Types of Tea : Choosing the right tea for your body {GUIDE}

Types of Tea : Choosing the right tea for your body {GUIDE}

Cassy Vantriet
14 minute read

Listen to article
Audio is generated by DropInBlog's AI and may have slight pronunciation nuances. Learn more

This Woash guide walks through how to choose the right types of tea for your body.


Types of Tea Guide Contents:

(click on the links below to skip to each section)


Feel free to skip ahead to whatever information inspires you the most.

 










My Beginnings with Tea

I’ve always been an exclusive tea drinker, never coffee (shocking I know), I started drinking tea with my Oma when I was young we would steep a pot of Orange Pekoe and I was in-charge of filling my cup with half milk and a few too many scoops of sugar. Those early cups of tea eventually evolved into a daily habit, I quickly became obsessed with the coziness and creamy sweetness every cup brought me. I always looked forward to a morning cup, which eventually peaked my curiosity and I began seeking different kinds of tea

 

After 10 years of drinking a very english styled cup of tea and dabbling into tea called “Apple Custard” and “Pomegranate Punch” I ventured overseas to explore new cultures and see the world in my early 20’s. I quickly realized it was much harder to find a cup of black tea with milk and sugar than it was back at home. Their menus were filled with traditional black tea and a wide variety of herbs that were steeped into a cup of tea. I love trying new things so I quickly adopted their love for herbal teas and a high quality black and green tea. 

 

As I explored many countries and soaked up each culture I came across tea plantation tours, I was excited to see how tea was made and learn about its history.

 

Standing in the foothills of a tea plantation in South East Asia (wearing someone else's gumboots as I did not pack those) with a self-proclaimed 5th generation tea sommelier I got to learn first-hand the importance of tea within their economy, ceremonies and medical resources. We not only discussed the ‘tea plant,’ camellia sinensis, which is the one plant that creates all the different kinds of tea, (black, green, oolong, white and pu’erh) but a variety of herbs that are native to different areas and crucial to overall health.  

 

It was my experience back home that tea was just a cozy, delicious substitute to coffee with no other reason for consuming other than the caffeine boost or yummy taste.

 

Since then and through many other travels I was able to learn and experience a whole new side of tea that to me seemed extremely lost in North America.


Types of Tea | Woash Wellness

 

It was from this that the mission of WOASH was created, to bridge the gap between traditional herbal medicine and modern wellness by carefully crafting purposeful tea blends, that utilized the natural benefits and taste profiles of each ingredient, to enhance and support your overall health.

 

As I dug deeper into the power of plants I was in complete shock at how beneficial all kinds of tea can be for our overall health, the strategic art of herbalism and how everyone can react differently to a specific herbs benefit.

 

We each have our own unique constitutional make up, including herbs, where the energetics of plants can help balance or imbalance our constitution.

 






The Four Body Constitutions

A constitution is made up of four aspects; hot / cold, damp / dry, with each person and herb having a unique make-up of all four energetics. The goal in Chinese herbalism and Ayurveda is to balance the four aspects by utilizing different wellness practices including herbs to enhance overall health. 

 

 

The study of herbalism is a lifelong journey and something that I have only gotten a glimpse into out of personal interest, I am not an herbalist and do not claim to be. I’ve been fortunate to have worked with experienced holistic nutritionists and herbalists to create and design each of our tea blends. Our different kinds of teas were strategically blended for a unique purpose utilizing the natural benefit of each herb to enhance and support your desired state of being. When we become more in-tune of how our body’s feel and how we want to feel we can make a more educated and intuitive choice of how to nourish ourselves to support our health.

 

It is no shock that each of us are incredibly different from our personal blueprint to our environment, habits and goals as a result a specific kind of tea may be best during a certain phase or season and not offer the same results at a different time.

 

The beauty about different kinds of tea and herbs is that they are an endless experiment that requires us to check-in with our bodies needs and become more intuitive about how we nourish our bodies. 

 

Some tea blends and herbs are great for some and not so great for others, there are an endless list of ‘safe’ herbs that carry a more balanced energetics while others can be extremely warming / cooling or dampening / drying, which can increase or decrease your symptoms depending on your personal constitution. Being aware of our personal constitution will give you the knowledge to choose different kinds of tea for your unique needs. 

 






Discover the type of tea for your body

Constitution Diagram

Woash Wellness - Constitution Diagram

 

For example if you have a more warm constitution then herbs such as ginger and cinnamon will increase your level of warmth and can make you feel uncomfortable or cause inflammation. On the other side if you have a more cool constitution warming herbs such as ginger and cinnamon will be great for you as they will increase circulation and warm the body by balancing out your cool energetic. 

