When I was a kid, I thought it sounded so glamorous to sip on herbal teas. My parents weren’t really into the new-age holistic, herbal scene out in the middle-of-nowhere East Texas, so it sounded super fancy and exotic when I heard of friend’s parents and family members using herbal remedies. After finally trying some of this elusive herbal tea (pretty sure it was from a box of Celestial Seasonings something-or-other), I concluded that it was alright, but nothing I would go out of my way to have. If you asked me, the sweet tea that my mom made tasted much better (it’s amazing, that sugar).
As I got older, I was drawn to learning more about herbs and their healing potential, and I came to realize it might not be so much about the enjoyment of drinking herbal teas over traditional black tea, but more about what each particular herb can do for me and how they make me feel in the long run. Maybe my friend’s parents really were onto something with those fancy herbs.
It took me a little while to realize how delicious, comforting, and healing herbs can actually be once you find a handful of your favorites and learn to make some proper blends. Now, I very much enjoy a nice cup of relaxing chamomile tea in the evening, or some peppermint tea after eating a big meal to help with digestion. Meadowsweet has saved me numerous times from horrible bouts of nausea, and dandelion leaves help rid my body of the extra water it loves to retain without depleting my body of potassium like over-the-counter diuretics.
I could go on and on about the wonderful benefits of hundreds and hundreds of herbs, but we can save all that business for another day.