Most of us know a lot of about the best teas for sleep, digestion, stress, hormones and so much more.
But we often don’t know that a tea made from the flowers of a plant can be wildly different from a tea made from the leaves or root of that same plant.
Yet, if you’re thinking about incorporating more herbal teas into your life, these fundamental concept can make a noticeable difference in our ability to get the most from the teas, as well as our ability to enjoy the teas.
I’m saying this as someone who absolutely loves herbal tea and has benefited greatly from them for various aspects of my health. It’s one of my favorite ways to take care of myself, and over the years, I’ve experimented with all kinds of herbs, read herbal books, listened to herbal lectures and learned quite a bit through trial and error.
So I put this article together for the woman who’s new to herbal teas, or wants to start consuming them on a more regular basis.
These are the 5 fundamentals I wish someone had shared with me when I first started using them! Let’s dive in!
1. Start With Taste (Yes, It Really Matters!)
Let’s start with something that might seem obvious: you have to actually enjoy the tea you’re drinking.
I know, groundbreaking stuff, right? 🙂
But seriously, I think many of us have bought into the idea that we just have to choke down nasty herbal teas, especially when we’re using them for our well-being.
Now, there may be situations where someone chooses an herbal preparation for a specific purpose under appropriate professional guidance. But when we’re talking about everyday herbal tea as part of a lifestyle, enjoyment matters.
Because if you hate the taste, how excited are you going to be about making another cup tomorrow, next week, next year?
Thankfully, there are lots of delicious herbs to explore.
Here are a few that I think are worth getting familiar with:
- Peppermint and spearmint: Fresh, minty and familiar.
- Chamomile: Gentle, floral and slightly apple-like.
- Lemon balm: Mild, with a lovely lemony aroma.
- Hibiscus: Bright, tart and a captivating ruby-red.
- Lemongrass: Fresh and very citrusy (much more than lemon balm).
- Fennel and anise: Naturally sweet, with a soft licorice-like flavor.
- Red raspberry leaf: Similar flavor to black tea, even though it’s a completely different plant.
- Stinging nettle leaf: Earthy, dark green (almost black) tea
- Rosemary: Woodsy, aromatic and slightly pine-like, with a familiar savory flavor.
- Red clover: Mild, grassy and slightly sweet, with a gentle floral note.
- Oat straw: Very mild, grassy and earthy, with a soft, almost grain-like flavor.
As you can see there’s a lot of variety when it comes to flavor profiles. There’s something for those with a sweet tooth, something for those who like more earthy or grassy flavors, and even some citrusy options!
2. It’s Okay to Not Love Every Herb
This ties into the first point, but from a different angle.
Herbal teas are increasing in popularity because we’re all out here exploring how to care for ourselves.
And one place we get a lot of that wellness info is from social media. Now, while social media is a helpful place to start, a lot of the information is presented as “this is the one magical tea for X challenge and you must drink this one.”
But as someone who’s explored herbal teas for different purposes and read various books on the topic, I can tell you that there’s usually more than one herb to address our needs.
That’s because nature is abundant and she has given us what we need, no matter where we live in the world.
So, if you don’t like a certain tea (the taste, the consistency, smell, etc.) or it doesn’t agree with you in some way, that’s okay.
There are likely alternatives. You just need to educate yourself on the other options, or consult with a registered herbal practitioner. But don’t be fooled into thinking that there’s just one tea for stress, headaches or heart health.
3. Pay Attention to Quality and Freshness
One thing I’ve come to appreciate over the years is how much the quality of an herb can affect the experience of drinking it.
Think about the difference between a fragrant, freshly opened jar of dried herbs and a dusty old container that’s been sitting at the back of your cupboard for years.
Not exactly the same experience, is it?
How an herb is grown, harvested, dried, stored and handled can affect its aroma, flavor and overall quality.
This is one reason I personally enjoy buying bulk loose-leaf herbal tea.
