Winter and Christmas are getting closer and the holiday feeling is in the air. All the shops are prepared and decorated to welcome this lovely time of the year. To enhance the holiday spirit and to warm your body, I prepared a selection of herbal teas for Christmas time.
Drinking tea is a great way to treat yourself so why not turn it into a festive ceremony? There various herbal teas that have a flavour which might remind you of winter holidays and cold season. For me personally, the smell of oranges and mandarins reminds me of Christmas but there is also cinnamon, cloves, anise and even mistletoe! And if you didn’t know, you can enjoy them all as a delicious tea. You can enhance your tea drinking experience if you pair your cup of tea with one of my Tea Meditations.
Here are some benefits of these healthy and delicious herbs.
Herbal Teas for Christmas Time
Mistletoe tea
Mistletoe is a plant which attaches to a host tree and absorbs its nutrients in order to survive. Please be aware that there more than 900 types of mistletoe and some of them are toxic! So do not make your own mistletoe tea, just buy it from the specialised shops which are selling the one which can be consumed and has lots of benefits.
Here are some of the benefits of mistletoe tea:
– Lowers Blood Pressure
– Promotes Good Sleep
– Soothes Respiratory Distress
– Prevents Diabetes
– Boosts Immune System
– Calms Nervous System
– Eliminates Inflammation
Preparation:
Infuse 1-2 teaspoons of tea for one cup of boiling water. Let it steep for 5-15 minutes.
It can also be prepared as a cold brew. Put a spoon of mistletoe tea in 250 ml of water and leave it overnight.
Drink it in small sips.
If you want to buy mistletoe tea, you can find it here:
Star anise tea
Star anise comes from an evergreen tree which grows in China. It is mostly known and used as a spice but it can make a great tea full of flavour as well. It has a sweet taste, similar to the licorice taste. Star anise can be enjoyed as a tea by itself or in herbal tea mixes.
Star anise tea benefits:
– Hormonal Stimulant for both men and women
– Cold, Flu and Other Respiratory Ailments
– Digestion Problems
– Anti-fungal action
– Boosts the immune system
Preparation
Infuse 1-2 teaspoons of star anise tea in a cup of boiling water and let it steep for 10-15 minutes. It can be enjoyed simple or with some honey.
If you want to buy star anise tea, you can find it here:
Pukka Star Anise & Cinnamon
Organic Star Anise
Star Anise Chai
Cinnamon tea
Cinnamon is a well-known spice which originates from India. It is used for cooking in various dishes, especially for sweet treats. It is less known as a tea ingredient but it has lots of benefits and gives them a delicious taste. This spice is rich in minerals, and it is well-known for its specific scent and its relaxing properties.
Cinnamon Tea benefits:
– Regulates Blood Sugar
– promotes weight loss
– helps the digestive system
– prevents irregular menstruation
– fights the common cold and flu
– Reduces Inflammation
Preparation:
Use a cinnamon stick and boil it in water for 10-15 minutes. After that you can leave the cinnamon stick for another 10 minutes or more, depending on how spicy you like the flavour. Enjoy your tea without sugar as it has naturally a sweet taste.
You can also find it in an herbal mix as a tea bag. For this version you can just follow the instruction of that specific tea.
If you want to but cinnamon you can find it anywhere in the spices section. Here are some teas which contain cinnamon:
Higher Living Cinnamon Tea
Yogi Tea Classic Chai
Clove tea
Another spice you might have in your pantry are cloves. the beauty of herbal teas is that you can make them from things you already have in your kitchen. The active ingredient in cloves is eugenol, an essential oil, which has antiseptic and anaesthetic properties.
Clove tea can be used as:
– Hand Rinse
– Oral Infusion
– Compress for pains
– Hair Color Refresher
Preparation:
Put 1 tablespoon of freshly ground cloves into 1 liter boiling water and let it steep for 20 minutes. Strain the cloves and enjoy your tea.
If you want to buy teas which contain cloves here are some options:
Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice Herbal Tea
Yogi Tea Yogi Chai
Orange peel tea
As I was mentioning in the beginning of my post, oranges and mandarins remind of winter and Christmas time. Whenever I feel the specific scent I feel like I am in a festive mood. Orange peel tea is an easy to make at home tea or you can buy it already prepared and dried.
Orange peel tea benefits
– Powerful Anti-Inflammatory Agent
– Boosts Up Your Immune System
– Headaches and Migraines
– Great for Gas and Indigestion
– Cold and Flu
– Helps With Weight Loss
– Helps with Motion Sickness
Preparation:
Put a tablespoon full of dried orange peels and steep it into boiling water for 20 minutes or longer. You can also use fresh orange peel, just make sure you are using organic one!
For all the above teas, make sure you check with your doctor before using them, to prevent interaction with any treatments or conditions!
Love,
