There’s nothing a cup of tea can’t solve. When you have your hands wrapped around the warm cup, snuggling in your furry blanket, and enjoying the soothing aroma – it feels like the whole world is getting better for a while, doesn’t it? An honest confession, I am a big sucker for my tea time. Each morning I get up, make my ginger and clove tea (desi-style), continue on the book I’m currently reading, and that’s my 15 minutes of solitude I treasure each day.
And with the world getting crazier, I’ve started experimenting with teas that can specifically help with stress & anxiety (you know there’s no running from it right now). So far I’ve enjoyed chamomile & green tea with tulsi, and trust me, it has helped. Please keep in mind this isn’t a recommendation for someone suffering from clinical stress, anxiety, or depression. Generally, when your anxiety starts getting in the midst of your everyday life, that’s the point you need professional help. Look for these signs to know if you require medication.
We can all agree there’s one sure thing that can push your anxiety and stress levels up a level – wedding planning. Pre-wedding jitters are real and as a bride, you want to savor these special moments and not worry about keeping your nerves calm. The 5 teas listed below can help relax your mind & body. Sip on them liberally as the big day nears.
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1. Chai
There is nothing that can beat the de-stressing ability of our garam chai. In India, the word tea is synonyms for chai or black tea. We can safely say, for most people, chai runs more in the veins than blood. And the versatility of it is quite commendable too. You can have adrak chai, tulsi chai, elaichi wali chai or the incredible blend of them all – Masala chai. It’s surely one of our favorite recommendations for when you want to relax your anxious nerves.
Benefits of Chai:
- It can wake you up and kickstart the energy levels as you start your day because of its caffeine content. Black tea’s caffeine levels are lower than coffee, so it’s a good alternative to enjoy the benefits of caffeine while negating its nasty effects like drying out your skin or worsening anxiety symptoms.
- It boosts your gut health by supporting good bacterial growth and breaking down fats and proteins for absorption. Do you feel the need to poop after having your chai? That’s because it enhances digestive activities in your intestine and prevents constipation.
- Looking forward to that perfect bridal glow? Chai can help. Its varied blend of spices can help stimulate blood circulation giving you a healthy glow and naturally flushed cheeks.
- Some of the ingredients in tea like ginger, black pepper, saffron, and cloves have fat-burning properties, which can aid weight loss and burning off belly fat.
- Drinking chai can be useful to women’s health as it balances out estrogen, decreases inflammation, and suppresses cancer progression, corroborated by a 2017 study.
Here’s how our desi chai can help with stress & anxiety:
Black tea contains a number of antioxidants like catechins, theaflavins, etc. which help reduce stress-related disorders in the body, like anxiety. Here’s a study that proves antioxidant therapy helps with anxiety and depression. Cloves & cardamom are herbs with the highest amount of antioxidants. Adding them to chai will significantly increase the calming effect. Even ginger and nutmeg are proven to have a very calming effect on your body, including dissipating that rumbling feeling in your stomach when you feel anxious.
Buy 1kg here for Rs.359/-.
2. Peppermint tea
Peppermint tea is an amazing addition to your tea collection. And its abundance of benefits will make you want to purchase it right away. Here’s a quick look at a few of them.
Benefits of Peppermint Tea:
- It promotes good sleep. If you’re having trouble sleeping lately, drink a cup of peppermint tea just before going to bed and sleep like a baby.
- Peppermint’s antibacterial properties can help kill germs in your mouth and freshen your breath. A small study showed peppermint mouth rinse to decrease bad breath significantly in examined individuals.
- The tea can make you feel full for a longer time, thus shedding those few kilos before the wedding.
- Rosmarinic acid in peppermint tea is linked to reducing symptoms of seasonal allergies like runny nose and itchy eyes. Anyone with seasonal allergies knows how annoying it is, so let peppermint tea help you.
- It’s strong antioxidants, antiviral and antibiotic properties can increase your immunity power. A helpful shield from the Covid-19 as well.
How peppermint tea can help ease your stress & anxiety:
Peppermint tea has a soothing effect on the body and mind. It can cure stress-related headaches, which restricts blood flow to the brain. Peppermint tea’s active ingredient menthol relieves this tension and relaxes muscles. Next time you suffer from a headache, try sipping on a cup of peppermint tea instead of gulping down painkillers.
Additionally, the smell of peppermint can lift up mood, ward off jitters, and increase alertness & memory. Even kids are recommended to eat peppermint candy during exam time so they can mitigate stress and perform better.
Check out this recipe for brewing a cup of fresh mint tea at home. Or you can purchase tea leaves here.
3. Chamomile tea
Chamomile tea has gained immense popularity over the years. It’s widely recommended and has found a permanent place in the menus of many restaurants. Read it’s top health benefits and find out why it’s an incredible drink for de-stressing.
