Slowly reduce your intake of caffeinated beverages. Replace those beverages with herbal teas or coffee substitutes such as Teeccino, Pero, or Roma Bands.If you must dink coffee, use only organic varieties to help reduce the number of pesticides, fertilizers, and other contaminants from commercial coffee growing techniques.

• Drink plenty of water with raw organic Apple cider vinegar to help renew your body and provide your more energy, You may even find you don’t need that ” boost” from caffeinated products anymore!
  Clean your colon weekly to prevent irritation and excess acid in the bowel caused by regular coffee consumption.
• Use natural unbleached filters in drip coffee makers to reduce your exposure to bleaching agents.
• If you dink decaffeinated coffee, be aware that most of the major brands use chemicals to decaffeinated their product even when they claim to be “naturally decaffeinated.”
• If your children are addicted to caffeine, please help them quit now! Otherwise, they may deal with this drug addiction for the rest of their lives.

When spring comes it is time for a liver cleanse. This is a good time to rejuvenate the liver for the coming year of work. One good way to cleanse the liver is to use herbal teas.

Here is a herbal formulation for the liver provided by Brigitte Mars (herbalist in Colorado) called liver loving tea” which consist of:

Dandelion roots (1 part)
Fennel Seed (1 part)
Licorice Root (1/4 part)
Burdock root (1/4 part),
Peppermint (1 part).

You can make these teas yourself or look for a ready made one at a
health food store. I
mix one full tablespoon of each herb into a mason jar. Shake it up and
its ready to go.

Preparing the tea

Boil 1 1/4 cup of
water in a glass container. Add 1 heaping tablespoon of
herbal mixture. Let tea sit for 10-15 minutes. Strain and drink when it
cools down a little.

Drink one cup of tea before breakfast and one before dinner for about 1-2 months.

Herbs have become such a part of my lifestyle! I have several single
herbs in my collection, and I use many different blends, depending on
how I feel that day. This delicious blend will nourish, cleanse and
support your body in many ways.

So if you're in need of a little reviving this winter, why don't you
try one of these soothing herbal teas!!

• 4 cups water
• 3 slices fresh ginger, cut to the thickness of a quarter: warming, immune enhancer
• 1 inch piece licorice root: antiviral, antibacterial, fights depression
• 1/2 to 1 inch piece cinnamon stick:warming, digestive support, useful for Diabetes
• 4 tbsp organic orange rind:sweet
• 1 nutmeg (whole): digestive aid, anxiety, calming muscle spasms
• 1 tbsp dried parsley – digestive aid
• 3 clove: warming, digestive aid

In a pot, bring the water to a boil. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Steep 5 to 15 minutes. Strain and drink twice a day. Makes 4 cups.
optional: you can add 1 teaspoon of Raw honey

Many of us can’t imagine life without our morning cup of Joe. But for those of you who are looking for a morning boost without the stimulant effects of coffee, I have a great recipe for you.

My Warming Winter Good Health Tea is an infusion of many different herbs that will nourish, cleanse, support and warm your body, especially on those cold winter mornings.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 4 cups of water
• 3 slices of fresh ginger, cut to the thickness of a quarter: (Ginger has warming and immune-enhancing properties)
• 1 inch piece of licorice root: (Licorice root is an antiviral, antibacterial, and it fights depression)
• 1/2 to 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick: (Cinnamon is warming, promotes digestion and is beneficial for diabetes)
• 4 tbsp of organic sweet orange rind (do you mean rind or ring?)
• 1 whole nutmeg: (Nutmeg is a digestive aid, reduces anxiety and calms muscle spasms)
• 1 tbsp of dried parsley: (Parsley promotes good digestion)
• 3 cloves: (Cloves are warming and promote proper digestion)

In a pot, bring the water to a boil. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Steep 5 to 15 minutes. Strain and drink twice a day. You can also add one teaspoon of honey for added flavor. The entire recipe makes 4 cups of tea.

Feel free to get creative with your own tea infusions by using more or less of a variety of herbs that compliment your own health needs.

But if this caffeine-free tincture is not your cup of tea, then consider drinking Yerba Mate-Green Tea Ginseng instead of coffee. Yerba Mate comes from South America but it is used all around the world as a rejuvenator, energizer, mental stimulator, body and blood cleanser, and as a toner to the nervous system. It may also help to restore youthful hair color, slow down aging, combat fatigue, control appetite, reduce stress and eliminate insomnia. Not bad for your morning fix.
Yerba Mate has a slightly more stimulant effect than regular coffee but it’s much gentler on the stomach. And it doesn’t become bitter or astringent like coffee does after sitting around for a few hours.

