Kava Stress Relief

I am updating this because I just went through my new box already! I checked and that means that my husband and I drank 16 sachets of this in less than a week! O.O Damn tea, you popular! I have to change my steep time because although the bag says that 10min is their suggested steep time, I go for ~13. The longer steep time brings out some of the flavors that using 2x bags usually does. This way I use less bags and still get an amazing cup of tea.

My daughter signed up for a free sample from Yogi tea and got the stress relief sample for me. This tea and Bedtime were the two included.

Last night my hubby, who has had a cold for about a week and hasn’t slept well, said he couldn’t sleep even though his cold was better. He said his mind would not stop spinning as he mulled lots of work related issues, most of them positive but still keeping his mind busy.

I suggested he try this. To quote Missy’s daughter, it smelled like butt. So much so, in fact, that I took a sip just to make sure this tea was not going to traumatize him like Evening in Missoula did. It didn’t taste too bad. There was a bit of cinnamon taste and licorice root, of course.

Did it work? He says he went to sleep pretty quickly and wants more tonight. Since I am out of this one, I will give him Bedtime tonight, and I will stock up on whichever one works best for him.

WARNING: Read the label before drinking this tea!

Where to start? This is my first Yogi tea. This one in particular was recommended to me by a friend. It’s advertised to “ease tension and promote relaxation.*” The asterisk elaborates that “These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.” Fairly standard language. I actually work for the FDA, so I’m used to seeing this kind of disclaimer on products. What I wasn’t prepared for were the major warnings listed on the tea packet:

“Ask a health care professional before use if you have or have had liver problems, frequently use alcoholic beverages or are taking any medication. Stop use and see a doctor if you develop symptoms that may signal liver problems (e.g., unexplained fatigue, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, fever, vomiting, dark urine, pale stools, yellow eyes or skin). Not for use by persons under 18 years of age or by pregnant or breastfeeding women. Not for use with alcoholic beverages. Excessive use or use with products that cause drowsiness may impair your ability to operate a vehicle or heavy equipment.”

JEEZ!!!!! And these warnings are contradicted by the advertisements on the box:

“We think before we blend. How will our recipes work with body and mind?” And “Health is found in nature. We work with what nature already offers rather than trying to concoct it. We don’t have laboratories. We have kitchens.” And “For a stronger effect, use 2 tea bags. On especially challenging days, drink 3 to 4 cups.”

So, first you warn me not to drink it excessively. Then you tell me to use 2 tea bags and drink 3-4 cups a day. Isn’t that somewhat excessive?

Additionally, you tell me not to drink it if I’m taking ANY medications at all. How can you expect the average consumer not to be taking any medications at all? What specifically are you trying to warn me against combining? Should I not drink this if I take an Advil? Should I not drink this if I’m on birth control? Should I not drink this if I’m on cholesterol or blood pressure medication? Does this tea really interfere with ANY medication that I take? Giving a warning that vaguely lumps all medications together seems fishy.

This is scary! My first impression was that the tea smelled weird. There’s something a little off about it. But I generally get that impression with herbal teas, so I didn’t dwell on it. I took a sip and found that even though it smelled funky, I could only taste hot cinnamon water. I’m really not getting any other flavors at all. Just cinnamon.

But after reading the box, I’m afraid to drink any more of it! Especially because I can’t taste that funky thing I’m smelling. I’m afraid of what this “tea” will do to my body. I don’t drink alcohol very often, but just the possibility that drinking this tea will hurt my liver is a huge concern!

I thought tea was supposed to be healthy. I thought tea was supposed to be good for you. All I’ve ever heard are the positive impacts of drinking tea (with the exception that it inhibits the body’s ability to absorb iron).

What the heck is this in my cup?? I personally have not had any ill effects from the two tiny sips I’ve consumed today. But I warn everyone out there, beware of Yogi teas!

A tea that requires this much warning before consumption isn’t normal. I’m tempted to alert my FDA colleagues to this tea just because a warning label might not be sufficient for keeping an unsafe product on the market.
Consumer beware!

idk why steepster is broken on my computer but will work on my phone. I haven’t been able to make regular posts in days. And posting from my phone is not fun and full of typos.

I drank this tea as still another agenda of drinking even the dreg teas of the house. At least once.
I do not like the flavor. And it surely didn’t relax me. Hah

Licorice, Cinnamon, and Carob is an odd combination. Not necessarily bad, just different and takes some getting used to. It is certainly a strong tea (as one would undoubtedly gather just by reading the ingredient list!). Are the flavors fighting each other? A bit, but its kind of an enjoyable fight. Think of a black licorice whip wrapped around a cinnamon stick with a carob pod shoved in there. Do I feel any different after drinking it? Yes, I think I do feel calmer and less “bitchy”. I think I like the taste, its growing on me.

If ever there was a day that I needed stress relief, it is today. I am now safely at home and, unless the zombie apocalypse comes, I plan on ignoring the vast majority of humanity.

After one (rather large) glass of wine, I’ve decided to brew up the sample of this that amandajo sent to me. Scent of the brewed “tea” is rather different…I can’t quite put my finger (nose) on it. It’s sweet-smelling, and slightly herbal, but then it’s not…

Oh, I can taste the carob. And the cinnamon. And there’s ginger, too. The spices are slightly chai-like, and I find that very lovely. It’s got a rather chocolatey taste to it.

Not sure if it’s the wine that’s mellowed me out, or if this stuff really works that fast. One thing’s for sure, I’ll be picking up a box of this the next time I see it. And will be putting bags in my purse and at my desk at work.

While it has been a while since I’ve had this tea, I remember it well. I get anxiety and am basically wound up all the time, mentally and physically. I have learned to deal with it without medication. Kava is one of the only things that helped me other than passionflower extract or a prescription benzo like Xanax or Valium. I must say that I would brew with 3-4 bags for like 7-8 mins and would not take them out of the cup. As for the taste…cinnamony :) one thing that you can do to tell that kava is indeed in this tea is to hold a couple sips in your mouth for like 10-20 seconds. Do this enough an you will get a bit of numbness in your mouth. I can not attest to any problems with the tea as it was never strong enough for me. I’ve taken kava in extract form and it can definitely “slow you down.” Theres a reason it is called Grog, and in some cultures it’s used basically like alcohol. I’ve found all this out online in a short amount of time, so the hysterical reactions of some just make me laugh… If you see a warning, get some information before you drink.

My roommate is awful… just awful. And she doesn’t even know I think this about her. Why? Because of Kava Stress Relief. A nice welcoming blend of herbs and spices that I drink on frequent occasion. Now in an argument between bagged tea and loose leaf, loose leaf wins from a culinary perspective. But bagged teas are homey, and easy. They don’t often require special temperatures, and the best ones (in my opinion) don’t even require specific steep times. You just pull the bag out when you feel good and ready! Now I could wax poetic about the “levels of intriguing flavor” and the “timeline of flavor that is first bold, and then shy”. But really what it comes down to is that Kava Stress Relief is a great drink, and has a place in my tea cupboard next to any Pu-Erh that I can afford.

My sister sent this to me (because wow, do I need some stress relief right now), and I wasn’t sure what to expect. When I read the ingredients I was pretty leery, because I really don’t like licorice or ginger, but the carob pod saved it for me. I was pleasantly surprised that it was tolerable, and maybe even okay. I sure wouldn’t drink this for the taste, and I didn’t notice any particular effect that it had on my mood/stomach ache, but I’ll try it again for sure.

Insomnia… leading to lots of Steepster! This tea tastes just okay (kava is a bitter, gross thing) but it packs a PUNCH! Like, drink this in bed.