The magical herbal tea that helps with so much!

It’s winter, so that means it is mandarin season!! I love all things citrus, but mandarins, in their perfect little natural packaging, are probably my most favourite. Not only do they taste amazing and refreshing, give us a good dose of much needed vitamin C and are nice and hydrating but the peel is packed full of the goods too!

The peel of a mandarin, or as they call it in Chinese; Chen Pi, is great to help clear the body of phlegm, mucous accumulation and fluid retention. This means that it can come in helpful after a nasty cold or bug, when the digestive system may be weakened and not assimilating and absorbing the fluids correctly, or perhaps becomes a bit irritated and inflamed causing a build up of mucous which can affect all areas of health. This includes brain and memory fog, phlegm caught at the back of the throat, chesty cough, post-nasal drip, bloating, pimples or blocked pores, or swelling and water retention in the body.

The best way to get the beneficial medicinal properties from your mandarin peel is by giving your mandarin a good rub as you rinse it under running water, this will remove all the dirt and wax. You then pop the peel in a cup, mug or teapot and let is steep in boiling water and sip on this “tea” for the day. It is quite a gentle and refreshing taste and will help promote your body’s ability to remove and resolve any damp or phlegm/mucous that may be causing the body to be sluggish and slow.

(on my desk at The Pagoda Tree!)

If for some reason you aren’t much of a mandarin eater or it is out of season you can still get mandarin peel. They sell dried version in the herbs/spice section of Asian grocery stores, it is usually sold as Chen Pi.

One hint I will give you is that if you let it steep for too long is can taste quite strong and bitter, to avoid this simply keep on top of drinking the tea before it gets cold, this will also ensure you are keeping your body hydrated to help with purification and detoxification.

I hope you enjoy drinking chen pi tea and feeling less congested and phlegmy and getting double the use out of your fresh seasonal mandies!

Edwina is one of our much loved practitioners who has a special love for women’s health.  Whether it’s acne, irregular menstrual cycles or period pain, her dedication towards your health will have you falling in love with your body as she helps move it back to wellness.  To arrange an appointment with Edwina or one of the team, email or call us on 03 96867454 today!