Soothing Herbal Drinks

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Warm milk and honey

Perhaps with a dash of cinnamon, this is an ideal drink to take at bedtime. It will help you relax and ward off insomnia.

Hop tea

Three hop cones, or heads, infused in a cup of boiling water whenever you begin to feel excessively tense, is a marvellous remedy for anxiety and insomnia.

A soothing herb tea to sustain a feeling of equilibrium
25g (1 oz) each dried chamomile flowers, lime flowers, hibiscus blossoms and marigold flowers
15g (V2 oz) each dried peppermint leaves and vervain 1 teaspoon whole fenugreek seeds
lOOg (4 oz) Lapsang Souchong tea

Mix all the ingredients together and store in a dark airtight container. Use 1 teaspoon to 300 ml ('/2 pint) of boiling water in a tea pot and leave to infuse for five minutes before straining and serving with a slice of lemon and a teaspoon of honey if desired. This is a very calming tea that soothes feelings of anxiety. It also helps to clear your head and settle an upset tummy. One cup taken morning and night will promote a feeling of wellbeing.

Another calming tea, especially good for the nerves

1 teaspoon each grated valerian root and dried mint V2 teaspoon each dried chamomile and lavender flowers 600 ml (1 pint) boiling water Infuse the dry ingredients in the water for 15 minutes then strain and take a glass three times a day for one week only.

Two tonic teas to sip when feeling depressed

Sip either 2 teaspoons of dandelion and 1 of basil infused in 600 ml (1 pint) of boiling water, or 2 teaspoons each of nettle, basil and melissa infused in 600 ml (1 pint) of boiling water.

A tonic tea to relieve stress and anxiety

1 tablespoon each fresh dandelion and nettle tops 1 teaspoon each fresh blackcurrant and borage leaves 600 ml (1 pint) boiling water
Steep the greenery in the water for five minutes. Strain and drink with lemon and honey.

Dock wine

Dock is one of the great tonic herbs because it is extremely high in iron. Here is a recipe for an old-fashioned dock wine.

175g (7 oz) dock root
15g (V2 oz) liquorice wood
7g (V4 oz) juniper berries
lOOg (4 oz) raw cane sugar
2 litres (372 pints) organic red wine

Put all the ingredients together in a china container, cover and place either in a very slow oven or in a bain marie. Continue to heat gently until the mixture is reduced by half. Strain, bottle and seal tightly. Drink a sherry glass of the dock wine every morning for two weeks.

Rosemary in wine

Steep 6 sprigs of rosemary in a well-sealed bottle of sweet white wine for 14 days. Take 1 wineglass as a daily tonic.

Sage tonic

Take lOOg (4 oz) of fresh sage leaves and put them in a bottle of organic white wine for two weeks. Sweeten to taste with honey and leave for another day. Press and strain through muslin. Bottle, and take 1 sherry glass before lunch and dinner. You can also infuse sage leaves in boiling water, strain and sweeten with honey for an uplifting sage tea.