Posted: 26 Jul 2013 02:11 PM PDT
By: Daisy Luther,
The Organic Prepper.
When you’re sick, little is more
comforting than holding a steaming mug of fragrant tea in both hands,
warming your face with the hot steam. Somehow, no matter how rotten you
felt before, you instantly feel just a tiny bit better.
Whether you are lucky enough to
grow your own tea herbs, you purchase loose teas, or you use tea bags,
your cabinet is not complete without the following ingredients. These
teas are delicious and beneficial, with many different healing
qualities. Considering that we most often turn to herbal teas for
healing purposes, it’s especially important to purchase or grow organic
herbs for this purpose. If your leaves are bathed in pesticide and then
you add them to boiling water, instead of healing goodness, you are
steeping toxins.
When making tea for medicinal
purposes, be sure to steep the tea in a teapot with a lid, or to cover
your mug while the herbs are steeping. This helps to make a more potent
brew by keeping all of the healing oils in the tea, instead of allowing
them to drift into the room. Most herbs should be steeped for about 10
minutes for maximum results.
 There are many different herbs
from around the world that have wonderful healing properties. I’ve
concentrated this list on ones that can either be easily acquired and
stored, or ones that can be easily grown in a backyard garden or a sunny
window. Just like band-aids, antibiotic cream, or aspirin, these items
are vital additions to your pantry, allowing you to dispense a hot,
steaming, fragrant cup of nurturing in as little time as it takes you to
boil water. Be prepared by keeping the following ingredients close at
hand, and be self-sufficient by producing for yourself as many as
possible (always the best way to make sure that the items were grown
using safe, organic methods).
In no particular order…
1. Mint Growing it: Mint is an herb that doesn’t just grow easily – it can quickly overtake your garden! For this reason, it is recommended to grow mint in either a container or its own bed. There are many varieties of mint and the healing properties are similar. Whether you grow peppermint or spearmint, the active component is menthol. Caution: If you suffer from acid reflux, mint tea may worsen your symptoms. Mint has antispasmodic properties Mint tea can be used to:
2. Ginger
This homely root is an ingredient
in many natural cough, cold, and nausea treatments. Instead of giving
your child gingerale when they are suffering from an upset stomach (and
all of the HFCS and artificial flavors that come in it) brew up a nice
cup of ginger tea sweetened with honey for a real dose of soothing
ginger!
Growing it:
Ginger is a tropical plant that
is apparently not difficult to grow indoors. It requires excellent soil,
warmth, humidity, and filtered sunlight.
You can learn how to grow ginger HERE.Caution:
It’s not recommended to exceed 4
grams of ginger per day – components in the herb can cause irritation of
the mouth, heartburn and diarrhea if taken in excess.
Click HERE to find a recipe for a delicious honey-ginger cough syrup that can also be the basis for a night-time hot toddy.
Ginger tea can be used to:
Chamomile tea should be steeped a
little longer than other herbal teas in order to get all of the
medicinal benefits. This soothing, slightly apple-flavored tea has mild
sedative properties. The petals of the tiny flowers are where the
medicinal values lie.
Growing it:
Chamomile is easy to grow from
seeds. Start them in the late winter and transfer outdoors when the risk
of frost has passed. Once the plants are well established, chamomile
can thrive with little water during hot weather. When buying your
seeds, note that German chamomile is an annual and Roman chamomile is a
perennial.
Caution:
Chamomile tea should be avoided
by people who take blood thinners. As well, those who suffer from
ragweed allergies may also have an allergic reaction to chamomile, as
the two plants are related.
Chamomile tea can be used to:
Cinnamon doesn’t just smell like a
holiday in a cup, it is anti-bacterial, antiviral, and antifungal,
making it an excellent all-around remedy for whatever ails you.
Cinnamon is a wonderful source of immune-boosting antioxidants.
Growing it:Cinnamon is the fragrant bark of a tropical evergreen tree. This article from Mother Earth Living says that the trees are surprisingly easy to grow indoors in large pots. Try this delicious winter beverage:
Stir cinnamon powder well
into boiling water and steep for 8 minutes. Add a tea bag and steep for
2 more minutes. Stir in honey and warm milk.
Cinnamon tea can be used to:
5. Lemongrass
Lemongrass is another herb that
is loaded with healing properties. The spiky, easy-to-grow plant has
antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, and antifungal
properties, making it helpful in treating a plethora of ailments.
Growing it:
You can actually root the
lemongrass that you buy at the grocery store to start your own patio
lemongrass farm. It grows beautifully in a large pot, making it a good
herb for the apartment windowsill farmer to cultivate. It can be grown
year-round indoors. Check out this article for more information.
