Teas For Colds and Stress
A TEA FOR COLD AND STRESS
Have you ever wondered how you manage to get through a particularly stressful period? Whether it’s an intense deadline at work, final
exams in school or a holiday, only to get sick after the stress has lifted?
It’s not a fluke. It’s a phenomenon that’s often referred to as “the let-down effect,” a pattern in which people come down with an illness not during a concentrated period of stress but after it dissipates.
During acute stress, the body releases key hormones, which can include cortisol, norepinephrine, and adrenaline. To prepare itself to fight or flee from danger and to trigger the immune system to step up certain types of surveillance. In the process, virus can trigger fatigue, fever, sore throat and swollen glands, for which symptoms are only obvious after a few days. That’s why the symptoms may appear after the stress lifts.
Peppermint Tea (Mentha Piperita)
Our first stop in the list of natural remedies is peppermint tea. This aromatic tea works well to reduce stress and relieves you from anxiety. The menthol contained in Peppermint is a natural muscle relaxant. When you’re stressed
out or anxious, you tend to feel very tense and irritable.
Drinking peppermint tea will help you have an overall calm. Because of the relaxing effect of peppermint tea and its lack of caffeine, it makes a wonderful tea to drink before going to bed. It will help you have a peaceful sleep, just what you need after a crazy day.
Note of warning though, peppermint tea may help reduce stress and anxiety, but pregnant women must avoid drinking it. This is because it may increase the risk of miscarriage.
Method of Preparation
You can use both dry and fresh peppermint leaves to make tea. For dry
peppermint leaves, add 1 tablespoon in about 8 ounces if boiling water. Allow to steep for 3-4 minutes. For fresh leaves, add crushed leaves in boiling water and allow simmering for 2 minutes. Strain before drinking.
Chamomile Tea (Matricaria Recutita)
Sometimes excessive stress and anxiety may cause sleeplessness.
Chamomile tea not only reduces stress and anxiety, but it also helps treat insomnia. Just like peppermint tea, chamomile tea has great benefits in relaxing the muscles and reducing irritability.
Method of Preparation
For dry chamomile, add 3-4 tablespoons in 8 ounces of boiling water. Allow to Steep for 5 minutes.
For fresh chamomile, add chamomile flowers into a pot of hot water to infuse for 3 minutes. Strain before drinking.
Lemon Balm Tea (Melissa Officinalis)
Lemon Balm is a calming herb that belongs to the mint family. No wonder it has a natural mint flavor with a slight taste of lemon. It reduces the stress
hormone called cortisol and relaxes the body without causing drowsiness. It also helps to elevate the mood.
Method of Preparation
For each cup of boiling water, add 1 tablespoon, if you’re using dried lemon balm leaves or 2 table spoons of fresh lemon balm leaves. Strain before
drinking.
Passion flower tea (Passiflora incanata)
Passion flower tea is another great natural remedy for stress and anxiety. This is because of the flavone chrysin contained in passion flower which has anti- anxiety benefits. Passion flower tea helps induce a peaceful sleep.
Although it’s safe and doesn’t cause adverse effect when interacted with other sedatives, it’s better to avoid passion flower tea if you’re taking such medication. Children under 6 months and pregnant and lactating women should avoid this tea.
Method of Preparation
Add 1 tablespoon of dried passion flower in a cup of boiling water. Allow to Steep for 10 minutes.