Chamomile as a Treatment for Anxiety

Anxiety is a real problem in today's society. I don't know if it's because our lives have become more stressful in the fast paced environment of chasing after our dreams (or simply to make ends meet) or if we're just more aware of it these days due to the ease of accessing information.

One thing I know is that anxiety has been a big part of my life, from losing my father when I was ten, to my brothers moving to another country without knowing when I'd see them again, to struggling in school and trying to make my mother proud.

Some of these anxiety-causing issues came from within, from feeling inadequate, from trying to please people. Other issues come from outside, based on the rules and limitations society puts on us, even as a young child and all the way to adulthood. In fact, I feel like as we get older, we tend to stress more over what's expected of us and of not living up to our and other people's expectations.

Needless to say, when the going gets tough we turn to medicine. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it backfires, and we're stuck with a bucket load of pills.

But there are other, natural remedies that can do just as much good without the fear of dangerous side effects. One of the medicinal plants that has been in use since ancient times is chamomile. Studies have revealed that this plant possesses anti-anxiety properties. It has a calming effect on our system, it helps us relax and in the end ease our anxiety.

With a relaxed state of mind, we are more likely to look at our problems with a more critical and clear mind, which in turn will make it easier for us to find a solution. That, in turn, eases the anxiety that the issue had caused in the first place.

Or I'd like to think so. It doesn't always work that way, but chamomile does have a calming effect on our body. It has been used as a sleep aid for centuries, and, as studies show, a good night sleep can do just as much good. So, if not directly, chamomile helps us deal with anxieties by proxy.

Chamomile is not the only medicinal plant that can be used as a remedy for stress and anxieties. Other plant-based remedies, like lavender, Valerian, lemon balm, and passionflower have also proven useful.

However, chamomile or any other natural remedy will not replace proper medical treatment or therapy, so if your anxiety persists, please see a professional. But for occasional bouts of anxiety, a nice chamomile soak, followed by a hot cup of chamomile tea just might be what you need to soothe your frayed nerves.

Keep in mind that while chamomile, like anything else, is safe in small doses, it might have some unwanted side-effects. If you're allergic to ragweed or anything in the daisy family, then I would suggest you stay away from chamomile altogether.

Though some argue that chamomile is completely safe, there are no conclusive studies to support either view.

What do you do to help you deal with anxiety?

Sparkling Iced Chamomile Tea

Any iced tea is easy to make and refreshing on a hot sunny day. Why not make it chamomile iced tea with the added bonus of sparkling water for an extra refreshing drink.

1. All you need are a few bags of chamomile tea, a bottle of sparkling water, honey or sugar to add sweetness to the brew, and a few slices of lemon.

2. Put the tea bags in a pitcher and pour hot water over them. I use 4 bags to about 3 cups of water. Since I will be diluting the tea with the sparkling water, I want to make it stronger than I would for just a single cup of tea.

3. While I let it steep, I prepare everything else.

4. Once the tea is strong enough for my taste, I take the bags out and let it cool before adding the sparkling water. Here, I didn't wait long enough so the tea was still steaming when I added the water.

5. Finally, I add the honey. If you're using sugar I would suggest putting it in while the tea is still hot. It will dissolve faster. While honey may take long to dissolve in a cold drink, it's still easier than using sugar.

6. I put chamomile ice cubes into a tall glass (I prepared them a few days earlier while making a cup of hot chamomile tea) and pour the cooled drink over it.

7. Last but not least, I add the lemon. You can always add the lemon to the pitcher, but not everybody likes lemon in their tea so I add it separately.

And voila! You have a nice refreshing and healthy glass of iced chamomile tea.

Of course, if you're not fond of sparkling water, you can always leave it off, but I like the extra zing the bubbles add to the tea.

What type of tea do you prefer for your iced tea?

Buying Vs. Growing Chamomile

With advances in technology it has become easier to get the things we want, but just because it's easier doesn't necessarily mean it's better.

I've wondered for quite some time whether I should grow my own chamomile or just buy it online. Here are the points I came up with to help me make that decision.

Buying chamomile:
Pros:
- It's fairly cheap.
- You can get it online and have it delivered to your door, which is especially convenient if you live in an apartment and don't have the space to grow your own.
- You can get it any time of the year.
- No hassles of trying to grow it: no mess with soil, no risk of killing the crop, no risk of losing the harvest to a plant disease.

Cons:
- You don't know what you're getting. Just because the label says chamomile doesn't mean it's the right chamomile or that it's organic. The person who grew this chamomile might have used dangerous pesticides on the plant.
- Even if you order it online, depending on where it's coming from it might take a while to get there.
- Sometimes what you get does not look the same as what you thought you ordered. The dried flowers might be pulverized by the time they get to your door, whether by whoever dehydrated them or by the postal service.
- It could be very fresh or years old so it potentially could not give the expected benefits.


