How do I love tea? Let me count the ways… I won’t go to the bother of counting all the different varieties I own but it’s safe to say I have between 55 and 65 different flavours and types. Each tea has its own unique purpose, whether nutritional or medicinal or purely as a delight for the tastebuds. I often drink tea for sickness because the body is much more able to absorb nutrients from food or drink than from pills or capsules.
Without further adieu, a few of my favourite teas:
Ginger Tea. A spicy tea for nausea, morning sickness, and upset stomachs, ginger tea also fights infection in the body. It increases digestion and promotes healthy circulation within the body. It can also stimulate the body’s metabolism and appetite. I drink a delicious ginger-peach tea with the sweetness of the peach moderating the inherent zing of the ginger.
Peppermint Tea. Mint is great after a big, greasy dinner as it helps ease indigestion, gas and bloating. Also great for mild headaches, nausea and poor appetite. I have a Moroccan Mint-Green Tea that not only tastes delicious, but also packs digestive properties along with the high antixiodant quotient of green tea. Other digestive helpers are burdock, licorice, and anise.
Dandelion Tea. An all-around healing tea and packed with potassium, dandelion tea attacks problems in your kidneys, liver and pancreas. A super detox tea, dandelion tea helps regulate urine flow to wash out illnesses and reduce water retention. It has been documented to heal cirrhosis and hepatitis.
Cranberry Tea. The great healer for anyone who has ever felt the pain of a urinary tract infection (UTI), cranberries are astrigent and work to acidify urine. They are also high in Vitamin C and can help prevent the build-up of kidney stones.
Camomile Tea. A calming tea; use chamomile tea to de-stress and unwind after a long day. Great if you’re undergoing high stress and the result is poor digestion or achy pains in your joints and muscles. It is also used during detox because it contains natural sedatives. Valerian is also a great tea for anxiety, tension and insomnia, but it may produce vivid or intense dreams in some tea drinkers. Both David and I can attest to this!
Nettle Tea. Though it is a rich source of minerals, I really don’t care much for the ‘earthy’ flavour of this tea so I usually drink it alongside a bag of chamomile tea. Nettle tea cleanses and stimulates the circulatory system. It also contains quercetin, which is wonderful news for every one of us who has suffered from seasonal allergies or hives because it helps prevent the itchy antihistamine reaction produced by the body. It also increases the body’s ability to absorb iron.
GreenTea. The powerhouse antixiodant healer amoung teas, green tea’s anti-viral properties have been studied to boost the immune system, eliminate free radicals and protect against cancer, reduce the effects and severity of arthritis, regulate blood flow, temperatures and the intestinal tract, reduce anxiety and tension, block cholesterol, prevent heart attacks, arterial damage and diabetes, and attach themselves to heavy metals before dissolving them. It helps rid the body of the daily garbage it intakes. It has also been reported to assist some tea drinkers with reducing their appetite and weight loss.
Many people believe that tea is the single best beverage or food that you can consume to ward off serious illness. Tea also keeps you hydrated and most teas contain significantly less caffeine than coffee, with some containing only trace amounts and herbal teas containing none at all, allowing you to drink tea all the way through the day until right before bed. Tea without milk also contains no calories!
However, many herbal teas including but not limited to chamomile, anise, hibiscus, horehound, licorice root, rosemary, sage, nettle and yarrow are off-limits to pregnant women as they can induce a miscarriage or other potential problems for the mother and her developing baby.
Whether or not any or all of tea’s nutritional benefits are substantiated remains to be seen but drinking tea can provide numerous benefits in the context of a healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet and daily exercise.
*** Disclaimer: any and all nutrition, medical or health information is provided SOLELY on the basis of my own personal experience and is not intended to be used in lieu of or against the advice of your trained, medical provider. This information is not intended to dianose, treat, cure, or prevent any forms of illness.
