Tisane - Herbal Tea to You and Me

Herbal tea is big business now, it has been recognised as a great substitute drink that can be enjoyed instead of other drinks, which generally pollute you body. But herb tea is not tea at all. It doesn't come from a tea bush. The only similarity is that the herb is brewed like real tea. By the way, tea is technically a herb as well!

Herbal tea is actually techincally called tisane This has been used for thousands of years for their healing properties. Today tisane is used in the same way to revive or relax the body. Many however just like the taste or as an alternative drink without caffeine.

Herbal teas that are sold in shops are defined as food not a drug. For it to be under the drug category the products has tell the customer that the product have benefits and these benefits have to be scientifically validated and proven to work. Herbal tea or Tisane has no such prove as yet.

Making a tisane is easy and the same method is used for a variety of herbs:
Allow about 1 tablespoon of fresh herb or 1 teaspoonful of dried herb per cup. Pour boiling water and leave to infuse for around 10 minutes or longer if you want a stronger flavoured drink.

For some herbs you will need to simmer for around 10 minutes, i.e. root ginger, cinnamon sticks, caraway or aniseed. I always find that the home made versions from herbs I have produced always taste better then the herb 'teabags' you can get in the supermarkets and health stores.

I drink tisane all the time instead of the conventional tea and have found that I don’t miss the caffeine at all. It is just a case of getting in the habit, which is quite easy from key factors. They are that, I like the fresh taste, I know it is good for me and lastly, it cost me nothing as I use my own homegrown herbs.

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The Hibiscus - Beautiful and More Than Useful

There are well over 200 species of the herb hibiscus plant, which is native to warm, temperate, subtropical and tropical climates throughout the world. The herb comes is both annual and perennial herbaceous plants as well has some varieties forming woody shrubs and small trees.

The leaves range from a simple ovate to lance like quite often with a toothed margin. The flowers are impressive, big and confident with five or more trumpet-shaped petals. The colours range from pure white to pink, red, purple, yellow measuring 4 cm to 15 cm wide. The fruits are dry five capsule pods containing several seeds in each set. These are released as the capsule splits open at maturity.

The uses of hibiscus are quite amazing. As well as garden show attractions the flowers are also a main ingredient in many herbal teas.

Having so many varieties each different strain has different uses from paper making to an eating vegetable and from making herbal teas to jam making. The versatility of this herb is quite astounding.

In Mexico, there is a drink called Jamaican water it has a tanginess and mild flavour and when sugar is added it tastes like cranberry juice. People on diets of that have kidney problems often take this without the sugar as a natural diuretic. Simply place dehydrated hibiscus flowers into some boiling water let it cool and then serve with ice. In Egypt a similar tea is made from the petals called karkade.

The bark of the hibiscus has fibres renown for its toughness. The stripped bark is put in the sea to rot to break the fibres down. In Polynesia these fibres are then used for making grass skirts and wigs.

The white hibiscus has medicinal properties used in Indian traditional medicine. The roots make various remedies believed to cure various illnesses.

In southern India the Red hibiscus is used for hair care purposes, the flower and leaves extracts are put into the hair to combat hair-fall and dandruff on the scalp. The oils from the herb are also used to protect hair. This involves soaking the leaves and flowers in water then grinding it into a thick paste and applied as a natural shampoo.

Travelling onto the Philippines where the hibiscus is processed and used as bubble gum by children. The flowers and leaves are crushed until the sticky. Then hollow papaya stalks are dipped into the sticky hibiscus and blown up using the straws as bubble blowers.

Moving back to Mexico, dried hibiscus is eaten in fact quite delicacy there as the herb is quite edible.

Now to Hawaii and probably the most famous uses of the hibiscus flower, which is traditionally worn by Hawaiian women. Tucked behind the ear of a Hawaiian maiden shows that she looking for marriage, now you know.

Growing hibiscus flowers need to be done in warm temperatures, namely from 15 C to 30 C degrees. The roots mustn't be over watered and plenty of drainage is needed, only water the plant if it looks dry. Plant feed is needed to ensure a good flowering alongside an insect and pest free environment. A little tricky to grow, but well worth it with the beauty you get as a result.

Rapsberry Leaves - With or Without Labour

We all know about raspberries, as I cast my mind back to having many a feast of raspberry vines in the garden. The red stained hands and the seeds used to get stuck in our teeth, and still do. Never for a moment did we ever consider the use for the raspberry leaf herb. These were always left to drop of in the autumn and rot back into the ground. The leaves have a wide range of medicinal benefits and can be used fresh or dried in herbal and medicinal teas and as an alcoholic drink.

The leaves of the raspberry plant have been used as a medicinal herb going back many centuries. It is now known to have many beneficial properties including a tonic for pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding. It is believed that if the raspberry leaves tonic is taken daily in the last six to eight weeks of pregnancy it will help to prepare the uterine muscles for labour and thereby make the process of childbirth a little easier.

