By Anne Davis/Special to e-KNOW

Organic herbal teas (tisanes) can provide you with vitamins and minerals, aromatherapy, antioxidants and even relief from nausea, bloating and/or headaches.  There are teas to help to lift your spirits, cleanse the liver, relieve sore throats and coughs, help you sleep and enhance digestion.

Herbal teas are an infusion of leaves, seeds, roots and/or bark. When drinking a properly steeped herbal tea, the benefits of these ingredients are easily digested. To properly retain the medicinal properties of these teas, they must be steeped for at least 10-15 minutes in a covered teapot to contain the essential oils that are so beneficial to us.

Herbs can be very potent, containing very strong and medicinal-like ingredients so it is important to be cautious with the type of tea you choose.  You don’t want to buy a tea that contains ingredients you might be allergic to (such as a chamomile tea for a hay-fever sufferer) or that might be too strong for a compromised immune system.  It is also not recommended that you drink herbal tea on a regular basis.

There are so many different herbal teas available these days that you might find it difficult to choose a tea that is best for you. Which one to try? Here are a few of the less potent varieties:

Peppermint – a good digestive, peppermint tea also helps to freshen your breath.

Ginger  – for relief of nausea, vomiting or upset stomach due to motion sickness.

Chamomile – for digestion and as a natural sedative.

Rosehip – a source of Vitamin C, Rosehip tea helps to ease headaches, dizziness and bladder infections.

Lemon Balm – Helps to lifts the spirits, especially good for those winter “blahs.”

Anne Davis is a writer, blogger, artist and photography buff.  Born in Quebec, she now lives in Kimberley, where she is editor of and contributor to the City of Kimberley’s Active Community Guide and webmaster for the city’s websites.

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