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It’s no secret that I love tea. I drink an average of 4-6 cups a day and wish I had a constant source of hot water throughout the day. If I’m battling something health wise the first thing I do is turn to tea (and bone broth but that’s another post for another day).
Tea is free of calories, fat, sodium, carbonation or sugar, which is perfect for the Paleo lifestyle. It also helps maintain your bodies fluid balance and will keep you from feeling bloated. Tea also contains flavonoids, a naturally occurring compound that has antioxidant properties. Flavonoids provide bioactive compounds that help to neutralize free radicals which are known to damage elements in the body. Tea has been used for thousands of years in every culture to treat and prevent a number of ailments. Take a look at these studies:
One study found that women who consumed 2.5 cups of tea per day had a 60% reduction in rectal cancer risk, compared with women who drank less than 1.2 cups of tea daily. {1}
An additional study found tea drinkers to have an approximate 42% reduced risk of colon cancer compared to non-tea drinkers. {2}
One study showed that participants who drank iced black tea and citrus peel had a 42% reduced risk of skin cancer. {3}
A Harvard study found that those who drank a cup or more of black tea per day had a 44% reduced risk of heart attack. In a large population based study, adults who drank just over two cups of green tea per day reduced their risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 22-23%. {4}
There’s TONS of more studies out there but you get the gist…tea is good for you. I’ve compiled a list of my favorite teas for some common health concerns. Minus the pregnancy and I can vouch for every one of these. Take my word for the pregnancy one though, my pregnant friends swear by it!
By far ginger
Ginger helps to aid in the secretion of digestive juices and enzymes which will neutralize stomach acid. It also contains phenols that relax stomach muscles and act as a sedative for irritated stomach tissue. Some studies suggest that ginger tea is even more effective than Dramamine!
Chamomile, chamomile, chamomile! My favorite of ALL herbal teas. I can’t go to sleep without a cup or two and this keeps me sleeping soundly all night. Especially when used with a few choice essential oils!
I absolutely adore this herbal blend from the tea guys. It contains all sorts of goodness including vanilla bean! Alex and I first had it at Wake Foot Sanctuary in Asheville and fell in love with it! It’s a staple in our house now!
Alex used to suffer from terrible heartburn before we started eating an all organic and unprocessed diet and this 5th Chakra tea from Mountain Rose Herbs always did the trick for him! It contains licorice which has been proven to increase the mucus coating of the esophageal lining which in turn calms the symptoms of GERD. It also contains Marshmallow which the Mayo Clinic has linked to heartburn relief.
A tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar will also usually tame heartburn. You might be thinking “why would I put MORE acid into my stomach if I’m having heartburn, isn’t heartburn caused by too much acid?” Sometimes but not usually. Usually heartburn is caused by the lack of stomach acid and ACV will naturally return the stomach to its natural state. Since ACV mimics the acidic environment of the stomach, it helps food break down and might just take your heartburn away.
I’ve dealt with anxiety, ocd and panic attacks my entire life. Seriously since first grade. It’s something that I’ve had to deal with and grow used to throughout the years. But I’m beginning to realize that lifestyle and diet may just have a huge effect on these conditions.
In the past few years I’ve changed my processed diet of sodas, sweets, high carb/low fat to an organic whole foods diet. In the fast few months however I’ve changed it again to the Paleo lifestyle (no grains, sugar and dairy). I’ve noticed a huge difference in my anxiety levels and the frequency of my panic attacks. I notice when I eat something sugary whether it’s a glass of wine with dinner, a piece of dark chocolate or even too much fruit that my heart rate skyrockets causing me palpitations which turns into a panic attack. It’s funny how you start to notice things like that once that’s not your constant way of living anymore.
Where I used to have to turn to prescription medication when I felt a panic attack coming on now I turn to Tazo Calm, meditation and essential oils. Tazo Calm is an herbal blend of chamomile (seriously is there anything that chamomile isn’t good for?), hibiscus, spearmint, rose petals, lemongrass, blackberry leaves, tumeric, peppermint leaves, sarsaprilla root, lemon balm and licorice. It’s amazing at calming my nerves, lowering my heart rate and heading off a panic attack. I also drink tons of it if I’m having a particularly anxious day.
Cold and flu season is upon us. The switch from warm fall to cold winter is a sure fire guarantee that I’m going to catch a cold. Unfortunately the common cold and the flu are both viral infections, not bacterial. Viral infections can not be treated by antibiotics whereas bacterial can. When you are prescribed antibiotics for a cold or the flu you are increasing your chance of developing antibiotic resistance. Antibiotics are over prescribed in these cases.
