What we herbs we plant in our gardens are kind of personal after all. It depends what our needs are and our overall climate or specific microclimate.

At the same time, I also remember when starting out, how useful it is to have something to guide you, so… without further ado

These are must 10 must-have herbs I’d never be without in my garden!

1. Comfrey

Listen, I’m utterly biased cause comfrey is one of my all time fav herb pals, but I couldn’t imagine a life without comfrey and I reckon you’ll love having her in your garden too! I’ve seen her heal ligaments and bones, help people avoid surgery, help with arthritis and all manner of bumps, bruises, sprains and muscular and connective tissue issues. Yes I could actually write a love poem to comfrey… plant her, then come learn with me and we’ll make remedies and wax lyrical together.

2. Yarrow

Yarrow is a primo first aid herb. As a styptic, she’ll help stop bleeding, fight infection and heal all manner of wounds, cuts and scrapes. She grows so easily, often grow wild and weedy in temperate climates and growing abundantly in my garden her. Not just for first aid, you can work with yarrow for menstruation issues, fevers, digestive problems and more! Very versatile.

3. Calendula

Homegrown calendula is just so vibrant and better quality than much of what you can buy commercially. Not only that but it’s an easy herb to grow, a prolific flower-er, especially if you pick flowers regularly, and a joy to work with. So this is my ride-or-die herb to grow myself (although I didn’t grow much this year and I’m kicking myself!).

4. Plantain

For some of you, this helpful plant will be an abundant weed around you, so you mightn’t need to grow it at all. It isn’t for me, so I plant it and it’s one I encourage everyone to grow if it’s not a natural weed at your place. This is because it’s a great first aid plant (there’s a bit of a theme so far isn’t there!)! Its astringent qualities help draw splinters out, or infection and pus out of wounds when made into a simple poultice. That’s mostly why I recommend growing it. Plantago lanceolata is actually a bit tricky to dry, so don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t dry well for you, but keep trying till you get the hang of it!

5. Aloe vera

This beautifully low-maintenance and drought-tolerant herb is a must in my subtropical garden, although perhaps will be a little finicky in colder environments. It just grows itself, is always there waiting and its soothing gel is a multi-purpose healer, perfect sunburns, skin irritation and to cleanse, tone and moisten skin for home spa days.   

6. Tulsi

Tulsi, aka holy basil is a subtropical adaptogen and one of the few adaptogens where you use the aerial (leaves, flowers) parts, which I like because then you don’t have to kill the plant in order to harvest the medicine. Like all the others on this list, it grows abundantly and it also supports other creatures like the bees. Tulsi has amazing benefits for the immune, nervous, respiratory and endocrine systems and is a great ally for burned-out, stressed-out modern life.

7. Parsley (or basil)

Parsley’s always got a place in my garden because it’s an iron and mineral-rich leafy green (and we all know we’re supposed to get more of those in our diets!)

It’s a great antioxidant which combats oxidative stress and it’s utterly delicious and easily included in foods like parsley + wild weed pesto!

You could always sub out parsley and use basil if you’re not a parsley fan (wish my local possum wasn’t!).

8. Thyme

This humble little herb packs an antibacterial punch and I would not be without it in my garden or home apothecary. Thyme offers benefits to the digestive system, urinary system and is supportive for almost all kinds of coughs and lung issues, from the flu to pneumonia (in formula with other  herbs). One of my favourite ways to work with it (aside from making eggs taste amazing), is as a herbal steam to help with nasal and sinus congestion or coughs!

9. Hibiscus

What hawthorn is to temperate-climate folks, hibiscus is for the subtropics: namely one of our best cardiovascular herbs that I reckon every home would benefit from. It’s well known for helping to gently lower blood pressure and cholesterol, support healthy circulation, and cool inflammation in the body. Rich in vitamin C, it also strengthens the immune system and promotes glowing skin. Can be made into a delicious jam, which can get non-herb folks on board!

10. Elder

Elder’s superstar status has made it hard to get a hold of at various times over the past few years. So if elderflower or elderberry are a regular part of your home herbal remedies, then it’s definitely worth having an elder tree in your garden! Just know it suckers and can spread quite easily (becoming weedy in some climates), so plant it somewhere it can grow or its roots are naturally contained.

Some honourable mentions

It’s hard to stick to just 10 plants, and depending where you live, mightn’t always be relevant for you, so some others I’d always love to plant would be: nasturtiums, lemon balm, catnip, sage, garden mint, chamomile, California poppy, skullcap, motherwort, ashwaganda, violets, rosemary, lavender (eeek, better stop, but  I’d love to hear from you! Is your must-have garden herb not on this list? I’d love to know what’s your go-to in your garden. Jump on my mailing list so we can be pen pals!)

Learn to how to grow, harvest and make your own herbal remedies in the Home Herbalist Club!

The Home Herbalist Club is your all-in-one, heart-led home for learning  herbal medicine, a place to grow your skills, confidence, and connection to nature while caring for your family naturally. More details coming soon.

The post 10 must-have herbs to plant in your garden appeared first on Everyday Empowered.

Like the three horsemen of the apocalypse; air, heat and light are the enemies of your herbal shelf-life.

