It’s been HOT here in New Mexico. Up until about 2 weeks ago, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say that the rain gods had forgotten about us out here.

I’ve got a few tips for you to stay cool, not only in body, but in mind and spirit, as well. Because, as you all know, when it’s hot outside, it builds an inner heat that can be just as difficult to manage.

As temperatures and temperaments run high, I have to make sure that my family and I stay cool.

One of the best things that I’ve found is a cold herbal iced, sun tea that I’ve concocted. My whole family loves this mixed with apple juice. When I see my daughter looking like a lethargic, wilted flower at around 5, I know I need to pour her a glass of this iced tea.

I personally like to add just a pinch of stevia, just for my pancreas health, rather than adding the extra sugar of juice. Whether you’d like the juice or the stevia, or just enjoy it as it is, I invite you to try it for all of the amazing health benefits it provides.

Dr. Arjan’s Hibiscus Herbal Iced Sun Tea

My very favorite summer drink to stay calm, cool and collected during these hot days.

I vary this recipe up, depending on what I have available. I grow yarrow, lemon balm, chamomile and fresh mint in my garden during the summer and then dry it so I can use my own throughout the winter in hot teas. Sometimes I don’t have enough lemon balm to use, throughout the summer, so I buy it in bulk from Frontier Herbs.

I source most of my herbs and flowers, in bulk, from them, as well, because I make A LOT of this for my family and offer it to every single guest that comes over during the summer. If you’re on your own, you can buy in smaller quantities so that you have the freshest plants available to you. I’d also recommend cutting the quantities by half, if there are just 1-2 of you at home.

All of these flowers and plants have medicinal qualities, which I’ll share at the end of the recipe.

Recipe Details

• 1 gallon of filtered or spring water
• 1 cup fresh mint or 2 tbsp dried
• 1/4 cup linden flowers
• 1/8 cup dried or fresh hibiscus flowers
• 2 tbsp chamomile flowers dried or fresh
• 1 tbsp lemon grass
• 1 tbsp lemon balm, fresh or dried
• 2 tbsp rose hips or dried rose buds
• 1 tbsp dried yarrow flowers or leaves, optional
• skin of 1 lemon, lime, orange or tangerine, optional

Or, if you’re having a hard time finding these loose herbs, there are literally TONS of different kinds of herbal teas you can find at the store. I’ve been using Celestial Seasonings ‘Red Zinger’ teabags for years. I just pop 6-8 of those in water in put out in the sun for an hour or 2. If I’m missing some of these ingredients, I’ll throw in a ginger-lemon teabag or root around in my tea basket for other interesting-looking teas to try out. It all tastes great.

The only caution I would offer is to stay away from anything with black tea or caffeine in it. The healing effects were looking for with this concoction is for healing and cooling the nervous system, healing the adrenals, and soothing the stomach and digestive system. Black tea is counter-active to these goals. 

Add any of the above-listed ingredients you choose, into your water, screw on a loose top and set out on your doorstep for an hour up to 3. You probabaly don’t want to go for more than 3, as the herbs will cook too much and may begin to rot. 

Once ‘cooked’, enjoy a glass with ice or store in your fridge for up to 5 days. I usually let the herbs sit in the tea and just strain as I go, just because I’m usually too lazy to do it all at once, but it’s probably easier to do it upfront and save yourself time as you drink from your bigger pitcher or jar.

Healing properties of herbs and flowers: Yarrow: Oh my gosh, what DOESN’T this flower do? Years ago, after I’d had my daughter, I was doing too much gardening and I started bleeding profusely. My midwife told me make a tea out of yarrow and drink it. Within about 30 minutes after drinking, the bleeding immediately stopped! I was sold but stopped there. Since then, I’ve found that this plant contains so many incredible properties, that I could write a whole post just on this. For now I’ll keep it at this: it’s a nervous system sedative, anti-spasmodic, used for fevers, heart palpitations,diuretic, relieves GI bloating, gas and with leaky gut and gut lacerations, balances menstrual difficulties and helps to repair damaged tissues. Emotionally it helps with transmuting our suffering into wisdom and to help us find the deeper purpose of our suffering. When one is an ’emotional sponge’ keeping yarrow around can help with deflecting that uptake of other’s emotions Mint: Again, another ‘must-have’ in the herbal home apothecary. This plant helps with increasing circulation, calms the nervous system, aids with digestion and soothes the stomach. Additionally, it helps with mental sluggishness and increasing mental alertness. I have patients who use the essential oils when they feel a headache coming on, which helps them until they can get in to see me for an adjustment Lemon Balm: I fell in love with this plant last year. I’m not even sure why I was attracted to it enough to put it into my garden. I didn’t even harvest it until the end of the season, and only because I knew the freeze was coming. But then I started making it into my hot tea for the winter, and I just went gaga over it. This year, I’m making sure it’s in all of my iced teas. It’s really good for alleviating nervous stomachs…for those folks who fear the future and lie in wait for what disaster looms around the next corner. It’s also a great detoxifier for the spleen, liver and kidneys and helps to soothe the bladder. Additionally, it’s known as a good anti-viral and anti-bacterial.  Rose buds or rosehips: High in bio-available vitamin C which is great for boosting the immune system, strengthening the cardiovascular system. If you’re susceptible to frequent nosebleeds, increase your vitamin C levels. I’ve seen this work time and again and it’s like magic. Emotionally, if you’re feeling like you’re under an emotional attack, rose hips help to protect one against negative influences, when you’re pursuing your own inner truth. Linden flowers: have been used throughout history to calm nervousness and anxiety, soothe digestion and tension and has been used as an anti-inflammatory.

Stay cool and calm during these very hot and explosive times. Remember, it’s each one of our responsibilities to take very good care of ourselves during these times. It’s important that we take the time and utilize the resources available to us to keep our center and to be able to help others to do the same. 

If you’re looking for some tools to help calm and nourish your system during these trying times, I welcome you to join me for my weekly, live Facebook class 10:30 MST every Tuesday.

Sending you healing to wherever
you are in the world,
Dr. Arjan