Growing your own chamomile:
Pros:
- You know exactly what you're getting as long as the seeds you buy are the correct ones. It won't be easy to tell for sure until they grow.
- The seeds are fairly cheap and if you know what you're doing, you'll have a batch of fresh chamomile right in your own yard or kitchen.
- It's relatively easy to grow and you can grow it in your backyard, in your greenhouse or even in a pot in your kitchen or on your patio.
- The sense of satisfaction when you pick your first harvest.
- You can generally grow it indoors in Winter so you don't run out.


Cons:
- If you've never grown anything before it might become a challenge. If you're anything like me and sometimes kill plants, you might be better off buying chamomile instead of growing it.
- Seeds are cheap but may not be available at your local garden center. In the little town I live in, it's impossible to find them, so I had to order them online.
- Even if you are experienced and know what you're doing when it comes to growing plants, you will still have to wait for the plants to grow before being able to harvest.
- It takes time and effort and the results are not always what we wanted or expected
- Unless you have a big harvest and manage to store some until you can grow a new batch, you'll probably run out and be forced to buy online or wait until Spring to grow your own again, unless you decide to grown it year round in your kitchen.

In the end I've decided to try my hand at growing it.

Do you buy chamomile or do you grow your own?

Chamomile Tea Made Easy

Everybody knows how to make a cup of tea.

It's easy:
1. You take a tea bag out of a box.
2. Put the tea bag in a cup.
3. Pour hot water over it.
4. Take the tea bag out.
5. Put sugar or honey in the cup and stir (optional)
6. Enjoy.

But what not many people realize or remember is that herbal teas, like chamomile for example, need to steep for a few minutes to get the full benefits and flavor out of the leaves.

So let's go over it one more time:

1. Put tea bags into your cups. I will make two cups. I will drink one, and I will save the second one for later. Once it cools, I will pour the tea into ice cube trays and freeze. Those ice cubes will be great for some iced chamomile tea, the perfect drink on a hot sunny day – refreshing and healthy.

2. Pour hot water over the tea bags and let it steep for about 5 minutes. If you prefer stronger tasting chamomile tea, let it sit longer. I would love to use dried home-grown chamomile flowers, but I don't have any at the moment. So I use Celestial Seasonings, available at any grocery store.

3. Take the bags out of the tea. I plan to save the tea bags for some quick eye compress, so I didn't squeeze these bags out too much. I don't want them to dry out before I'm ready to use them.

4. Add some honey or sugar to taste. I prefer honey. I love the taste of it. It's healthy, and it brings back memories from my childhood. My father was a beekeeper. I have fond memories of the times he collected the honey and wax.

5. Finally, just sit back and enjoy a nice cup of chamomile tea. You can add lemon if you'd like, but for this tutorial I decided to leave it out.


You can enjoy a cup of chamomile tea any time of day, especially if you're stressed or agitated. Just keep in mind that it will relax you, so if you're not ready to slow down just yet, maybe you should hold off on making and drinking it until the evening. It makes for a great sleep aid, but it's good for many other things as well. My kitchen wouldn't be complete without a box of chamomile tea around.

When is your preferred time to drink chamomile tea?

Welcome, Chamomile Friends!

Chamomile might not make the tabloids unless a celebrity announces that he or she drinks it every day for its health benefits. Still, it's unlikely it will make the headlines. And yet, the topic of chamomile, or chamomile tea in particular, is quite popular in certain circles.

During my recent research into the subject, I found that there are many pages about chamomile on the World Wide Web, but most of them contain nothing but general information about the plant or its uses. They touch on the very basics on what it's good for or how to use it but when it comes to getting into the depth of things, not many of them go that far.

So I took it upon myself to put together a comprehensive guide. I hope to include recipes from making simple things like brewing a cup of tea, to more complicated undertakings like making a face pack or growing your own batch of chamomile.

Many recipes I came across stop at the art of making teas, or to be more precise, infusions. As I found out “tea” is made from a specific plant called Camelia sinensis. Anything that does not include leaves from this plant is an infusion.

There are plenty of products out there who contain chamomile, but even there the details are limited. For example, when looking at a box of chamomile tea, all the ingredient list will say is “chamomile”, but it doesn't say which kind. There is more than one type of chamomile and some of them are better suited for drinks than others.

My plan is to get behind what makes chamomile so great. I will do my best to get as much information as I possibly can and to try as many different applications of this plant as possible, be it drinks, medicines, cosmetics, or whatever else I can dig up during my research.

I will post my findings on this blog so stay tuned and I hope you'll enjoy what you find.