How to Make Your Own Echinacea Tea

It's August already and that means fall is around the corner as well as the seasonal onslaught of colds and flu.  However, if you have this plant growing in your garden, you can make your own arsenal of flu-fighting goodness for pennies a cup!

Echinacea Purpurea is the above mentioned flower that is used for this medicinal AND delicious tea.  This North American native flower is wonderful to include in your garden for many reasons and you can read more about that here.  When I first began learning about herbs 20 years ago, this was one of my go-to plants for my family.
 

I first began using it primarily in conjunction with ear infections.  If our boys had an infection, I immediately put them on this tea to help fight it off and to boost their own immune system.  I would use my Garlic Oil Ear Remedy to get rid of the infection and used this as a "chaser" to keep the infection away.  Our boys began drinking this out of bottles and then sippy cups.  They loved it and it is still one of their favorite herbal teas to drink.

How to make this?  It's so simple if you have the plants.  If you don't, you could always buy the plant parts from a reputable company.  The roots of this plant have the strongest medicinal effect, but the leaves and flowers are medicinal too and mild enough for the little ones.  I don't want to sacrifice my plants for the roots, plus the work in digging them up, cleaning, drying and cutting them up is a lot of work.  I use raw garlic as the main antibiotic and anti-viral fighter and echinacea to build our immune system.

Locate your plants and find the topmost leaves that are free from brown spots, insect bites and anything else.  I always use the uppermost leaves as they are newer and less bitter.  Select flowers that are the newest blooms.  Cut the stem completely away.  Place in a dehydrator tray or even a cookie rack that has a grid pattern on it.  Put the cookie rack on a cookie sheet to give some air circulation between it.  I often just let the leaves air dry in a dark, fairly cool place. 

 You can use your dehydrator if you like or I've heard of using your car to dry your herbs as well because let's face it, if your car is outside, it gets to be an oven in there.  It's so easy to dry your own herbs that it's well worth the effort.

I based my recipe off of the original "Traditional Medicinals Echinacea Tea" by Rosemary Gladstar.  So, I also add spearmint and lemongrass to my echinacea.   I just so happen to grow a delicious spearmint, so I'll add this to my tray of leaves and flowers to dry.

You can dry the plant parts separately and mix them or dry them together and put them in a nice tin or glass jar when dry.  If the jar is clear, make sure to store in a dark place so the herbs don't lose their potency.

I buy lemongrass to add to the mix for flavor, however, I grow lemon balm so this would be a nice addition to the blend as well.  The main idea is to have more echinacea than the other herbs in order to get the most benefit.  I find the spearmint is just enough with a hint of lemongrass.  I found some lemongrass at an Asian market and will dry my own for the blend. 

Here's a basic recipe using dried plant parts:

Echinacea Tea
1 part echinacea parts, leaves, flowers, roots
1/4 part lemon grass
1/4 part spearmint leaves (or to taste)
Stevia leaves to taste

Mix and brew at the first sign of cold or flu.  Based on the Traditional Medicinal recipe.

There you have it.  Your own stash of Echinacea Tea from your own backyard to brew at the first sign of a sniffle during the dark days of winter.  I think you'll find yourself going back to this tea time and time again; even if you don't have a cold...blessings!

Do you grow and make your own teas?  Do you use Echinacea Tea?



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Raw Garlic: Cold and Flu Fighter

It's definitely cold and flu season here in our part of the world and when it comes I head to the nearest super market to get our medicine.  Not in the pharmacy though...rather, the produce isle.  Yep, I'm looking high and low for those familiar whitish globes that are packed with antibiotic goodness...garlic, aka: "the stinking rose." That name is reported to have gone back to Greek and Roman times.  The stinking part is obvious, but the rose part of the name still seems to be a mystery.  But it's not mystery to me as I would rather have garlic over a rose in the landscape because of its immense value all year long. 

When it comes to a cold or flu, modern medicine can't really do much for you.  Antibiotics are only helpful for bacterial infections.  But garlic can help remedy the infection, cutting down on your sick time and helping to prevent any secondary infections like a sinus infection.

You've probably read lots of great information out there about the health benefits of garlic.  From helping your heart to preventing cancer, this little bulb packs of whollop of natural goodness.  Nowadays, it seems to be relegated to garlic bread found in your local freezer section.  But I'm determined to pass on the great news that garlic is an amazing healer and has saved our family from many a doctor's visit! 

First, let me give you the low-down on the anti-viral qualities of garlic.  Garlic is also anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and more.  And I quote; "Dr. Tariq Abdullah, a prominent garlic researcher stated in the August 1987 issue of Prevention: “Garlic has the broadest spectrum of any antimicrobial substance that we know of — it is antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiprotozoan and antiviral." (source)

Not too bad of a reputation considering the limited amount of ways we use garlic in the U.S.   We've even reduced garlic to powder and worse yet...minced garlic in a bottle.  Yes, I've used these for cooking, but I stop at the minced garlic.  I can't even describe the flavor, but garlic it isn't.  Okay, my opinions aside...garlic is amazing in your cooking but using it raw can be a great way to shorten a cold or flu OR even prevent one.

