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Tuesday, February 15, 2011

tea time

Drinking a daily cup of tea will surely starve the apothecary. ~Chinese Proverb

tea is a godsend. my current favorite is fresh ginger root. when it feels like a cold is lurking, i grate ginger in a mug of warm water and add a touch of honey. (not considered vegan as it is taken from the bees, but a soothing antiseptic i consume raw and local.)

ginger tea is said to help ease menstrual cramps as well as digestive discomfort and gastrointestinal issues. ginger has anti-septic properties and can also treat some stomach flus and food poisonings.

many of us have heard to drink ginger ale when we are ill or to ease a belly ache. fresh ginger tea gives us maximum healing benefits minus the large amount of sugar or corn syrup, which slows down the immune system and works against healing.

jasmine silvery strawberry ball, another lovely gift from hanane

 

tea leaves
tea loves
loves tea
lives tea
leaves tea?
never.
~Uniek Swain

chamomile is another favorite tea of mine. it just smells and tastes so nice. last summer i tried growing my own but didn't know to pinch off the flower heads when they were still alive. now i know for this growing season.


heathy shared some local chaga from sioux lookout, ontario when we met in toronto last summer. chaga is a medicinal mushroom high in antioxidants which heathy found growing in her own backyard!


chaga makes a magical immune-boosting, anti-bacterial cure-all used to treat illnesses from cancer to digestive disorders. imagine my relief when we passed through the border hounds!


 

 

some more tea faves include peppermint, spearmint, echinacea, and kombucha (not a hot tea, but indeed a healing elixir). green tea powder offers many benefits, but causes me to feel jittery.

are you a tea drinker? what are your favorites?

note: a highlighted bullet under a photo indicates it was not taken by me. you can click the bullet for the source.

happy tea-sipping!

"A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water." ~Eleanor Roosevelt

23 comments:

  1. omg ive just read so much about chaga because david wolfe got me into it - he praised it, called it his #1 longevity food! me = jealous!

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  2. drinking tea right now! nettles with some stevia. i love a good ginger tea too. very warming for when you eat a lot of raw foods.

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  3. Bitt and I have the same answer! Nettles, Ginger tea and kombucha are my favorites! I love tea, I drink 3 cups a day!

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  4. I love tea, but when I am feeling something coming on I make a tea with elderberries I pick and freeze whole. When I need, them I put them in a cup of hot water and sip. A great anti-viral.

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  5. Oooh I love tea! English breakfast tea, peppermint tea, chai tea - mmmmmm! Us British people drink sooooo much of the stuff. Love the little rhyme :-)I think I'll put it on my kitchen wall :-)

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  6. jane, do you grow them or pick them in the wild? i really need to look into foraging medicinal edibles grown locally. maybe i can find a group or some type of guide.

    emma, isn't it cute?!=)

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  7. I adore tea... both store bought and garden-picked. :) My current favorite is The Republic of Tea's "Get Clean" tea, with milk thistle and dandelion. :)

    And I did not know to pick chamomile flowers while they are still alive... thanks for the tip! I have some chamomile seeds growing in the windowsill as we speak. :)

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  8. hi ashley, i can't wait to harvest wild dandelions for greens and tea this summer!

    as for the chamomile tea, i read you can use the flowers fresh or dry them for later use.

    happy chamomile-growing! i'll be with you in a few months.=)

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  9. i love tea, drink it every day. i like the first picture, looks delicious ;) I drink kombucha all the time, and i chai... chamomile or jasmine would probably be my favorite. can't choose!

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  10. LOVE tea, especially green teas:

    - genmaicha (japanese green tea with roasted rice)
    - jasmine
    - earl grey

    LOVE those balls of flower teas - so pretty

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  11. I drink green tea all day long, and I keep a glass of iced green tea on my bedstand at night, swigging from it whenever I awaken---puts me right back to sleep. Cindy drinks---like most women---all manner of black and exotic teas that smell feminine and repel most men. Ha.

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  12. Kelly, I have elderberry trees growing wild on my property. I also make a wine from them. They grow quite well. Our co-op had a speaker last year that offers a guided walk through the city and she would show you all the wild edibles and medicinals. Maybe you could track down something like that in your city.

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  13. I love tea, all kinds, and I drink several cups a day. This is really an interesting post, love that tea mug.

    -Brenda

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  14. i just discovered your blog and im excited to jump in! especially with a great post like that one...and yes, tea is a gift from heaven!

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  15. Oh I collect Tea! No serious I do, I love a good Cuppa of anything - In all fairness Im british lol!. I'm addicted to Green Tea with berries and a organic fresh herbal blend, unfortunatly its recipe is secret. :P

    Plus: Make Tea not War - invented by Danny Wallace in Yes Man I believe :)

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  16. griffen, i'm sipping chamomile as we speak. i'd love to try jasmine.

    antony, i'm fine with coffee, i wonder why green tea has such an effect on me? genmaicha sounds interesting...

    clint, ha! don't be such a man.=)

    thanks jane! i'm looking...

    thanks for visiting, brenda!=)

    hi rg! welcome and thank you!=)

    mel, i'm not sure who started but i love it. make anything but war!=)

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  17. I love tea! I drink so many different types. I really love mint tea with fresh mint leaves, and ginger tea helps with digestion and is soothing at the end of the day. There are lots of little tea shops in my area that have flavoured teas and there are so many different kinds...I'm addicted to a "pina colada" flavour.
    I live in Toronto, but I've never heard of chaga. Unfortunately, there are no medicinal mushrooms growing anywhere near me!

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  18. I actually am looking for a new tea...got tired of the ones I was drinking. Have to do herbal--can't get the heart all in a flutter.
    Great post.
    Peace & Raw Health,
    Elizabeth

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  19. ooopps forgot to ask, how do you consume chaga?? We have 3 family members with wicked GI/IBD problems.
    Thanks.
    Peace,
    E

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  20. I looove tea! Our whole family consists of tea drinkers! My favourite teas are these which are made using own-picked herbs - like peppermint and chamomille and I don't know all the names in English... They are really good for your health. I also love other tea like white and rooibos/redbush.

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  21. hi hayley! mmm, pina colado sounds yum! i've read that chaga grows on white birch trees up north. unless you know for a fact, i wouldn't give up hope that there are medicinals growing around you!=)

    elizabeth, daniel vitalis made these two great videos - one shows how to find and harvest chaga mushrooms (i think they are mostly found up north, unfortunately) and the other how to brew the tea. (he now cuts the black part off). maybe there are wild medicinals in your area that you could harvest yourself. i'm looking for a local guide to help me. wouldn't that be a great homeschool lesson?!

    stalking the wild chaga mushroom with daniel vitalis part I and part II.

    lela - i didn't know you grew your own herbs! how lovely!!!

    xoxo

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  22. Ginger is beneficial. Tea is beneficial, too. Put them together and you'll get a wonder drink! It really gives us everything from anti-oxidants to antiseptic for our teeth. From dental health to our overall health, this drink is quite rewarding. And yes, chamomile is a dear charm as well.

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