Don't Randomly "Mix and Match" Flower Teas in Summer
Core Tip: Flower tea is a unique type of tea in China, praised in a poem: "Fragrant flowers enhance one's interest, and clear tea refreshes the spirit." Drinking flower tea is not only a pleasure but also a way to maintain health and prevent diseases. For example, common chrysanthemum tea can inhibit various bacteria, enhance the elasticity of micro-vessels, slow down heart rate, and lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
In the hot summer, many people choose to brew flower tea to relieve their anxiety, but when making "mixed" flower teas, be sure to avoid the following mistakes.
I. A General Overview of Common Flower Teas
Flower tea is a unique type of tea in China, praised in a poem: "Fragrant flowers enhance one's interest, and clear tea refreshes the spirit." Drinking flower tea is not only a pleasure but also a way to maintain health and prevent diseases. For example, common chrysanthemum tea can inhibit various bacteria, enhance the elasticity of micro-vessels, slow down heart rate, and lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
1. Relieve summer heat and quench thirst: Honeysuckle
When it comes to relieving summer heat and quenching thirst, many people have this problem: they grab a large bottle of iced drink from the fridge and gulp it down, feeling great while drinking, but feeling thirsty again just a few minutes after putting the bottle down. Brewing a simple cup of flower tea yourself will not have this problem.
Honeysuckle is cold in nature, and drinking honeysuckle tea is very beneficial for the body when suffering from summer heat, irritability, sore throat, heat rash, and sores. Just put a few honeysuckle flowers in a cup, brew with boiling water, and it's ready to drink when the water changes color and the flowers unfold. When nasturtium was first introduced from South America, it was a relatively valuable ornamental flower. Now it has also become an increasingly popular flower tea. Nasturtium has a bitter taste. When brewing, you can add rock sugar according to your taste.
2. Calm the mind and brighten the eyes: Carnation
People who often sit in front of a computer in the office often experience dry and uncomfortable eyes, and even blurred vision. This type of person is especially suitable for drinking Hangzhou white chrysanthemum tea because it has the effects of dispelling wind, clearing heat, calming the liver, and brightening the eyes. Hangzhou white chrysanthemum is a specialty of Hangzhou. "Hangbai Tribute Chrysanthemum" is often mentioned together with "Longjing Famous Tea," which shows its high status.
Carnation is a common flower with the effect of clearing the mind and brightening the eyes. Moreover, carnations come in many colors. Steeping three or four carnations with boiling water is already very appealing in terms of color and form.
3. Lower fat and lose weight: Pink Rose
Yulania is both an ornamental flower and a traditional Chinese medicine. Yulania flower tea has a richer and mellower taste than ordinary flower teas. Drinking a cup of Yulania tea after eating greasy food can make people feel refreshed. Yulania flower tea helps with metabolism and is beneficial for women's weight loss and beauty. In addition, Yulania flower also has the effect of clearing the nasal passages, which is also suitable for people with nasal congestion and sensitivity.
Pink rose is not as fiery as the red one or as cold and glamorous as the white one. It gives people a warm and fresh feeling. More and more women like to put a bouquet of pink roses in their room to add a touch of warmth. Pink rose tea is also mild in nature, can invigorate blood and resolve stasis, lower fat and lose weight. It is not only a favorite of vases but also a fine product in a cup.
4. Refresh the mind and invigorate the spirit: Lavender
The special fragrance of rosemary can clear the mind and enhance brain function. It is a very suitable flower tea for people who need to concentrate on their work and for students who have a lot of knowledge to memorize, but it should not be consumed in excess. Adequate sleep is the fundamental guarantee for abundant energy.
Lavender has the effect of relieving stress and eliminating fatigue, making the drinker feel refreshed and clear-headed. Adding two slices of lemon when brewing lavender tea is beneficial for both the taste and the refreshing effect.
5. Beautify and nourish the skin: Roselle (Hibiscus)
Roselle can eliminate fatigue and constipation, and has the effects of diuresis and promoting metabolism. Regular drinking of roselle flower tea can also help lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood, achieving the effect of preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases.
The leftover tea can be used to wash the face. It has a very faint rose scent, the water is light red, and the face feels smooth after washing, which can also beautify the skin. The used tea leaves can be kept, dried, and made into a small pillow. Sleeping on a fragrant pillow every night also improves sleep quality.
6. Purify the skin: Chamomile
Chamomile has the effects of helping sleep and moisturizing the skin, and can also improve premenstrual discomfort in women. It can relieve aches caused by various discomforts, reduce liver heat, and eliminate eye fatigue. It can treat eczema, acne, herpes, and common skin allergies. It can also improve body edema and is a natural treasure for purifying the skin.
It is said that chamomile was a sacred herb offered to the sun by the ancient Egyptians. This tea is very good. Regularly drinking chamomile can also improve dull skin and make the skin bright and shiny; at the same time, it can relax a restless body and mind. Drinking it on nights with insomnia or frequent nightmares can have a calming effect.
7. Ruddy skin and weight loss: Jasmine
Jasmine has a great effect on improving drowsiness and anxiety, and is also effective for chronic stomach problems and menstrual irregularities. It is suitable for stomach discomfort, uterine health, and calming dizziness. Jasmine brewed with pink rose has a weight-loss effect.
It can not only regulate qi, relieve pain, warm the middle and harmonize the stomach, reduce swelling and detoxify, and strengthen the immune system, but also has anti-inflammatory and detoxifying effects on sores and toxins. If you have constipation, you can drink more jasmine tea because jasmine helps expel toxins from the body, and it has significant effects in anti-aging, moisturizing the skin, and weight loss.
8. Nourish the skin and slim the body: Ginkgo Tea
Among the many leaves, ginkgo leaves are relatively good. The reason it is considered good is its utilization value, and it has the effects of improving the human immune system and delaying aging.
