Drink Your Way to Wellness

Drink Your Way to Wellness with Herbal Infusions!

One of the fasted and easiest ways to start Creating Wellness in your life is through the drinks you consume every day. Instead of drinking drinks that deplete or dehydrate you, start drinking drinks that NOURISH you! 

Caffeinated beverages are dehydrating and stimulating.  Caffeine is a mild diuretic and increases urination. It is recommended that you drink two glasses of water to each glass of caffeine you consume to replenish water reserves. Caffeine is also a stimulant and can cause anxiety, irritability and insomnia in some.  

I've had clients who were ready to get on anxiety medication or who were easily angered or irritable. I encouraged them to get off of caffeine and switch to chamomile tea. Within a week, their anxiety had greatly decreased and their nervous system was on the mend.  Chamomile tea soothes the nervous system.  

I've had other clients who were ready to go on the sleep machine or who were walking around with dark circles under their eyes, exhausted all of the time because they weren't sleeping at night. They couldn't figure out why their sleep aids weren't keeping them asleep through the night.  These same people were drinking coffee or tea in the evening wondering why they could't sleep.  If you are going to drink caffeine, don't do it after noon and drink plenty of water to flush it through your system. 

It is difficult to know how caffeine affects your body until you give yourself a break away from it.  Some things you just have to prove to yourself.  Give it a try!!  Try getting off of caffeine for a few weeks and see how you feel.  So many clients are AMAZED at how much more stable and energetic they feel without it. Of course you don't want to go cold turkey and end up with a withdrawal headache.  Start decreasing the amount of caffeine you consume by half each day to take yourself down slowly.  

A great substitution for caffeine is Herbal Infusions.  Herbal Infusions are sooo nurturing.  Drinking herbal infusions actually nourish and support your body.  And you can pick plants specific to you and what your body needs.  It's like drinking supplements instead of drinking sugar and caffeine.  

An herbal infusion is basically a strong herbal tea. Dried herbs are best suited for infusions because the minerals and nutrients contained within them are often more easily accessed.  

How to make an herbal infusion:  Add 2 TBSP of dried herb to a quart jar, fill the jar with boiling water, put the lid on and let steep for 4-10 hours.  To strain, put a cup strainer over mouth of jar to catch the herb as you pour the infusion into a second jar.  I always squeeze the plant material to make sure I extract as much infusion as possible.  I normally prepare my infusion at night before I go to bed and strain it in the morning.  Then, I put it in the refrigerator and drink it throughout the day.  The infusion will only keep for 24 hours.  You can put the strained plant material in your compost.

My favorite infusions are nettles and red raspberry.

Red Raspberry is considered a midwife's best friend as it is a great uterine tonic and astringent during pregnancy.  It is also great for nursing mothers as it is rich in iron, calcium, and magnesium.  I used to wake up in the middle of the night to pee until I started drinking this one!  Red Raspberry is also very tonifying to the bladder and kidneys.  

Nettles – is my favorite herbal ally! I use this herb in nearly all of the custom blends I create for people.  I love nettles because it is mineral rich, nutritive, strengthens bones, supporting to our joints, helpful with allergies, high in iron, helps with hair and fingernail growth and so much more.  Nettles has a full bodied plant flavor.  I enjoy the taste of it too.  

Custom Blend - If you are looking for a nourishing blend, specific to you, I can create a custom blend just for you.  I no longer keep all of the herbs on hand to make the teas myself.  But, I will design one for you for only $20.  You can send me a little blurb about what you want the tea to do, what your focus is and I will give you the recipe with instructions and you can create it for yourself over and over again. 

Something we did the summer of my herbal apprenticeship is alternate a single herb each day.  We alternated red raspberry, nettles, linden, red clover and comfrey.  It was so delicious and nutritive! I still do this today and teach others to do the same.  Or if I have a particular focus, I create a custom blend.  I have several clients who I make a Move Me Tea Blend for to keep things moving, if you know what I mean.   s

Be sure to read about the plants you decide to drink to make sure it's a good fit for you.  You can buy herbs for your infusions at your local health food store either in bulk or you can buy pre-made tea bags. Always buy organic herbs.  If  you want to buy online, you can always order from my friend Stacy at Divine Creationz.  

Give herbal infusions and try and let me know how you like them!  Which ones are your favorite?

Click here to watch my video on How to Make Herbal Infusions.

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