Tea Time: Immunity Boosting

**In Tea Time, Owl's Brew provides information about various teas & botanicals, and how you can incorporate these into your wellness routine**

Some of you may (or may not!) know that we actually started as a tea company, Brew Lab Tea. Jennie (our co-founder) is a certified Tea Sommelier. She spent years blending and brewing teas for restaurants and coffee shops in New York City. Some blends were for flavor, some for function and some just for fun.

For our first Tea Time, we've asked her to give us a rundown on the best immunity boosting teas, botanicals and spices -- and a few fun ways we can incorporate teas and botanicals into our quarantine.

All of the teas and tisanes listed here should be easily found at your local grocery store or online, but make sure to read the ingredients! You're looking for whole ingredients (organic if possible) - natural flavors won't give you the benefits you're after.

Green Tea

I'm sure you've all heard about the myriad of benefits you can get from drinking Green Tea, and an immunity boost is high on the list. Green Tea is chock full of polyphenols (antioxidants), which stave off free radicals. Some studies also suggest it has anti-microbial properties, and might inhibit the growth of bacteria and viruses in our systems as well.

How to Enjoy

Brew yourself up a cup. It's delicious hot or cold. There are lots of green tea options available at your local grocery store. If you prefer your green tea spiked, try our Wicked Margarita.

Ginger

Ginger is not only delicious, but it is loaded with nutrients and bioactive compounds that can benefit your body and brain, including anti-inflammatory properties, reducing nausea and helping fight symptoms of the common cold, to name a few. Gingerol is the bioactive ingredient in ginger, and has been shown to help lower the risk of infections, including some research that suggests it might be effective against RSV virus (a common cause for respiratory infections).