Organic Tea Time!

Tis the season to start sipping steaming cups of hot beverages while sharing good times with family and friends. At this time of year, we gather around with loved ones to discuss memories and plan holiday gatherings. Many of these gatherings involve a mug of cocoa, coffee, or even tea. For the upcoming holiday season, we encourage you to enjoy more tea, and experience a number of benefits that multiple teas can offer your body and mind. Many individuals still do not know the origins of tea drinking, or what it can do for their well-being. To ring in the holiday season, we give you the details on how to celebrate your traditions – with a healthful, hot drink.

For thousands of years, ancient cultures used teas as medicines to sooth sickened bodies and calm stressed minds. Many inferences about the origins of tea suggest that it originated in China by discoveries from the emperor of the country. From that point on, it was used for medicinal and religious purposes. By the 17th century, tea made its way to England during the reign of King Charles II. From there, tea became an afternoon activity for the aristocracy to enjoy daily – also known as tea parties. So, what are you waiting for? Grab a mug of hot tea, join the tea party, and discover why tea stood the test of time! What is the fun part for us? Well, we use lots of these plants as botanicals in our ingredients. So, check out the products we highlighted along the way.

 

Typical Types of Organic Teas

Three main types of teas make up most of the tea we consume – outside of herbal teas or tisanes. These teas include organic black tea, organic green tea, and organic white tea, with black tea undergoing the most fermentation, and white tea undergoing the least. Each of them have different sets of properties and benefits that they offer the human body as far as maintaining health.

Organic black tea offers a few benefits to the drinker that may save lives later down the road. Drinking it regularly can offer preventative measures for a couple of different maladies that often appear later in life. For instance, it decreases a person’s risk of suffering from a stroke. Plus, if you struggle with a cigarette addiction, then you should stock up on black tea as it offers your lungs protection from cigarette-related damage caused by smoking.

Organic green tea is a partially fermented tea containing a high amount of EGCGs – a form of potent antioxidant. EGCGs impede the growth and formation of a number of different cancers, including breast, lung, stomach, colorectal, pancreatic, and bladder. It also helps prevent plaque buildup in the arteries, and increases the body’s ability to burn fat. Another amazing benefit offered by the regular consumption of green tea is that it helps manage oxidative stress on the brain. This decreases a person’s potential to struggle with degenerative mental diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Like black tea, it also prevents future strokes. We use organic green tea in our Purify Mask for its anti-inflammatory properties that clarify the skin.

Finally, organic white tea, entirely unfermented, contains the most anticancer properties. It also has a high level of antimicrobial, antiviral, and antibacterial properties that make it an excellent drink when you feel under the weather. White tea helps your body battle off the invasion of foreign microbes that make you sick. If you struggle with diabetes, then white tea helps manage glucose levels and insulin production. As a bonus, the regular consumption of white tea aids in the maintenance of the skin, which gives it an anti-aging effect on the a consistent drinker’s appearance. Organic white tea is so reliable in anti-aging, that we use it in our White Tea and Cranberry products.

These three basic teas are commonly available at most food suppliers, with a whole range of various flavors to enjoy. With all the benefits to your body available in one, tasty drink, there should be no reason why you cannot enjoy a few cups of tea a day. But what if you want an extra boost outside of the antioxidants and cancer prevention? Maybe you want to experience the symphony of flavor involving other teas. That is where tisanes come in – and their benefits are just as bountiful as the ones mentioned above.

 

A Touch of Tisane

With the full range of tisanes (herbal teas) readily available at multiple grocery stores, you can easily select a tasteful tisane to compliment your mornings and afternoons – especially on the upcoming cold days. Organic tisanes line shelves, made with the simplistic ingredients of the dried stems and leaves of the herbs themselves, nestled into compact tea bags for your convenience. If you want to try your hand at herbal teas, then you can make a selection based on your tastebuds, as well as your needs.

Organic peppermint tea,  a favorite of mine, offers multiple attributes that can both comfort and stimulate the body. If you struggle with soreness at the end of a long day, then peppermint tea will improve circulation of blood to relieve muscle aches. Its natural menthol content also helps relieve tightness as the tea makes its way through the body. This can also help you sleep better, as your body becomes more physically relaxed. On the other hand, peppermint tea is also known to sharpen mental alertness, and makes dreams more vivid. It also helps manage digestive problems, as it soothes stomach muscles and increases the flow of bile to help digest fats easier. When struggling with a cold or sinus infection, peppermint can make your day easier by decongesting both the throat and sinuses, and breaking up harsh coughs. We made organic peppermint a starring ingredient in our Peppermint Hydrosol, and numerous other products available on our web catalogue.

Another age-old favorite, organic chamomile tea, has been used to cure ailments for centuries. Chamomile is useful in a number of different areas, even in my personal experience. If you have difficulty sleeping, managing stress, or handling soreness related to menstrual cramps, then chamomile may be the tea to suit you. Pregnant women may also use this tea to relieve morning sickness. Like peppermint, chamomile can help ease the process of digestion, and overall serves as an alternative if you have an adverse reaction to the menthol in peppermint. Chamomile is so gentle, we often recommend our Chamomile Hydrosol to individuals struggling with extra sensitivity.

