This year, I quit drinking coffee cold turkey and now take tea instead. I also learned how to brew my own tea at home, specifically Yogi Tea, a cure-all remedy introduced by Yogi Bhajan in the late 1960s.

The spices used in Yogi Tea have special healing properties. It acts as a tonic for the entire nervous system, reduce tiredness and restores mental balance. It serves as a homeopathic remedy for colds, flus and sinus problems.

There are basically four spices – peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon sticks and ginger root. These spices can be purchased at your local indian store (in Makati, it’s Assad on Jupiter St.).

The specific benefits of each spice are: black peppercorns act as a blood purifier, green cardamom pods as a digestive aid, cloves for the nervous system, cinnamon strengthens the bones, and ginger root for colds and flu, as well as to increase energy.

I have modified the original recipe a bit. Since I am glucose intolerant, I try to avoid dairy at all times I am also trying to be caffeine-free and thus, avoid adding black tea as indicated in the original recipe. The benefit though of adding milk is to help in the assimilation of the spices and the black tea serves as an alloy for all the ingredients, creating just the right chemical balance.

For my own brew, I add turmeric and nutmeg. Both spices are now treated as ‘wonder drugs’. Tumeric is good for arthritis, heartburn, stomach pain, diarrhea, liver problems and gallbladder disorders. While nutmeg, relieves pain, soothes indigestion, increases immune system, prevents leukemia and improves blood circulation.

Here’s the original recipe, you may (like me) modify it to suit your needs.

Ingredients

1 Gallon Water
30 cloves
30 whole green cardamon pods
30 whole black peppercorns
1 finger of fresh ginger, thinly sliced
5 sticks cinnamon
1 teabag, Black Tea
*Milk and Honey to taste (*optional)

Cooking Instructions:

Bring water to a boil and add spices. Cover and boil 15 to 20 minutes, then add black tea. Let sit for a few minutes, then add the milk and return to a boil. Don’t let it boil over. When it reaches a boil, remove immediately from heat, strain, and sweeten with honey, if desired.