Ask Arlene about tea and tea recipes©

Ask Arlene about tea and tea recipes©

By Arlene Wright-Correll

The other day I was asked if I knew some good herb tea recipes.  Here are three of my favorite recipes.

Calendula Tea.  Calendula is beautiful, delicate and lightly aromatic. You can use it as a tea for its ability to move the lymph system, its ability to relax the gastrointestinal tract by reducing inflammation and getting bile and other digestive juices moving, and its whole-body detoxifying properties. You can drink a couple of cups a day and really enjoy it in the late morning and early afternoon.  Bring 6 ounces of water to a boil and steep 2 teaspoons of dried calendula flowers for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove teabag. Sweeten with honey, if desired. Calendula also supports healthy skin and makes a fantastic compress to use on acne and cold sores. After making it into a tea, I save the teabag and use it on my face at night before going to bed.  It is an antiseptic, antiviral, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, astringent, bitter tonic, detoxifier, diuretic, and diaphoretic, estrogenic.

Chamomile Tea.  Chamomile is a favorite tea as it’s tremendously soothing for the whole body. You can use it for gallbladder support, nausea relief and its antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties.  Bring 6 ounces of water to a boil and steep 1 teaspoon of dried chamomile flowers for 10 minutes. Remove tea by straining. Sweeten with honey, if desired.  Chamomile has sedative properties, which make it a fantastic sleep aid. Use it to assist with relieving anxiety and settling the body. If you have trouble sleeping then a strong cup right before bed to help settle your body and relieve nausea that tends to pop up in the evenings.  It is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antispasmodic, bitters, prevents vomiting, sedative.

Spearmint Tea. 

It’s both invigorating and soothing at the same time. It is often used for acid reflux, expelling gas and nausea relief.  Bring 6 ounces of water to a boil and steep 1 teaspoon of dried spearmint leaves for three to five minutes. Remove tea or strain.  Sweeten with honey, if desired.  Spearmint  is a lovely herb to use in a blend. It is also used alongside chamomile. Although the herb contains menthol, it doesn’t have nearly as much as peppermint. This is why it can relieve acid reflux rather than exacerbating it, as peppermint has been known to do.  It is an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, decongestant, digestive, stimulant, stomachic, tonic.

You can buy these herbs and even pre-made herbal teas and tisanes on Home Farm Herbery’s site and even get free shipping.  Check out our online store today.  

May the Creative Force be with you as you tread the earth lightly!

Arlene Wright-Correll

Home Farm Herbery LLC