Need some inspiration for gift giving this Christmas? I’ve compiled a list of present ideas for those people in your life who are interested in looking after the environment, reducing waste in their household and looking after their health. These gift ideas aren’t just good for Christmas, they’re good for any time of the year really – Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthday presents, you name it!
With present ideas ranging from $4 to $149 there’s plenty of options for everyone.

Beauty and Body Care

Massage voucher

I don’t know many people who don’t enjoy massage. I think that a voucher for a pamper session may get you more brownie points than a pretty or useful object, because it sends the message to your recipient that you care, you think they deserve some pampering, and you’re acknowledging all the things they do for you that makes them need that pampering.

You can purchase a voucher for a massage with myself here.
30 minutes – $55
60 minutes – $100

Silk pillow

While initially the idea of gifting a silk pillow might seem a bit strange, silk pillows are a great way to look after the delicate face on your skin, as well as your hair. Cotton absorbs moisture from your skin, can cause friction on the surface of the skin which can lead to wrinkles over time, and can pull on your hair, which leads to more fly aways and split ends. Silk doesn’t do these things and so can be a simple way to look after your skin. They are more expensive than your typical pillowcase but when it comes to the investment that many women put into their skin care, its worth it in the long run.

Go-To has a pure silk pillowcase for $65, or Slip has a variety of colours and patterns at $85

Foam Roller

One of the things I recommend to my massage patients frequently is to stretch and foam roll. Using a foam roller helps you to reduce tension and tightness in muscles, and is also good for fascia.

There’s lots around, but this one is more affordable and straight forward. – Foam roller

Weleda Skin Food and Lip Balm

If you haven’t tried the Weleda Skin Food, then you’re missing out. This gorgeous cream is great for all sorts of skin issues, I love it for all the drier areas such as feet and elbows. This pack is good value and comes with a soothing rose fragranced lip balm.

Weleda Gift Pack – Beauty Essentials – $24.95

Lip Gloss & polish Kit

I use this mineral lip gloss a lot and it leaves a lovely feel, and is a pretty colour. This is a good price with the polish as well.

Mineral Fusion Lip & Tip Kit – $18

Waste Less

Stainless Steel Lunch Box

I’m a fan of a stainless steel lunch box as a way to reduce the amount of plastic we’re exposing out kids to. Most companies will use BPA free plastics, but I’m leaning towards the ‘better safe than sorry’ mentality and avoiding as much plastic as I can, because we don’t have the long term safety data on the new plastic that has replaced the old BPA type.

I like this one because it seals nicely – Seed & Sprout $44

Reusable coffee cup

Given that we know how big an impact disposable coffee cups are making on our landfill AND we want to reduce plastic exposure where possible, reusable coffee cups are a great idea for my fellow caffeine lovers.

I love my glass KeepCup and it gets used more than my other reusable coffee cups because of it’s sturdiness and lack of leaks, however my favourite is my very pretty Pottery for the Planet cup.

KeepCup Medium LongPlay – $34

Joco Medium Glass Cup – $29.95

Biome Ceramic Coffee Cup – $34.95

Metal straws

A great stocking filler is a metal straw – it looks pretty but it’s good for the environment. The more people using less disposable plastic straws, the better. There’s different colours and shapes to choose from, and prices range from $3.50 to $16.95.

Reusable Food Wraps

Instead of going through gladwrap like there’s no tomorrow, reusable food wraps are gentler on the environment, but also your health (less plastic exposure).

I use beeswax food covers like these ones but for a vegan alternative you can use these silicon wraps – $27.

Handkerchief

Save all those tissues heading into landfill and look cute at the same time by using a hanky. There’s lots of reasons why carrying a hanky is a good idea, and it’s not nearly as gross as some may think.

If you accidently leave it in your pocket it won’t cover your clothes in lint. It’ll just get clean.

If you haven’t blown your nose on it already you can mop your brow with it, use it as a barrier for unclean doorknobs, clean your glasses or phone screen and more, plus you can offer it chivalrously to a friend in need.

