sown & uprooted

Mother Mary was innocently breastfeeding her sweet baby Jesus, so an ancient legend, when a few drops of her nurturing milk fell onto the leaves of a nearby plant, a thistle, white markings started spreading like veins. The sacred drops of Mary’s milk however didn’t only leave visible traces but also bestowed healing virtue on the thistle’s fruits, it’s seeds in fact. Recounting the tale for generations to come, the plant’s given botanical name is to date referencing this ancient lore: Silybum Marianum, Saint Mary’s Thistle or simply Milk Thistle.

Silybum Marianum is widely considered an absolutely fantastic herbal remedy for our liver health and restoration of the same. Milk thistle is nowadays easily accessible in form of herbal detox supplements as well as a tea or powdered seeds.

In Greek mythology, Theseus ate dandelions for 30 days to fortify himself to fight the Minotaur. Taraxacum officinale is another herb, a mild bitter plant, with amazing benefits to a healthy lifestyle and liver, in recent years rightfully once again not exclusively valued by the herbal medicine curious but publicly reclaiming its appreciation. During those times when the plant is seeding and not ideal to use for tea, it invites us to an always beautiful tradition to blow the white feathery dandelion head while making a wish as the seeds float away.

Being one of our biggest organs, the liver of a fully grown adult weighs approximately 1.5kg (3,3 lbs). The liver is our central organ of metabolism and detoxification. Our liver constantly processes the nutrients we intake, transforms them into the individual substances our body and cells require for their proper functioning while filtering out any toxins. It is not hard to imagine that at least eventually this immensely important organ, constantly transforming, filtering, sustaining our body functions, might benefit from a bit of support regarding its own natural restoration.

The health of our liver and a healthy gut microbiome are not only allowing us to holistically feel but also to look much more lively. Restoring the health of our gastrointestinal tract and supporting our liver health hence visibly impacts the radiance of our skin.

Let’s get a tea recipe laid out that you can use to detox and support your liver as well as gut health!

A Milk Thistle & Dandelion Detox Tea Recipe

In my 0,5 l pot, I mix:

• one teaspoon of Milk Thistle Seeds
• one teaspoon of Dandelion
• one teaspoon of Aniseed
• one teaspoon of Fennel Seeds
• one teaspoon of Hibiscus Flowers

The Milk thistle, anis and fennel seeds ideally need a bit of crushing. I use a granite mortar for it which makes it an interesting, very haptic and ancestrally inspired process, witchy almost at least so my imagination, to prepare this herbal detox infusion.

Pour boiling water over your herbal mix and cover your brew leaving it to steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Let this detox tea recipe accompany your daily routine for round about 4 weeks and ideally have one cup of this infusion three times a day.

In case you are worried about adding too much extra hassle, keep it easy by cooking the suggested 0,5l in the morning, enjoying a freshly brewed, warming cup of tea and simply consume another, second cup, cold when arriving back home.

What’s it about the plants used in this detox tea recipe?

Saint Mary’s Thistle, Milk Thistle or Silybum Marianum is a so called hepatoprotective, summarising the quality of healing plants commonly used to strengthen and protect our liver. Hepatoprotective herbs are applied in detox treatments to help cleanse the liver, for example after a period of medication or after an intoxication. Silybum Marianum contains the flavonoid silymarin which has powerful effects on the cleansing and restoration of our liver while stabilising the membranes of the liver cells. In form of a medication with increased dosages and longterm application, more than what is recommendable for a detox tea recipe or supplement, Milk thistle is applied as a natural treatment for serious health conditions such as Hepatitis C or a fatty liver (Hepar adiposum). An absolute go to plant when you are looking for restorative benefits to your liver health and an effective detox treatment. Additionally, the oils contained in the herb such as the saturated fatty acid linol-acid or palmitin-acid make for a lovely natural cream that can be worth a try when dealing with dry and flaky skin.

