Since finishing chemo, I’ve been trying to eat and drink healthier foods in the hopes that the newly generating cells in my body will be healthy and stay that way!
I’m trying new things I normally wouldn’t try, such as natural herbal teas. There are a lot of research studies suggesting that the polyphenols in tea have anti-cancer properties. I was never a huge tea drinker in the past, even though I’m from the South and most of us were drinking sweet iced tea from our baby bottles within a few days after our birth! But since I’m trying to reform my ways, drinking tea seems like a good place to start.
While I was on chemo, I discovered a tea that helped me immensely, and wrote an article on it on AC titled “Numi Herbal Teasans: Red Mellow Bush Flavor Could Help Ease the Pain of Chemo”.
Being part Cherokee, I was intrigued when I saw the “Native American Tea Company” advertised in a magazine. I looked them up on the internet and was interested enough with what I read to try a couple of their flavors.
Then came the problem of deciding which tea to try. Their product names and descriptions are very unique and each one sounded intriguing. Here are the names of their teas along with the description for each.
2. Indian Love Tea – “each brave had his own songs he would play for a woman … if the woman liked the young man, she would prepare a special blend of tea”.
3. Warrior’s Brew – “long-lasting energetic properties, the Indians used this knowledge to build up stamina that enabled young messengers to fun from one camp to another”.
4. Teepee Dreams – “tell stories while relaxing with a cup of herbal tea … stories of the creations of mankind, prophecies and dreams”.
5. Chief’s Delight – “a special blend of tea would be prepared for the chief with many tasteful herbs that would help him think clearly and make good decisions”.
6. Victory Tea – “it was considered an honor to raid an enemy camp, take horses and escape unharmed … a successful raid was honored with a victory celebration”.
Great names, right? I mean, come on people, who wouldn’t want a cup of Warrior’s Brew, or Indian Love Tea, or Good Medicine?
I chose one flavor and my husband chose another flavor. I chose the Good Medicine flavor, mainly because I need good medicine in me right now. My husband chose the Chief’s Delight flavor. I can’t imagine why he picked that one! HA!
When our teas arrived in the mail, I first tried the Good Medicine flavor. The tea is all natural and caffeine free, which is a real bonus for me. I don’t like the way caffeine makes me feel.
The Good Medicine tea contains Spearmint, Gota Kola, Wood Betony, Rosemary, Eucalyptus leaves, and Ginseng leaf. Had I looked at the ingredients before I placed my order, I would not have chosen this flavor because I do not like minty flavors as a rule.
Even before removing the tea bag from the pouch, I could definitely smell the spearmint and rosemary. It was a pleasant aroma, but quite strong.
After my water was boiled and ready, I put one tea bag in the cup and let it steep for a few minutes. While it was steeping I leaned over to take a whiff and could really feel the eucalyptus hitting my nasal passages. I think this tea would be really great in the winter if you have the sniffles.
I do not like my tea very strong, so I only steeped for a few minutes and took the bag out of the water. I’ve found that herbal teas can get a little bit bitter when you steep them too long … although a bit of honey will usually take care of the bitterness.
I did not add any sweeteners to my first cup and drank it hot. My second cup I added some raw sugar and poured it over ice. Both cups were equally good. Despite me not liking minty flavors, I could see myself drinking this tea on occasion.
Next, I tried the flavor my husband had picked – Chief’s Delight.
The Chief’s Delight contains Strawberry leaf, Myrtle leaf, Blackberry leaf, Rose Hips, & Juniper berry. Before removing the tea bag from the pouch, I could smell the strawberry just a teeny bit, but it was not a strong smell at all.
As the tea was steeping, I leaned over the get a whiff of this flavor and immediately knew I was going to like it. The sweet berry smell was wonderful, and it filled my kitchen with the great smell also. Even my dog came in with her nose sniffing in the air!
Just as before, I did not add any sweeteners to my first cup and drank it hot. My second cup I added some raw sugar and poured it over ice. I preferred the cold tea this time over the hot. Out of the two flavors I tried, this was definitely my favorite.
All of the Native American teas come packed 12 bags to a box, and each box costs $3.00. Each box depicts a different image of Native American culture, which I thought was quite interesting.
All in all I have to say that the Native American Tea Company has successfully created several unique teas and I will sample them all over time. These two teas I’ve already tried will continue to be a part of my new and improved dietary habits.
To learn more about these wonderful teas, go to their website at www.nativeamericantea.com.
