Warm up with a cozy cup of herbal tea to enrich your body and soul. You won’t be missing the jitters from your usual cup of coffee with the abundance of herbal tea benefits.

Best Types of Herbal Tea

Ranging from zesty ginger to calming chamomile, there are a wide variety of herbal teas and benefits to each type. These nutritious yet comforting herbal teas are great starters:

• Chamomile
• Ginger
• Hibiscus
• Lemon Balm
• Peppermint
• Rose
• Turmeric

Herbal Tea Benefits

1. Digestive

The many healing properties of herbal teas can help the digestive system. If you’re looking to improve digestion or just ease a queasy stomach, then you’ll want either ginger, lemon balm, or peppermint tea.

In a number of studies, ginger has been proven to be a reliable aid to reducing nausea and vomiting. Peppermint, on the other hand, works to ease stomach spasms and cramping. Lemon balm, similarly, has been shown to be effective in diminishing bloating and alleviating an upset stomach.

2. Immune Support

Herbal tea is especially helpful during cold and flu season. Many herbal teas boast immune-boosting properties which may help to combat or prevent viruses. For these benefits, reach for echinacea or elderberry tea.

Echinacea is especially promising in preventing and easing colds. Research has shown it increases the number of white blood cells in the body, which fight infection.

Elderberry, alternatively, contains antioxidant-rich flavonoids that are useful in boosting the immune system. While there are minimal studies done on the health benefits of elderberry, the herb has been suggested to prevent and soothe cold symptoms.

3. Anti-Inflammatory

If you frequently suffer from aches and pains, try an anti-inflammatory tea such as turmeric or hibiscus. Turmeric has anti-inflammatory benefits due to its curcumin content. Various studies have shown the substance can help fight inflammation in the body.

Hibiscus, a fruity tasting flower, is another suitable choice. Hibiscus is rich in vitamin C which is known to combat inflammation. It also makes for a delicious summer drink when iced and swirled with a teaspoon of agave.

Where to Buy Organic Herbal Tea

Before buying your herbal tea, make sure you choose a brand that doesn’t use additives and artificial ingredients. Trusted brands include: Traditional Medicinals, Numi Tea, or Mountain Rose Herbs. Don’t forget, you can also go the eco-friendly route in buy loose leaf and steep using a tea infuser.

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Whether you are a regular tea drinker or turn to tea when the weather cools, there are some must-have tea accessories to make your tea sipping most magical.

Hot tea can be your wake-up drink in the morning or part of your bedtime routine in the evening. From Earl Grey to chamomile or green tea to honeybush, your cuppa can benefit from the addition of tools to help you create a better cup and to simplify your tea making process.

If you are just the occasional tea drinker, tea bags and a cup of water heated up in the microwave just might do the trick for you. But for more serious tea aficionados for whom tea is at least a twice or thrice daily ritual, that just won’t work at all, and tea-making tools of all kind are requirements. From infusers for loose tea to electric tea kettles with temperature settings, the marketplace is full of excellent tools to make your next cup of tea a truly sublime experience.

Read on to discover tea accessories you never knew you needed–until now! You just might make the switch from tea bags in the microwave to infused loose tea brewed to perfection.

Must Have Tea Accessories

1. Tea Infuser

Tea infusers of various styles are vital for those who prefer to use loose tea. Using loose tea is more economical and is usually of a higher quality than tea bags. This universal infuser can work with a variety of cups, mugs, and even teapots.

2.Tea Travel Mug

Drink your tea on the go? This travel mug might be ideal, so you no longer have to drink over-brewed tea. This mug only works with tea bags or pouches, though.

3. Infuser Tea Mug

An all-in-one infuser mug is ideal for those who enjoy loose tea, but not the extra step of using a teapot. The porcelain mug even comes with a lid to keep your tea warm while it’s brewing that also doubles as a handy stand for the infuser.

4. Teapot

If you plan on making more than one cup of tea, either a second cup for yourself or a cup for a friend, a teapot is a must. And there’s no need for a fussy teapot when this modern stoneware pot will do just nicely.

5. Teapot Warmer

And when you do make a pot of tea, a tea warmer is a handy tool to help keep the tea left in your pot warm. It’s a simple design that only requires a tea light candle to produce the warmth.

6.Electric Tea Kettle

An electric tea kettle makes the work of boiling water a cinch, but this temperature select kettle is the bee’s knees.  It heats the water to the perfect temperature for the kind of tea or infusion you are making. Black tea can take on boiling water while other types of teas are too delicate. For example, white tea is best brewed with water that is 175 degrees.

