The 5 Nourishing Herbal Infusions // A Ritual for Life-long Wellness
Sometimes the wealth of herbal medicine knowledge and dietary suggestions can be overwhelming. The advice available can often contradict itself, or be incredibly convoluted. Eat this for that vitamin, but not if you have this ailment, try this herb for that issue, or this herb, or this herb, or this herb! The desire of getting the vitamins and minerals you need through healthy eating has become a knowledge deeply perverted and confused by fad diets and politics/businesses driven by consumerist values, not values of nourishment and gentleness.
In the face of all this conflicting information on how to feel your best, I offer you a simple practice that I have used with great success to nourish my body into wholeness, building health and a relationship with plants slowly, sweetly, and effectively. You need do nothing more than begin this practice to start cultivating vibrant wellness. This practice was given to me by my herbalist teacher Susun Weed, and is called the 5 Nourishing Herbal Infusions. Through incorporating these nourishing drinks into your daily life, you can heal most any ailment, and begin feeling more vitality, energy, and peace. Sounds good, right? Even if you do nothing else with herbs other than this practice, you will see a blossoming of health and wholeness in your life.
First off, you may be wondering, what is an infusion, anyway? Do you mean tea? The answer is an emphatic no. An infusion in the context of this ritual is a one ounce of dried herb into one quart of just boiled water, and then steeped for 4-8 hours, or overnight. It is more like food than a beverage, in that it provides nourishment. The large amount of herb gives us a luxuriously generous amount of the plant's healing properties and the vitamins and minerals contained therein. The long steeping time opens up the sturdy cell walls of the plant for us, rendering the nourishment of the plant as bio-available as possible for our bodies absorption processes. The herbs selected for the ritual are intended to be rotated through, with the idea that you have each herb at least once a week. The herbs used are Linden Flower, Oatstraw, Stinging Nettle Leaf, Red Clover Blossom, and Comfrey Leaf. All the herbs are dried. These 5 herbs are nutritive, high in minerals and vitamins, and work together as a synergistic unit in healing every system in the body. I am going to give you directions for making the infusions, and then summarize the special character and properties of each herb.
To Make The Infusion:
Quart Jar Method (for one person) -
1. Fill a Quart Jar with 1 oz. of dried herb
2. Bring a little more than 1 Quart of water to a boil. As soon as it is boiling, take off the heat and pour over the herb in the jar. Cap and set aside (careful, it's hot!)
3. Steep for 4-8 hours, or leave overnight.
4. Strain with a wire mesh sieve or cheesecloth. The two combined is a dream team. After pouring off liquid, Gather up the remaining herb and squeeeeeze every drop you can out of it. I find this to be the most fun part, and deepens your relationship with each plant. Compost the leftover herb mass or use as an external poultice.
5. Store in the refrigerator. Drink throughout the day. The infusion will keep for 2-3 days. Oatstraw gets weird after a day. You will know if an infusion is getting too old with your senses. If this happens to me I just dump it into my bathwater or over my hair in the shower. So rich!
Cooking Pot Method (for families or abundant individuals)
1. The ratio is 1 quart per person per day. So, if you are making it for 2 people, or for yourself for 2 days, fill the pot with a little over 2 quarts of water. If you want the infusion to last 2 people 2 days, boil 4 quarts of liquid, and so on and so forth. I just take the giant jar I want to fill with infusion, fill it with water and pour it into my pot, as I know the jar is roughly 2 quarts.
2. The ratio of dried herb to hot water is 1 oz. per quart, a 1:1 ratio. So, if you used 4 quarts of water, measure out 4 ounces of dried herb on a food scale. If you have 2 quarts of water, measure out 2 ounces on the food scale.
3. Bring the pot of water to a boil. Remove from heat.
4. Immediately dump the measured ounces of herb into the hot water. Stir until the herb is saturated and in settled into the water. Cover with a lid and set aside out of the way. Steep for 4-8 hours, or overnight.
5. Strain as described above, remembering to squeeeeze out the liquid from the soaked herb. Compost the wet herb.
6. Store in the refrigerator. The infusion will keep for 2-3 days. Oatstraw goes funny more quickly than the others. It will be obvious by taste and smell if the infusion is no longer good for drinking. Use it in the shower or bath instead!
