There are so many different types of herbs and flowers that can be used to create your own teas. However, not a lot of people know which type of choose and how they should go about making the tea. This is a guide to show you exactly what you need to know and why when it comes to making your own herbal teas right from home. You can grow the herbs you use the most right in a window sill garden or out back in your own.
Choosing Which Herbs and Flowers to Use
- Alfalfa: Used for fatigue, digestion, asthma, diabetes, high cholesterol.
- Anise: Used for digestion issues, bad breath or asthma.
- Basil: Used for detoxing, high blood pressure or blood sugar, lowers stress, provides comfort and anti-inflammatory.
- Bilberry: Used for circulation disorders, bruising, diabetes, urinary disorders, kidney problems and gallstones.
- Blueberry: Used for tonic after miscarriages, blood purifier and to relieve labor pains.
- Catmint: Used for settling the stomach, bedwetting, hyper children, headaches, fever reducer and arthritis.
- Chamomile Flower: Helps to soothe irritability, nerves, insomnia, PMS, colic, betwetting, fevers, colds, flu, skin problems and arthritis.
- Cinnamon: Used for antibacterial problems, kidney disorders, menopause and feeling cold.
- Cloves: Antiseptic, pain killer, eliminates parasites, acne, spasms in muscles, tension and improves memory.
- Echinacea: Helps with viral and bacterial infections, blood cleansing, flu, colds, wounds, ear infections and acne.
- Elder Flower: Helps with sore throats, coughs, colds, arthritis, inflammation and ear infections.
- Eucalyptus Leaf: Flu, coughs, cold, croup, asthma and pneumonia.
- Fennel: Used to help with indigestion, nausea, lactation, morning sickness, gout, weight loss, kidney stones, sore throat, stomach cramps and as a sedative.
- Fenugreek: Used for bronchitis, diabetes, high cholesterol, allergies, digestive problems, infections in the lungs, skin problems and emphysema.
- Ginger: Used for nausea, colds, flu, motion sickness, menstrual pain, liver problems and indigestion.
- Ginkgo Leaf: Provides mental alertness, circulatory health benefits, helps to fight age related conditions and promotes good blood vessel health.
- Hibiscus Flower: Good source of Vitamin C, helps with heart health, controls cholesterol levels and can reduce heart disease.
- Hops: Helps with sleep and to reduce nerves, helps with anxiety, nervous stomach disorders and hysteria.
- Lavender: Can help with relaxation, detoxing, cramps, antiseptic and antibacterial and bloating.
- Lemon Verbena: Helps as a minor sedative.
- Lemongrass: Helps with cramping, colic, arthritis, fevers and digestion.
- Licorice Root: Helps by acting as an anti-inflammatory, liver problems, weakness in the immune system, lung problems, colds, coughs, allergies and exhaustion.
- Marjoram: Helps with bruising, bedwetting, coughs, colds, pleurisy, antifungal, antibacterial and disinfectant.
- Nettle: Helps to support the entire body as a whole, excessive mucous, gout, colic, menstruation, urinary problems, inflammation and helps with lactation.
- Nutmeg: Helps with nausea, diarrhea, skin problems and heartburn.
- Parsley: Helps with betwetting, blood disorders, water retention, jaundice, kidney disorders and bladder infections.
- Passion Flower: Helps with alcoholism, insomnia, nerve pain, hypertension, shingles, asthma, headaches, hyperactivity and cardiovascular disease.
- Peppermint Leaf: Can be used for colds, indigestion, nausea, gallstones, vomiting, ulcers and gastritis.
- Raspberry Leaf: Helps to soothe labor pains, heart disease, morning sickness, digestive problems, menstruation, fever, flu and aides with lactation.
- Red Clover: Helps with acne, liver problems, tumors, leukemia and cancer.
- Rosemary Leaf: This leaf is thought to be a stimulant, boosts energy levels, can help with kidney, colon and bladder problems, digestive problems, helps with circulation and headaches.
- Sage: Helps with the tonsils, mouth and throat.
- St. John's Wort: Helps with depression, bacterial infections, HIV and AIDS, helps with healing wounds and menstruation.