Drinking ginkgo tea not only improves brain memory but also enhances the body's resistance. I also use some skin care products containing ginkgo extract to prevent premature skin aging.
In addition to the 8 types introduced above, other common flower teas include: wild Kuding, golden chrysanthemum, Malva nut, snow white tea, forget-me-not, jade beauty, bamboo leaf green, and Junbai chrysanthemum.
II. Four Flower Teas Suitable for Summer Heat Relief
Flower tea, also known as herbal tea, is one of the unique dosage forms of traditional Chinese medicine, characterized by simple preparation and convenient consumption. In the height of summer heat, herbal tea is very popular among the people. Here are a few self-made heat-relieving herbal teas to recommend:
1. Chrysanthemum Tea: 10 grams of white chrysanthemum, an appropriate amount of green tea. Brew and drink to dispel wind, clear heat, brighten the eyes, and refresh the mind. Suitable for the prevention and treatment of hypertension, dizziness, and wind-heat headache.
2. Mint Tea: 3 grams of fresh mint leaves, an appropriate amount of green tea. Brew and drink to relieve summer heat, clear heat, and feel cool and refreshing. Can be used to clear the mind and relieve summer heat.
3. Eupatorium Tea: 10 grams of fresh Eupatorium leaves, an appropriate amount of green tea. Brew and drink to transform dampness, harmonize the middle, and relieve summer heat. Suitable for summer colds with symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite.
4. Cassia Seed Tea: 10 grams of cassia seeds, an appropriate amount of green tea. Brew and drink to relieve summer heat, clear heat, brighten the eyes, and promote bowel movements. Suitable for patients with hypertension and constipation.
Others, such as Liu Yi San tea and lotus leaf tea, also have good effects of clearing heat and relieving summer heat, and can also be brewed and drunk at home.
III. Don't Randomly "Mix and Match" Flower Teas
I don't know when it started, but herbal teas have become ubiquitous, visible at the entrances of shopping malls, small counters in supermarkets, and more. The more types of flower teas you mix, the more effects they may have, and the higher the possibility of adverse effects on the body. Therefore, in addition to not randomly mixing herbal teas, it is also not advisable to mix too many types, and you should not randomly "mix and match." If you want to mix, don't exceed three types. For safety's sake, I will also introduce some expert-recommended scientific "mix and match" methods for herbal teas.
1. Rose + Goji Berry + Hangzhou White Chrysanthemum: Can regulate endocrine and eliminate fatigue.
2. Rosemary + Verbena + Lemongrass: Breaks down fat, promotes urination, reduces swelling and dampness, specifically slims the legs, and is very effective for lower body obesity.
3. Rose + Fat-reducing Flower + Jujube Honey: Can expel excess oil from the body, making the figure slim.
4. Fat-reducing Flower + Verbena + Gynostemma: Clears blood fat, slims down, and reduces fat.
5. Rose + Jasmine: Nourishes beauty, has a nourishing effect on the liver and stomach, and can also relieve tension.
IV. Flower Teas Should Not Be Drunk Randomly
Herbal teas have been popular in recent years, but are these tea substitutes, which are like tea but not tea, also taboo? Traditional Chinese medicine experts explain that the way to drink substitute teas is the same as regular tea, but some substitute teas are also traditional Chinese medicines, and their consumption is restricted. You should choose herbal teas according to your own physical condition.
1. Cassia Seeds: Although it has the effect of lowering blood lipids, it can also cause diarrhea. Long-term consumption by women can lead to irregular menstruation, and in severe cases, it can cause abnormal endometrium. Use with caution for those with diarrhea, low blood pressure, and pregnant women.
2. Honeysuckle: The medicinal nature is偏 cold, and no one should drink it for a long time, especially those with weak spleen and stomach, qi deficiency and weak body, and women during menstruation.
3. Senna: Brewed as a tea to relieve constipation, but long-term use for chronic, habitual constipation can lead to dependency, requiring larger and larger doses until it becomes ineffective. Large doses can also lead to urinary retention and malignant changes in blood pressure. It is absolutely not suitable for women during lactation, menstruation, and pregnancy.
4. Goji Berry: It has a strong effect of warming the body, but it is not suitable for patients with high blood pressure, irritable people, or those who usually eat a lot of meat and have a red face.
5. Malva Nut: Suitable for hoarseness caused by wind-heat evil toxins invading the throat. It is ineffective for hoarseness caused by other reasons. Especially for the elderly who suddenly lose their voice and those with spleen deficiency, use with caution.
6. Licorice: Although it has the effects of tonifying the spleen and qi, clearing heat and detoxifying, long-term use can cause edema and elevated blood pressure.
7. Chrysanthemum: It is a cold medicinal material. Although it has the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying, it is not suitable for people with yang deficiency constitution.
8. Ginseng Slices: Can replenish qi, promote fluid production, calm the mind, and tonify the spleen and lungs. However, healthy and strong people who take it in large amounts for a long time are prone to dry mouth and even nosebleeds.
V. Flower Tea Tips
1. If you want to drink sweet flower tea, it is best to add honey, because honey is also a product of nature and its taste matches well with flowers.
2. When mixing your own flower tea, pay attention to the properties of the herbs. For example, lavender, which has a sedative effect, should not be brewed with rosemary, which can invigorate the spirit. If you don't know the medicinal properties of various flowers, it is best to drink them separately.
3. If you think the taste of the mixed flower tea is not good, you can put one or two dried roses in it. The fragrance of roses can make the whole pot of tea taste better, and roses are neutral and will not conflict with other herbal teas.
4. Flower tea should not be brewed with boiling water. It should be brewed with water at about 90 degrees. It is recommended to discard the first infusion and then brew and drink.