TEA WITH THE HERBAL DOCTOR

Eva Zadah 
BSC (HONS) HERBAL MEDICINE  
MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH

Herbal teas are used to help all sorts of symptoms, physically, mentally and emotionally and you can quite easily make your own tasty infusions.

To make a tea is easy. Add a tablespoon of herbs into a teapot and pour on boiling water and leave to steep for about five minutes and then pour through a strainer.

Now is a good time to harvest leaves and flowers to make herbal teas. Some plants are easy to harvest such as lemon balm, hawthorn flowers, nettles, sage and mint each with very healthy properties and they are easy to find!

It is amazing the bounty of herbs around us that are so beneficial to our health . Studies have been done on a number of these herbs whilst there is also a lot of traditional knowledge of all their benefits.

LEMON BALM – is mood lifting and reduces feelings of stress and tension, improves memory and fights viral infections.

NETTLE – Tip! Wear gloves when harvesting the leaves because they will sting. Try and harvest the young growth. It is high in minerals and so good for breastfeeding mums. It reduces symptoms of hay fever and relieves itchy skin such as eczema. A good aid for convalescence.

HAWTHORN FLOWERS – brilliant for the heart and cardiovascular system. Hawthorn flowers can reduce blood pressure and with regular use may help the heart function more effectively. (Caution if taking digoxin.)

RED CLOVER FLOWERS – beneficial for chronic skin disorders such as dermatitis and psoriasis, childhood eczema also menopausal symptoms.

TURMERIC – the new wonder herb – reduces pain and inflammation in arthritis and sports injuries, balances cholesterol and may help in the prevention and treatment of cancer (caution in high doses).

SAGE – gargle for sore throats, fights infection, hot sweats, (sage is not recommended when breast feeding and during pregnancy).

PEPPERMINT – cooling, refreshing, relieves indigestion after heavy meals. Peppermint eases ulcerative colitis, motion sickness and nausea.

CARDAMOM – will help clear urinary tract infections, lower cholesterol and boost a low libido.