By Lyndsey DePalma
Founder and President
House of Steep

Sometimes, the solution to a problem is right at our fingertips. So why do we resist? That’s a question worth pondering over a fabulous cup of steeped tea.

In fact, tea and herbs feed the soul and nourish the body. So let nature be your friend.

Here are 10 reasons to drink tea and herbal tisanes:

1. Fight cancer. Research has proven that any tea—black, green, white, or derived from the Camellia sinensis plant, which is where all tea comes from—has antioxidant and cancer-fighting properties.

2. Calm an upset tummy. Herbal infusions, especially ginger or peppermint, take effect immediately and improve digestion.

3. Know that catnip isn’t just for cats. It grows easily anywhere, and aids digestion, speeds detoxification of the liver, and calms the nerves—unlike its exciting effects on our feline compatriots.

• Keep catnip on hand for almost anything that ails you. Research now shows what my great grandmother Agnes knew, for she used it to treat migraines, stomach aches, colic-y babies, sleeplessness, and menstrual cramps.
• It’s also a great balm to calm an irritated scalp, insect bite, or rash given its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. That also makes it a great treatment for a sore throat.

4. Stave off hunger pangs. No time to eat? Tea will tide you over for at least an hour. Try it! (Please do this only as a stopgap measure since tea isn’t a substitute for food!)

5. Strengthen your tooth enamel. True, tea can also stain your teeth, but who would choose a broken tooth over a stained one?

6. Burn fat. With its catechins and caffeine—among other generous gifts—this divine little plant will keep you fitting into your favorite clothes.

7. Improve your life cycles. Nettle is a really great boost to your energy—especially in the winter. It’s also good to calm allergies in the spring. Got arthritis? Try a cup a day; it’s a wonderful cleanse for purifying the blood and intestinal tract.

8. Sip it while fasting. Check with your physician, but ours tells us tea is fine to drink before that annual blood test.

9. Fuel your compost pile. Steeped tea leaves are a great way to feed the composting process. Use them the same way you’d use coffee grounds.

10. Trust ancient wisdom. Other than water, tea is the oldest beverage on the planet. So when you are hungry, tired, frustrated, in distress, or just want to chill—pour yourself a cup, lean into it, and enjoy your life!

For a great cup of tea, be sure to stop into House of Steep to heal whatever ails you. Of course, it’s a great place to come to keep from ailing at all!

About Lyndsey DePalma and the House of Steep

Lyndsey DePalma is the founder of the new Arlington, VA, tea house and reflexology studio, House of Steep, where visitors discover the treasure that is tea and the power of reflexology to heal and harmonize.

Before coming up with the concept for House of Steep, DePalma yearned to find a place to relax, and just be, for a while each day. Not satisfied with any of the existing answers and armed with some entrepreneurial hard-wiring and a respect for natural healing, DePalma left her corporate career in human resources to bridge the gap.

Since October of 2010, House of Steep has been taking up residence in DePalma’s heart and will become the ultimate destination for busy corporate citizens, casual connections, bridal parties, street shoppers, believers in alternative healing, moms and grandmoms, yogis and yoginis, consultants, crafters, lovers, and the rest of us.

For more information, visit www.houseofsteep.com.