They, along with the original freshness and quality of your ingredients, will determine whether your herbs and remedies have a shorter or longer shelf-life.

So whilst the following is a general guide, always think about where it’s stored and how your herbs/ remedies are used. Ie. If your herbal salve’s sitting in a temperature-stable dark cupboard, it’s very different to in your hot car in summer!

What’s the shelf-life for dried herbs?

Dry herbs: 1 – 2 years,

Roots tend to last longer than aerial parts (leaves and flowers)

Powdered herbs: 2 – 6 months. Whole herbs last a lot longer than powdered herbs

Syrups: 2-4 months (or less),with lesser honey/ sugar ratio the shorter the shelf life

What’s the shelf-life for infused oils or herbal salves?

Infused oils

Infused oil: 6months – 2 years, depends how fresh oil is when started

Herbal salves: 1 -2 years, depending on oil and storage

Cream or lotion:  week to months, depending on preservative

What’s the shelf-life for tincture and other Extracts?

Here’s the shelf-life for herbal remedies from shortest to longest

Teas, infusions and decoctions: 24-48 hours (store in fridge if want it to last longer)

Herbal vinegars:  1 year

Oxymel: 1 year

Glycetracts/ glycerites:  1 year

Infused honey: 1+ year

Electuaries: 1 year

Hydrosols: 1 -2 years

Herbal capsules: 6 months – 1 year

Elixirs: 2 years

Tinctures:  2 – 5/10 years, depending on storage and usage.

How to tell if your herbs have gone bad?

I always recommend being a remedy-detective. By that I mean, know what your herbs and remedies look and smell like when you’ve made them. Lock that knowledge in your knowledge box, so that over time, your nose and eyes will be your ultimately shelf life detectors.

If something smells off, is fuzzy or has visible signs of mould growing on it, then absolutely discard. With some remedies, you’ll have the beginnings of mould growth before it’s really visible as well, not to make your paranoid, but even if it looks okay-ish, if you can’t remember when you made it…. might be time to ditch it.

Herbal storage tips for longer shelf-life

I cover this in more depth in my Mastering Herbal Teas course, that’s a great resource to check out, but in general, top tips are:

• Store in cool, dark, dry places
• Use airtight glass jars
• Label with date made

Ready to learn more about herbal medicine-making this year? Join my last online course for the year, Make your summer apothecary: 3 week medicine-making course. Starts October 21

PS – Getting your senses involved in home herbalism is an absolute gamechanger and can make you a way better herbalist. We cover this extensively, in such a fun, hands-on way in my Embodied Herbalism: Herbal Tastes course.

The post How long do herbs and herbal remedies last? Your complete shelf-life guide appeared first on Everyday Empowered.

Heat-related illnesses happen on a continuum, from heat stress to heat exhaustion to heatstroke.

Whilst colloquially we might call heat stress ‘heatstroke’ or ‘sunstroke’, they’re two totally different beasts and it pays to be able to tell the difference!

Heat stress and heat exhaustion primarily are issues of dehydration but in heatstroke, the body’s temperature regulating mechanism malfunctions and we can no longer cool ourselves down.

Heatstroke is a medical emergency and you need to call 000 right away. Let’s learn to recognise the signs of heatstroke and what to do while we’re waiting for the ambulance.

This article’s about heatstroke, but if you want to learn herbal remedies and DIY recipes for heat stress and heat exhaustion, you’ll love my upcoming course: Make your summer apothecary: 3 week medicine-making course, starting October 21

What is heatstroke?

Heatstroke occurs when the body overheats and our inbuilt cooling system fails. Normally, sweating and evaporation help regulate body temperature, but in heatstroke, the body temperature rises to 40°C (104°F) or higher and can no longer cool down effectively.

Without quick treatment, heatstroke can lead to serious organ damage and even be fatal.

A recent report showed 1000+ people died of heatstroke between 2016 and 2019, with other reports showing there’s heaps more hospitalisations from heat-induced complications, or exacerbations in other medical conditions.

Even though most of us don’t really give it a second thought, heatstroke from heatwaves is the biggest killer from natural disasters in Australia

Heatstroke symptoms

Recognising the signs of heatstroke early is key to preventing serious complications. Common symptoms include:

• Very high body temperature where skin feels hot and flushed (VS heat exhaustion when people feel hot but still have a normal body temperature)
• Little or no sweating despite the heat (vs heat exhaustion where people are still sweating)
• Confusion, agitation, or dizziness
• Severe headache or nausea (headache can also by symptoms of heat exhaustion but nausea is usually associated with heatstroke)
• Collapse, seizures, loss of consciousness

If you or someone else shows these signs, it’s time to act immediately.

(In case it’s helpful, in the Make your summer apothecary course, you’ll get a table with a side-by-side comparison of symptoms for heat stress, heat exhaustion and heatstroke)

Who’s at risk of heatstroke?

