By - July 22, 2024
Categories: General
Let’s face it – adulting can be a drag. Between work, bills, and that persistent existential dread, sometimes you just want to crawl into a comfy pile of blankets and sip tea until all your troubles fade away. Well, good news! Traditional Chinese Medicine has been around for thousands of years and has some great tea recommendations to help you tackle whatever your day throws at you!
Putting Together Your Pantry Pharmacy
Ok, maybe not an entire pharmacy, but today we’re going to explore the top 5 herbs you should have on hand to tackle whatever ails you, from the sniffles to the stress sweats. Bonus – none of these are hard to find OR taste terrible!
Ginger (Sheng Jiang)
As we’ve discussed before, everything in Traditional Chinese Medicine revolves around the balance of yin and yang. Think of yin as the cool, calming energy and yang as the warm, stimulating energy. Ginger has Big Yang Vibes. This means it tends to help with issues caused by too much yin energy – nausea, chills, and sluggish digestion.
Use it for:
- Tummy Troubles: Feeling like you’ve ridden the Tilt-a-Whirl a little too long? Ginger is your nausea-fighting friend. Whether it’s morning sickness, motion sickness, or just some general stomach upset, ginger can help settle things down.
Recommended Preparations:
Ginger Tea: slice or grate some fresh ginger (about a thumb-sized piece) and steep it in hot water for 10-15 minutes. You can add honey or lemon for extra flavor.
Ginger Chews: These are readily available in most grocery stores and are a convenient way to get a dose of ginger on the go. Look for ginger chews made with real ginger and avoid ones loaded with sugar.
- Chills: Feeling a bit under the weather with chills and a sluggish body? Ginger can help you break a sweat and get your internal fire going again.
Recommended Preparation:
Soup: Sauté some chopped ginger with garlic and vegetables, then simmer in broth with your favorite noodles or rice
Peppermint (Bo He)
Energetically speaking, peppermint is kind of ginger’s opposite. Where ginger is an explosion of yang energy, peppermint rocks the yin energy. That means it’s helpful for things like headaches, bloating, and even muscle tension.
Use it for:
- Headaches: Feeling like your brain is in a vice grip? Peppermint tea to the rescue! The cooling properties of peppermint can help soothe tension headaches and leave you feeling refreshed.
Recommended Preparations:
Peppermint Tea: Steep 1-2 teaspoons of dried peppermint leaves in hot water for 5-10 minutes. Strain and enjoy warm, or let it cool for a refreshing iced tea.
- Digestion & Bloating: Feeling like you swallowed a balloon? Peppermint can help you relax those digestive muscles and ease bloating and gas.
Recommended Preparation:
Peppermint Infused Water: Add a few slices of fresh cucumber and some peppermint leaves to your water pitcher.
- Aches & Pains: Peppermint oil (diluted, of course!) can be applied topically to sore muscles to provide a cooling and numbing sensation.
Recommended Preparation:
DIY Peppermint Oil Massage: Dilute a few drops of peppermint essential oil with a carrier oil (like coconut oil) and massage it onto sore muscles for relief.
Licorice Root (Gan Cao)
While ginger has yang energy, and peppermint has yin energy, licorice walks the line between both! It has some calming properties, but it can also be slightly stimulating. This makes it a versatile tool for treating a variety of ailments.
Use it for:
- Coughs: Feel like a hacking, wheezing mess? Licorice root tea can soothe your throat and ease that pesky cough. It’s like a natural cough drop, minus the artificial flavors and questionable ingredients.
Recommended Preparations:
Licorice Root Lozenges: Look for lozenges made with real licorice and minimal added sugar.
- Digestion & Ulcers: Licorice can help soothe inflammation and ease digestion, and has been shown to be helpful in soothing stomach ulcers!
Recommended Preparation:
Licorice Root Tea: Steep a teaspoon of licorice root in hot water for 10-15 minutes. You can add honey, lemon, or ginger for extra flavor. (Remember, a little licorice goes a long way, so start with a small amount and adjust to taste.)
Astragalus Root (Huang Qi)
Now that we’ve got your yin and yang balance covered, let’s talk about your Qi! Qi is your body’s vital energy – the force that keeps everything running smoothly. Astragalus root acts like a qi-boosting power-up for your internal systems! It’s believed to help strengthen your immune system, fight fatigue, and even support overall well-being!
Use it for:
- Fatigue: Feeling like you could sleep for a week straight? Astragalus root mihgt help! It’s thought to combat fatigue and leave you feeling more energized to conquer your day.
Recommended Preparations:
Astragalus Tea: Steep some dried astragalus root in hot water for 15-20 minutes. (This flavor can take some getting used to, so start with a small amount and adjust as needed)
- Immune System: Feel like every germ within a 10-mile radius is plotting your demise? Astragalus root might be your answer!
Recommended Preparation:
Supplements: If tea isn’t your thing, astragalus root is also available in capsule form.
Elderflower (Xu Sam)
Elderflower is another key tool to keep in your Traditional Chinese Medicine mini-pharmacy. It has cooling properties that are especially useful in treating fevers, coughs, and congestion.
Use it for:
- Fevers: Feeling like a human furnace? Elderflower tea might be the answer! Its cooling properties can help reduce fevers and bring your body temperature back down to a reasonable level
Recommended Preparations:
Elderflower Tea: Steep some dried elderflower in hot water for 10-15 minutes. You can add honey or lemon for extra flavor.
- Coughs: Elderflower can help soothe a sore throat and ease coughing
- Congestion Clearer: Feeling like you’ve swallowed a whole cotton ball? Elderflower can help clear up congestion and make breathing a little easier, without the weird side effects.
Recommended Preparation:
Elderflower Cordial: Feeling fancy? Try some elderflower cordial! It’s a sweet and floral syrup that can be enjoyed diluted in water or added to cocktails. Just look for a reputable brand or DIY recipe as elderflower can be toxic if not prepared correctly.
Level Up
If you’ve got woes that these 5 superstars can’t handle, then it’s time to call your Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner! They can recommend further treatments or herbal blends specifically designed for you and your condition.
But for the day to day issues we face, these herbal rockstars can help you make life a little easier. Stock up, and start feeling better!
Be well.
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This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease or illness. Please consult your healthcare provider prior to the use of this product if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications or have a medical condition. Individual results may vary.
