Everything You Need To Know: Overnight Herbal Infusions

If you didn't already know this - I love herbs. They have been an almost daily part of my life for about 7 years now. They were a crucial part of my healing journey, and still are.

Most people today are familiar with herbs in the context of tea but there are actually many different ways herbs can be taken, including: teas, infusions, tinctures, oil infusions, capsules, compresses, creams, inhalants, ointments and oxymels.

Today we're going to focus on Overnight Herbal Infusions (one of my personal favs)!

What are overnight herbal infusions?

Overnight Herbal Infusions are basically exactly what they sound like - overnight infusions of herbs, which end up being like a really strong tea! Why would you want to do this? Long infusions are able to extract all of the vitamins, minerals and nutrients out of the herb, giving you a stronger, medicinal dose of the herbs.

How to make an overnight herbal infusion:

You will need:

- 1 litre mason jar

- herbs (see below for what herbs might be best for you!)

- boiled filtered water

- cheesecloth or a strainer

- a squeeze of lemon or apple cider vinegar

Directions:

1. At night before bed, pick which herb/herbs you are going to use! I've listed a few of the most common herbs and what they are best used for.

Lemon Balm

Lemon Balm is part of the mint family and is known as a nervine, which work wonders for anxiety, stress and sleep. It's also one of the best tasting herbs and makes for a nice addition to your infusion.

Nettles

Nettles are one of the most nutrient dense + nourishing herbs out there! It is rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids, chlorophyll, silica, calcium, magnesium and iron. It works particularly well for building blood, and is great for women to have post cycle!

Oatstraw

Oatstraw is another herb that is highly nutrient dense and nourishing. It works by soothing and strengthening the nervous system, making it beneficial during times of stress, exhaustion, depression, emotional trauma, trouble concentrating and lose of libido.

Red Clover

Red Clover is known as an alterative, meaning that it cleanses the blood and improves the lymphatic system. It's been well known to help sooth eczema, psoriasis and acne.

Spearmint

Spearmint works by reducing androgens making it beneficial for women with PCOS who may be suffering from acne, excessive hair growth or hair loss.

2. Once you've choosen which herbs you'd like to use for your overnight infusion (I usually use 2-4 herbs at a time), you want to fill your mason jar 1/4-1/3 of the way full. Don't worry about having perfect measurements!

3. Boil filtered water and fill the rest of the mason jar until almost full (leave a little bit of room at the top!) Now is when you can add a squeeze of lemon or ACV - if you want. Secure lid on mason jar and leave on the counter overnight to infuse!

4. In the morning, you will use your cheesecloth and strainer to make sure you get every last drop of the infusion.

5. You can now enjoy your overnight herbal infusion! You can drink it as is or add a little ice to cool it down. You can also add some honey if you want to sweeten it up a bit!

And there you have it babes, a super simple way to get a medicinal dose of herbs! Give it a try and let me know how you like it!