by Katri Marson

Created on: October 14, 2009   Last Updated: October 15, 2009

Your kitchen spice rack holds more than the power to excite your taste buds. A nice warm tea, especially during the winter months, can be the perfect thing to relax and warm you. When you search for the perfect tea through your spice rack, it can also be the perfect thing to cure your winter illness blues.

Anise (Pimpinella anisum) - A annual, used as a vegetable in parts of the world, anise is most known as an herb in the common spice rack. Drinking this herbal tea after a meal can help aid digestion and prevent or help indigestion and gas. Use 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of Anise seed with 1 cup of boiling water. Let it steep for at least 15 minutes.

Oregano (Origanum vulgare) - A popular herb found most often in Italian food, oregano is a perennial herb and a member of the mint family. Oregano tea can help aid your tummy trouble of indigestion and bloating, while also helping you fight off colds and fevers. Prepare 1 teaspoon of crushed dried oregano steeped in 1 cup of boiling water for 10 minutes.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) - An evergreen perennial shrub, rosemary, like oregano, is part of the mint family. Rosemary dilates blood vessels, helping circulation and improving memory. It can relaxes the stomach and aid digestion. It has the ability to soothe your nervous system and relax you, calming your nerves and helping ward off stress headaches. This tea can be taken several times per day. Add 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary to 1 cup of water.

Sage (Salvia officinalis) - Like Rosemary, sage has been shown to help improve memory. Drink some sage tea to help get rid of uncomfortable menopausal night sweats. When you have a cold cough, bronchitis or sinus pressure drink some of this herbal tea to relieve your symptoms. Add 4 tablespoons of dried sage to 1 cup boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes. This tea can be taken up to 3 times per day. It is best not to take it more than 3 times a day. To help sore throats, gingivitis, gum inflammation, mouth sores and other oral problems you can gargle or rinse with the tea.

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) - Also part of the mint family, thyme is a carminative (basically it helps expel gas,) and an expectorant. It is helpful for many stomach issues, like indigestion and diarrhea and great for upper respiratory illnesses, like cough and colds. For every cup of hot water add 2 teaspoons of dried thyme. Let it steep for about 10 minutes. Drink 3 times a day.

A tea ball is very effective for these loose herb teas. If you do not have a tea ball add the herbs straight to your cup or kettle and strain with a small strainer. If you do not have a strainer you can use a coffee filter. You can add the herbs to the middle of the coffee filter and tie it up. The coffee filter will act similar to a tea bag. For the best and most effective tea make sure it steeps for at least 10 minutes. The more it steeps the more bitter it will become, though the stronger medicinal properties it will have. Now, boil some water, sit back, relax and enjoy a warm healing cup of tea.

Learn more about this author, Katri Marson.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.