Broken Crocus

Spring Crocus in bloom
Broken under careless foot
Beautiful still

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

A Gentle Tea Cleanse

OK, yet another dietary-related post. This one is about a cleansing tea that will help clean out that digestion system.... sort of a spring-cleaning for the bawd.

I always start with a green tea bag of some sort... Earl Grey, blueberry, ginger, or even decaf is fine. (Decaf is preferable if you're having it in the evening.)

Then I add at least a tsp. each of dandelion root and milk thistle seed (dandelion root cleanses the bile ducts/gall bladder; milk thistle restores the liver), then a few rosehips (vit C), some red clover blossoms (good ...for us girls), a slice of ginger root (digestion aid and lowers cholesterol), and top it off with dried cranberries or blueberries (mostly for flavour, but crans cleanse the urinary tract and blueberries are healthy a few ways). You can also add dried cherries if you have 'em. They help lower uric acid, an overabundance of which can cause gout. Dried cherries are just a little pricey, but sometimes you can get them on special, if you watch. Another nice flavour that aids in digestion is fennel seeds.

Put the tea bag, herbs, ginger and flavour enhancer of choice into a an old-fashioned teapot and add 3 cups boiling water. Allow to steep for 10 minutes. (If I'm needing an anti-inflammatory, I may even sprinkle in a bit of turmeric.) I will often have 2 cups hot, then let the rest cool. Later, or even the next day, I'll put ice cubes in a glass and finish tea cleanse as an iced tea.

This is a delicious (add honey if you like things sweetened), and excellent tea for when you're trying to cleanse your system gently. Enjoy. :)

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