What could be a more delightful way to "take your medicine" than curling up with a cup of healing tea? There are many herbal tea remedies on the market these days, but for maximum benefit you'll want to try your hand at fashioning your own teas and tea blends.

If you're blending for specific health reasons, of course the herbs you select will address your specific needs, and you'll want to choose ingredients that work together to enhance the overall effect of the tea. Always choose top-quality herbs for your remedies—organically grown whenever possible. Learn the primary effects of different herbs, and sample a few to find a good fit. Discover which herbs relax you and which invigorate. Try a blend to give yourself a spring tonic, or to help build your immune system. Or study nature's solution to a specific health problem and develop a tea to treat your acute or chronic condition.

There are hundreds of herbs suitable for teas. Always consult a reliable herbal reference about the safety of consuming any herb before you include it in your remedy. (Note that even some normally safe herbs are unsafe for consumption during pregnancy.)

For most acute health problems, medicinal teas should be brewed properly and drunk throughout the day, in small amounts. For chronic health problems, it's often best to drink several cups a day for several months. Ratios and steeping times depend on the plant and the strength desired. It's not a complicated procedure, and worth the bit of extra effort to get it right. Here's how:
 

• Start with fresh water—bottled if necessary. Boil until it's fiercely bubbling. Rinse your cup or teapot with the boiling water.
   

• With a clean, dry spoon, remove the tea or tea blend from its container. Using about one teaspoon of tea per cup, plus one for the pot, add the herbs to the tea strainer or place them directly in the pot.
   

• Pour the boiling water directly over the herbs.

• Cover and steep for three to five minutes for light, mild results. The longer the steeping time, the stronger the flavor, but be careful—over-steeping can ruin the subtleties of some good blends.
   

• Strain and serve, with or without sweetener.
   

For certain healing tasks, special brews called infusions and decoctions are sometimes most beneficial. Don't let the names scare you away—preparing an infusion or decoction is not much different than brewing a cup of tea. To make an infusion (also known as a tisane), simply steep (but don't boil) one ounce of dried herb (usually the flowers, stems, and/or leaves) in 1 pint of boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes, to extract its benefits, then drain. For a decoction, boil 1 ounce of herb (usually tougher parts like roots, woods, bark, dried berries or seeds) in 1 pint of boiling water, then simmer, covered, for about 10 to 20 minutes