Healing Teas You Can Make at Home

童 彤

As Trinis, we know herbs...cooking herbs! We're lucky that our climate allows us to grow much of our seasonings and ingredients in our own backyards. What we don't grow, we at least have readily available at the supermarket (or even from the neighbour's pantry!). Did you know, though, that many of these common ingredients can be used to make teas that can soothe our bodies in different ways? Below are some teas that you can probably go to your kitchen now and brew up in just a few minutes.

Garlic Tea

Gaelle Marcel

Peel and slice 3 cloves of garlic. Add to a saucepan containing 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. As the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat and strain to remove the garlic cloves. To the liquid, stir in 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice.

Sip on this antibacterial to help with the common cold. The garlic provides antioxidants and is a natural antibacterial ingredient with many health benefits.


Honey Lemon Tea

Anda Ambrosini

To a cup of boiling water, mix in 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 1/2 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Stir in a dash of cinnamon.

This tea can be soothing for sore throats. The lemon is high in vitamin C, while the honey is antimicrobial meaning it provides healing properties by killing microorganisms. Cinnamon is also anti-inflammatory and adds a nice spicy aroma to the mix.

This combination has also been known to promote weight loss.


Turmeric Milk

Charisse Kenion

To 1 cup of milk (or soy/almond milk if you prefer), add 1 teaspoon of finely chopped, fresh turmeric. Warm this mixture on the stovetop for about 15 minutes, but do not boil so as to scald the milk. Once thoroughly warmed, remove the turmeric by straining, and mix in one tablespoon of honey for sweetening. Drink warm.

This drink can help with insomnia and inflammation, and even diarrhea if non-fat milk is used. Turmeric is high in curcumin, an antioxidant that helps the body produce seratonin and dopamine, and also fights free radicals in the body, making it great for the skin.

Ginger Tea

Kjokkenutstyr Net

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. As the water boils, add 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger. Remove from the heat, cover, and allow to steep for 10 minutes. Remove the ginger by straining, then sweeten with 1 tablespoon of honey. A bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice can also be added to lighten the ginger taste for those who prefer.

Ginger, being high in vitamin C, magnesium and anti-inflammatory properties, has numerous benefits including the relief of nausea, indigestion, respiratory problems, inflammation and poor circulation.


I'm sure many of us were fed at least one of these by our parents or grandparents at some point in time. Have you tried any of these on your own? I'm sure if you have, they've been quite soothing. What do you think?

Stay peaceful,

Lexxie