Tea for Health

Whenever I’m feeling “off” (fatigue, headache, anxiety, tension, constipation, etc.), the first thing I do is drink a large glass of water. Then I drink another one. Generally, the source of all my woes is dehydration. I also tend to reach for one of my trusty herbal teas.

In the natural health world, teas are no-big-thang. They’ve been around forever, you can make them yourself with dried herbs, whatevs. However, after introducing a coworker to some of my favorite teas, I realized that too-few people understand the healing powers of plants + water.

My favorite brand, hands down, is Yogi. I’m sure tea purists will scoff at that, and I know that a “better” tea could be made by buying my own herbs and steeping them in a special device, but that doesn’t work for me. The good ol’ pre-filled teabag with hang tag works for me. Bonus: Yogi includes a little thought on each teabag’s tag, like, “You are infinite,” for example. (These are especially helpful when you’re feeling rather overwhelmed and decidedly “non-infinite.”)  🙂

There are teas that I always keep on hand:

– Ginger tea (for digestion and also because I like ginger)
–Peppermint (again, for digestion and it’s refreshing!)
–Fenugreek (for digestion—sensing a pattern here? and, most importantly, for milk production)
-Something spicy, like a  YOGI TEAS Egyptian Licorice Mint Tea or  Yogi Tea – Classic India Spice Tea

I’ve found the most health success from one-herb teas. The other blends like Licorice Mint are for my pleasure drinking only.

Other teas to I’ll have depending on the season:

-Something light like Lemon or another fruit tea
-Green tea for caffeine and/or antioxidants
–Breathe Easy and/or Throat Coat (Traditional Medicinals)
–Smooth Move (self-explanatory–from Traditional Medicinals)
-Iron Increase (From my girl Cindy at Euphoric Birth Services)

Many herbal teas will have a warning about consulting your doctor and not using them while pregnant or nursing. I have a few teas with this warning, but upon further investigation, find that the herbs are perfectly safe for a nursing mama. I caution anyone to do a little research before downing any large amount of herbs because THE STUFF WORKS. However, let’s just say that many people don’t think twice about taking pain relievers (or giving them to children) and some of those had to be taken off of drugstore shelves due to dangerous ingredients. Mother Nature never intended to hurt’cha.

I find it easy to routinely drink my teas because we have a water cooler with a hot water tap. (Not so eco-friendly, I know.) I can instantly have a hot cup of tea and the knowledge that I’m doing my body some good. And, uh, rehydrating, remember?

So many people find benefits with drinking green tea, but I can’t handle even the slightest bit of caffeine. What are some of your favorites?

Disclosure: some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, I might get a small portion of your purchase–at no cost to you, of course. I like to think of it as a win-win situation. I’m grateful if you click my affiliate links, but that is completely up to you. 🙂