If you’ve never tried medicinal herbs before, now is a good time to make them part of your health and wellness plan. With colds and flu and new threats like COVID-19, we are all fighting to stay as healthy as possible. If you think using medicinal herbs sounds complicated, it’s not. It can be as simple as drinking a cup of yummy herb tea. 

In the short video below, I outline a few of the herbs I’m using right now. Use this as a springboard to try with your own family. Just as a reminder, I am not a doctor, and this is not medical advice. Consult your health care practitioner with any specific questions regarding the use of herbs and medications you may be taking or health conditions you may have. This is for educational purposes only.

Medicinal Herbs

Below are the medicinal herbs I mention in the video. I’ve included just a few of the actions each herb is known for – there are more beyond what I list. Feel free to research them for more in-depth information. And please note, I am using the herb — NOT the essential oil.

• Thyme (Thymus vulgaris). Thyme is an antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, a respiratory antimicrobial, and a relaxant. It can be prepared as a steam, infused in water as a tea or infused in vinegar for topical use, or used as a tincture. You’re probably most familiar with it as a cooking spice. Concerns: Thyme is very warming and may be too much for young children. Try sage or fennel instead internally and try pine for steams.
• Mullein (Verbascum thapsus, V. densiflorum). Mullein is a antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticatarrhal (removes excess mucus), moistening expectorant, respiratory relaxant, and nervous sedative. It’s excellent for coughs. Mullein can be prepared as a tea, tincture, or applied topically. Concerns: Mullein leaves have tiny hairs. If you are using the leaves fresh, be sure to strain the tea well. 
• Ginger (Zingiber officinale). Ginger is an anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and relaxant. It can be made into a tea, tincture, added to food, and even candied. It can also be used topically in a remedy to help with aches and pains. Concerns: Ginger has a blood-thinning effect, so consult your doctor if you take blood-thinner medication. Also, ginger may increase the menstrual flow of those with already heavy cycles.
• Tulsi, also called Holy Basil, (Ocimum sanctum, tenuiflorum) is an adaptogen, an antimicrobial, anxiolytic (anti-anxiety), nervine, and immunomodulator. It can be used as a tea, a tincture, and infused into honey. Concerns: Tulsi can have a significant blood-sugar lowering effect, so if you take medications for high blood sugar, monitor your glucose levels regularly.
• Elder (both berries and flowers) Sambucus nigra, S. canadensis. Elder is an antimicrobial, antiviral, an immune stimulant, an antitussive (reduces the urge to cough), a respiratory antispasmodic, and a relaxant. It can be prepared as a tea, tincture, elixir, syrup, and honey infusion. Artisans also use elderflowers to make flavored liqueurs. Concerns. Don’t eat the berries raw. Cook them first. Large amounts have a laxative effect. 

Bulk Herb Resources

I purchase many of my bulk herbs at the Good Earth store in Broad Ripple, Indiana. If you don’t have a local source, try purchasing bulk online. I’ve used both of these businesses and can vouch for the quality of their products.

• Starwest Botanicals
• Mountain Rose Herbs

Note: Keep in mind that during the pandemic, herb businesses have been inundated with orders, so at times a company may stop taking orders until they can get caught up.

Thyme, a Powerful Herb

As I noted in the video, thyme is a perfect herb to use in a steam for respiratory issues. Its antimicrobial action is in its essential oil, which is released in the steam.

To give a bit of background on how a steam works, it helps to understand the following information. When a person inhales, the molecules are absorbed into two different parts of your nasal cavity: the olfactory part and the respiratory part. According to Jade Shutes in Foundation of Aromatherapy, “As the aromatic air-born molecules travel up through the nasal cavity, some molecules are absorbed by the olfactory epithelium [that go into the brain and limbic system], while the remainder are inhaled via the respiratory tract into the lungs.”

Effective Against Pathogens

What happens next with a thyme steam is pretty amazing. In the book Herbal Medicine for Beginners, Katja Swift and Ryn Midura state that “Breathed deeply into the lungs, thyme steam kills respiratory pathogens on contact, warms and moistens the lungs, and loosens phlegm.”

