Buy and Drink Herbal Teas to improve your Health

Many herbs make deliciously flavoured teas, which are relaxing, refreshing or invigorating. A great thing about teas is that you can take them hot in winter or cool in summer. If taken on regular basis, herbal teas make a valuable addition to your diet and are a very healthy alternative to caffeinated and carbonated drinks.

While many herbs are taken for their therapeutic effects by most people, I enjoy drinking herbal teas because they are pleasant to drink. There is an endless variety of herbal teas as you can buy them ready made or you can create your own herbal teas mixing fresh or dried herbs.

Some of my favourite teas which I would recommend are:

1. Peppermint tea.
2. Camomile tea.
3. Ginger tea.
4. Rosehip
5. Ayurvedic tea.
6. Green tea

If you want to buy dried herbs to make your tea, make sure you store them properly in dry airtight containers preferably made of dark glass or pottery because dried herbs deteriorate in bright light.

To make an average strength cup of tea use one teaspoon of your chosen dried herb per tea cup. Add boiling water and cover the cup and leave to stand for 5 minutes before straining and drinking. If you prefer to use fresh herbs, you follow the same procedure but you use 3 tea spoons of your chosen fresh herb and crush the leaves before adding the boiling water.

This is very soothing for the digestive system. I also drink it as a good morning “pick me up” tea. If you want to drink it at night time you can cave peppermint milk instead of tea. Peppermint milk is made by pouring ½ a pint of boiling milk over 1 tablespoon of crushed peppermint leaves.

This is a very delicate flavour tea made from camomile flowers. The quality of your tea depends on the quality of your camomile and the time you steep your tea. If not made properly, camomile tea can be bitter. To make a good cup of camomile tea, do not allow your flowers to steep for more than 3 to 5 minutes. A cup of camomile tea before bedtime should guarantee you a good night sleep.

Ginger tea serves to calm the digestive system, expels gas and sooths nausea. Ginger tea is also a good option for a winter tea as it is very warming. I like to mix it with lemon juice or lemon peelings for a tangy twist. To make a cup of ginger tea, chop up some pieces of fresh root ginger and steep for about 10 minutes in hot water.

Dried ginger root is also used to cure a whole range of ailments like coughs, colds, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, inflammations of the joints, flatulence, motion sickness, colic, cholera, asthma, headaches, and even anorexia.

Rose hips have a tangy, fruity flavour similar to that of cranberries. Rosehip tea is made from very finely crushed dried rosehips. It contains vitamin C, D and E, essential fatty acids and antioxidants. During World War II, the British used to gather wild-grown rose hips and make a Vitamin C syrup for children. You can use Rosehip tea to sooth cold and flu symptoms. Rose hip has also been shown to be useful for its anti inflammatory properties for the treatment of patients suffering from knee or hip osteoarthritis. The rose hips of Dog Rose are a traditional diuretic and laxative and it is also useful in the treatment of urinary tract disorders.

Ayurvedic tea is a component of Ayurvedia, a holistic healthcare practice developed in India more than 4,500 years ago to help people achieve optimal health and balance in life.

Ayurvedic teas, are aromatic, spicy and delicious to drink. They are specially made from herbs, fruits and spices which help to balance and improve digestion and metabolism.

There are different types of ayurvedic teas, the most common ones are the ones to aid sleep, the detox, the slimming ones and the energizing ones. They are widely available at health shops and online.

Green tea is known for its antioxidant and weight loss properties. Green tea comes from the same plant as ordinary tea, but its leaves are treated differently; instead of being fermented they are pan fried or steamed. Green tea has less caffeine than ordinary tea and it is believed to reduce the risk of certain cancers.