Five Winter Health Teas for Nourishing the Body and Mind

Five Winter Health Teas

In the cold winter weather, everything is dormant and vitality declines. It is the perfect time for nourishment. After interviewing several renowned Chinese medicine practitioners, they all agreed that "food is better than medicine." Taking into account the dry and cold weather in winter, they provided their own tea recipes that they often drink in winter for everyone to use for health purposes.

1. Eye Care: Silver Chrysanthemum Lily Tea

Take 5 grams each of chrysanthemum, honeysuckle, lily, mint, and goji berries, and brew with hot water. Steam the eyes with the hot vapor first, and then drink when slightly cooled. Chrysanthemum can disperse wind, clear heat, soothe the liver, and improve vision. Honeysuckle can clear heat, detoxify, clear the liver, and cool the blood, helping with detoxification and strengthening the body's defense function. Mint is a herb that promotes qi circulation and relieves eye fatigue. Goji berries nourish the liver and kidneys, while lilies nourish yin and improve vision. This tea is especially suitable for dry eye syndrome caused by winter haze, and also beneficial for styes and eye fatigue.

2. Heart and Brain Care: Fat-reducing and Blood Pressure-lowering Tea

Take 5 grams each of hawthorn, cassia seed, lotus leaf, chrysanthemum, and scutellaria, and brew as a substitute for tea. Hawthorn promotes digestion, relieves stagnation, and treats hyperlipidemia. Cassia seed lubricates the intestines and promotes bowel movements, while chrysanthemum can lower liver yang and relieve dizziness and vertigo caused by high blood pressure. Scutellaria is a herb that clears heat, detoxifies, tonifies qi, and supports the body. It is beneficial for high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, and neurasthenia.

3. Stomach and Intestinal Care: Ginger Jujube Goji Tea

Take 4 jujubes, 1 slice of ginger, and 10 goji berries, and brew with hot water as a substitute for tea. In this spleen-tonifying tea, ginger is fragrant and warming, helping to dispel cold and stop vomiting, warm the lungs, and relieve coughing. Ginger and jujube are paired together to prevent excessive dispersion and depletion of qi. Jujube is sticky and sweet, and when combined with the pungent and dispersing nature of ginger, it does not cause excessive stagnation and hinder the spleen. These two ingredients complement each other, balancing strength and gentleness, nourishing the spleen and stomach, stimulating the appetite, and enhancing nourishing effects. Goji berries are added as a garnish to nourish yin and blood, and nourish the liver and kidneys.

4. Kidney Care: Weekly Kidney-nourishing Tea

Monday: 20 grams of goji berries; Tuesday: 10 grams of walnuts; Wednesday: 10 grams of black sesame seeds; Thursday: 15 grams of eucommia bark; Friday: 3 grams of deer antler; Saturday: 5 grams of Korean ginseng. Each of the above Chinese herbs is brewed as a tea with a small amount of tea leaves (black tea, red tea, etc.), or cooked with a small amount of meat to make a medicinal food. Goji berries nourish the liver and kidneys, nourish essence, and improve vision; walnuts warm and tonify the lungs and kidneys, moisten the intestines, and promote bowel movements; black sesame seeds nourish the liver and kidneys, moisten the intestines, and relieve constipation; eucommia bark nourishes the liver and kidneys, strengthens tendons and bones; deer antler strengthens the kidney yang, nourishes essence and blood, and strengthens tendons and bones; Korean ginseng tonifies the primordial qi, nourishes and strengthens the body. It is recommended to take the above methods regularly every week for better kidney nourishment, yin consolidation, and yang protection.

5. Calming the Mind: Brain-boosting and Mood-enhancing Tea

Take 10 grams each of chrysanthemum, goji berries, longan, and red dates, and brew with hot water as a substitute for tea. Goji berries can make people feel light and energetic, and keep the skin moisturized. They are beneficial for premature graying of hair, dizziness, and memory decline. Longan can calm the mind and enhance intelligence, and is used to treat insomnia and forgetfulness. Combined with red dates and chrysanthemum, it can nourish the blood, calm the liver, and soothe the mind. Different individuals can adjust the combination according to their own needs to prevent insomnia and irritability in winter.