- Sarsaparilla: Helps with liver problems, gout, skin disorders, arthritis and venereal diseases.
- Scullcap: Can help relax the nervous system to help with menstruation, hysteria and epilepsy.
- Spearmint Leaf: Helps to treat colds, fevers, headaches, nausea and stomachaches.
- Tumeric: This helps to lower cholesterol, help with skin problems, swelling, arthritis and to improve liver function.
- Valerian: Used to treat headaches, menstruation cramps, tension, hypertension, heart disease, anxiety and after birth pains.
How to Make Teas
Making the tea is also not difficult once you've chosen your tea leaf, herb or flower. Keep in mind that fresh grown herbs tend to be weaker than those you may find pre-made in tea bags. It might be a good idea to gather more herbs than you think you might need to just be on the safe side. Usually around 4-6 cups of herbs is enough to make a whole pot of tea. The pot should be around ¾ full of herbs prior to adding the water. Cutting them in the morning before making the tea is recommended to keep the fresh flavor.
Make sure to cut close to the bottom, but be sure to leave two sets of leaves on the stem to help your plant continue to grow. The tender newer leaves at the top of the plant can also provide a nice tea. If the leaves have spots or are yellowish then you may not want to use them for the tea.
Bring them over to the sink and lightly dunk them into cold water and shake off any left over water on the leaves. Remove the leaves from the stem and add to them to the pot you're going to use. Pour boiling hot water carefully into the pot to completely submerge the leaves. Press the side of a spoon into the herbs to bruise them against the side of the pot.
Cover the pot and let them steep for around a half hour. Strain the tea using a colander or mesh strainer to be sure that you remove the smaller bits out of the pot. You can either drink it hot like this or place it into a pitcher and store it in the fridge for up to five days to enjoy chilled.
Health and Other Benefits
There are numerous benefits to your health when it comes to making your own herbal teas. Not only are you choosing to fix the problems you're having with a more natural, affordable and healthier way but you're able to see results at the same time. This can be a good thing if you're trying to keep away from the chemicals that are found in many different medical remedies that you find over or under the counter at your typical drug store. Depending on the symptoms or problem that you have, you may find relief from one or a few of these different types of herbs and flowers.
Choosing Which Herbs and Flowers to Use
- Alfalfa: Used for fatigue, digestion, asthma, diabetes, high cholesterol.
- Anise: Used for digestion issues, bad breath or asthma.
- Basil: Used for detoxing, high blood pressure or blood sugar, lowers stress, provides comfort and anti-inflammatory.
- Bilberry: Used for circulation disorders, bruising, diabetes, urinary disorders, kidney problems and gallstones.
- Blueberry: Used for tonic after miscarriages, blood purifier and to relieve labor pains.
- Catmint: Used for settling the stomach, bedwetting, hyper children, headaches, fever reducer and arthritis.
- Chamomile Flower: Helps to soothe irritability, nerves, insomnia, PMS, colic, betwetting, fevers, colds, flu, skin problems and arthritis.
- Cinnamon: Used for antibacterial problems, kidney disorders, menopause and feeling cold.
- Cloves: Antiseptic, pain killer, eliminates parasites, acne, spasms in muscles, tension and improves memory.
- Echinacea: Helps with viral and bacterial infections, blood cleansing, flu, colds, wounds, ear infections and acne.
- Elder Flower: Helps with sore throats, coughs, colds, arthritis, inflammation and ear infections.
- Eucalyptus Leaf: Flu, coughs, cold, croup, asthma and pneumonia.
- Fennel: Used to help with indigestion, nausea, lactation, morning sickness, gout, weight loss, kidney stones, sore throat, stomach cramps and as a sedative.
- Fenugreek: Used for bronchitis, diabetes, high cholesterol, allergies, digestive problems, infections in the lungs, skin problems and emphysema.
- Ginger: Used for nausea, colds, flu, motion sickness, menstrual pain, liver problems and indigestion.
- Ginkgo Leaf: Provides mental alertness, circulatory health benefits, helps to fight age related conditions and promotes good blood vessel health.
