My Favorite Botanicals

A botanical is a plant–or part of a plant–that is valued for its medicinal or therapeutic properties.

I love to forage botanicals, but don’t always have the time to do so when certain ones are in bloom, so I was elated when my favorite tea company started a whole line of botanicals! No foraging or preserving required, but all the medicinal benefits are waiting for me, inside each bag.

Some Amazing Botanicals

I’ll share some of my favorites here and how I love to use them.

If you want to try some yourself, use code SOULYRESTED to save.

ADAPTOGENS

An adaptogen is a specific kind of botanical that has been shown to help the body in amazing ways when under stress. Adaptogens can help the body deal with outside stressors and promote a sense of well-being

Butterfly pea flower powder is great for making a medicinal (blue!) latte and it’s a natural way to dye food and icing a pretty blue color. (See more natural food dyes below.)

ashwaganda is one of my favorite adaptogens and is always within reach. I add 1/4 tsp of it to a latte, smoothie, or cup of hot chocolate 2x a day.

maca powder offers a slightly nutty flavor, along with the great benefits of adaptogens. I’ll add 1/4-1/2 tsp to a delicious, sugar-free latte or my homemade hot chocolate.

BOTANICALS FOR TEA

My top picks for functional botanicals I love adding to my loose leaf tea:

All of these are very subtle tastes, so I will add them to my tea steeper, with my favorite tea blends…

  • Red Clover– isoflavones such as biochanin A, genistein, and daidzein give red clover an anti-inflammatory effect. It’s also effective at easing menopause symptoms and helping prevent osteoporosis
  • Dandelion Leaves are said to aid in digestion and stimulate our immune system
  • Raspberry Leaves are believed to  help fight common illnesses, like the cold or flu
  • Tulsi basil–known as the Elixir of Life for over 3000 years, this herb offers vital nutrients, including vitamins A, C and calcium, zinc and iron. It’s been shown to improve mood and increase the body’s protection against free radicals

A few of my favorite drinks I love to make with botanicals:

Use code SOULYRESTED on any botanicals and save $$$.

 

Prepared Wellness Tea Blends

If you’d like to let the tea experts do the work for you, you can find some wonderful wellness blends here: Wellness Teas (use code SOULYRESTED)

Or try one of the delicious, medicinal chicory tea blends here that have zero caffeine but taste like coffee: Not Coffee Teas (use code SOULYRESTED)

Botanicals for Natural Food Dyes

These are some of my favorite all-natural options for very pretty food dyes. (I don’t typically notice the flavors, but you can always add a little more natural sweeteners, like honey or maple syrup, if you do.)

Use code SOULYRESTED to save $$ and bonus: you can use these all-natural food dyes in so many medicinal ways, added to fun drinks and smoothies. One note, the matcha linked below is a culinary matcha. If you want to use it for delicious drinks as well, you want to grab the ceremonial matcha for a better flavor.