Hibiscus tea

Hibiscus tea is made from the sepals of the hibiscus flower and its tart cranberry-like is enjoyed by a diversity of cultures around the world.

Many hibiscus plants are grown solely for the purpose of landscaping or to attract certain types of exotic birds like hummingbirds. The birds are attracted to the Rosa Sinensis variety of hibiscus, despite its overbearing size.

To make dried hibiscus tea, add one teaspoon of the dried flowers to one cup of hot water allowing it to steep for three to five minutes, depending on the taste preferred.

The tea that is drawn from hibiscus is most popular in Jamaica. It is known by the name bissap in countries like Egypt and Sudan. During the Islamic fasting month of Ramadhan many Egyptian families will break their day-long fast at sunset with glasses of hibiscus tea instead of a traditional apricot drink.

The herbal tea has a range of health benefits which include lowering blood pressure and treating mild hypertension. Hibiscus tea also promotes the functioning of the body systems, maintains health and increases energy.
Hibiscus tea

Red Raspberry Drinks

Red Raspberry Drinks
Red Raspberry popular as a folk remedy for painful and profuse menstruation and as a tonic during pregnancy. Brewed as a tea or as an infusion, raspberry is the best known, most widely used, and safest of all uterine and pregnancy tonic herbs. It contains fragrine, an alkaloid which gives tone to the muscles of the pelvic region, including the uterus itself. Most of the benefits ascribed to regular use of Raspberry tea through pregnancy are traced to the nourishing source of vitamins and minerals found in this plant and to the strengthening power of fragrine.

Red raspberry has health benefits beyond women’s issue. Red raspberry also valued traditionally as an astringent treatment for diarrhea, nausea, stomach ailments, colds, mouth sores, and inflamed mucous membranes of the throat. The tannins in the leaf make it effective in soothing inflammation in the digestive tract and can alleviate diarrhea, especially in children. Red raspberry leaves also contain significant amounts of vitamins A, C and E as well as the entire B-complex.

It is the abundant citrate of iron in the raspberry leaf and berry that gives this plant an excellent prevention and treatment for anemia, female organ "regulating" properties as well as the contracting action on the female genitalia and other tissues and membranes.

Raspberry leaf drinks also acts as an astringent on irritated skin by tightening the top layers of skin or mucous membranes effectively reducing secretions, relieving irritation, and improving tissue firmness. As a mouth wash it is sued to soothe mouth and throat irritations.

How to prepare red raspberry tea? Place one ounce of dried raspberry leaves into a pint of boiling water (or half a pound per gallon) and simmer for ten minutes (though some recommend two to three hours to get maximum benefit from them). Drink the tea cold.

Caution: red raspberry is a mild uterine stimulant. Pregnant women should consult a qualified health care practitioner before using it.
Red Raspberry Drinks