Peppermint Tea Archives - Journey With Healthy Me

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This post is inspired by real-life events. A few days ago, Greg exhibited cold symptoms including sneezing, sniffling and itchy eyes. Like me, he doesn’t typically take over the counter meds. He does not need to. I know exactly which herbal tea to prepare for him.

After only one cup of hot tea, he felt better. His eyes stopped itching and I didn’t hear a sneeze the rest of the evening. The next day, after two cups of herbal tea, one in the morning and one in the evening, his cold symptoms completely disappeared.

I love healing naturally, especially when it takes the form of a cup of hot tea.

Check out the best herbal teas for cold and flu season. When dealing with bugs, colds and flus, reach for one of these soothing drinks to speed healing.

The Best Herbal Teas for Cold and Flu Season title meme

The Best Herbal Teas for Cold and Flu Season

We are currently in the midst of cold and flu season. In fact, it is quite severe in my area. This year scary reports of a new strain of flu, the corona virus, is creating alarm.

When the sniffles strike or the flu causes you to curl up under a blanket with a box of tissues nearby, create one of these ultra-healing teas. The hot herbal drinks relieve congestion, soothe a sore throat and ease headaches and tense muscles.

Add a spoonful of raw, organic honey to combat coughs. Squeeze fresh lemon or orange juice into the tea for a boost to the immune system. And sip on these teas all day. Another important benefit from drinking tea is hydration, which helps clear mucus from the nose and lungs and restores health more quickly.

Chamomile

This tea, made from the flowers of the herb chamomile, is well known for helping the body relax into sleep. However, chamomile’s anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties fight against cold and flu bugs while eliminating head and chest congestion. The herb soothes sinus headaches associated with the flu and it really does relax the body. While healing from a cold or the flu, a good night’s rest is helpful and restorative.

Steep two teaspoons of dried chamomile in a cup of very hot water, for 15 minutes.

Chamomile Tea — The best herbal teas for cold and flu season – chamomile

Echinacea

A member of the daisy family, this flowering herb is also known as purple coneflower. It is commonly found growing in fields, fence rows and flower borders. I grow this flower in my backyard garden. Due to its powerful anti-inflammatory properties, echinacea reduces the risk of catching a cold by more than 50%. During cold and flu season, drink a cup of this herbal tea every day to minimize the chances of catching a virus.

Echinacea helps the body to heal more quickly if it is under attack from a cold or flu bug. It eases sore throats, relieves sinus and chest congestion and soothes an ear ache. And it provides natural pain relief for the achiness that accompanies the cold or flu.

Steep two teaspoons of dried echinacea, or a couple of fresh blooms, in a cup of very hot water for 15 minutes.

Echinacea Tea — The best herbal teas for cold and flu season – echinacea

Ginger

This flavorful herb is a powerhouse of healing benefits. It soothes the body struggling with the cold or flu. Ginger’s anti-inflammatories and its antiviral and antibacterial properties fight against infection. The herb relaxes tight throat muscles and eases muscular pains throughout the body. Additionally, ginger relieves headaches and heals sinus and ear infections. And because ginger aids the entire digestive system, if nausea is present due to flu, this herb helps calm the stomach.

Add one teaspoon of freshly grated ginger to a cup of very hot water. Steep for 10 minutes. Add a dollop of raw, organic honey and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for a powerfully healing hot drink.

Ginger Tea — The best herbal teas for cold and flu season – ginger

Peppermint

Ahhh, peppermint, my go to herb for almost everything! Peppermint is a member of the mentha family, along with spearmint. The menthol in the herb’s leaves soothes a sore throat while calming a cough. Menthol relieves congestion as well, while its antiviral properties fight cold and flu viruses…and symptoms.

Like ginger, peppermint restores the entire digestive system, a bonus when the flu causes an upset stomach.

Add two teaspoons of dried peppermint to a cup of very hot water. Steep for five to ten minutes. Or use a sprig of fresh peppermint instead of dried.

Peppermint Tea — The best herbal teas for cold and flu season – peppermint

Nettle

When Greg’s cold symptoms appeared, I immediately grabbed this herb. Nettle, also known as nettle leaf, supports a body under stress. When attacked by cold or flu viruses, the body goes into reactionary mode. This potent herb is packed with phytochemicals, anti-inflammatories and alkaloids. They calm the reactionary symptoms in the body, relieving itchy, watery eyes, sniffles and a scratchy throat.

