Chickweed Tea
Uses and Benefits
Commonly thought of as a weed more than anything else, chickweed actually is the basis for a refreshing and useful tea. Once chickweed has appeared in a garden, chances are that it will spread quickly, because it spreads its seeds almost immediately. With small leaves of a vibrant light green, and a small white flower that sets thousands of seeds in one go, chickweed will grow abundantly once it has taken hold. Instead of fighting it, it's a good idea to think about how you could use this to your advantage, by making chickweed tea. To prepare this tea, you could combine either one teaspoon of dried chickweed or two teaspoons of fresh chickweed leaves with one cup of boiling water, and then let it steep for three to five minutes.
One of the major benefits of drinking chickweed tea is that it is a diuretic, which means that it helps the body flush excess water or fat from the system, leading to regular urination and a cleansed, toned body. This can lead to weight loss almost immediately. Chickweed is also said to act as a mild laxative, and help increase the body's metabolism, which doubles the weight loss effect. It's important to stick to only two or three cups of the tea per day, however, or else you might overdo the diuretic effect and lose too much water, becoming dehydrated. Some care should be taken.
Another common use of chickweed tea is to relieve skin problems, perhaps due to its detoxifying effects. In addition, some will use it to help with bronchitis, coughing, and other respiratory ailments. Some have reported that it helps as an anti-inflammatory agent, fighting rheumatism, gout, and kidney problems. As a health tonic, this tea is most frequently taken in the spring, to help flush out the buildup and ill effects of a sedentary winter.
In addition to drinking the chickweed tea, you could also apply it externally to any wounds or over the liver, to help draw out impurities. Some use it in the shower or bath, as a way to rinse off toxins and help with skin irritations. To use chickweed as a poultice, you will want to put fresh leaves in a jar and cover them with boiling water. Let them steep, and then let the water cool until it is just warm, rather than too hot. This water can then be used with a cloth and placed over any wounds.