Teas

I have been talking about teas for awhile. Basically, at the bottom of my "food pyramid" is water followed by a subsequent stratification divided between herbs and spices. There are many herbs and spices that can lower our blood sugar, aid in digestion and even cure a headache. However, my challenge is in establishing a coherent blend. Essentially, I don't have an alchemist's touch when it comes to tea. I simply, add some cinnamon sticks to water one day, some mint and sugar the next. In short, my concoctions are pretty simple. I'd love to know what other people are trying. Essentially, I like to break things down to their simplest elements keeping my time as free as possible. To this extent I have come up with an easy plan:

Fall/Winter: Use spices in tea.
This is the time to cuddle up and get warm. Spices can help give us the feeling of a warm blanket as it their sweet aromas permeate a room. A few of my favorites go as follows:

Cinnamon Sticks: Adding a robust and "festive" flavor to your tea in winter, cinnamon also

Cloves: Adding a lot of spice with a little amount, a small pinch of cloves goes a long way. Plus,

Star Anise: Subtle in flavor, star anise can be combined with cinnamon, cloves or honey to add an extra depth of flavor.

Turmeric: Used mostly as a remedy for inflammation, I find turmeric to have a very neutral flavor and best when combined with sweet or spice.

Spring/Summer: Use herbs in tea.
During this time of year, the weather gets warmer and things/herbs/humans like to be outside. This is a great time to plant herbs and see them grow. A few of my favorites go as follows:

Mint: Mint is a good way to transition into spring, carrying over the peppery flavor of your spices into the softer flavor of your herbs. Plus, mint grows pretty quickly. Plant it in spring and you'll enjoy the plant throughout summer.

Lavender: While I don't suggest putting lavender directly in your tea, you can make a lavender syrup found here. Combine the lavender syrup with other citrus flavors such as lemon or orange to create your own "blend".

Chamomile: I recently received a seed catalog (Select Seeds maybe?) In it, there were many flower seeds for irises and the like. But a small section in the back had seeds categorized as herbs/medicinal. As I love tea and the healing properties of edible food, I was intrigued. Chamomile has properties that can clam our nerves and stomachs. Of course, it's all related, yes? I plan on planting some chamomile this summer and, I guess, finally try my hand at tea blends. 

If you have any blends you like, please feel free to comment in the comments section. I would love to know. For more information on healing herbs and spices you can visit Prevention's website: here.