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Today’s guest post is by Jan of Healthy Notions. She is going to teach us about why red raspberry is such an important herb for women’s health. Enjoy!

Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) has many wonderful qualities and is a very popular woman’s herb. In fact, it is considered, “the herb for pregnant women” because it “contains a uterine relaxant principle.” This toning quality acts on the muscles of the uterus and is why it can be used as a tonic before, during, and after pregnancy. It also helps with morning sickness and may be used against a possible miscarriage. If you have menstrual difficulties, then Red Raspberry may be the herb for you.

Red Raspberry can act as a healing tea when you come down with a cold or flu because it relieves irritation, firms tissues and keeps you hydrated. When one comes down with a cold or flu, make sure you have access to some Red Raspberry leaves, so you can make this simple infusion and drink it throughout the day. Other indications for Red Raspberry are diarrhea, nausea, fever blisters, hemorrhoids, and ulcers.

According to renowned herbalist, Susun Weed, “An infusion is a large amount of herb brewed for a long time.” Making an infusion is very different from making an herbal tea from a tea bag or a small amount of herb tea. An infusion creates a tea with a high vitamin and mineral count which is filled with nutrients and phytochemicals derived from that particular herb. These nutrients are easily assimilated by the body to nourish and help heal and repair body systems as needed.

MAKING A RED RASPBERRY TEA INFUSION IS EASY!

Ingredients and Tools:

• 1 ounce of dried Red Raspberry leaves
• Food scale
• Large measuring cup
• Tea kettle
• Two one-quart Mason jars (I use the ½ gallon sized Wide Mouth Mason jars because I like them
• and they are easier for me to work with)
• Coffee press, mesh strainer, and/or cheesecloth
• Raw honey to taste if desired

Step One: Boil four cups of water.

Step Two: While water is heating up, measure out one ounce of Red Raspberry leaves. Use a scale to weigh out one full ounce because that is the only way to know that you are getting the exact weight of the herb (one ounce of Red Raspberry is approximately 1 cup). Remember to deduct the weight of the measuring cup when measuring for your ounce of red raspberry leaves.

Step Three: Put the measured Red Raspberry leaves into one of the quart Mason jars and pour boiling water over it. Fill to top of quart Mason jar. Stir slightly being careful of the steam, cap it and let sit 4-10 hours or overnight on your kitchen counter.

Step Four: After a minimum of four hours or overnight, strain leaves and tea into the other quart Mason jar. You can use a coffee press, mesh strainer, or a strainer with cheesecloth. Squeeze out the leaves as you strain the tea into the jar. Add raw honey to taste. That’s it! Serve up yourself a nice cup of infused herbal tea (warm or cold-add ice for iced tea). This tea will store in the refrigerator for up to 36+ hours. Drink two to four cups a day.

One last hint: You can recycle “the mark” (leftover leaves) into your compost pile, water your plants with any unused tea or use it a final rinse on your hair.

Check out our “Healthy Notions Resources: AKA Tools of the Trade” for further information.

Sources:
The Healing Herbs by Michael Castleman pg. 294
PureCalma.com: Web Interview with Susun Weed
Yahoo!: 3 Powerful Immunity Tea Recipes

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or any kind of medical professional. In no way is the content of this post meant to be used as medical advice.

Jan Robbins has always had her mind on nutrition and herbs ever since she was a teenager. Back then her mom gave her a book by Penny C. Royal called “Herbally Yours” and from that point on she was hooked. Nowadays, she serves as a Nutrition Educator & a Family Herbalist. She currently lives in Nebraska with her husband, Mark, and together they run Healthy Notions, LLC. You can find them on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Their motto is: Eat Well ~ Stay Well ~

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