Previously we discussed a few things to help us focus on developing the habit of healthy living — click here to read that post.
Today, I’d love to talk specifics and share a few of my most favorite herbs for weight loss, detoxification, and over all well-being.
But first let me say…
…herbs should not be considered a magical solution to anyone’s weight-loss efforts! Nonetheless, I do believe that they play a huge role — most effectively in the role of appetite suppression and detoxification.
There are several different herbs that have improven to increase metabolism and/or suppress the appetite — naturally helping us achieve our weight loss goals.
Just be careful — please note…this statement is my disclaimer — with any information you read (yes, even this information that I am sharing with you today) regarding herbs with weight loss claims. Do your own research.
The Best Weight Loss Herbs
As mentioned above, there are countless herbs and remedies in the realm of weight loss.
These that I share with you are simply the ones that I have found to be most beneficial and useful in my efforts! Herbs such as:
- Nettle Leaf – Highly nutritive, nettle leaf contains a great amount of chlorophyll, making this herb a significant source of antioxidant vitamins (such as C and A) and powerhouse minerals. Nettle leaf is also considered a blood purifier due to it’s ability to increase the proper function of the liver and the kidneys.
- Eleuthero (Siberian Ginseng) Root — While it primarily works on the nervous system, in general eleuthero root is well known as a powerful adaptogen – that is an herb that helps the body properly respond to stress. Reducing anxiety and balancing the appetite. Read more here…
- Senna leaf — Senna leaf is best known as a natural laxative.
- Dandelion leaf — Dandelion leaf neutralizes acid in the blood thereby making it one the best remedies for detoxification and blood purification available. And similar to Nettle leaf, it too contains high quantities of nourishing vitamins and minerals. I love dandelion leaf especially for it’s ability to cleanse the body and help with my skin’s complexion.
- Marshmallow root — Is one of the most mucilaginous herbs. Highly nutritive…it also works to soothe the entire digestive system by reducing inflammation. Likewise, marshmallow root is a wonderful diuretic.
- Slippery elm bark – Slippery elm bark contains many of the mucilaginous properties as marshmallow root — and it helps bring to balance to the body by absorbing toxins in the bowel.
- Sweet cinnamon bark — A well-known for centuries due to it’s anti-biotic and anti-fungal properties, cinnamon is a wonderful remedy that supplies excellent flavor. Moreover, cinnamon is excellent for our digestive systems and works to warm the body.
- Ginger root — Ginger root, a trusted cold/flu fighter, assists the body in the removal of excess toxins. It too, cleanses the digestive tract and the kidneys as well as increases circulation by warming the body.
- Fennel seeds — Aid in digestion and help to regulate the appetite. They also positively effect kidney function and work to cleanse the liver.
And the best way I have found to consume the benefits of these herbs…tea.
Benefits of Drinking a Slimming Herbal Tea
While drinking an herbal tea concocted using the above herbs…one can expect to experience the following benefits:
- Slimmer waistline
- Mood stabilization
- Better sleep
- Increased libido
- Regular bowel movements
- Decrease in water retention
- Clearer more balanced skin complexion
The Recipe
Slimming Herbal Tea
*Measurements in parts are by volume not weight.
- 2 parts Nettle leaf
- 2 parts Eleuthero root
- 1 part Senna leaf
- 1 part Dandelion leaf
- 1 part Marshmallow root
- 1 part Slippery elm bark
- ½ part Sweet Cinnamon Bark, chips
- ½ part Orange peel
- ½ part Ginger root
- ¼ part Fennel seeds
Method
- Measure the parts of each of the herbs listed and mix in a large bowl until well combined.
- Grab your tea accessories, tea infusers, and/or tea pots…and brew a cup! (Note: I get all of my loose leaf tea-making supplies online from Mountain Rose Herbs.)
- This herbal tea blend will keep stored in a cool, dark place for approximately 6 months. (Note: I like to store all of my teas in glass jars with tight-fitting lids.)
- Everyday I brew approximately 16-20 fluid ounces of this tea and carry it with me, drinking it throughout the day. I find it mild enough for daily use and I couldn’t be happier with the results I’m seeing!
Where Can I Get This Stuff?
-Mountain Rose Herbs…they have everything you’ll need for this remedy! It’s your one-stop-shop!
-The Bulk Herb Store also carries many of these ingredients if you’d like to price check.
I do have this herbal tea blend available for purchase
in my Etsy Shop.
See the listing by clicking this link.
Now it’s your turn! Please share with us your most favorite herbs and remedies for weight loss!
What a great recipe! I’ve been following your blog for a bit now, and I really enjoy your posts! Thanks for the inspiration to live more naturally
How much is 1 part and 2 parts?
It’s whatever measurement you want it to be. Just make sure the ratio stays the same for all the ingredients.
