Time to pick herbs and... eat the buds
Nature's spring awakening drives us all outdoors, not only to enjoy the warmth, but also to pick up some good-for-your-body goodies.
According to Ramūnas Daugelavičius, the founder of Tea Magic, it is the right time to collect those herbs that thin the blood and lymph.
Drink teas and make salads
„The season is changing and blood and lymph are naturally thickened after winter. To avoid inflammation and viruses, blood and lymph need to be thinned," said herbalist R. Daugelavičius. Flowering marsh marigolds can help a lot. Their bark, leaves and flowers can help. You need to drink their tea.
There are spears, dandelions and nettles sprouting up at the moment – they are particularly good for the body.
„Their green part is rich in chlorophyll, which is very useful for purifying and strengthening the blood and increasing haemoglobin.
If you are already ill, you can pick raspberry stems and boil them, keeping them covered to attract. A lobe will sprout. It is also good for treating colds.
Sage is also used for treatment, but it is forbidden to sell it because it contains a poisonous substance. However, it has always been used in small quantities in folk medicine. It should not be used for more than 30 consecutive days," R. Daugelavičius shared his advice with readers of „Anykščiai“.
In early spring, the forest good is particularly coveted – bear garlic. Now, according to the herbalist, it is already flowering, and the young leaves of this garlic should be collected while they are still juicy.
„Bear garlic leaves are used for food – they can be used to make pesto sauces with sour cream, oil or butter. Bear garlic is spicy enough to be added to salads of dandelion, savoury, nettle. It can be chopped, mashed, used as a condiment, used with sour cream – it is very tasty with bread.
The Germans use bear garlic as a tea to cleanse the blood vessels. When eaten as food, it is also a very strong blood purifier. It has a spicy and burning taste. Like regular garlic, it is antiparasitic, but in addition, because it is raw, it is rich in chlorophyll and substances that cleanse the blood of mucus and cholesterol that has built up over the winter," said the health promoter about the benefits of bear garlic, also known as a superfood in the English language.
Don't go past the budsR. Daugelavičius advised readers not to forget the buds of budding trees and shrubs – they also have benefits for the human body.
„Blackcurrant buds, young leaves and bark are used for stress. The buds can be simply chewed. The buds of linden and birch can also be taken and eaten. Birch buds can be used to make infusions“, – the herbalist who organises educational programmes shared his knowledge.
