* IMPORTANT STATEMENT -
The following tea blend recipe and the information contained in this article are NOT a substitute for a proper medical diagnosis. It is always recommend that you seek the advice of a trained health care provider before beginning any health care protocol. While all these "spices" have been used by millions of people for many centuries without any ill effects, it is still suggested that you seek the advice from a health care professional before use.
Many Blessings and Good Health To You
Michael Cottingham - Clinical Herbalist
I have been a practicing Clinical Herbalist for nearly 30 years
and more writings, videos and products can be found here:
Also, Co-founder of an exciting new project at
http://www.wildmedicineschool.com
And Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for Wild Medicine School
Keep in mind that most people do not have access to a trained herbalist, nor do they have access to the dozens of plant medicines that can be used to treat viral infections and pandemics ... BUT millions have access to these spices! Hence the reason I wrote this self-help guide for an amazing tea blend! It is affordable too!
THE SPICE OF LIFE TEA
* Always use Organic Spices or Home Grown From Your Garden!
* The following amounts are meant to be added to 1 Quart of Water.
BASIL LEAF (Ocimum basilicum) 1 teaspoon
OREGANO LEAF (Origanum vulgare) 1 teaspoon
THYME LEAF (Thymus vulgaris) 1/2 teaspoon
ROSEMARY LEAF (Rosmarinus off.) 1/2 teaspoon
GINGER ROOT - Ground (Zingiber off.) 1/4 teaspoon
TURMERIC ROOT - Ground (Curcuma longa) 1/4 teaspoon
CINNAMON BARK - Ground (Cinnamomum zeylanicum 1/4 teaspoon
Add these amounts, mixed together into a Quart Jar (best to use a Canning Jar which can withstand boiling water), add to jar, and pour boiling water over the herbs and let steep for 1/2 to 1hour before drinking.
The color and quality of the tea after steeping for about 1 Hour. In reality, the longer you let a tea steep, the stronger the effects will be. I like to let my medicinal teas steep for at least an hour.
Use a fine mesh strainer when working with fine plant pieces and powders.
A beautiful and incredible medicine tea ready for use!
The strength and effectiveness of this tea blend will always depend on the quality of your "spices". Always try and use the best quality possible. At the least, use organic spices. It is interesting to note that the total cost for all the spices in the photo (all 7 bottles) was about $30.00. I estimate that many gallons of tea (maybe as much as 6 to 8 gallons) can be made for this cost. That is a lot of medicine tea. Enough to treat a small family or 3 to 5 people. This is an inexpensive tea blend to make and is perfect for street clinics and for low income herbal medicine service work. It is effective and costs pennies per cup to make.
I would never recommend using the cheaper non-organic spices, simply because of pesticides and herbicides that are used in their production. Many of the spices that are commercially available come from countries where agriculture still use toxic chemicals. Chemicals that are otherwise banned in The United States. Always choose organic or home grown from your own garden!
DOSAGE:
The average adult when sick with a cold or respiratory infection could drink as much as 2 quarts a day. Usually, a quart a day for adults is probably enough. Children between 5 and 15, could use up to a quart a day if sick, but probably more like a 1/2 of a quart should be sufficient. Children under 5, maybe just a couple of teaspoons of the tea, several times a day. One can drink a cup or two (adults) a day to stimulate the immune system when a cold is going around.
This tea is warming, it increases diaphoretic action (sweating) if you drink a lot of it. Increases diuretic action (more urination). Increases respiratory function so you get less congestion. This tea blend is relaxing, so you get deeper and more restful sleeps. It is very anti-inflammatory and reducing inflammation is always helpful when you have a cold or infection. The tea increases circulation which is extremely helpful in congestion and infectious states. This tea blend is extremely anti-viral and antibacterial.
Let's look at some of the individual herbs/spices in this Spice Of Life Tea!
BASIL - Basil has been used as a spice and medicine for centuries. It has traditionally been used by herbalists to treat nausea, gas pains, dysentery. Research shows that it inhibits organisms that cause dysentery. It is anti-viral and antibacterial. Has been used to treat lung infections and to help clean up mucous membrane congestion. Basil is also considered to be an effective immune stimulating herb and has been used to assist the bodies immune system in fighting various types of viral and bacterial infections.
OREGANO - There are many different types of Oregano, but medicinally they are mostly the same. Oregano leaf is heating, spicy, and moving. It increases circulation and if you use enough of it, it will make you sweat (diaphoretic). It will also increase urination, which is extremely helpful when fighting an infection. This movement helps the body get rid of the cellular waste from an infection. A key to getting better when you have an infection in the lungs or mucous membranes is to create movement. Oregano really does that. Because Oregano contains a constituent called Thymol it makes it one of the premier plant medicines for fighting serious bacterial and viral infections.
Many of the plants in this tea blend contain Thymol - Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary and sometimes Basil - here is a short wikipedia description on this powerful constituent -
"Thymol has been used in alcohol solutions and in dusting powders for the treatment of tinea or ringworm infections, and was used in the United States to treat hookworm infections. People of the Middle East continue to use za'atar, a delicacy made with large amounts of thyme, to reduce and eliminate internal parasites. It is also used as a preservative in halothane, an anaesthetic, and as an antiseptic in mouthwash. When used to reduce plaque and gingivitis, thymol has been found to be more effective when used in combination with chlorhexidine than when used purely by itself. Thymol is also the active antiseptic ingredient in some toothpastes, such as Johnson & Johnson's Euthymol. Thymol has been used to successfully control varroa mites and prevent fermentation and the growth of mold in bee colonies, methods developed by beekeeper R. O. B. Manley.[Thymol is also used as a rapidly degrading, non-persisting pesticide.Thymol can also be used as a medical disinfectant and general purpose disinfectant."