 

As we explore different kinds of tea and begin this journey of discovering which teas are most beneficial for us at this time we must be patient, curious and listening to what our body has to tell us.

 

This practice of intuitive nourishment doesn't  happen overnight but will become stronger over time and eventually have you following your body’s cues of what it needs most at that time.

 

Coming from a place of curiosity will allow you to try new things and discover the endless natural benefits of different kinds of tea

 

For me, I try to lean into my cravings; this season (winter) I’ve been craving our DIGEST blend, with its fresh mint and moistening marshmallow root and licorice root, which helps to balance the extra dryness during these colder months. I tend to have a more dry constitution which becomes amplified during this season, therefore nourishing with more dampening herbs will help to balance my constitution. 

 

Another great thing about utilizing different kinds of tea as nourishment is how easily it can be implemented into your daily habits. We are surrounded by nature’s natural medicine and tea is the perfect way to incorporate herbal medicine into your diet. Rather than trying to remember to take a handful of vitamins at the specific time of day or in between your eating schedule, (which I can never seem to do), steep a tea blend that will nourish your needs, enjoy a few slower moments, and the comfort of a warm cup of tea. 

 

Consistency is key when it comes to supporting our overall healthy with natural nourishment and herbal remedies.


Tea can be easily implemented into your daily routine, available on the go and during those slower moments that we all need a little more of in our daily lives.. The more habitual we can consume a remedy the more we can observe the effects on our health. Which means when we begin to experiment with different kinds of tea be patient with the process and see how it makes you feel. I not only have a daily tea routine but depending on how I feel and what my body needs throughout the week I tend to lean towards different blends. 

 






My Tea Routine

Woash Wellness | My Tea Routine

 

I start each day with a stimulating yet nourishing cup of PICK ME UP tea that kick-starts my energy levels, increases my mental alertness, circulation and digestions.

 

Followed by THINK midday to support mental focus and lower stress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the evening, it depends on the day and what kind of support my body is needing; digestion relief - DIGEST , immune boost - IMMUNITY  or calming the nervous system - ME TIME.

 

Different kinds of tea contain a wide variety of natural benefits that offer therapeutic benefits.

 

 

 

 

 

Checking-in with how you feel throughout the day by listening to your body and its cue’s is its way of communicating with you; from runny or dry coughs, depleted skin, sore muscles, aches, pains, inflammation or discomfort they all tell us what we need, but it has become harder to do within our society. I encourage you to slow down, take a minute to check-in and listen to what it is trying to tell you, then let the experimentation begin! 

 






Types of Teas and Their Benefits

If you are interested in trying out different kinds of tea to support and enhance your desired state of being but are possibly thinking “where do I even begin?” We’ve made it easy, each of our blends are categorized by purpose and by narrative to help you discover what you need for your unique needs. 

 

Each of our blends offers an in-depth description to ensure you are choosing the right blend for you and your unique needs:

  • Who it was designed for
  • The general benefits
  • The flavour profile
  • Why we created the tea blend
  • When to drink the tea blend
  • A detailed description of each herb and what it does within the tea blend
  • A few different ways to enjoy the tea blend



Here are a few different kinds of tea we can recommend depending on your unique constitution:

 

Stinging Nettle Leaf

Nettle is a relatively safe herb for all but is ideal for warm and damp constitutions as it can be a bit cooling and drying. This is one of our favourite herbs for women and is packed with minerals that our bodies often lack in daily nutrition, which is why it is one of the main ingredients in our PERIOD blend

 

Best for:

  • Women’s health (skin, hair, nails, bones)
  • May improve iron levels
  • Helps to regulate a healthy menstrual cycle
  • Great for seasonal allergy symptoms
  • Promotes natural detoxification

 

Teas with Stinging Nettle Leaf

Elderberry

Elderberries are one of the most famous Chinese herbs for reducing common cold and flu symptoms and is my go-to when I feel a cold coming on. Its sweet dark berry flavour if packed with vitamin C, has antiviral properties, is antioxidant rich and contains anti-inflammatory properties. For these reasons it was a must have ingredient for our IMMUNITY blend. Elderberries energetics are cooling and drying, therefore are best for warm and damp constitutions. 