Ideally you’d have one for every day of the week, and change to a fresh one every day, washing at the end of the week. Hankies are pretty big so if you do need to blow your nose a few times on it there’s plenty of space.

Check out these gorgeous designs at $11.95.

 

Produce Bag

A lightweight string bag is a great option for putting your fruit and veg into at the grocers, because it won’t add too much onto the scales.

Choose one like this and you’ll be looking trendy at the same time.

Organic Cotton String Shopping Bag – $14.95

Composters

I’ve asked my parents to get me a pet waste composter for Christmas. Yes a bit strange I know, but that’s me.

I like that it will save the plastic bag usage in collecting the poos (I have a Labrador so have to collect daily), but with time it will improve my soil.

Just dig a hole, bury the composter and then start adding the dog poo along with the starter grains and it will start composting the poo down into the soil.

For a more traditional type of composter you have plenty of options.

I love my worm farm – since I’ve gotten the hang out how much to feed and water the worms they are thriving and I’m regularly getting liquid fertiliser for my garden. I got mine with a discount from my local council through https://compostrevolution.com.au.

Books

Recipe Books

Who doesn’t love a nice fresh bit of cooking inspiration! I for one love getting a new recipe book, and will keep it on the bench for weeks at a time while I chip away at the new recipes.

There’s endless choices, but here are some of my favourites.

Deliciously Ella The Plant Based Cookbook: 100 simple vegan recipes to make every day delicious  by Ella Mills – this has some gorgeous flavour combinations and is very inspiring for increasing the diversity of ways you have vegetables in your diet. I will have the meals as a side to a serve of meat or it’s fine to have it on it’s own. I love the Harissa Eggplant and the Cauliflower and turmeric salad.

Living the Healthy Life by Jessica Sepel – Gorgeous recipes and a lot of healthy eating and lifestyle tips as well. A very pretty book to look at and the recipes as tasty and easy to make.

Wholesome Child by Mandy Sacher. This one is a great choice for people who have young kids, because it’s meals are family focused as well as being great for cooking for kids. I’ve written a review of this book here, so feel free to check it out.

Kitchen Novice eBook and Meal Plan by Alison Mitchell (that’s me!) – Oh and did you know that I have a meal plan and recipe book? It’s designed around whole food for people who are getting familiar with cooking, so if you like the idea of a recipe book and healthy eating but don’t feel confident in the kitchen, check this one out. It also has a guide on learning to eat well, a meal plan and a shopping list, all for $24.95.

Other Books

Not everyone wants a recipe book, so here are some other great books you can consider.

One Bite At A Time by Sarah Lantz & Tabitha McIntosh – This book delves into the issues facing our health and our environment as a result of chemical exposure. It is a gorgeous book as well so would make a beautiful coffee table book, something that will certainly be a conversation starter.

The Barefoot Investor by Scott Pape – Touted as being the only money guide you’ll ever need, this could be a great idea for friends or family alike. This book has ranked #1 on Amazon multiple times and is currently still #1 in wealth books. Financial stress is a big one and cutting this down will make this gift recipient grateful for your thoughts.

Idaho by Emily Ruskovich – There’s nothing quite like sitting with a good book and a cup of tea to relax and take your mind off the worries of life. Sadly I haven’t read a fiction book in over a year, so I asked my book loving husband what his favourite book of the last year was, and this was it. I asked ‘What do you like about it’, and true to his English Teacher form he replied: “An engaging story with well written prose and emotional poignancy.” Sounds good to me.

Audiobooks

Since having kids I don’t get much time to sit down and read, but not prepared to give up my fantasy novels I turned to audiobooks. When I’m cooking, driving by myself or going for a run I will put on an audio book and it helps me to chill out, but I’m still getting things done.

Audible books vary in price but if you get a membership you get a credit each month, making the books much cheaper in the long run.

I have gifted Audible Memberships before and it’s been well received. But you might just want to get it for yourself. I love my audiobooks – I went through the entire Outlander series on Audible, and my recent favourites are The Millenium Series (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), The Kingkiller Chronicles (The Name of the Wind) and The Sellout.

