Are you ready? Well, ready or not, it’s around the corner. Ah yes, the holiday. The time to buy and give gifts, cook, bake, and of course let’s not forget the most important thing, tension.
Well, what about if we do a little differently this year? What is the case if our holiday resolution is not to strive or to let that stress eat you on the inside?
Nettle leaf
Herbs can be a wonderful tool to help the body deal with stress, because, of all the things they do, one of the most important is that they feed the body. This is exactly what you need in times of stress. Here are two categories of herbs that your best friends should become with these holidays.
Adaptogenic herbs
The first category is adaptogenic herbs. Adaptogens are defined as herbs that help the body prevent the adverse effects of external stressors by generating non -specific resistance. What this means in a nutshell is that they help the body to deal with stress by maintaining the balance within all systems of the body. Whether your mood should be stabilized, your immune system must be stimulated or your liver should be detoxified, adaptogenic herbs are a beautiful key to help the body repair that weak link in your chain. Some examples of this powerhouse herbs are Eleuthero, Maca, Holy Basil, Rhodiola and Astragalus.
Rhodiola
All these herbs work very well as a tea or even as a tincture. Here is a small holiday recipe that I like to make during the fall and winter with the help of these great nourishing herbs. First I have to notice for this recipe, I use the herbs in powder and I make a large batch. I thought this was the best way to make this recipe, because it is quick and easy. Once the powders are mixed in a batch, there is only one small step to take you to the finish line. The recipe contains the following ingredients and amounts in it.
Adaptogenic tincture
Ingredients
- Eleuthero, 2OZ
- Rhodiola 2oz
- Astragulas, 2oz
- Dark cocoa, 2oz
- Cinnamon, .5 oz
Instructions
All you have to do is mix these ingredients and place them in a glass amber jar. Because these are all equally strong adaptogens, I like to use equal parts of each in the formula. The cocoa and cinnamon are very nourishing and warming herbs, so I thought it would be nice to use them for that extra holiday tick.
Here is the part that it will hit the ball park. The liquid base is almond or coconut milk. The only thing you do is warm 8 to 10 oz of the milk, add 1 tablespoon of herbs to the milk and mix it for about 20 seconds. The end result? A beautiful adaptogenic hot chocos that will feed your body in his time of need. You can also do it cold if you prefer.
Nervine herbs
The second category of herbs is Nervine herbs. Nerve spices act as nerve tones. Their primary function is to feed, regulate and strengthen the nerve cells. These herbs can act as a stimulating agent or a calming agent and soothes agitation within the nervous system. Because the brain and the nervous system help to control so many functions in the body, it is so important to see that this system gets a lot of food if you feel the most stressed. Some of my favorites are kava, scullcap, hops and valerian. Although these herbs work beautifully in combination, I like to use them individually as tea. Let’s see how we can make them.
Hop
Nervine Tea
Ingredients/instructions
Because Kava and Valerian are both roots, you have to make a decoction. You do this by simply bringing a tablespoon of dry herb to every eight grams of water. Bring the water to the boil, add the herb, let the flame simmer and cover for 20 minutes. As soon as it is ready, remove it from the flame and let it sit for another 5 minutes, then tension and enjoy! NOTE: I would like to propose that you use the dry outdated valerian versus the fresh as the fresh works more like neuro-stimulant.
For a simpler tea you can use the Scullcap or Hop and make a simple infusion. The measurements are the same as for the decoction, but as soon as the water comes to the boil, you have to completely remove it from the flame. Then add the herbs and cover for 5-8 minutes cover, tension, drink and enjoy it! It is important to always keep the tea because you do not want all essential oils to escape in the air.
Mike Stuchiner is a Master -Confectional, graduated from the School of Natural Healing, has written 2 booklets about herbal medicine, published articles, owned by his own herb shop and currently has a private consultation.
Only for educational purposes. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent a disease.
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