Easy to prepare, these hot drinks quickly warm us from the inside.
Faced with falling temperatures and the first frosts of the season, we will have to find solutions to warm up effectively. Thanks to their calorific value, certain plants are ideal allies and can easily be consumed as herbal tea throughout the day.
Ginger warms hands and feet
Ginger is a plant that “warms the body”, recalls Dr Michèle Serrand in her book “Ginseng, 1000 years of benefits” (Alpen). It facilitates blood distribution to the extremities (hands, feet) and improves heat distribution throughout the body. Generally speaking, “spices, through their circulatory action, act as peripheral vasodilators. This is the case for ginger, but also for cinnamon, chili, pepper and cardamom.“, explains Dr. Philippe Stéfanini in the book “Health through cold water” (Jouvence edition).
To prepare a ginger decoction very easily: remove the skin from the ginger root (about 5 cm) and chop it into thin slices. Put 1 liter of water in a saucepan and when the water starts to boil, add the ginger slices. Leave to infuse over low heat for around twenty minutes. Off the heat, you can add a spoonful of honey and a little lemon.
Scots pine for muscles and joints
“Softwoods like pine are also warming“, continues Dr Stéfanini. Tonic and stimulating, Scots pine has the effect of warming the muscles and joints, while providing tone and vitality to the body. Furthermore, pine is particularly interesting in winter thanks to with its antitussive, expectorant, fluidifying, antiseptic and respiratory antiallergic properties.
To prepare a pine infusion: choose dried pine needles grown organically, without pesticides. Cut the needles into small pieces (making sure to remove the brown part) and add a tablespoon of needles to water and bring to the boil for a minute. Leave to infuse covered for 10 minutes. Filter the needles (be careful not to leave any) and pour the infusion into a large cup. Add a tablespoon of honey if necessary.
Thyme and lemon = anti-cold combo
Thyme is a plant with toning properties which helps the body to withstand low temperatures. Thyme herbal tea is particularly effective in the morning because it wakes you up and warms you. And even more so if you’re a little woozy: it’s a plant that helps clear the respiratory tract and soothes coughs in the event of a cold or bronchitis. For a thyme herbal tea: infuse 1 to 2 g of dried plant in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes. Adding 2 tablespoons of lemon juice can potentiate the effects of thyme.
Juniper has calorific properties
“The bitter part of juniper has calorific properties which also offer a global action on the digestive sphere“, continues Dr Stéfanini. With their resinous and slightly peppery taste, it is juniper berries that are used in infusion.
For an express juniper berry herbal tea: pour the equivalent of a teaspoon of berries into 25 cl of hot water (1 cup) then leave to infuse for 10 to 15 minutes. You can drink 1 to 4 cups per day when it is very cold. On the other hand, juniper is not recommended in cases of kidney inflammation or infection, heavy periods, nephritis, in pregnant and breastfeeding women. Seek medical advice if you have diabetes.