Anyone can suffer from heatstroke, but certain groups are more vulnerable:

• Young children and babies because they heat up more quickly than adults
• Pregnant women
• Older adults who have reduced ability to regulate temperature
• People with chronic conditions, particularly heart or breathing problems. If you take regular medications, check with your doctor or pharmacist about extra heat precaution.”
• Athletes and outdoor workers in hot or humid conditions

Heatstroke first aid: what to do

If you suspect someone has heatstroke, treat it as an emergency. Here’s what to do:

1. Call 000 emergency services right away
2. Move the person to a cooler location, in shady area or indoors with air conditioning or fan if possible
3. Hydrate slowly, electrolyte/ rehydrating drinks are best if you have them, or water. Don’t give fluids if the person is unconscious or confused
4. Cool the body quickly. Apply cold wet cloths, ice packs (armpits, neck, groin), or immerse in a bath or shower if possible.
5. Stay with them until medical help arrives

How to prevent heatstroke

You probably already know how to prevent heatstroke because it’s summertime commonsense in Australia (whether we follow it or not is another matter, health advice is kinda like that, easy to know hard to follow (but that’s a tangent for another day 😉)

Here are my heatstroke prevention tips:

• Stay hydrated, drink water and on especially hot days (or if you know you’ll be out in the sun), drink herbal electrolyte drinks to replace electrolytes. Coconut water can be a good natural electrolyte drink in some circumstances, but if really sweating or already starting to feel heat stress you’ll need to add some extra salt for adequate mineral replacement.
• Wear light, breathable clothing, and a wide-brimmed hat outdoors.
• Avoid peak heat hours, usually 11am to 3pm.
• Take regular breaks in the shade if working or exercising outside.
• Check in on vulnerable people
• Have a household and heatwave plan, make sure everyone in your household knows what to do during heatwaves, including how to store heat-sensitive medication if relevant, where and how to access cool locations, and a plan to check vulnerable family, friends and neighbours

Like many issues in home herbalism, if we catch symptoms when they’re small, they don’t have a chance to progress to more serious illnesses. This is true here too. If we can catch heat stress in its early stages it’s unlikely to progress to heatstroke

Learn how to use herbs for heatstroke and make your own herbal remedies and DIY electrolyte drinks join my upcoming course: Make your summer apothecary: 3 week medicine-making course

The post Heatstroke: symptoms, first aid and prevention tips appeared first on Everyday Empowered.

I’m a whole-herb gal at heart and don’t use a ton of essential oils (curious about why!? ask me in my newsletter, that’s where I love to chat with you!), but eucalyptus essential oil has earned a permanent spot in my winter medicine chest.

Why?
Because it’s literally just so effective. It’s an amazing congestion buster that can help you breathe easier in minutes, and can even kill airborne germs on contact.

In herbalism, we often aim to get remedies in direct contact with the tissues that need support. These three methods do just that, bringing eucalyptus oil straight to the respiratory system, where it can work its expectorant and antimicrobial magic.

Let’s dive into three practical ways to use eucalyptus essential oil for colds, flus, and winter wellness.

1. Steam inhalation for congestion relief

(How to use eucalyptus oil for blocked nose + sinus pressure)

This is hands-down one of my all-time fav ways to use eucalyptus oil (although I can’t say my kids feel the same… but that’s why I’ve got a few methods here, cause you might find different herbal remedies suit different people in your home!)

The warm steam opens your airways, and the eucalyptus helps loosen mucus, soothe tissues, and kill microbes on contact. It’s a gentle but potent remedy for colds, sinus infections, and that stuffy, muddled-wombat-headed feeling.

How to do it:

• Add 2 drops of eucalyptus essential oil* to a bowl of boiling water (yes it’s ok if a few more drops dribble out, that’s why we aim for 1-2 drops, but try not to get more than 3-4 drops. Essential oils almost have this soul lesson reminding us that more isn’t always better!)
• Very carefully, put your head over the bowl and cover with a towel. Breathe deeply for 5–10 minutes.

*Don’t have eucalyptus essential oil or don’t like using essential oils?? You could also throw in 1 big handful of dried thyme (thymus vulgaris) or sage (salvia officinalis) leaves.

👉 Grab full instructions in my FREE eBook

2. Diffuse it (or try this no-diffuser trick)

(Purify the air + support better breathing at night)

When someone’s sick, I love getting eucalyptus right into the air. Diffusing eucalyptus essential oil can help cleanse the room, reduce exposure for others, and support better breathing overnight.

No diffuser? No problem. Try the old-school method:

• Add a few drops to a tissue, cotton ball, or scrap of fabric
• Place near the bed or in the room

This is especially great at night to help unblock sinuses and get some healing sleep.

3. Make a simple natural room spray

(A germ-busting, air-cleansing spray for sick days)

A homemade eucalyptus room spray is a great way to freshen the air and minimise the spread of viruses.

✨ DIY Germ-Away room spray recipe:

1. Fill a 500ml(ish) spray bottle with water
2. Add 8–10 drops of eucalyptus essential oil (if using a smaller spray bottle, use less)
3. Shake well before each use, otherwise the essential oils float on water
4. Mist into the air, especially in bedrooms or wherever the sick person’s hanging out.
   🚫 Don’t spray directly on faces

Eucalyptus essential oil is an affordable, accessible ways to bring potent natural healing into your home. Whether you’re using steam, diffusing it, or making a DIY spray, this plant ally can help support your respiratory system and keep the household breathing easy this winter.

