There are few things as comforting as a hot cup of tea. Tea soothes the spirit on a rainy afternoon, perks us up in the morning, and, if we know how to use it, tea can provide powerful medicine to ease common ailments like colds, indigestion, 
coughs, mild anxiety and PMS.
Most of the herbal teas that you can buy in the store are what I consider “recreational” beverages. They taste lovely but have very little medicinal potency. Think about it: most herbs are gentle anyway and those teabags don’t hold much. If you’re looking for a therapeutic effect, you need to use a therapeutic dose.
That said, not everybody wants to order bulk herbs, blend them together, or boil them up for 45 minutes. You can still get a lot of medicinal goodness from pre-packaged teas if you follow these tips.
Maximizing Store-bought Teas:
1. Use teas for a nutritional boost or to address ailments that you’d otherwise treat with an over-the-counter medication. If you’re dealing with something more serious, seek professional help from an herbalist and/or your physician. Never try to treat complex or potentially serious conditions on your own.
2. Look for teas that are formulated to be medicinal and choose organic whenever possible. That said, you can absolutely use spice-rack remedies when push-comes-to-shove. (My favorites? Chewing a handful of fennel seeds for indigestion and pouring hot water over crushed anise seeds to ease a cough.)
3. Brew the tea very strong. Use two teabags instead of one and cover the cup with a small plate as the tea steeps to keep the volatile oils from dissipating. Steep with the cover on for at least 20 minutes.
4. Drink your tea at regular intervals throughout the day. For most medicinal teas, three strong cups per day would be the minimal dose.
5. Consult a health professional if your symptoms worsen, or if they don’t improve during a reasonable timeframe. Sometimes a serious illness can masquerade as a minor ailment. Self-help is important, but we all have to know when it’s time to reach out for specialized support.
I hope that you’ll use these tips to start getting more benefit from your store-bought teas right away! I’ll see you next week with a personal story—and a big announcement.
