Herbal teas, infusions, decoctions... Not easy to navigate !
However, knowing the difference allows us to make the best use of the plants of our grandmother's remedies.
Herbal tea is any herbal preparation macerated in boiling water.
There are different ways to prepare these herbal teas depending on the type of herbs used. Thus, we distinguish decoctions from infusions.
The purpose of a decoction is to extract the active ingredients from thick, woody parts of plants such as bark (birch), branches (thyme), roots (valerian) or seeds (flax) during cooking in water.
How to: Immerse the plant in a pan of cold water, then bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to maximum.
Remember to cover to simmer gently for 20-30 minutes. Simply put, the thicker the plant, the longer the cooking time.
The decoction can be drunk cold or warmed up.
Infusion is the method most commonly used in herbal medicine (herbal healing).
This preparation technique is used for foliage (mint), flowers (chamomile) and certain berries (cranberry) with thin skins.
How to: boil some water. Put the plants in a cup and pour boiling water over them. Leave to infuse for 2 to 3 minutes, then drink the resulting mixture.
In both cases, the mixture obtained will keep for a day at most.
That's why I advise you to prepare only the amount needed for one use at a time.
Many of our modern medicines derive their active ingredients from plants in our gardens.
Why deprive yourself of their benefits when it is simple and much less expensive to prepare home remedies?
And I'm not even talking about the impact of the activity of pharmaceutical companies on the environment.
Even if we don't have a vegetable garden at home, it's easy to grow them in pots or find them ready to use in organic stores or herbalists.
Another way to be eco-friendly and thrifty!
Infusions, herbal teas and decoctions have a multitude of health and beauty benefits.
Here are some uses you can make at home for herbal teas, infusions and decoctions of plants. They will only do you good. Watch:
- The 8 most effective infusions for natural healing.
- Relieve conjunctivitis with an infusion of chamomile.
- Does your hair lack luster? Make a cherry stem infusion.
- A good herbal tea to sleep better at night.
- Eczema:the effective grandmother's remedy to know.
- The recipe for detox herbal tea with ginger to purify yourself.
- A recipe for herbal tea against constipation.
Precautions for use:
Grandmother's remedies are very effective in curing the little annoyances of everyday life.
They save us from running to the pharmacy for a yes or a no.
But do not forget that if the symptoms persist, it is wiser to consult.
