Herbs are fascinating. Our bodies crave them even if we don't realize it. Our ancestors all ate a diverse range of herbs, as food and as medicine. We have forgotten how to nourish ourselves as we get wrapped up in the quick and easy way to get through the day, eating packaged foods and less of the nutrient-dense foods that our bodies crave.
At Exclusivitea, we aim to make things easy for you. We provide quick easy blends to add to your daily diet as a tea, to spice up a meal or to add to a smoothie. Herbs can give an overall boost to your system and provide immune support which, we hope, will assist you with some of life's challenges.
Check back here often as we will continue to add new Herbs, Teas, Flowers and Mushroom information!
Lemon Balm, Mélisse, Melissa Officinalis, from the Lamiaceae (Mint) Family, is one of my Favorite herbs. Lemon balm is fragrant & cooling, calming and balancing. A great nervine tonic to nourish the nervous system. You can brew tea from fresh or dried leaves. I love it as a potent iced tea. I pour 85ºC - 95ºC/185º - 200ºF water over the dried leaves in a mason jar then steep for 15 mins to 30 mins until cool then stored overnight in the fridge to get a healing blend. I find it calms my anxiety, settles my stomach & balances out my mood. (For Food Safety reasons, boil water to 100ºC/212ºF and let it cool down to desired temperature.)
Lemon Balm has been used traditionally for thousands of years to improve cognitive function, as a mood booster, anxiety, stress, sleep quality, and for digestive health.
Hot tea or cold infusion: 1 – 4 cups a day 237ml – 946ml per day.
Lemon Balm can be used as a tincture, supplement, tea or infusion.
Although generally deemed as a safe herb, Lemon Balm in large doses can affect people on medication for hypothyroid, hyperthyroid or Hashimoto's thyroiditis please consult with your healthcare practitioner as it may effect thyroid hormone medications. Stop using lemon balm at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery as it can increase the sedative effects of the medications used during and after surgery.
Always seek the guidance of a healthcare practitioner before mixing herbs with medications or if pregnant or breastfeeding.
Stinging Nettle, Grande Ortie, Ortie Piquante, Common Nettle, Urtica dioica, from the Urticaceae (nettle) Family, is such a nutritious herb but watch out for her bite! The stinging hairs called trichomes on the leaves and stems, act like little needles, injecting histamine and other chemicals that produce a stinging sensation upon contact. This effect is removed when blanched or dried. Some people do find the sting soothing for arthritis or may understand how to handle it without getting stung but most people wear gloves when handling fresh Stinging Nettle!
Full of Vitamins & minerals it is great for nourishing the whole body & your blood. You can drink or eat it every day. I make myself about 946ml (1 quart) a day of an intense infusion to boost my iron, vitamins, A, C, E, K & Magnesium (It has many more great minerals in it too). It eases my fatigue in the late afternoon, helped with my previously constant battle with hives & balances me. It's also great as a pesto or a replacement for spinach in soups.
Infusion: Steep 1 tsp (2g to 5g) to 1 TBSP (15g) of loose tea for each 1 cup (237ml) of water.
1 - 4 times a day.
Ideal Brewing Temp: 50ºC - 60ºC/122ºF - 140ºF for nutrient extraction (Vitamin C and minerals) or 100ºC/212ºF for best flavor and a strong infusion. For Food Safety reasons, boil water to 100ºC/212ºF and let it cool down to desired temperature.
Nettle should only be taken by diabetics under supervision of a qualified health practitioner as it may modify glucose regulation. It can also decrease the efficacy of anticoagulant drugs.
Always seek the guidance of a healthcare practitioner before mixing herbs with medications or if pregnant or breastfeeding.
Chamomile, Camomile, Camomille, Matricaria Chamomilla, from the Asteraceae (Aster) Family, is such a versatile plant. Known also as German Chamomile, we know it as a great tea for relaxing in the evening. Did you know it's also a potent anti-inflammatory? This amazing nervine provides calming support for the nervous system, can help minor gastrointestinal issues, anxiety, ease inflammation in the mouth, help soothe colds & can be used topically on the skin for sunburns or rashes.
