Greek Mixed Tea

A classic Greek tradition, this deliciously smooth mixed tea contains chamomile, Greek Mountain Tea, sage, and spearmint. CHAMOMILE - Matricaria chamomilla - Aster Family HISTORY OF USE Chamomile has been used in medicinal herbal traditions since ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome for its variety of actions, including use as an antispasmodic, carminative, mild sedative, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial. It is mild yet effective, and works particularly well for children. Chamomile has been a favorite beverage tea through the ages for its flavor of sunshine and honey. MEDICINAL USE Antispasmodic, carminative, mild sedative, mild anesthetic to mouth and stomach, stimulates lactation, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, fungicidal Nervous System: Chamomile tea is found to be calming and soothing to restless children, nervous adults, and for babies with colic. Matthew Wood says chamomile is great for “babies of any age” as it “sweetens the soul.” Helps with anxiety, insomnia, nightmares. Digestive system: Helps relieve gas, calms “butterflies” in the stomach, good for most stomach complaints. Good for nausea, car sickness, motion sickness, stomach ulcers. Respiratory system:  Chamomile can be used with coughs, colds, and intermittent fevers. Reproductive System: Helps some women ease painful periods. External As a hair rinse it is said to help bring out golden highlights. FLAVOR & ENERGETICS Sweet, bitter, cooling, drying. CONSTITUENTS Essential oil, flavonoids, amino acids, choline. TEA BLENDS Chamomile, lemon balm, linden flower for nervousness and anxiety, insomnia -- GREEK MOUNTAIN TEA - Sideritis Athoa - Mint Family Common Name: Ironwort, Mountain tea, Shepherd’s Tea HISTORY OF USE Mountain Tea is the beverage tea of choice for Greeks, Cretans, those in the Mediterranean and Balkan regions. It has been drunk for millennium in this region, one could say it is to Greeks what Green tea is to the Chinese. Sideritis genus grows throughout the Mediterranean region, with 17 species indigenous to Greece. The Euboea species grows wild on the Greek island Euboea. The name Ironwort is believed to derive from the herb’s external ability to heal wounds caused by iron weapons. MEDICINAL USE This is the tea the Greek grandmas reached for when any child came down with cough, cold, chills, tummy aches, with its antimicrobial, antiseptic properties this herb is versatile and beneficial. Respiratory system: great herbal remedy for soothing sore throats, and aiding in any respiratory sickness Digestive system: mild diuretic and cleansing to the digestive tract and urinary system. High Blood Pressure: Helps blood vessels to relax. External: With its high antioxidant content, Mountain Tea infused olive oil makes an excellent base for skin care products as it slows the aging process. Three Greek universities have current research to confirm this use. HERBAL ACTIONS antimicrobial, antiseptic, anti-arthritic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, nervine, emollient, restorative FLAVOR & ENERGETICS light, wooly, warming, aromatic CONSTITUENTS Flavonoids, monoterpenoids, diterpenoids, iridoids, carvacrol, antioxidants CAUTIONS Generally regarded as safe with no known side effects. TEA BLENDS Drink alone to enjoy the light, ethereal flavor of this tea, sweeten with Greek honey to enjoy the synergistic pairing. Lends itself to lemon, to lemon balm, lemon verbena, and chamomile. -- SAGE - Salvia Officinalis - Mint Family Common names: garden sage, common sage, true sage HISTORY OF USE Sage is a pungent and distinctly flavored herb from the mint family with a long history of culinary and medicinal use. Throughout history, sage has been used to treat so many maladies that it gained a reputation as a panacea, prompting the late herb expert Varro E. Tyler, Ph.D., to write, “If one consults enough herbals… every sickness known to humanity will be listed as being cured by sage.” The ancient Greeks and Romans first used sage as a meat preservative. They also believed that like another powerful preservative, rosemary, it could enhance memory. Sage gained a much broader medicinal reputation that rosemary did, however. The Roman naturalist Pliny prescribed it for snakebite, epilepsy, intestinal worms, chest ailments, and menstruation promotion. Sixteenth-century British herbalist John Gerard called sage “singularly good for the head and brain. It quickeneth the senses and memory, strengtheneth the sinews, restoreth health to those that have palsy, and taketh away shaky trembling of the members.” In the 17th century, English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper seconded Gerard and recommended sage “boiled in water or wine to wash sore mouths and throats, cankers, or the secret parts of man or woman.” Colonists introduced sage into North America, where it was widely used by folk healers to treat