Immune Building Chai with Wild Roots and Spices

3 1⁄2 cups of boiling water
2 Cinnamon sticks
1 Tablespoon fresh Ginger, grated
1 whole Nutmeg, chopped
1 Tablespoon Cardamom seed pods
5 tongues of Astragulus root
1 Tablespoon dried Burdock root
1 Tablespoon dried Dandelion root
1⁄2 tsp. whole Cloves
1⁄4 tsp. black Peppercorns
1⁄2 tsp. Anise seeds
1⁄2 tsp. whole Allspice
1⁄2 tsp. Echinacea root

Simmer the spices in the water for about 15 minutes.
Strain out the herbs, add warmed milk about 1/4 cup and honey to taste.

Keep a pot of an immune boosting, herbal homemade chai brewing throughout the winter. What a wonderful feeling to be nourishing them with medicine they enjoy.
Use as a fall tonic to nourish our immune systems and to warm our bodies on chilly fall days.  (Recipe from Kimberly Gallagher, via Herbmentor)

Nutrition Facts

Burdock Root
“Burdock is food and medicine in a lot of countries. It’s loaded with protein but you want to balance that with having some nuts and some grains too. It’s high in calcium, phosphorus and potassium. It’s nourishing to the kidneys. So, anytime people have problems with their kidneys, eat more burdock. It helps clean the blood, strengthen the hair and cleans up the skin. It needs to be harvested in the fall or in the spring.”  (Heather Nic en Fhleisdeir)

Per 1/2 cup of plant: Water 76.5 g, Protein 2.5 g, Carbs 20.1 g, Fiber 1.7 g, Calcium 50 mg, Phosphorus 58 mg, Iron 1.2 mg, Potassium 180 mg, Thiamin 250 ug, Riboflavin 80 ug, Niacin 300 ug
Dandelion Root
“A Prescription for Herbal Healing” states that the dandelion root is a blood purifier, promoting detoxification through the kidneys and the liver. Dandelion is also used as a natural diuretic and does not deplete the body of potassium the way medications can. In fact, according to “The Healing Herbs,” dandelion is full of potassium. It also contains high levels of iron, boron, calcium, silicon, vitamin C and ounce for ounce contains more betacarotene than carrots, states “A Prescription for Herbal Healing.” Dr. Weil’s website adds riboflavin, folic acid, B6, copper and manganese to the list.

Dandelion root is best dug in the Spring or Fall.  Chop them small to dry for Winter storage.
Add them to soups and stews or make a root dish.

Echinacea Root
Excerpt from Nutritional Herbology
It is used primarily to treat disorders of the blood, such as poisonous bites of insects and snakes, gangrene, carbuncles and abscesses.
Recent studies show Echinacea to have immuno stimulant, antiviral, antiexudative, anti-inflammatory, bacteriostatic, and fungistatic properties. In practical use today, Echinacea is used primarily to build resistance to infections of the respiratory and digestive tracts.
The proven actions of Echinacea are due to water-soluble polysaccharides. They act by sequestering the attacks of various microbes and allow the body to heal itself. Upon reaching an infected area, the polysaccharides have an immunostimulant effect, which results in the production of leucocytes (white blood cells). The resulting phagocytic action of the leucocytes effectively eradicates a number of infectious organisms.