I celebrate Oats (Avena sativa) as an enduring and steadfast herbal ally from the grass family, Poaceae (Gramineae). How many of us can go back in time to our very first herbal decoction, oatmeal? This plant may have even been our very first bite of solid food!
As a young parent in the early ‘80s this was certainly the plant (grain) I relied on for myself and for my baby daughter. Before that, my recollection of Avena was as a teenage student whose family of six was on a tight budget. Oatmeal was the regular breakfast that sent me on my way to school; as my parents said: “it will stick to your ribs”. True words.
Research has shown that oats represent a sound unbroken link to our herbal lineage. A solid one-third of my herbal library refers to oats as a trophorestorative; soothing, nourishing and nervine. An internet search for “oats” will turn up thousands of results, including thorough monographs and articles expounding on the many (almost unending) virtues of this plant. There is no need for me to add to that chorus, but I am hoping to inspire you to further research from these countless resources. I have included several links below.
The message is steady and consistent, much like Avena herself: Take peace, take comfort, take strength.
Here are some of the ways I roll with oats, Avena sativa. I turn to Avena again and again as a nutritive tonic, mostly as a tea or herbal infusion. I was introduced to the concept of a strong infusion by Juliette de Bairacli Levy, whose writings I gobbled up after seeing Tish Streeton’s film, ‘Juliette of the Herbs’ in 1998. In Juliette’s book, The Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat, Juliette mentions oats as a vital canine food and good source of iron and minerals for stamina. She gives a recipe for “Milk of Oats”, especially good for convalescence, which consists of pouring a quart of boiling water over a large handful of oat flakes. This infusion when steeped overnight, strained and reheated until just tepid, is a favored remedy.
The next time I heard of such a strong nourishing infusion was from Susun Weed in her book, Healing Wise, which conveyed the benefits of infusing 1 ounce of dried oatstraw (the stem/leaf material) in a quart of water, steeped for 4 hours. I drink a quart of oatstraw infusion weekly as a gift to my nervous system and to nourish my bones, nails, hair and connective tissues. Despite my love for the herbal infusion, I declare that oatstraw is one of my favorite herbal tea foundations. It lends a deeply nourishing base and is mild enough to blend very well with other herbs such as chamomile, catnip, rose, linden, nettle, tulsi, the list is endless and open to imagination.
Herbalist Margi Flint, who lives one town over from me, introduced me to the concept of tincturing the milky tops of oats as a remedy for frayed nerves, especially for folks withdrawing from drugs, alcohol or tobacco. I have seen many references for this particular use as well as using milky oats in formulation with other tinctures. I am interested in trying a milky oats tincture blended with peach twigs and vervain this year. The long and short of it is: oats fortify. Oats are the quiet builders of nerves, stamina, stability, flexibility, strength, and overall health.
Daily Herbal Remedies with Avena Sativa Work
Oats Build Beautiful Synergistic Formulae.
It is especially important to take optimal nourishment in these troubling times of the Covid pandemic. I hope this writing encourages you to reach for the oats. When you use oats regularly over a period of time, stress will be more easily endured and less likely to interfere with sleep and everyday life. As you can see, there are so many ways to incorporate oats into life, on a weekly if not daily basis. And, oats are fairly inexpensive. Rolled oats (processed) and Steel cut oats are relatively affordable and easy to get. Dried cut oatstraw can be purchased from your local herb farm or one of many fine suppliers generally inexpensively, too. Oats are still one of the most affordable herbal remedies you can find.
Oats are also builders of healthy soil, especially when used as a cover crop. Growing oats is a cinch and they add an easy, breezy feel to any landscape. I cultivate oats each year as part of my own herb garden. Read all about .
For now, let Avena ease anxiety and soothe frazzled nerves:
- Make a nourishing herbal infusion with dried oatstraw. Place 1 ounce of the herb in a quart jar, pour boiling water over to cover, put the lid on and steep for 4 hours. Strain the infusion and store in the refrigerator. Drink throughout the day.
- The very young, the elderly, and all in between may partake of oatmeal for sustenance and fortification. Many recipes can be found in herbal magazines, books and websites for fun, healthy, and interesting additions to this common fare.
- Try the tincture of milky oats to sustain calm and clarity.
- Make or purchase a tea with oatstraw as part of a nervine blend.
- Make Heart Ease Tea Blend – for courage & resilience
- Make In the Moment Tea Blend – for being present, calm and focused
- Make Oat Chai Tea from Herbalist Maria Noel Groves’ recipe @Mother Earth Living
- Add oat milk, oatstraw infusion, or colloidal (finely ground) oats to your bath or shower. Soak a handful of rolled oats in water a few hours prior to bathing and then strain to add the “oat milk” to your bath water or washcloth. Similarly, do as above with an infusion of 1 oz oatstraw which has steeped in 1 quart of boiling water for 4 hours prior to bathing. Or, even easier- put a handful of rolled oats in a sock or drawstring bag, tied tight, and run the bath or shower water through it. This can then be used as a demulcent herbal washcloth.
- Make a soothing herbal scrub. Grind rolled oats in a blender or food processor to make an all over body scrub by combining with a small amount of oil and or honey to exfoliate and cleanse with instead of soap. Add ground lavender or rose petals for extra loveliness.
Easy Granola Recipe
Here’s one of my favorite ways to enjoy oats. This is a delicious, nutritious granola recipe handed down in my family. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 6 oz (30 ml) coconut oil
- 6 oz (30 ml) honey
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 18 oz (450 g) rolled oats
- 16 oz (450 g) unsweetened coconut flakes
- 16 oz (450 g) raw sliced almonds
- 8 oz (230 g) raw sunflower seed kernels
- 8 oz (230 g) raisins
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Oven
- Stove or other heat source
- Spoons for mixing
- Saucepan, small
- Baking pans
How-to
- Set the oven to bake at 325 F (162 C).
- Combine the oil and the honey in a saucepan.
- Mix them over medium heat just to liquify.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the vanilla extract. Blend them well and set aside.
- In a very large bowl, combine the oats, coconut, nuts, and seeds.
- Pour the honey-oil mixture from the saucepan over all the oat mixture.
- Mix to incorporate and coat thoroughly.
- Line the baking pans with parchment paper and pour the mixture into the pans in thin layers for even baking.
- Place the baking pans in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring often, until the granola is uniformly golden.
- Remove the pans from the oven. Toss in the raisins and let the granola cool.
Store your granola in jars and be sure to pre-pack some for easy on-the-go nourishment.