I’ve also done a fair few non-fiction books on Audible such as Work Rules by Lazlo Block, Eat The Yolks, Gut and Food Politics.

Gift a membership here.

Other

Seed Card

A seed packet and gift card all in one, these cute little cards are a great gift for all ages.

Sow ‘n Sow Seed Card $9.95

Herbal Teas

I’ve tried a lot of different herbal tea blends and I keep coming back to Burton Health Tea. I love the herbal blends in each of them, but the flavours of the teas are carefully thought out and well executed. A 30 serve bag of tea is very cost effective and a great gift idea.

Perhaps you might like to give the TeaStress blend to a person who is under a bit of pressure in their life.

Or perhaps you know someone who gets sick all the time, in which case Immunitea might be a good choice.

Rest and Digest is one of my favourite blends – it helps to get he nervous system and digestive system talking to each other again, switching you back into a parasympathetic nervous system state.

Or the other option is Dandy Chai, a delicious blend that is warming and good for your digestion.

Check out the teas here, and if you use code NATNSW at checkout you will receive a 10% discount.

Burton Health Tea – from $9.00

Spiraliser

Spiralizer – Making zucchini noodles can be loads of fun, but if you get a good quality spiralizer you can make noodles out of loads more vegetables. Increase your vegetable intake and have fun doing it.

Water Filter

Remove the bad stuff, and put back in the good stuff with a water filter. I like this little one because it’s cost effective and can be carried around with you when travelling. It is made from plastic but you could fill it up, let it filter through them tip it into a stainless steel or glass bottle.

Mini Waterman Water Filter Bottle 600ml – $79.95

Why would you want to filter your water?

Chlorine in tap water is thought to negatively affect our gut bacteria balance, and it can also affect our iodine levels. Flouride is another chemical that can affect iodine levels and thyroid health, but if you’re still wanting to get the fluoride for your teeth, the amount you’re exposed to when rinsing your teeth when brushing them is enough to do it’s job. It also helps to filter our pesticide residue and other heavy metals.

Blue Blocking Glasses

Did you know that we are constantly exposed to blue light through TV screens, computers, phones and tablets. It affects our melatonin levels, a hormone that we make through our eyes in response to orange light. Altered melatonin levels can cause issues with hormone balance but mostly affects our sleep.

Blue light from the sky is actually important in the day to normalise our circadian rhythms and promote mental wellbeing, but when we’re being exposed to excessive amounts of it from our screens this can be a problem, and in addition the wavelengths from the screen are different to the blue in our natural environment which makes them harmful.

Clever people have found ways to counter this effect by tinting glasses – these glasses used to be very uncool, bright orange safety type glasses, but now there are glasses that look like normal glasses, and they even come with the option to put your prescription into them.

BLUblox is an Australian company that has created three types of lenses – the standard clear lense filters blue light from your computer screens which reduces eye strain and reduce the impact of the blue light on melatonin and other hormones.

You’ve also got the option of red lenses for that extra melatonin boost in the hours before bed, and yellow glasses to promote a heightened sense of happiness in the day.

So if you know somebody who works in front of a computer screen all the time, why not share this with them or pair for Christmas.

BluBlox – $149.95

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I make a small commission if you make a purchase from using that link. This helps contribute to the ongoing costs of running this website. Thank you for your support.

The post Gift Guide for the Health and Environment Conscious appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Are you searching for ideas for Mother’s Day gifts? I’ve come up with some awesome suggestions that I’m sure most Mum’s will love. From a gift voucher for a relaxing massage, to some organic, chemical free skin products, to a DIY decorated mug, you won’t be short of ideas after reading this.

Design your Own Beautiful Mug

Don’t want to spend much? Make Mum a gift! This DIY decorated mug is a great idea and will be a fun activity to do.
Start with a solid coloured mug (or a few) from a cheap store and decorate it. This could be a great one for the kiddies to do (with parental supervision of course).

