Coffee Junkie

by Elma Shrock

April 2008

I am completely crazy about coffee! I love it and feel like I have to have it all the time! If there is a new coffee place to try, I am there. If friends invite me out for coffee, I will offer to drive. Because of my coffee addiction, I have never given herbal teas a try. I've always thought that they could never give me the same boost that coffee does. But lately, I've realized that I really have never given tea much of a chance. While I have tried numerous different coffee flavors and even mixed my own blends, I never even considered doing that with tea. It wouldn't be that hard to apply the same dedication with herbal teas as I have with coffee, if the tea flavors were tempting enough.

Give Tea a Chance

So, after thinking through all my excuses, I couldn't come up with a good reason not to give herbal teas a try. They definitely could only be beneficial, especially now that I was drinking three or more cups of coffee a day and becoming quite dependent on it. I dislike being addicted to anything for a boost. The caffeine in coffee affects all people differently, and though some people don’t have any obvious trouble with it, I recently started having severe headaches if I went half a day without some coffee. This has given me the motivation I needed to pull out the variety pack of herbal mixed teas a friend gave me and give them a try.

Can tea really be just as fulfilling? You cannot know unless you try it, but I have been pleasantly surprised with each new blend of tea I try. It’s exciting to think of all the healthy benefits you’re getting from each tasty cup. Cold or hot it can still be nutritious and delicious.

Honey and Stevia

Putting white sugar in an herbal tea seems to defeat the purpose. I normally use honey as sweetener or nothing at all. I have also used a small amount of Stevia leaf and put it in to steep with the tea. It tasted perfect! Stevia lacks the calories and teeth decaying bacteria so I consider it a more than appropriate substitute.

Lemon Lovers

One of my favorite of all teas is the first herbal blend I tried - the Lemon Lovers Tea. I recently took this blend with me when I went to visit my Mom. She loves tea and this one was definitely a hit. Not only did this tea have a wonderful effect, but we could smell lemon before we even put the cup to our lips. Lemon Balm is known for its potential in lifting the spirits as well as calming stress related tension. Lemongrass added to the bold unmistakable scent as well as having a sedative effect. Last, but in no way least, Chamomile soothed our senses, as well as balanced the tea’s flavor to perfection! The purpose for this tea is relaxation and it proved true for us as the evening wore on. The cares of our long day seemed to roll away.

• Lemon Balm - Good for anxiety, nervousness, depression, hyperactivity, etc.
• Lemongrass - Good for fevers, flatulence, indigestion, hypertension, depression, etc.
• Chamomile - Aids digestion, soothes the nerves, reduces muscle spasms and menstrual cramps, etc.

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