Also – cause I’m a big fan of use-what-you’ve-got herbalism, you could also work with: thyme, sage, tea tree or lavender to freshen the air, clear congestion and kill viruses in the respiratory system.

Want more winter wellness tips? I’ve got heaps on the blog, or get hands-on making your own with my DIY Immunity Herbal Remedy Kit

The post 3 Powerful ways to use eucalyptus essential oil for colds, flu & winter wellness appeared first on Everyday Empowered.

She DIDN’T want our usual sore throat remedy!

Ha! Kids always keeping us on our toes!  Luckily for us, I’ve got lots of little tricks up my sleeve, so wanted to pass them on the best natural sore throat remedies.

As always, home herbalism is best when it’s SIMPLE. You don’t NEED all these options, nor are any ‘the BEST’. They’re all effective, and you might find each person in your home prefers a different method.

I know for me, I’ll never choose to gargle, cause honestly, I just sound like a dying whale before I accidently spit it out on everything around me 🤣

So, find what works for you (and just keep the other ideas tucked in your back pocket if you ever need them).

Sage (Salvia Officinalis)

Sage is one of the best natural remedies for sore throats (not the only herb tho!) because it’s an antimicrobial, astringent herb with a particular affinity for the throat. It’s widely available and grows easily (in a pot if you’re in the subtropics) making it easy to have on hand when a sore throat strikes.

Think sage in any form – tea, gargle, infused honey, electuary, spray.

I love to make a sage and echinacea throat spray, because in a research study, this combo was found to be as effective as pharmaceuticals.

Get recipes for sage tea, sage-infused honey and sage throat spray in our DIY Immunity Kit if you want those recipes, herbs, spray bottle etc – we’ve got you covered!

Thyme (Thymus Vulgaris)

A close friend of sage, thyme works a treat for sore throats. I personally only really think of thyme tea or gargle for sore throats, but that’s cause I usually have sage on hand. Thyme’s a great warming antibacterial herb though, so it’s gonna pack a punch.

Salt water gargle

I feel like this is the ultimate winner for simplicity, good ol’ salt water gargle. Super effective and perfect for people who want natural home remedies without any fuss and fanfare (and those who can gargle without spitting it everywhere!). Dissolve 1 teaspoon salt in 1 cup of warm water. Gargle 10 – 30 seconds. Repeat as needed.

You could also combine this is a soothing remedy, like marshmallow tea or a spoon of honey to help coat the throat.

Marshmallow tea (Althaea Officinalis)

If you’ve got a sore throats where it feels excruciating to swallow, marshmallow root tea is going to feel just so darn soothing.

It’s slimy, mucilaginous properties will coat your throat to create a protective barrier.

I think of marhsmallow primarily for its soothing properties and would personally opt to combine with another stronger antimicrobial remedy, like a sage gargle or throat spray.

To extract the slimy polysaccharides from marshmallow root, make a cold infusion.

Marshmallow Root Cold Infusion Recipe

Put 1 tablespoon marshmallow root in 1 cup room temperature water. Let sit for 4 hours (you can drink earlier, but the longer you leave it, the more slimy polysaccharides will be extracted into the water). Strain then sip as needed. Can store in fridge for up to 1 day.

Learn more about how to make cold infusions in my self-paced Mastering Herbal Teas course – we look at the 3 ways herbalists make tea, there’s heaps of recipes in there and you learn to create your own perfect tea blends.. and heaps more. Gosh, all that for $37 – bargain!

You might be able to use marshmallow leaf too, but I haven’t personally done that, so can’t say from experience.

There are more herbs you might use as well, these are just the ones I’ve worked with the most often for sore throats.

Remember also – a sore throat is often the first sign we’ve coming down with something. If we work with these natural sore throat remedies and other immune stimulant remedies at the earliest sign, we’re more likely to not get sick.

However, it’s also an invitation for us to rest and care for our body, regardless of whether we do get sick or not. Let’s not just use natural remedies as bandaids but as a way to deeply and intentionally care for ourselves (and yes, I know there’s lots of situations that make this difficult).

Hopefully you’ll find one, or all, of these natural remedies for sore throats helpful!

Take care and stay well.

Head to the Articles section for more winter wellness recipes – like how to use elderberry syrup effectively, make your own fire cider, best herbs for winter wellness etc.

The post Best natural remedies for sore throats appeared first on Everyday Empowered.

You’ll hear me say it heaps, but the beauty of home herbalism is that when we understand basic remedy-making, we get to add our own spin to the recipes. Hopefully yours won’t look exactly like mine, cause then you’ve created your *own* legacy for your home – and over time, your recipes will get lovingly passed from hand to hand, mug to mug amongst family and friends.

So how does this Herbal Chai Tea Recipe – 4 WAYS work?

There’s lots of ways to customise this, which I’ve noted below, but essentially you’ll make your chai tea the same way each time, by decocting your basic chai herbs. You can also add in different medicinal herbs depending what your health goal is. I’ve given you 4 versions in this post, but there’ll be others you could add as well.

