“In the nectar, there is an answer.”  ~ Regina Spektor

Herbal teas are a simple way to give your body nutrients from plants and herbs–without having to bring lots of vegetables into your diet. Herbs are nutrient-dense plants that contain essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, many of which are water soluble. When you drink herbal teas, you are nourishing your body with compounds that can support overall health and nutrition. The longer the steep, the  higher the nutritional content in your tea. Herbal teas come with minimal safety risks since food herbs are meant to be consumed. (However, individual allergies or contraindications with medications must be considered.)

In addition to the nutritional benefits, herbal teas are an easy way to build a daily practice of self-care. Making a cup of tea for yourself or a loved one is a universal signal of care. And what’s more relaxing than blowing the steam off a freshly-brewed cup of tea?

The trouble with store-bought teas

Even high-end herbal teas come with certain downsides. Unless you are buying tea labeled “organic,” you risk drinking pesticides and other chemical desiccants along with your tea. Store-bought teas have a long shelf-life, so the herbs may be several years old when you buy them. Highly-processed herbs will lack the nutritional density of those more recently-dried and minimally-processed, since the finer the herbs are crushed, the more rapidly they begin losing potency. 

If you check the ingredients in your teas, you may notice terms like “natural flavors.” While this gives the impression they come only from nature, in fact, this is not the case. “Natural flavors” are chemically-derived flavoring agents food manufacturers add to their products. While the original material must be derived from plants or animals, these undergo significant chemical processing that requires the addition of chemical additives. 

Finally, consider the composition of the tea bags. Do they contain plastic sealants? Are they mesh, a new feature of many high-end tea brands, and also made of plastic? If made of paper, were they bleached? When you pour boiling water over these types of teabags, micro-plastics and other chemicals are likely being released into your teas. 

The difference with Katy’s Teas

Katy’s Teas are made largely from the herbs grown in my gardens with chemical-free farming methods. In some cases, organically-sourced ingredients are added to complement a blend. However, I endeavor to source these as locally as possible. Katy’s Teas are sold loose without bags, so you can customize each cup based on your desired flavor. For a stronger blend, add a little more tea and/or steep a few minutes longer. For a medicinal dose, you can leave the herbs steeping overnight.

While you certainly can place the herbs in a tea bag, tea ball, or other herbal infuser, you can also just brew them in a pot of water and strain after you’ve steeped to your taste. According to herbalist Heidi Villegas, giving the herbs the space to bloom will yield an infusion with the greatest potency of nutritional compounds. However you steep, be sure to cover your cup or pot to keep volatile oils from escaping with the steam.