Three simple teas to keep the body in balance as we move into Spring.

We drink cold lemonade in summer and hot cocoa in winter. What’s the drink for spring? Tea! Of course! Tea has long been used for all manner of purposes, some for medicinal, and some for ceremonial, and also for the health of both the body and mind. In Ayurveda, tea is used to balance the three doshas: Vata, PItta and Kapha. When the seasons change, there are higher chances that one or more of our doshas will increase or decrease, causing imbalance and potentially discomfort, uneasiness, indigestion, mental instability, and also illness.

A simple remedy for this is herbal tea. The right kind of tea will balance Kapha, the specific dosha that tends to increase during Spring (Kapha dosha increase is responsible for mucus formation, congestion, colds, cough, runny nose, allergies, swelling, fatigue, and weight gain.)

In addition to balancing all three doshas, the common herbs used in these recipes have other wonderful benefits. Spices such as ginger, black pepper and cardamom are excellent for improving digestion, while cinnamon is known to balance blood sugar. Cloves have been used for hundreds of years as a natural pain killer, and turmeric has regained popularity as a superfood for calming inflammation and encouraging regeneration of healthy cells.

Drink any of these teas by the cup daily, or (better) prepare several servings in the morning, add tea to a large thermos, take to work and sip throughout your day in place of water. Reduce the amount of ginger if the tea is too strong.

Tea Recipes for Balancing Doshas in Spring:

TIP: print and keep handy in your kitchen drawer

Springtime Warming Tea

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp fresh, grated ginger or ¼ tsp ground ginger

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp honey to sweeten

Method:

Place the ginger, cinnamon and black pepper into a pan and cover with 1 cup of water.

Bring everything to a simmer and allow the ingredients to infuse while simmering for around 10 minutes Strain the liquid into a cup and add the honey to sweeten.

Ginger Lemon Tea

Ingredients:

• 1-2 tbsp fresh, grated ginger or ¼ tsp ground ginger

• juice of ½ a lemon

• 1 tsp grated lemon zest (unwaxed)

• 1 tsp honey to sweeten

Method: Add the ginger and lemon zest to a pan and cover with 1 cup of water. Bring the water to a simmer and allow the ingredients to infuse whilst simmering. After 10 minutes, add the lemon juice. Pour into a cup and add the honey to sweeten.

Cardamom Clove Tea

Ingredients:

• 2 cardamom pods

• 2 cloves

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp honey to sweeten

• almond milk or organic soy milk (optional)

Method: Add the cardamom, black pepper, cloves and cinnamon to a pan and cover with 1 cup of water. Bring everything to a simmer and allow the ingredients to infuse for 10 minutes whilst simmering. After 10 minutes, pour into a cup and add the honey and milk if desired.