Tea For Two, and You Can Breathe!

Today was my annual doctor's appointment. I have decided that no matter how old you get, it is never any fun to go to the doctor. In fact, it probably just gets worse, as they break more and more bad news to you about your aging body: "Your cholesterol is too high," "You've gained ten pounds since last year," "You've got arthritis," "You're one birthday cake away from senility," etcetera, etcetera.

This time, I was informed that I had fluid in my ears and "allergic shiners." These are puffy bluish bags under your eyes, not caused by some pop fly ball or a rough night at Fight Club, but by none other than... the dreaded allergies. Who knows which ones? Pet dander, juniper pollen, all that nasty dust from the carpets at work that look like they haven't been vacuumed in 20 years. Any of these could be the culprit. And I am simply not sick enough, nor concerned enough to get a skin test to find out.

You're probably wondering at this point why I'm talking about health-related issues on a food and travel blog. Fair enough. But there is a connection, I assure you, dear reader! My ever-so-cool doctor knows I am not big on taking medications. They're expensive, they're cumbersome (you have to remember to take them every day), they have yucky side effects most of the time, and they have a certain quality not unlike that creepiness of processed foods. You know, kind of chemical-y.

Alternative medicine to the rescue! My ever-so-hip doctor steered me away from all of those expensive antihistamines and recommended, drum roll please... tea! Now you see what this has to do with food. Unfortunately for anyone who is seeking a little more detail on the tea, I read the list at the herb store, and have since completely forgotten all of the ingredients. The label just says "decongestant tea". What's more, I haven't tried it yet. But if it works, I will head back to the store and write down all of those wonderful ingredients and let you know exactly what's in it.

Before I sing the praises of herbal medicines, however, I always feel it necessary to mention a couple of caveats and words of caution. First, beware expensive prices. Depending on the medicine and where you purchase it, you can easily blow as much or more on alternative medicines as you would on the prescription ones. Second, just because it's "natural" does not mean it's safe. Allow me to illustrate a few examples: black widow spider bites are very natural, sasparilla (or sarsparilla) root is a potential carcinogen, banned by the FDA, but still available as an herbal. Many plants have serious toxic properties. My point is to do your research before you dive into something of this nature. Most herbs are not regulated by the FDA, meaning that they haven't been tested, the method of processing is unknown and can occasionally contain other contaminants that may be harmful to you even if the herb itself isn't. Find a trusted source, and do your homework! I'll let you know how the tea works. Stay tuned...