Therapeutic Teas

Sometimes you just feel bad. You just have yuckiness in your bones, “ugh!” in your muscles and skin. You just want a nice hot cup of anything that can fix you. To feel the steam of it fill your nostrils before you drink it, feel the heat through that favorite mug.  You want a nice cup of tea. A cup of tea that can make everything right again. Luckily there are therapeutic teas you can make yourself to take the ick out of your life when you want that steaming mug of tea. Here are some great teas to use when you’re feeling under the weather.

• Constipation Tea

  Ingredients:

  • 3 parts fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seed
  • 1 part senna (Cassia officinalis, Senna alexandrina) leaf
  • ½ part cascara sagrada (Rhamnus purshiana) root
  • 1 part licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) root
  • ½ part cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum, C. aromaticum) bark

  If constipation persists after using this tea, try increasing the cascara sagrada to 1 part and the senna to 1 ½ parts.

  Follow the directions above to make a decoction.

• Sore Throat Soother

  Ingredients:

  • 2 parts licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) root
  • 1 part cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum, C. aromaticum) bark
  • 2 parts fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seeds
  • 2 parts echinacea (Echinacea purpurea) root
  • 1 part marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) root
  • ½ part orange (Citrus sinensis) peel

  If you can’t find marshmallow root, you can substitute slipper elm (Ulmus rubra) bark.

  Follow the directions above to make a decoction.

• Anti-insomnia Tea

  Ingredients:

  • 2 parts chamomile (Matricaria recutita) flowers
  • 2 parts passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) leaves and flowers
  • 2 parts lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) leaf
  • 1 part valerian (Valeriana officinalis) root
  • ½ part rose (Rosa canina R. spp.) hips
  • ¼ part lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) flowers

  Drink in the evening, at least an hour or two before bed (you don’t want to wake up because you need to use the bathroom). If you want something stronger, you can make this formula into a tincture take ¼ teaspoon of the tincture at bedtime.

  And there are three different therapeutic teas you can try, whether you’re blocked up, have a sore throat, or can’t sleep. There are plenty of other recipes and even some out of body tea remedies you can try. Some people even treat their hair with teas to help make it healthy. A cup of tea really is a glorious thing – whether you drink it for fun or for your health.