Many regions across the USA is experiencing heat waves. San Rafael reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit yesterday. It’s hot even for me, someone from Taiwan where most of the time it’s hot and humid.
Thought I’d share some cooling tea ideas with you to help cool off your body temperature while we are being “baked”.
In Taiwan, due to global warming, about three quarters of the year is hot. The energy and function of our body respond to our external environment as well as what we put into our body. To help regulate body temperature and hydration, we have tea stands and tea shops at almost every corner of the street. We drink a lot of teas to cope with the heat. Two common teas we drink are Chrysanthemum and Hibiscus.
Chrysanthemum flowers are yellow. There are different types of chrysanthemums and they each have slightly different properties. In general, they are good for the liver and vision, and an excellent drink to quetch thirst. They are better steeped in hot water rather than boiled. Boiling the flowers on stove reduce their property for healing.
Another excellent tea for cooling the temperature is hibiscus. Hibiscus tea has a beautiful red color. This tea if full of vitamin C and has anti-bacterial property. A great drink for the skin and immune.
Both chrysanthemum and hibiscus teas can reduce high blood pressure. If you already have low blood pressure, these teas might not be suitable for you.
Hope these teas can help you stay cool during this heat, and while you are practicing Tai Chi and Kung Fu!