Backyard Chinese tisane

This post was written by acupuncturist Christine Dionese, who practices in California and New York. She’s one of my colleagues at WellWire.com. It’s an honor to have her contribution!

By Christine Dionese, LAc

If your back yard looks anything like mine down here in sunny So-Cal it’s ripe for the pickin’. The peaches are falling by the second, and the scent of the blooms on the Meyer lemon tree fill the early a.m. air. If I beat the bees to it, I’m lucky enough to pick a few lemons for a delightfully soothing and aromatic afternoon tisane! To my white peony tea I add the exotic scent of jasmine flowers, the zest of a Meyer lemon along with the oily leaves, the fuzzy skin of a peach, a few colorful miniature rose buds and a small handful of gummi goji berries.

Want to make this soothing tisane in your kitchen? Simply combine the mix in a glass or ceramic teapot (or glass pan), pour boiling water over the mix and cover for about 10 minutes to allow steeping. Glass or ceramic should be the vessel of choice to ensure nasty chemical reactions are avoided in the cooking process. Now sit back, put your feet up and sip away!

Packed with several longevity-boosting antioxidants, this medicinal tisane will gently nourish yin and blood, move qi, astringe heart qi, and soothe shen for a relaxing afternoon. These Chinese phytoceutical principles are referred to as mutual accentuation. As blood and yin become nourished, hormones begin to align and qi will begin to flow more properly. The methods of astringing heart qi and soothing shen are what bring the heart and mind together. This will calm anxiety and the mind while simultaneously lifting spirits and mood!

These Chinese medical principles are reflected in western physiology by providing antioxidants, minerals, B-vitamins, essential oils and plant sterols. Together, these compounds help regulate insulin and blood cortisol levels, act as anti-inflammatories that relax vessels, reduce stress to the immune system and improve overall circulation and lymphatic flow.

Christine M. Dionese specializes in integrative medicine, medical journalism and is the VP of marketing at WellWire LLC. Visit her wellness and lifestyle blog, Reaching Beyond Now.