Best wishes for a happy Herbal Christmas and a prosperous Healthy New Year.
Now that most people have started planning their Christmas Holiday period with vigour, it may be a good idea to be ready with an effective, delicious, seasonal herbal remedy to relieve some of the anxiety and stress that afflict busy hosts/hostesses and party planners at this time of year. You may also like to consider planning how to prepare a relaxing drink to ease the discomfort of – dare I say it - over indulgence in the eating and drinking department.
Herbal relief is becoming more and more readily accepted as a natural alternative to medicinal treatments for everyday ailments and conditions.
There are so many delicious traditional dishes at out fingertips over the Christmas period, as well as tempting tit bits, nibbles and tipples that it really would be extremely rude not to indulge. Because of this it makes good sense to make sure you are able to enjoy the Christmas festivitiesto your full potential.
For the busy host there are many relaxing and refreshing herbal teas that can be enjoyed and when you see how effective they can be you may want to try growing and harvesting your own herbs through the summer months. Not only does this provide a relaxing pastime for those long lazy summer evenings giving you the added bonus of an attractive display in your garden or on your patio or windowsill it will provide you with the ingredients you need to make your own herbal remedies in time for next Christmas.
You can plan your herb pot or garden to provide the herbs you need for a specific remedy or can grow an assortment of basic herbs and supplement these with bought dried herbs to complete your recipes.
Here I am concentrating on a couple of remedies to have on hand over the Christmas Holiday.
Firstly a calming tea to help the busy mum or host who is struggling with the logistics of making sure the family Christmas goes of without a hitch. His/her role is often forgotten and always under valued.
Always remember that stress should not be regarded as a bad thing. It keeps us on our toes and certainly ensures that life is never boring. That said, we all need to be able to kick off our shoes and de-stress at the end of a hectic day.
To make a calming herbal tea that will lift your spirits simply put 1-2 tablespoons of fresh Rosemary leaves (or use 1-2 teaspoons of dried Rosemary) into a warmed teapot and pour on boiling water. Leave to brew for five minutes and drink while hot.
My second herbal relief recipe is an aid to digestion often required after a superb traditional Christmas lunch. Simply make a pot of tea, as above, using a handful of peppermint leaves instead of the Rosemary. This is a relaxing drink which is proven to aid digestion in every case.
Have a wonderful Christmas and a healthy and prosperous new year.