Dandelion or Taraxacum officinale is a plant containing a diverse set of vitamins and minerals, to date a highly acclaimed traditional healing herb. Next to Milk Thistle and Artichoke leaves, Dandelion is famous for its positive effects on our liver health and metabolism. Therefore, the herb is often used in detox treatments, in some traditional recipes you will furthermore find taraxacum utilised as alternative herbal solution to remedy acne by cleansing the liver to harmonise the metabolism. Read more about this powerful healing plant and discover different recipes by taking a look at our posts: Herbal Salt – detoxifying powers of the dandelion and A Tea to detox your body and mind.

Aniseed or Pimpinella Anisum is recommended to treat dyspeptic issues and also applied as a cough relief. The herb reharmonises our entire digestive system, calming and relaxing due its spasmolytic properties. Traditional northern healers treated different areas of life with aniseed, in particular the stomach and colds but also issues relating to finding joy in life, sexuality and fertility, in aphrodisiac schnaps or as love cookies. We still know aniseed tea as a companion to pregnant women and during early motherhood.

Fennel or Foeniculum vulgare has a rather noticeable flavour. The vegetable offers various health benefits having made it an ever popular ingredient in the Mediterranean kitchen since times long gone. It is typically the seeds of the plant that we use for a herbal tea infusion. In tea recipes fennel seeds are often combined with aniseeds, applied to enhance gastrointestinal motility, simply put supporting the movement of food from the mouth, through our stomach, small and large intestines, and back out of our body. Fennel tea is remedy to our stomach and often used to treat flatulence, stomach cramps or generally dyspeptic issues in our gastrointestinal tract.

Hibiscus or Hibiscus sabdariffa is said to fight inflammation, lower blood pressure, positively impact our cholesterol levels and it is a booster to our immune system due to its antioxidant activity. Traditional healers recommended the herb to support healthy digestion and as a remedy for infectious or simply irritated mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal and respiratory tract equally. Hibiscus means “devoted to Ibis” a sacred bird of the ancient Egyptians. Worshiped as the god Thoth, the sacred Ibis was supposed to preserve Egypt and its inhabitants from plaques or poisonous serpents. Additionally, dried Hibiscus flowers add an aromatic fruity flavour which, for my tongue, blends together perfectly with the other tastes in this tea. Adding a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice and some honey enriches the taste of this tea recipe even further and creates a wonderful alternation in taste.

The health of our liver, gut and digestive system impact all areas of our life and can massively effect our mental health, overall fitness, our skin and even our fertility. This tea recipe offers a superb opportunity not solely to support our liver health, balance our digestive tract and gut microbiome but it is also a tea recipe to help regain an enhanced sense of positivity towards life in general. Hence, this treatment can support you in rebalancing your physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Plus it helps your skin to feel and look better – ready for the day to come, healthy and radiant from the inside out.

– with love –

🌿 Lina

sown & uprooted @ https://for-a-better-living.com

Where to buy Milk Thistle and Dandelion Tea

Linked below for you two purchase options of both plants most importantly required for your liver detox treatment that I used in the tea recipe. You can either directly click to buy them or simply get some ideas about good organic quality available. Living in the countryside, I order many things online, hence I only recommend products I truly value. Nevertheless, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualified purchases, so buying through these links, you will indirectly contribute to our blog (at no extra costs for you).

Biojoy Organic Milk Thistle Seeds Whole (500 g), Ideal for Milk Thistle Tea (Silybum Marianum) https://amzn.to/3W3uVxB

Weltecke Organic Dandelion Tea Loose 250 g | Dandelion Root & Leaves Dried, Cut | Made in Germany | Spicy Tart Herbal Tea I Gentle Bitter Note I Organic Dandelion Tea https://amzn.to/3xUhvvM

Please note: As with all things in life, some things will have ripple effects and the amounts make the difference. So please don’t overdose herbal teas either. Especially if you are on medication, suffer a medical condition, are prone to allergic reactions and during pregnancy it’s recommended to seek medical advisory before starting any self medication.