CHILDREN’S CALCIUM TEA
A tisane is an herbal infusion drunk as a beverage or for its mildly medicinal value. Hot water is poured over fragrant leaves, flowers, fruits and grains for a tasty and nourishing drink.
After learning to make ‘Children’s Calcium Tea’ at my Kitchen Apothecary Workshop, one friend reported that her children loved and called it ‘Yummy Tea.’
{SIMPLER’S METHOD}
The following recipe uses the simpler’s method of formulating. This traditional folk method is very adaptable; you can easily adjust the recipe to make a tiny batch or a huge one.
You may want to make a small cup of tea, perhaps to try a new formula and see if you like the way it tastes. So you might decide to use a quarter teaspoon as a ‘part.’ The simpler’s recipe calls for 3 parts rose hips, 2 of lemon balm and 1 part nettles.
Using a quarter teaspoon as a ‘part,’ that translates to 3 quarter teaspoons rose hips, a half teaspoon lemon balm, and a quarter teaspoon nettles.
You like the way it tastes, so you decide to mix a bulk batch. You decide to use a cup measure for your ‘part.’ How much, then, would three parts rose hips be? Two parts lemon balm? One part nettles?
You don’t need special equipment; a ‘cup’ could be an actual measuring cup, or it can be a drinking mug. Some herbalists feel comfortable eyeballing ingredients for some remedies. Or you can be more precise in your measurements, and measure by weight on a scale. A part could be 5 grams, an ounce, or a pound. You decide and do a few calculations.
A ‘part’ can be a measure of volume or a measure of weight. Just be consistent within the batch. A part is a part is a part...
{BIOAVAILABLE NUTRIENTS}
The most gentle herbs are the nutritive herbs, the herbs high in nutrients which are used primarily to replenish the body’s stores of nutrients—keeping the body strong for health and the prevention of illness, or other symptoms of imbalance or deficiency.
Popular nutritive herbs include nettles {my personal favorite, and we will talk about it in a minute}, alfalfa, dandelions, chickweed, marshmallow root, slippery elm bark, rose hips and oat straw.
One of the benefits of using herbs as nutritional supplements is that many of them are not only concentrated sources, they are synergistic sources; they contain the nutrient in combination and balance with other nutrients that aid absorption and balance. Foods, including the nutritive herbs, do not contain nutrients in isolation {as do many commercial supplements} which could make absorption difficult or impossible, nor are they likely to cause detrimental imbalances in the body that drain resources as the body attempt to regain homeostasis {often causing the leaching of other minerals, etc.}.
Vitamin or mineral toxicity is virtually impossible; and you won’t be eliminating all of the nutrients.
{CALCIUM}
The following is a nutritional formulation by herbalist Rosemary Gladstar. This tea add high quality, naturally biochelated calcium and other important minerals to the diet. {Calcium is water-soluble.}
Calcium is the most plentiful element in the body and the primary structural mineral of the body; it is mostly found in the bones, teeth and nerves. It is said that most people do not have enough bioavailable calcium in their diets.
For example, in dairy products that have been pasteurized and homogenized, the calcium has been made less available to the body. {Pasteurization denatures protein in milk to an extent that milk becomes very difficult to digest for the assimilation of its nutrients. Vitamins A and D are important to calcium utilization and are destroyed by pasteurization; the vitamins added afterwards are synthetic, not chemically the same and without the same benefits; skim milk removes the fat necessary to the assimilation of fat-soluble vitamins A and D that are necessary to calcium utilization. I drink raw, whole-fat milk.}
This high-calcium children’s tea is an excellent and safe natural food supplement for babies who are teething; it is most effective when given several weeks or even months before teething begins. It is also valuable to children who are undergoing growth spurts or who have had a bone or muscle injury.
{HIGH-CALCIUM CHILDREN’S TEA}
3 parts rose hips
2 parts lemon balm
2 parts lemongrass
2 parts oats
1 part nettle
1 part raspberry leaf
1/2 part cinnamon
a pinch of stevia to sweeten {optional}
Blend all ingredients and store in an airtight-container in a dark, dry, cool place. Label with its ingredients and use, so you don’t forget. It should keep for at least six months in this way.
Pour a cup of boiling water over a teaspoon of the herb blend, and steep to desired strength. Strain and press herbs before composting. Drink as desired.
The resulting tisane has a mild and pleasing flavor that is faintly sweet and fruity. I did not add stevia because the cinnamon adds sweetness enough for my own taste.
{DISCLAIMER}
The author is not a medical doctor, nor is she a licensed medical professional. Any recommendations are to educate for consumer health awareness and should not be considered diagnosis or prescribed treatment for any medical condition. If you are experiencing symptoms that concern you, please consult your healthcare provider.
• ‘High-Calcium Children’s Tea’ by Rosemary Gladstar •
June 24, 2014