If you’d like to explore this more, here’s a link to the study Antimicrobial Properties of Plant Essential Oils against Human Pathogens and Their Mode of Action: An Updated Review. It’s published in the journal Evidenced Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The article lists some of the specific pathogens that thyme kills. It’s fascinating that this tasty herb is so powerful! The article also lists several other herbs and the pathogens that they are effective against too. To find that information quickly, just scroll down the article until you see the chart.

How To Do a Thyme Steam

Now that you understand how a thyme steam can be beneficial, let’s look at how to do one.

• Boil from 1/2 to 1 gallon of water in a large pot. Remove from heat.
• Set the pot on a heat-proof surface.
• Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of dried thyme leaves (the same thyme as you cook with) to the pot.
• Create a tent with a towel and sit under the tent with your face about 12 inches above the pot. Deeply inhale the steam for 5 to 10 minutes or so.
• Be careful not to spill; carefully monitor children if they are nearby. If using with children, pine needles (Pinus strobes) may be a gentler choice for them.

How To Make an Herbal Tea

All of the herbs discussed here can be infused (even the ginger root) in just-off-the boil water. You can use these herbs individually or mix and match them together for a blend.

• Boil about 8 ounces of water.
• Add from 1 tsp. to 1/2 tbs. of dried herb, depending on how strong you like your tea. If using fresh ginger, cut about one inch of the root into thin slices. Cover the top (so the constituents don’t evaporate with the steam) and steep for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Strain and drink.

Thermal Carafe

Interested in making a larger batch of tea in the morning? Here’s an affiliate link to the thermal carafe that you see in the video. I use this almost everyday to make about one quart of tea that I drink throughout the morning and early afternoon. Use 2 to 3 tablespoons of dried herbs for 1 quart of tea.

Tinctures

Tinctures, or herbal extracts as they are also called, are another simple way to enjoy the healing benefits of herbs. They are stronger than a tea and can be used simply by adding a dropperful to a few ounces of water and drinking. It’s a several week process to make tinctures at home, but they are widely available online and in local health food stores.

Favorite Medicinal Herbs

I pray you’re staying healthy during these challenging days. I’d love to hear what you’re doing to care for yourself and family. Perhaps you have a favorite herb you’ve been using lately to try and boost your immune system or as an anti-stress remedy. Feel free to leave a comment or question below.

Thanks for stopping by!

One day I was in Goodwill looking through the kitchen supplies area when I saw a kitchen gadget I’d been wanting to buy for a long time—a tea press! I couldn’t believe it. I breathed a prayer of thanks to God and picked it up. It was a Bodum, a great brand. I had already purchased two glass Bodum teacups several years ago and loved them. I knew the quality of this would match the teacups.

Is a Tea Press and a French Coffee Press the Same Thing?

It may be that you are wondering how to use a tea press too. I recorded this short video to show you how simple it is. Incidentally, a tea press and a French coffee press do the same thing with one difference, so if you have a coffee press, you can use it to make your herb tea. The difference is that when you push the plunger down on the tea press, it stops the tea from steeping any longer. From what I understand, a French coffee press will allow the tea leaves to continue steeping, so you need to pour all of your tea out of the press at that point if you don’t want it any stronger. Also if you have already used your French press for coffee, be sure you wash it thoroughly so that the tea doesn’t taste like coffee.

In the video I mention nettles tea. Yes, this is the same plant that is known as stinging nettle (Urtica spp.). It is a nutritive herb and contains calcium, magnesium, and chlorophyll. It has a green, veggie flavor, but it’s an excellent base tea. You can blend it with other nutritive teas like oat straw, the mints, chamomile, rose, hibiscus, ginger, cinnamon, and so on. In the video, I also mention that it is excellent to add to soup bases. You can either make the tea ahead of time like I do in the video and use that as part of your broth base, or put a few teaspoons of dried nettle in a tea bag and let it steep in the soup while it’s cooking. Just remember to remove it when it’s done.

Let me know if you use a tea press and what type of tea you like to make in it. Have fun experimenting!

Enjoy!

Botanically me,

How To Use a Tea Press from Jane VanOsdol on Vimeo.

