UTI's and bladder infections are never any fun, but I think the worst is when the doctor can't tell you when you have one of these things because the tests come back negative. My mom ran into this problem last year. Luckily for her, I was having similar issues, but I hadn't gone to a doctor yet. I decided to make this my first official herbal concoction.
My herbal journey started with me collecting herbal healing books and staring wistfully at the pages, but not certain how to go about starting. So when I began to have itchy problems in my vaginal area, I decided I was going to figure out a solution. At first I just assumed I wasn't cleaning as well as I should have, and so I started to make sure I spent a little more time in that area and was keeping it clean. When that didn't seem to solve the problem, I crafted the Yoni Powder (on the next blog post) to help keep the itching at bay while I waited for my herbs to arrive in the mail for this tea.
I was overjoyed when I received all the herbs I needed to create this tea! I immediately started putting the herbs into a jar that ended up being MUCH too small for everything. One thing I had to figure out as I was measuring the herbs out was how I was going to define how much a "part" was. A lot of recipes in herbal books call for "parts". I decided to keep it simple for myself I would consider a "part" an "oz", and began measuring as such (If you decide to go down the route of measuring 1 Part as 1 Oz, then be aware that not all plant weight the same and one ounce in one plant can be a LOT more than one ounce in other plants). The main thing to remember is to keep your "parts" the same for the recipe. By deciding to consider 1 Part as 1 Oz I ended up making WAY more than what I actually needed. But the good part is that I now have more on hand should I need to brew more tea (and YES I have needed to brew more).
My first taste of this tea will always be memorable, because it was terrible! The first time I made this tea I accidentally over boiled it, which ruins the entire tea. I decided that when my mom said she was having issues, but the doctor wouldn't give her medication because she was testing negative for infections, that I would help her out. I told her about this tea and told her I'd be willing to brew some for her, all she had to do was drink unsweetened cranberry juice with it, and it would help (Note: I had yet to finish the first batch I made. I thought I had made it correctly and it was just horribly bitter. I was terrible at taking it, I absolutely dreaded drinking it. It wasn't until I brewed some for my mom (while actually paying attention to it so it didn't boil) that I realized I made mine wrong).
My mom drank her batch of the tea and praised it to high heavens! She said it worked incredibly well and wasn't nearly as bitter as I had been making it sound. That was my incentive to remake it for myself. This time I made it while keeping a watchful eye on the pot, and it turned out a million times better than the first batch. I drank all of it, and immediately felt better within the second or third day of treatment. Now with knowing it worked, I make sure to keep the herbs nearby so I can brew more if I or anyone in my family should ever need to use it.
The one thing to know about this tea is that, you don't need to have an active infection going on to use it. If you feel off in your vaginal area, or just an unexplained itch. This tea helps reset the PH balance in the vagina when taken properly and consistently.
Now without further ado, the recipe. (Please look at the tips and observations for helpful guidance on making and using this tea. These are observations I have made myself while making the tea, and can help you have a better first experience than mine was.)
Ingredients
2 Parts Sage
2 Parts Raspberry Leaf
2 Parts Mullein
1/4 Part Goldenseal Root
Directions
Mix Herbs together.
Use 4-6 Tablespoon (I used 4 Tablespoon) of herb mixture per quart of water.
Add herbs to cold water & bring to simmer over low heat. Keep pot covered!
Remove from heat immediately & let steep for 20 minutes.
Strain with a coffee filter.
To Use
Drink 3 cups (I used a short glass and would put about 2 oz tea and 2 oz cranberry juice in it) between meals or half an hour before eating until gone.
Tips
- "parts" is an undefined herbalist term. It can mean whatever you want. 1 oz, 1 lb, they're all a "part". My suggestion is to stick to 1 oz for the "parts" measurement (especially if using dried herbs). Dried herbs weigh less than you think they do, and you'll need a bigger storage jar than you originally thought.
- 1 quart is equal to 4 cups of water
- keeping the pot covered is essential, this tea is incredibly strong scented.
- Straining with a coffee filter is incredibly important! Mullein has tiny little hairs that can irritate the throat, which the coffee filter helps remove when straining.
- store in the fridge when not in use.
- Drink with pure cranberry juice (unsweetened) in equal parts, the taste is not the greatest.
- pair with Yoni Powder treatment for best results.
Observations
- Grin & bear it. Do not add sugar. Your infection will not get better as fast as you'd like and you'll have to drink more of this.
- If you didn't pay attention and the tea begins boiling for an undefined amount of time TOSS IT! You've released too much of the bitterness even with the cranberry juice to "sweeten the taste". Toss it and start over. You've been warned.
-Tastes better at room temperature
-If the infection is severe or been going on for a while, you might need to make two batches, but usually one batch will take care of the issue.
-Herbal Healing for Women by Rosemary Gladstar