This sounds wonderful, can’t wait to try it. How much of the herb mixture do you use for 16-20 oz of water? Thanks!
Hi Karen! I use one heaping teaspoon of plant material per cup of water for my tea infusions.
Is this safe during breastfeeding?
Personally, I would avoid senna while nursing. It is a stimulant laxative which you could use if you really needed it, but otherwise I would avoid it. Eleuthero can be stimulating and so I would choose an adaptogen like ashwagandha or shatavari, which reduce inflammation, support the endocrine system, improve immunity and reduce stress. Shatavari means “she who has 1000 husbands” and is a powerful tonic for women. The rest of the herbs are safe!
~Addie McDermott, Holistic Clinical Herbalist
Earth Roots
I so enjoyed this post. I will have to buy Shatavari, not just for what it does, but for what it means! Great post!
I’m curious about the mix of leaves, roots and bark in the blend. Is it ok to simply brew the mix — will all of these plant parts extract while steeping?
Try grinding up the roots in a coffee grinder before mixing up your blend, that way your infusion will extract the most medicine. Alternately, you can make two blends, one to decoct and one to infuse!
How much is 1 part and 2 parts?
Sandra…
To decide on parts you should think of it like this…
2 cup is two parts.
1 cup is one part.
1/2 cup is half of one part.
1/4 cup is one quarter of one part..
And so on.
Depending on the amount you want, you may start small. Using one heaping teaspoon per 8oz of water. You could start off making a cup of herb and use it to see if it is working for you, then double, triple… etc…. the recipe for your desired needs. Divide the cup (seeing the cup as two parts now). Hope this helps. Always had problems with this question myself. LOL
I’m starting to think Sandra is just trolling at this point.
Then in this scenario the “part” is 1 cup.
If you start with a cup then cup=part and you keep the ratio from there
If you start with a tablespoon then tablespoon=part and you keep ratio from there
what ever you use as a measuring device is your “part” as long as you keep the ratio from that device .
To Sandra – Pam replied that your part is whatever you want it to be and she is right, here is an example: If your part is “1/4 cup” then 3 parts would be 3/4 of a cup, if your part is 1 tablespoon then 3 parts would be 3 tablespoons. Just be sure to keep the part consistant.
I hope that this helps.
I like your answer
Can I make a tincture out of this? That way I could just put a bit in my water through out the day?
Shelly…you are brilliant! What a great idea and it would make it super easy to take!
Tinctures are my favorite way to take things. It keeps things small and simple! Great suggestion!
Senna is actually a habit-forming herbal laxative. I’m currently taking a 10 month herbal medicine course with a very experienced clinical herbalist who says she has had to help lots of people learn to have bowel movements again on their own after using senna – a process that sounds difficult and unpleasant, so be careful with this! She has actually warned us away from using Senna pretty much at all. Everything else looks great though.
Senna is used in such a small quantity here — and not used as an isolated infusion — it’s not that much a concern to me…however, if you’d prefer I’d say leave it out:)
Thanks for this… I will be interested to hear your answer about the tincture and the senna.
I checked out your etsy listing and was wondering how many oz of tea can i make with it?
Hi Patricia! It will make approximately 40 one cup servings.
Andrea, would adding chickweed give an additional diuretic boost to this blend?
Yes, chickweed is a diuretic and also used to shed fat. It is highly nutritive and a good blood purifier. I have some more info about it here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151384468232702&set=pb.61020912701.-2207520000.1360468039&type=3&theater
If u wanted to add chickweed and bilberry to this recipe-how much would you put in?
thanks for the recipe i will try this out for sure
Hi I have been interested in this recipe for quite some time but when I look on Mountain Rose Herbs I cannot find the Sweet Cinnamon Bark, chips that you have listed. Is it listed under something else or where can I find it? Thanks!!
To Sandra – Pam replied that your part is whatever you want it to be and she is right, here is an example: If your part is “1/4 cup” then 3 parts would be 3/4 of a cup, if your part is 1 tablespoon then
3 parts would be 3 tablespoons. Just be sure to keep the part consistant. I hope that this helps.
Is there an herb that has all of this in a pill form instead? Thank you and God bless you!!!
I will defiantly be making this. I love all herbal tea and mix up different types all the time. Thanks!
I see.ones that say regulates your appetite… but I.see.none that say suppresses the.appetite. can u suggest one?!
Sounds EXPENSIVE – 1 part or 2 parts – - I’m lost…I’m looking at 8oz Nettle Leave for 5.25 and you’re talking about making 16 – 20 oz a day. Am I lost? Would I then use 2 TBS or this – for some reason I’m thinking CUP measurements….
Terri,
you’re making 16-20 oz of tea, which only requires about 3 tsp of the tea blend.
