A chilled morning calls for warming with a hot cup of tea. I can hear you coffee drinkers disagree. Yes it’s tea for me, is it tea for thee? (Did you know I can rhyme?)

This winter I became aware of the potential chemicals and toxins that often come with the packaged deal of teas. I dove into researching typical brands we used and also healthier options to consume. Teas aren’t automatically healthy simply because the box looks bright with herbs and fruits. Looks can be ever so deceiving! I enjoyed the task of trying out a variety of new teas, and I’m happy to share results with you!

For an outcast, non-coffeee drinker such as I, a cup of tea is healthy, right? We tend to assume that since teas are herbs they are nourishing for us. But did you ever slow down your life and meditate on just what might be hiding out in that tea bag?!

Here’s information on what to beware of in your teas. Not that this list is all-inclusive, but it’s a good start.

Avoid teas that have natural flavors, soy lecithin, maltodextrin and cornstarch.  These can all contain GMOs.

Many teas are laden with pesticides, carcinogens, and polypropylene, especially if the bags contain plastics. Plastic leaches before it melts- hello boiling water!  Heavy metals,  additives, and flouride are more bad guys often found camping out in that innocent little bag. And, I’m ever so sorry to deflate your joy but K-cups have got to go!

Things to look for when buying teas:

Choose organic and non-GMO certified teas. These won’t be the cheapest brands either.

Do your own research on your favorite brand of tea and see what information the company shares.  Are they testing for heavy metals? Are their tea bags made out of plastic? How do they package their tea?  Is their bag sealed with a metal staple? Are they transparent about their ingredients?

Here is a list of typical tea brands to stay away from for the above reasons:

Twinnings

Lipton

Luzainne

Celestial Seasonings

Tazo

Bigelow

I know it’s worth groaning over! I’m right there with you, convicted guilty of drinking these teas. But hey, that makes two of us listening to our conscience. Cheers for us! It brings the shudders when I think of the gallons of iced Lipton or Luzainne tea we’ve drank for years! But I’ve found a few kinds to replace that.

Is your cup of tea feeling cold and disgusting yet?! Cheer up; here are safe brands you can choose from. ⬇️

*Traditional Medicinals-  their tea is organic, non-GMO and their tea bags are free of plastic and are compostable.  They perform rigorous testing for heavy metals and microbial contaminates.  Currently I’m in a streak of drinking their Cup of Calm Lavender Mint for my morning tea. Who cares if it’s supposed to be a tea for bedtime; I can drink it when I want. And it is a cup of calm because I drink it at my desk while I read my Bible.

*Choice Organics-  this tea is also tested for chemicals, heavy metals, and lead. It’s made without flavors or additives. It’s packed into natural fiber plastic free tea bags.  The tea string is from organic material. The packaging filteration paper is oxygen bleached using a natural process completely free of chemicals or toxins. We’ve tried their grapefruit honeybush tea as well as their peppermint- both are tasty. Also, their black tea makes wonderful sweet tea to replace the Lipton or Luzainne we used to drink. 

*Numi- this is another clean tea that is organic, non-GMO, and free of pesticides. Their tea bags are made of Manila hemp and are compostable. Hurray for no plastic in their bags! Numi also has a good black tea labeled Breakfast Blend, which makes a good sweet tea.

*Organic India- they test each batch of teas/herbs for contaminates like mold, fungus, bacteria, pesticides, and heavy metals. They don’t add fillers, artificial colors, or preservatives.  Their bags are made out of organic Manila hemp and are compostable and biodegradable. The strings are from unbleached cotton fiber.

*Rishi- this company too is organic and performs spot testing for pesticides and contaminates. They use plant based materials for their bags and are not petroleum based. No glues, staples, or metals on their bags either. The downside is that their price is higher than the previous ones I’ve mentioned. 

*Pukka teas are also organic and super good quality, but same as Rishi, super expensive.

*The Republic of Tea- is another brand of delicious teas. They are tested for pesticides and do not use staples or strings in their bags. Their Peach Ginger tea is one I absolutely love! It’s delighful as a hot cup or refreshing as iced.  I’d love to say it’s 100% safe, but from my research, they don’t quite meet all the requirements. They carry some organic teas, but they are not all. Shop wisely. I also couldn’t find that they’re tested for heavy metals. The bags are unbleached, which is great, but I couldn’t find that they are totally free of plastic.  Another concern was the natural flavors, although they say their natural flavors are free of chemicals. It will be a better tea to drink than the average, but not the best.

Stash, Yogi and Earth Mama are teas that I also researched. They appear like good teas at first glance. But upon investigating further, I couldn’t find that they were completely free of plastics or else not properly tested for heavy metals/pesticides, or didn’t reveal satisfactory information. Drink at your own risk.

All these teas can be found at health food stores or some main line grocery stores. Amazon carries most of these as well. Whole Foods will delight any tea lover with their advanced collection of teas; some healthy and some not so much. Shop with your eyes wide open for pesticides and plastics!

There are definitely more safe brands out there. Some I did not include because the price was fit for kings, not peasants like me.

And yes, you don’t need a fancy tea kettle to make tea. I use my plain-Jane little pan that has ever so many uses.  It hangs on a hook inside a nearby cupboard.  It’s out of sight and doesn’t clutter my stove top like a kettle would. I have an affinity for multipurpose products.

Three tips for your cup of tea:

● Use good water! This makes a difference. We have a distiller and wouldn’t want to drink anything else. It boils the water to a steam, and thus removes all bacteria, chlroine and the like.  It leaves you with the cleanest, thirst quenching water! Reverse osmosis is about the same as distilled.

● Don’t stir in the sugar. Sweeten it with a choice stevia or honey. Raw honey is healthy but remember it’s also calorie laden, which may contribute to fluffiness. 

● Stir in a teaspoon or two of collagen. There’s no taste but it simply adds a bit of protein to help out your blood sugar levels. There’s a wide variety of collagen out there.  I use Anthony’s collagen powder. It’s hydrolyzed, non-GMO and grass fed.