And that's what I'm talking about here...raw garlic.  The reason for garlic's amazing natural medicinal abilities is the marriage of two of garlic's chemical constituents, alliin a compound and alliinase an enzyme.  When garlic is cut, these two chemicals come together and form "allicin" which in turn makes the lovely smell of garlic AND is one compound that is the cold and flu fighter.  So, in order for garlic to be effective, these two lovelies must meet through mincing or dicing, so they can produce allicin.  If you let garlic sit for 10-15 minutes, it gives the compound plenty of time to develop it's power-packed abilities.

From all the information I gathered, it is the activation of this sulphur compound, "allicin" that occur during mincing or crushing that makes garlic anti-viral.  Heat will destroy this compound and it deteriorates with age.  Crushed garlic is most effective within the first hour if you want to use it and get the most active properties from it.  

Still wondering if it works?  So did I.  But we've been using garlic for a few decades and most recently in the last four years specifically for colds and flu.  Our family just went through a bout of the most recent flu.  This one was a doozy too. Two of us got it at first.  It was all upper respiratory, not stomach, but body aches, sneezing, fatigue, stuffy head, sinus drainage, sore throat...you name it.  So, we broke out the garlic, put raw diced garlic in all of our soup bowls (1-2) and poured hot soup over the cloves.  This was our lunch for many days.  We tried to have as much as 4 cloves a day while we were very sick.  We managed to get through the worst of it and we were able to be on our feet the whole time and out in public after about 4 days.  Now my husband had it next and it was very mild for him.  He had been eating LOTS of garlic while we were sick.  He had some problems with his lungs, but garlic having an "affinity for the lungs" soon took care of it.  

Our oldest son, who is usually the one who gets every sickness the first and the worst, NEVER got sick.  He took garlic in large amounts for many days and while he smelled like a piece of garlic bread, he never got sick.   However, realizing that garlic not only fights against bacteria and viruses but also stimulates your immune system, it's not so strange to see how well it worked.

How do I eat raw garlic?

1) In a blender, combine 1-2 cloves of garlic with 2 tomatoes, a bit of basil, onion and celery for your own V-8 drink.  Add a little salt to taste.
2) Add 1 or 2 minced cloves to hot broth (not boiling) or soup and consume right away.  
3) Make some fresh salsa and make sure to add at least one clove to the portion you're eating.  You don't have to consume it all at once, but try to eat it within a reasonable amount of time to ensure the garlic's potency.
4) Add raw minced garlic to honey or vinegar (Apple Cider), let it steep for as long as possible. Take the honey by eating a teaspoonful and use the vinegar as a dressing.
5) Make garlic oil.  Mince garlic into oil and let it steep for 15 minutes.  Apply this oil to the bottom of your feet at bedtime and wear socks.  The compound in the oil will go into your system.  This is great for children and if you don't want to eat the garlic.  Our family uses this method a lot and it works for us. 

Some Things to Consider:

1) Garlic isn't going to get rid of your cold or flu right away.  It will take some time but it does cut down on the severity of what you have. Most natural medicines work this way.
2) Staying away from sugar is crucial when fighting any kind of infection as it hinders your immune system from fighting the infection.  Try to eat only fruit (not juice).
3) Getting adequate rest and sleep is also important.  Drink plenty of fluids and medicinal teas.  We drank pots of my Vanilla Peppermint Medley (Read my post on peppermint here) and filtered water.  Lots of fluids help to flush out the infection and keep you super hydrated.  All these things will help your body get over whatever your body is fighting.

Why Use Garlic?

It's effective, it's easy to use and is ridiculously inexpensive.  You can use many other herbal remedies but for the money, garlic is our hands-down favorite.  It's the most potent single herb we've found and it works.   It tastes good and you'll be getting lots of other health benefits as well.  

Well, hope your winter season is cold and flu free...but if not, there's always the amazing herb garlic to give you a hand!

Have you used garlic to help your colds and flu? Blessings!

For more on garlic, you can read my post, Garlic Ear Oil Remedy.

Resources used for this post:
http://www.garlic-central.com/stinking-rose.html 
http://www.livestrong.com/article/340975-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-raw-garlic-vs-cooked-garlic/ 
http://www.medherb.com/Materia_Medica/Allium_sativum_-_Antibiotic_and_Immune_Properties.html

(All information in this post is purely educational and in no way meant to diagnose or prescribe medical advice.  Please seek a health professional for any serious health complications.)