My favourite is the Nail Polish Marble Mug. You could also use this technique to decorate votive candle holders, vases, saucers or potplants.
Marble Mugs

Using a Porcelain Marker pen you can decorate a mug in all sorts of ways
This link gives you ideas about how to transfer a printable picture so it’s easier to draw, or some inspiration to draw some geometric patterns.
Marker Mugs

High tea

Take your Mummy on a date to High Tea, or give her a gift voucher for another time.

Here are some lovely places to consider:
The Sebel, Hawkesbury – $44 pp
The Fairmont Resort, Leura – $49-$65 pp
Lilianfels, Katoomba, $49-$69 pp

A tea subscription.

Does your Mum love herbal tea? For a gift that will last well past May 14th, consider a subscription of organic herbal tea.

Burton Health offers a monthly tea subscription which delivers a bag of organic tea to your door along with an information sheet about each tea blend, new members get a travel mug, and each month there are surprise goodies included. With each month Mum gets a present in the mail that will remind her of your kind gift.

Membership ranges from 3 months for $99 or a years worth for $299. Alternatively you can just purchase her a single pack of tea, which is all available to peruse on the club website.
Burton Health Tea Club

A relaxing massage.

Ease stress and sore muscles with a therapeutic, relaxing massage. Pregnancy massage is great gift idea for a Mum-to-be as well!
Massages are available with me at the Windsor clinic on Wednesdays and Saturdays, or Fridays at Dural.
60min for $95
30 min for $55

Email me for a voucher, or Book Online for Dural or Call for appointments at Windsor

Skin Juice Box of Goodness – Hand Cream and Green Balm

This pack contains the all-purpose Skin Juice Green Balm, and Perfect Paws hand cream.

I swear by the Skin Juice Green Balm, you can use it for rough skin, as a night cream, for rashes and a bit of eczema, as a lip balm, soothe cuts and bruises. It softens, soothes and conditions all areas of skin you want to apply it to. (It’s also safe to use on babies from 4 weeks and safe during pregnancy). The hand cream smells lovely and isn’t greasy.
This pack with the hand moisturiser and green balm together is on sale at the moment on Nourished Life – $36 down from $55; or just get the Green Balm for $29.50

Skin Juice Just Squeezed Box of Goodness

Green Juice All Over Skin Balm

Make her a cake.

Try my recipe for a gluten free Plum and Orange Cake.

Women Essence – Australian Bush Flower Essence

This blend of Bush Flowers is designed to assist in balancing emotional imbalances that are common during menstruation, menopause, pregnancy and more. This gentle formula works on an energetic level and may help with mood swings, hot flushes, and more. For more detail look at the individual essences on the website.

Women Essence Drops

The Divine Company Hand Series

What Mum doesn’t have hardworking hands. Give them some love with a beautiful, nasty-chemical free cleanser and moisturiser. This moisturiser smells just divine. (Get it?)
Last year I interviewed the founder of this company, Therese Kerr about natural beauty products. You can check that out here.
The cleanser and moisturiser combo is on sale for $79.95: The Divine Company Organic Hand Series

Or just get the moisturiser for $49.95
The Divine Company Organic Hand & Body Lotion

So that’s my suggestions. What do you think? Any other ideas?

This post contains some affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

The post Gift Ideas for Mother’s Day appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

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This is a bit of a different style to the previous podcast/videos I’ve done which talk about conditions and naturopathy. In this episode Laura Burton and I talk about our favourite ‘health food’ items and discuss how we use them and what their benefits are. There are links to the items we mentioned in the podcast breakdown below.

But the most exciting bit about this video is that there’s a GIVEAWAY! The good folks at Loving Earth and the Gingerbread Folk have been particularly generous in donating some items for the giveaway, and Laura and I have chipped in a few goodies as well. Find the link to enter below.

Want to subscribe to get podcasts automatically? You can do that here: https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/health-wellbeing-podcast/id1006574743

Laura is a clinical naturopath practicing in St Leonards and Dural. Her key areas of interest are female hormone disorders, digestive health, stress & adrenal fatigue. Through her clinical experience Laura has identified the prevalence of stress in our everyday lives and sees it as the most common cause or exacerbating factor of her patients health conditions. Laura believes that we need to get back to basics and work on our ability to release and manage stress in order to prevent and treat disease.