- Hibiscus Flower: Good source of Vitamin C, helps with heart health, controls cholesterol levels and can reduce heart disease.
- Hops: Helps with sleep and to reduce nerves, helps with anxiety, nervous stomach disorders and hysteria.
- Lavender: Can help with relaxation, detoxing, cramps, antiseptic and antibacterial and bloating.
- Lemon Verbena: Helps as a minor sedative.
- Lemongrass: Helps with cramping, colic, arthritis, fevers and digestion.
- Licorice Root: Helps by acting as an anti-inflammatory, liver problems, weakness in the immune system, lung problems, colds, coughs, allergies and exhaustion.
- Marjoram: Helps with bruising, bedwetting, coughs, colds, pleurisy, antifungal, antibacterial and disinfectant.
- Nettle: Helps to support the entire body as a whole, excessive mucous, gout, colic, menstruation, urinary problems, inflammation and helps with lactation.
- Nutmeg: Helps with nausea, diarrhea, skin problems and heartburn.
- Parsley: Helps with betwetting, blood disorders, water retention, jaundice, kidney disorders and bladder infections.
- Passion Flower: Helps with alcoholism, insomnia, nerve pain, hypertension, shingles, asthma, headaches, hyperactivity and cardiovascular disease.
- Peppermint Leaf: Can be used for colds, indigestion, nausea, gallstones, vomiting, ulcers and gastritis.
- Raspberry Leaf: Helps to soothe labor pains, heart disease, morning sickness, digestive problems, menstruation, fever, flu and aides with lactation.
- Red Clover: Helps with acne, liver problems, tumors, leukemia and cancer.
- Rosemary Leaf: This leaf is thought to be a stimulant, boosts energy levels, can help with kidney, colon and bladder problems, digestive problems, helps with circulation and headaches.
- Sage: Helps with the tonsils, mouth and throat.
- St. John's Wort: Helps with depression, bacterial infections, HIV and AIDS, helps with healing wounds and menstruation.
- Sarsaparilla: Helps with liver problems, gout, skin disorders, arthritis and venereal diseases.
- Scullcap: Can help relax the nervous system to help with menstruation, hysteria and epilepsy.
- Spearmint Leaf: Helps to treat colds, fevers, headaches, nausea and stomachaches.
- Tumeric: This helps to lower cholesterol, help with skin problems, swelling, arthritis and to improve liver function.
- Valerian: Used to treat headaches, menstruation cramps, tension, hypertension, heart disease, anxiety and after birth pains.
How to Make Teas
Making the tea is also not difficult once you've chosen your tea leaf, herb or flower. Keep in mind that fresh grown herbs tend to be weaker than those you may find pre-made in tea bags. It might be a good idea to gather more herbs than you think you might need to just be on the safe side. Usually around 4-6 cups of herbs is enough to make a whole pot of tea. The pot should be around ¾ full of herbs prior to adding the water. Cutting them in the morning before making the tea is recommended to keep the fresh flavor.
Make sure to cut close to the bottom, but be sure to leave two sets of leaves on the stem to help your plant continue to grow. The tender newer leaves at the top of the plant can also provide a nice tea. If the leaves have spots or are yellowish then you may not want to use them for the tea.
Bring them over to the sink and lightly dunk them into cold water and shake off any left over water on the leaves. Remove the leaves from the stem and add to them to the pot you're going to use. Pour boiling hot water carefully into the pot to completely submerge the leaves. Press the side of a spoon into the herbs to bruise them against the side of the pot.
Cover the pot and let them steep for around a half hour. Strain the tea using a colander or mesh strainer to be sure that you remove the smaller bits out of the pot. You can either drink it hot like this or place it into a pitcher and store it in the fridge for up to five days to enjoy chilled.
Health and Other Benefits
There are numerous benefits to your health when it comes to making your own herbal teas. Not only are you choosing to fix the problems you're having with a more natural, affordable and healthier way but you're able to see results at the same time. This can be a good thing if you're trying to keep away from the chemicals that are found in many different medical remedies that you find over or under the counter at your typical drug store. Depending on the symptoms or problem that you have, you may find relief from one or a few of these different types of herbs and flowers.