Natural Choices — Health Food, Organic Produce, Gluten Free, Vitamins, Supplements — Columbus, Bartholomew County, Indiana

Posts Tagged ‘herbal teas’

Despite it being summer time and people being out and about and active in so many ways, there are nights when it is difficult to sleep. It could be stress, it could be lack of physical activity to wear you out, or it could be a myriad of other things. On those nights, it doesn’t matter to me what is causing me to stare wide-eyed into the darkness, all I know is that I want to go to sleep.

There are several herbs and plants that can provide some relief – and help you get some shut-eye, on a regular basis.

Chamomile has long been used for a relaxing tea.

Chamomile, besides being a great herb for digestive upset, is also widely known and used as a bedtime beverage in tea.

My grandma used to say a little chamomile tea is the best thing for most things that ail you. She would drink a cup of tea before bed and swear she slept like a rock.

It is the root of the valerian that is used in natural supplements.

Valerian is another plant known as an effective and reliable sedative and sleep aid.

According to the American Botanical Council, valerian is not like over-the-counter and prescription products in that it is not habit-forming nor does it leave you with that drowsy or hung-over feeling in the morning.

Another great way to ease into a good night’s sleep is to develop the habit of a relaxing bath before bed. Frontier National Products Co-op suggests a milk bath. Their easy instructions:

Infuse a handful of chamomile flowers and jasmine flowers in a small pot of warm milk for a few hours. Pour into your bath water.

Sounds like something you can start while preparing dinner and have ready just in time to take a nice, relaxing bath before going to bed.

Keeping dried lavender in a dish or bath has a relaxing effect in a home.

Getting sufficient recuperative sleep is critical to good health and long life.

Finding  ways to get a good night’s sleep naturally is not as difficult as you might think. Stop by Natural Choices and peruse the dietary supplements to find combinations specfically formulated to be sleep aids. Then check out the tea selections and herbs to find what you need or want to create your own tea and bath regimen.

You might also look at the essential oils to find those oils such as jasmine or lavender to use in aromatherapy and make your bedroom a scented haven for relaxing, restful sleep.

–Ellie of the Natural Choices Blog Team

I am well into my month of no soda pop, drinking only tea and water. I have to admit, I do feel better.

But all this talk about tea has made me realize, even though I have been a tea-drinker for many years, I don’t really know what “tea” is. I mean, coffee comes from the coffee bean. There are so many varieties of tea, so where does it come from?

According to Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, tea is:

1 a: a shrub (Camellia sinensis of the family Theaceae, the tea family) cultivated esp. in China, Japan and the East Indies, 1 b: the leaves, leaf buds, and internodes of the tea plant prepared and cured for the market, classed according to method of manufacture (as green tea, black tea or oolong) and graded according to leaf size (as congou, orange pekoe, pekoe or souchong)

But then, you might ask, what about all the flavored and herbal teas? Well, Webster refers to them, too:

3: any of various plants somewhat resembling tea in properties; also: an infusion of their leaves used medicinally or as a beverage

Alvita is just one of the brands of teas you'll find at Natural Choices.

The idea I take hold of from that is the “medicinal” comment about teas since that has always been the bent when offered a cup of black tea, green tea or an herbal tea. The powerful anti-oxidants in green and white teas can do so many things like lowering the rate of heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s. Not to mention the calming effect and stress reduction that comes from holding a hot cup of tea in your hands and just smelling the aroma – no matter what the type, flavor or brand is, it’s like a little cozy hug.

An added important note about teas: many teas have caffeine. Many herbal teas are caffeine-free and others may be decaffeinated. But you have to read the labels closely. If you monitor or eliminate caffeine in your diet, pay attention to the teas you purchase. The shelves are lined with a tremendous selection of decaffeinated and tasty teas at Natural Choices in Columbus, Indiana. You might have trouble just picking one, or two, or even three!

Healthy for you, tasty, and calming. Sounds like time for a cup for me!

–Ellie of the Natural Choices Blog Team