Last year Laura set herself the mission to reach beyond the walls of her clinics and send her de-stress message out to Australian and New Zealand households through the Burton Health Tea Club. Each month she sends love letters and tea packages to her members to inject joy and excitement into their days and to remind them to slow down, relax and reconnect while sipping on a cup of organic herbal tea.

You can connect with Laura via her website www.burtonhealth.com.au, on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.

If you’ve got something nice to say about the podcasts please leave a review on iTunes, but I’m also keen for any constructive feedback if you want to comment below!

Podcast Breakdown

2.00 Our favourite snacks

2.10 Nut Butter on brown rice crackers (Deli Grains with black sesame)

4.00 Pic’s Really Good Peanut Butter

4.20 Seaweed – Sea Shanti Sea Crisps and Sea Flakes

5.46 Bounce Balls

6.55 Miso Soup

8.07 Gluten free ginger bread – Gingerbread Folk

9.00 Crudites and dip (here are my recipes for guacamole and Baba Hummus)

9.25 Condiments

9.32 Ghee

10.22 Seaweed Salt 

11.23 Savoury Yeast Flakes

12.15 Honey

13.10 Maca Powder

14.11 Apple Cider Vinegar – try to get a brand that contains the ‘mother’ for probiotic content such as Melrose and/or Bragg

16.05 Saurkraut – Peace Love Vegetables or Kehoe’s

17.20 Coconut Oil – Melrose, Loving Earth, Coconut Magic

18.30 Great Lakes Gelatin (read more about gelatin here) Aussies can buy it here, but it’s also available on iherb here.

20.00 Jarred tomatoes – Blis, and BPA free tinned tomatoes from Global Organics

22.00 Achieving balance with the more expensive but ‘healthier’ options

23.53 Caramelised Buckinis – Loving Earth

24.35 Chia Seeds – The Chia Co

27.18 Sardines – Fish 4 Ever and Wild Planet

29.27 Raw cacao – Power Super Foods, Loving Earth

29.54 Cacao nibs – Loving Earth

31.06 Coconut sugar – Loving Earth

32.30 Our favourite drinks

32.40 Kombucha – Mojo, Tonicka, Remedy or make your own! (recipe coming soon)

35.08 Burton Health Tea – Shop Here

35.40 Coconut Water – Pure Natural Raw C

37.10 Keep Cup

38.10 Burton Health Tea Club –  Click here to learn more

40.34 GIVEAWAY!!! – Click here to learn more and to enter

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Herbal Tea – Not actually Tea!

I love a good cup of tea (and coffee too).  I also love herbal tea – it’s a great way of keeping hydrated and relaxing, while at the same time applying some of the healing properties of herbs.  Did you know that herbal tea isn’t actually tea?

Tea is made from the bush of Camellia sinensis, and all proper teas such as black, green and white teas come from this plant.  Herbal teas are actually infusions, and are properly called tisanes. Tisanes are made from mixtures of dried leaves, seeds, grasses, nuts, barks, fruits, flowers, or other botanical elements that give them their taste and provide the benefits of herbal teas.  They are usually all caffeine free and therefore will hydrate you, so they can be counted in your 2L of water each day.

There are a huge range of herbal teas available, some of which contain a blend of normal tea with other herbs/spices and some are completely free from tea.  It can be a bit overwhelming knowing which tea is best for you, so I’ll go through some varieties in this article.

TEA

Black Tea

Black tea is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than the less oxidized teas (green, white and yellow). Below are some common variations of the Black tea, all made from the Camellia sinensis bush, but produced in different ways.

–   Assam tea is found in most “breakfast” teas such as English breakfast and Irish breakfast. It is named Assam after its region of production in India.

–   Earl Grey has added Bergamot oil (Bergamot is extracted from the rind of the Bergamot Orange)

–   Lapsang souchong is from China, and is traditionally smoked.

–   Oolong tea is also from China, and it is produced by being withered under the sun, and then the leaves are curled and twisted.

