For week 7 of our Crisis Gardening series we’re covering how you can grow (and make) your own immune boosting tea, or “immune-a-tea” as I like to call it.
Right now the whole world is trying to stay healthy, or get healthy – fostering a strong immune system is something we can all do to help this. This can happen in a range of ways, including drinking daily cups of this herbal brew. You can watch the whole process here, and read about it below.
The 5 herbs you’ll need are…
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
Peppermint (Mentha × piperit)
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
Can you use dried herbs instead?
Yes! If you’re not able to grow your own, you can buy them from a shop :-).
How to make the tea?
- Pick equal amounts of the above plant, specifically the leaf of lemon balm, thyme, peppermint, the flower of the calendula and the leaf and flower of the yarrow.
- Put them all in a large tea pot, add boiling water and cover it with a lid to steep for at least 10 minutes.
- Drink one – three cups per day for maximum benefits.
How are these plants good for you?
- Thyme leaf – lung tonic, anti-bacterial, antispasmodic (for coughs), relaxing expectorant
- Peppermint leaf – digestive, anti-bacterial, anti-spasmodic, diaphoretic (induces fever)
- Calendula flowers- anti-inflammatory, wound healing, immune stimulating, anti-bacterial
- Lemon balm leaf – anti-anxiety, antiviral, digestive, mood uplifting, diaphoretic (induces fever)
- Yarrow leaf and flowers – diaphoretic (induced fever), tonic, adaptogen
How do I know this?
I consulted with local naturopath Moncia Fancia who provided this recipe (thanks Monica) – you can normally find her working with the renowned Goulds Naturopathica or with Hobart Herbalists Without Borders. Monica and her colleagues have a wealth of knowledge and skill – can’t recommend them enough!
We wish you all good health!
I have made my own peppermint tea before and would love to try making this immune boosting tea. I have all the herbs in my garden already, just need to get hold of some Calendula. Thanks for sharing!!
Pleasure :-)
Awesome thanks from Aotearoa New Zealand Hannah! Going to try this tomorrow
Yay :-)
Awesome thanks Hannah – you’ve got me hooked on dandelion root tea and I make other concoctions now as well so this one is a must – don’t ya just love a visit to Gould’s – very handy when I work next to the magistrates court 😂👍🏻🐝