Nettle fights infections of all kinds and it is a natural pain reliever. At the first signs of flu or a cold, brew a pot of nettle tea and combine it with other herbs for the most benefits.

This is my favorite cold remedy:

Add two teaspoons dried nettle leaf, two teaspoons dried peppermint and two teaspoons dried lemon balm to a mesh tea ball. Drop into a teapot and add boiling water. Cover teapot and allow tea to steep for 15 minutes. Add raw, organic honey if desired, and freshly squeezed lemon or orange juice.

Sip on this tea throughout the day. I rarely catch a cold, however if I show symptoms this herbal tea eliminates them within 24 hours.

The Best Herbal Teas for Cold and Flu Season Nettle — The best herbal teas for cold and flu season – nettle

Fight that Cold or Flu and Win

Ginger is available in the produce section of most grocery stores, such as Natural Grocers or Walmart.

Pick up dried herbs below, to make your own herbal teas. Fight the battle against the cold and flu and win, while naturally boosting your immune system. A strong immune system is the best defense against the viruses that create those miserable symptoms.

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It’s seems fitting to close the year with a post about peppermint tea benefits. Although this distinctive herb flourishes in the summer months and it is available year round, many associate peppermint with the holidays. Think of gingerbread houses with peppermint candies adorning them. Or imagine steaming mugs of hot chocolate with a stick of peppermint as a stirrer.

For the more health conscious, avoiding sugar, peppermint leaves make a flavorful hot tea that pairs well with healthy treats. The herb does so much more than contribute flavor, however. It offers healing benefits as well.

Peppermint Nutrition

Spearmint and peppermint are members of the mentha family. Peppermint has a higher level of menthol than spearmint, which has a sweeter flavor. The plant originated in Asia and the Mediterranean and has been used for thousands of years medicinally and in teas and cooking.

Nutritionally peppermint offers vitamins A, B and C, iron, manganese, calcium, folate, protein and fiber. It also contains small amounts of phosphorus, potassium, zinc and copper.

Mint is extremely easy to grow in gardens and containers. In fact, the plant is considered invasive. I grow peppermint and spearmint in my herb garden, off by itself where I can limit the spread of the plants.

Peppermint Tea Benefits

Add peppermint into the diet for the following health benefits:

• Aids digestion. Improves hydrochloric acid levels in the stomach and soothes intestinal spasms. Peppermint calms and cleanses a spasmodic liver, reducing liver heat brought on by toxins. It also helps the liver rebuild its glucose and glycogen storage reserves. (From Liver Rescue by Anthony William)

• Soothes an upset stomach, easing nausea and indigestion, and calms the entire digestive system. Peppermint is especially beneficial for those experiencing irritable bowel syndrome, a condition that causes abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, bloating and cramps.

• The menthol in peppermint relieves congestion and eases the symptoms of colds and flus.

• Powerful anti-microbial properties freshen the breath and kills off bacteria in the mouth.

• Just inhaling the aroma of peppermint enhances brain function and memory and increases alertness.

• Balances hormone levels in women, easing a condition known as polycystic ovary syndrome.

How to Make Peppermint Tea

Peppermint is available as an essential oil or a tincture. Dried peppermint leaves are available in bulk form for tea or it is easily found packaged in teabags. Use 2 – 3 teaspoons of dried peppermint leaves in a cup of hot water. Cover and steep for 15 minutes. Use teabags in hot water and steep for the same amount of time. Sweeten with raw honey if desired.

My favorite way to enjoy peppermint tea is to pick a few sprigs of the herb from my garden. After lightly rinsing the leaves I add them to very hot water, cover and steep for 15 minutes. Peppermint leaves can be combined with a variety of other fresh herbs for a hot drink that not only blends flavors but boosts health benefits.

Tonight I walked into the herb garden, with a flashlight. The garden sleeps in the cold, crisp air. In late fall I cut back the mint plants however, hope spurred me on this evening as I peered closely at the ground. I found them…tiny peppermint leaves pushing upward out of the rich soil.

Those tiny fresh leaves created one perfect cup of hot peppermint tea. I am savoring it.

Check out my Amazon Storefront for Liver Rescue and other Anthony William books, and for peppermint tea.

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