by TeaLady on August 12, 2010
Chamomile is the Mother of all herbs in my opinion. It was the first herbal tea that I ever used medicinally and it is the most important herb that must be in your kitchen medicine chest. Chamomile is the first herb that I give to my babies, the tea that my young children drink most and it is the last thing my Italian grandfather was able to drink in the hospital before he died.
Chamomile has is the nurturing soothing calming influence of a good mother. It’s no wonder that the latin name for the flower is Matricaria recutita. European herbalists call chamomile “the mother of the gut.”
The first mention of the word chamomile for many of us was in the story of Peter Rabbit who got a chamomile tea before bed when he had a chill. I recommend this to my clients when they mention any one of the typical assortment of baby’s problems: colic, digestive discomfort, constipation, teething, fever, overstimulation, problem sleeping. For older babies I will add honey as needed to encourage the drinking of bedtime chamomile tea. For younger babies, just a little bit will do a lot. Children adore the nightly ritual of their bed-time tea. The effect of the muscle relaxant chamomile slows them down enough to ease into sleep.
Nicholas Culpepper, the most famous of all English herbalists, claimed that “The bathing with a decoction of Camomile takes away weariness, eases pains, to what part of the body soever they be applied.” There are numerous cosmetic recipes to be found for skin care and hair care using chamomile.
There is sometimes a concern about allergies. Ragweed allergies may be a factor since chamomile is in a related family. The pollen of these flowers growing and blowing may cause irritation to people with an allergy but in most cases drinking the tea is more helpful not an irritant, as this allergy is specifically respiratory not digestive. I have met few adults who think they are actually allergic to drinking chamomile tea and have never met a child who was.
My babies found relief from chamomile, I find relief when my active children finally calm down and go to bed, and an older child or young woman will find relief from symptoms of PMS by drinking chamomile tea. The muscle relaxant effect of chamomile eases cramping during that time of month and the digestive aid balances acidity in the body which tends to become more acidic at these times.
Many adults have found great relief from acid reflux, chronic flatulence, IBS, anxiety and stomach ulcers with the regular consumption of this wonderful mother herb; especially when taken in the blend that I put together.
Chamomile tea is a nutritional ally for a number of elderly people who must take medication that causes digestive disorders or difficulty eating their favorite foods. This is a tea for them, to ease the damage to the stomach lining done by many prescriptive medicines and also to nourish the body when eating is just plainly not worth the discomfort.
It is a good idea to take herbal teas about 2 hrs after taking prescriptive medicines. Chamomile has trace components of coumarins so should be used with caution if on other blood thinners. The trace amounts of these components are so small in herbal tea infusions that it is not a worry but worth noting that vast quantities of strong tea is not recommended when on other prescriptive drugs. This will hold true for most of even the safest herbs. Know what medication you are taking, and keep a list of their contra-indications. Even some foods are to be avoided with drugs. The herbs I sell are to be treated as food items, unless specified otherwise.
For everyone, aged 1 to 101, chamomile tea is a herbal tea that is the reliable natural remedy to comfort us throughout our lifetime. Mildly sedative, greatly digestive, and a gentle muscle relaxant Chamomile Tea is number one in my books.
by TeaLady on August 12, 2010
I just wanna ask ya that question I’ve been wondering for a while is there any of your teas or a different herb that could help with a less then happy libido? thanks !
– anonymous
I wrote about the topic a couple of years ago, but since then I did design a tea which later I discovered was FULL of ingredients that are aphrodisiac!!! It is the Breast is Best tea! I’m trying to figure out how to market that DELICIOUS (I love it) blend to people who are not wishing to lactate. lol. I suppose it helps a mama make milk because it promotes a loving “feeling” and all the hormones are the same ones when you get amorous. Funny, eh? and check this article I wrote before: Spice up Your Love Life
by TeaLady on July 23, 2010
Herbfest is upon us. Under the cut is a pdf of the herbfest program that was printed in the local community paper. It includes schedule of events, some articles, ads, and the list of vendors. The program you recieve at the door will have a map of the vendors with booth numbers. Hope to see you all there!!!!
