It's Tea Time!!

Making tea is one of the easiest ways to get those amazing herbs in our bodies so they can begin their important work of helping us on our healthier living journey!! It is also a great way to get those little blessing - our children and grandchildren - a way to get the herbs in them as well, in a manner they can enjoy. It is one of my favorite things to do with our children and grandchildren! Making memories and helping our health - it's a win, win!! So, let's talk tea for a while!!

Let's start at the beginning - selecting the herbs we need! When at all possible you want to select organic herbs. I say this because when you are putting herbs in your body to help you don't really want the herbs to be dealing with the toxins (herbicides and pesticides) that have been sprayed on the herbs and the health concerns you may have already. Instead, it can simply concentrate on targeting the health problems without adding more to it!

Next is selecting the herbs based on what your body needs at that time - it is safe to say that what your body needs today may be different than what it needs a week from now! Some herbs are nutritive and can be taken almost daily and some herbs are for more specific needs at that time.

Okay, down to the nitty gritty! Many years ago I was moving to a location a couple hours away and needed to stay awake while driving, so I decided I would drink some coffee - it was my first time drinking coffee - well, let's say it did keep me awake, but not in the way I wanted.....I was up all night throwing up!! So, instead of coffee in the mornings, I stuck with teas - makes sense, right?!?! Making tea is pretty simple but if you've never done it before it can seem daunting. But rest assured, I believe in you and you can do this!!

To make tea:

1. Buy organic tea bags or organic loose leaf tea.

2. Place the tea bag in the cup. If you have loose leaf tea use a tea ball or a tea infuser and place that in your cup. My tea pot (pictured above) has an insert in it. And you can also buy them to fit in your cup (also pictured above).

3. Pour boiling water over the top of the tea bag or the loose leaf tea and COVER, yes COVER!! One of the most important parts of making tea so the good stuff doesn't escape through the steam that's leaving the tea. We want all that good stuff to stay in there!! Let the tea steep for 3-5 minutes.

4. Finally, strain it out by pressing the herbs and leaving behind the tea. Add some honey or sweetener of choice and enjoy!! **Just a side note, you can usually use the herbs twice but the second cup won't be quite as strong as the first one.

Some herbs such as roots may require a longer steep time to extract more medicinal value out of them.

Okay, some options for tea:

1. Mint: great way to calm your nerves and kill bugs - viruses!!

2. Chamomile: An amazing way to wind down the evening because it is calming! It is also a great way to calm anything to do with our stomach and intestines!!

3. Turmeric Ginger: a great way to reduce inflammation and restore our systems!!

So, that's a great beginning to a healthier life!! Also, try mixing teas - it is fun and totally possible - I do it all the time!! It's tea time!! Enjoy!!