The day I realized that rose petals are 1. totally edible and 2. actually contain loads of gorgeous health benefits, was a really, really, good day.
In fact, there are countless types of edible florals that make for a mighty-fine tea and can literally bring out the divine-essence within us all. Let’s start with the classic favorite: rose petals (or buds). Often used in Ayurveda medicine, rose tea is jam-packed with vitamin C (and just that much more glamorous than munching on an orange – let’s be real!). Furthermore, it makes you feel better - promoting an uplifting effect on the nervous system and helping to relieve insomnia, depression, and fatigue.
Also a pretty staple: hibiscus, which you may be more familiar with as a tea. It works great as an infusion for homemade kombucha as it brings out such a stunning & rich red pigment that helps you to imagine like you’re drinking a fairy potion of some sort (because you basically are). As if that wasn’t enough to get you excited: it can also aid in the relief from high blood pressure and high cholesterol, as well as digestive, immune system, and inflammatory problems. Those are basically all your problems – so drink up.
Now to get a little more passionate, with passionflower (okay, that was silly); this floral is incredibly powerful as it actually works to stop the aromatization of progesterone (“good” estrogen) into “bad” estrogen. Essentially, this means we are able to hold our sex hormones longer. This is important à for passion + so much more.
While not necessarily a “flower”, lemon balm still deserves a shout-out here, as who ISN’T dealing with stress these days?! Lemon balm is not only smooth and soothing to taste, it can play a key role in healing adrenal fatigue. In fact, studies have shown that it improves mood, calmness, and even prevents and reduces anxiety. Sign me up.
Now no decent wellness talk on teas would be complete without highlighting one of the greatest teas our beautiful earth has gifted us: CHAGA! In case you haven’t heard, mushrooms are the new “longevity food” for 2017, and they are booming (or blooming?).
Chaga is the most time-proven of all herbs in its anti-cancer properties and is extremely rich in anti-oxidants so it protects DNA material and breaks down radioactive isotopes. It’s also anti-aging, as there have been many reports of people who live beyond 100 years who consume Chaga daily.
Sure, you can order green tea on your next café date, but why not demand something a little more glorious: a chaga-rose latte perhaps? I’m sure they’ll have it…