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Peppermint: An Essential Herb

If there is one herb that gains world wide attention at this time of the year it would have to be the ever refreshing herb peppermint.  Its name alone is plastered on tons of products from candy canes to Peppermint Lattes.  But most of us don't envision the nice green plant on your screen but rather a red and white candy stick.  No problem.  Peppermint is only too happy to share it's intensely rich menthol oil in candies, breath mints and ice cream.  But don't relegate this valuable herb to the dessert table only; it's health benefits are numerous and make this a valuable plant for the garden.

Let's go over some ways that peppermint is great for you.  "Peppermint oil comprises vitamins A and C, omega-3 fatty acids, and minerals including potassium, manganese, iron, magnesium, calcium, and copper. The numerous health benefits of peppermint oil include its ability to treat several health problems. "(source)

What this translates to is that peppermint is said to cure indigestion as well as a few other conditions.  For indigestion, a good old cup of peppermint tea after dinner will help with this.  If you don't have tea, then a few drops of oil in some water will do this too.  Peppermint is also able to dispel gas, help with stomach spasms and great overall for general stomach upsets.  It's also being studied for its effects on Irritable Bowel Syndrome.  Hmmm, wonder if this is why most stomach aids have a peppermint flavor?

Peppermint also helps the respiratory system.  It acts as an expectorant to help clear the respiratory tract.  It can also help with sinusitis, asthma and bronchitis.  A good strong cup of English Breakfast tea with peppermint leaves would be a huge help with opening up the lung passages for easier breathing.  In our family, my husband Todd would use this to help with any congestion he may have due to colds or asthma.  The caffeine in the black tea (or coffee) is a bronchodilator.

Just the aroma of a hot cup of peppermint tea can help relieve stress, headaches and help with colds.  That's one amazing cup of tea!  So how do you grow this worthy garden plant? 

Well, mints are generally unfussy plants to grow.  They can handle part shade and mine actually prefer to be in filtered sun or sheltered during late afternoon heat.  I also find that they like the ground fairly moist.  Mint does spread so I have my drinking peppermints in pots.  Peppermint is not nearly as invasive as some of the other mint varieties, but it's hard to remove once it's established.  Besides my potted mints, I have peppermint in the garden that I've been growing for over a decade.  I don't use it for anything except for the bees.  They love mint and I don't let my potted mint flower.  If it does, it tends to send forth seed that is mixed with other mints and it loses it's pure flavor. To keep the flavor pure, trim off any flowers so the plants can't set seed.  They will continue to propagate underground via their root system.  I've been growing an intensely flavored peppermint as well as chocolate mint and they have held onto their delicious oils using this method.

Dried peppermint leaves

Mints can also handle being indoors on a window sill.  As long as they have some sunlight, you'll be able to get some delicious fresh leaves to use as tea or to add to some desserts.  You can always transplant them in the spring (after frost) outside.  
Thinking about buying a plant next year?  First see if you have a friend who may grow it.  I didn't buy either of my plants.  I got one from my sister-in-law who lives four hours away.  Once I smelled the plant, I knew I wanted one too.  So, I cut some branches and wrapped them in damp paper towel and put them in a baggie.  When we got home, I put the cuttings in some water until they rooted and then planted them.  You can see the results in the first three peppermint pictures above.  The chocolate mint came from a friend's herb garden from their tea house.  Lovely...

Vanilla Mint Medley Blend

Since it's the holiday season, here's a delicious tea blend that everyone will enjoy.  It's so simple and if you package up some and put it in a vintage tin; it'll be a great stocking stuffer.
I made a blend of Vanilla Black Tea, Pure Peppermint, and Chocolate Mint.  Simply use 2 parts of black tea to 1 part of mint. (1 part means 1 tsp or 1 cup. It's only a ratio to measure your tea with...one teaspoon of peppermint to 2 tsp of vanilla tea.) This way the mint won't be too overpowering for the tea.  Not only is the peppermint good for your body, the black tea has its own health benefits as well.  After all, I drink tea not only as medicine, but because it tastes so good.  This tastes pretty close to a peppermint patty in a cup, so  you, your friends and family will love it!

Well, sit back and enjoy a cup of peppermint tea or the Vanilla Mint Medley.  It not only tastes wonderful, it's great for you too.

If you don't have your own peppermint, you can find it at Mountain Rose Herbs. Or you can buy a high quality peppermint oil and put a few drops in any tea or water to get the same healing properties.

 

Information gathered from these sources: 5 Health Benefits of Peppermint 

Mint: Different Varieties

Health Benefits of Peppermint Tea

Want to know more about bulk tea?  Check out these posts...Bulk Loose Tea: Three Reasons Why to Buy and Reviewing My Favorite Tea Steepers

What do you use peppermint for?  Blessings!! 

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