USING TEAS TO HEAL WITH!
OLD FASHION REMEDIES
Our family is not one that has ever really used over-the-counter medications, instead, we have always looked for a remedy from our own home. This year we were introduced to herbal teas–growing and using plants straight from our own backyard!
We grew yarrow, comfrey, mints, chamomile, feverfew, catnip, borage, and calendula all to be used. Mallow and dandelions were already growing everywhere in the yard which turned out to be the plant we needed most this year. We also dried all types of berry leaves and even leaves from our apricot and cherry tree.
These teas have given us so much relief from asthma, allergies, flu, and women’s health issues. The needed nutrients and minerals are especially welcomed in the winter months!
HOT DRINK WARNING
In Doctrine and Covenants 89:9 states
“And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly.” What are hot drinks and is it a physical property of the drink or a temperature?
Was the Lord suggesting that if you were to freeze a drink it is okay to consume, but if it was hot it wasn’t okay? Would it be silly to suppose that in using the word “hot” or “strong” the Lord is referring to the physical hardness or softness of a liquid? We know from the Book of Mormon (and common sense) that the “strength” of a “strong drink” pertains to the chemical properties of one of its physical ingredients—alcohol (see Alma 55:13-16).
The Latter-day Saints were warned to not partake of green teas. Many people have also taken this to mean no herbal tea. However we know that true tea comes from the plant called Camellia Sinensis, and it is the heat property is it that we are to avoid because of its effects on the heart and body. The “heat” of a hot drink is a reference to the chemical properties of some of its physical ingredients—that is, caffeine, theobromine, etc.
Herbal teas do not come from the Camellia Sinensis plant and are presumably not part of the word of wisdom warning. In fact, we have been told that herbs are for the benefit of man.
D&C 89:10 “all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man”
HOW TO MAKE A SIMPLE TEA
- Choose your favorite fresh or dried grown herb
- Approximately use 1/4 cup of herb (or you can mix different types)
- Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Once boiled turn the stove off.
- Add your herbs into the water either using a tea ball or just but dropping the herbs into the water.
- Simmer for 30 mins.
- Strain
- Add a sweetener
- Enjoy!
Our greatest lesson we have learned this year is that what you usually need for health…God has it growing somewhere in your own backyard already! What is your favorite herbal tea?
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Julie
Julie Smith is the Education Director for the Joseph Smith Foundation. She is the former owner of the Glenn J. Kimber Academy in Lehi, Utah. Julie served as a regional trainer—establishing 18 schools in Arizona, Idaho, and Utah. She is a certified teacher for The Thomas Jefferson Center for Constitutional Restoration (TJC) and taught the Making of America seminars written by W. Cleon Skousen and Glenn J. Kimber. Some of her children also traveled across the nation, assisting in teaching during these seminars. Julie taught history and Book of Mormon classes for 10 years. Julie is the mother of 5 children and grandmother to 7. She homeschooled for over 27 years, working through family challenges including pornography addiction, testimony faith crises, and teenage rebellion. She writes and teaches on strengthening the family, working with troubled youth, practically applying the teachings of scripture and the Prophet Joseph Smith, and celebrating higher standards. In her spare time, Julie also enjoys gardening, managing her .5-acre homestead, and hosting Sunday dinners with her family! Her home is a revolving door of guests and friends as her family hosts cultural celebrations and teaching events.
