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Search For the Green Tea You Like. Detox Tea.

Herbal teas have been used for thousands of years throughout the world to prevent health problems and alleviate symptoms of  illnesses.  In today’s world, Americans rarely think of drinking tea to treat common illnesses. People have been trained to run to over-the-counter and prescription medications invented and manufactured by the large and profitable pharmaceutical corporations.

Herbal teas contain the same active ingredients as herbs sold in capsules, powders and extracts but teas have fewer side effects and are much less expensive than the processed herbs in various forms.

Here’s a great way to get the most out of tea: Buy loose tea herbs - available at health food stores - they’re more potent. Use one tablespoon of dried herb or three tablespoons of freh herbs in eight ounces of boiling water. Turn off the stove at boiling point and let it steep for 10 minutes.

Drink four of these servings per day until you notice your problem is getting better. If you are 65 or older, stick to three cups a day. If you’re over 70, try only 2 cups a day for best results.

* Consult a doctor before you begin drinking herbal teas if you are currently pregnant, are a nursing mother or have some other chronic medical condition. Be very careful when drinking herbal teas and taking prescription medications. They sometimes don’t mix well and can aggravate certain conditions and can cause allergic reactions in some people.

Which teas are best for what?

Colds and flus - Assuming you have not been diagnosed with an autoimmune medical condition like lupus and you are not allergic to plants in the daisy family i.e ragweed,

echinacea stimulates white blood cell production and benefits the whole immune system function. Use Echinacea no more than 10 days in a row, because it loses its effectiveness in your body if you drink it all the time everyday. Moderation is the best policy with echinacea. Begin drinking it at the beginning of your cold or flu. Most of us can sense when something isn’t quite right with us and most of us can sense a flu coming on.  When you sense it coming on, begin drinking echincea.

If echinacea doesn’t do anything for you, you can also try elderflower and elderberry tea. They do pretty much the same thing and carry the same cautions.

Digestive disorders - Peppermint is great for this. It calms muscle spasms, eases intestinal cramping, contains antibacterial compounds, soothes ulcers and freshens breath after eating.  Don’t drink it if you are suffering from a bad case of digestive disorder - like a gallstone attack. Seek immediate medical attention.

Cardamom, ginger and cinnamon do pretty much the same thing and have wonderful effects for those with occasional bouts of indigestion.

Headaches - Try lemon balm is an anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic and contains magnesium - a muscle relaxant.

Avoid this herb if you have hypothyroidism or low thyroid function.

Try feverfew and rosemary herbs to do pretty much the same thing. Same cautions though.

Insomnia - Try linden flower - rich in Vitamin C, calms nerves, promotes rest, often given to patients before surgery to help them relax.

You can also use Chamomile and passionflower to get the same effect.

Low Libido - Oat seed, relaxes the nerves. This contains gluten, so make sure you don’t have gluten intolerance.

You can try cinnamon and raspberry leaf which do the same thing.

Till next time,

Bruce

Bruce Santucci is a self-taught health and wellness expert and is webmaster of Top Wellness Products and eating healthy choices.