Cold and Flu Tea

When you’re huddled at home nursing a cold or flu, a warm cup of herb tea is comfort in itself. An advantage to drinking tea is that the liquid thins congestion and flushes out toxins. Drinking two to three cups of the following tea, nice and hot, will make you sweat and lower a fever. If possible, tuck yourself into a warm bed afterward!

• 1/2 teaspoon yarrow flowers (Achillea millefolium)
• 1/2 teaspoon elder flowers (Sambucus canadensis)
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon echinacea root
• 1/2 teaspoon schisandra berries
• 3 cups boiling water 

Combine the herbs in a teapot and pour the boiling water over them. Steep for at least 20 minutes.  Strain and drink throughout the day. You can make a double batch and keep it in the refrigerator, just be sure to warm it before drinking.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Parts used: Flowers and leaves

Benefits and uses:  Yarrow is a beautiful and incredibly useful plant that grows practically everywhere.  If hikers and other avid outdoors people knew only one plant, yarrow should be it. When fresh plant material is placed on an open wound, it stops bleeding almost instantly.  It can also increase circulation when taken internally or used externally to promote blood flow in bruises or varicose veins.

Yarrow’s healing abilities have been known for an immeasurable amount of time and have even been made famous in Greek myths of Achilles; yarrow, also named Achillea, is the magic potion said to have protected Achilles so well. Also called woundwort and other similarly devised names, yarrow has been used on battlefields to heal soldiers’ wounds as far back as we have sad tales of war. Yarrow is probably growing wild somewhere in your backyard, but during the dormant season, keep enough dried on hand for whatever emergencies may arise.  It can be powdered and sprinkled on wounds, not only to stop bleeding but also to dull pain, and as an antiseptic herb to prevent infection.

Yarrow’s abilities are not limited to wounds however. Taken internally, it can open pores for cleansing and to release a fever. Yarrow is frequently used as a tea at the first sign of a cold or flu. The tincture or tea can be used for bladder infections. Yarrow is anti-microbial, astringent, anodyne, and reduces inflammation.

If ya’ll read my post on elderberries a while back, you know that the berries of the elderflower plant are going to be ripe for the picking very soon!  You also know that elderberries are A+ for colds and flus.  Any coincidence that cold season and elderberry season coincide?  :)  Gather some fresh berries or purchase them dried to make elderberry syrup.

Elderberry syrup is a proven remedy for preventing and recovering from the flu, colds, excessive mucus, sore throats, and contains large amounts of antioxidants, potassium, beta carotene, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin C. Take a tablespoon daily to ward off illness and a teaspoon every 2-3 hours while sick. For children under 2, add the syrup to hot water to kill any microbes in the honey. You can even drizzle the delicious syrup over pancakes, yogurt, or ice cream!

- 1 cup fresh or 1/2  cup dried organic elderberries (harvest blue or black, avoid poisonous reds)
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup raw local honey
- 1 organic cinnamon stick, 3 organic cloves, and a pinch of dried organic ginger root (optional)

Place berries, water, and spices in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Smash the berries to release remaining juice and strain the mixture. Allow liquid to cool and stir in honey. Will last for 2-3 months stored in the fridge.

Basil (Ocimum basilicum)

Parts used: Leaves

Benefits and uses: The warming, aromatic constituents of basil help to calm the nervous system; settle the stomach; clear the mind; and fight off coughs, colds, flu and allergies.  The magnitude of basil’s healing endeavors are reflected in the hundreds of therapeutic applications of this leafy green companion.  Basil is known as the destroyer of phlegm - when you consider the number of ailments that are provoked by excess phlegm (from allergies to asthma to colds), you begin to understand the breadth of basil’s virtue.

Basil is most commonly thought of as part of the tomato sauce or pasta dish, but a cup of basil tea works works wonders on almost any digestive complaint.  Basil tea relieves stomach cramps and spasm, nausea, gas and constipation.  That must be why it’s a primary ingredient in pasta dishes: so you can eat more pasta!  Basil doesn’t qualify as the world’s best tasting tea, but it isn’t so bad, especially when you find out what it can do for your stomach.  Just add a little honey!

Eating more basil in the late summer and early fall helps fend off sinus and bronchial congestion during the winter.  It is also antibacterial and antiviral, making it a helpful remedy for the common cold and flu as well.  If you are prone to such sickness, keep some dried basil and drink the tea several times a week as a preventative remedy.  It warms the body, clears out the lungs, and sharpens the mind.  In the middle of winter when you are feeling cold, dark, damp and depressed, break out your stash of dried basil and let it infuse your day with a little warmth and summer sunshine.

