This is my entry for @theherbalhive's Christmas challenge Make Your Own Herbal Christmas Drink.
A herbal Christmas drink. Well if you know me, you know it has to be something rather simple in order for me to come around and participate.
Since I'm struggling so much with my digestion I'm always interested in herbs that can help alleviate these symptoms. I want to do what I can to support my body and I still hope I'll overcome this challenge which often feels paramount.
I decided to learn more about star anise. I think the star shape makes it a bit 'christmassy' and I'm also aware it's used in many Christmas recipes. I like the smell and decided to make some tea.
Star Anise Tea
Since it's tea there's not much of a recipe. I read some different suggestions on how to best prepare this kind of tea and I decided to go for a mixture.
I brought some water to a boil (5 deciliters) and added some star anise (about 4), a cinnamon stick, some fresh ginger, and let it boil for about 5 minutes. I then let it steep for about 10 minutes and added some lemon and honey. The taste was quite strong but I liked it. The star anise was definitely the most prominent so maybe you don't need as many as I used. But since it was star anise that was my focus I was happy with this simple experiment. For those of you who might not know the taste is sweet and licorice-like. The tea felt very refreshing. And healthy (of course).
Don't Confuse Star Anise With Anise
When I found star anise in the grocery store I somehow thought it would resemble anise but I soon found out they are not related at all.
The herb anise (Pimpinella anisum) is from the Mediterranean region and its botanical family is Apiaceae (the parsley family). Source.
By contrast, star anise (Illicium verum) is indigenous to the southeastern part of China and to Vietnam and is a 65 foot (20 meters) tall tree and belongs to the magnolia family. Its flavoring agent is contained in the star-shaped fruits. Source. Before using, star anise is dried in the sun until it becomes greyish-brown in colour. Once dried, anise can be ground to a powder or can be used as it is. Source.
What they have in common though, is the flavor. Both anis and star anise contain anethole, the licorice flavoring found in minor amounts in other plants such as fennel and caraway. Source.
Some Benefits Of Star Anise According To Traditional Chinese Medicine
Star anise has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for a long time. This was actually what made me decide to learn more about this herb since I'm currently receiving acupuncture 3 times a week and also learning more about TCM.
In TCM star anise is a plant that belong to the category 'Herbs that warm the Interior and/or expel Cold'. Herbs in this category are used for Internal Cold with Qi Deficiency and/or Yang Deficiency. Star anise is thought to target the spleen, the stomach, the kidney, and the liver. In TCM the spleen assists with digestion. Source.
I found this particularly interesting since my TCM practitioner says that my main issue is my spleen, it's unbalanced and doesn't have enough energy to support my digestion. Of course, I shouldn't really experiment too much on my own with herbs. I know herbs are usually prescribed as a combination in TCM and I don't know if it's good to mix star anise, cinnamon, and ginger like I did. I'll ask her next time, which is tomorrow.
I'll also very briefly mention that in modern medicine star anise is mostly known for it's ability to fight infections. The herb is one of few foods that contains shikimic acid, which is a compound with strong antiviral capabilities and an active ingredient of influenza medication. Source.
I'm inviting @nikolina and @mountainhigh to this challenge. There's still time to write an entry and maybe you simply want to check out the community. There's plenty of wisdom here 🙂
Thanks for reading 🌸
Love and blessings to you all 💚
Thank you for sharing this herbal tea recipe and tagging me, I'll try to share mine soon, hopefully I won't be late! :)
That's great, please don't feel any pressure 🙂
In case you missed it, I finally came around and answered the challenge you tagged me in about 2 months (!) ago:
https://peakd.com/hive-181017/@mamrita/late-to-the-party-but-challenge-accepted-creative-blogger-tag
My usual tea is with tumeric , black pepper , aniseed and honey and the tea usually camomile or sage, if you have stomach problems try aloe Vera gel .
Thank you for sharing, that sounds like a healthy tea indeed.
Thank you for your suggestion. I have tried aloe vera but it didn't really help. (I have had these digestive issues for many years).
Ancestral herbs have a rich history of relief and cures that are still unknown. Thank you @mamrita for sharing such important information. It was a very gratifying relief to read your publication. Greetings and Merry Christmas...
Thank you for these kind words. I'm glad you liked my post 🙂
Blessings to you 🌸
That was cool! I also eat the ginger bits! I can't deal with anything licorice or with anis. Well technically I got drunk on Pastis which is anis flavored, but that that's it! 😁
Spleen issues... Can I ask a personal question? How self assured and confident are you on general?
I'm aware worrying and insecurity are emotions associated with the spleen according to TCM. I would say I have experienced these emotions more during these past months when my health has deteriorated (along with other more challenging emotions). But I do my best to stay positive.
Thanks for answering, it's not easy to be honest, and talk to "strangers" haha.
I mean, it's all good, because we chitty chat and all, but it's also difficult to be naked on the blockchain, so I appreciate your candidness. Yeah it's linked to confidence, I had eczema when I was dealing with confidence issues, I even lost my hair, and also had spleen imbalance.
I hope your health is going to get better soon! Staying positive is indeed important, cannabis can help with the spleen here I said it! (runs away)
I do my best to be quite vulnerable here. I share a lot about my health issues but I also don't want that to be the only thing I write about. But it's hard to just leave it out since it affects my life so much.
Anyway, thank you for your response. I wouldn't say lack of confidence is my main issue but it could definitely improve. Especially when it comes to what I believe is possible. Sometimes I can't help but feel that I'll always struggle with my health and that doesn't help of course. But I have lived with my digestive issues for 15 years, even though I have periods when I'm better. This year though it has been really challenging. But I hope the turning point will come soon.
Haha, that's ok. I know cannabis can help in various ways. It's just not something my body seems to benefit from. At least not in my experience so far.
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I know star anise for its digestive properties, I love that you have presented it in this magnificent publication where you let us see much more of it. Excellent.
A virtual hug ♥
Thank you for these very kind words 🌸 I'm glad you enjoyed my post 🙂
Blessings to you 🙏🏽
Gosh, I had no idea that star anise was so beneficial. I do love it in chai! Love the Christmassy vibe of your photo! I learnt a lot from reading this post - thankyou! And I love the simplicity of some herbal medicines too - a lot of people don't realise that it can be as simple as you like. You have to start somewhere! I'm glad you are getting acupuncture for your digestion. It's such an amazing therapy. I lvoe it myself!
Love, @riverflows
I'm sorry I took so long to get to this - Christmas is a busy time, isn't it?
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Thank you for your lovely comment @riverflows, I'm glad I could provide some information you found valuable. I enjoy writing these kinds of posts from time to time, the research makes it more time-consuming but I end up feeling very inspired and with a desire to learn more and more 🙂
And I don't know what you mean - took so long? I don't agree 😉
xx