Decocting is a tea-making technique where you gently simmer harder plant parts in water in a saucepan on the stove (learn the 3 tea techniques herbalists turn to and when to use each in my Mastering Herbal Teas in 5 Minutes a day course)

Underneath the recipe is a bit more info about each of the herbs and why I’ve chosen them for the Herbal Chai Tea recipe – 4 WAYS.

The Basic chai* recipe is:

• 3-4 cups water
• 1-2 cinnamon sticks, broken up
• 4-10 cardamom pods, (crushed with side of knife on chopping board or mortar and pestle)
• 1 inch slick fresh ginger, finely minced or grated
• 4-6 black peppercorns (crushed with side of knife or mortar and pestle)
• A few cloves, (crushed with side of knife or mortar and pestle)
• Dash of milk or plant mylk

Then add your other medicinal herbs:

• Deep IMMUNITY: 1 tablespoon astragalus root – DON’T use during active infection
• Glow Up:  1 tablespoon burdock root and 1 tablespoon dandelion root
• Burnout RESTORE: 1 tablespoon ashwagandha root (optional: add 1 tablespoon eleuthero root although this could be too stimulating depending on what your body needs)
• Caffeine-free chai: 1 tablespoon rooibos (if using, don’t add rooibos when simmering rest of herbs. Turn off heat and steep for 5 mins at the end)

To make:

1. Chop or crush herbs you’re using. Most of these herbs are optional based on what you’ve got available and your taste preferences.
2. Boil 3-4 cups water (in kettle or saucepan). Add water and herbs to saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Steep 30 minutes**.
3. Strain tea into mug and add whatever milk you use^ sweetener too if desired.
4. Because I usually decoct enough tea for the day, I’ll leave the remaining herbs and water steeping in saucepan, then gently reheat when I’m ready to drink my next cup. I find this flavour is fine, but then I’m used to strong teas. If you prefer, you can strain out all your herbs, compost them and store tea in fridge. Reheat as needed.

There are as many ways to make this, as there are people. Below are some ways to customise.

How to customise:

* Chai Herbs in this recipe: whilst these are pretty universal chai herbs, feel free to change it up according to what you’ve got, what you enjoy and what your health goals are.

Other herbs: aside from the variations already mentioned, you might also want to add: grated nutmeg, crushed star anise, fennel seeds, sliced vanilla bean, orange peel, rose petals, black tea, rooibos etc

** Time: I tend to decoct my chai for a fair while, if you don’t have much time or like a milder flavour – you can decoct for just 15 minutes.

^ Cooking in milk: I prefer to add milk to my mug once I’m done, but you can also add your milk to the pot when you’re done decocting your tea. You could also sub out half your water for milk (whatever type you drink) for a slightly creamier consistency

To lid or not to lid: I prefer to decoct my chai with the lid on. This traps the precious medicinal volatile oils in your drink. I also don’t see the need to reduce the liquid down as I want to drink several cups. You might see some other recipes however, reducing the liquid down by simmering without a lid on. If that works for you, you’re welcome to.

If you love learning tea recipes this way, you’ll LOVE my self-paced online course Mastering Herbal Teas in 5 Minutes a day.

I take you under the hood to learn so you can confidently blend your own teas – tailoring each brew to what herbs you’ve got, your health goals and your family’s tastebuds!

In this fun, easily-digestible course, you’ll understand the simple how’s and why’s of tea-making for digestion, mood, vitality and immunity so you can really take charge of your own health at home! Get it now!

Let’s take a quick look at what each herb contributes:

The chai spices are all warming carminative spices that improve digestion. They gently warm the gut and increase circulation there, helping ease common digestive symptoms such as bloating, cramping, gas etc. The more pungent chai spices, like ginger and pepper are great circulatory stimulations which warms you up and gets blood moving.

Deep Immunity: Astragalus is a preventative immune tonic, improving the overall health and function of your immune system. Great to use preventatively during winter or a great restorative herb to work with when you’re recovering from illness. Contraindicated (ie don’t work with) astragalus when you’re acutely sick with infection.

Glow Up: Burdock and Dandelion are great alterative herbs, gently supporting the body’s capacity to eliminate metabolic wastes through various channels which supports metabolic and liver health and creates a healthy skin glow. They both also support a healthy digestive system, which enhances our ability to absorb nutrients from the food we eat.

Burnout RESTORE: Ashwagandha is a superb remedy for depletion and burnout, particularly when accompanied by anxiety and stress-induced insomnia. When you’re wired but tired, her adaptogen properties will help with cortisol dysregulation, anxiolytic action soothes the nervous system and she helps reset circadian rhythm so you can get back into health sleep patterns.

Caffeine-Free: Rooibos is a lovely caffeine-free replacement for black tea in a chai tea recipe.

I’d love hearing how you go with this recipe – join the newsletter and hit reply and tell me how you go!

Also, let’s keep learning together! All my online courses and in-person Sunshine Coast workshops are designed to be practical, hands-on learning about herbs and remedies you’ll turn to again and again in daily life.