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Warm, spicy, exotic. Three words that come to mind when I think of a favorite herb and oil of mine: ginger, or Zingiber officinale by its nomenclature. A perfect choice for winter wellness, ginger has a rich history as a medicinal, healing botanical.

I first became familiar with it years ago when I was juicing and would add a thumb-size piece of the root to my current juicing recipe. You can’t miss its spicy flavor and aroma. Ginger tisane (tea) became my go-to favorite, and it’s especially comforting in the fall and winter. If I feel the chills or flu symptoms setting in, it is the first thing I reach for to help me fight off any nasty bug. It’s also know for being soothing to the stomach.

Besides all of these properties, when it’s used topically, ginger is a pain reliever. Last year I developed a blend for my weight-lifting son to use, and ginger is one of the main ingredients in it to help increase circulation and relieve aches, pains, and strains.

Let’s explore a bit of the science behind this herb.

Therapeutic Actions of Ginger

While there are several others, here are the main therapeutic actions of ginger.

• Analgesic (pain relieving)
• Anti-emetic (reduces nausea and vomiting)
• Antispasmodic
• Aphrodisiac
• Carminative (soothes and settles the gut wall, relieves gas)
• Digestive
• Stomachic (tone and stimulate the action of the stomach)

Core Applications

While this list is not comprehensive, I’ve highlighted a few of the main systems of the body that ginger can affect.

1. Digestive System. Historically ginger is know to help ease and prevent nausea, vomiting, , gas, stomachaches, and loss of appetite.
2. Musculoskeletal System. When added to a cream or oil blend, ginger can help relieve muscular aches and pains from arthritis, sprains, rheumatism, joint pain, and stiffness.
3. Respiratory System. Historically, ginger is indicated for colds, fevers, sore throats, sinusitis, bronchitis, congestion, and catarrh (excessive mucus in the nose or throat).
4. Reproductive/Endocrine System. May be helpful for reduced sex drive, menstrual cramps and pain, amenorrhea, and dysmenorrhea.

Two Ways to Use Ginger for Winter Wellness

Whether you’re using the essential oil or the actual root, ginger is a delightful botanical to try. Here are two of my favorite ways to use it:

Ginger Tea

Even thought it is a rhizome, ginger is so juicy that we can infuse it in water.

Directions

1. Thinly slice or chop about one inch of fresh ginger root .
2. Add to a Fresh press or put the ginger into an infuser and set in your teacup. Add 8 ounces of just-off-the-boil water.
3. Steep for 10 minutes.
4. Strain and drink.

Variation: To add a lovely note of lemon plus get all the health benefits, add dried or fresh lemon balm or lemon verbena leaves. It also complements ginger nicely, as it is known to help digestive and respiratory complaints too. Honey and fresh lemon juice are two other wonderful additions if you want a sweeter version with additional lemon flavor. Add these directly before drinking.

Ginger Salt Glow

With it’s warming qualities, ginger makes a lovely salt scrub, especially for the winter months. You can also sub sugar for the salt. I like to use brown sugar.

• 1 cup fine-grain sea salt
• ¼ cup vegetable oil (for example: almond, apricot, or sunflower)
• 12 drops Ginger Essential Oil

Directions: 

1. Pour salt into a bowl and add the vegetable oil. Stir well.
2. Add the essential oils. Stir until evenly dispersed. Add more oil to adjust to your liking.
3. Store in a glass or PET plastic container.

To Use: Apply 2-3 times per week. Wet skin. Rub salt mixture in a continuous motion over body, avoiding cuts and the face, as salt is too rough for this delicate skin. Rinse off. Follow with a body lotion, cream, or oil.

Once you’ve experienced this exotic herb, you’ll want to find more ways to use it.

What’s your favorite way to use ginger for winter wellness? Be sure to share in the comments below!

Cautions:

The information here is provided for adults, not children. Pregnant women should also consult their doctors before using any essential oils. According to the Gale Health and Wellness, “dosages over 6 g could cause gastric problems and possibly ulcers. Ginger may slow down blood clotting time. Before taking ginger, consumers should check dosages with a healthcare provider. Additionally, consumers should not ingest the whole ginger plant; it has been found to damage the liver in animals. Ginger root is not recommended for people with gallstones.”

Resources:

Gale Group Health and Wellness Resource Center