During the course of our daily tasks we can experience aching muscles and pains whether it be from existing conditions such as arthritis or from straining ourselves. These aches and pains can cause stress and fatigue and can often aggravate other conditions, treating these aches and pains immediately is a great idea. There are some wonderful herbs and plants which can aid in relieving some of these symptoms. Erin Young, owner of boutique tea company, Zen Green Tea lists her top five picks:
- Common Sage: Sage is a wonderful herb for treating muscle soreness. Sage is an antispasmodic which means that it helps to relax muscle fibres – it’s a great natural cough medicine too helping to relax the lungs and throat. It works well as a hot tea to drink and also applied to the skin by steeping a strong hot tea (for 10-15 minutes), waiting it for it to become luke-warm, and then applying it with a towel as a compress on the area experiencing soreness. This herb can be bought at your local supermarket.
- Matcha Green Tea: Matcha is a form of green tea where it is the tea leaf stone ground into a fine powder so it actually dissolves in water to form a highly concentrated tea. Studies have shown green tea can help reduce inflammation and arthritis pain because of its active ingredient EGCG which is a powerful antioxidant that works to stop the production of certain inflammatory chemicals in the body. Matcha contains a much higher level of EGCG compared to standard green tea bags making it the perfect anti-inflammatory drink. Additionally, matcha contains an incredibly high level of antioxidants so when you drink matcha your body is flooded with antioxidants that help to stop cell damage that can be the cause of other conditions and inflammation. To make matcha, you simply mix ¼ teaspoon of the powder into a cup of hot water and enjoy. This tea can be bought online at Australian boutique business Zen Green Tea: www.zengreentea.com.au
- Lavender Tea: Lavender is known for its soothing, sleep inducing properties. The tea can assist with flatulence, colic, or an upset stomach. It can be also applied as a wash to the chest to reduce any respiratory conditions like coughs or colds. Drinking a lavender tea and soaking in a bath with lavender oil with some relaxing music is the perfect way to relieve any stress which can often be the cause of muscle spasms. You can steep lavender flowers (bought at your local florist) to form the tea or purchase the dried flowers at your local health food store.
- Cardamom tea: Cardamom tea, like lavender tea is great for treating stomach conditions i.e. indigestion and nausea. Interestingly, cardamom also works as a caffeine detoxifier if you have consumed too many cups of coffee it helps to remove the caffeine from your system. Cardamom can be bought at your local supermarket and it is a tea often enjoyed with milk. It’s featured in many chai tea mixes (ensure you buy chai leaves not the powdered sugar laden varieties).
- Peppermint tea: Peppermint tea is a fantastic overall herb which contains both menthol and camphor- two substances which help relieve muscle tension. Additionally, peppermint aids in indigestion, and helps in relieving headaches and anxiety which can cause stress related muscle spasms. This tea can be bought at your local supermarket.
Ache Relieving Relaxing Bath Tea Bag
Soaking in a bath is a great way to relax and adding muscle relaxing herbs both feels great and helps you relieve your stress and aches faster
Instructions: In a muslin bag mix a handful of lavender flowers, a tea bag quantity worth of peppermint tea, sage, a teaspoon of matcha and a few drops of lavender oil. Steep the bag in your bath and enjoy the relaxing effects, the light green colour and the beautiful smell!
NOTE: Seniors get a 10% discount from all orders at www.zengreentea.com.au using “senior” as the coupon on the website.
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