Photos courtesy of Blue Turtle
There’s something about a warm cup of tea on a cold day that invites a sense of comfort and calm. While you might choose to put on a spot of tea to cozy up, the benefits are much more than just warmth. Tea is known to provide tangible benefits for both physical and mental health. Elaine Reid, who some might know as the “tea goddess” and the owner of Uptown on Main featuring Blue Turtle Tea, revealed some of the benefits that come from a cup of herbal tea.
Even those of us who are not regular tea drinkers have likely reached for some leaves when we’re not feeling well, and that’s why Reid’s cold care tea is one of her bestsellers. This tea is a blend of chamomile, licorice root, lemon peel and peppermint, which is said to clear sinus congestion and get people back in tip-top shape quicker.
“You’re sitting there miserable and you make a cup of that, and five minutes later you’re going, ‘Oh, I feel better,’” says Reid. “It really helps, and people come back and buy it again and again.”
The benefits of tea aren’t just wives’ tales or anecdotal. A 2019 study by the National Institutes of Health suggests tea has anti-hypertensive effects. While Reid stresses that she does not dispense medical advice and suggests people check with their doctor before using tea for medical intervention, she has seen firsthand the positive effects of hibiscus in relation to blood pressure.
A healthy mind and body is impossible to maintain without a good night’s sleep, and herbal teas are great for managing insomnia. For better sleep, Reid suggests a quiet time tea, which works to fight insomnia using catnip, a special ingredient that your feline friend might find exciting, too. . According to Reid, this ingredient is said to have the opposite effect on humans as it does on cats, and can help people fall asleep faster.
Herbal tea provides real health benefits that, in some cases, may mitigate the need for medication. Even if one ignores all the scientist-approved health benefits of tea, simply brewing up a pot will certainly make you feel more calm and at peace, even if it’s just in your head. Just ask your doctor before replacing any medication with tea.
“Any (flavor) that sounds good to you probably would make you feel better,” says Reid. “If it makes you feel better, it relaxes you.”
Grace Lenehan Vaughn is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
Reid’s Spiced Hibiscus Tea Recipe:
- 1 whole orange
- 1 cup Blue Turtle Hibiscus tea leaves/flowers
- 2 Blue Turtle cinnamon sticks
- 3 oz. local honey
- 7 cups boiling water
- Ice
- Peel only the upper layer of the orange using a vegetable peeler. Do not remove the bitter white pith. Squeeze the juice of the orange and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the peel, hibiscus, cinnamon sticks and honey. Stir in water and cool to room temperature, about two hours. Strain into a pitcher and stir in orange juice. Serve over ice.
- Can be chilled for up to 24 hours. Makes six eight-ounce servings.
