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Originally posted on The ACE | MKE - Wix on April 17, 2019.
As always, please keep in mind that all of the below research is my own, and I am definitely not a medical professional.
Anyone see the Ace’s Instagram post earlier this week for Milwaukee Day? No? Okay, that’s cool. For those who missed it, it was a picture of my two-toned Milwaukee city flag mug (my fave, and one of many, many mugs - it’s a problem) filled to brim with a custom blend: Earl grey & avocado seed tea. There’s more to brewing tea than just soaking a tea bag in water - did you know you can brew our own tea with anything from flowers to seeds? Bare with me, I know this is a topic that can to put people to sleep quicker than Chamomile.
“Tea” is technically a term for the leaves and buds derived from the Camellia Sinensis plant, but what many fail to realize is that many other plants can be ground or diluted into tea and have plentiful benefits, kind of like (well, exactly like) the avocado seed tea I displayed on my Instagram earlier this week.
I’m not kidding when I say that avocado pits can change your life. Start saving these bad boys - avocados are expensive enough, and yeah, avocado toast is great, but if you’re throwing out the seeds I promise you are missing out on the true value of the fruit. Investing in a self-brewing tea maker, or likewise, a reusable tea bag for loose teas, will absolutely change the way you brew tea. Whether you buy bags of loose tea or mix your own, there are plentiful benefits to utilizing natural remedies in addition to (please note, not in replacement of) Western medicine.
A big one for me is the aforementioned avocado pits. Not only do they brew an incredibly sweet natural tea on their own (to a disciplined tongue), but they make a melodic accompaniment to a steamy Earl grey. This will be elementary to some, but I’d like to start by explaining how I make my avocado tea:
First and foremost, the pits need to be ground to use. This is how you steep the tea (soaking the ground up bits), but also how you can utilize the seed as a salad topper or protein shake additive. Chock full of 70% of the antioxidants in the entire fruit, these seeds have incredible numerous health benefits when eaten, but you can still get some of them from steeping it to make this drink.
Following the grinding process, you’ll fill just your tea bag or your tea maker with about half a tablespoon of the “tea” (the ground avocado seed, dried flowers, dried fruit, etc) and fill either a mug or, again, your tea maker full of hot water.
The tea maker is fun because you actually place it on top of the mug you’ll use for your tea, and a trigger raises the bottom and the tea drains into your mug!
I’ve found that avocado pit tea is ready to strain once all of the grounds have been at the bottom of the tea maker for at least a couple of minutes.
The greatest benefit of consuming avocado seed tea is relieving stomach pain and uncomfortable bowels. Without getting into the gross stuff, this is an awesome tea if you have an upset tummy, are having issues passing or running constantly to the bathroom, or having general digestive issues.
When consumed whole, these nutrient-packed pits can also have miracle properties i.e. lowering blood pressure and high cholesterol, aiding in weight loss (as it is high in the soluble fibers which help keep you full), even fighting cancer: basically the lipids (“healthy fats”) found within the pits of avocados (a combination of two avocado-derived oils nicknamed Avocatin B by Canadian cancer researchers who proved all this junk) actively attack the mitochondria of leukemia cells while leaving healthy cells absolutely unharmed!
There are tons and TONS of various other benefits of drinking naturally derived teas. Places like Fava Tea Company offer in-person advantages because their loose leaf teas can be purchased in bulk amounts, or at the very least in resealable bags; their employees are educated and their blends are well labeled/described right there for you to read, and their safety is guaranteed. That’s the biggest obstacle when it comes to formulating your own tea blends: you have to do copious amounts of research to ensure that what you’re consuming is safe for YOU. The following list is compiled to showcase other plants that provide benefits when seeped into a tea, but factors like age, pregnancy, or sensitivities/allergies could be a factor for you, reader. Utilize this list with the discretion that your health & safety are in your own hands when creating teas! Please keep in mind that not all plants can be steeped and may be toxic to you.
Calendula
(Pronounced more like cull-in-joola, not callen-doola)
A member of the marigold family, this bright flower has been used in infant and childrens’ natural products to the gentle nature of the herb. It has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic benefits that aid in soothing skin issues or wounds, especially as a soak or rub in addition to a tea.
Sage
Good for more than just cleansing your home! Like avocado pit, this herb will create a totally yum tea that aids in digestive issues. This is another one that acts as a miracle worker, as it aids in mental performance and may actually weaken menopause and even Alzheimer’s symptoms and conditions.
Saffron
A blend of saffron is said to help soothe child birthing labor and to actually increase the readiness of a woman’s cervix when delivering a full term pregnancy. Brewing a few threads of saffron results in a gorgeously toned tea that can act as a natural antidepressant for low level depression or just as a pick-me-up on bad days; drinking saffron tea can release serotonin and boost someone’s mood. Among its other benefits are its anti-carcinogenic properties and soothing uncomfortable symptoms of PMS (that serotonin business probably comes into play again here).
Chai
While I’m trying to showcase some natural remedy teas that people may not know about, clearly everyone knows Chai tea. Actually, that’s redundant - “Chai” itself means tea in multiple languages, so in America when we order a Chai tea, we’re essentially ordering tea tea. But the best part of all of that is that you don’t have to order tea tea the next time you crave Chai: just make it yourself! I snagged a quick recipe from Joybilee Farm but there are tons of similar recipes out there if you want to find your own, and just like the varying spices found in store bought Chai blends, some of those recipes might not be the exact same spices as this recipe.
Joybilee’s recipe is a fairly simple one:
2 tbs powdered ginger
4 tsp cinamon
1 tbs ground cardamom
2 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp ground pepper (I prefer white pepper for a chai blend)
Shake, stir, grind, or mix the spices together. Boil in milk or water (milk for a latte, water for tea) and strain the grainy spices out (cheesecloth or a true sealable tea bag work best). Sweeten it if you'd like, but that's it! At home Chai in a snap.
Chai can be fun because there are different types and sources of Chai blends, so whether you’re citing a Russian or Chinese recipe may make the difference of what spices are blended to create that brew! Indian Masala Chai recipes offer a completely different experience, with a strong ginger punch and a similarity to Indian milk tea or golden milk tea, which has a turmeric emphasis.
The benefits of a good Chai blend are numerous, from supporting a strong immune system and healthy digestion to improving heart health and protecting cell health!
With a little time on your hands, researching and experimenting with different teas and blends of herbs can be incredibly rewarding but although healthfully beneficial. Many, many tea enthusiasts make a hobby out of trying and collecting teas.
Try starting or ending your day with a warm mug of tea - or try something iced instead! You’ll thank yourself for the little things that contribute to a better day, even something like a mug of warm plant water! Ha.
Until next time.
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