All about spice teas

21 Jun, 2019 - 00:06 0 Views

The ManicaPost

Miriam Kwari Herbal Space
Hello friends and welcome to Herbal Space. This week l have decided to treat you to “spice- teas.” Your spice cabinet, remember? We can use the contents of our spice cabinets as First Aid kits as well as a source of teas, properly named as infusions in the herbal circles. Well, here are a few of my favourite spice teas/ infusions and what these teas/ infusions can do for you. I hope you that you will find this useful and enjoyable to read.

Rosemary

Many of us take rosemary as a spice for food, and yes, it is gives meat dishes an amazing taste and aroma. But today we want to learn to use the same spice as a tea/ infusion for complimentary healing. The leaves are what we use, dry and even fresh from the garden. Remember to flavour your tea with lemon and honey to taste. Rosemary is taken internally as an infusion/ tea for colds, influenza, fatigue and headache. It is also used for treatment of digestion problems, including heartburn, intestinal gas (flatulence), liver and gallbladder complaints, and loss of appetite. It is also used for gout, cough, headache, high blood pressure, and reducing age related memory loss. Rosemary is easiest to grow from a cutting, rather than planting seeds.

Artemisia Afra African Wormwood

Wormwood covers a wide range of ailments from coughs, colds, fever, loss of appetite, colic, headache, earache, intestinal worms to malaria and period pain and regulating heavy flows in women. It works the same with yarrow for women for the flowers have a strong affinity with the moon. The wonderful work of GOD. . . this makes me smile in seeing how God given plants are for healing:  even following the characteristic features of human beings in their growing process. . . wonderful, isn’t it? We use the leaves and stem to make infusions. Lemon is always a good addition to calm the very bitter taste of wormwood.

New plants can be propagated by division or from cuttings.

Fennel

An infusion of the seeds soothes the digestive system and is said to increase production of milk in nursing mothers. Pregnant mothers can also safely enjoy the plant/spice as a tea for relaxation, just like they also can use chamomile. This is a lovely idea to note because we all know that pregnant women are not allowed to take much of these herbal teas at all for they may affect the baby. Fennel has a sweet scent and taste. Herbalists also use the infusion to help stop bed-wetting in children. We use the leaves, root, and stem. It is notably helpful for acid reflux, ulcers, stomach cramps and to stop vomiting. To grow it, we propagate by seeds.

Pineapple Lily

Pineapple lily is used to treat urinary and pulmonary ailments, fever. In other African cultures, they use the decoctions of the bulb to treat hangovers. Bulbs are also used in decoctions which are administered as enemas. This is no surprise to me remembering what l have always said about eating a lot of yellow foods for cleansing and maintaining a healthy digestive tract.

These bulbs are also used to treat lower backache, urinary diseases, as well as assisting in the healing of fractures. Bulb Propagation is by offsets, seed, leaf cuttings and tissue culture.

Borage

Borage is use to treat oily skin, coughing, reliving eczema, assisting to fight rheumatism, regulating menstruation and assisting with soothing irritable bowel syndrome. Lemon adds flavour to the sweet scent of that tea. Remember to use the leaves and the seeds.

Propagate by seeds

Bulbinella

Bulbinella is also known as a snake flower, cat’s tail, or jelly plant. The fresh leaf produces a jellylike juice that is wonderful for burns, rashes, blisters, insect bites, cracked lips, acne, rough skin, cold sores, mouth ulcers and areas of cracked skin. An infusion of a few fresh leaves in a cup of boiling water can be taken orally. This strained drink is taken for coughs, colds and arthritis and stomach pain. Propagation is from seed, cuttings or either division of clumps. Old folklore advises that the yellow flower bloom should never be kept to flourish in the garden for it is believed to cause family fights and aggression. Well, l am not one to argue for or against this for the bottom line about plants always remain. This is the fact that plants are spiritual and God given like we are, and who knows what else they are capable of if they carry the power to heal us? Food for thought. . .

The writer, Miriam Kwari is a Herbalist from Mutare and can be contacted on +263773378571 or 12 Herbert Chitepo Street, Oasis Building, Mutare.

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