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Please note: I have been deluged with requests for cistus tea, and after sending packages all over the country for several months, I need to hold on to the balance of what I have for my clients and my household. I hope to get another bulk shipment, and if I do, I will let you know. In the meantime, I am sorry but I can not fulfill any more requests for tea. Thanks for understanding, Fran
One of the big hits at our retreat with Dr Klinghardt in the summer 0f 2010 was Cistus Tea, a pleasant tasting loose tea with a mild, berry-like flavor. In Germany, dogs who were given a daily dose got 1/100th the tick bites of dogs who weren’t. Since I live in one of the worst areas in the world for ticks and Lyme, and spend about an hour a day walking with my new little pal Lucy in the woods, I was very eager to test it out on us both. What I find is that the ticks don’t seem to like us any more, and yay for that!
While I still find some crawling*, I have not found any attached, embedded or engorged ticks. And that’s definitely unusual in my experience. After all, we tromp in the woods four times a day, and Lucy has her nose and paws in all sorts of leaves and brush where ticks love to hang out.
I drink about 2 cups a day and thoroughly enjoy it, sometimes with a little stevia or raw honey, sometimes I add Pomegranate or Acai or Vitamin C powder, sometimes just plain. It also works well as iced tea, so you can make a quantity and store in the fridge cold. For Lucy, who is ten pounds, I mash about a tablespoon of my tea into her food twice a day.
I am carrying this in the office in a small bag, as well as a large bag that lasts months ($25 and $50 respectively). Use 1 teaspoon of loose tea per cup, let it steep about 10 minutes, and strain. You can re-use the same tea several times.
*Update/Note: After using it consistently, I find that I no longer find ticks on either of us, and many of my clients have had the same experience.
Fran Sussman has been in holistic care since 1988 and in private practice since 1993. Apart from one-on-one consulting, Fran is sought after as a speaker, workshop leader and meditation teacher. She writes a column on Holistic Health for The Times Herald Record, and has been featured frequently in Natural Awakenings magazine. Read more »
[...] And don’t forget some iced Cistus Tea to repel [...]
Hi Kristin,
I have always said that what makes a difference to your health is not whether or not you are vegetarian, vegan, or omnivore, but eating appropriately for you as an individual, and the quality of the food you eat. Factory farmed meat, dairy, eggs, poultry and fish are nothing like what you get from local and appropriately raised animals; not nutritionally or otherwise. In fact, the fat from pasture raised beef or wild venison is healthier than that of farm raised fish.
Thanks! I love sharing the knowledge I’ve gained and sparing others the mistakes I’ve made along the way.
Michael Pollan is one of my heroes (we even have the same alma mater
As for paleo, I would just hate to give up my beans and legumes! Grains, on the other hand, I can do without. The ones you mentioned are fine, but I believe it’s generally better to get your starchy carbs from root vegetables, beans and legumes, most of the time.
Thanks so much for asking, and please let me know if you have other questions.
what is the species of cistus (cistus incanus?) used to make the tea to repel ticks. Thank you, Ed
It is Cistus Incanus.
Where can I purchase Cistus tea?
I offer it in my office, and I’m happy to send it to you for the cost of shipping. The large bag, which will last several months, is $50, or a smaller bag is $25. You can pay by credit card, or send a check first.
I would like to buy some cistus incanus tea, and am having difficulties finding it. I found lots in Europe, but they do not send to the states. Please give me a quote for the large size. Thank you.
Hi Andrea,
Thanks for asking. I have been deluged with requests from all over the country, which I have fulfilled as best I can, and have very little left myself at this point. I need to keep what I have for my clients and my own household. However, I will probably be getting a large shipment of excellent quality pure Cistus tea very soon. It will be more expensive, for sure, but it should be available. I will certainly post when it arrives, but I don’t want to count on it before it’s here.
[...] promised myself that my next post was going to be about something other than my own treatment, like cistus tea or alternative (read: non-western) treatments for tick-borne diseases. i’m no stranger to [...]