NORA tea

Posted on April 10th, 2012 by mountain girl  |  11 Comments »

Some of you were wondering about the NORA tea I mentioned in my last post. I thought I would write a quick post explaining a little more about it.

NORA=Nettles, Oat straw, Red raspberry, Alfalfa. I’ve been making one variation or another of this for a while, but my midwife was the one who actually gave me the NORA recipe a couple of months ago. I’ve been drinking it ever since, and I really think it helps me feel better.

Here’s a little run-down on the benefits of this mixture, straight from my midwife’s manual.

NORA Tea

Nettles Leaf: Traditionally used by Native Americans during pregnancy, nettles helps reduce water retention and is high in Vitamin K, which helps control and prevent hemorrhage. It is one of the best sources of digestible plant iron and is rich in calcium, Vitamin A, and chlorophyll. In addition, nettles supports the kidneys, which is vital in pregnancy.

Oat Straw: High in calcium.

Red Raspberry Leaf: High in bioflavenoids, Vitamins B, C, and E, potassium, iron, and phosphorus. Tones and relaxes the pelvic and uterine muscles. Useful in lowering blood sugar levels. Aids in postpartum blood loss.

Alfalfa Leaf: Alfalfa is rich in calcium, trace minerals, and Vitamins E & K and carotene.

So those are the basic benefits, which I think are pretty impressive.

I buy my herbs for a song at Vitamin Cottage, and they last me a long time. I’ve heard you can also buy them at www.mountainroseherbs.com.

Here’s how I make my NORA tea:

I mix together 1 cup of red raspberry leaf and 1/3 cup each of nettles, oat straw, and alfalfa. (Actually I double or triple the recipe, but keep those proportions.)

I put them in a jar on my shelf, and when it’s time to make tea, I scoop out 1/2 cup of the mixture, put it in a quart jar, fill with boiling water, and let it steep 4 hours.

This is beside the point, but I also throw in a peppermint teabag, which makes mine NORAP, or maybe NORPA. I find it really helps the taste…the alfalfa and oat straw can get a little horsey if you don’t watch out.

After 4 hours (or longer–I’ve been know to forget about it and let it sit overnight) I pour it through a sieve into a gallon jar and add a glob of raw honey, stir it in, and fill the gallon jar with cold water. I keep it in the fridge.

I always have a big mug of it first thing in the morning, nicely warmed and topped with a squeeze of lemon. In my opinion, it’s the perfect start to a perfect day (after reading my Bible and oil swishing, of course. I’m not going into detail with the oil swishing…just Google it.)

So that’s NORA tea in a nutshell. And by the way, you don’t have to be pregnant to drink it–but if you are pregnant, your body and your baby will thank you.

(At this point, I bow and the curtain closes.)

11 Responses to “NORA tea”

  1. Hannah says on :

    Thank you!!!! I have been faithfully drinking red raspberry tea since the beginning (I am now 28 weeks). I think I will try NORA or NORAP or NAPOR.. whatever! Thanks again!

  2. mountain girl says on :

    You’re welcome! You’ve been doing great to drink RR…I think that’s the most important one. But these will you give you an extra boost…and you’re wise to add in the P. 🙂

  3. Lena says on :

    This seems like a delightful, nourishing recipe and I’m definitely going to try it! One caveat – if calcium affects the absoprtion of iron – it seems like the Oat Straw and Alfafa Leaf would counteract the “blood supply” and “energy” claims of this recipe. A lot of women move into a (medical) state of iron deficiency late in pregnancy so I don’t know if consuming large amounts of this tea would be good for everyone…

  4. mountain girl says on :

    Hmm..good point. I’m not sure how much calcium it would take to block the iron, but I’ll try to find out. Thanks!

  5. health says on :

    health…

    […]Poco Mountain Girl » Blog Archive » NORA tea[…]…

  6. Rebecca says on :

    I was looking at Vitamin Cottage (Natural Grocers), but they only sell huge bulk amounts of Nettle like 12 lbs.! So I will stick with Bulk Herb Store. I am very pleased with their products, so fresh smelling!

  7. Kaylah Drawbridge says on :

    Please help !! I live in Australia ive been hearing of Nora tea on YouTube I realy want it but dont know where to purchase ingredients can you please help! ! Thanks

  8. mountain girl says on :

    Hi Kaylah,

    Mountain Rose Herbs is a great site for purchasing bulk herbs/tea. I’m not sure if they ship overseas, but I would think they do.

    http://www.mountainroseherbs.com

  9. Natural Birth: Nothing to Prove | Hailie Wolfe, BBCI says on :

    […] It is noteworthy to also mention that good nutrition can play a huge part in hemorrhage risk. My midwife recommended taking liquid chlorophyll daily (consult your care provider for their recommendations). I also enjoyed the health benefits of this NORA tea recipe:  https://pocoleon.com/happy-healthy-hippie-food/nora-tea/ […]

  10. Nicole says on :

    I am currently 26 weeks and just came across this post! Is it safe for me to start drinking this being so far along? Also, I looked up pricing on Mountain Rose and it’s estimated each lb is abt 3 cups, so for 2 months of your recipe I’d pay abt $125 plus shipping-is this accurate? Thanks!

  11. mountain girl says on :

    Yes, I think it is quite safe for you. I drank it completely through my last pregnancy and quite a bit beyond. And Mountain Rose has very quality products, but if you have a Vitamin Cottage near you, you can get bulk teas much cheaper and in smaller quantities. Some Whole Foods stores also carry bulk teas.