Herbs are powerful but how exactly do I prepare them in line with my lifestyle.
On this video I’m going to show you the 4 exact ways I prepare my herbs and why
So if you want to find out how I prepare my herbs, then watch this video
Herbs are exploding in popularity right now and many people are ripping the benefits.
To get the most out of herbs, there are many ways to prepare and consume your herbs. Some
popular ways include there are tinctures, herbal infusions and decoctions, syrups and
honeys, essential oils, capsules which you can make yourself from powdered herbs or buy,
these include extracts, and external preparations which include oils, compresses, creams ointments
and balms.
The method you chose depends on you and your lifestyle for example, time, convenience and
i guess taste. I'll go into more information on these as the series progresses, and a lot
of you have been asking me about creating a course, if that’s something you guys want,
comment below and i can break everything down simpler there. but this video will focus on
the 4 ways I currently use my herbs. It’s the quickest and simplest ways to consume
herbs and right for any beginner looking to learn more
So without further ado, let’s get into the 4 ways
The first way I prepare my herbs is a simple herbal infusion
An infusion is defined as a drink, remedy, or extract prepared by soaking tea leaves
or herbs in liquid. This tends to be used for aerial parts of the plants, so the parts
above the ground such as the leaves, stem and flowers. This is generally how tea is
made from your standard teas to green tea, simply putting the herbs into a teapot, tea
bag or just in the glass by itself and sieving it after. Although it;s mainly used for aerial
parts, for convenience I do this for roots too. If I create a blend that has a root in
it, I even prepare roots like this also sometimes. It’s Simple way to do consume herbs, simply
put the herbs in a tea ball, add hot water, cover the cup, well that’s optional but
it helps keep volatile oils from evaporating away, let it sit for 5-15 minutes, after it
has been sitting for a bit, use a strainer or something to sieve the leaves out and drink
it. There's something called a cold infusions which will discuss later in this series
The second way is a simple herbal decoction
This is similar to the previous but instead of a teacup or cup, it’s done over the stove
in a pot for example and tends to be done to tougher parts of the plants such as the
roots, bark, fruits, seed. Parts that require prolonged heat to best get out the active
constituent. The same dose can be done for both but infusions and decoctions, but with
decoctions it simmers in the water for longer, it will boil for about 20 minutes.
Simply add the herbs to the pot, add water and boil for up to 20 minutes, sieve and enjoy.
There is also something called a deep decoction which will discuss later on in this series
The third way is the diluted herbal blend
This is something I use during my fasts, workouts and generally when I want to consume the herbs
for a longer period of time. You just create a blend using a decoction or infusion and
dilute the herb down to a bigger bottle by adding 1 litre of water into it.
Simply boil the herbs as normal, then dilute it. One cup or one pot can make 1.5 litres
in total. If you want it stronger go for a decoction but I tend to do this using an infusion.
andI then drink this during my fasts, workouts as the energy released from the herbal blend
is slower releasing and can carry me for longer and I tend to drink my water during these
periods as i believe as the digestive system tends to shutdown, it’s better to have things
that are slow releasing as to not overpower the digestive and alter the fast.
The last way i consume my herbs is powered herbs
Powered herbs are amazing, one of my favourite ways to consume herbs. I use them in my juices,
smoothies, sometimes in my cereals. Simply add a herbal blend to your smoothies and blend,
it’s a great way to get your herbs in in a simple and tasty way.\
Firstly create the smoothie ingredients as you want it. Here
are the bananas, frozen mango and strawberries that will go into mine but also some horny
goat weed, bladderwrack and tongkat ali.
There are other ways I can discuss such as capsules but I wanted to keep this video very
short as a lot of you have requested it and the point is a big gem.
If you want to learn more about herbs, click on my face and get my herb guide, and before
you go check out this video right here and right here, i'll see you on the next one.
It's your brother paul otote, certified herbalist and nutritionist, i'll see you on the next
one.