Medicinal Recipe: Suggestions for the flu

Some of the best herbs for flu care are diaphoretics, because they stimulate sweating.
Diaphoretics support the body’s natural response rather than “fighting” the illness.
Some of the best diaphoretic herbs include: lemon balm, bee balm, yarrow, elder flowers & berries and ginger.

If you make an infused tea with any of these herbs (or all of them, or some combination), you should see great benefits in seeing comfort from your flu. An infused tea is simply using 1-3 tbsp. of fresh herbs or 1-3 tsp. of dried herbs per cup of boiling water. Pour the boiling water over the herbs and let it steep for anywhere between 10-30 minutes. The longer you let it steep, the stronger it will be medicinally. Strain and add honey, lemon, or stevia to taste.

Here is one such infused tea:
Elderberry and ginger make a delicious tea that you might want to drink all winter, whether you’re sick or not...

To make pink ginger tea:
Slice up 2-3 inches of fresh ginger.
Put the ginger in a pot and cover it with about a quart of water.
Add 2-3 tablespoons of elderberry (frozen, canned, juice, syrup or dried).
Simmer the mixture until it tastes strongly of ginger—usually at least 15 minutes. (The tea turns a muddy purple-brown as it simmers.)
When it’s ready, remove the tea from the heat, let it sit a minute to cool, and add good quality raw honey to taste. (Don’t boil raw honey. You’ll kill the enzymes.)
Squeeze the juice from one small or half a large lemon. Add it to the tea. Watch the color change from muddy to clear pink. :)

Drink hot, preferably while wrapped in a blanket.

Bergamot / Bee Balm

Name:
*Bergamot aka Bee Balm aka Monarda
(Monarda didyma)
*also known as Oswego Tea


Description:
*perennial
*best in zones 4-9
*a good substitute for oregano in cooking
*a beautiful flower
*many varieties, but M. didyma is my favorite

Parts Used:
*aerial parts (leaves only for medicinal purposes), fresh or dried

Position:
*sun to part shade (use part shade esp. if you live in a hot climate)
*rich soil with fair amount of moisture

Propagation:
*propagation by seed: use cold stratification for 3 months before sowing. There will be sporadic germination for 2-3 weeks, give seeds additional warmth to encourage germination (approx. 65 degrees Fahrenheit)
*you can also propagate by tip cuttings, this has a lower rate of success. If doing it this way, do it in the summer
*you can also propagate by division in early spring

Maintenance:
*divide and replant every 3 years and discard the dead center
*this is not suitable for growing indoors
*cut back to the ground in the fall and feed with manure or compost *OR* clear back dead material from the plants in the winter

Harvesting:
*harvest aerial parts at any time
*harvest edible flowers as required
*if drying leaves, it is best to collect the leaves in late spring and dry (before flowers open)
*collect flowers for drying as soon as they are fully opened

Medicinal:
*parts used: leaves
*relieves nausea, flatulence, menstrual pain, insomnia
*helps with colic, fevers, digestion, and respiratory conditions

Cooking:
*the flowers are edible
*the leaves are also used
*used in: salads, teas, wine, lemonade, stuffings, jams, and jellies

For additional information, see: references and warnings