Rosemary Tea

Not too long ago, my mother-in-law introduced me to something I have never tried. Rosemary tea. I love rosemary in cooking, but I never thought to drink it??? EW! But, I tried it and LOVED it. My mother-in-law raved about the benefits of this new found nectar of mine. So, I wanted to look into the health benefits of Rosemary Tea. And since we just posted about keeping hydrated, I thought this would be an interesting post to encourage your intake of water.

Drinking rosemary tea is a good way to pack in variety of vitamins. Rosemary leaves are high in the following: beta-carotene/Vitamin A, thiamin/Vitamin B1, riboflavin/Vitamin B2, niacin/Vitamin B3, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, biotin, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Vitamin K. Rosemary also contains essential antioxidants.

When I purchased a package of rosemary tea, it boasted that it was good for digestive distress - mainly, bloating and any queasiness. However, I found other literature that indicated it was good for clearing up congestion & aids in memory improvement. Crossfitters might be interested in this, because it is a mild analgesic, it aids in soothing aching muscle, headaches and kills bacteria that leads to infection.

Of course as with anything, consult your physicians. These claims need to be tested by the FDA for actual results. A word to the wise though, if you are pregnant, experience hypertension, or high blood pressure, please consult your physician.

So, here are a few recipes to try at home to make (or you can purchase Rosemary tea).

Hot Rosemary Tea
• 1 teaspoon rosemary herbs
• 8 ounces boiling water

Steep the fresh or dried rosemary for 5 minutes or longer, depending on the strength of tea. Try adding lavender or thyme to the mix for a variety of flavor. Garnish with a fresh rosemary stem.

Don’t like hot drinks, or on a hot summer day, try this:

Sun Brewed Rosemary Iced Tea
• 4-5 bags of decaffeinated iced tea bags
• 1 ½ quarts of water
• 2-3 Rosemary sprigs
• Ice
• Lemon slices

Place tea bags into a 2 quart glass container . Bruise the fresh rosemary sprigs with the back of a spoon. Add to the container along with the water. Cover, and let stand for 2-3 hours in the sunlight. Remove bags and rosemary. Either refrigerate or serve rosemary over ice. Add lemon slices for extra flavor or garnish. Add a fresh rosemary sprig for garnish. Serves 5-8 6 ounce servings.