They have no side effects, grow them in your own home or collect them for free in the field. Medicinal plants are everything A gift from nature, something like a huge open-air pharmacy at your disposal.
Phytotherapy is the science that uses plants and flowers to prevent and treat discomfort and illness. A wisdom endorsed by numerous scientific studies and that has been used for hundreds (if not thousands) of years.
For this reason, a gesture as simple as including some of these plants in your recipes will lead you to embrace the benefits of this practice to feel good and to face the discomforts of winter. Take note:
1. Nettle tincture preparation
If you have an allergy to mites, surely by spending more time at home and ventilating less because of the cold you have noticed that things get worse at this time.
10 drops a day of this tincture dissolved in a glass of water will act as a natural antihistamine and will relieve bothersome symptoms.
How to prepare it?
Fill half a jar with fresh nettle leaves (remember to always collect it with gloves so as not to prick yourself), add 40 ml of vodka and 60 ml of water.
Close the jar and let it macerate for 15 to 20 days in a cupboard in the dark. As simple as that. You just have to remember to give it a little shake every now and then.
2. Rosemary salt with lemon peel.
On these feast dates, in addition to enhancing the flavors of vegetables and fish, including rosemary in the salt will make you consume less quantity and your blood pressure will thank you.
But not only, because the anti-inflammatory properties of this plant will help you fight fluid retention, detoxify the liver and soothe joint pain.
Here's the recipe:
Grate the rind of a lemon and mix it with 250 g of unrefined sea salt and 3 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves. Store the salt in an airtight container. It will last you up to 3 months.
3.Sage chocolate.
In addition to being delicious, a sage hot chocolate will relieve your menstrual cramps. Its name already says it, thanks to its soothing and anti-inflammatory properties, sage will save you from your ailments and discomfort.
Prepare it this way:
Put the amount of vegetable oatmeal drink you want in a saucepan. Remove when it is about to boil and add a teaspoon of sage. Let it infuse for 5 minutes and strain the mixture.
Add a teaspoon of white tahini, 2 of pure cocoa and a date to sweeten (or the option you prefer to sweeten) and stir while heating until all the ingredients are well integrated. Lastly, go through the blender.
4. Fennel Cookies.
Fennel is one of the medicinal plants with more properties. Therefore, by including its seeds in your homemade cookies you will be taking care of your digestive health. If you accompany them with a tea or infusion of thyme, the snack will become a feast of self-care.
Note how to do it.
You need these ingredients:
300 grams of almond flour
1 level tablespoon of fennel seeds
100 grams of sugar
140 grams vegetable butter
1 branch of fennel to decorate (optional)
1 egg
Shall
Place the flour, fennel and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Then, add the cubed butter at room temperature and knead, while incorporating sugar into the mixture.
When you notice that the texture is smooth, add the egg yolk and mix again.
Make a ball and chill the dough for an hour or so. When this time has passed, divide into small pieces and press each one with a rolling pin. A little trick to make them prettier is to place a branch of fennel flower on top of each cookie before crushing them.
Finally, bake the cookies for 15 minutes at 180 degrees in the previously preheated oven. You can now remove the cookies from the oven and enjoy them after letting them rest for a while at room temperature.
You will tell us.
Photographs by Dayana LLoria