4 minute read
A daily tonic
By Carissa Wills-DeMello
If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, then an herbal infusion a day will also keep her happy!
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What’s an infusion, you ask? It’s more or less simply brewing tea, but for a longer time, often 20-plus minutes, to extract the many beneficial compounds within. In the world of herbalism, it is suggested that just about everyone enjoy an herbal infusion daily. The long steep in hot water extracts bioavailable vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and aromatic oils, which are readily absorbed and utilized by our bodies. This lends the herbal infusion to a wide array of wellness applications that we are likely all familiar with. Can’t relax? The volatile oils in your cup of Chamomile tea will be sure to soothe your nerves. Belly aching? The bitter compounds in Peppermint can help ease your digestion.
Making an infusion
Scoop one-to-three tablespoons of dried herbs (per cup of hot water) into a french press, tea pot, or mason jar. For example, a quart-sized mason jar is four cups, and would require four to 12 tablespoons.
Heat water until it just comes to a boil.
Pour hot water over herbs to submerge them and cover to help hold in any volatile oils and retain heat.
Steep for 20 minutes to overnight and strain/pour. If your tea has cooled, you can pour it over ice or into a pot to reheat.
While one could and should enjoy an herbal infusion for flavor and acute needs (like that pesky bellyache), an even more effective route is to enjoy two to four cups daily as a tonic. Tonic (n): a medicinal substance taken to give a feeling of vigor or well-being.
A tonic infusion over time builds health, offering you valuable nutrition while gently and safely strengthening various systems of your body. And different herbs have their different super powers!
Here are a few common, tasty, and highly applicable herbs to start with, whether alone or in combination.
Nettles (Urtica Dioica)
Where to find: Find it wild along old fields and wet areas, or buy dried in an herb shop or online. Benefits: Amazingly rich in vitamins, proteins, and minerals, especially the critical trace minerals like Selenium, Zinc, and Chlorophyll. Nettles is known to support strong bones and reduce inflammation.
It’s also known to nourish the adrenal glands, improving the body’s response to stress over time. Flavor: Full-bodied and mildly saline, like a broth.
Oatstraw (Avena Sativa)
Where to find: Grow it yourself as a garden cover crop, or buy dried in an herb shop or online. Benefits: Long-known longevity tonic fostering physical, mental, and emotional strength and resilience. With a good amount of Calcium, Magnesium, and Vitamin B, Oatstraw strengthens and soothes nerves. Flavor: Subtle, light, and earthy.
Alfalfa (Medicago Sativa)
Where to find: Growing in old farming fields, or buy dried in an herb shop or online. Benefits: Well known for it’s high vitamin and mineral content, Alfalfa is highly alkaline and helps to neutralize acidity in the body, which is the cause of many health issues. Alfalfa also contains eight essential amino acids, Antioxidants, and vitamins, making it like a “multivitamin in a cup”! Flavor: Grassy and earthy
Red Clover (Trifolium Pratense)
Where to find: Sunny open fields, as well as herb shops and online. Benefits: Red Clover is most widely known as a “blood cleanser,” meaning that the compounds within help to assist the body in removing metabolic waste products. This makes it highly useful for skin conditions and hormonal issues. It’s additionally long been known as a “women’s herb,” supporting the health of the female reproductive system. Flavor: Similar to a light black tea with a hint of berry
Preparing an herbal infusion is a daily practice that brings not only nutrition, but also a moment of connection and reflection into our hectic lives. Above all, herbal infusions are deeply nourishing. In times like these, a nourished person is a resilient person, and who couldn’t use an extra dose of resilience these days?
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