Make teas in Mastering Herbal Tea in 5 Minutes a day and in our DIY Remedy Kits where you’ll also learn other remedy-making techniques.

The post Medicinal Herbal Chai Tea recipe – 4 WAYS appeared first on Everyday Empowered.

Every home needs at least one immune stimulant remedy on hand to quickly turn to when winter lurgies are doing the rounds. Fire cider could be that for you! Whilst my family tends to favour elderberry syrup, it’s so interesting how sometimes I’ll crave fire cider instead – the wisdom of the body at work. And fire cider is a great remedy to take with you if you’re on hols as it’s shelf stable.

This is a foundational kitchen medicine recipe, using many easily accessible herbs and foods! I love recipes that cross the food-medicine divide and brings herbal remedies right into our kitchen and that was the inspiration of Rosemary Gladstar who first created this remedy.

While we made this recipe at a recent workshop, I had this seriously old song stuck in my head – and I tell ya, I didn’t hold back from sharing 😂

🎤Give it to me baby, uh huh, uh huh…. pretty fly for a white guy… on repeat….. for 2 hours….🎵🎶 (ok, ok, half the time I sang in my head, I wanted people to want to come back to the workshop after all! – I run regular herbal medicine workshops on the Sunshine Coast – come join us! )

So in honour of that earworm, I wanna call this new recipe:

Give it to me Baby Fire Cider Recipe

Which also works, cause hopefully it’s so delicious your friends and family will be begging for more!😉

Recipes are great, but understanding the principles (or the ‘why’ behind things) is even better than that’s the how I love to teach herbal medicine.

So this fire cider recipe is more of a recipe framework than a recipe per se as I show you how to easily customise according to taste and what you’ve got on hand.

Don’t have an ingredient? Leave it out.

Want it to have a gentler flavour? Amp up the yummy herbs

Ingredients

• Parchment paper
• Apple cider vinegar
• Honey
• jar with lid (you can use any size jar, match ingredient amounts to your jar – see instructions below)

Core herbs

Make sure at least half your jar consists of these core herbs as they’re the ones doing the immune system heavy lifting (although they all have a role to play!).

I’ll tend to pick 3-4 of these core ingredients and then use in roughly equal parts, although use 1 or 2 herbs if that’s what you’ve got on hand.

• Onion
• Garlic
• ginger
• Horseradish*
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Nasturtium leaves and flowers
• Chillis*

*horseradish and chillis are both strong flavours, even amongst a crowd of strong flavours, so tone these down or leave out if you don’t like things overly spicy

Optional Herbs

For added vitamin C and bioflavonoids: Lemon – sliced, including peel, rosehips, lemongrass (which also has antimicrobial and antiviral properties)

To soften the taste for kids: raisins, cinnamon, blueberries or apples (I haven’t tried, but imagine it’d be nice!?)

Random ideas: herbs like cardamon, cobblers peg, echinacea etc

(Got any other herbs you like to add to your fire cider? I’d love to hear! Just reply to one of my newsletters, or use the contact form to reach out 😊)

To make:

1. Chop and slice your herbs and foods
2. Add to your jar. If using mostly fresh herbs, fill jar ¾ full, if using dried, then fill jar ½ full.
3. Fill jar ¾ full with apple cider vinegar.
4. Fill remaining way with honey (if your honey’s too stiff, gently warm jar in a saucepan of hot water)*
5. Cut parchment paper to cover jar, then screw on lid tightly (the parchment paper is super important if you’re using a metal lid as the vinegar will corrode the lid – yes I’ve had personal experience 😂) Skip if you’re using a plastic lid
6. Shake jar
7. Label jar with ingredients and date made
8. Keep jar in a handy place as you’ll want to shake daily or 3x a week for 4-6 weeks.
9. Strain and taste. If you need to, you can add a bit more honey to make it sweeter.

*Another way to make this (and you might see this on other recipes, is to infuse the herbs in only vinegar. Then once you strain them you’ll add the honey. Depending on your taste, you’ll add 1/4 cup – 1/2 cup honey for every 1 cup vinegar (and you can even increase the honey if needed, although I’d personally explore adding yummier herbs to the blend).

To use:

Preventative immune tonic: 1 tablespoon/ day for adults and 1 teaspoon for kids, diluted in water.

Acute: 1 tablespoon every 3-4 hours for adults and 1 teaspoon for kids, diluted in water.

As food: use in marinades, salad dressings etc

Hope you love this fire cider – as you make it over the years, take note on favourite batches and flavours. After a while, you might have your own favourite recipe with particular herbs and foods you like to use each time! That’s one of my favourite parts of home herbalism, as it’s a living legacy and family health culture you can pass on for generations.

Love learning herbal medicine understanding principles, rather than just recipes? You’ll adore my Mastering Herbal Teas in 5 minutes a day course where I lift the curtain on how to craft your own tea blends for tummy troubles, anxiety and stress, sleep, vitality and more! And yes, there are a tonne of recipes too, I wouldn’t leave you hanging! Although with my simple and intuitive BASE-BUILD-EXTEND process, I know you’ll be confidently blending your own teas in no time at all! Learn more

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I’ve chosen the 6 I think are best worked with for acute stress – like you’re in the cyclone and feeling really unsafe and these are the herbal allies you want to call on. There’s some other herbs I mention at the end of the article which can also be helpful during the waiting and post-disaster situations. I’ve also tried to think about what herbs you might already have on hand, in the garden or that might be available.

