The Smile Herb Shop has long been a botanical mecca to both local and interstate residents interested in buying dried herbs in bulk or loose form. It is just one of the many things that sets Smile apart from other health shops which only sell herbs in tincture, tablet or encapsulated form. At Smile we believe that herbs are the people's medicine and thus feel it is our duty to teach our customers about the numerous ways of using herbs for health.

"Why use bulk herbs," I hear you asking. Let's look at the many different reasons:

It's the most traditional and natural way to practice Herbalism. Using loose herbs to make teas to treat health problems has long been the most practical way to use them. Indigenous peoples from all over the world have been using this form of Herbalism since the beginning of recorded history. Much of the world's population continue to use teas as a primary form of medical treatment.

Bulk or loose herbs are relatively inexpensive. As I said previously we believe herbs are the people's medicine and so should be accessible to everyone. In this day and age when many people are without medical or pharmaceutical insurance or have their finances stretched to the limit bulk herbs offer an inexpensive alternative to more processed and thus more expensive preparations such as tinctures or capsules. Many stores do not carry loose herbs because they take up a lot of room, are time consuming to stock and have a low mark up value. Here at Smile we believe that traditions are worth following with your health in mind.

Herbal teas are very effective treatment for many medical conditions or can be used as preventative therapy. Often people think of herbal teas as an inferior form of herbal medicine. This is not true as many herbal constituents are dissolved well in water, particularly tannins, mucilages, glycosides and many alkaloids. Water is a better solvent than alcohol or glycerine for releasing natural vitamins and minerals contained in the plants. It also encourages a higher fluid intake, which balances electrolytes and naturally flushes the liver and kidneys.

Making herbal tea is easy and gives people a sense of responsibility for taking control of their health. Often we relinquish control of our health to others. What we need to realize is our bodies will heal themselves if we give them a chance to do so. A whole food diet, plenty of exercise, a calm mind and tonic herbal tea blends go a long way on the road to health. Any one can make tea and it's a great place to start. There are several ways to make herbal teas depending, on which herbs you are using, where you are and how much time you have to spare. Check out our recipes at the end of this article.

Using herbal teas in bulk form gives you a chance to get a sense of the plants you are taking. When you use herbs in tea form you get to know individual herb characteristics (i.e. what they look, smell and taste like) instead of popping a pill or capsule. At Smile our motto is 'Earthy and Proud' because so often people forget they are using plant substances to improve their health. We need to remember how amazing Mother Nature is and respect and thank the plants for their gifts.

When using bulk herbs you can make up your own individual blends. Whether you have been using herbs for a week or twenty years you can make up your own blends selecting herbs according to your own personal tastes or maladies. We at Smile often guide people to herbs we feel will help so free to ask us for help when selecting. We also have an array of tried and true Smile Herb Shop tea blends if you'd rather someone else did some research for you.

When first making herbal teas it is probably best to start with mild or aromatic herbs to get your tastebuds 'attuned' to the taste of botanicals.

Herbs commonly used in this category include:

Peppermint, Spearmint, Chamomile, Lemon Balm, Lemon Verbena, Licorice, Nettles, Red Raspberry, Ginger, Cinnamon, Sassafras, Oat Straw, Hibiscus, Rose Hips, Elder flower or berries, Red Clover, Hawthorn, Rosemary, Fennel, Anise, Linden, Orange or Lemon Peel, just to name a few.

If you have made a medicinal tea which tastes bitter or unpleasant you can use a part of any of the above herbs to make it taste better if desired. A touch of raw honey or a pinch of Stevia will also help. Herb teas can be made with either dried or fresh plant material. If using fresh herbs make sure to crush or bruise the plant before infusing or decocting to release medicinal constituents in the plant.

It always best to use spring or distilled water when making herb teas.

An infusion is made when you are using delicate parts of the plant such as flowers or soft leaves. The parts are measured into a teapot or other container and covered with water that has been brought to a rolling boil. The pot is then covered and allowed to steep or brew for ten to twenty minutes. Use 1-2 teaspoons of dried herb or 2-4 teaspoons of fresh herb for each cup of boiling water.

A decoction is used when plant parts are of a tougher nature such as stems, roots, barks, nuts or berries that need longer cooking to extract the medicinal constituents. It involves simmering the herbs in a covered pan anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. Remember, the longer you cook it the stronger the effect and taste will be. Use 1/2- 1 teaspoon for each 1 1/2-2 cups water (depending on how long you simmer it).

If you are pressed for time you can make an overnight infusion tea by putting herbs in a large jar, filling it with boiling water and letting it infuse overnight (use above measurements). Once made, drink at room temperature, reheated or cold. In this way you can make up several days worth of tea at one time. If stored in refrigerator this tea will last for 3-4 days

If you want to make an overnight decoction tea, it's best to do so in a crockpot using fresh (2 teaspoons) or dried (1 teaspoon) herbs to each 1 1/2 -2 cups of water. Put on lid and simmer on low overnight. Drink hot or cold and store as above.

Sun tea can also be made, as long as it's sunny, of course. It works best with soft leaves or flowers. Using the measurements for an infusion put jar with herbs and water in the hot sun for several hours till at desired strength. It can be left out for two days but no longer. Strain and drink. Store any remaining in the refrigerator.

Now let's all go have a nice cup of tea and toast to our health !!!