I personally have used it as a warm compress for eye irritations and even eye infections for humans & for pets. Just make a cup of tea, let it cool, then dip a paper towel or wash cloth into the sifted tea. Squeeze out excess liquid, then place the cloth over the eyes or wipe gently. Make sure your eyes are closed. I would also suggest a tea bag for this or to be sure to sift out any bits of tea to not further damage the eyes.
When you get a good quality chamomile you'll notice how restful you can feel after sipping on a warm tea while winding down for the night. Steep it longer to get stronger digestive help, but be aware the longer you steep, the more bitter it will get. That means it's working! Bitter herbs almost always equals better for your health. We have gotten so used to making everything so sweet in our daily lives, we forget how nourishing it is for our body to have bitter herbs or greens in our diet. There is so much to say about this little flower. It's so much more than just a tasty tea.
IDEAL BREWING TEMPERATURE: 90ºC - 100ºC/195ºF - 212ºF For Food Safety reasons, boil water to 100ºC/212ºF and let it cool down to desired temperature.
Camomile is generally seen as safe for all, children included. Some people may be allergic, you can always do a skin patch test to be sure.
Always seek the guidance of a healthcare practitioner before mixing herbs with medications or if pregnant or breastfeeding.
Dandelion, Pissenlit, Taraxacum Officinale, from the Asteraceae (Aster) Family, is a symbol of hope, healing, dreams, wishes and resilience to many cultures around the world. Once looked down on, dandelion has a history too deep to go into here but I encourage you to read more about dandelion and its ties to black history. It is resilient & never gives up.
Our dear friend Dandelion is always on our doorstep in spring, here in our area (zone 4 - 5a). After a nice winter, I look forward to seeing them pop up in my yard where I know it is safe to harvest them pesticide free. The first green spring leaves are always the least bitter and are often preferred. I love the leaves in a salad or sandwich, made into a pesto or soups. I use the flowers with the bracts removed for jellies.
Dandelion is a perennial in the Aster family. You can find it throughout the northern hemisphere in all sorts of places, like along sidewalks, yards, meadows and fields, dandelion is always around!
Dandelion is great as a food and is amazing medicinally. Dandelion is rich in vitamins A, B, C, and K, as well as minerals like iron, calcium, folate, zinc and potassium.
One of the most common uses of dandelion is for liver health. Dandelion root is believed to support liver function by aiding in detoxification and promoting the production of bile. It can help stabilize insulin levels, help with gout, arthritis, and rheumatism. Dandelion has diuretic properties, which means it can help increase urine production and promote flushing out toxins from the body.
It can be used as a tea, leaf tincture, root decoction, root tincture & eaten steamed or raw.
It is generally safe but anyone with gallbladder or kidney issues should ask their doctor before taking dandelion. Those on blood thinners or diuretics should avoid dandelion. Dandelion stimulates stomach acids thus is contraindicated in the case of acute gastric inflammation.
Always seek the guidance of a healthcare practitioner before mixing herbs with medications or if pregnant or breastfeeding.
Echinacea, Échinacée, Echinacea Angustifolia, E. purpurea and E. pallida are in the Asteraceae (Aster) Family. Some common names are coneflower, comb flower or Missouri snakeroot.
I love growing it in my garden. It's so useful as well as beautiful. It adds color and texture to your landscape, it loves the sun (who doesn't) and is great for the pollinators.
You can harvest the flower heads, leaves and roots. With Echinacea it's ideal to grow your own or purchase from a reputable company as this amazing North America native is on the United Plant Savers "At-Risk" list. Therefore, it is best NOT to harvest wild Echinacea.
We all know it as a cold and flu herb, but it is so much more than that!
Echinacea is a cooling and drying herb, the taste is acrid and pungent (which is actually a good thing). It is an alterative herb, it modulates inflammation, is antimicrobial, an immunomodulator and is a circulatory stimulant.
It's effective in healing skin conditions like burns, eczema, infected wounds, boils, sores, toothaches, abscesses and inflammation. Bites from snakes and stings from venomous insects (for example: the brown recluse) are also among some of the many amazing uses for echinacea.
In these instances, I would use it internally and externally at the same time.
Generally Echinacea is safe to use while pregnant.
Some medications can be affected by Echinacea and people with autoimmune conditions may be adversely affected.
Always seek the guidance of a healthcare practitioner before mixing herbs with medications or if pregnant or breastfeeding.
