Comforting Herbal Teas

I got caught out in a monsoon about a week ago.  My clothing was soaked to the skin and the wind whipped my wet clothing giving me a chill.  And this was before the train and bus ride that drops me a mile from my house.  I knew I was going to need to be proactive or the weather was going to take me down, so when I arrived home I brewed a batch of herbal tea and took a warm shower.  I can gladly say now that the immunity boost I got from the vitamin C in the rose hips of my tea, along with the anti bacterial properties of the thyme and sage have kept me from getting even a sniffle since that incident.

As a result I thought it might be good to share with you a few ideas for using a comforting cup of tea to help you recover, or even avoid, a few of winters sniffles.

Colds and Flu symptoms can often be held back with a combination of lemon and ginger.  This unique tea mixture I have made with just a touch of brandy or whiskey too to aid in sleeping.

Ginger and Lemon Tea

1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh squeezed if you can)
2 to 4 slices of ginger root (about 1/4 inch thick) or 1 tsp grated ginger
1 Tbls. Honey

Bring water to boil, bruise the ginger root and drop it into the boiling water.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5 min.  Remove from heat ans strain into a heat resistant cup.  Add lemon juice and honey.  If you want to clear your sinuses add a 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper and if you want to aid relaxation add a snifter of brandy or whiskey.  Stir and sip while covered with a warm blanket.

If you suffer from coughs or a dry scratchy throat, a bit of peppermint will help with this and add to is some germ fighting sage and thyme and you will have perfect treatment for a fever or a cough.

Peppermint Anti-Cold Tea

1 tsp.dried thyme
1 tsp. dried sage
1 tsp. dried peppermint
1 cup bolling water

Boil the water and pour over herbs.  You can place them in a tea ball or the corner of a coffee filter so you don;t have to strain them.  Cover and let step for 8 to 10 minutes.  You can sweeten with honey (not sugar).  Drink up to 2 cups for 3 to 4 days to relieve symptoms.

With the lowering of the barometric pressure as storm fronts move through many people experience headaches. I developed my Headache Tea which I sell at the Backyard Patch for just such headaches which I tend to have regularly in the fall and winter. Here is a link if you want to try some yourself.  Those headaches will effect my sleep as well and although I have developed a Dreamtime and a Rest Easy mint Tea which I sell.  You might try this remedy if you want to make your own:

Snoozing Enhancer Tea

1 tsp. dried chamomile
1 tsp. dried lemon balm
1 tsp. dried lavender flowers

Boil the water and pour over herbs.  You can place them in a tea ball or the corner of a coffee filter so you don't have to strain them.  Cover and let steep for 6 to 8 minutes. Best when sipped before bed time.

Hope you enjoy these teas and if you want to see our entire line of teas, both herbal and those with herbs we've combined with green tea or black tea, just click into our website here.