Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Tea Master!!!????

I am going to be a very busy lil Herbalist for the rest of the week! Here is why:
They called me a tea master! wow! Thank you, but I'm still a young herbalist who actually needs to brush up on her skills! I'm pretty excited and a bit nervous. Not sure what to expect, but I do know I have a ton of tea to make and hope that all the hard work and preparation pay off.

 I am currently waiting for my tea containers to arrive. I have a ton of online orders to get out and UPS is killing me! I'm also concerned about how much herb I have. I may have to drive to Ocean beach to the only herb shop left and pick up some herb, since I won't get an herb order in time for the weekend. Ok, I'm rambling on.

     If you are local and reading my blog, come to Yoga Oceanside on Tuesday May 3rd, practice some yoga, drink some tea, ask some questions, buy some tea!

 Thank you.. Look for the upcoming post on Fennel!! Chef Kyle has given me some great info on how to cook with fennel, so, you will get the best of both worlds! Herbs and Food!

 Thanks and have a great day!

   

Friday, April 22, 2011

Everyday, Earth day

Happy Earth Day, all!!!
   What earth day type things will you be doing? Planting gardens? cleaning up parks and beaches?


    I will be fulfilling tea orders! Which means I will be smelling and blending pieces of earth, pretty cool, but I know, no monumental movement in earth improvement.

   anyway, have a great earth day, sip some tea, and be aware of the earth around you, under you and above you today!!

 Yay!!

   

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Fun pictures of herbs!!

  I know I need to do a full blog post, but I have a little bit on my plate today and just wanted to show some photos of how beautiful some of these herbs are. Even just viewing the bright, vibrant colors can be healing. Aromas can be healing, hence aromatherapy. Do not discard roses, roots or bark. They are all herbs! They all have medicinal qualities and some are just so damn purdy and aromatic. Hold them, breathe them in.. RELAX!!
                                                                        Licorice root!


                                                                Calendula Flowers!
                                                                            Lavender!
                                                                     Ginger root!
                                                                        Chamomile!
                                                                              Hibiscus!!
                                                                     Pink Rose petals!!
                      I love to blend chamomile, roses, hibiscus and lavender together. So soothing, calming and floral!!   
  • Licorice root, great for quenching thirst, and soothing a sore throat. 
  • Calendula is very good for the skin, I like to use it internally for stomach and intestinal issues. 
  • Lavender, we all know is very calming to the nervous system. 
  • Ginger root, great for digestion, alleviating intestinal cramps and great at the onset of a cold.
  • Chamomile, also calming to the nervous system, great for babies with colic and helps with teething. I could really go on and on about chamomile. 
  • Hibiscus, lovely, sweet, aromatic, good for the stomach, but ultimately, it just tastes nice and tart, a great herb to add to a most medicinal blend that may be tough to swallow!
  • Rose petals, great for uterine cramps and mouth sores! Who would have thunk it?!
                                                         Thanks and Enjoy!!!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Hey Nettle your so fine, your so fine you blow my mind, hey Nettle!


Nettle, AKA Great Stinging Nettle
Urtica dioica

  I will start by telling you my favorite parts about my main man Nettle and then go forth to give a little history and other influences of nettle.

  •  Great for the digestive tract: cleanses and then helps with stomach problems. This herb functions a lot like Cayenne pepper, or even red beets, by opening blood vessels, relieving exhaustion and increasing circulation.
  • Due to anti inflammatory properties, Nettle helps relieve teary eyes and runny nose caused from allergic reactions.
  • Nettle helps alleviate a heavy period
  • Nettle, rich in iron, silicon, potassium and other minerals is an alkalizing herb!
  • Great for anemic little lads and lassies, prepared as a tea, due to it's nutritive value
  A little bit o' history:

   The name nettle comes from words meaning "textile plant". This plant was cultivated in Scotland for the fibers in the stalk, to make a durable cloth that would look similar to linen.
  This next tid bit is kinda funny, but we are talking back before dirt was invented (hahah), so... Nettle was popular for increasing blood flow to an inflamed area by actually scraping, irritating, or "STINGING" the skin of the inflamed area. Seems like kind of an oxi-moron if you ask me, but hey, whatever works right?  :)

 The cool thing about  herbs is that there is medicine in the leaf, stalk, and root. Some of the healing properties that are found in the root may not be as strong in the leaves, and vise versa.

 I use Nettle in my Detox tea, Replenish Tea, Migraine relief tea and the Hair Stimulation Tea.


How do you use Nettle? Or how have you heard it used? Emilee, you said Mike cooks with it a lot, what does that taste like, rich in iron? Can you explain it?
       Thanks for reading, enjoy this beautiful weekend and love your herbies!



     



   

    Thursday, April 14, 2011

    Heres to the BEGINNING!



    Hello everyone and thank you for visiting my lil tea blog.

    I have to start with a little list of who I am, in hopes you can
    A) relate to me
    B) Have compassion for me :)
    and C) Hopefully do not become offended!

    I will do this in list form for those of you who like to cut out the bullshit, like me!

    • I am an herbalist first, a tea maker second
    • My passion for herbs and nutrition are in a harmonious knot
    • If that didn't make any sense, I love them both equally
    • I studied Herbs and Nutrition in Encinitas, CA. I loved studying herbs more than nutrition
    • I have an obsession with how the body works and why..
    • I believe there is an herb for any ailment.
    • I truly practice my profession
    Want to know a few things about me unrelated to tea?

    • I am 30 years old
    • I have 2 Jack Russell terriers, Truck: 3 years, Poncherello will be 11 years next month. They are my boys.
    • I love wine, dark chocolate, Quinoa, Brussell sprouts, peanut butter, goat cheese, greek yogurt, vodka, exercise, clean sheet day, the beach, my friends, my lovely, amazing family, the man in my life, laughing til I almost puke, high heels, sweat pants, thrift stores, baseball, (primarily the Red Sox, but I have to say I'm sorta pissed at them right now), camping, being on my dad's boat and the list goes on.
    • I am from New Hampshire. Yes, that is part of New England, right next to Vermont
    • I am horrible at typing, hence why I have waited this long to start a blog
    • I don't eat gluten and I miss beer
    ok, thats enough of that.

    So, my plan with this here blog, is to keep you entertained with my sly wit, as well as inform you on the likes of herbs, maybe some food, and of course try and further my business in hopes you read my blog and love the information so much you want to drink my creations!
    Link
    In all seriousness, I have been a working Herbalist for about 6 years. I have had The Loose Leaf up and running for about 3 years. While I was in the early stages of my company I was working in a wellness clinic specializing in some pretty amazing modalities. We had a wonderful Nutritionist, live blood cell analysis, Galvanic Skin response testing, Vocal profiling, Harmonic Resolution Therapy, among others! I learned so much about the body, about healing, about a proper bed side manner, the importance of working together in the name of health and I also learned how to start my little business.

    Here is the beginning of my blog. I really hope you enjoy what you have read so far.

    What to see next:
    This weekend I will be featuring the amazing herb NETTLE. This is a multi faceted herb, so please come back and learn a little something about this big, brawny herb!


    Thanks so much and I love comments, reminds me that you are reading, so hit me with questions, suggestions, a little knowledge and LOVE!

    ----- Meghan