The loving medicine that is Hibiscus - learn how to make a simple Hibiscus tisane

Hibiscus tea has a ton of health benefits. Hibiscus Tea has been known to prevent hypertension, lower blood pressure, reduce blood sugar levels, keep your liver healthy, help with menstrual cramps, help with depression, aid digestion and help with weight management. Its rich in Vitamin C, contains minerals such as flavonoids and has laxative properties. And it tastes delicious!
 
But just to be safe, we want to make sure we know as much as we can about the things we put into our bodies, Hibiscus tea can also have some side effects:
Hibiscus Tea can affect estrogen levels which means that it has an effect of both pregnancy and fertility. If you are trying to become pregnant or are pregnant, you should probably avoid hibiscus in your diet. It also lowers blood pressure which can be harmful if you already suffer from low blood pressure. But with anything that has medicinal properties, it's really important to see if it works for you! 

Now on to the recipe for boiling these beauties!  

What you need: 

• 2 cups of Hibiscus flowers (fresh or dried), I prefer fresh petals, for it makes more, and tastes richer.
• 8 cups of fresh, distilled or filtered water
• 1/4 organic, local, raw honey (you can put more, depending on how sweet you like it).
• 3 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice (optional)

1. Make sure you remove the calyx and the pistil from the flowers. 
2. Wash flower petals thoroughly. Make sure there isn't any pollen, dirt or bugs. These flowers carry a lot with them! 
3. Boil the 8 cups of water and steep the 2 cups of Hibiscus flowers. I steeped for about an hour to really get all the richness and flavors from the flower. 
4. Strain the water into a pitcher or jar.
5. Add the 1/4 cup of honey and mix well. 
6. You can serve this hot or cold. But to serve cold, keep refrigerated overnight to let the tisane really settle. 
7. Get creative! Add some fresh mint, lemon juice, basil leaves; whatever your palate desires! 

ENJOY... AND PLEASE SHARE ANY THOUGHTS, COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON HOW YOUR TEA CAME OUT!