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Is This The French Girl Secret To Eliminating Bloat & Calming Anxiety?

Emilie Durand
Author:
April 24, 2017
Emilie Durand
By Emilie Durand
mbg Contributor
Emilie Durand is a French food lover, proud Parisian, and founder of The French Way to Health. On the website, she shares delicious recipes and French health tips and tricks, with a goal to gather and share the habits and rules used and approved by French people for decades.
Photo by Stocksy
April 24, 2017

For as long as I can remember, my family has always had this nighttime ritual: We finished dinner, we cleaned the table, loaded the dishwasher, and my mom would prepare a big pot of tisane. Then we would sit down in the living room drinking our cups and talking about the next day before going to sleep.

Tisane, infusion or herbal tea, is huge in France. Having moved to my own place in Paris, I try to keep the family tradition alive and go to my local herboristerie (herbal shop) to supply my stock of herbal infusions. Consumed as a nighttime ritual or all day long, a tisane is considered as a remède de grand-mère (grandma's cure) for all the little ailments you may have.

Nature has provided us with a huge diversity of herbal blends. Here are five of my favorite herbs to steep for all sorts of ailments—and if you don't have access to an authentic Parisian herboristerie, don't panic! The internet and/or your local organic store are full of resources. I'll leave you with this last piece of advice: Before trying any new herbal blend, be sure you are not allergic and of course if the problem you try to cure persists, consult your GP.

1. Star Anise.

What for?

Star anise is excellent to avoid bloating and reduce gas. In the form of an infusion, this grandmother's cure will be effective in improving your digestion and preventing stomachaches.

How to prepare it:

Put four whole star anise in your cup, pour boiling water over, cover with a piece of foil or a plate, and let infuse for 10 minutes. Remove star anise and drink.

My advice:

For a therapeutic effect, drink a cup after each meal. I personally drink it after a big meal on the weekend.

2. Lavender.

What for?

Lavender has a real calming effect. With this recipe with lavender, forget the hassle of everyday life and relax.

How to prepare it:

Put a tablespoon of culinary lavender flowers in your cup, pour boiling water over, cover with a piece of foil or a plate, and let infuse for 10 minutes. Filter and drink.

My advice:

You can drink up to three cups a day. I personally love it right after lunch or whenever I feel stressed throughout the day. The smell has an incredibly therapeutic effect.

3. Nettle.

What for?

A natural grandmother's cure for cystitis, nettle infusions should be taken to help treat and prevent a urinary tract infection or cystitis.

How to prepare it:

Put a tablespoon of dried nettle leaves in your cup, pour boiling water over, cover with a piece of foil or a plate, and let infuse for 10 minutes. Filter and drink.

My advice:

If you suffer from cystitis, consult your GP! This blend is there to help reduce the treatment time but cannot replace it for the severe cases. I personally take it on a regular basis (two to three times a week) as prevention.

4. Lime tree.

What for?

The lime tree is a tree that grows wild in France. Its yellow flowers have extraordinary virtues, in particular to fight against sleep disorders, to lower a fever, to calm anxiety, and to favor digestion.

How to prepare it:

Put half a tablespoon of dried lime tree flowers in your cup, pour boiling water over, cover with a piece of foil or a plate, and let infuse for 10 minutes. Filter and drink.

My advice:

I prefer to have this herbal tea right before sleep. The smell calms me and prepares my mind to go to bed. You can drink up to 2 cups a day of this miracle herbal tea.

5. Chamomile.

What for?

Nausea can be calmed quickly with natural remedies like chamomile. Our grandmothers regularly used chamomile herbal tea to fight nausea and vomiting.

How to prepare it:

Put a tablespoon of dried chamomile flowers in your cup, pour boiling water over, cover with a piece of foil or a plate, and let infuse for 10 minutes. Filter and drink.

My advice:

You can drink up to three cups a day.

But be careful, roman chamomile is not recommended for pregnant women, people with asthma, people allergic to Asteraceae, and people sensitive to mugwort pollen.

6. Cherry stems for smooth skin.

What for?

Discover this infusion, which works against cellulite, to eliminate and drain the body. Cherry stem infusion is useful to get rid of the cellulite thanks to its diuretic action.

How to prepare it:

Put 4 tablespoons of cherry stems in your cup, pour boiling water over, cover with a piece of foil or a plate, and let infuse for 10 minutes. Filter and drink.

My advice:

You can drink up to three cups a day. This one is good to prevent water retention as well.

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