I like being able to see the herbs, smell them and decide how much I want to use. There’s also something satisfying about opening a jar of beautiful dried leaves or flowers and preparing a cup from scratch.
And depending on the herb, supplier and quantity, buying loose-leaf tea can be much more budget-friendly than tea bags.
Again, this is just based on my personal experience with the teas I drink. A well-packaged tea bag from a reputable company can still be a better choice than poorly stored bulk herbs.
So, rather than assuming one format is always superior, here are a few things to pay attention to when shopping:
- The supplier: Look for companies that clearly identify the herbs they sell and provide information about sourcing and quality.
- The appearance: Dried herbs should look appropriate for the plant, without visible mold or signs of moisture damage.
- The aroma: Many aromatic herbs should still have a recognizable scent, although some naturally smell much milder than others.
- The packaging: Herbs should be protected from moisture, excessive light and heat.
- The quantity: Buy an amount you can reasonably use while it’s still fresh and enjoyable.
4. The Part of the Plant You’re Using Makes a Difference
When I first started drinking herbal teas I had no idea that the same part of a plant can produce different therapeutic benefits.
But over time I noticed that the leaf of stinging nettle is recommended for one thing, while the root of the plant is recommended for something else.
Same with dandelion leaf vs root and many other plants.
With herbal teas, sometimes we’re drinking a tea made from the:
- Leaves
- Flowers
- Roots
- Seeds
- Bark
- Berries
While the plant as a whole has certain general benefits, I’ve learned that each part can have different actions on the body.
So as you integrate herbal tea into your daily routine, it’s worth taking the time to study up on the basics of the plant.
In the past we used to have a village herbalist or medicine woman who would teach us all these things. And many of them are still out there on podcasts and such.
You just have to go seek them out actively to get this information for yourself. It’s an important part of using herbal teas correctly on a daily basis.
5. Consistency Matters More Than Going Overboard
If there’s one thing modern wellness culture is good at, it’s taking something beneficial and turning it into an Olympic event.
We hear about an exciting new ingredient and suddenly we want to use it in everything.
We try to cram all the “good” herbs into one smoothie, for example.
Surely consuming more of them is better, right?
Well, not necessarily.
Truth is your body can only handle so much of anything, including the good stuff. Now, there are cases when people consume large amounts of a specific tea because they’re working with a practitioner who’s put them on a specific plan, for example.
But for most of us, we just want to make room in our daily life for an enjoyable tea ritual.
That is when wellness and self-care goes from being a set of chores you have to do and becomes a way of life. Something that is as natural as breathing.
Bonus: Don’t Forget to Enjoy the Ritual…
Making tea takes just a few minutes. But those few minutes can be deeply nourishing and fulfilling when you take the time to enjoy the small details:
- Measuring out your herbs
- Putting the kettle on the stove
- Waiting for the water to heat up
- Turning off the whistling kettle (if you have one of those!)
- Pouring the water over the herbs and noticing how the water changes color or how the aromas start to float into the air.
Those few minutes might not seem like much, but I think they’re worth appreciating. Especially with our busy modern lives where we rush through taking care of our lives so we can get back to the business of being over-stimulated 🙂
Making tea gives you an opportunity to do something different. To slow down, pay attention to what you’re doing and enjoy the simple pleasure of preparing something for yourself.
For me, that’s a huge part of why herbal tea has remained such an important part of my life.
It’s not just about the herbs themselves. It’s also about creating little moments of care throughout the day.
And if you’re a woman who’s been looking for a gentler, more enjoyable way to approach her everyday wellness routine, tea can be a great place to start.
Not Sure Which Herbal Tea to Try First?
If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by all the choices, I’d suggest starting with item #1 from above: choose something based on the flavor, not just on the health benefits.
You can also start with a small selection of teas and see which ones you look forward to drinking.
Just be sure to check the safety information for each herb before making it part of your routine. Herbal teas can interact with each other and more so with pharmaceuticals.
Beyond that, give yourself permission to experiment and enjoy the process!
