If you are the type of person that likes to enjoy high quality food & beverages then you should be drinking the highest quality herbal tea as well. I've outlined below my top four reasons for choosing high quality loose leaf herbal tea over prepackaged tea bags:

Top 4 Reasons to Choose Loose-Leaf Over Tea Bags:

Loose leaf ensures higher quality. Bagged teas often include stems and seeds while with loose leaf you are ensured high quality plant parts.
Teabags are packaged in large batches & can sit on store shelves for months at a time. Many will grow stale and lose flavor in the process. Loose-leaf tea tends to be more aromatic, giving the tea drinker a more complete sensory experience!
Loose-leaf tea often because it is fresher than bagged tea, gives you a stronger steep/brew.
Teabags often are packaged in chlorine-bleached paper. Rather than spending time researching which teabags use bleached vs. unbleached paper, loose leaf avoids this headache altogether!

For those of you who know me personally or professionally may or may not know that I LOVE herbal tea. I was introduced to drinking herbal tea by a good friend 12 years ago & I've been hooked since. I've grown to learn a lot about herbal tea over the years. Thus, not only do I look for loose leaf herbal tea but I also look for the following when purchasing my tea:

Top 3 Things to Consider When Buying Loose Leaf Tea:

Organic ingredients (100% USDA organic labeling)
No additives (many commercial tea blends even when they are loose leaf can contain hidden sugars & additives often masked by labeling them as 'natural flavors.')
Responsibly sourced ingredients (where the ingredients come from also matters because the supplier must store, ship & handle the tea prior to it reaching your tea cup)

So, if you are an herbal tea drinker, like myself, then you also must know that tea, for centuries, has also been widely used as medicine. Teas formulated with a specific intention have the potential to be a powerful medicine both for the mind & body. The aroma of the tea often helps to relax tense nerves while the ingredients themselves can effectively support your body's organ systems (liver, kidneys, digestive system etc.).

You must also know that I've carried loose leaf tea in the office for the past two years without the motivation/push to formulate my own blends. It wasn't until I recently formulated a tea blend for a women's health seminar & was left with the dilemma of a lot of extra tea (I ordered too much!) that I was motivated to formulate more blends.

Now, I am beyond excited to share these custom tea blends with my patients (something I should have done 2 years ago!). I have, thus far, formulated a 'Women's Vitality' blend that includes ingredients for optimal hormones & female health for any age. And I am in the process of perfecting a 'Mood Tonic' & 'Energizing Detox' blend as well! I can't wait for you to try them & to begin reaping the benefits of medicinal tea!

Be Radiant,

~Dr. Dimpi