Nothing wrong with a good cup of black tea on a gloomy Monday afternoon, but there is more to tea than just to default to what we are used to. There are various blends and types of herbal teas to support your health and well-being.

I talk about the healing power of herbal teas. I love tea and before I start off talking about various teas and blends, I want to mention something about the water that goes with the tea too. Living in China for years has thought me a few things about drinking hot, and drinking cold. I hope you realize that we are going beyond Yin & Yang here (traditions), although going down on the same road. The Chinese traditionally avoid drinking cold, and years ago when I arrived to Shanghai there wasn’t a restaurant selling ice cold bottled water, and the beer drinkers had to settle with bottles kept at room temperature too.

Things has changed and today you can find cold beverages everywhere, but at the same time the tradition remained: people regularly drink hot water with nothing in it. Don’t really remember how it happened but years ago I started to drink it too…perhaps due to all the business meetings where someone politely placed a cup of hot water in front of me, and out of curtesy I sipped on it until it lasted. All in all, today I drink hot or warm water daily. Not because I must do that for health reasons,  but simply because I enjoy it.

Hot and warm water is actually very good for you. First of all, oppose to ice cold water, hot water isn’t a  shock to your system. It also aids your digestion, improves your blood circulation, and helps to detox your body while flushes out toxins. All in all drinking hot beverages is a good start. When adding some tea leaves to the water, the true magic happens!

Herbal tea to heal your body and your soul

Herbals teas have various, positive health benefits from aiding digestion, to helping you to sleep better, or stay alert and focused longer. Of course as with everything, herbal tea should be consumed with moderation. Not only too much caffeine can leave you buzzing, sleepless and unsettled, but also too much chamomile can dry your stomach lining too.

Herbal tea as natural remedy:

Strong antioxidant: Black tea

• Apart from protecting your cells from free radical damage, black tea may reduce the risk of stroke, and helps to prevent the onset of dementia
• Contains polyphenols to fight inflammation, and DNA damage
• The caffeine content helps you to stay energized and alert without the crash of the caffeine from coffee
• Contains antioxidants that may help to prevent various types of cancer

Weight-loss and fat burning: Green tea

• Helps to burn fat and stimulate weight loss
• Boosts metabolic rate
• Its mellow caffeine content helps to stay alert and focused in a gentle way
• Strong antioxidant
• Suports digestion

Healthy heart: Oolong tea

• Its antioxidants content helps to retain youth and good health
• Its polyphenols content helps to remove free radicals
• Significantly lowers the risk of developing ovarian cancer

To aid digestion: Peppermint leaves

• Reduces bloating, stomach cramps and gas
• The menthol in the tea has muscle relaxing properties
• Helps to reduce stress and anxiety

Relaxation: Chamomile tea

• Supports relaxing properties by increasing the glycerine in our body
• Helps digestion and strengthens our immune system

Strengthen the immune system: Roiboos tea

• Packed with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties
• Improves heart health and
• Helps in diabetes prevention
• Supports cancer prevention
• Aids digestion
• Supports strong bones
• Helps weight loss

How to flavor your herbal tea?

• Ginger
• Lemon
• Honey
• Maple syrup
• Fruit slices
• Lemongrass
• Chili pepper (just a touch to give some heat to the tea. Wonderfully energizing and warming on a cold, winter afternoon)

At the end of this blog post I am adding one of my favorite combinations too: ginger, lemon, honey, with chamomile tea. Its one of the best herbal remedies for fighting common cold, also helps to heal respiratory infections and wonderfully relaxing at the end of a long day at work.