 

Best for: 

  • Respiratory infections and flu symptoms (during the beginning signs of a weakened immune system)
  • Ear Infections
  • Herpes


Teas with Elderberry

 

Tulsi (also known as Holy Basil)

An herb for a lifetime, herbal medicine focuses more on the longevity of life rather than the quick fixes pharmaceuticals focus on, Tulsi is a great example of an herb meant to be consumed for a lifetime for its adaptogenic properties that have a wide variety of benefits; antimicrobial, aromatic digestive, relaxing nervine, antioxidant, immune booster and analgesic. This aromatic herb is a must to relieve daily stress and support the nervous system, which is why it is our main ingredient in our calming ME TIME blend. It is a relatively safe herb for all constitutions but can be slightly warming and drying so is best for cool and damp constitutions. 

 

Best for:

  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Viral and fungal infections
  • Herpes
  • Pain
  • Colds and Flus

 

Tea with Tulsi 



Rose

Not just a pretty flower, rose petals and rose hips are packed with nourishing benefits both internally and externally. Most commonly used for inflammation, and its antioxidant properties, pain, the common cold and as a floral aromatic to support the nervous system with anxiety and depression. Rose is a beautiful accent in cooking and tea blends. Rose hips is an ingredient in our THINK blend to help relieve stress.

 

Best for:

  • Inflammation
  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Pain
  • Common Cold
  • Infections


Teas with Rose

 


Dandelion

One of the most common weeds we walk by or continuously pull out of our lawns yet this herb is packed with benefits from its roots to its leaves and flowers. You might think twice about utilizing the 'weed' you pull out due to its nourishing benefits on our digestive systems, liver and helps to retain water if needed. This herb is quite bitter in taste and blends well with sweeter and aromatic herbs. Dandelion helps to support healthy digestion by its action on the liver, as the bitterness kick starts the liver to relieve sluggish digestion. It also is known to help balance gut flora and hormone levels. Overall this 'weed' many of us dislike is abundant in nourishing qualities and should be thought twice about before pulling it out. 

Best for:

  • Digestion Stimulant
  • Healthy Liver Function
  • Balancing Hormones
  • Pain
  • Nutrients

 


Cacao

Although this is not considered a tea but we couldn't talk about herbs without talking about Cacao's benefits (shockingly, I dislike anything chocolate). Cacao has been used for centuries for its mood improving, anti-inflammatory and stimulating properties. I'm talking about the real Cacao, that quite bitter dark stuff that isn't mass produced and sweetened. Cacao is also known to stimulate brain function and relieve fatigue. For all you chocolate lovers, keep at it!

Best for:

  • Improving mood
  • Relieving fatigue
  • Stimulating brain function
  • Anti-inflammatory

 


Astragalus

A proactive herb to help boost your immune system with its adaptogenic properties. If you suffer from the common cold or find yourself always fighting symptoms it's time for your to incorporate Astragalus into your daily routine. This herb is a little bitter sweet in flavour and has been used for centuries to help with immune system dysfunctions, seasonal allergies and fatigue. You can use Astragalus while you cook or on the go with a tincture or tea. 

Best for:

  • Immune boosting
  • Frequent common colds
  • Increased energy
  • Overall health (heart, kidneys and liver)

 

Red Clover

One of my favourite herbs for skin, this calming, cooling herb helps with lymphatic drainage, anti-inflammatory properties and is highly nourishing. Red Clover is commonly used for menstrual cramps and menopause symptoms as well as respiratory infections. This powerful herb is slightly sweet in flavour and can easily be added to any tea blend for a boost of benefits! 


Best for:

  • Healthy skin
  • Lymphatic drainage
  • Respiratory function
  • Menstrual irregularity
  • Menopause 

 

We are surrounded by endless natural remedies that can support, heal and nourish our bodies ailments, herbal medicine isn’t about masking or relieving symptoms but is focused on finding the root of the issue and offering natural solutions to help your body heal and feel its best over time.

 


Tea is a great way to implement herbal benefits into your daily routine and allows you access to a variety of different kinds of tea.

 

If you are curious to discover all the benefits of our ingredients and where we source them from check out our Herbal Dictionary here!

 






Body Constitution Quiz 

 

Checking-in with your unique needs and intuitively offering your body the nourishment it requires to balance your constitution will support your desired state of being and overall health. 

 

Take the time to explore the best the kind of tea for your body

 

If you are curious about discovering what your constitution is and which kinds of tea are best suited for you, enter your email below to receive our Constitution Quiz and begin supporting and enhancing the longevity of your health!

 

« Back to Blog