Tea with a Purpose

There are many times that a friend will come up to me with a problem, physical or mental, and one of my first responses will be, "I have a tea for that." I am a firm believer in herbal medicine, but it definitely needs to be used correctly. It is much more effective as a preventative measure, helping to maintain your physical and mental wellbeing over time. If you want to keep your cardiovascular system in better shape, drink black tea. If you have a heart attack, go to a doctor. There's no replacement for proper medical care when actions need to be taken quickly.

As herbs affect each person differently, there is no foolproof way to maintain anything without trying it out first, but plants generally have similar effects for each person. Mint is a good muscle relaxant, and is often associated with calm or sleep in the brain. Liquorice root can be used to help sooth an upset stomach or digestive system (though I personally hate the taste of it). Raspberry leaves help maintain healthy skin, and have also been shown to help new mothers' skin recover after giving birth.

The list of what herbal teas can do for you goes on and on. There are so many plants in the world, we don't fully understand what they all do and are constantly discovering new uses for them. Beyond physical effects, we create associations in our brain between smells or tastes and emotion.  Scent is actually one of the strongest senses when it comes to creating memories. Jasmine tea (specifically Jasmine Silvery Pearl, a Chinese green tea) is my go to for relaxing after a hard day. No matter how much shit has gone down, after the second infusion, I feel myself just breath and let go of the stress. When I need to wake up, Chocolate Mint Keemun tea never fails. It also has the added benefit of not getting bitter if I get busy and forget about it. Each tea develops its own specific sets of circumstances you drink them under, over time. I even have specific teapots and cups for certain teas (Matcha looks so cool in a clear glass mug).

Find your teas' purpose. You never know when the right cup of something at the right time can turn a day for the better.

Toodles!