At the first sign of a cold (sore throat, stuffy nose, that nasty blah feeling) I reach for my Gypsy Cold Care tea bags by Traditional Medicinals. This tea is a blend of elder, yarrow, and peppermint and feels so good on a scratchy throat. I drink 1-2 cups when I start feeling icky and 1 cup every 3 hours if needed. Once I start drinking the tea, the cold symptoms disappear and I feel back to my old self the next day.
Prone to UTIs or other urinary tract issues? Support your system and keep the infections at bay with Traditional Medicinals’ Cran-Aid. It contains organic whole cranberry fruit and other herbs, like uva ursi, which have been shown to help clean out the urinary tract and keep things running smoothly. Like the cold care tea, I like to keep a pack of these on hand for when I start feeling any symptoms. It’s also a great daily tea if you don’t like taking cranberry supplements or drinking bitter cranberry juice..
Zhena’s Red Lavender is primo for stress and anxiety relief. When I was at work and felt a headache forming or my neck and shoulders starting to cramp, I’d steep a bag of this rooibos and lavender blend and feel more relaxed in no time. It even stopped many a headache from getting out of hand. Lavender is the perfect herb for reducing stress and clearing the mind, and rooibos not only aids in relaxation, but is an anti-inflammatory. Sipping and taking in the aroma of this tea is all the medicine you need.
Have you ever looked at the clock at 3:00 pm, waited a little while and looked again only to find that the hands just hit 3:01? It’s those days when the 2 hours to quitting time seems like an eternity. Mint to the rescue! Mountain Rose Herbs’ Mint Tea is a blend of Pacific Northwest organic peppermint and spearmint and instantly invigorates the senses. Brew a cup, stretch your legs, then indulge in the minty energy boost. It’ll be 5:00 before you know it.
There’s a reason little slivers of ginger come with your sushi. Not only does it help clear the palette, but it also helps aid in the digestion of the food. For centuries, herbalists have called upon ginger’s therapeutic nature and have used it in the Ayurvedic practices of balancing internal energy. My favorite is Yogi Ginger Tea, and I’ll drink a cup if my stomach is feeling a bit upset after a meal or anytime my belly is feeling grumpy.
It’s the end of a long and hectic day and all you want to do is sit in your favorite comfy chair with a soothing cup of tea. Calm your nerves and ease away the day’s tension with this chamomile tisane blend:
4 parts chamomile blossoms
3 parts rose hips
2 parts lemon balm
1 part borage flowers
Combine the herbs and place them in a tea infuser or reusable tea bag. Steep and relax!
Bath Therapy
Sylvia Plath said, “There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them.” Neither do I. Use this herbal bath blend whenever you need to cure just about anything:
2 parts chamomile
2 parts lavender
2 parts roses
1 part comfrey leaf
Mix the herbs and place a handful into a muslin bag. Fasten the bag onto the nozzle of the tub and let the water pour through. Instant herbal infusion!
*Custom tea blend and bath blend from Rosemary Gladstar’s Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health