This post is sponsored by Celestial Seasonings. The giveaway is at the end!
I recently took a trip to Boulder to visit the Celestial Seasonings headquarters and factory. I was so excited to go – you guys know that I love tea and love to know more about food production. The trip was right up my alley!
Probably my biggest takeaway from the trip was the reminder that herbal teas are a wonderful addition to a healthy lifestyle. It’s not just the soothing ritual of tea preparation and drinking that is good for you – many quality herbal teas contain special ingredients that naturally support your body’s most important functions. Of course, tea isn’t a replacement for a doctor’s advice and prescribed medication, and it certainly isn’t intended to treat or cure any diseases.
But if you’re interested in simply pursuing a more holistic, proactive approach to health, wellness teas are a great launching point!
Here are the four “teas that do more†teas that I found most interesting:
Sleepytime Extra: I was super excited to find out that Sleepytime Extra contains Valerian Root. We use Valerian Root – an an ancient herb known for mild sedative properties – all the time in our home. The adults take it when they need help sleeping (well, not when I’m pregnant, just to be cautious). I rub a few drops on Henry’s temples when he’s feeling fitful. Even Maggie the dog occasionally gets a few drops when her anxiety is out of control! Other ingredients in the tea include chamomile, spearmint, lemongrass, and orange blossoms.
Tension Tamer: I love ginger tea, but this one is extra special because it contains eleuthero, a traditional Asian herb known for its calming properties. Other herbal ingredients include peppermint, cinnamon, chamomile, lemongrass, and catnip. One cup also contains 20% of your daily Vitamin B6 and B12 needs.
LaxaTea: Celestial Seasonings says that one cup of LaxaTea before bed may help relieve occasional constipation by morning. The sweet, spicy citrus tea contains senna (an herbal laxative), a well as psyllium husks, artichoke, fennel, and licorice.
Tummy Mint: This tea contains peppermint, a cooling anti-nausea herb. The other ingredients – like chamomile and fennel – will also help soothe and relax your digestive system.
I also asked the Celestial Seasonings crew if they’d mind answering a few burning questions for me about the best way to prepare and enjoy tea. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from being married to an Englishman, it’s that the ‘rituals’ around tea serve a very important purpose – it’s really easy to wreck your tea by brewing it too long!
Caitlin: Tell me why steeping time matters!
Celestial Seasonings: Using the proper steeping time and temperature helps you get the best out of your tea, both in terms of benefits and flavor. Under-steeping can leave you with a tea that’s less than full flavored, while over-steeping can bring out some unwanted bitterness (especially in green tea).
As a general rule, we recommend the following steeping times and temperatures:
Herbal Tea: 4 to 6 minutes, full rolling boil
Green Tea: 2 minutes, water just below a boil
Black Tea: 3 to 5 minutes, full rolling boil
Caitlin: Covering your tea while it steeps – urban legend or does this actually serve a purpose?
Celestial Seasonings: One of the great mysteries of the tea world! We do recommend covering your tea while it steeps, but whether or not it makes a difference is something for everyone to decide on their own. It helps keep the tea warm on a cold winter’s night, which is something we can all agree upon.
Caitlin: Are there any tea combinations that the team loves? For example, my husband enjoys brewing a ginger tea with chamomile to help him relax before bed.
Celestial Seasonings: Blending different varieties together is one of the great joys of working with tea. Chamomile and ginger is a lovely combination, so kudos to your husband for that one.
We like blending a tangy Zinger tea with something milder like Chamomile or Peppermint, or with our Organic English Breakfast Estate Tea for a little lift. Blending our Authentic Green Tea with a berry-flavored Herbal Tea is also delightful (we like Black Cherry Berry a lot for this purpose).
We know lots of tea drinkers enjoy coming up with their own combinations, because we hear from them all the time on our Facebook with their most delicious blend suggestions!
{My Factory Tour Gear!}
Alright – giveaway time! I had the chance to go through the Celestial Seasonings gift shop and collect a TON of tea for a lucky winner to sample You also get an electric kettle. Trust me – you won’t run out of tea for a long, long time. Enter using the widget below. Per the usual, I’m closing comments on this post so there’s no confusion on how to enter.
This post was sponsored by Celestial Seasonings. As always, I truly appreciate you taking the time to read sponsored content, which allows me to help support my growing family. Thank you!