For the next three weeks my online herbal study group (found here on Facebook) is diving into the world of Oatstraw (Avena sativa). My suggestion to everyone was to consume nourishing oatstraw herbal infusions daily as a great way to get to know this amazing herbal ally.

Here’s why:

The Impact of Stress

I think it’s fair to say, that as a society, we are finally opening our eyes to the damage the stress causes in our lives. New studies are being done every year, exploring how stress impacts the health of our nervous system, immune system and cardiovascular system. In fact, I’m sure in another decade or two, we will realize that stress impacts pretty much every dis-ease state that exists.

You see, when our bodies are under stress we enter what is know as fight or flight mode. Our sympathetic nervous systems kick in as our bodies are flooded with hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline. The body shunts blood away from unessential systems (like digestion and immune) in favour of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. The problem is that our body doesn’t know the difference between the acute stress of being chased by a predator (like our ancestors would have dealt with) and the stress from our work and home lives.

If you are someone who is under chronic stress (meaning all the time), you can only imagine the toll that this can take on your body and well-being.

Enter Oatstraw

When it comes to nervous system nourishment, my herb of choice is Avena. This safe and gentle herb can be used daily with no ill effect. It’s very tasty and making nourishing infusions is a very simple process (scroll down for my recipe below). Considered the herb of longevity in Ayurvedic medicine, oatstraw helps to restore nervous system integrity and emotional stability. Medicinally speaking, Avena is a nervine, vasodilator (improves blood flow throughout the body including the brain), antidepressant and an anxiolytic (aiding in anxiety). This makes it fantastic for anyone dealing with nervousness, nervous exhaustion, depression, anxiety, poor concentration, poor memory and tension headaches. And because of it’s mellow taste, this is a great herb for anxious and hyperactive kids.

Loaded with protein, very high amounts of B vitamins (which are quite beneficial when one is stressed), calcium and basically all trace elements, a nourishing oatstraw herbal infusion is just what the herbalist ordered. Please note, that Oatstraw tea isn’t steeped long enough to extract this amazing range of vitamins and minerals. It’s imperative that you prepare this as a nourishing herbal infusion (see below).

How to Make Oatstraw Nourishing Infusion

You’ll need: 

• Oatstraw herb (you can get it here)
• Glass jar
• Stainless steel knife

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Instructions:

• Fill your jar 1/4 to 1/3 of the way full of dried oatstraw herb
• Place a knife in the jar to absorb the heat from the boiling water (so your jar doesn’t crack)
• Fill your jar with boiling water
• Let sit for at least 4-6 hours to ensure adequate mineral extraction
• I usually let mine sit overnight
• Strain your herbs and sip through the day

Enjoy!

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