So if you’re looking to wean yourself away from coffee, there are many healthy and energizing solutions for you. Sample them out and see which ones work best for you.

Two  herbal tea formulas I occasionally like to drink from her Healing Herbal Teas book  Brigitte Mars are:

Mineral-Rich Tea
These herbs provide the minerals needed for nourishing bones, teeth, hair, and nails

• 2 parts alfalfa leaf
• 2 parts dandelion leaf
• 2 parts nettle leaf
• 2 parts oat seed and/or oatstraw
• 2 parts raspberry leaf

Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and add the herbs. Cover and let steep for ten minutes. Add raw honey or stevia to sweeten.

Liver-Loving Tea
Help your liver perform its myriad of functions with these supportive herbs:

• 2 parts catnip herb
• 2 parts dandelion root
• 1 part burdock root
• 1 part fennel seed

Bring the water to a boil. Add the dandelion and burdock root, cover and simmer for twenty minutes. Remove from heat and add the remaining herbs. Cover and let steep for ten minutes. Strain.

To make a herbal tea, put 4-6 tbsp of favourite herb into a glass or ceramic teapot. Pour 4 cups of boiling water into teapot. Cover and let steep for 20-30 minutes. Here are some of my favourites:

Dandelion leaf: Anti-rheumatic, diuretic, tonic, it aids the healing of kidney and liver disorders. It is a digestive aid and reduces blood pressure.

Nettle: Tones and firms tissues, muscles, arteries and skin. It also helps curb the appetite, cleanses toxins from the body and energizes.

Rose hip: An excellent source of vitamin C, it also contains vitamins A, D and E and flavanoids (antioxidants). Also prevents bladder infections and eases headaches and dizziness.

Yerba mate: Cleanses the blood and decreases the appetite.  It stimulates the mind, the respiratory system and the nervous system. Limit intake to one cup only per day, to replace or substitute for coffee.

Try a cup. You’ll like it!

Try these herbs to satisfy cravings and improve the body’s natural process of elimination.

2 parts alfalfa leaf
2 parts dandelion leaf
2 parts nettle leaf
2 parts Yerba mate herb
1 part cinnamon bark
1 part fennel seed
1 part ginger root

In a saucepan, add all ingredients with water and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer for twenty minutes and then remove from heat.  Leave the lid on and allow the herbs to steep an additional ten minutes. Strain before serving.

The herbs and their healthy properties:

Alfalfa:   Diuretic tonic that cleanses the kidneys.  It relieves bowel and urinary problems, such as cystitis and inflammation of the bladder. It boosts energy and endurance and relieves constipation.
Dandelion leaf: Anti-rheumatic, diuretic, tonic. It aids the healing of kidney and liver disorders.  It is a digestive aid and reduces blood pressure.
Nettle: Tones and firms tissues, muscles, arteries, and skin. It also helps curb the appetite, cleanse toxins from the body, and energizes.
Yerba mate: Cleanses the blood and decreases the appetite.  It stimulates the mind, the respiratory system, and the nervous system.
Cinnamon Bark: Warming and is known to stimulate the digestive tract.
Fennel Seed: Improves the body’s energy by enhancing the digestion and assimilation of food. It aids the digestion of fatty foods and is often added to laxative blends to ease gripe.  It helps stabilize blood sugar levels and curbs the appetite.
Ginger: It’s a digestive aid and it warms the digestive organ. It relieves abdominal cramping and indigestion. Promotes bile flow.

Healing Herbal Teas by Brigitte Mars is one of the herbal books I highly recommend.

When your emotions are down, savor a cup of this sweet, uplifting, aromatic herbal tea.
It’s caffeine-free and easy to make, and you can buy ingredients in bulk at health food stores.

• 4 cups  water
• 1/2  teaspoon burdock root
• 1/2 teaspoon dandelion root
• 1 teaspoon basil herb
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1 teaspoon nettle leaf

Bring the water to a boil.  add the burdock and dandelion root, cover,a nd simmer for twenty minutes. Remove from heat and add th remaining herbs. Cover and let steep for ten minutes. Strain.
Drink 4 cups daily.
Source: Sex, Love & Health by Brigitte Mars