Each “part” is whichever measuring instrument you want to use. For a big batch, use a cup: 2 cups Nettle leaf, 2 cups Eleuthero, and so on. If you want to make a small batch to start with, have your “part” be a Tbsp: 2 Tbsp Nettle leaf…
Once you have combined your mixture, you will only need 1 heaping tsp of tea per cup of water.
If your goal is to mix a small batch, your “part” would be small. Something like this:
Large Batch: Small Batch:
1 Cup (or part) of whatever 1/4 (or part) of whatever
A part can be a cup, a tablespoon, an ounce. What ever volume you choose to make.
So, two parts can be 2 cups or 2 tablespoons. One part is 1/2 of whatever you use for the first part and so on
Follow?
I disagree with your calling this a weight loss tea. It is a nourishing tea.
Bilberry and chickweed would help surpress the appetite.
Senna can cause severe stomach cramping and, as the other person said, is habit forming. Not a safe herb to use without professional supervision.
Are you an herbalist? If not, you should not be recommending herbal remedies/teas. I could say a lot more about your recipe but it would take too long.
Be careful, I know you mean well…..
Is this best drunk hot or cold?
I’m not a fan of hot beverages.
I was so excited when I saw this recipe! I immediately purchased all the herbs from mountainrose (LOVE that store!) and started taking this blend daily for about a week and a half. I noticed that I had some mild stomach cramping and frequent toilet breaks
Then I read the comments here about Senna leaf 
I guess if you’re good on the fibre intake, just leave it out. I stopped taking this blend and looking for more ‘slimming’ type of blend to help with the weight loss! But as Andrea said, “Do your own research!”. Thanks for all your recipes! Love your site
Thanks for the great recipe. I have tried getting as many ingredients as I could. The end result is a great herbal tea though I missed a few ingredients. I don’t have enough time to add all the ingredients each and every time and make tea. I am an avid tea fan …be it green tea or regular tea. The benefits of tea are numerous….Green tea in particular has a great potential in helping lose weight and waist line. I am a pharmacist and I recommend green tea and few other ingredients (e.g green coffee, caralluma) if customers are looking for supplement pills and not drinking tea.
not everybody needs all the ingredients…it is mostly based on the dietary habits.
Great Post Andrea!
Looks like a great tea recipe! You can use only a few of the herbs too if you want. I’ve found that when you feel like you want to eat, but you aren’t really hungry, having a cup of tea can satisfy you and using the herbs listed above can help ward off cravings. If you get in the habit of drinking the tea instead of snacking, you soon find that you crave tea instead of snacks!
Is it possible from the store to have this pre-made thus making it much easier on the customer? I would be more willing to purchase if it were premixed and ready to brew.
Earlene, at the bottom of the post the author shares her Etsy site where you can purchase the blend already made. Peace.
I don’t care for hot tea or drinks. Can I steep this and drink it as a cold drink?
Thanks.
I was wondering, for your ginger root…do you use powdered?
I am looking on the mountain rose herb website and I can only find Fennel seed in their dirctory….Where do you purchase your other herbs?
Here is he website for Mountain Rose Herbs. http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/ click on the tab that says “products” on the next screen you should have several things listed in the body of the page click on “bulk herbs & spices”. Scroll down a little way and you should how see A,B C, D, E etc. . . across the middle of the page, just click on the letter of the herb you want and scroll down to find it.
Look for “cut” herbs vs powdered as it looks like that is what she uses in this formula. Good Luck
Hi,
I was wondering if someone would know where to find these ingredients in Toronto – Canada?
Hi Loulou – I live in Markham, Canada – I bought all my ingredients from MountainRoseherbs online. They are organic and I find their quality to be top notch. I’ve been drinking this tea on and off – can’t say that I’ve lost weight but that’s because I eat like a cow LOL. But I definitely feel like it’s good for me – I would omit the senna leaf though. Send me your email – I bought more than enough to make tea for 10 years – I’m happy to share a jar with you!!
Annie
Hello,
I found this site via Pinterest, and love it, I am going to be buying the herbs from the mountain rose store and I was wondering if there is anything else that will help with the constipation, other than the Senna. My system is all messed up, and I’ve been looking for healthy ways to get it back in sync. Any herb that will help with regulating the menstrual cycle. I’m 42 yrs old, and it’s pretty much stopped, pretty sure it’s from my other problem, but I’d just like that and my sex drive back.
Thanks for this post it was so very helpful and keep those blog post coming!
Just curious — Is this safe for pregnant women, too?
Thanks!
For me, it’s better to drink slimming herbal tea instead of diet pills. I drink ginger tea because it’s one of the perfect method to lose weight.
I just happened on your page looking for a natural homemade deodorant, I have to say I ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOU and what you do (: Thank you for being here !!
I totally agree with you Divine. But the thing is that the effect is very slow of this tea. And in this fast and glamorous world people wants fast or instant result And that is the only reason the weight loss pills and other products come to exist.
Has anyone really lost weight using this recipe?