Girlie Tea

Well . . . I seem to have tea on the brain. This will be the 2nd of my tea blends that I've shared this week. 

THE Man and I still have a daughter living at home, and as with most young women, those "monthlies" can really destroy an other-wise good day. We all know what it is . . . cramps, bloating, irritability (did I say that? ;-) ) and flat-out pain. One of her most-requested fixes for these ailments is what we have come to call my "Girlie Tea."

Girlie Tea has everything in it that will work so very well, so very effectively for the above symptoms. Plus . . . it tastes so good you may not even want to put any honey in it, AND, that wonderful warm coziness of drinking a hot tea when you don't feel well helps ease all the monthly crud away.

It has become such an often requested blend that I make up a good-sized batch and store it in a little canning jar. That way, all I need to do is take out about 1-1/2 ts per mug-sized serving, heat the water, steep and comfort is on the way.

Red Raspberry Leaf is one of the best known "women's herbs" around. Many women take it in preparation for childbirth, as it helps to lower the pains of labor and helps for a smoother delivery of the placenta. (Start drinking raspberry leaf tea about 3 weeks before you are due.) And since it works so well to calm labor pains, it also helps tremendously with menstrual cramps.

White Willow Bark is very well known as a general pain reliever; most notably for joints, headache and fevers.

Nettle is one of the best herbs for respiratory issues, especially allergies. It is an anti-inflammatory and opens up your sinuses so you can breath deeply and clearly. And as an anti-inflammatory, it helps with minor swelling of the uterus and smooth blood flow.

Dandelion Root is a great gentle cleanse and detox. What many people don't know it that dandelion root is one the very BEST sources of non-constipating iron. Since there is blood loss during one's menses, women can lose quite a bit of iron. If you normally suffer from low iron, consider drinking a couple mugs of dandelion tea everyday. 

St. John's Wort is one of the best known herbs for depression and anxiety. But what you may not know is that it's also good for stiff joints, shingles/chicken pox, sore muscles, menopause symptoms, insomnia. **NOTE** This herb CAN interact with certain meds, reducing their effectiveness. Make sure you do your own homework, or just leave this one out.**

Passion Flower is one of the best calmatives around. Aids a peaceful mind and positive out-look, can stop that "racing heart" feeling in a stressful situation, it is even good for hysteria.

Scullcap, to me, is right up there with passion flower; PLUS it is an excellent nerve tonic. It helps with everything from panic attacks to migraine headaches, depression, anxiety, stress, and is an antispasmodic, which helps with menstrual cramps and muscle aches.  

You Will Need:

Large 3-fingured pinches of:
~red raspberry leaf
~white willow bark
~nettle
~dandelion root
~St. John's wort
~passion flower
~scullcap
~whisk
~small mixing bowl
~small canning jar or other air-tight container
~tea ball/infuser

Directions:

1) in the mixing bowl, whisk together all of the herbs
2) store in canning jar/container
3) use approximately 1 ts per cup, 1-1/2 ts per mug
4) pour hot water over your tea ball/infuser, let steep for 10-15 minutes
5) Enjoy 

**To make this a night-time tea, add a 1/4 ts of Valerian root.

Let me know how much you LOVE this Girlie Tea.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

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