Benefits of Chamomile Tea:
- Chamomile tea makes your period experience better. It’s the most cited natural way to ease cramps and there’s a reason. Due to its antispasmodic properties, it reduces uterus contractions and relaxes them. Start drinking two cups each day a week before your period starts. A 2019 research also backs its use to ease PMS symptoms.
- Chamomile tea is a mild tranquilizer and sleep inducer. Quite a few studies have proven it like a 2016 study proved new mothers who drank chamomile tea each day for two weeks slept better and had fewer depression symptoms than those who didn’t have tea.
- The tea can be applied topically on your skin. It acts as a skin bleach and can lighten your skin over time. Besides, it also fights acne scars and prevents free-radical damage. You can also put the tea bags in the fridge and apply them to your eyes for 10 mins. It dramatically lightens the eye area and reduces puffiness.
- Chamomile helps abet & restore bone density, something women are more prone to. Bone density increases your risk of fracture and can affect your posture.
Here’s how chamomile tea can help with stress & anxiety:
There is some scientific evidence that chamomile tea can have favorable effects on anxiety and higher-than-usual stress levels. Although reviews from individuals don’t fail to bolster its calming effect on a restless state of mind and body. It also improves daytime functioning, a common issue for anyone suffering from anxiety. Overall, chamomile tea’s soothing properties make it a great herbal supplement for comforting your cold sweats.
You can buy it here for Rs.304/-. The only brand offering good & consistent quality, as per our research.
4. Green tea
After chai, the beverage that has become quite popular in India is green tea. Even parents are finding pleasure in sipping it, aren’t they? Both green tea and black tea (Indian chai) are made from the same plant, but black tea is oxidized and green tea is not. That’s why it has higher antioxidants than black tea. There are debates on which one’s better, but we think both have their own place in the tea realm and it’s hard to draw a fair comparison.
Benefits of green tea:
- Green tea has excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which can help slow down aging. It’s also touted as an ingredient in many cosmetic products by virtue of its fab effects on the skin.
- Cancer-prevention is another upside of green tea. It slows down cell-aging and suppresses the growth of cancer cells.
- Green tea supports weight management by stimulating your metabolism and promoting fat burning. We’d recommend adding honey or lemon to green tea for bettering its taste and not sugar when you’re aiming to lose some weight.
- Green tea improves brain health. A 2019 study proved individuals who consumed green tea, black tea or oolong tea had better cognitive performance and imaging results. Another study concluded green tea has a positive effect on anxiety, cognition, and brain function.
How green tea can help with stress & anxiety:
Theanine, a natural chemical found in green tea, has relaxing and tranquilizing effects. Plus it increases melatonin (sleep-inducing hormone) and serotonin (mood stabilizer) in your body. According to a 2011 study, it also has a favorable effect on attention performance and reaction time in those suffering from anxiety.
We suggest you look for ginger in the tea while purchasing, it improves the overall taste so you’d be drinking it regularly. Buy Tetley Ginger, Mint, and Lemon Tea – 100 bags for Rs. 485/- here. Or you can buy loose leaf tea, which is priced lower and lasts longer – get it here for Rs.218/-.
5. White tea
An uncommon tea that’s slowly gaining traction in India and elsewhere, all because of the number of benefits just one cup of it holds. White tea comes from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, as black and green tea. It’s quite popular in China owing to its many benefits.
Benefits of White Tea:
- White tea has excellent antioxidant and antiproliferative properties. It is considered to be much more effective than green tea to fight cancer cells. It also prevents the development of any new cancer cells.
- White tea has a unique ability to flush out toxins from the body, which makes it a foolproof remedy to dissolve that zit from inside. Removing toxins can also help boost your skin’s glow. Furthermore, white tea improves the immune function of skin cells and protects them from harmful sun rays.
- The tea also has superb anti-obesity effects. A 2009 study proved the role of white tea in breaking down fat cells and inhibiting the growth of new ones.
- It has very low amounts of caffeine and the amount is balanced by its rich antioxidant properties. So if you want to experience caffeine benefits without compromising on the antioxidant part – this is the tea to go for.
- White tea can also help with hair fall. It contains EGCG, which has been backed by several studies in its role to buck up hair growth and promote a healthy scalp.
Here’s how white tea can help with stress & anxiety:
White tea decreases the level of cortisol in your body by 50% within an hour of consumption. Due to its chemically complex nature, it has some very positive effects on brain neurotransmitters. Moreover, the EGCG present in it also reduces symptoms of depression by 44%. Impressive, right? White tea is definitely turning out to be a magical drink and with more people becoming aware of its benefits, it’ll soon make an entry into the superfood list.
You can buy good-quality white tea here for Rs.649/-. It has the best reviews of all others available.
Drinking tea can be a relaxing activity in itself, and these teas can improve the experience further. Which one are you placing an order for right away? Let us know in the comments.
