The Gentle Giant: Oats

 

Like most herbal tonics, oat straw is meant to be used over a long period (three months or more) of time as a tea to help bring the whole body back to a state of radiant health. It has a wonderfully calming effect on the entire nervous system, so it is used to help with sleep, stress, anxiety and depression. Milky oats are especially helpful in these types of imbalances. This plant is also well known to improve heart and brain health, as it helps improve blood flow. If you are the type of person that feels “on the edge, pushed too hard, and just worn out,” oats just might be your best friend.

 

Oat straw has a very mild, pleasant flavor—not too bitter, like many herbs. It pairs well with almost any other herb or herb blend. Adding a bit of honey works nicely when oat straw is combined with stinging nettle. This combination may help increase the absorption of calcium and silica, which helps increase bone strength. Simply add a teaspoon of this blend to a cup of hot water and cover. Let steep; the longer the better! Then sip and feel your whole body relax and feel revived.

 

Oat straw is also great for overworked, tired feet. Take your prepared tea and add it to a pan of hot water, and soak your feet for 25 to 30 minutes. Or pour your prepared tea into your bathwater, maybe with a drop or two of lavender essential oil, and soak those tired bones away. This also helps to hydrate and soothe any irritated skin.

 

The milky oat is usually prepared into a tincture due to its short life (less than a week until the milk dries up). This is used by many to calm frazzled nerves. Known as a nutritive restorative, milky oats can nourish and restore the function of a tired and compromised system, such as the endocrine or nervous system. Take this as needed, listening to the hints from your body.

 

The most popular way to enjoy oats is in oatmeal. It’s a simple and delicious way to get all these nutrients into your body on a daily basis. Here is one recipe we like to use.

 

Make a chai tea blend starting with rooibos red tea, and then add whatever combination you would like, such as cinnamon chips, cloves, star anise, ginger, cardamom, fennel or nutmeg. Make a nice, strong tea (1 tablespoon per cup), letting it steep for a few hours. Then prepare your oatmeal (we like to do it in a crock pot overnight). Spray your crock pot (or pan), and put in your oatmeal. Add your chai tea and about half as much milk of your choice to make it nice and creamy. Add your extras—cinnamon, a few pats of butter, ground flaxseed, milk thistle and maybe a cut-up apple—and cover. For overnight, put on warm; for a few hours, cook on high. Stir occasionally, adding liquid if needed. Enjoy with blueberries, nuts, and some honey or maple syrup, and you have a delicious, calming and highly nutritious breakfast. Make a big batch and enjoy every day. As a side note, there are several brands now selling gluten-free oats—something for everyone!

 

 

 

Advertorial