Sage (Salvia officinalis)

Parts used: Leaves

Benefits and uses:  Yes, I am talking about sage, that herb you stuff a turkey with.  Go ahead and take it out of the back of your cupboard and you’ll be using it in your meals more than a few times a year!  People use sage to accompany heavy meat meals because it is an antidote to many of the problems that are associated with eating too much meat.  The carminative properties help us to digest the meat, the antibacterial properties help to deter bacterial pathogens that may be growing in meat, and its decongestant properties help to dispel congestion that many people develop from eating large portions.

Sage is the ultimate kitchen medicine, and much more versatile than we give it credit for.  It is excellent made as a tea for cold and flu remedies, helping rid the body of coughs and sneezes.  Gargling with sage vinegar is helpful for laryngitis, sore throats, and receding gums, too.  Don’t overlook the nervine qualities of sage.  Life’s pace just seems to be moving faster and faster, with more images to process, more information to assimilate, and too many technological devices with which to send and receive messages.  Nervine herbs bolster the nervous system so that relaxation is within easier reach.  While fending off colds, sage tea can also help bring on a pleasant night’s sleep.

Sage blossoms are also beautiful and make a nice cut flower.  Harvest some bunches and place them around your house - it energetically clears the space, almost like an acupuncture treatment for the room.  Its antibacterial, aromatic oils skill airborne bacteria, and the fresh smells brings a sense of clarity.

Butterfly weed/pleurisy root (Asclepias tuberosa)

Parts used: Roots

Benefits: About a month ago I was hiking at a state park in Tennessee, and I came upon this glorious orange flower.  I had to take a picture of it because I was so enchanted with its beauty and I intuitively knew that it had some medicinal benefit.  I researched it when I got home and what do you know, it’s a standby in folk medicine and Native American herbalism!  Pleurisy root is effective against respiratory infections, where it reduces inflammation and assists expectoration.  It can be used in the treatment of bronchitis and other chest conditions, as well as pneumonia, influenza and - as the name suggests - pleurisy. The roots should be unearthed in early or mid-spring, then cleaned, split and dried in a shady spot.  It combines well with cayenne, lobelia and grindelia in the treatment of respiratory congestion. 

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

Lemon balm is a highly aromatic plant that is easy to grow in your garden. Like many mints, it has a variety of uses and is generally safe for all ages. It also tastes wonderful, making it an easy remedy to get down picky throats.  Children seeking comfort from the pain of teething can use lemon balm as a tea or can chew on a washcloth soaked in tea.

Lemon balm is an aromatic digestant that can be used for indigestion, gas, bloating, and other digestive complaints.  It is also antiviral and a relaxing diaphoretic, making it an ideal choice for colds and the flu, especially when accompanied by a fever. It is often combined with St. John’s Wort, both topically and internally, to relieve cold sores. Because both of these antiviral herbs are relaxing nervines, they make an especially beneficial pairing for these stress-related sores.  Lemon balm’s calming abilities are especially suited for tissues in an excited state such as hyperthyroidism.  Because it is often used for hyperthyroidism, some caution those with a hypothyroid from using too much of it.

If you’re feeling overly stressed with a go-go-go-go mentality, a daily lemon balm infusion can help you to slow down and unwind.  I make a nice valerian-lemon balm tea which tastes great and is so soothing! 

Elderberry (Sambucis nigra. S. canadensis, S. mexicana)

Elder shrubs dripping with their heavy load of berries in the fall, or shining with their starry flowers in the early summer, are a welcome sight!  This bountiful shrub contains potent medicine that even tastes good!  All species of the elder with blue and black berries can be used interchangeably.

Elder flowers arrive in early July and you can harvest these in bunches when they are at their peak, keeping in mind any flowers harvested will not turn into berries later that season.  The flowers are a safe and effective relaxing diaphoretic (meaning it promotes sweating) herb that is very mild tasting - for these reasons it is often used to treat fevers in young children. Elder flowers can also be used as a bath herb or for external washes to soothe and soften the skin.

Elderberries are a tasty treat that also have many medicinal properties such as immunomodulating, anti-oxidant, and antiviral. This can make it an important ally at the first signs of a cold or flu. Because of its cooling tendencies, it may be appropriate to add a more warming herb, like ginger, when taking it for a cold with symptoms of being cold.  The leaves and bark of this plant also contain strong medicinal properties mostly used for emetic and laxative effects. It’s recommended that a person interested in using these parts in this manner consult with a trained practitioner.

Elderberry syrup is a delicious addition to any herbal medicine cabinet - recipe will be posted soon!