White Tea
White tea is unfermented and is made from the very new and young leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. White tea contains a higher concentration of polyphenols (constituents responsible for the antioxidant activity of tea) and thus has greater free radical scavenging activity compared to Green and black tea. It is also the least processed tea available

Green Tea
Green tea is unfermented, and is made by heat treating the leaves soon after they are harvested. Green tea will usually only keep for a year. It is rich in polyphenols and so has many healthy properties. There is a lot of research on green tea, and some of its properties include an ability to help protect against heart disease, cancer and it also very slightly helps to boost metabolism.

Yellow Tea
Yellow tea is similar to green tea, however it has a less ‘grassy’ flavour. During the process that leads to the tea leaves becoming yellow tea, the chlorophyll is broken down and partly oxidized. The taste of the tea becomes milder, and is often described as being somewhere between white tea and green tea. The aroma is described as flowery, fresh and mild. There is little known about this properties of this tea, but it is possible that some of the benefits are lost in its processing.

TISANES

There are huge varieties of Tisanes available, so I’m going to go through some of the more popular options, what they’re good for and how to prepare them.
Note – we all know now that herbal teas are technically called tisanes, however I will still be using the term tea through this article.

YEP.

This is something everyone should have in their cupboard.   YEP tea is a classic tea formula which contains Yarrow, Elderflower and Peppermint.  The actions of these herbs are great for helping the body deal with fevers, which allow the body to burn out the bugs from our system.

Pour a cup of boiling water onto 1-2 heaped teaspoonfuls of the dried herbs and infuse for 10 minutes. Drink 6-8 cups at the start of an infection.

Chamomile

One of my favourite herbs.  It has an excellent calming action, and can be drunk for anxiety and insomnia.  It also helps with digestive problems as it reduces inflammation in the intestines.  It can also be used as a wash for sore inflamed eyes.

2 tsp dried leaves in a cup of boiling water, infuse for 5-10 minutes.  For digestive problems, drink after each meal. 

Peppermint

Peppermint is a great herb for relaxing the stomach.  The essential oils contained in the herb can reduce colic, flatulence and nausea.  It is also great for fevers (it’s in the YEP tea).

Pour a cup of boiling water onto a heaped teaspoonful of the dried herb and infuse for 10 minutes.  Drink as often as desired.

Raspberry Leaf

Raspberry leaves have a long tradition of use in pregnancy to strengthen and tone the tissue of the womb.  Taking this tea regularly in pregnancy and during labour can help with contractions and reduces haemorrhages during labour.

Pour a cup of boiling water onto 2 teaspoonfuls of the dried herb and let infuse for 10-15 minutes.  This may be drunk freely.

Rose

Rose tea is made from the petals of the rose flower, and it is usually added for its scent and flavour.  It reportedly contains vitamin C, however this is usually due to the confusion between rose petals and rose hips.  It combines well with black tea.

Pour a cup of boiling water onto 2 teaspoonfuls of the dried herb and let infuse for 10 minutes.  Alternatively, simmer 1/3 cup fresh rose petals in 1 cup of water for 5 minutes or until the petals become discoloured.  Add honey to taste.

Rose Hip

Rose hip is made from the fruit and seeds of the Dog Rose (Rosa canina) which are collected in the autumn.  It is rich in vitamin C and so is great for warding off colds and infections.  It can also be drunk to improve energy and relieve constipation.

This must be made as a decoction.  Put 2½ teaspoonfuls of the cut hips in a cup of water, bring to the boil and simmer gently for ten minutes.

Ginger

This is another great herb for fevers and calming the stomach.  Ginger can promote perspiration making it good for fevers.  It also stimulates the peripheral circulation, making it a good herb for bad circulation and chilblains.  Nausea of morning sickness and motion sickness can be relieved by taking ginger.

Pour a cup of boiling water onto 1 teaspoonful of roughly chopped fresh root and let it infuse for 10 minutes.  Drink whenever needed.

Fennel

Fennel is another great herb for the stomach and intestines.  It can be taken to relieve flatulence and colic if taken before meals.  It is also good for coughs as it calms the lungs and helps the expulsion of mucous.  It can also be taken by nursing mothers to increase the flow of breast milk.

