Week of January 14, 2024 – January 20, 2024
by Catherine McLaughlin, Environmental Educator
When I am going outside in winter, I pack myself a hot drink like tea or hot cocoa, especially with how the wind and snow have been lately. This gives me something to look forward to when I am hiking or walking somewhere. It feels like I am being warmed from the inside out when I have a hot beverage on a cold day.
With local fresh fruits and vegetables being harder to find in the winter season I look towards other ways to get my needed vitamins and minerals. I personally do this with tea. You can buy them, but I prefer to make my own when I can.
One tea that you can likely find around your home is pine! While pine trees may not be the first to come to your mind when you make a cup of tea, the needles have been used for hundreds of years to make a vitamin C packed drink to help keep you healthy in the winter months.
Brewing pine tea to support your body is not a folk tale, but we can find some interesting historical methods to help with a cold or other illness. One of my favorites I have found is to cure hiccups, drink nine sips of water, then walk backwards nine steps. Or while holding your breath, count to 100 backwards. How tried and true this one is I am not sure, but sometimes we still use these folk remedies today.
Bring along your favorite hot drink next time you are out on the trail, or join us to learn some healing traditions on January 20! Visit baltimorewoods.org/event/learning-healing-traditions/ to learn more and register today.