Relaxing Raspberry Tea

To end our raspberry week I thought we would take time to share a cup of tea. Tea has quite a number of benefits. I found this top 12 list by  Marcelle Pick, OB-GYN NP and with the link back to her article if you want to know more. 

Just the act of drinking tea is relaxing not to mention the healing benefits of the particular herbs you choose to drink. Green tea is particularly stress relieving.

"Top 12 health benefits of tea

1. Stress recovery and relief from psychological distress
2. Insulin regulation and weight maintenance
3. Arthritis prevention
4. Immune system support and cold/flu relief
5. Reduction in risk of certain cancers
6. Protection against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases
7. Reduced risk for cardiovascular disease
8. Bone health promotion
9. Prevention of lung damage
10. Healthier aging
11. Detoxification benefits
12. Enhances parasympathetic changes"

The other day I decided to pick and dry some of the leaves from the raspberry bush next door. It was pretty easy. I used my food dehydrator and they dried in several hours. This photo is of my very first cup of home harvested raspberry tea. It was good  and tastes like green tea to me.

"Pour one cup boiling water over a teaspoon of dried leaves and let it steep at least 15 minutes. Drink and heal." Norma Whitehead

Raspberry tea is commonly thought of for pregnant women.  It can also help with stress reduction and weight loss. 

"This tea is commonly used for digestion troubles including gas, diarrhea, and more. It also contains several anti bacterial agents that can help to fight off mild infections and speed up recovery time from the cold or flu. Beyond all of this, raspberry tea is also filled with many nutrients and minerals that our bodies need in order to function at their very best. Vitamins A, C, and E are prevalent in the tea along with calcium, pectin, iron, and potassium. Another impressive benefit to be found in raspberry teas is that they contain the highest content of anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants that can increase health greatly. When drank regularly it is no doubt that raspberry tea can be one of the best nutritional supplements that you can use that will help you feel better all around." http://www.raspberrytea.net/Raspberry-Tea-Benefits/

My Self Care Wellness Activity:
Take time for a cup of tea. Not on the run, but to be enjoyed as you quietly reflect about some of the good things in your life. Breath in, breath out, take a sip of tea and take a momentary mental vacation.

Raspberry Seed Benefits

We are continuing again today with the raspberry and it's amazing healing benefits. Today we are looking at the seeds. 

The Seed - Red Raspberry Seed Oil is a fabulous addition to skin care products and contains wonderful anti-inflammatory properties. This oil soothes irritation and swelling from conditions effecting the skin.

One article I read called it natures sunscreen. Raspberry seed oil actually has one of the higher SPF's 28-50 It’s one of the few that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. It is rivaled only by carrot seed oil. Since your skin absorbs anything you put on it I try to only put things on my skin that I would be willing to eat.  I found this raspberry sunscreen recipe I would like to try eventually that I found at http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/homemade-sunscreen.html#.

Homemade Sunscreen Ingredients:
1/2 cup of 100% pure aloe
20 drops carrot seed oil OR raspberry seed oil – (raspberry seed oil has a higher SPF)
5 tbsp coconut oil
3 capsules of Vitamin E oil or hemp seed oil (2 tbsp)
5 drops of Lavender oil
1 tablespoon of avocado oil which helps increase the sun protection factor (SPF).

As you can see the Raspberry is a wellness fruit super hero. I'm going to continue picking the berries from the bush next door. I have harvested some of the leaves and dried them in our food dehydrator. I'm not going to try to make my own raspberry seed oil but I will see if I can add it to my ever growing essential oil collection. I may try and make a raspberry vinegar and a raspberry tincture.

Raspberry Leaf Benefits

Continuing on with the benefits of the Raspberry today we will discuss the benefits of the leaf. 

 The Leaf - Just about everywhere I check talked about the amazing pregnancy benefits of raspberry tea. It has a number of other great uses. I plan on harvesting some of the leaves from ours and drying them so we have them to use this winter. "Even if you don’t want to get pregnant benefits it has been shown to reduce menstrual cramps and may help to regulate the flow of menstruation due to its effects on the uterus. Helps to detoxify excess hormones which is very helpful during times of hormonal shift such as menopause or in the second half of the menstrual cycle (the two weeks before starting your period, which is when most women experience PMS)." says Jessica Stamm, MS CCN

"The tannins in raspberry leaf give it astringent properties which make it soothing both internally and externally. A strong raspberry leaf tea or tincture will sooth sunburn, eczema, and rashes when used externally. Swishing with a tincture or infusion of Raspberry Leaf is great for the gums and can help alleviate the symptoms of gingivitis or gum disease." Says welnessmamma.com

According to Mountain Rose Herbs: "Raspberry leaves are among the most pleasant-tasting of all the herbal remedies, with a taste much like black tea, without the caffeine. Raspberries were said to have been discovered by the Olympian gods themselves while searching for berries on Mount Ida. Raspberries are indigenous to Asia Minor and North America, with the first real records of domestication coming from the writings of Palladius, a Roman agriculturist. By Medieval times it had a great many uses, including the juices which were used in paintings and illuminated manuscripts. King Edward the 1st (1272-1307) was said to be the first to call for mass cultivation of raspberries, whose popularity spread quickly throughout Europe. Teas of raspberry leaves were given to women of the Cherokee, Iroquois, and Mohawk nations in North America, and have earned approval of the authoritative British Herbal Compendium"

How To Make Your Own Raspberry Leaf Tea

Pick a good amount of nice looking leaves.  Rinse and dry them. I used paper towels for this step. You can dry them by laying them to dry out in the sun for a few days or putting them in your food dehydrator. I am choosing the food dehydrator because it is faster. Keep them as flat as possible in a single layer. Make sure they are really dry without any moisture left so they won't mold in storage. The taste is similar to black tea. I have also dried some berries and will mix them with my tea to give it a bit of a berry taste. Then you will get some of the berry benefits as well. It is very high in vitamin C and also said to help with things like leg cramps.