Herbal teas are used for many different things, but most of all they’re used to heal. Whether it’s a hot cup of tea to bring comfort during a stressful time or to sooth a seasonal cold, tea is great for both!
When I was a kid I used to turn to products such as cough drops and liquid cold medicine. It was common knowledge in my house that those were the types of products you used to fight a cold. However, as an adult I now have allergies and sensitivities that actually prevent me from using the afore mentioned products. At first, this made for some incredibly inconvenient circumstances. Let’s face it, learning a brand new regimen for healing is challenging on any given day, but it is especially tedious when the outcome for my mistake(s) could be 1 or more Grand Mal seizures. It’s a game changer, that’s for sure, but it has taught me to err on the side of caution. So cautious I have been when it comes to introducing potential solutions for healing….
Early on, I learned about the benefits of hot tea. Both herbal and handmade. Here I am ten years later and herbal tea remains my go-to product for fighting the average cold. So here are some of my favorite products and recipes:
As always, organic is your optimal choice when it comes to herbal teas. It is especially important because while your tea bag steeps and becomes stronger, so will those pesticides if you use a non-organic product. This is not beneficial for your body’s ability to fight against a cold nor will it contribute to your body’s long term health. So, do yourself a favor now and just go organic.
Echinacea Tea – This is probably the most widely known herbal tea for treating the common cold. And there is just cause be-cause this particular leaf is chalk full of beneficial nutrients necessary for you to begin moving toward healing instead of regressing into an even more miserable illness.
+ Product Recommendation:
Catnip Tea – While this plant tends to make kitties go crazy, it actually has a calming effect on the human body. It is from the mint family and blends well with others teas from this same family such as peppermint and spearmint. The calming effects are best for soothing sore throats and coughs. When you can’t use a cough drop, this is pretty much a life line for your raw and achy throat.
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Peppermint Tea – The mint family contains some pretty amazing super powers. Like Catnip, this tea also soothes sore throats and coughs. However, Peppermint goes a little further by actually helping the human body in a multitude of other ways as well. For instance, epilepsy patients may want to consider this tea if they are looking for a way to eliminate stress and promote calm behavior.
This tea has worked for many epileptics (myself, included) and it tastes great hot or cold. But when using it for cold-fighting purposes, it is best to drink it hot.
This next super power is for the ladies…This tea can also help relieve menstrual cramping. I speak from experience here when I say that the soothing properties of the peppermint leaf do have an effect on those muscles in your lower abdomen as well. I tend to get some pretty bad cramps and this tea has successfully alleviated all pain.
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Chamomile Tea – This particular tea is probably my favorite hot tea to drink for pleasure and for therapeutic purposes. The mild taste of the chamomile flower makes for a gentle, yet soothing tonic that has proven time and again for me personally its powerful immune boosting abilities. Some people are scared away by the terms “Gentle” or “Mild” because they are afraid this is code for Cheap, Ineffective, and Weak. Yes, the soothing effects of Chamomile are gentle on your body, however, this does not mean the effects fail to accomplish their purpose. In fact, characteristics such as Gentle and Mild are actually preferred by people like myself who have A LOT of sensitivities to ingredients in general. So, before writing this particular tea off as ineffective, I beg you to try it so that you too may experience the benefits of the chamomile flower. If you would like to increase the positive effects of this tea, add a tablespoon of raw organic honey. Plus, it makes your tea a little sweet and I’m always pro-sweetness! are actually a lifeline for an epileptic like myself because I have A LOT of sensitives to ingredients in tea is not effective. On the contrary, chamomile herbal tea mixed with 1 tablespoon of honey make for one powerful cold-fighting tonic without any synthetic chemicals. Why not give this particular tea a try???
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Honey/Lemon Tea – I usually like to use one tablespoon of honey alone as a cough remedy, however, this tea goes ten steps further and it is amazing! The antibacterial properties from the lemon and the soothing temperature of the warm water make for a magical tonic that really does sooth those annoying coughs! It is especially useful when I cannot get my coughing to stop. Whenever that happens I drink some of this tea. Its simple too! Only 1 lemon, 1 T honey, and however much warm or hot water you wish. Just remember, the less the water, the stronger the flavor so be careful if you’re looking for a mild flavored tea.
