Our Daily Herbal Tea

For a few months now, we have each been drinking two cups of herbal tea a day. At this time, we are buying the herbs that we are using in our tea. We feel like this is a healthy addition to our diet. Here's why.

I start off with:

3 tbsp. dried dandelion root simmered in 2 quarts of water for 20 minutes. I start this time when the water is still cold. This makes a decoction.



The benefits of dandelion root include:

• liver detoxification/tonic
  
• promotes good digestion
• good for indigestion
• good for arthritis
• regular use helps reduce cholesterol
• gentle laxative
• good for psoriasis

After the roots have simmered, I turn off the fire and add:

1 tsp. celery seed & 1 tbsp. meadowsweet, which sits and steeps for 10 minutes. Seeds, leaves and flower parts are used to make an infusion, which is the steeping process. Since the roots of the dandelion are much harder and thicker, they need to simmer to release the desired properties.

The benefits of celery seed include:

• helps reduce high blood pressure
  
• good digestive; reduces muscle spasms in the muscles of the intestinal tract
• purifies the blood
• helps treat arthritis
• has anti-inflammatory properties
• stimulates thyroid & pituitary
• clears uric acid from painful joints
• acts on kidneys & is a mild diuretic

The benefits of meadowsweet include:

• antacid properties
• astringent
  
• anti-inflammatory
• contains salicylates like aspirin
• diuretic 
• calming for overactive digestive system
• helps acid stomach, heartburn, ulcers, hiatus hernia
• helpful for rheumatism & arthritis
• clears sandy deposits in urine

This information has been compiled from several of my herbal books. Not everyone agrees with the effectiveness of herbs upon the body. You will have to do your own research and decide for yourself what is right for you.

Last year we began harvesting and replanting dandelion seed in the herb bed, just for this tea. I know many people see them as the bane of a beautiful lawn. Every time I see them I think of the benefits they are providing our bodies. We will continue to harvest the seeds and spread them all over the herb bed. They are already up and blooming this year, so it won't be long before the seeds are ready. Now I need to learn how to harvest and dry the roots for our tea, as well as start incorporating some of the greens in our diet.

May 2014

I have one meadowsweet plant established (I think, I haven't seen it yet this spring) and need to add many more to provide the amount we are currently using. 

October 2014, over wintered and is coming back out now

Celery seed may be a whole new challenge. I think I will do some more research and see if I can dry the leaves and/or stalks to use in the tea. It would be much easier for us to produce the plants than the seeds. My other research will include celeriac to see if it contains the same beneficial constituents as celery.

The lemon balm is just starting to come out now.

June 2014

We have some other things growing in the herb bed that I will be adding to a tea blend of our own. These ingredients will be chosen for the beneficial characteristics they have, as well as compatibility with other herbs. Lemon balm and peppermint are on the list for now. If I can get a good crop of chamomile and echinacea, I will add them as well. We're trying to cut down on the amount of herbs we buy, because we would rather consume those we can grow and harvest 

Peppermint, May 2014

ourselves. I still have a lot of learning to do when it comes to growing herbs, harvesting them at the appropriate time, dehydrating to retain the most benefit, and usage. This is another dream come true. I have wanted to be able to grow and use herbs for many, many years. Now I am starting down that path, and it's wonderful.

This is just one more way Frank and I are trying to reclaim our bodies from the effects of the chemicals we are bombarded with everyday. I am grateful we still have the peace and freedom to do so. The more I can learn now, the better off we will be if it ever comes down to having to make do with what we know, have and can do. I pray it doesn't reach that point, but it sure looks that way more and more every day. Learn something important this week that will benefit your family should times get hard. It's critical.

Until next time - Fern

Dandelion Root Tea

A while back, Frank came across an article on Fox News.com that talked about dandelion root tea and how it benefits the body. It sounded interesting so we did some research.

