DIY Brain Boosting Tonic

Battling brain fog and issues with focus and cognitive function? This DIY Brain Boosting Tonic uses rosemary to help win the fight. We will be using a method of making a strong rosemary tonic and using it in several combinations and teas to use as a brain-boosting drink. This tonic helps to restore and regenerate focus and relieve problems with brain fog.

Brain fog. Is it cyclic? For me, it seems to descend for a few days every few weeks. I’m not exactly sure if it is diet-related, the weather, the moon, or even hormones. I do a lot of things recommended for brain health. I have a good sleep routine, get regular exercise, drink lots of water, but every now and then, I need an extra boost.

Luckily, there is rosemary to the rescue. Rosemary has shown benefits that support brain health and that it helps prevent the death of brain cells. Rosemary tea and the use of rosemary essential oils are reputed to show positive results for people suffering from ADHD and Alzheimer’s disease. It is known to help improve focus and stimulate cognitive alertness and intelligence.

About Rosemary

Rosemary is an evergreen shrub that is hardy in climate zones 6 to 10. In colder climates, it can be grown in pots and brought indoors in winter. It has needle-like leaves that smell incredible. The shrub grows 2 to 6 feet (60 to 180 cm) tall, preferring well-draining soil in full sun that is slightly acidic. A rewarding plant to grow, originating from the sunny slopes of the Mediterranean.

Harvest rosemary simply by snipping off branch tips. This will stimulate bushier growth as well, so it is a win/win. Rosemary can be used fresh or dried. It can be used as a culinary herb, or to make tea. Rosemary is a popular and incredibly useful essential oil. You can make your own rosemary extract by soaking fresh or dried rosemary needles in a carrier oil.

We are making strong rosemary water and using that water to make our brain-boosting tonic.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons dried or ¼ cup fresh rosemary leaves
• 4 cups high-quality water – boiled
• 1-quart jar

Step 1:

Rinse 2 tablespoons dried or ¼ cup fresh rosemary leaves and remove any debris.

Step 2:

Place in a mason jar and fill with 1 quart of high-quality boiling water.

Step 3:

Put in a sunny window and allow to sit overnight.

Step 4:

The next day, you will have what my husband calls, “Fog be gone tea”. It smells delicious, woodsy, earthy, and clean, just like him.

Step 5:

Using a sieve, strain off about 1 cup of the brain-boosting golden liquid.

Step 6:

Add to a pot for reheating. You could use a kettle or even a microwave. As much as I like rosemary and its associated aroma, I don’t want it to linger in the kettle so a pot on the stove works for me.

Step 7:

Bring rosemary water to a boil.

Step 8:

Simply add a tea bag or herbs of your choice to the boiling rosemary water. This is for flavoring but also to include other great aromas and brain-boosting herbs into the mix. Here, I have used a prepackaged lemon-ginger tea. Both lemon and ginger are well known for their many benefits which include boosting brain health. Other great options are:

• Peppermint, which is stimulating.
• Lemon balm is calming.
• Green tea, in addition to containing cognition-enhancing caffeine, also contains amino acids excellent at boosting brain function.

Step 9:

Enjoyment is important so, again, mostly for flavoring, I add a little honey to the mixture. Honey is not solely just for fun, though. Raw, unfiltered honey contains antioxidants and polyphenols which are known to be neuroprotective. There are benefits in adding this simple guilty pleasure. Allow your beverage to cool to less than 104° F (40° C) before adding honey to keep the maximum number of benefits. Hot temperatures kill many of the fantastic enzymes honey has to offer.

Step 10:

Transfer to your favorite warm bevy vessel. Even the choice of this mug is on purpose. The wide surface area allows for rosemary-flavored steam to rise up for full enjoyment of all the senses. There have been positive results in cognitive function tests on students who simply inhaled rosemary aromas prior to testing. Inhale deeply while drinking this brain-boosting tonic.

Usage

Rosemary water can be used up to three times a day. Start with small amounts to observe the effects. You could go even simpler, just by putting a sprig of rosemary in your water bottle to enjoy its many benefits.

I make this a couple of times a month when my brain is a little bit overworked or my concentration seems to be lacking. Of course, we all need time when we are not in extreme focus. This tonic might be a great thing to use in partnership with a bit of meditation or to hydrate before some blood-pumping exercise. Once we have given our brain a good rest, the brain-boosting powers of this tonic might be the amazing cognition combination we have been looking for.

Warnings

As will any new herbal therapy, please take care to ensure no adverse effects such as allergic reactions. Rosemary may be contraindicated with some medications. Please consult your healthcare professional if you are starting new herbal therapies or if you are taking prescription medications that may be affected by rosemary.

Protecting our health and the health of our brain is important. When we are feeling the effects of brain fog, or have situations that impede our cognitive function, it is wonderful to have a natural approach to give us a great brain boost.

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