Using Herbs Nutritionally

Hello, everyone! My name is Jess Poulsen and I’m a Birth & Postpartum Doula, Childbirth Educator, and an Herbalist. Today I have the pleasure of talking about using herbs nutritionally! If you know me or you’ve taken any of my herbal courses you know that this is a topic that practically makes me giddy. It’s by far one of my favorite topics to teach about! 

When we speak about herb use we generally think about using herbs medicinally to heal and treat a wide array of ailments but did you know that there are SO many gentle herbs that can be used nutritionally? I don’t know about you but I live by the mottos “let thy food be thy medicine” and “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”So using herbs to nutritionally to strengthen myself and prevent illness just made sense to me!

In herbalist Susun Weed’s writings she often speaks of “nourishing herbs”. These herbs are the safest and gentlest of all the herbs and rarely have side effects. These nutritional or nourishing herbs can be taken in any amount for extended periods of time. They can be treated as food and can provide vital nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, proteins, starches, and antioxidants.

What herbs can be used nutritionally?
Some common nutritional/nourishing herbs include: Alfalfa, Barley, Borage, Comfrey, Nettles, Parsley, Red Raspberry leaf, Red Clover, and Slippery Elm. I encourage you to research the nutritional qualities of these herbs. They are plentiful! 

As with any herb (and any food for that matter) it’s very important to listen to your body’s response to each herb and adjust accordingly. It’s also a good idea to start each herb one at a time so you can be mindful of your body’s response to each individual plant. 

How can I use herbs nutritionally?
There are a few ways to bring herbs into your daily health regimen to optimize nutrition. My favorite is by making an herbal infusion. An herbal infusion is similar to making an herbal tea but you let the herbs infuse with the water a bit longer! This long dance leaves you with a highly saturated drink that yeilds more nutritional value than a tea.

Making an herbal infusion with leaves: Use one ounce of dried leaves (two handfuls of cut-up leaves or three handfuls of whole leaves) in a quart jar. Fill the jar to the top with boiling water, put the lid on and let it steep for 4-8 hours at room temperature.

Here is a video demonstration of making an herbal infusion for the visual learners like myself!

The process is super simple and is very easy to add to your daily routine! I always joke that herbal infusions are the new (and better tasting IMO) green smoothie. ;)

You can visit my website at: http://fullcircledoulacollective.com