Linden Flower is measured at half the amount. Instead of 1 oz., use 1/2 and oz. Linden flower can also be rebrewed. Once you strain the first batch, put the wet flower back into the pot, fill until water covers the herb, and bring to a boil. Just as it has boiled, remove from heat, cover, and let steep just as before. The second brew will be more red in color and have a slightly different taste. Wonderful!
The goal is to drink 1 quart of infusion a day. Be extravagant! You can drink more, anytime you are thirsty. I spent one month drinking only infusion, no water at all, and was totally hydrated and energized. Susun Weed has spent decades drinking only infusion, with no detrimental effects.
1 ounce of herb is a sizable amount, and if you do not have access to these herbs from a local garden, consider buying them in one pound bulk bags online. This way each infusion should cost between $1-$3. If you cannot afford to buy them all at once, start with the herb you are most excited about and then add the other herbs as your finances allow. The two companies I use are Frontier Herbs and Starwest Botanicals. They both have online stores as well as selling on Amazon.com. Make sure whatever herbs you buy are organic and non-irradiated.
Infusion Herbs:
Red Clover (trifolium pratense) - Red Clover is readily available if you have a passion for frolicking through meadows, or walking nose to the ground trying to identify all the interesting little plants among the grass. Red Clover helps the body prohibit the attachment and metastasis of of abnormal cells, and thus can prevent cancer and heal tumors. The high mineral content helps restore hormonal functions and maintain healthy estrogen levels, and is known as a uterine tonic. She is touted as an incredibly useful herb for establishing fertility, creating regular menstrual cycles, or navigating menopause more comfortably. She also helps the body efficiently remove metabolic wastes, ensuring the maintenance of healthy levels of blood pressure and cholesterol. An alterative, Red Clover is the green ally for our blood, hormones, fertility, and metabolic processes. Containing some the highest amounts of absorbable Calcium and Magnesium, along with other minerals and proteins, Red Clover relaxes the nervous system and can help alleviate depression, mood swings, and poor sleep caused my mineral or vitamin deficiency. Rest easy in the meadows of your mind with Red Clover nourishing you. Red Clover is slightly bitter, so feel free to add a pinch of mint or cinnamon to the dried herb when infusing.
Oatstraw (Avena Sativa) - Oatstraw is the dried green stalk & grain of our wonderful ally Oats. A sexual tonic, the phrase "sow your wild oats" exists for a reason! Through relaxing and opening us up, we become more sensitive to and interested in loving touch. A supreme nervine, Oatstraw has an amazing capacity to heal the burned out nervous system, calming to the tight buzz of stress and gently opening and uplifting the depressed, constricted mind. It gives strength, helping us recover from taxing experiences. Working with the adrenal system, Oatstraw helps stabilize blood sugar and relieve patterns of extreme fatigue. She also nourishes the endocrine system in this way, helping our thyroid function well and bringing life back into dried up nails, hair, and attitudes. She also contains an abundance of Vitamins and Minerals, and tastes absolutely delicious.
Stinging Nettle Leaf (Urtica diocia) - "When in doubt, use Nettle!" is an adage that introduces us to the amazing potential Nettle has as our green ally. Extremely available, Nettle grows worldwide, always near humans, and nourishes the soil she is in. One of the most potent resources of protein, iron, Vitamin C, K, A, Calcium and Phosphorous, Nettle restores the malnourished, anemic constitution back to blushing health. I like to call it "green blood", as that is how it feels when I drink it during my menstruation or anytime I am needing to be revitalized. It would honestly be shorter to list the things Nettle does not help with, but a few specific ways she works with our body are as follows. Nettle can heal chronic urinary issues (including dissolving stones), rebuild the kidneys, restore iron to the blood (I have heard of Nettle helping anemia when nothing else will), increase general vitality, fertility, and strength of spirit, body, and mind. Nettle is also very anti-inflammatory and can address chronic issues like arthritis, auto-immune diseases, allergies, and asthma. Definitely use this one as a hair rinse, Nettle is known to strengthen and beautify hair as well as address dandruff. Don't fear her sting, drying or cooking her empties the needle of their potent juice. When gathering, touch her with purpose and respect and you won't get hurt. Bump her by accident and she will let you know she is there! All hail Queen Nettle!
