Fruit teas/Herbal Teas - what ones are best for us?

[PavlovtheCat]

I am not going to stop drinking coffee as I love it, but I need to increase my water intake and have read that hot drinks are good for our digestive system etc. And it's cold so I don't want cold drinks like fruit juice right now.

So, what do you drink and why? What type, and what brands for maximum benefits.

I would like the following benefits:
to rehydrate (obviously by water intake!)
to improve skin tone and appearance (in particular dark circles around the eyes, is that possible?!)
to improve energy levels as I get tired very easily
to help sleep well
importantly - if possible - ones that have anti-inflammatory properties

Tall order?! Ready. Steady. GO!

Sipping a Teapigs peppermint tea as I sit here. Very good for the digestion, esp if you've stuffed your face and feel bloated.

DH & DD love the peppermint and liquorice but I've never liked liquorice. I have heard that you must be careful with liquorice if you have blood pressure issues ( I think).

Ginger also good for digestion - just grate or slice a little bit with some lemon and pour hot water over. Also good for colds.

Watch green tea - although it has many good properties, it is high in caffeine so not as healthy as you might like.

I also like camomile, white tea and rooibos. Must try and drink more of them and less of the builders brew.

I've heard liquorish tea is good for the immune system. Well I like liquorish spice tea. Its often mixed with mint and spices.

oh i do like liquorish! and spice, so that could work well.

I always have too many types of tea (peppermint, camomile, fennel, green tea etc) in the cupboard.

Barley tea is lovely. As is roasted rice green tea and mango green tea. Twinings do a raspberry and echinacea which is good for the immune system.

Nettle and peppermint tea is a good start to the day - very refreshing and cleansing

I also like the Yogi Echinacea tea - good this time of year

Second the Pukka night time tea - I usually have this or some kind of chamomile blend before bed.

I like herbal teas as I struggle to drink water especially in the winter. I try to alternate with builders tea or coffee.

Hi pavlov!

I love fruit teas and hate every herbal one I've tried so far. Blackcurrant, vanilla and ginseng is lovely ( warm Ribena!), lemon and ginger good but not as good as the real thing, cranberry, one I forget with orange was delicious. All quite good wine substitutes! Also, I don't drink coffee in the afternoon so tend to have them then. All Twinnings ones good. I think Teapigs are meant to be best but they are expensive.

I leave my tea at in, others seem to remove...is this very bad form?!

I prefer fruit teas to herbal ones.

I leave my teabag in too. I have been using my portable mug with the lid on to keep all the goodness in. As apparently it all escapes into the world around us otherwise. I am waiting for my pukka tea to arrive. I will report back, and will also look at teapigs. DH has told me I have to only use Twinnings as it's on offer in our local shop...

Three days in and I have reduced my coffee intake by two-thirds and my tea intake by two thirds! my skin has not improved yet... nor my energy levels

I don't like mixes. Just have camomile for DH, peppermint, linden flowers, rosehip and verbena separately. WHen I need comfort fresh ginger with lemon and sometimes honey. Have no idea what their properties are except for the general comfort of drinking something warming.

I am sure water intake in general will help reduce the bags under eyes. When I don't feel like any of the flavours above I just have hot water like the Chinese. They give you lots of reasons to drink it but I can't remember them.

I drink hot water too, (don't drink anything with caffeine) or sometimes hot water with a dash of milk to cool it down. I know I should cut down on the milk. My favourite (after liquorish spice, which really can't be drunk often - its too good) is rooibos with vanilla (and milk - I know I am odd) but I don't know of any health properties. Chai spice made with rooibos is good too. I take a mug flask (and extra teabags) with me to work to keep hydrated. Means I can sip as I go. The steam is good for clearing my sinuses too. I don't like cold water in the winter either. Agree with fresh ginger and lemon with a dash of honey when colds are troublesome ( actually liquorish is good for a cold too - one of those tastes that still works with a blocked nose)

If your blood pressure is on the high side it's best to avoid liquorice.

Nettle is good for fluid retention and for cleansing the liver. It's nice mixed with mint. Grow your own mint - it's loads nicer than dried mint.

I really like Pukka Teas Love Tea. I also like white tea with pomegranate.

Valerian would be good for helping with sleep - but not by itself as it smells gross.

My favourite is meadowsweet. It's good for digestion and for heartburn. It is also good for headaches, but it's an acquired taste.

I buy my herbs dried from the herbalist and use a tea ball or a bodrum teapot.

Oh - and sage is good for sore throats, and also for menopausal hot flushes!

I'll second the Pukka Love tea, it's divine. Smells and tastes like Turkish delight, just in case you don't like Turkish delight!

Nettle and peppermint excellent cleansing tea. I make the first cup and keep topping it up throughout the day, after about 3 cups the bag is finished but its a good way to get fluids in.

For inflammation the best way to take turmeric is straight. A tsp in a small glass of water, neck it and follow with a large glass of water. It's not pleasant, not horrific but an amazing natural anti inflame. I don't know if I'd be adding it to my teas. A great way to get more turmeric is to add it to the cooking water when making rice if you cook the absorbtion way (where the rice has absorbed all the water by the end), also great added to soups and stews.

Pukka do a 3 peppermint with is lovely.

I also enjoy the Dragonfly earl grey red bush tea more then the normal stuff. Can easily swop it out for my morning Barry's and not feel too hard done by.

inflammatory rather then inflame...

almond we use turmeric with rice, the absorption way.

I have low blood pressure naturally, so can drink liquorice tea safely, but will avoid excess. I found a blood orange twinings tea today which has a little liquorice in, quite nice.

4 days in, not noticing any difference yet! But I will keep it up! Loving the suggestions, I am going to try lots of these and see which my favourites turn out to be. I do prefer the less sweet stuff I think, like nettle tea.

I have reduced my caffeine to just two cups a day! YEY! Don't even crave it badly, have had a headache for a couple of days but think I have a bug so putting it down to that, but may well be withdrawal of caffeine, as I did drink a lot of it.

I'm fond of green tea with lemon, there seem to be a few brands making it. Lemon's a good detoxer, and it's good reviving afternoon drink! I recently had a really nice night time tea with lavender, think it was called Sleep, no idea of make, that I got from Tesco.