insomnia, epilepsy, measles, seasickness, and intestinal worms. America’s 19th-century eclectic physicians, forerunners of today’s naturopaths, used sage primarily to treat fever. They also prescribed sage poultices for arthritis. As late as the 1920s, U.S. medical texts recommended sage tea as a gargle for sore throat and sage leaf poultices for sprains and swellings. Modern herbalists recommend sage as an external treatment for wounds and insect bites; as a gargle for bleeding gums, sore throat, laryngitis, and tonsillitis; and as an infusion to reduce perspiration, terminate milk production, and relieve dizziness, depression, menstrual irregularity, and intestinal upsets. MEDICINAL USE Several studies show that sage cuts perspiration by as much as 50 percent, with the maximum effect occurring two hours after ingestion. This effect helps explain how sage developed a reputation for treating fever, which causes profuse sweating, and for drying up mothers’ milk. Nervous system: sage is helpful to promote mental alertness. Digestive system: Sage is useful with any mouth sores (such as after dental work); sore, dry throats with swollen glands. Can be used as a gargle. Also soothes indigestion. Muscular system: Relieves muscular tension. Reproductive system: Assists in weaning as it dries up milk during lactation.  In menopause sage helps balance hormones, relieve hot flashes, and night sweats. External use: In laboratory studies, sage is active against several infection-causing bacteria. This finding lends some credence to the herb’s age-old use in treating wounds. Modern physicians would not recommend bandaging wounds with sage leaves as Dioscorides did, but you can use fresh leaves as garden first aid for minor wounds. HERBAL ACTIONS Antispasmodic, carminative, tonic, aromatic, astringent FLAVOR & ENERGETICS Pungent, warm, aromatic, astringent CONSTITUENTS Volatile oils including thujone, tannins, bitters CAUTIONS As a tea it is not recommended to continue use for more than three weeks. Not recommended during nursing unless the mother wants to wean, as it will dry up milk. TEA BLENDS For sore, dry throats with swollen glands, sage and calendula. As a sore throat gargle, Rosemary Gladstar offers this highly effective recipe: 1 cup raw apple cider vinegar, 1 cup strong (triple strength) sage tea, 2-3 tsp sea salt, pinch of cayenne. For mental alertness: sage and gingko tea; sweeten with licorice. -- SPEARMINT - Mentha spicata (Diosmos) - Mentha viridis (Menta) - Mint Family Common names: spear mint, bush mint, horse mint HISTORY OF USE These are forms of European Spearmint. They are native to the Mediterranean region and has a long history of use as a beverage tea. Spearmint is one of the most popular mints, as it is not as strong as peppermint. The first recorded use of Mentha spicata dates as far back as 400 BC. A native species to the Mediterranean region, spearmint was collected throughout the Roman empire and valued for its pleasant aroma. In ancient times, spearmint was used to clear unpleasant odors, freshen breath, and protect food stores from rodents, but there is little indication that it was used medicinally at this time. As the Roman empire grew, the spearmint was brought to Britain where its  medicinal properties became recognized. Its primary medicinal use was to treat indigestion, nausea and vomiting, as well as relieve the symptoms of respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis and the common cold. Administered in the form of tea made from dried spearmint leaves, its mild nature made it popular for use in young children. In the middle ages, spearmint was also used as treatment if you were bitten by a wild dog. The fresh herb was mixed with salt and applied directly to the wound to promote healing. Spearmint grows wild throughout North America thanks to British soldiers who transported it during the colonial era. Wrigley Inc. introduced a breath-freshening gum in 1893 which transformed spearmint into its most common use even today. However, despite spearmint’s breath-freshening properties, the medicinal benefits have not been overlooked. MEDICINAL USE Reproductive system: extremely helpful when used to alleviate nausea during pregnancy and not as harsh as peppermint. Respiratory system: Soothing to sore throats. Digestive system: Soothes queasy stomachs and nausea. HERBAL ACTIONS Diuretic, aromatic, digestive stimulant, antimicrobial, nervine, febrifuge. CONSTITUENTS Essential oil, including carvone. FLAVOR & ENERGETICS Aromatic, cooling. TEA BLENDS Makes an uplifting tea blend with lemon balm and St. John’s Wort. Soothing to sore throats. CAUTIONS People taking pharmaceutical blood thinners should not ingest spearmint. DISCLAIMER This information is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, heal, mitigate, or remedy disease. It is for educational purposes only and should not be implemented without the express consent of your healthcare practitioner.