As someone who avoids caffeine, I’ve become an herbal tea connoisseur. I’ve used them to crush my anxiety and eliminate my allergies: And now I’ve found a hormone-balancing blend that I can’t stop drinking. Let’s break that down. I’m on board with chamomile, which has been shown in a number of studies to help reduce stress, which would balance cortisol levels, counteracting the frenetic energy that makes up much of the modern woman’s life. The flowers feel a touch on the nose to my skeptical side (women like flowers!) but also offer noted health benefits—rose is calming, and hibiscus has anti-inflammatory1 properties and can have antidepressant-like2 effects. It also lends the tea a lovely bright-pink color (which again, is a bit on the nose, but what the heck, it’s pretty). Vanilla is an oft-overlooked superfood. In an interview with Dave Asprey (famed biohacker and founder of the Bulletproof diet and empire), he said that it’s his go-to recommendation for people who don’t drink coffee but still want to benefit from its noted health effects. Like coconut and cinnamon, vanilla is also one of those flavors that fools the brain and tongue into thinking a consumable is sweet, even without sugar, and in this tea, it adds that treat-like note. The herb that interested me most in the blend was shatavari, which, to be frank, I’d never heard of. Says Pole, “Shatavari is traditionally used as a female reproductive system tonic, supporting fertility, the menstrual cycle, and hormonal changes.” Will Cole, D.C., is a fan of its benefits. “Shatavari is definitely a go-to tool I use in my practice. I am a super fan of adaptogens, and there is compelling evidence to show shatavari is an adaptogenic powerhouse. Studies show its immune-supporting3 and hormone-balancing4 impact on the body, two qualities of a great adaptogen.” Do my hormones feel more balanced? It’s hard to say—again, the amount of herbs you’re consuming in tea is much lower than in an extract or tincture, and I didn’t get a full blood-panel work-up done before and after drinking the tea (although that’d be a fun, if stressfully needle-filled, experiment!). But it makes hydrating myself infinitely more pleasurable, and there is something about connecting with the idea of nourishing myself as a woman on a daily basis. I pour hot water over the bag and breathe in the floral, fruity, vanilla-tinged aroma, and I feel calmer, more in control, and ready to tackle whatever the day may bring. A tea that’s another weapon in any power woman’s tool kit for success? I’ll drink to that. More from my hot-steeped adventures: I sipped away my anxiety and allergies. What problem should I tackle with tea next?