Here’s 6 widely available herbs to work with during acute distress.

🌿 Rescue remedy

This is a blend of 5 flower essences that help to relieve acute stress and anxiety. Really great for acute emotional stress and panic attacks. Use when needed. Pastilles or spray options. Great option to support kids as well.

🌿 Passionflower (Passiflora Incarnata) or skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)

Passionflower and skullcap both soothe the mind when it gets stuck on a relentless worry loop. I personally think passionflower for more rumination when you literally get stuck and skullcap when it’s the sheer torrent of racing thoughts. like a rushing waterfall. But everyone experiences these a little differently. Often these are useful more at night to help you sleep but if you’re experiencing panic attack or high level of baseline anxiety during the day you might find them supportive. Just note they can make you drowsy and not be safe when operating heavy machinery or when you’re some medications. Use individually or pair well together. Can drop dose the tincture (5 – 15 drops taken every half hour as needed) or make as tea (2 teaspoons – 1 tablespoon herb/ cup boiling water, steeped covered for 10-15 minutes)

🌿 Catnip (Nepeta Cataria)

If you’ve got rising anxiety that feels like you wanna hurl your guts up – catnip can be a great support. Catnip can help with rising panic, especially when it’s accompanied (or caused by) sore tummy. Butterflies in your stomach-kinda feeling. It’s got a grounding energy. Pairs well with chamomile (extra nervous system support) and ginger (helps with nausea). Use 2 teaspoons/ cup boiling water, steeped covered for 10 minutes.

🌿 Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)

Anxiety can show up in many ways in our bodies, some of us feel it more in our heads, some in our hearts and some in our guts or in musculoskeletal tension. Identify where it’s showing up for you and pick herbs that have an affinity for that area.

Motherwort in particular works well if you’ve got anxiety with heart palpitations or you’re really really feeling your anxiety or panic attach in your chest area. Drop dose tincture as needed (5 – 15 drops every half an hour as needed.

🌿 Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Yarrow is warrior medicine. That’s obvious as its one of our premier first aid herbs for healing wounds, but when we use it for the emotional body, yarrow also helps give us emotional armour. Yarrow is a protector. She helps with boundaries. She helps when you want someone to lean on. Work with yarrow as flower essence, drop dose or small part in a tea blend.

You could make a tea 1 teaspoon each lemon balm, passionflower and yarrow. Or 1 teaspoon each catnip, lemon balm and yarrow or 1 teaspoon each rose, tulsi and yarrow. (so many options that will obviously depend what you’ve got at home already). Steep tea covered for 10 minutes.

🌿 Lemon Balm (Melissa Officinalis)

Lemon balm help shift us into a parasympathetic nervous system state, as well as gently uplift out mood. It’s delicious, effective and makes a particularly nice herb for kids. Pairs well with chamomile, catnip and passionflower. Use 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon herb material/ cup boiling water.

Note. If you don’t have any of these, please don’t stress. You might already have other herbs on hand that are useful. Chamomile is easily available and a great option. Lavender essential oil is really grounding and calming if you take a whiff. I haven’t worked with it like this, but common thyme was traditionally given to soldiers going into battle for courage – so maybe chew, sniff or make a thyme tea and see if it gives you courage (Ps – report back if you try this, I’m curious about your experience).

Obviously remember to call on your physiological first aid toolkit

Some breathwork practices can really help us find safety in our bodies

In terms of breathwork, you could try box breath, alternate nostril breathing, 4-7-8 or physiological sigh. I’m not a breathwork teacher, just someone who finds these practices really helpful, so try them and if they don’t feel supportive in your body, discontinue or seek supportive from a breathwork teacher.

Grounding into your senses – listen to music you enjoy, pat your pet or soft blanket, hug and connect with family and friends, move your body in a way that feels good, use 5 -4-3-2-1 grounding practice (list 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can touch, 2 things you can smell, 1 thing you can taste).

Post-cyclone or for longer-term stressors – I’ve chosen these 6 herbs for dealing with acute distress. Whilst you certainly can work with them longer, when dealing with post-disaster recovery, you might like to work with other herbs, such as rose, hawthorn, hibiscus, tulsi, chamomile, milky oats, ashwagandha, reishi etc. These herbs help us deal with stress, build resilience and support our physical and emotional heart.

As always, please research safety info for herbs to make sure they’re appropriate in your particularly circumstance.

For advice during pregnancy, check out Dr Aviva Romm’s work – https://avivaromm.com/herbal-medicines-in-pregnancy-safety/

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So what do you do when your tea sucks (or when your family turns up their noses at it)? Luckily, you have options! Here’s 5 ways how to make your herbal teas more delicious.

1. Choosing the Right Tea Herbs

Not all herbs are naturally tasty or suited for tea-making. Remember, tea only extracts water-soluble constituents, so certain herbs might extract better in another menstruum (herbal term for liquid we’re using to that extract herbs).

