An herbal blend for summer women
My favorite way to stay hydrated during the day is drinking herbal infusions. I’ll steep some herbs overnight in a big 64 ounce mason jar, and drink it over the course of the next day. This way, not only am I drinking enough water, but I also enjoy the healing properties and nutrients in each plant.
Calendula flowers, kitchen sage and other favorite herbs.
Different needs for every season
During the cold months, I favor warming teas that support my immune system and fight infection. Living with kids, means being in constant contact with viruses and I’ve found that keeping a blend with antiviral properties close by –– and drinking it at the first sign of illness in our close community –– really helps me stay healthy and better able to support my family through colds and things like that. I’ve shared these blends with mom friends who say they are also able to stay healthy when they use them, so I’ve become quite a believer in the power of these herbs allies!
Herbs for summer support
During the summer my needs change: Instead of needing warming herbs, I look for cooling and calming. I want to feel energized for the longer days and I want to support my female body to maintain balance as I enjoy my favorite season with friends and family.
These needs call for herbs that can support me in various ways:
sooth my nervous system
support my body in cleansing and detoxifying from alcohol and junk food
reduce inflammation
balance my hormones
cool my body and mind
I’m currently drinking this blend of herbs daily and loving how it feels in my body.
Sage Woman Summer Blend
I like to start all blends with a nourishing herb that will be the base of my mix. Nourishing herbs are wild plants, like oat straw, nettles and red raspberry leaf, that are high in minerals, vitamins and enzymes. They have regenerative, grounding, cleansing and nourishing properties that when used often, support our bodies and feed our cells at a very deep level.
This blend is inspired by what is growing in my kitchen garden this summer. It calls in wisdom, calm and reliability as we navigate our busy summer season as mothers of young kids.
The herbs in this blend are:
Oat straw and red raspberry leaf as the base, followed by calendula and chamomile flowers, kitchen sage and yarrow.
Sage Woman Summer Blend –– a blend of healing herbs for calm and balance during the summer.
Why these herbs?
The list of calming, balancing and anti-inflammatory herbs is long. I could have chosen many plant allies to support me this summer, but these herbs are growing in my garden at this moment and so they feel closer to me. We are both living here in this garden through these summer months and these plants are thriving. This tells me they are healthy and able to support themselves (and us) through the season. That’s good reason enough for me :)
But here’s a brief list of additional reasons why I chose these herbs to support our bodies:
Oat Straw
Loving and gentle oat stalks are soothing to the nervous system and grounding, specially for airy bodies like mine. This plant is deeply nourishing and contains silica and other minerals that support healthy bones, hair, teeth and nails.
Red Raspberry Leaf
A powerful all-purpose nourishing herb for women’s health. It’s high concentration of vitamins and minerals makes this plant a nutritive tonic for women in all stages of live. It has calcium and iron and supports strong and healthy bones and teeth. Pregnancy and breastfeeding use up a lot of the calcium in our bones and it’s important to take measures to support the body in replenishing. This plant has also been known for centuries as a powerful uterine tonic for menstruating and pregnant women.
Calendula Flowers
These beautiful yellow flowers call in the happiest sun. They are hardy and beautiful, just like I want to feel all summer. Calendula is soothing and supports the digestive and immune system. It also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Chamomile Flowers
This is a very well known herb for it’s calming effect in the nervous system. It helps relieve tension and indigestion and promotes sleep. It also has a wonderful, delicate flavor.
Yarrow
Wild white yarrow is the most medicinal of the yarrow plants and it is found in most temperate climates in the world. That means the plant is strong and adaptable, something I also need to be during the summer. Yarrow is anti-inflammatory, and like chamomile, it is amphoteric, which means it supports you where you need it. It can be calming when your body is tense, and stimulating when energy is absent. It is also bitter, which means it helps support digestion and liver function.
Kitchen Sage
Refreshing, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. This herb grows abundantly in my garden and I love using it for tea. It supports healthy digestion, lowers cholesterol and is a bitter tonic for the liver. It is also said to promote healthy hormonal functions and helps regulate menstruation. Also, it is known to dry up mother’s milk, and as I walk the path of weaning my second daughter, I’m coming to this beautiful plant for support.
My 64 ounce bottle to make sure I drink my herbal infusions every day.