HerbFest Insert 2010
by TeaLady on July 17, 2010
Herbfest was started Fifteen years ago by a small and intimate group of ottawa valley herb enthusiasts and small businesses. There were caterers, body care products, oils and vinegars, medicinal salves, and lovely household decorations like swags and wreaths. This group made it their mission to bring the beauty and
wonder of herbs to the general public in the Ottawa area. Herbfest became open to the public, inspiring the imaginations of creative souls who loved using herbs. They planted community gardens and brought experts to town to speak at dinners and conferences. The Herb Garden was lovingly tilled, sowed and rooted in such a way that we can all enjoy its allure and bask in the spiritual beauty and physical bounty. Our esteemed host, The Herb Garden, is a tourist destination like no other in the Ottawa Area.
Every major city in the world has gardens to visit, and Ottawa is no exception. The Herb Garden is a unique destination and a site rich with landmarks and historical virtue. Today we are lucky to live in a city that has grown tremendously, now encompasses The Herb Garden, and is the home to many successful health and wellness entrepreneurs who employ all sorts of creative ways to use herbs. Herbfest became the most enchanting gathering, with an exaustively wide ranging collection of visionary enterprises relating to herbs, health, and well being.
This annual event boasts an unbroken record of successful midsummer Sundays and an uncanny immunity to bad weather. Except for the occasional 10-
minute shower, Herbfest has NEVER been rained out. Last year when it rained in Ottawa and Stittsville, it did not rain on the Herb Garden. As such, this year we hope to find a way to get the word out to the public about The Herb Garden weather via Facebook, Twitter or local radio stations. Find us on Facebook as “Midsummer Herbfest” and check updates about programming and weather reports.
There has been a lot of talk about how Herbfest has grown and morphed into a larger and more varied event that may appear to have lost the primary focus of herbs. Nothing could be further from the truth. Please read on and be assured that this has not been the case. Loyal herbfest attendees have been supporting this event for well over a decade and they can be assured that the integrity of the herbal focus is strong. There have always been herbal vendors with a herbal focus. If the numbers of them have dwindled recently, the reason has been an evolution reflecting the individual herbal vendor’s personal journey. Yet, as a grass-roots non- profit event, Herbfest has a committee that is in touch with the participants and with the guests. We have heard the call for more Herbal
content and I am excited to announce that this year’s herbfest will be a profusion of herbal workshops and products likes of which you never thought possible!
The herb of the year is DILL and our talented chefs will pull out all of their culinary tricks to impress the judges with the flavour of Dill in a dish. You will not want to miss this. There will be herbal cheeses being sampled by a local cheese
sommelier, and the chef cook off will be MC’d by a local wine sommelier. We are grateful and honoured to have confirmed Grandmother Alma Lo as our “herb walker” and so try to be on time for one of the informative strolls through the flora and learn. We have two demo tents where you may find discussions, presentations and workshops on herbal first aid, herbal lore and magic, and herbal meditation. The herbal labyrinth is always open for meditative walks but we will have a guide offering a presentation and a group labyrinth walk. Of
course there will always be the herbal tea tasting table; the garden fairies will be frolicking around spreading their magic, and our line-up of talented musicians will feed your soul through your ears with non-invasive but uplifting melodies. We have an annual army of 70 volunteers who love to come and make this special day tic toc without missing a beat. In addition, we are sponsored by The Table; a vegetarian restaurant that is the Ottawa cornerstone of good local vegetarian eating and fine community involvement. Watch the facebook page or the website for updates about our guest authors as we have some exciting plans still to be confirmed.
ETA: Guest author is Diana Beresford Kroeger!!!! a local hero… botanist, gardener, and author of “A Global Forest”. follow the link to see a clip from her documentary series “Recreating Eden” i’ve linked you to the clip from this episode of “recreating eden”. My heart swells when i watch it. i can’t wait to meet this woman and buy her book: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xawq_eQRpyo
Herbfest really is an event like no other, and the offerings described do not even begin to cover the circle of friends, the sense of community and the captivating aura and energy of the gardens and the whole site.