***Side Note: There is quite a large of amount of just straight lemon juice in this recipe so take caution when it comes to your intake. Lemon juice is very harsh on your teeth, therefore, it is best to drink no more than 1-2 times a day. Also, if you would like to take extra precautionary measures, drink through a straw. It is best to drink warm so if you do use warm not hot water this should be doable. If the water is too hot for a straw, no worries, but you should probably brush your teeth after drinking the tea. This is what I like to do in order to try and protect the enamel on my teeth.
+ Product Recommendation for the Honey:
Ginger-Honey Tea – It’s only three ingredients, but it is packed full of immune boosting ingredients! First, we have the raw organic honey. I prefer to use the product by YS Eco Bee Farms. It is unfiltered, unpasteurized, and kosher. I always love to see these characteristics in a product like honey because I know all of the beneficial properties naturally found in honey haven’t been filtered out during unnecessary exposure to high levels of heat. Nor have these beneficial properties been removed by chemicals. Raw is always better. And this honey makes any amazing addition to any tea, especially this one! Combine the honey with the second ingredient and you have the makings a magical recipe.
Fresh, raw ginger isn’t always the favorite flavor for people, but it sure does protect your body from bad bacteria. It is also wonderful at eliminating the bacteria currently in your body. So, when we’re talking about the common cold, this raw ginger ingredient will help strengthen your body’s immune system in order to prevent getting sick. If you already have a cold, it will build your body’s natural immunities to help you fight and find healing that much sooner. For every other possible situation, it will boost your immune system to keep you healthy all year long. It is important to note that I am talking about ginger root here, not the powdered ginger found on the Spices & Herbs aisle. For this particular ingredient, you’ll want to use a pairing knife to remove the skin of the ginger root, keeping only the bright yellow inside of the root. Remember to take as little of the bright yellow part as possible while carving your ginger root because we want as much of this inside our tea as possible. Once you have removed all skin, use a cheese grater to shred your ginger root into fine strands. It is important to shred it like this instead of just sticking the whole root into the cup of tea because the shredding process actually allows more of the nutrients to be distributed throughout the entire cup of tea. If you stick the whole body without first shredding many of these beneficial nutrients will remain inside of the thick body of the root.
Lastly, we have the coconut oil. This is one ingredient that is fantastic for everything. You name the problem and I’m sure we could find a way to use this product to help improve “said” circumstances. Clearly I’m a coconut oil fan, but it is for good reason because this oil is just good for you. Everything about it works in your favor and contributes to your long-term health! So often, we find products that are filled with synthetic ingredients that, in reality, aren’t very beneficial at all. Take a magnifying glass to each ingredient’s true colors and you’ll find an ingredient that does more to hurt you than heal you. Inshort, its nice to find a product like coconut oil where the motives of the product are clear: to promote good health.
Mix these three ingredients together and you’ll have yourself the trifecta tea for fighting a cold. Truth be told, I actually drink this tea everyday with breakfast to boost my immune system and it truly does wonders! In 2019 I only had one cold despite the multiple times throughout the year when members of my own household came down with very serious colds lasting at least 5 days. It’s powerful stuff and it makes you feel great too!
If you only choose one tea from the list, I recommend this tea because it’s powerful stuff and it makes you feel great too! To learn more, visit my article From My Recipe Box to Yours: Ginger-Honey Tea.
Ginger-Honey Tea Recipe:
1 tsp coconut oil
1 T fresh grated ginger
1-2 T honey, Hot water
In conclusion, I hope all of these suggestions are helpful to you and maybe even contribute to your healing when dealing with a cold. However, please remember that these are simply suggestions and should not be viewed as instructions or advice meant to replace that of a medical professional. Always be careful and consult your doctor before making any changes to your healthcare routine. That being said, I wish all of my readers a very happy and healthy new year!! Let’s go 2020!
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Sources:
1. Catnip Tea Product Recommendation:
2. Chamomile Tea Product Recommendation:
3. Coconut Oil Tea Recommendation:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074JFTNZ8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
4. Echinacea Plus Tea Product Recommendation:
5. Honey Product Recommendation:
6. Peppermint Tea Product Recommendation:
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