Taper Tantrums: Teas to Relieve
With fall in the air, we can feel the end of race season also coming to an end! This means many of us are gearing up to a big upcoming fall race and coming to the TAPER!!
The taper can often bring out many odd symptoms and feelings that we might not have experienced before and during our training. These symptoms can be anything from extra fatigue or feeling run down, aches and pains or “phantom pains”, sleeplessness and restlessness, not to mention high anxiety the closer to race day we get!
As a holistic nutritionist, whenever I’m feeling off, I head to my bookshelf and pull out my herbal books to find teas and foods that will support my ailments! So I thought I would compile a list of teas that are easily accessible and can support your taper tantrums.
Taper Symptom: Feeling Run Down
Licorice tea - a popular ingredient in cold and flu tea because it has compounds that coat the throat and help ease the feeling of an itchy and scratchy throat. However it is also antibacterial and antimicrobial that help fight bacteria entering your system.
Peppermint tea - You may also find that drinking a cup of this anti-inflammatory tea gives you a boost of energy because of the invigorating effects of the menthol compound.
Chaga tea - often found in mushroom teas and coffees, this medicinal mushroom is rich in nutrients that offer immune support, reduce inflammation and boost endurance, who doesn’t want that coming into race day?!
Chaga
You may also find powdered combinations to add to your teas, coffees, and smoothies like this 5 Mushroom Chocolate from Harmonic Arts.
Taper Symptom: Can’t sleep
Lavender - helps calm brain function by triggering chemical reactions in the nervous system. Lavender tea boosts the production of dopamine and reduces the stress hormone known as cortisol.
If you don’t love the taste, you can also spray lavender essential oil on your pillow or rub some on the bottom of your feet for the same benefits.
Passion flower - helps relax the nervous system and doesn’t cause drowsiness.
Valerian root - Increases your brain’s GABA levels to induce sedation, but doesn’t typically result in morning drowsiness.
Passion Flower
Check out my favourite sleepy time tea: Mother’s Little Helper by David’s tea
Taper Symptom: aches and pains
Turmeric tea - The active ingredient, curcumin, has been proven to have impressive anti-inflammatory effects. Drinking turmeric tea can also help relieve joint pain, enhance immune function and regulate blood sugar levels.
Ginger tea - Ginger contains valuable compounds, including gingerol, which is particularly beneficial for issues related to inflammation and immune system health.
add a clean two-inch knob of fresh ginger to two cups of boiling water, and let it simmer for 10–20 minutes. To enhance its flavor and impact, you can add lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Rooibos tea - native to South Africa and comes from a plant that’s rich in antioxidants (with 50 percent more antioxidants than green tea) and has impressive anti-inflammatory effects. It’s best known for its quercetin and aspalathin content, which work to protect cells against free radical damage.
Loose Rooibos Tea
Popular tea from South Africa rich in a number of nutrients.
Taper Symptom: anxiety and pre-race jitters
Chamomile tea - one of the most popular herbal teas and used for over 5000 years, it’s many benefits include its ability to ease anxiety, relieve seasonal allergy symptoms, reduce muscle spasms and improve insomnia
Lemon balm tea - widely used to support sleeplessness and anxiety, it works by boosting GABA in the brain that is a neurotransmitter that soothes stress.
Green tea - high in L-theanine, an amino acid that can reduce anxiety, green tea can help improve focus and lower stress levels.
Matcha
A highly concentrated powdered from of Green Tea
Maximize the benefits:
To get the most benefit out of your herbal teas, consider the following:
Buy looseleaf if possible or organic bagged tea
Pour freshly boiled water over 1 tea bag or 1 tbsp of loose leaf herbs into 1 cup/mug
Cover the cup of tea and allow it to steep for 5-10 minutes
Note that some herbs and spices are better boiled than infused. Herbs that are woody, or roots release more of their benefits when they are boiled in water for about 10 minutes with a lid on.
Try to drink your tea fresh
These teas are of course not limited to the taper and make wonderful additions to any bedtime routine, especially as the weather cools and we’re looking for ways to stay cozy.
Herbs and spices are wonderful ways to support our health and wellbeing. If you are interested in learning more about how you might incorporate these into your training, feel free to book a discovery call with me and we can chat it out!
Sources:
Tierra, Michael. The Way of Herbs, (Pocket Books, 1998)
