining what you need. This information does not replace regular medical care.
