It’s 2021 and there’s no question of escaping stress. We can only work on ways to “manage” our stress better. How we manage our daily stress and anxiety has a direct impact on our quality of life.
In eastern medicine and practices, there’s an emphasis on avoiding disease rather than curing disease. Creating a daily routine which involves natural healing remedies is a good starting point for most of us. This is where herbal teas can play a crucial role. Introducing certain herbs, flowers and botanicals at teatime is an easy, low cost investment in your daily wellness.
In the decade that I’ve spent researching teas and botanicals and studying their health benefits, I came across a few which have proven results - supported by both traditional medicine and scientific research. I encourage you to explore some or all of the following:
- Chamomile tea is an undisputed natural remedy for insomnia. One cup of this before bedtime is known to have a calming effect on the mind and body and lulls you to restful sleep. As chamomile flowers are 100% caffeine free, it’s perfect for sipping any time of the day when you need to slow down and unwind. If there is one tea that works for almost everyone and at any time of the day, it’s hands down a cup of Chamomile tea.
- Lavender tea - just inhaling the aroma of this tea can be relaxing to our senses. The vagus nerve in our body is responsible for all healing. Lavender is known to reboot our nervous system and this soothes the vagus nerve and can activate the natural healing capacity of our body. Lavender tea is also known to relieve feelings of anxiety and depression among adults.
- Spearmint is known as a wonder herb for women. It’s known to promote hormonal health. We know that our hormones can play a big role in how we manage our stress and anxiety levels. Drinking 1-2 cups of spearmint tea is highly recommended for women battling with PCOS as this can help regulate menstrual cycles.
- White tea - in the world of teas, this has the highest amount of antioxidants. White tea helps us fight bodily stress and reverse signs of ageing. It is also being used in skin care to develop anti-aging formulations. White tea has low amounts of caffeine. So if you’re missing your caffeine while sipping herbal teas, I recommend introducing at least 1 cup of white tea into your daily routine. It has a mild flavour, and good-quality white tea will have naturally sweet, honey dew-like taste notes so it’s easy to enjoy by all.
- Matcha Green Tea is not just a trendy tea to have. Matcha is the only superfood among tea. It has been consumed for over a century in China and Japan and has become popular in India only recently. Research shows the high amount of polyphenols found in Matcha helps fight free radicals in the body which are known to cause cancer. Matcha is also known to promote gut health which is directly linked to our mental health. Matcha is known to have 5 times more L-theanine than regular green tea. L-theanine is an amino-acid known to improve mental focus and our cognitive processing, thereby improving how our brain reacts in stressful situations. Please remember that Matcha is high in caffeine so it’s best consumed in the first half of the day and in moderation.
We all love our Masala Chai and no doubt it can be a great mood uplifter! But there’s more on offer in the world of teas and I hope you will try a few of the ones listed here. Happy sipping!
