Wellness Wednesdays - Tea

Welcome to Wednesday’s Wellness Clinic. I can promise you I am not a doctor, a psychotherapist or a preacher, just someone with a lot going on inside her head looking for a way to calm the storm and impart that wisdom to you.

So, good news: I actually managed a whole day (and a half) without feeling anxiety breathing down my neck. Bad news: yeh, she’s back now. It’s honestly so weird how used to this feeling I am now that it’s gotten to the point where I don’t know what to do with genuine happiness when it sticks around for longer than an hour. It felt good though, enjoying the weather (even when it was stormy….in fact, because it was stormy), feeling more alive while listening to my music, and generally just going through my day not letting niggling thoughts or worries get to me. Now I have a workday to wake up to dreading tomorrow (yay!) but that’s not why I am here at all! No! I’m here to advise you how to escape, or at least alleviate, such symptoms, and this fortnight my remedy is tea.

Green, white, mint, chamomile, or just a standard cup of PG Tips with milk and 2 sugars, however you take it, there’s something instantly comforting about a warm mug in your hands. Now you could say that any hot drink has that effect and you’d be right, but tea has less sugar than a hot chocolate and less caffeine than coffee, so already you’re doing body a favour. And there are a plethora of health benefits to drinking green tea in particular, from lowering cholesterol and keeping your skin clear, to reducing the growth of certain cancers. Admittedly green tea isn’t for everyone; it can be a little difficult to get right – especially when overbrewing can lead to a bitter cup of grass flavoured water – but if you manage it, the taste is something else (I have often had to make myself a second cup when the first was just that good).

Alternatively, you might prefer a [sometimes equally tricky] herbal blend which can either be a single flavour or a mixture of several, many of which have useful properties. Ginger and mint for example are good digestive aides, while chamomile provides calm and aids sleep. I have become a little addicted to T2’s range of flavours, most recently the aptly named ‘Beauty Queen’, a mix of jasmine, rose, nettle, liquorice, moringa and green tea which reminds me of the relaxing scent of a spa. Check out their website and see what blends take your fancy (‘The Quiet Mind’ and ‘Gone Surfing’ are looking pretty appealing to me lately with ingredients ranging from passionflower to eucalyptus and elderflower). Pukka Herbs also have a great range – their Cleanse tea with fennel, nettle and peppermint is a fixture on my work desk right now for when I need a moment of clarity.

There is also straight black tea to consider; blends like Earl Grey and Darjeeling work very well on their own (that is, without the addition of milk and/or sugar, which some people would be inclined to use) and which are proven to boost your immune system. There isn’t much solid evidence as to whether the addition of milk interferes with the natural antioxidants in black tea, but I think it’s probably best to leave it out. There is also the herbal blend of Rooibos or ‘red bush’ which isn’t a black tea but has all the intense colour and flavour of one which is good for circulation, and the delicate Oolong blend which contains an amino acid useful in reducing anxiety (something I think I might have to test out).

If all of these floral and earthy flavours aren’t your cup of tea (pun completely intended) then there is always the not-quite-tea that is the fruit tisane. Coming in a medley of different flavours from berry to apple, lemon to mango, these bright drinks are perfect for brewing and chilling in summer by the jugful (just don’t add any extra sugar – they’re often sweet enough as they are!) Their lack of caffeine and occasional Vitamin C boost also means they’re healthier than many classic summer drinks like iced lattes and fruit squash. And they should help bring a little bit of sunshine into even the dreariest of days. Check out Teapigs fruity herbal range – their hibiscus and berry ‘Super Fruit’ tea rightly claims it ‘tastes as great as it smells’.

So, what does this all mean? Well, put simply, there is a tea for every occasion and your mind may just benefit from a couple of them. Certain herbs like chamomile and lavender are known for their calming properties but, as I mentioned in my last Wellness Wednesday on scent, it is often what smells good to you (and in this case tastes good too) that will determine what effect a certain tea has on you. But once you find the right one, you’ll always have a brew to look forward to.

Some facts taken from:

Penn Medicine: https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2019/december/health-benefits-of-tea

WebMD: https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/tea-types-and-their-health-benefits

Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/the-benefits-of-tea-with-milk#bottom-line