How I Create Powdered Herb Blends

Powdered Herbs

Nothing to strain and no messy teabags

I love drinking tea. And, as an herbalist, I appreciate the nutritional and healing properties of a variety of herbs. As I was straining and composting my already-steeped-several-times tea blend one day, I started thinking.

Tea, as you know, traditionally involves steeping or simmering a plant's leaves, flowers, seeds, and/or roots, then straining and discarding those plant parts and drinking the constituents that the water has extracted. However, there are a variety of healthy constituents that are not extracted by water — and I was tossing those healthy constituents into my compost pile, along with all the plant's fiber benefits.

"I prefer the bulk powder—primarily because the acids in the human GI tract are the best herbal extraction compounds that exist, much better than water and alcohol. In consequence, by taking the root in powdered form, you get the best range of constituents; the body pulls from the whole herb whatever it wants. Further, the bulk herb is much cheaper than tablets or tinctures."

Stephen Harrod Buhner,
Healing Lyme, 2nd Edition, page 337

Get all the nutritional benefits from the entire herb!

Then I made and enjoyed a cup of matcha tea, which is finely powdered green tea leaves that you simply add to hot water and drink without straining. Hmmm.... Why not make "tea" with finely ground powder of plants that can safely be consumed when in their whole plant form, and drink it all? Why not indeed!

I decided to combine powders of some of my favorite herbs and use them when I made tea so that I could consume the entire herb(s), taking advantage of all their constituents.

I purchase powdered herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs and create combination blends, focusing on their specific properties or on their typical effects on our bodies. Proportions can be adjusted according to one's taste preferences. Check out mine, and then go ahead and make your own!

MY COMBINATION BLENDS

A simple way to enhance health every day!

I soon began to incorporate powdered herbs into many other foods, discovering how simple it is to increase consumption of these health-promoting herbs on a daily basis.

Simply add ¼ teaspoon to hot water or warmed milk, let steep a few minutes, and drink up!
Add to any beverage – coffee, kombucha, kefir, carbonated water – for an herbal boost!
Add to a nut butter for a tasty dip with apples, bananas, or celery!
Add to smoothies, oatmeal, soups… let your imagination run wild!

Want more ideas? Read on!

Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of powder to hot water or warm milk of choice. Let it sit for a minute or two to hydrate the powder.
No need to strain your "tea" or dispose of a tea bag; so easy to use wherever you are. Also try adding to kombucha, kefir, lattes, or actually any beverage for an extra nutritional boost - and a beverage with fiber!
I carry a packet in my bag so I can add it to beverages or menu items when on the run, too.
The powders do not dissolve completely, so you may notice particles either floating in your beverage or settling on the bottom of your mug.
To get the benefit of ingesting all of the herbs, stir occasionally while drinking to keep the powders suspended in the liquid.
If you wish, adding a sweetener such as raw honey helps to maintain the suspension and enhances flavor.
Adding the powders to lattes or smoothies hides the powdery mouth feel completely and adds a nutritional boost at the same time.
The powdery taste has never bothered me. I enjoy the healthy taste and the idea of a "tea" with fiber.
My favorite powders for drinking plain with only hot water are Calm Energy (I drink every morning to start the day), Astragalus Chai, and Digestion Powders. However, I do drink all of them occasionally as I enjoy all of their tastes. Otherwise, I wouldn't make them!

Add herbal powders to beverages.

To 1 Tablespoon nut butter, add 1 teaspoon of a powder blend and ½ teaspoon raw honey. I often add a teaspoon of raw cacao powder, also, for a chocolate flavor, as I love my chocolate. You can also add other spices or flavorings, such as cinnamon powder, vanilla extract or powder, or nutmeg. If it becomes too thick, I typically add a small amount of whatever powder tea I might be drinking or some coconut milk.
This has become a regular dessert or snack for us. I hope you enjoy it, too!
Great for dipping apples, bananas, pears, graham crackers, other fruits or crackers, of course.
My favorite nut butter to use is almond butter - yum! But any nut butter you like would work great.
My favorite powder blends to use for these dips are Adaptogen Powders, Digestion Powders, Astragalus Chai Powders, Mineral Powders, or Roots Powders.

Add herbal powders to dips.

Instead of cinnamon sugar to put on toast, we now have a container with 2 Tablespoons raw honey and 1 teaspoon herbal powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon soft butter or ghee. Stir it all together and use on toast or bread.
Spread it in one step, with no cinnamon sugar granules to clean up afterward!
And raw honey is much better for you than sugar!
This is also a great alternative to the jelly potion of a PBJ sandwich.
Tasty on hot vegetables such as cooked carrots.
Just as with dips, my favorite powders for this are Adaptogen Powders, Digestion Powders, Astragalus Chai Powders, Mineral Powders, or Roots Powders.

Add herbal powders to spreads.

Add herbal powders to many other foods.

This is also known as "sneaking something healthy into everyday foods."
We start most mornings with a bowl of steel cut oats, to which I add a teaspoon of Adaptogen Powders.
Any of the powders make find additions to smoothies. I add whichever I think we most need at that point.
It's easy to add ½ to 1 teaspoon of a favorite herbal powder to yogurt, applesauce, soups, sprinkle on salads, add to soups, and so on.
As mentioned earlier, I carry at least one package of herbal powders in my bag to have handy through the day to add to beverages or foods I might be purchasing on the run. Adds a nutritional punch and a bit more fiber — both are needed in my everyday life!