Other areas of pregnancy reap the benefits of raspberry leaves as it can help ease the symptoms of morning sickness, sooth and reduce the bleeding of gums, a common ailment with pregnant women. It produces a rich source of iron, calcium, manganese and magnesium. The magnesium factor is the key element to helping with pregnancy labour process. Raspberry leaf also possesses vitamins B1, B3 and E which all benefit and aid pregnancy.

Pregnancy aside, raspberry leaves can also bring relief to sore throats and reduce fever. Commercially you can get raspberry leaves in tablet form, loose tea leave and in teabags. There are also commercially produced alcoholic tinctures which contain the raspberry leaf herb

The raspberry plant is generally bought or planted from propagating the suckers. If you want o grow some yo need to put the the plants about two hand spans apart and form rows. You should plant the rows around 1 1/2 to 2 metres apart as if too close the fruit won't be as good.

A good strong loam soil is ideal as raspberries don't like light soil. Cut down all the old wood that has produced fruit in October and shorten the young shoots to about 1/2 metre in height. The between between the rows should be dug up well and a little fertiliser added. No further care is needed other than a little weeding in the summer. Replace plantations every four years to get the best crops.

It is always my view that growing and making your own herbs and tonics is far better than spending gross amounts of money for commercially produced ones. Your own raspberry leaf herbs can easily be dried yourself and turned into a herbal tea. Raspberry tea actually tastes a bit like conventional black tea, not raspberries, but smells fresher. The other advantage is that there is no caffeine.

Try to pick young fresh raspberry leaves and any sprouts that you see appearing. If you leave them in a sunny position for a few days your leaves will have dried and ready for use.

Like any herb tea, the process is the same one teaspoon of dried raspberry leaves in a cup of boiling water for 10 - 15 minutes, strain and add a sweetener can be sugar or honey. Your homemade dried raspberry leaves will keep in fine condition is in an airtight container and should see you through to the next season where you repeat the process - Oh the beauty of nature and the cycle of seasons!

Just a last suggestion is to try experimenting with other dried herbs as a mix with the dried raspberry leaves, you may come up with a unique tea to your own taste. I have tried raspberry and mint and added a touch of lemon to the finished tea - it was a great surprise.

Catnip - Not just for Cats

The Latin name for Catnip is Nepata Cataria but it is also known as Catnep, Catrup, Catswort and Field balm.

It could be described as an upright shrubby herb, which grows up to a metre tall. It has light green serrated leaves that have hairy undersides. The flower colours vary from white to pale blue with crimson dots.

Catnip has an odour not too dissimilar to mint and this is the attraction by cats. Cats go a bit crazy when the meet up with this herb and the effects last for a couple of hours, they aren't quite themselves during this as they roll about in it similar to being in a trance. There are many products now from catnip, inclusing catnip toys, just for cats. Strange as it may seem, although catnip may attract and make cats hyperactive, rats absolutely hate the herb!

Catnip can be found on banks, waysides and waste places throughout most northern temperate regions.

In France, the leaves and young shoots of catnip are used for seasoning. Even the young tops are made into a conserve and said to cure nightmares. The juice of the plant drunk with wine is a remedy for bruises and bruising the leaves will sooth haemorrhoids The bruised leaves also provide a cure is used as a shampoo for scabs and scurf.

The catnip herb has always traditionally been used as a remedy for colds and flu as it provides a powerful diaphoretic to any feverish condition. It’s use in clearing congested airways, blocked sinuses or middle ear are well known.

Infectious diseases of childhood, such as measles, are treated with catnip, as its gentle sedative action will help a child to sleep. A remedy for the treatment of diarrhoea in children is also apparent.

Oil is produced from catnip from distillation by steam and acts as a repellent against mosquitoes, cockroaches, termites and other insects.

You can grow this herb quite easily from either seed or from properagation. It is a hardy perenial although severe frost can damage so some protection may be needed in the winter.

Apart from being used as French seasoning, catnip is not a great ingredient in culinary circles. However, it can still be infused in hot water and drunk as tea.

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The Beautiful Jasmine

The flowers of the Jasmine are enjoyed in the garden, as house plants and as cut flowers. Jasmine is also the national symbol of the Philippines, Indonesia, Island of Java, Pakistan and Syria.

Floral arrangements are made up and worn by women southern and southeast Asia. Many of the Jasmine species also produce an 'absolute', this is used in the producing of perfumes and incense.

In China Jasmine 'Tisane' is drunk in China it is known as Jasmine flower tea. Some varieties of Jasmine flowers are also added to make another type of tea tea which commonly has a green tea base or oolong tea base.

