Mind, Body & Soul

Looking after yourself is to take care of your mind, your body and your soul and not favour one at the expense of others. There are many paths to this and one of the simplest one is to experience the joys of drinking chamomile, as a herbal hot drink.

Chamomile's delightful taste could be describe as a mix of a fresh apple and the smell of a peaceful spring day.

This is not the only reason why it is one of the most popular herbal infusion across the globe. The history of the plant stretches back thousands of years. Ancient Romans, Greeks and Egyptians were well known users of this herb, the latter were already convinced that the flowers contained healing and even magical properties. 

It is also mentioned in the “Lacnunga”, a 10th-century Ancient Anglo-Saxon manuscript and referred as one of the “Nine Sacred Herbs”.

Reduces stress & helps relaxation

Most of us lead a fast-paced and stressful lifestyle and it's almost like we forgot how to slow down and hit the pause button, taking even a small break from our overly busy schedule is essential to live a balanced life and it is important to introduce a daily routine of serenity: drinking a chamomile tea every evening is a great way to start.  It has properties that will help you relax and that will help reduce stress and anxiety.

Promotes deep sleep

A good night rest is often said to be one of the secrets of a peaceful mind, and one of the most well-known benefit of this naturally caffeine-free herb is as a sleep aid since it has mild sedative effects. Sipping a warm cup of chamomile tea while reading a good book is ideal before hitting the hay.

Boosts your immune system

Chamomile tea is rich in antioxidants and can help boost your immune system. The effects will be subtle, but it certainly won’t cause any harm.

Relaxes your sore muscles

You like hitting the gym? Then you’re probably going to love this tip ! Chamomile is said to help with stiffness and aching muscles: a hot compress of chamomile applied on painful areas can ease sore muscles and reduce the pain.

Make it part of your "me-time" daily ritual

A lot of things and experiences in life are best when shared.  You can make chamomile infusion a family habit, but having some "alone time" has nothing to do with being selfish. It’s actually quite the opposite, as it allows you to become the best version of yourself. So why not try and make drinking chamomile tea an evening routine and a “take some time for myself” everyday ritual.

Chamomile is one of the ultimate hot drink. It will hep you take care of your mind and your body, and your soul will reap the benefits too.

Making the perfect infusion

“How do you make your tea?”: if you’re British or a tea aficionado, this is a very relevant question, but if you’re not, you probably wonder: “why am I being asked such a strange question". For most people, it’s easy, all you need to do is to boil some water, grab a mug, pour the water, drop a tea bag and if desired, add milk & sugar; right?”.

Well, brewing tea is a very controversial subject and knowing what’s the “best” temperature for each tea is still being debated. In the end, it's a matter of personal taste and what’s really important is how you like your tea, but if you’d like to have some tips for brewing your chamomile, keep reading.

In your tea infuser or your self-fill tea bags you want to put 1 tablespoon of dry chamomile for approximately 1 cup of water. The ideal temperature to brew herbal tea varies from tea to tea, and for chamomile it is around 93° Celsius. Ideally you should let it brew for about 5-7 minutes, depending on the strength and depth of flavour you desire.

Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) is bitter than the German chamomile (Matricaria recutita), and is less likely to suit most people’s taste. The German chamomile is sweeter and most widely used for commercial teas that you’d find in supermarkets.

This being said, you should also be aware that even the best chamomile tea has bitter undertones, and the longer the tea seeps, the stronger it becomes. So, as for most herbal teas, if you over-seep the chamomile, it is more likely to be on the bitter side, but this can easily be calmed down with a little touch of honey.

A chamomile infusion is about enjoying the moment. Don’t rush it.  It is the perfect well-earned break after a hard day’s work. Your inner-self will thank you for this.