What to drink if you don’t like herbal tea

Tea? Sorry, no tannins, thank you. Coffee? No, can’t do that – too much caffeine. Herbal tea? Well no thanks, I don’t like herbal tea.

What does that leave me with? I used to think.

Plenty of things! Check out my rockin’ alternatives!

Rooibos or ‘red bush tea’

Rooibos is a South African plant whose leaves are dried to make a caramel-tasting tea that is absolutely gorgeous…I prefer it to Tetley’s or PG Tips any day.

You can have it with your preferred milk – nut milk, coconut milk, cow’s milk if you’re drinking that, as well as your favorite sweetener.

Or you can have it on its own.

Health benefits of Rooibos

I drink Rooibos because I like the taste, but Rooibos is said to have lots of health benefits!

• Rooibos contains several antioxidants
• Rooibos contains minerals: copper, iron, potassium, calcium, zinc, manganese, fluoride and magnesium.
• Rooibos is also said to help prevent cancer, reduce irritability and stress, act as an anti-spasmodic (so helping with stomach cramps), boost the immune system and more!

More about rooibos

To read more about rooibos, you can check out this interesting article that I found here.

Cat’s Claw

Said to be used traditionally in Peruvian medicine, cat’s claw (uña de gato) is a vine that is native to parts of South America.

Health benefits of Cat’s Claw

• Cat’s claw can help support the immune system
• Cat’s claw is an antiviral (helpful against viruses)
• Cat’s claw is a ‘tonic herb,’ which means you can have it every day (do consult your health practitioner though, if you have a medical condition.)

Pao d’arco

The coolest thing about Pau d’arco is that apparently the tree won’t rot even when it’s dead! (This is according to someone I know who has a dead Pao d’arco tree in his garden… how many people can say that??)

Health benefits of Pau d’arco

• Pau d’arco can help support the immune system
• Pau d’arco is antifungal (good for fungal infections)
• Pau d’arco is antiviral (good against viruses)

And apparently you can eat the bark – though I’ve never tried it, so you might want to check that one out!

More about Pao d’arco

You can have the leaves as a tea – or buy it in powder form and add it to raw chocolate!

And for the gardeners among us, it appears to be a ‘nitrogen fixer’, which my gardening friends tell me means it is good for the soil.

(I’m hopeless at gardening, but I believe them, as they’ve all got green thumbs!)

My favorite recipe if you don’t like herbal tea…

…and even if you love it.

Ready?

Mix all three of these gorgeous plants (use the dried leaves), along with some mint leaves, to make yourself a super powerful tea (see the picture above).

You won’t miss your standard brew!

What about coffee drinkers?

Aha! The coffee substitutes are in this article.

For now though, get brewing, and enjoy!

Want more recipes like this?

More gorgeous breakfast recipes are in my 5-Minute Breakfasts, along with recipes for Conscious Coffee, Protein-Packed Smoothie, Granola, and more.

Got any more ideas for great herbal teas? Let me know in the comments!