Many of us are familiar with the wisdom of eating seasonally: eating cooling foods when it’s hot in summer, and eating warming foods when it’s cold in winter. Watermelon when there’s snow on the ground just isn’t the same as watermelon when it’s so hot just the thought of cooking something makes you swoon. Likewise, chili and cornbread when you’re feeling overheated from a hot, humid day are going to sit in your stomach like a ton of bricks, whereas they are just what our bodies crave (for the most part) on a freezing day.
In a similar way, it is best for the body during the cold months to consume warming, nourishing herbs that are the root of the plant, such as ginger (technically a rhizome), turmeric (another rhizome), burdock, astragalus, ashwagandha, and marshmallow. The barks of trees such as slippery elm and cinnamon are also a good choice for daily herbal drinks. Many of these can also be added to foods. Burdock and astragalus can be added to soups and add an earthy flavor.
When a plant starts to go dormant in the fall, all of its energy goes downward into the roots (and bark if it is a tree). This energy can be utilized by us to strengthen our immune systems and make us able to withstand the stresses of being indoors in an artificial environment. They also help those of us who work outdoors during the winter to maintain body heat comfortably for whatever task is at hand. They help to tone the liver when it has the extra burden of processing heavier foods and holiday sweets.
If you are new to making “teas” out of roots or barks, they are a little different from flower or leaf teas. You make a decoction out of them, which simply means that you place the desired amount of herb with the desired amount of water in a non-aluminum cooking pot, then bring to the boil. Once the water is boiling, turn down the heat until it is only simmering, then simmer for about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, then cover the pot and let steep until cool enough to drink. Use a tea strainer or nut milk bag to strain out the herbs, returning them to the earth, and enjoy your decoction!
You can definitely still enjoy your peppermint and chamomile during the winter months, if you drink them warm. I like adding leaves or flowers to my decoction once I have turned off the heat, so I can have a combination of different plant parts in one beverage. This works really well to add a little flavor and extra healing properties.
I hope that you will take some time to make yourself a daily warm beverage that will keep your insides cozy during the cold season. Soon enough the greens will be out there, and it will be time to benefit from their wonderful blood-cleansing properties!
Love,
Marqueta
I really want to make a blend for root beer using my water kefir and sassafras – I’ve been craving it lately! What else should I put in it, do you think?
That sounds really yummy! I bet star anise, cinnamon sticks, or cardamom pods would be delicious.