Comfrey Leaf (Symphytum officinale) - Comfrey leaf** is a nourisher of the mucilage of our body, and when ingested coats our digestive system from mouth to....well...you know...with a layer of protection and healing. Comfrey is also called knitbone, and is an amazing wound healer inside and out. She strengthens tissue, creating a soft, silky texture that is fiercely knitted together and not easily torn. Renowned for healing muscle tears and bone breaks, comfrey relieves inflammation and increases cell proliferation. It can stop bleeding, making it useful for ulcers, hemorrhoids, and shallow external wounds. Working with the pancreas and kidneys, comfrey comforts by regulating blood sugar levels, relieving us of exhausting highs and lows. Her mucilage nourishes the lungs and eases coughs and colds. I like to add a pinch of dried mint to my pile of dried comfrey leaf when making this infusion. Comfrey leaf infusion is absolutely divine dumped in a bath, and to help the taste I like to drink it warmed up with lemon and honey.
Linden Flower (Tilia spp.) - Linden tree or Basswood grows throughout the Americas and Europe, and is the best locally grown anti-inflammatory choice for residents of those areas. A deeply soothing herb, Linden has a juicy quality to it that calms the lungs and digestive tract upon immediate contact and can alleviate the discomforts of colds, flus, and menstrual cramps. In Honduras Linden is called Tilo, and a hot cup of Tilo tea is offered to anyone in need of a nerve-calmer to recover from a stressful event, helping the tea-drinker to relax and sleep. Highly aromatic, Linden is sweet for the bees and for us --- it helps the heart function at its best by moderating inflammation and stress that strains or clogs the flow of blood through our circulatory system. We use the flower and the green saddle above the flower, so don't be alarmed if you open your bag of Linden flowers and find something that does not exactly look like a blossom. In a recent study Linden flowers were found to be ten times more effective than anti-biotics or aspirin in resolving symptoms in 55 children with influenza. Much gentler than NSAID's, Linden can help relieve pain in the body from inflammation and heal lungs beleaguered by congestion and smoke damage. Linden brings cheer, so we say cheers to Linden flower!
Other nutritive herbs for making infusion:
Reishi Mushroom
Marshmallow Leaf and/or Root
Raspberry Leaf
Burdock Root
Hibiscus (dilute to 50%)
Hawthorn Berries and/or Leaf
Astragalus Root
Afalfa
Dried Milky Oat Tops
The 5 Nourishing Herbal Infusions is intended to be a life-long ritual. The more you engage with the plants, the more you become part plant at a cellular level, and experience a deeper level of connection and wholeness. After three weeks, you will notice deeper rest and a little more energy. After one month, you will notice even more energy, the easing of chronic issues, and more happiness. The infusions will start changing what you want to eat, naturally and gently releasing your cravings and making synthetic, sugary foods taste disgusting. This is my personal experience and the experience of many others. You may find yourself with an increased appetite for nourishing foods -- listen! This is part of the magic and the work of moving away from malnourishment and patterns of a disordered, punitive associations with eating. After 2 months you will notice your hair, nails, and skin are more strong and radiant. Keep going, and discover wellness the wise woman way. Gentle, gradual, and life-changing at the most infinitesimal levels of existence.
In Love,
Susan Marie
**You may have read that Comfrey is dangerous. I have researched this and and found that most of the studies that indicated so were done with an isolated and concentrated compound that is naturally found in trace amounts of the root, and does not reflect the actual experience of using the whole plant. There are many plants that when one compound is taken out and purified, it becomes poisonous. Other studies were done on baby rats, who have a different metabolic process than we do, and therefore cannot really be applied to the human body. The experience of millions of humans using comfrey leaf as medicine with no ill effects speaks louder to me than a handful of questionably interpreted studies, and there are many experienced herbalists that agree with me. I use Comfrey leaf internally, as the compound in question is mostly found in the root, and then only in trace amounts. To be cautious I do not take the root internally, and only use it externally. I consider the leaf totally safe, and an excellent exercise in critical thinking.
Please note that I am not a certified medical professional, and that this information is provided for educational purposes only and is to be taken at your discretion. You are responsible for any foods or substances you choose to use, and if in doubt should consult your certified health professional of choice.