This is part 3 in our series, Herbs for Back to School Times. Although, this whole series is applicable to everyone, as we move into fall and look ahead to a winter of colds, flus, stress, and Covid related issues.
Today we are talking about nourishment!! The more nourished we are, the better we feel. We are also more prepared to handle whatever we come into contact with, both physically and emotionally, whether it is a virus or stressful situations.
If you have been following me for a while, then this is old news. I talk about the nourishing herbs a lot! I do this because they truly are the foundations of health. I believe it is the first and best place to start, when working with herbs to improve health and wellbeing.
They will do no harm, and they will support us in a variety of ways. I will give a quick list of the herbs that I focus on in my daily life and how to make a nourishing herbal infusion.
If this intrigues you and you want to learn more, then consider taking my online course, Nourish Yourself. You will get to know each of these 5 herbs in detail and begin to incorporate them into your daily living. You will come to feel the difference, when you are thoroughly nutritionally set, and realize all the ways your health is affected.
The top 5 nourishing herbs that I work with are:
1. Nettle Leaf
2. Oatstraw
3. Comfrey Leaf
4. Red Clover Blossoms
5. Linden Blossoms
Each of these herbs have their own affinities in the body, but they are also all broad spectrum in their actions. They are full of minerals, vitamins, and other beneficial phytonutrients that are key to the proper functioning of our bodies.
They are food-like herbs, so must be consumed in large amounts on a regular basis to get the best benefits. Similar to how eating one raw carrot won't do much for you, one cup of nettle tea won't do much either. But make a carrot soup and eat it for a few days, and you are truly giving your body nourishment. Similarly, drinking a quart of Nettle infusion (prepared as described below), will give you the real benefits the herb has to offer.
I buy these 5 herbs by the pound and consume about an ounce of one herb, per day, in a water based infusion. I rotate through the herbs, consuming only one herb at a time, so that I get enough of that herb and am able to build a relationship with it.
You can buy the herbs directly from bulk herb distributers, through your local co-op, herb & health food store, or through the dreaded (but very convenient) Amazon.
Check out my course Nourish Yourself to get all the information about these herbs and to have individual help getting them into your daily routine! The next session of Nourish Yourself starts October 6! Register now, and get immediate access to all of the course material and videos.
Throw out your expensive, synthetic vitamins (yes, even "food-based" vitamin supplements have synthetic vitamins in them)! Stop juicing your vegetables and fruits and stop drinking raw green smoothies! They aren't giving you any nutrition and can be very hard on your gut.
Instead drink a nourishing herbal infusion a day and feel the difference!!!!!!
How to Make a Nourishing Herbal Infusion:
1. Weigh out 1 ounce (on a small kitchen scale) of your nourishing herb.
2. Put the herb in a quart canning jar.
3. Fill the jar with boiling hot water.
4. Stir in the herb and top of with more hot water.
5. Cover with a tight lid.
6. Let steep on the counter for 8 hours or overnight.
7. Strain the infusion, squeezing the herb to get all of the infusion out and then compost the spent herb.
8. Store in the fridge. Drink within 48 hours, in one day is ideal.
9. I think all of the infusions taste best over ice.
10. Rotate through each of the five herbs.