Lemongrass tea can help to:
6. Echinacea
This lovely flowering plant is
probably the pinnacle of herbal preventatives. Echinacea is not only
anti-bacterial – but it stimulates the body’s immune system to fight off
bacterial and viral attacks. The medicinal properties are in the leaves
and the purple flowers.
Growing it:
Echinacea is also known as the
“purple coneflower”. The plant has deep taproots and is somewhat
drought resistant. It is a perennial. Sow seeds outdoors in the early
spring before the last frost. These plants like full sun and they don’t
like too much moisture.
Echinacea tea can help to:
Rosehips make a tart, tangy
pink-colored tea. They are the seed-filled pod at the base of a rose
blossom, giving you a practical reason to have more rose bushes in your
garden. It mixes well and enhances the flavor of any berry or
fruit-flavored tea.
Rosehip tea can help to:
Dried blackberry leaves give a
luscious fruity flavor when steeped in boiling water. Not only are they
the basis of many delicious teas, they are loaded with a beneficial
component called tannins. (Bonus tip: add a blackberry leaf to a jar of
pickles when canning – the tannin helps to keep the pickles crisp.)
Caution:
Excess consumption of blackberry leaves (or anything containing tannins) can cause liver damage.
Blackberry leaf tea can help to:
9. Clove
Cloves are a wonderful addition
to herbal tea just for the taste. Not only is the flavor delicious, but
cloves have been used for centuries to treat a variety of ailments. The
multipurpose little seed packs a mighty punch with its antiviral,
antifungal, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory
properties.
Growing it:
Cloves are the dried buds of a
flowering evergreen tree that is native to Indonesia, Pakistan, India,
Sri Lanka, and Madagascar. They are generally imported and,
unfortunately, are not easy to cultivate in other climates or greenhouse
atmospheres.
Caution:
In high amounts cloves can cause liver damage, blood in the urine, diarrhea, nausea, and dizziness.
Clove tea can help to:
Lemon balm, also known as Bee
Balm, was first recorded to have been used by the ancient Greeks as an
overall tonic for good health. It is an ingredient in the old world
Carmelite water, a recipe created by Carmelite nuns in the early 1600s
to treat headaches. (The traditional mixture also
contained coriander, lemon-peel, nutmeg, and angelica root.)
Growing it:
Lemon balm is easy to grow and
produces throughout the summer. The more you harvest, the more it
produces. It is perennial in warmer climates. Lemon balm like rich
moist soil with organic compost and partial shade in the hottest part of
the day. It is another one of those herbs that can take over a garden,
so plant it in a confined area.
Lemon balm tea can help to:
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Posted: 26 Jul 2013 02:48 AM PDT
It’s common knowledge in the
natural health world that pharmaceuticals often (if not always) do more
harm than good. It’s also clear that foods, herbs, and other natural
sources can offer similar benefits without those nasty side effects.
Once again, our beliefs have been affirmed by science: A recent study published in Phytotherapy Research
says that not only is turmeric effective at treating depression, it may
even be more effective than some of the most common anti-depressant
drugs currently on the market.
While previous studies have
indicated the effectiveness of turmeric (curcumin) in treating serious
depression, this study was the first randomized controlled clinical
trial of its kind.
Researchers with the Department
of Pharmacology of Government Medical College in Bhavnagar, Gujarat,
India compared the effects of turmeric and Prozac (fluoxetine), both
used together and individually, in 60 patients diagnosed with major
depressive disorder (MDD).
According to GreenMedInfo.com, the researchers used the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale to measure their results:
While reading the researchers
conclusions indicates one treatment (turmeric) is equally effective as
Prozac, it doesn’t account for the negative effects of Prozac, which
boost turmeric’s value considerably. Prozac is known to cause “suicidal
ideation or other psychotic disorders,” frightening side effects that
are clearly absent in turmeric use.
Related Read: 5 Natural Solutions for Preventing Depression
In addition to fighting depression, the bright yellow root commonly used in Indian cooking known as turmeric has been found to have numerous health benefits.
In addition to this enlightening research on its efficacy in depression
treatment, we know it also has value in the treatment of inflammatory
conditions, diabetes, and even cancer. If that isn’t enough, it’s also
been shown effective in aiding in weight loss and cutting heart disease risk. Plus, it tastes amazing.
Anti-depressant medications are
some of the biggest of Big Pharma’s many big money-makers. Equipped with
knowledge like the findings of this most recent study, consumers have
the potential to undermine their goal of drugging America and the world.
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By: Elizabeth Renter,About Me
- Ernest Uadiale
- U.V Ernest enjoys writing. He is born and raised in the southern part of Nigeria. He studied Architecture at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria. In 2016 he obtained his Master of Arts, Architecture at Hochschule München. Germany.
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