Turn Any Coffee or Tea Into An Herbal Coffee or Herbal Tea:
Herbal Coffee and Herbal Tea for Healing Chronic Conditions: Since discovering I have Chronic Lyme Disease, I’ve used herbal coffee and tea blends to help with symptoms. Because I’m prone to heart palpitations, I had to switch to herbal teas with no caffeine and stop drinking coffee, but the herbal additions that worked for my morning coffee are just as good in my morning herbal tea recipes.
If you’re trying to stay away from caffeine, keep in mind that green and black teas contain caffeine, but herbal teas don’t. I can drink green tea on occasion, and black tea very rarely, but I can’t steep black tea for very long without it causing palpitations.
From herbal coffee recipes to herbal tea: I mixed these herbs into my regular store bought coffee, then into a mushroom based coffee (MUD), then into my store bought teas. I also mix them into my home brewed teas that I make from herbs from my garden.
These herbal blends taste great in either coffee or tea, so feel free to experiment!
How to get started: the beautiful thing about turning your coffee or tea into an herbal coffee or herbal tea is that there are no rules: have fun, experiment, and enjoy the benefits of adding extra antioxidants and other healing properties into your morning routine. If caffeine isn’t an issue for you, green tea is incredibly healthy and is wonderful with added herbs.
I mix powdered herbs straight into my tea without straining – for some herbs, this does require extra stirring while I drink my tea. You can also use cheese clothe to strain your powdered herbs and remove them before you drink it. Special cheese clothe bags are available for brewing hot and cold teas, making nut milk, and more, and are useful if you don’t want powders accumulating in the bottom of your cup.
For my tea, I use a simple tea kettle that I warm up on the stove, but there are many other ways to create your herbal creations including electric tea kettles, pots with built-in infusers, and more!
There are no rules for creating an herbal coffee or herbal tea; I mix powedered herbs straight into my tea without straining.
Sweet Herbs For Your Herbal Coffee or Herbal Tea Recipes:
These herbal additions have wonderful qualities (easily dissolved and healthy) and flavors for mixing into your favorite coffee or tea blend:
- Cinnamon
- Astragalus
- Cissus Quadrangularis
- Ginger
- Licorice
- Chasteberry (mildly fruity flavor)
For best results, be sure to add the herbs into HOT coffee or tea, then give them a chance to dissolve before a final mix. Then enjoy!
Fresh Herbs For Making Your Own Herbal Tea:
Blending your own tea is incredibly easy, and a simple tea can be made from fresh leaves and flowers. You can grow your own or buy fresh leaves and flowers from local stores, and the easiest leaves/flowers to grow or buy are typically peppermint, lemon balm, chamomile, and hibiscus.
You can place leaves directly in hot water to steep, or you can use tea strainers or cheese clothe for easier removal of the leaves. Herbal teas are very heat tolerant, so you don’t have to worry about water temperature – the hotter, the better!
Jen’s Herbal Mixes For Specific Uses:
Jen’s Chronic Lyme Herbal Protocol:
My chronic Lyme protocol focuses on mild antibiotic and adaptogenic actions.
- Goldenseal (EXTREMELY bitter, floats to top so only taste it for the first couple drinks)
- Uva Ursi (mildly sweet, dissolves easily) 1
- Ashwagandha (daily, take breaks on occasion – also part of my hormone blend)
- Collagen (no flavor, dissolves easily, mildly frothy) 2
Goldenseal and Uva Ursi are added in my morning herbal tea as needed, while Ashwagandha and collagen are a daily addition.
For even more benefit, eat savory foods that contain fresh sage for further antibiotic properties.
Jen’s Throat Soothing and Lymph Herbal Blend:
Chronic Lyme can mimic meningitis symptoms.
- Ginger – (sweet flavor and dissolves easily)
- Goldenseal (EXTREMELY bitter, floats to top so only taste it for the first couple drinks)
- Uva Ursi (mildly sweet, dissolves easily) 1
- Manjistha (no flavor, gritty and needs mixed while drinking)
- Licorice (sweet licorice flavor, dissolves easily)
Ginger is added in my morning herbal tea daily, while the rest are added as needed.