If I were to give a ranking to Oregano in my personal materia medica of the plants I use and consider vitally important - I would rank Oregano in the top 10. It's antibacterial and anti-viral potential could be life saving.
THYME - Thyme contains a lot of Thymol making it a very powerful antibacterial and anti-viral plant medicine. Both major components of the volatile oil - thymol and carvacrol have been highly researched and are shown to be antibacterial and anti fungal. Thyme in large amounts has been used to expel worms, especially hookworms and ascarids. As a gargle or mouthwash Thyme is an excellent remedy for sore throats and infected gums. A hot tea of just Thyme is sweat-inducing making it effective against the common cold. Its volatile oils are excreted through the lungs making it excellent to use in bronchitis, whooping cough and pneumonia. Thyme is an excellent expectorant causing the coughing up of thick infectious mucus. An ointment made from Thyme has been used to treat shingles (Herpes zoster). * Large amounts of Thyme should be avoided during pregnancy. While a common kitchen spice and a small pinch is used to flavor foods ... larger amounts become a very serious medicine.
ROSEMARY - Another plant medicine that can contain small amounts of thymol, but also contains thujone, camphors, and other strong constituents. Rosemary is an excellent remedy for headaches and is considered to be an herbal nervine. It is a relaxing and vasodialating plant medicine. Good for lowering stress and calming down. It is antibacterial and antifungal. Topically the oil has been used to treat ringworm. The herb reduces flatulence and is stimulating to the digestion, liver and gall bladder increasing the flow of bile. It has been used to treat painful periods. Rosemary also improves the circulation and helps to strengthen fragile blood vessels due to its flavonoid diosmin. I consider Rosemary another one of my top 10 most used plant medicines. Having used it with thousands of people in hundreds of different ways. There is 2000+ years of historical uses for this great medicine plant. Much has been written about Rosemary!
GINGER - Ginger has been used as a plant medicine for many thousands of years by many different cultures. The roots of Ginger have long been prescribed for colds, coughs, flu, and promoting better digestion. It is one of the finest herbs for improving circulation. It is anti-viral and is an excellent respiratory plant medicine helping to expectorate stuck infectious mucus from the lungs. In this tea blend formula Ginger Root helps to move all the other herbs through the body more effectively. It helps to move waste from an infection by stimulating sweating and urination.
TURMERIC - This is probably one of the most researched of plant medicines with over 800 scientific papers to date. It is a premier anti-inflammatory. An action you want in most formulas. When you can reduce inflammation during an infectious condition your chances of recovery are greatly enhanced. Some research shows that Turmeric Root inhibits bacteria and fungal growth in the body. It has been used to help better digestion, especially with poor digestion of fats. This can make the blood less thick, which means less polluted blood, especially during infectious conditions. It is known to stimulate better lymphatic drainage which also aids the immune system. One could literally spend days and days reading about the amazing medicinal history of Turmeric.
CINNAMON - Cinnamon has been used to warm the body, treat cold conditions and colds, to warm digestion and to ease flatulence. Used to ease menstrual cramps and is antispasmodic to hectic lung coughing fits, easing the bronchi spasms. Cinnamon is extremely antibacterial inhibiting E.coli, Staphyloccus aureus, and thrush (Candida albicans). Used for thousands of years as a medicine plant, with a rich history of written uses and applications.
Keep in mind, that there are hundreds of books and thousands of internet pages that describe in great detail the plant medicine/spices in this tea blend. All of them have a rich history of use and all have been used for thousands of years. Even though most people know them just as spices to be used in cooking various dishes, in reality they are some of the most researched and important herbal medicines in the world.
This is a tasty tea that actually works to fight viral and bacterial infections, improve overall circulation, which helps to keep the lungs free of congestion and stimulates the immune system in time of need. This makes it useful in everything from the common cold, to a viral pandemic where there is no help to be found.
If there ever was a time when higher medical care was not available or higher medical care was not able to help do to an overwhelming break down of the medical system, than this tea might just be enough to help you make it through such a terrible time.
Many of the spices or plant medicines in this tea blend have already been used in both bacterial plagues and viral pandemics. History is filled with their successful stories. It is ironic that so many people lay in bed suffering from a cold or a more severe viral infection, meanwhile in their kitchen, in those tiny spice jars are the historic answers to their suffering. A pinch of knowledge might just save your life!
* In my PLANT MEDICINE STORIES section at this website, you will find other useful plant medicines that can be used for viral infections and pandemic like situations. Herbs like: Yerba Mansa, Yellow Cone Flower, Red Root, Arizona Cypress, Yerba Santa, Ocotillo and Elephant Tree. All of these could be worked into various protocols for viral infection, just depends on how much you know about them. Keeping in mind, that knowledge is key to being successful when fighting viral and bacterial infections. The more you know, the more options you will have and your success rate will go up accordingly.