Jasmine flower are plucked very early in the morning when the petals are firmly closed as they only open during the might. After storing in a cool place until around 7:00 in the evening, the petals will have then begun to open.

Flowers and tea are then integrated in purposely designed machines with controlled temperatures and humidity. The tea will eventually absorb the moisture from the flowers; the result is Jasmine Flower Tea.

Less scientific but just as interesting is the belief that Jasmine is used to attract spiritual love by being put into love sachets and carried around. A drop of Jasmine oil with in almond oil massaged into the skin is known as an aphrodisiac. Wearing the flowers beings wealth and money and if burned in the bedroom, Jasmine bring about fortune-telling dreams.

If you want to try growing Jasmine, and many do, it is best grown indoors in pots. Being an evergreen vine it likes bright light, but not direct sunlight. What would be needed is some support such as a trellis, lots of water and the occasional hand brushing to fertilize if there is a lack of natural flying fertilizers such as bees etc.

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Alfalfa Leaves - HooDoo Magic

I know all about Alfalfa leaves living in Bulgaria. It is called Lucerne here and is grown and cultivated extensively as it is considered one of the best feeds around for livestock. It is also dried in the spring sunshine when the growth is strongest and stored for superb and prized winter feed.

So it was with great interest to find that it has other uses and is know by a number of other names such as, Buffalo herb, Mu-s and Purple medic.

Alfalfa is actually in the legume family of herbs and it possibly have been a native of Europe in Spain and Italy. The name Lucerne is nothing to do with the town in Switzerland, that is just coincidental. The common name comes from the Arabic, al-fac-facah, which means father of all foods.

Alfalfa leaves are used in Hoodoo Folk Magic and the Occult circles and it was quite a surprise to find that the use of the herb for reason other than food was apparent.

To some it is believed to have the power to bring about Good Fortune. This covers a range of areas where luck bring in money both through business and through gambling.

It is said to prevent poverty and financial troubles and traditionally folk sprinkle Alfalfa under the carpets in their places of business to entice and keep paying customers or impress the manager in return for favours.

The other tradition is to get a pinch of Alfalfa leaves and place it in a green flannel bag or trouser pocket. Then with this in place, when the time comes to place a bet, it is believed that it will help them to achieve a win.

There is no evidence to suggest any of this is true, but there are many who do.

Even if you are a non-believer in the HooDoo factors, you can still make a cup of tea out of the leaves and it can be bought in tablet form nowadays аs а provider оf beta-carotene and vitamins C, E, and K.

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Passion Flower

The passion flower has a great fascination, it is a flower that many recognise but fail to realise it is a herb. It is a creeping vine native to the southern tropical and subtropical United States, Mexico, central and South America but now thrives in many other parts of the world due to cultivation.

The word 'Passion' doesn't refer to love, but to the passion of Christ on the cross associated in the 15th and 16th century Christian theology.

The native Americans used it as a medicine to sedate and treat insomnia. Its used extensively in America in the late 1800's and early 1900's, and from there spread world-wide. Nowadays the the passion flower is still used as a sedative, sleep aid and treatment for anxiety and nervousness.

It is the first herb that herbalists will prescribe for insomnia, it encourages restful sleep without any of the problems associated with other chemical bound, man-made sedatives. No hangover with the passion flower herb remedy. The fresh or dried leaves are used to make an infusion, a tea for this remedy. A simple recipe for this is given below.

The painkilling properties of the passion flower are now well know and good for neuralgia and shingles conditions. The leaves and the roots of some species contain more and have been used to enhance the effects of mind-altering drugs. If the leaves are dried, they also can also be smoked.

Anxiety related symptoms are often treated with the passion flower as well as as irritable bowel, breathlessness or palpitations. It is well known as an anti-depressant where it gently elevates levels of nerve activity in the brain giving a more balancing mood.

So, the passion flower is not just a pretty face.

You can buy dried passion flower from many online dealers, this site recetnly added it to their stocks.

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And Finally a tea Recipe to help you sleep at night.

Passion Flower Tea Recipe

Ingredients

1 tbsp. dried passion flower
1 cup boiling water

Method

Stir the herb into the cup of boiling water and leave 10 minutes
drink just before at bedtime.

You will find this aromatic and full of flavour.

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Ginger, Cinnamon and Clove Tea

Ginger, Cinnamon and Clove Tea

Description:

Late winter and early spring is the best time for this drink. The tea relieves congestion from the lungs, relieves gas and soothes minor digestive disorders. The cloves are also an aphrodisiac.

Ingredients:

1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
stick of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
2 cups boiling water
1/4 teaspoon honey

Directions:

Warm the teapot.
Put the ginger, cinnamon and cloves into the pot, and pour in the boiling water.
Wait for for 5-10 minutes.
Strain and allow to cool slightly, then add the honey and serve.

Enough for 2