Two of my favorite medicinal herb reference books both outline the positive affects of dandelion root tea for daily use. These benefits include:

•  a liver tonic; to help stimulate a sluggish liver; for liver and gallbladder problems
• promotes good digestion
• for indigestion, loss of appetite and constipation

•  one of the most effective detoxifying herbs
• helps liver and gallbladder remove waste products
• stimulates kidney to remove toxins in the urine
• encourages steady elimination of toxins due to infection or pollutions
  
• therapeutic benefits for constipation, skin problems, arthritic conditions including osteoarthritis and gout

Then I looked up information online and found the following at MindBodyGreen:

• improves digestion and aids weight loss
• eases congestion of the liver
• helps to purify the bladder and kidney
• reduces risk of urinary tract infection
• contains calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium, vitamins B and C
• helps to purify the blood, regulate blood sugar, and improves blood circulation
• helps to ease bloating and aching joints
• helps to cure skin conditions

With all of this information in hand, we pondered the benefit of adding a cup of dandelion root tea to our daily diet. Since it is winter, we can't harvest our own crop, but we could buy some and give it a try. Dandelion is something that is always readily available in the summer and we could easily grow and dehydrate our own crop of roots if we found this to be beneficial. So after we thought about it for a few days, we decided to order some. I went to my favorite bulk spice company, Monterey Bay Spice Company, found several choices, and ordered some.

When it came in, it was back to my herb books for directions. Since we are using a root for the tea it is considered to be a decoction, not an infusion. A decoction is: the act or process of boiling usually in water so as to extract the flavor or active principle. Compared to an infusion which is: the steeping or soaking usually in water of a substance (as a plant drug) in order to extract its soluble constituents or principles. From all of my reading I have learned that an infusion is used with leaves and flowers. A decoction is used when the plant parts utilized are seeds, berries, bark, roots and stems. With these plants parts it takes more time to extract the desired contents, therefore it has to be boiled. It has taken me some time to learn the differences since I am new to trying to grow herbs for health or medicinal purposes. 



Both books give similar directions for making a decoction of dandelion roots. The measurements for the amount of root is given in ounces so we needed to weigh it to determine an appropriate measurement.

The first scale we bought, many years ago, is on the right. We found out quickly that it may look good with the bowl on top, but it is not very accurate or easy to use. So we bought the one on the left. It is definitely the type we would recommend. It can weigh out one and a half ounces of herbs or six pounds of tomatoes. It is much more versatile and durable. It is also easy to adjust, so that regardless of the weight of the container you use to hold the items you are weighing, the dial can be set to zero, making accurate measuring very easy. 

We bought one pound of dandelion root to start with. If this appears to be something we want to continue, we will order more until we can harvest and dry our own this summer. It is very interesting to learn more about the properties of plants, even this pesky little weed, that have been put here for a purpose. The more I learn, the more humbling it is to know we are provided every needful thing.

The decoction recipe calls for one and a half ounces  of root per pint and a half of water. I think in cups and tablespoons so I converted things as we figured out the measurements.

We also decided to make a weaker version to start with until we can see if we have any undesirable side effects. I think it is always wise to err on the side of caution when trying something new of this nature. We can increase the dosage over time, similar to how we started off with kefir.

We decided to make our first batch one third strength. So we measured one half ounce, then figured out it was less than a quarter cup, about a tablespoon and a half. As we did this, I realized that one pound of root won't go very far, but I didn't want to order very much and find out we weren't going to use it.

Well, here goes. We added almost two tablespoons of root to three cups of water, which is a pint and a half. It looks rather strange, honestly. The directions say to bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. We chose 10 minutes.

Our comment when it was done? It looks kind of like dirt and smells like dirt and grass. Do we really want to drink this? We were surprised how much the roots swelled during the boiling process.

The directions say to strain out the roots. Well most of them stayed in the pan as we slowly poured out the liquid, so we don't really see the need for the strainer next time.

Hmmm.....it is a little bitter, but not near as bad as we thought it would be. Not something you would serve to guests, unless maybe you sweetened it with honey or something. I prefer to drink mine down quickly once it has cooled. It's not something I want to sip on, like coffee. We have been drinking a cup everyday. There are no specific side effects that we can detect. For now we will continue to keep this at one third to half strength for a while.

So, next I got out another book about growing and harvesting herbs. This will give me good recommendations about collecting seeds, planting and harvesting this summer. Then I will figure out how to dehydrate and store these roots. There are so many things to learn and do to be more self reliant. Being dependent upon others for our food and good health makes us vulnerable. Dependence evokes a helplessness that we prefer not to have. Each and every little thing that we can learn and do for ourselves increases our freedom. Freedom to choose to live the way we wish without the preset mandates that marketing and the medical field insist that we live by. I truly feel this knowledge and the skill to produce viable alternatives will be essential in our future. I know so little and need to learn so much. I feel the time is short.

Until next time - Fern