For even more benefit, eat savory foods that contain garlic for further benefits.
from: BulkSupplements.com
from: BulkSupplements.com
Jen’s Hormone Herbal Blend:
- Rehmannia (mildly sweet flavor, dissolves easily)
- Black Cohosh (earthy flavor, dissolves easily)
- Chasteberry (mildly fruity flavor, dissolves easily)
- Rhodiola (no flavor, dissolves easily)
These herbs are added in my morning herbal tea as needed except rhodiola, which I take on occasion.
For even more benefit, mix these herbs in peppermint tea if you suffer from period or stomach cramps.
Muscle and Stress Herbal Blend:
- Valerian Root (terrible smell but no real flavor, dissolves easily)
- St. John’s Wort (earthy flavor, dissolves easily)
- Peppermint (sweet flavor)
- Fo-Ti (mildly sweet flavor, dissolves easily)
These herbs are added in my morning herbal tea as needed except rhodiola, which I take on occasion.
For even more benefit, eat savory foods that contain rosemary. Peppermint can be added as a store bought tea blend, leaves added to you tea or coffee in a small tea strainer, or in powdered form.
from: BulkSupplements.com
from: BulkSupplements.com
Jen’s Inflammation Herbal Blend:
Chronic Lyme can affect tendon healing and repair and herbs for tendons and connective tissues (including skin) are a huge help – see my Connective Tissues and Inflammation – how it affects muscles and tendons post for more.
- Chamomile
- St. John’s Wort (earthy flavor, dissolves easily)
- Cissus Quadrangularis (this herb has a sweet flavor and helps with tendon inflammation)
- Collagen (collagen dissolves easily and isn’t noticeable, but it does help add some froth to a milky coffee drink!) 2
- Burdock (no flavor, dissolves easily)
These herbs are a daily addition in my morning herbal tea except chamomile, which I have on occasion.
For even more anti-inflammatory benefit, eat savory foods that contain turmeric, garlic, onions, and other anti-inflammatory herbs and vegetables.
Immune Herbs and Adaptogenic Herbs:
Adaptogenic and Immune Herbs can be very helpful for chronic Lyme and inflammation issues.
- Panax Ginseng (earthy, bitter flavor that isn’t overwhelming, dissolves easily)
- Jiaogulan (mild flavor and dissolves easily)
- Astragalus (sweet flavor that dissolves easily)
- Chlorella (earthy flavor that dissolves easily)
- Rhodiola (no flavor, dissolves easily)
These herbs are a daily addition in my morning herbal tea except rhodiola, which I have on occasion.
from: BulkSupplements.com
from: BulkSupplements.com
When I started making herbal coffee, and then herbal tea recipes, I didn’t think it would become a daily ritual. I’m officially 5 years into making herbal drinks and I honestly couldn’t live without them; I’m so much healthier now than I was, and I can feel when I’ve skipped my morning tea! If you have questions or experiences with creating herbal coffees and teas, feel free to leave a comment about your experience below!
Research Articles:
- Neurogenic Bladder in Lyme Disease – Lyme disease is a multi-systemic, tick-borne infectious disease caused by a spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi. Various urologic symptoms are associated with Lyme disease, which can be primary or late manifestations of the disease. Although voiding dysfunction is a rarely reported symptom in patients with Lyme disease, it is one of the most disabling complications of Lyme disease.
- Damage of Collagen and Elastic Fibres by Borrelia Burgdorferi – Known and New Clinical and Histopathological Aspects – In the case of ligaments and tendons, collagen and elastic fibres predominate structurally. They are also the structures that are targeted by Borrelia. The resultant functional disorders have previously only rarely been associated with Borreliosis in clinical practice. Ligamentopathies and tendinopathies, spontaneous ruptures of tendons after slight strain, dislocation of vertebrae and an accumulation of prolapsed intervertebral discs as well as ossification of tendon insertions can be viewed in this light.
Pics: Shelby Miller on Unsplash || Kate Hliznitsova on Unsplash || Last 2 pics are mine