Herbs for Soothing/Change of Season Tea

Sometimes a cup of the right tea, made with the right herbs, can be extremely therapeutic.  I have a sensitive stomach and a lot of things can upset it.  These include virtually all dried fruits in anything more than the tiniest amounts, nuts and seeds in anything but the tiniest amounts, and things like granola which tend to sit in my stomach and feel like a rock inside.

The most absolutely healing herb I have found to remedy digestive issues is grated fresh ginger steeped in hot water.  In other words fresh ginger tea.  When there’s an acute need for it I will make it fairly strong.  But oftentimes I don’t need a strong dose, and so can tone down the amount of fresh ginger.

Some other herbs that go good with, which complement ginger, are:

Peppermint, which also has soothing properties like ginger.  Peppermint is used in Chinese herbal remedies like the cold formula Yin Chiao.

Lemon verbena.  One of my absolute most favorite herbs.  I will sometimes use this with Camellia sinensis a.k.a. traditional teas.  It goes very well with peppermint and ginger.

Lemon peel.  I will also sometimes use mandarin or other citrus peels.  In fact if I’m eating a citrus fruit I always try to eat the peel.  If they taste really good I will let them dry and use them in teas later.

Cinnamon.  The cinnamon I get in bulk is listed as “5%” and is very rich.  It is much sweeter than cheaper cinnamons and lacks their bitterness.  The taste is very fine.  A small sprinkling is all it takes.  Cinnamon is good for diabetics and for when you OD on sweet food.

Rose petal.  Dried rose petal is a very gentle herb and I have read is good for one’s complexion.  It imparts a delicate, luxuriant quality to teas.


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