Melissa leaf or lemon balm, another example of an organic tisane, has a gentle effect on the body, and can be supplemented with other tisanes – like chamomile or valerian – to generate a fuller effect on the body than just one tisane alone. When blended with these teas, melissa leaf can have a light sedative effect on the body, helping to control insomnia. Organic melissa leaf tea can relieve depression and anxiety, and improve conditions like Alzheimer’s with its effect on the cognitive functions. It has anti-inflammatory properties that can reverse swelling of cells caused by oxidative stress – thus making it efficient in cancer prevention as well. Even the fragrance of melissa leaf pleases and causes relaxation of mental processes. This is why we formulated the Melissa Leaf Hydrosol for our customers to spritz some calming aroma wherever they go.

Many stores also have blends of herbs carefully selected that work together to create an enhanced health effect on the body. Many herbs work in tandem with other herbs, making the desired response from the body happen quicker and at a stronger rate. Mixed together to relieve mild maladies that many individuals experience on a day to day basis, a blended tisane may be your preference in receiving the full range of benefits, taste, and pleasure from your favorite tea selection.

 

Benefits of Blending

While you can purchase professionally blended teas at the grocery store, it might be more fun and personal if you find teas that work best for you, by blending them yourself. When struggling with irritating symptoms like a runny nose, upset stomach, constipation, or fatigue, taking a regular dose of blended tea can offer your mind and body the pick-me-up you need to get through the rest of the day. Figure out what works for you, and start brewing! We can make it easier by offering a few tea-licious suggestions.

 

Favorite Tea Blends

One of Christy’s favorite tea brands, Yogi, offers organic detox teas. One such tea includes the Peach DeTox for healthy liver and kidney function. It contains cinnamon, ginger, clove, orange peel, parsley, black pepper, and a whole variety of other herbs and spices specially blended to cleanse the kidneys and the liver. It supports the body’s natural detoxification process, while improving blood circulation. Both ginger and cinnamon are excellent in improving brain function as well, so this blend can offer aid to multiple areas while focusing on a main one too. Yogi also has a multitude of other teas blended to optimize their medicinal value on the body, including skin detox blends.

A favorite blended tisane of mine – Triple Leaf Tea – has a detox line that works well with constipation, blood circulation, and the respiratory system. They also carry blended teas that can help with blood pressure, cholesterol, and relaxation. I can tell you from experience that they really work. If you experience discomfort from constipation, then the Triple Leaf Tea detox blend will work to get things moving within twenty four hours of ingesting a cup of it.

If you have specific blends that you enjoy, and are not offered by a brand, then feel free to mix and match. I also participate in this practice on a regular basis with satisfying results. For bedtime, I brew a blend of organic peppermint and organic chamomile tisane, with plenty of honey and lemon juice to make it even better. This blend uses two different tea bags, so the resulting brew is very strong. It puts me to sleep within an hour or two of ingesting it, and allows me to remain asleep for a night of fitful rest that can be difficult to obtain for many. If you like stronger teas and experience trouble sleeping, I recommend this blend to you.

Another favorite blend contains organic green tea with a blended tisane consisting of black pepper, ginger, peppermint, and clove. This tea is excellent for circulation and staying alert, while delivering a dose of antioxidants that keeps my energy up throughout the day. With plenty of honey and lemon juice, this tea keeps you going like the Energizer Bunny with no problem. You can take it as a middle-of-the-day booster by replacing that lunchtime coffee with this synergistic brew.

If you want a more simplistic way to create a trusty tea blend, then select your favorite tea or tisane from the store, use only one bag as a base, and look in your spice cabinet to add dashes for your own blend. You can add nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, ginger, and other spice to garnish the tea and receive maximum benefits without using multiple tea bags. This way, you get to use as little or as much spice as you wish by experimenting and deciding what tastes right for you!

 

Tips for Tea Testers

Did we miss something? Like an idea, spice, or blend that you find helpful and want to share? Then feel free to comment below to start a tea-time conversation with your face naturals family! We look forward to reading your tips and tricks for making a healthy, potent brew that warms the mind, heart, and body for the holiday season! Discuss your tasty tea secrets below, and maybe we will test them!

If you have any questions regarding our products, brand, website, or blogs, please feel free to contact us. Want a suggestion on what products might work best with your skin? Drop our staff a line about your skin type and what you are looking for! We are always happy to help our clients out, and look forward to hearing from you soon. Keep an eye out for our next post!

 

References

• The History of Tea
• Peppermint
• Types of Teas and Their Health Benefits
• Health Benefits of White Tea
• Chamomile Tea: New Evidence Supports Health Benefits
• Chamomile (Matricaria Recutita)
• Lemon Balm Herb Health Benefits