Why is Tea So Good for You?
Who doesn’t love a warm cup of tea!? With its soul-warming, immune boosting health benefits, tea can be used day or night to help you feel more focused, energized and equipped to handle whatever the day may have in store for you and your hectic schedule.
Whether you are looking to unwind before bed, or get through your afternoon meeting, the following teas can be drank not only for enjoyment, but practical and beneficial uses for your mind and body!
Gotu Kola Leaf: Popular in Ayurvedic medicine, this tea is used to keep the mind and senses alert during work week grind. This tropical plant is a member of the parsley family and is often referred to as a brain tonic. This tea can be used to help combat mental fatigue, anxiety and even depression, while energizing the central nervous system and increasing libido.
Herbal Teas: Herbal teas are a group of their own with many wonderful health benefits. Herbal teas are actually an infusion of leaves, seeds, roots and or bark that have been extracted to form a tea blend. Herbal based teas are great for helping the body release built up waste materials, relieve congestion and provide protection against viral infections. Some of the more popular herbal teas include peppermint, chrysanthemum flower, honeysuckle flower, and holy basil leaf.
Peppermint Tea: Great tasting and great for you, this tea has numerous health benefits. This tea can be used to help relieve stomach problems, assist with nausea, IBS, diarrhea and constipation. This tea also helps aid digestion and promote bile flow. Peppermint is known for its anti-spasmodic and analgesic properties, meaning it can relax the stomach and intestinal muscles, thus relaxing you because your stomach is your second brain. This tea is also full of calcium, vitamin B and potassium, all helpers in boosting immune function.
Chrysanthemum Flower: Popular in Chinese and Japanese traditional medicine, this flower offers more then the ability to be used as a pretty decorative accent. Chrysanthemums are rich in flavonoids, as well as many vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, A, niacin, folic acid, magnesium, iron, potassium and phosphorus. This tea can help detoxify blood, regulate blood pressure and calm the nerves. This flower has many anti-bacterial properties and is most often used to fight off streptococcal and staphylococcal infections. This tea can also be used to treat fevers and inflammation due to its cooling effect on the body.
Honeysuckle Flower: This flower has many anti-inflammatory and pain reliving properties, which makes it a great choice for dealing with headaches. Mix this tea with some raw honey and you can naturally fight through cold and flu season. This flower can help relieve your suffering from high fevers, sore throats and nagging coughs. This flower is traditionally used to make syrup that has been used to help with bad coughs and even asthma.
Holy Basil: This amazing cure all adaptogen herb and tea can be used for everything from anti-stress to increased immunity to balancing hormones. Extremely popular in Ayurveda, holy basil (also know as Tulsi) does an amazing job at killing microbes and stimulating the immune system. Tulsi can reduce mucus in the lungs and nasal passages, as well as help soothe sore throats, coughs, fever and common cold symptoms. Tulis has many anti-stress benefits, which can help balance hormones and normalize adrenal gland functioning. This is a tea you can and should sip on everyday.
Lavender Tea: I’m sure you have used lavender at some point in your life, during a bubble bath maybe or even lighting lavender candles for yourself after a long day, but you probably know by now that lavender is widely recognized for its relaxation properties. Lavender has been shown to ease frazzled nerves and promote relaxation. If you find yourself tossing and turning all night, feel free to sip some lavender tea as it is known to act as a natural sleep aid. Lavender tea can help slow down the nervous system, helping you relax and de-stress.