Between loose blends and teabags, at any given time I have somewhere around 30 types of tea (not to mention an impressive collection of sweeteners including agave nectar, German rock sugar and spiced honey)! It’s taken me years to discern what I like in a cup of tea, and I imagine the journey will be never-ending. Although I now have a good sense of what flavors I enjoy, to me, there’s another component to selecting teas that’s just as important as taste—the “feel good” factor.
Like Buddhist monks and the whole of England, I’ve always maintained that tea has certifiable healing powers. I can’t vouch for every herbal remedy on the market, but I’ve rounded up a list of my three favorite teas. They really work.* Drink on and feel good, tea lovers!
Yogi St. John’s Wort Blues Away™
St. John’s Wort is an herb, the flowers and leaves of which are often used to treat depression. The folks at Yogi purport that drinking Blues Away will help you “find harmony within yourself and the world around you,” a claim to which I can attest. When I’m having a stressful week at work, or am just feeling down, I’m amazed by how quickly a cup of this delightfully bold tea helps to lift my spirits.
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Since it tastes strongly of black licorice, I’m not surprised it got mixed reactions from my colleagues. Barring their opinion, I really can’t recommend it enough. I’m a huge honey abuser, so when I encounter a tea that doesn’t need to be sweetened, it’s a sign of excellent flavor! Best served plain, Blues Away fits the bill.
Ingredients: St. John’s Wort Leaf and Flower**, Fennel Seed, Cinnamon Bark, Spearmint Leaf, Cardamom Seed, Ginger Root, Lavender Flower, Fenugreek Seed, Clove Bud, Black Pepper, Organic and Natural Flavors, St. John’s Wort Extract
Celestial Seasonings Tension Tamer®
Disclaimer: A rave review is forthcoming. Tension Tamer is, bar none, my favorite tea of all time. My sophomore year of college,
I suffered from chronic headaches. My friend and fellow tea enthusiast recommended I try Tension Tamer. For this, I am forever indebted to her. I’d describe Tension Tamer as a truly heavenly (or celestial) chamomile with hints of ginger and peppermint. It helped heal my headaches and catalyzed my love of tea. Calming, therapeutic, and unrivaled in taste, Tension Tamer is a must-try.
Ingredients: Eleuthero, Peppermint, Cinnamon, Ginger, Chamomelie, West Indian Lemongrass, Licorice, Catnip, Tilia Flowers, Natural Lemon Flavor with other Natural Flavoris (contains soy lecithin), Hops, Vitamins B6 and B12
The Republic of Tea Get Clean®***
I love a good design and was immediately drawn to these stackable tea tins. The brilliant minds at The Republic of Tea must know I’m a sucker for a schedule, because they even tell me what time of day to drink each of these three relaxing blends! While the “anytime” tea is my favorite, I enjoy the morning and evening ones as well. I tend to drink them alone, but they can be used in conjunction with a cleansing program. After sticking to the regimen for just a few days, I felt reenergized and balanced. As soon as I run out, I’ll definitely be ordering another of “stack” of these wonderful herbal treats.
Ingredients: AM Tea: Spearmint Leaves, Lemon Verbena, Organic Cucumber, Dandelion Leaves, Organic Gotu Kola Leaves and Natural Lemon and Cucumber Flavors; All Day Tea: Organic Rooibos, Milk Thistle, Indian Sarsaparilla, Dandelion Root, Chicory Root, Burdock Root, Red Clover and Natural Vanilla and Almond Flavors; PM Tea: Organic Amla Berries, Organic Ginger Root, Organic Hibiscus Flowers, Organic Cinnamon, Monk Fruit (Luo Han Guo), Organic Schizandra Berries, Natural Apple Flavor
*This article is for informational purposes only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions.
**May interact with certain drugs.
***May contain almonds.
