Clover, an Unassuming Helper

Clover, Thumbers Favourite

Sweet green with magical properties

The common clover that graces our lawns with sweet little, flowers, brings good memories. They are quite sweet too, when we were kids, we used to pick the flowers and bite on the roots of the flower petals. Nice, tasted a bit like honey and thus we managed to get something sweet without mama’s approval! I never asked them but this might be the reason why my uncle’s cows liked it a lot, sweet snack in the middle of the field.

Neither us as kids, nor the cows knew that there is more to this little plant than sweet taste! We got a lot more than just a taste, maybe this is why we kept on going back to it.

Red clover is a rich source of isoflavones (water-soluble chemicals that act like estrogens and are found in many plants).

Red clover is a foundational step to cleansing the blood and lymphatic system. It is also beneficial in removing stress hormones from the body. There is some controversy about using red clover in connection to breast health, consider it carefully. It may be beneficial in preventing common female disorders that pertain to the breast, ovaries, and uterus.

Apart from picking it yourself directly from an unfertilized field, it is available in herbal stores: you can utilize its health benefits by making tea from it. Make sure your source is organic and bulk loose leaf or dry it yourself from your own sources. 

Once you start, you should work up slowly (increase by 1 cup every three to five days) as it can be initially detoxifying. It is common to experience die-off symptoms the first few days, such as a headache, fatigue, and brain fog. It is also common in this stage to really get obsessed with it, feeling that it is the best thing that has ever come across your life. This is a good sign, it means that it is working but restrain yourself during the first couple of weeks.

Another thing that is good to acknowledge is that you have daily bowel movements before you start drinking this tea, elimination is always very important. Therapeutic levels of red clover are 3 to 4 cups per day and you could drink three months at a time and then take break for a couple of weeks . After that, maintenance would be 1 to 2 cups three to four times per week. 

How to make: 1 tsp of herb to 2.5 dl (one cup) of boiled water makes 1 cup of tea. Steep 15 minutes. For the first couple of weeks finish your tea before 6 p.m. - there is no caffeine but because red clover cleans the bloodstream and it can keep you up at night until your body gets used to it.

Note: Do not drink this tea if you are on blood thinning medication, pregnant/breast feeding, or have grass allergies.