Gut-Friendly, Immuni-Tea

Is there anything better than cozying up to a cup of hot tea in winter? I view it as one of the most comforting things on a cold day, and it’s also a great opportunity to bring more herbs into our lives. 

In my opinion, herbs are one of the most underrated powerhouses for our health. With careful selection, we can choose herbs that are helpful for specific ailments or wellness goals. Given that I’m all about the gut health, AND that it’s also cold and flu season, I’m sharing this Gut-Friendly Immuni-Tea blend with herbs that nourish the gut and strengthen the immune system.

Here are a few benefits of the herbs in this blend:

Elderberries

Elderberries have antiviral properties, particularly against cold and flu viruses. Amazingly enough, the polyphenols are also food to our beneficial gut bacteria, who then use them to create immune-boosting byproducts. It’s a lovely symbiotic relationship! This means you can both support your gut health and your immune health with one herb.

Hibiscus and Rosehips

Both are very high in Vitamin C for a healthy immune system. 

Ginger

Ginger is one of the best herbs to relieve gas, bloating, and nausea. It also supports motility, i.e. the way food travels through your intestines, and is especially good for those with constipation. Research suggests that ginger can have anti-microbial and anti-viral effects as well.

Cinnamon

Besides being tasty and sweet, cinnamon has anti-microbial properties, especially against certain bacteria and fungi. It also has polyphenols, which your “good” gut bacteria love.

There are even more benefits of these herbs not listed here (for instance, cinnamon can help to lower blood sugar), but for now I’m focusing on their gut and immune-supportive qualities.

Tips and How to Use:

• To make a stronger tea, lightly blitz the herbs in a blender. This increases the surface area of the herbs, which makes them more potent.
• Play around with steeping different amounts of tea to find the concentration that you like. I usually use around 1-2 tablespoons per mug of tea, or however much will fill one of my reusable tea balls.
• This tea can be steeped and then chilled for a tasty iced tea, too.
• The flavor is tart, fruity, spicy, and lightly sweet. If you want a sweeter tea, feel free to add more cinnamon chips into your blend. Of course, you can also always stir some honey in after steeping and adjust to desired sweetness.
• This tea makes a great gift for birthdays, Valentine’s Day, holidays, etc. Simply put it in a glass jar with a ribbon and include either a stainless steel tea ball or unbleached tea bags. Make it extra nice by including a pretty ceramic mug!

I hope you enjoy this tea, perfect for the season!