Yarrow Tea: The Best Cold and Flu Natural Remedy
With all the crud going around this time of year, I will share one of our family’s favorite go-to’s for cold & flu remedies. We love the herb yarrow and use it all the time!
Herbs are awesome! You may think that herbs are a little weird and that only STRANGE people use herbs.
I will admit I had a few judgments myself. I remember my first experience going into an herb store, and the weird smell turned me off (you know what I am talking about, right)?
Just because you use herbs doesn’t mean your house will have the aroma of a health food store. My kid’s friends have said on more than one occasion that my house smells organic.
I used to take offense, thinking they meant it smelt like a health food store or something, but I have been reassured that they like the smell.
It’s probably a combination of essential oils and other natural products used in our home. Who knows?
Over the years, I have intensively explored the alternative field and found many things that work through trial and error.
I want to share some home remedies we have tried and what HAS WORKED for us. I say “we” because I have used these remedies on myself and my family.
At first, they thought I was a little strange when I had them drink some odd-tasting herbal concoction or crushed up a plant growing in the yard to put on a bee sting.
However, now they come to me and ask what they can use when they have a headache or are experiencing an ailment.
They ask because they know these things do work.
Yarrow is classified as a “bitter herb” because of the volatile oil it contains.
It is not the best tasting, but you acquire a taste for it. I don’t mind the taste anymore and believe me, I have taken worse tasting things. When you realize the benefits, who cares what it tastes like anyway?
What is Yarrow good for?
- ANTISEPTIC and VIRAL INHIBITOR
- BLOOD PURIFIER
- CIRCULATION]
- COLDS AND FLU
- DIGESTION
- FEVER
- INFLAMMATION
- TONIC
This is a list of just a few of the many things Yarrow is good for. I recommend reading 10 Essential Herbs by Lalitha Thomas.
This paragraph from Lalitha’s book is what sold me on Yarrow.
“Its volatile oil collects and absorbs many impurities (I think of it as gathering the toxins into little packets) and then, somewhat like a detergent, breaks down these “corralled” toxins into forms much easier for the body to eliminate without the usual illness symptoms.”
This winter, my family has fared very well, considering all the junk that is going around.
People at work, school, friends, the family are all so sick and stay sick for some time.
We have had a few colds, but they don’t last long or we just haven’t gotten sick at all.
We do additional things like increase vitamin C and a few other things to stay well, but I give credit to the yarrow.
So if the crud is going around the neighborhood, don’t just sit there waiting for the symptoms to start, drink 1 to 2 cups of yarrow tea a day as a preventive tonic.
If you already have symptoms, start flushing it out with 4 to 8 cups of Yarrow tea each day.
Yarrow is very easy to grow and dry yourself (I do), but I like to stay stocked up on it and have plenty to share, so I buy the dried herb in bulk on Amazon, or you can get it at Starwest Botanicals.
Making a cup of herbal tea is a snap using either of these two nifty devices.
1- The mesh tea ball with a handle shown above is nice and inexpensive.
.
2 -One of my latest favorites for making tea is the Grosche Perfect Tea Maker.
Everyone in our family has one. Put one teaspoon of dried herb and pour boiling water over it.
After steeping for 10-15 minutes, you place it on your mug, which strains and drains it. BAM!
To make a simple cup of tea:
- Boil water.
- Measure 1 teaspoon of the dried herb per cup of water.
- Steep for 10-15 minutes.
*I like to add a little dried peppermint to my tea. It tastes good and helps clear congestion in the body.
If you have not developed a taste for Yarrow and feel you need to sweeten it a bit, use raw honey or agave nectar.
You will soon learn to love and enjoy the taste. Sip and enjoy the soothing comfort of Yarrow tea!
Stay well and be happy!
If you have questions or have had great experiences using Yarrow, please post and share!
