DIY Morning Boost Tea for Energy, Weight-Loss, & Detoxification

With everyone looking to find health this time of year, detox teas are all the rage, but the price of some of these teas are over the top! I scoured the grocery shelves, the internet, and even Etsy to compare prices and ingredients but nothing beats how much cheaper it is to make these teas in bulk at home! Not only that, you can tailor your teatox to fit your needs.

I gave up coffee to save my stomach

2016 was the year I did the unthinkable. I gave up coffee in favor of tea. I know! It sounds like total blasphemy, but hear me out. Coffee was really wrecking my stomach and even my intestines. The more I drank coffee, the more I found myself doubled over in pain. Don't get me wrong. There are tons of great benefits to coffee, but not everyone's system can handle coffee, and I am one of those people. I love my caffeine, though, and was terrified of giving up my morning cup of joe. At first, I thought that I would just have to wean myself off, but then I remembered there are plenty of other ways to get my caffeine and I could tailor my morning cup of tea to fit all of my beauty needs on top of it!

Green tea and yerba mate a caffeine antioxidant boost

Many of you reading this already know that green tea is a powerhouse herb that not only contains caffeine but a fair amount of antioxidants making it great for boosting energy and beauty but there's another herb out there that is just as amazing! I'm talking about yerba mate! With the powers of both of these leafy green plants, you can easily get the caffeine you are looking for and more!

Green Tea Naturally rich in antioxidants, green tea has been used for thousands of years and seen many awesome benefits to the body. The polyphenols in green tea help protect against UVB light-induced skin disorders associated with immune suppression and DNA damage. Drinking green tea can also promote longevity, slows down premature aging, and reverses cell damage.

Yerba Mate  Yerba mate is a traditional South American brew that’s been said to offer the “strength of coffee, the health benefits of tea, and the euphoria of chocolate” all in one beverage. It was called “the drink of the gods” by many indigenous South Americans and later “the green gold of the Indios” by European settlers. Yerba mate contains caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine, well-known stimulants that are also found in tea, coffee, and chocolate.  The caffeine content can vary between that of green tea and coffee.  Unlike tea, yerba mate has a low tannin content so it can be strong like coffee but without an extremely bitter flavor.  Unlike coffee, yerba mate is not oily and acid forming, so it is less likely to cause stomach acid and jitters.

Herbs for detoxification, beauty, and metabolism boost!

When it comes to detoxification and beauty, there are a plethora of herbs that can help you out, but only a few herbs that can do it all and taste great together. For this reason, I chose these herbs to be in my Mornin Sunshine tea.

• Hibiscus  – Notoriously known as the Botox herb and rich in antioxidants including a large amount of vitamin C, hibiscus is well known for its abilities to beautify hair, skin, and nails. Due to its high vitamin C and antioxidant content, hibiscus helps strengthen the immune system and acts as an immunostimulant to help fight off colds and infections as well.
• Citrus peel – Rich in vitamin C, orange peel has the ability to help improve your skin tone, color, and texture. Orange peels are also rich in Vitamin A, an antioxidant that protects your skin from sun damage and skin cancer. Oranges have been known to boost collagen in your body which helps with skin firming and preventing your skin from premature aging, as well as helps to reduce wrinkles and softens your skin for a much younger you.
• Dandelion - Dandelion is a rich source of vitamin A, C, and E as well as B-complex vitamins. It also contains choline, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, biotin and calcium. Dandelion is also great for detoxification and decreasing bloat. It is well known to help support the health of the kidneys and liver. As a natural diuretic, dandelion will help you get rid of water weight in a flash! It also helps strengthen the immune system, balance blood sugar levels, relieve heartburn and soothe digestive issues.
• Lemongrass  A delightful tasting addition to any tea, Mexican folk medicine has utilized the benefits of lemongrass tea for centuries. Some of the benefits of lemongrass include: aiding in digestion, calming nervous disorders and helping in the treatment of high blood pressure. According to Dorothy Hall’s The Book of Herbs, lemongrass contains vitamin A and is good for “those who wish to have bright eyes and a clear skin.” This herb has been known to help speed up the metabolism and is great for detox.

Using organic flavor extracts to flavor your tea

I plan on doing a whole post on this topic, but I thought I would let you in on my secret sooner than that post will be ready! Did you know that you can flavor your teas using organic flavor extracts on the leaves? It's the secret to all the extra flavor in many of your favorite teas that you buy off of the shelves! Many of the dried fruits that show up in tea are for the nutrients and aesthetics, not flavor. Most dried fruits do not impart much if any, flavor to an infusion so tea makers turned to essential oils and flavor extracts to put that extra flavor into your tea leaves. I have given you my favorite blend in this recipe, but you could mix it up with your favorite flavor extracts instead. I have used red apple flavor extract, coconut flavor extract, and even pineapple flavor extract in this recipe! They are all delicious options!

DIY Mornin' Sunshine Tea

This tea is a great replacement for your morning cup of coffee, with its caffeine content! I find that tea is much gentler than coffee is on your intestines and stomach. You can enjoy this tea on a daily basis. I normally make this tea in a large gallon batch and drink iced year around, but this tea can just as easily be enjoyed hot!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup green tea leaf or black tea (My favorite tea to use is Ancient Forest tea! I also like to use Earl Grey tea sometimes.)
• 1/2 cup orange peel
• 1/2 cup yerba mate leaf
• 1/2 cup dandelion leaf
• 1/2 cup hibiscus flowers
• 1/2 cup lemongrass leaf
• 50 drops peach flavor extract (optional  for flavor)
• 50 drops strawberry flavor extract (optional  for flavor)

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine herbs in a large glass mixing bowl.
2. Add flavor extracts (if using) and mix together with a spoon to distribute the flavor throughout all of the tea.
3. Store in an airtight container such as a mason jar or a stainless steel tea jar.

1 GALLON ICED TEA DIRECTIONS

1. Steep 4-6 Tbsp. of loose leaf tea (using a cotton mesh tea bag, tea press, or iced tea teapot ) in 4 cups boiling filtered water for 10 minutes.
2. Strain herbs from tea and add ice to cool. Add more filtered water to fill a 1-gallon tea container.
3. Drink over ice and enjoy all day long!

SINGLE SERVING HOT TEA DIRECTIONS

1. Steep 1-2 Tbsp. of loose leaf tea (using a cotton mesh tea bag or tea press) in 10 to 12 oz. boiling filtered water for 6 minutes.
2. Strain herbs from tea.
3. Sip and enjoy all day long!

A note on weight loss and herbs

It should be noted that despite the marketing and advertising on the magic abilities of herbs, without a healthy diet and sufficient exercise no herbal tea will magically be able to burn the fat. While this tea can, in fact, help with metabolism boost, water weight gain, and energy levels, it works best when paired with a healthy diet and exercise. I love to pair this tea with a plant-based diet, lots of water, and 30 minutes of yoga every day for best results!