How to tips & ideas

I have heard a saying "The only thing harder than breaking a habit is creating a new one". Change is often not easy. Here are some things I have found that has helped make daily herbal tea drinking easier for me. Hope some of these help you too.

Depending on the herbs and how they feel in your body you may only want to drink one to three cups a day. My mentors say that a good "dose" of herbal tea a day is about one liter or a quart a day for at least a week to a month. Sometimes even longer, depending on the herbs and the goal.

Most herbal teas - Place loose plant material in a fabric or metal tea "bag/ball", place herbs directly in cup, or buy some teas. Pour on hot water and let steep/sit for 5-15 minutes. It is helpful to place a "lid" (which can be a small plate) on top of the cup to help trap any aromatics. Aromatics like lavender (lavandula spp) or peppermint (mentha x piperita). Though you could just hold the cup under your nose and breathe in the aromatics as the tea is steeping. Also if plant material is floating in your cup it will not hurt to drink that down too.

I have a one liter water bottle that I fill with my tea and drink on it through out the day. This water bottle is great for cold teas since the bottle would not be very happy with very hot water. It is also great for those times that I feel dried out or I am going on a hike or about to have a very physically demanding work day. Those days I add some marshmallow root (Althea officinalis) and water to the bottle either the morning of or the night before.

When I am working with herbs for mineral content like red clover (trifolium pratense) or stinging nettle (urtica dioica) they need time to sit because minerals take a lot of effort to extract. It is helpful at bedtime and sometimes earlier in the day ( when ever I have time)  I place these herbs in a french press about the bottom inch or two, then pour very hot water in, place the press part (the top) on and only push it down to keep the plant material or marc under the water then let sit till I get up. In the morning I pour this tea into my water bottle and drink on throughout the day. I use this method often for many teas since this is a helpful time saver. Not ideal but still beneficial I will also add roots or tougher plant material. Like ginger root, burdock root, dandelion root for some examples. Though the best method for the tougher plant materials is a decoction. Also when I am trying to support my digestive health I will add apple cider vinegar with the mother to my water bottle in the morning as well. Or when I want a special pick me up a drop or two of vanilla can be pleasant with some teas.

When I am wanting hot teas or I forgot to make my tea I use an air carafe or my french press (does not need an extra strainer). I fill this with my herbal tea, the bottom inch (at least two tablespoons per quart) add hot water. I have a small tea cup I place next to it on the counter and this little strainer i got from dollar tree. Through out the day I will pour the tea through the strainer into my cup and drink my nice still warm/hot tea.

When I know I have one of those weeks too busy for words coming up I have also just made a pitcher (nearly a gallon) of herbal tea. Place pitcher in fridge and either fill up my water bottle every morning or just drink a cup. Herbal teas can be good in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Onto the not so tasty. I have tried a few teas that honestly is just not a good flavor to me. BUT some of these teas after drinking for a few days I have noticed this or that does feel "better" or "less cranky". So now I have a tea that in my body feels supportive but to my taste buds not so supportive. MIX with some juice, haha all "medicine" can taste like pumpkin juice {I say to the nurse from harry potter}. 

Like bitter tasting teas. Some are enjoyable while others, yuck. With these teas to help them be more palatable I have found that pouring 3/4 to maybe as little as half the cup with the tea then adding some juice can help, mixing tea with a fruit smoothie, or mixing with a good hot cocoa etc etc. So if you find a tea that you notice feels helpful in your body but nasty to your taste buds you do not have to just power through. Or you can just drink a shot glass worth at a time.

Also to note you can try adding strong flavor herbs like ginger or cinnamon to these teas to help make them more palatable.

Also another fun way to enjoy herbal teas and help support digestion and energy levels (at least for me it does) is Switchel. You can find recipes online for switchel. I have made herbal teas and decotions strained and then followed the recipe for switchel. My favorite so far is a decoction of ginger root, burdock root, fennel, licorice and dandelion root. An herbal tea of echinacea, red clover, calendula, and chamomile. I take the strained water mix and then follow switchel instructions.  We like to call it when I make it "witchel" hahaha..... Though my herbal recipe is always changing when I make this, it has been enjoyable every time. Except that one time i added tooooo much vinegar. :)