Luckily there are tons of ways to jump start healing. My favorite teas to use when I am sick are the ones in this Traditional Medicinals Seasonal Herb Sampler . It contains Throat Coat, Echinacea Plus, Breathe Easy and Gypsy Cold Care. These teas will cover all your cold symptoms without having to buy a ton of different brands. Do yourself a favor and use homeopathic remedies for these ailments and you’ll be back up and healthy in no time.
Let’s face it, everyone has digestive trouble now and again. Whether it’s from over induldging or an illness you may need some help clearing it up.
Chamomile tea is great for treating intestinal inflammation because it contains antispasmodic properties. If you’re going to the bathroom a little too much steep a pot of tea with one chamomile tea bag and one peppermint. The peppermint will help with cramping and any nausea you may have as well.
On the other end of the spectrum constipation can be helped by drinking Dandelion tea. Dandelion is famous for its ability to cleanse your system. It’s used as one of the main ingredients in colon cleanses. It doesn’t taste great but it will get the job done.
Mountain Rose Herbs has a blend called Fecundi that is made for pregnancy. There website says: “Fecundi-Tea (fecundity) refers to the ability to reproduce. We think it’s serendipitous that it just happens to have nine ingredients! Refreshing and soothing anytime; the mint and ginger make it useful for those queasy moments.” Fecundi contains spearmint, lemon balm, nettle leaf, dandelion leaf, raspberry leaf, oatstraw, alfalfa, ginger and lemon peel. I can’t personally vouch for this one but I know of a few people that adored this while pregnant.
No there’s not some magic tea that will have you shedding pounds effortlessly but there is Bilberry tea which balances blood sugar levels. Sugar cravings usually stem from your blood sugar not being balanced.
When you eat something sugary it spikes, a few hours later it plumets and that’s when you start craving sweets all over again. Your body wants that rush of sugar to use for energy, especially when you aren’t eating a diet rich in whole foods and fat. Keeping levels neutral throuought the day is key. Bilberry also helps with digestion which will make you feel less bloated. If you’re trying to step away from the cookie jar this tea might just be your answer.
Everyone needs help with memory sometimes. In todays fast paced world you’re likely to forget a few things. This Get Smart tea from The Republic of Tea is “based on healthful organic rooibos with cranberry and orange peel, it’s a brilliant blend of rosemary with ginkgo, eleuthero and gotu kola, ayurvedic herbs said to help improve memory.” It’s bursting with antioxidants and is absolutely delicious. You’ll have no problem remembring things from now on!
Oh that time of the month…You know the one right? The one where you’re emotional, cranky (or raging mean, not me though), and crampy. Yea, we all need a little help around that time. Moon Ease Tea from Mountain Rose Herbs is a godsend. It contains spearmint leaf, cramp bark, vitex berries, skullcap, marshmallow root, passionflower herb and ginger root.
I love cramp bark. It’s known to help menstrual cramps, spasms and back pain. I always have back pain around that time of the month and I totally notice a difference when using cramp bark. Bonus, ginger improves the action of the cramp bark and this tea already has it added. Vitex berries also balances hormones and helps with PMS symptoms. Seriously there isn’t a thing Mountain Rose left out of this tea! You won’t be able to live without it from now on.
I hope you’ll try these teas the next time you find yourself suffering from one of these conditions.
“You can’t buy happiness but you can buy tea and that’s kind of the same thing.”
Disclaimer: The information presented by Wicked Spatula is not intened to be a replacement for professional medical diagnosis or treatment for a serious medical condition. It consits solely of advice for holistic home remedies.
{1}Dora I, Arab L, Martinchik A, Sdvizhkov A, Urbanovich L, Weisgerber U. Black tea consumption and risk of rectal cancer in Moscow population. Ann Epidemiol. 2003 Jul; 13(6): 405-11.
{2}Su LJ, Arab L. Tea consumption and the reduced risk of colon cancer — results from a national prospective cohort study. Public Health Nutr. 2002 Jun; 5(3): 419-25.
{3}Hakim IA, Harris RB. Joint effects of citrus peel use and black tea intake on the risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. BMC Dermatol. 2001; 1(1): 3. Epub 2001 Aug 01.
{4}Sesso HD, Gaziano JM, Buring JE, Hennekens CH. Coffee and tea intake and the risk of myocardial infarction. Am J Epidemiol 1999;149:162-7.
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