Pour a cup of boiling water onto 1-2 teaspoonfuls of slightly crushed seeds and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.  Drink three times daily.

Lemon Balm

Lemon Balm is a great herb to drink to help you relax.  It can also settle the stomach, making it especially good for nervous indigestion.  Lemon Balm is lovely for kids and can be combined with chamomile for upset tummies, nerves and even teething.  The little hairs on the leaves contain an essential oil that is strongly anti-viral, but this evaporates if the leaves are roughly handled so it can only be relied on in fresh herbs.  Lemon Balm is part of the mint family so it tastes yummy, and it is also very easy to grow.

Pour a cup of boiling water onto 1 teaspoonful of the dried herb or 1½ tablespoons of fresh herb and let infuse for 10 minutes.

Lemon Grass

Lemon grass tea is a very refreshing, citrus flavoured drink.  You can make the tea from the dried variety which is usually from the white ends.  If you grow lemon grass yourself (it’s easy to grow, but keep it in a pot as it grows rampant) then you can use the fresh green leaves as well.   One of the ingredients of lemongrass, citral, has been shown to have anti-cancer properties.  It is also considered to be of benefit for insomnia, and to relieve chest infections.

For the fresh tea use 10 leaves, cut up into 2 to 3 inches.   Avoid using the outer leaves as these may make the tea bitter.  Wash them well and boil them in a litre of water for 10-20 minutes.

Thyme

Sluggish digestion and upset tummies can be helped with thyme.  The essential oils in thyme are strongly antiseptic, so it’s good for respiratory and digestive infections.  It’s a fantastic cough remedy because of its antiseptic and expectorant properties.

Pour a cup of boiling water onto 2 teaspoonfuls of the dried herb and let infuse for 10 minutes.

Sage

Sage is a classic remedy for inflammation of the mouth and throat.  It can help with mouth ulcers, gingivitis, laryngitis and tonsillitis.  It can also help to reduce sweating.   It should be avoided during pregnancy.

Add ginger, thyme and Manuka honey to sage tea for an awesome sore throat tea.

Pour a cup of boiling water onto 1-2 teaspoonfuls of the leaves and let it infuse for 10 minutes.  Drink three times daily.

Rooibos

Pronounced roy-boss, and also known as red tea, Rooibos has a sweet and nutty flavour.   It is believed that rooibos tea has 50% more antioxidants than green tea, and it also rich in vitamin c.  It is caffeine free and is great drink to help you relax.  This is readily available in teabags.

Pour a cup of boiling water onto a rooibos teabag and let it infuse for at least 10 minutes.  Drink freely.

Yerba mate

Yerba mate (pronounced sherba-mah-tay) is rich in nutrients, amino acids and fatty acids, and is often drunk as an ‘energy drink’.  It is traditionally drunk by South Americans in a hollowed out gourd, but due to its rise in popularity it is now becoming available in a few varieties such as mate latte or yerba cocoa.  Yerba mate contains caffeine, but is often better tolerated than coffee.

Yerba mate tea is available as tea bags, but the traditional method of brewing is to fill the mate cup to about ¾ of its capacity with yerba mate tea. The mate cup is then filled with hot water which the yerba mate tea leaves absorb. More water is added until the leaves are completely saturated.

There are many variations on this recipe. Sometimes milk and sugar are added. The tea can be replenished with hot water as many times as desired until there is no more flavour.

Tisanes vs. tinctures

Herbs have a complex array of different active constituents which determine their effects on the body.  The different structures of these constituents call for various methods of extraction.  Some constituents are best extracted with water and others with alcohol.  Active constituents which are potentially dangerous are usually those which are alcohol soluble, meaning that teas are usually safe to self-prescribe (pregnancy is an exception).  Herbal tinctures (such as the formulas I make) are usually extracted with a combination of water and alcohol, the ratio of which is carefully determined to obtain the greatest efficacy.  These should only be prescribed by a trained herbalist or naturopath.

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