7. Tea Ball

A tea ball is another handy dandy loose tea infuser. It’s best to have several infusers on hand in your kitchen (or more, depending on the number of tea drinkers in your home and how often you do the dishes).

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Cup of Tea Image via Shutterstock

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Throw an easy afternoon tea party that will impress.

For those not in the know, afternoon tea and high tea are completely different. Afternoon tea is served to fill the gap between lunch and dinner and traditionally consists of light fare like cakes and cookies. High tea, on the other hand, involves more substantial fare and traditionally happened when workers returned home–it was more like dinner. Over time, the distinctions between the two have blurred, and tea no matter what time of day it’s served, more often than not it takes the form of afternoon tea with tea sandwiches and scones and cream. In the U.S., afternoon tea served between lunch and dinner is the norm, but honestly, the timing is up to you.

And of course, tea is appropriate any time of year, no matter the weather. Want to ice up your tea for the steamy days of summer? Go right ahead. Just make sure you move the party outdoors, under shade for full effect.

From the invitations to the types of tea you serve, get inspired to throw your own afternoon tea with the tips and ideas below.

Afternoon Tea Tip and Ideas

1. Invitation – While it may seem just as easy to send a text or an email as an invitation to your afternoon tea, there is something about a handwritten paper invitation sent via snail mail. It has a certain je ne sais pas that is missing in this digital age. Etsy is a great place to find appropriate choices from luxurious letterpress to clever typographical works of art–it depends on how formal or  informal you want to be. Of course, it’s not completely unacceptable to send a text invite either–at least for a less formal tea among friends.

2. Types of Tea to Serve – Whether you choose Darjeeling, orange pekoe, or Earl Grey, one key for a great afternoon tea is to offer 2-3 options. The choices are up to you, but Earl Grey, orange pekoe, and English Breakfast are traditional options. You can also go farther afield and include herbal teas or blends including rooibos chai, lemon verbena, chamomile, honeybush, or mint for those who might be eschewing caffeine. One pro tip is to make sure that you use loose tea instead of tea bags. Your guests will appreciate your attention to detail, and loose tea is often a better quality of tea. Harney & Sons has a lot of wonderful tea choices.

3. Teapots and Other Teaware  – One necessity of throwing a tea party is you must have several teapots. While you may decide to invest in some fancy decorative teapots, it may be more realistic to invest in functional pots that will also serve for everyday as well. If your teapots don’t include infusers, you will want to invest in small strainers that guests can place over their cups to catch the tea leaves as they pour. Teacups and saucers, a sugar pot, and cream pitcher are a must too. Also, an electric tea kettle can make things so much easier.

4. Tea Sandwiches and Other Nibbles – Ideally, you will want to serve a variety of food options, including sweet and savory choices. Homemade pecan scones topped with homemade strawberry preserves, cucumber or egg salad sandwiches cut into triangles (and with the crusts removed), and a tasty asparagus and feta quiche would make for a delightful menu. Whatever the menu you decide upon it should feel special.

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Afternoon Tea Image from Shutterstock

The post How to Throw a Perfectly Lovely Afternoon Tea Party appeared first on EcoSalon.

I’ve discovered the ultimate plant for green health: lemon verbena. The leaves from this plant make some absolutely delicious tea.

Alice Waters is a big fan of lemon verbena tea, I learned upon reading her biography. I later tasted it myself for the first time from dried leaves of a plant grown at the Edible Schoolyard, Waters’ educational, middle school kitchen and gardening project. I then understood – as the name implies – lemon verbena tea has an extremely soothing citrus flavor.

I since acquired my own plant, and it’s growing like a weed in a pot on my deck garden. I lucked out because my deck gets a ton of sun and the lemon verbena plant likes a lot of direct light. Once the plant is established, remove some of the leaves, lay them out to dry and store in mason jars or an airtight container.

To make tea, steep around one teaspoon of dried herbs in one cup of hot water, or see these recipes for using fresh leaves. (Or, make your own lemon verbena ice cream!)

Lemon verbena has great health benefits. It aids with relaxation and digestion, and apparently it can also help with relieving cramps.

Now that I’ve fully embraced drinking tea from loose, dried herbs, I’ve realized how fun it is to create your own blends. Add a peppermint plant to your herb garden, and make your own mix of lemon verbena and mint. Delightful!

See a few more tips on growing your own lemon verbena plant here.

Image: Nani Kora

The post Infuse Your Life with Lemon Verbena: DIY Tea appeared first on EcoSalon.