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 ailments and diseases. 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 cope with the inconveniences 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 on these dates.
10 drops a day of this tincture dissolved in a glass of water will act as a natural antihistamine and will relieve annoying 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 bottle 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 shake it up a bit from time to time.
2. Rosemary salt with lemon peel.
On these dates of binge eating, in addition to enhancing the flavors of vegetables and fish, including rosemary in the salt will make you consume less and your blood pressure will thank you.
But not only, because the anti-inflammatory properties of this plant will help you combat fluid retention, detoxify the liver, and soothe joint pain.
Here's the recipe:
Grate the rind of one lemon and mix it with 250g 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 pains. Its name already says it, thanks to its calming and anti-inflammatory properties, sage will save you from your aches and pains.
Prepare it this way:
Put on the fire in a saucepan the amount of vegetable oat drink that you want. 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. Finally, it goes through the blender.
4. Fennel Cookies.
Fennel is one of the medicinal plants with the most 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 thyme tea or infusion, the snack will become a self-care feast.
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 diced butter at room temperature and knead, while adding sugar to the mixture.
When you notice that the texture is smooth, add the egg yolk and mix again.
Shape into 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 sprig of fennel flower on each cookie before crushing them.
Finally, bake the cookies for 15 minutes at 180 degrees in the preheated oven. You can now take the cookies out of the oven and savor them after letting them rest for a while at room temperature.
You will tell us.
Photographs by Dayana LLoria