It’s easy to stereotype people who drink hot tea. The Queen of England drinks hot tea. The Dowager Countess of Grantham drinks hot tea. Captain Jean Luc Picard drinks hot tea. But I realized recently when I was nearly injured by the tea boxes that regularly explode out of my cabinet, that tea isn’t just for fancy people.
Without realizing it, I had somehow acquired a tea for pretty much every ailment and situation. Though I wouldn’t consider myself a “tea person,” my tea use increased exponentially as I learned the benefits and properties of the ones I ran across. The secret to turning a casual interaction into a special-tea (har har) is to learn how to make tea work for you.
Despite the fact that, according to legend, the first cup of tea was drunk in 2737 BC, it was thought of as strictly medicinal until the late 6th century. It was even marketed to the British as a medicine when it made its way there from China in the 17th century. While you don’t want to toss out your prescriptions and replace them with Earl Grey, there are some benefits to drinking and otherwise using tea that could come in handy in your everyday life. Here are some ways to find out how to make tea work for you:
Buddha Teas Nettle Leaf
My seasonal allergies are usually pretty crazy in the fall, but this year they have been fully bonkers. In addition to my regular regimen of Zyrtec and Flonase, I’ve recently added a daily cup of nettle leaf tea to the mix. Thanks to its apparent anti-inflammatory properties, I’ve noticed a huge decrease in the number and frequency of my aggressive, startling, office-disturbing sneezes and the degree to which I want to scratch my eyes out has also decreased exponentially.
Yogi Chai Rooibos
Speaking of seasonal teas, our Marketing and Design Assistant, Paige, loves to drink chai rooibos, especially now that the seasons are changing, because she says it tastes like fall and has a general calming and warming effect which is good for the soul. Some studies show it may help boost heart health too. It’s caffeine-free, so even if you’re super sensitive to caffeine like I am, you can enjoy it any time of day without it affecting your ability to sleep.
Traditional Medicinals Gypsy Cold Care
I’m a huge baby when it comes to having a cold and drinking Gypsy Cold Care tea is one of roughly two things that makes me feel better. (The other is watching Wayne’s World, Tommy Boy and Talledega Nights.) Considering it tastes a little, well, earthy, I never really understood why it made me feel better, but apparently elderflower, one of the main ingredients, can be used to treat sinusitis, cough and bronchitis.
Rishi Turmeric Ginger
With my poor posture, flat feet (paired with my propensity to wear horrible shoes) and past tendon tear, I tend to experience some aches and pains from time to time, but turmeric and ginger seem to be helping with that a lot. I tried for a while to see if a golden milk mix would help, but could never really get used to the grittiness of it. There’s a strong possibility that I could have been using it incorrectly, but I found that turmeric and ginger in tea form was much smoother and tastier in addition to retaining the myriad health benefits like anti-inflammatory properties, potential cancer prevention and decreased risk of heart disease.
Yogi Bedtime
One of our Floor Managers, Bambu, likes to make a calming tea with skullcap and a few other ingredients, but with Yogi Bedtime, all the work is done for you! The herb may reduce anxiety and help with insomnia, so it makes a perfect addition to your pre-sleep routine.
Chamomile
Some of the best examples of how to make tea work for you don’t even involve drinking it. In addition to commonly known benefits like promoting relaxation and lesser-known benefits like easing menstrual cramps, using Chamomile topically can reduce irritation and itching and help smooth rough skin. That’s why adding it to a foot soak not only leaves your feet smelling good, but feeling good too.
Green
I love drinking green tea because it’s tasty (especially a jasmine variety) and it has enough caffeine in it to wake me up without feeling jittery, but putting it on my face makes me feel equally nice. This mask helps me control the oil in my T-zone and helps make it shine in a good way while putting chilled used tea bags on my eyes helps reduce puffiness and makes them feel amazing too.
Now that you know how to make tea work for you, we want to make it even easier. September 25th and 26th, all of our packaged teas are 30% off! You can try them all, find your favorite and stock up!