2. Adjusting Herb Quantity & Steep Time

The strength and flavor of your tea can be adjusted simply by modifying how much herb you use and how long you steep it.

3. Add “Yum Factor” Herbs

If your tea needs a little something extra, these herbs and natural sweeteners can make it more enjoyable. Look for herbs that taste: sour, sweet, minty, spicy and warming, anise-like or fruity (find a list of herbs with these flavours in the Mastering Herbal Teas course.

4. Swap Out a Herb You Don’t Like

Sometimes, there’s just an herb you can’t stand the taste of—but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on what it does in the body! Many herbs have similar actions, meaning you can substitute one for another while still getting the desired effect.

For example, fennel is a fantastic digestive herb, but not everyone enjoys its licorice-like taste. If that’s you, swap it out for peppermint, chamomile, or ginger—each of which also supports digestion.

Rote learning herbs through recipes can actually make it really hard to work out how to substitute. That’s why in my Mastering Herbal Teas course I actually take you step-by-step through the process of making your own blends.

In essence, you’re first define your intention for the tea blend, and work out which herbs have the herbal actions you want.  

It’s much easier than you think I promise! In Mastering Herbal Teas course, I show you exactly how to do it with examples (videos and written, depending how you learn best).

5. Make Your Tea Beautiful

Tea isn’t just about taste—it can be a visual and aromatic experience, too! Adding colourful herbs and flowers can make your tea blends more appealing and fun to drink.

Some suggestions could include:

• red: rose petals, hibiscus
• orange: Nasturtium, calendula
• yellow: chamomile, dandelion flower, calendula
• blue: borage flowers, cornflower, blue butterfly pea
• purple: lavender, violet flowers, elderberries

There are lots of other edible flowers I personally haven’t worked with in teas, but you can certainly explore this further!

Herbal teas don’t have to be a struggle to drink. With a little creativity and customization, you can turn even the most medicinal-tasting brews into something you genuinely enjoy. Whether it’s adjusting the steep time, adding complementary flavors, or making your tea visually appealing, there’s always a way to enhance your tea experience.

Wanna whip up healing teas with ease?

You’ll adore my Mastering Herbal Teas in 5 Minutes a day course. It’s your ultimate roadmap to making healing teas you and your family actually want to drink!

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🌿Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is a standout lung herb, improving overall function of the lungs. Your body creates mucous to trap and expel bushfire smoke particles. Mullein helps by thinning this mucous which makes it easier for your body to get rid of, whilst also soothes irritation and moistens as it does so.

Mullein is a common weed in southern Australia, or you can grow it in well draining soil in the subtropics (sorry, don’t know about tropics). If wildcrafting, make sure you’re not collecting from contaminated land because mullein bioaccumulates heavy metals.

🌿Plantain (Plantago sp) is a wild weedy friend, with a special affinity for the respiratory tract. It will help moisten dry tissues, calm inflammation, and help you cough up or expel excess mucous from your lungs and sinuses.

🌿Calendula (Calendula Officinalis) is in this blend to support your body’s lymphatic system. This system helps to clear up and remove rubbish that accumulates in your body. It’s also got inflammation-modulating properties.

🌿The mucous membranes of your respiratory tract don’t work optimally when dried out, so linden (Tillia sp) comes in to soothe, soften and moisten, which helps them work their best to trap particles and pathogens before they can get inside the body.

Linden is also delicious and has the dual function of calming stress and anxiety around bushfires.

Like all herbs, these plants are high in antioxidants, which support your body respond to the oxidative stress created by exposure to bushfire smoke.

Breathe Easy bushfire smoke exposure tea recipe

Blend equal parts mullein, plantain, calendula and linden together.

Use 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon / mug boiling water. Steep covered for 10 – 15 minutes. Strain using a fine sieve.

Note – many people say to strain mullein teas with cheesecloth, because of the fine hairs on mullein leaves. I’ve personally never experienced a problem, so I’m not sure how necessary that is, but I wanted to mention it in case you find the tea irritating to drink – it might be that it’s not strained well enough for you.

If you don’t love the taste of the tea, sweeten with honey or maple syrup. You could also double the amount of linden used, or add another yummy herb like licorice, peppermint or lemon balm.

*Note, whilst I’ve specifically formulated this for bushfires, it’s actually just an all-round beautiful respiratory formula for:

• dry, lingering cough that doesn’t clear up
• people regularly exposed to fine particulate matter, like smokers, chippies etc.

Be prepared

When I was evacuated due to a bushfire, I had all my herbs on hand, but not blended, and I couldn’t take my home apothecary with me in the middle of the night! I definitely learnt it’s best to have this smoke exposure blend (and any other herbal remedies you want), ready and waiting in your stay/go kit.

Even if you’re not directly affected by bushfires, smoke can be blown over large distances. It’s good to have this blend on hand.

Learn more – here’s an article on the Best Herbs for Bushfires

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Full of easily-digestible video lessons, printable cheat sheets and my personal tea-blending method – you’ll be whipping up tea like a pro in no time! Shows you how to make your own teas for digestion, immunity, calm and vitality. Get started today!

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