[like2thruhike]

Have a cold once again.Perfect timing..... Was at QFC last night looking at tea to actually make me sleepy and maybe soothe my sore throat. Seems like a big difference in teas.The cheaper stuff ($4) comes in a paper box and the higher end stuff ($12) comes in a metal container.What's the difference?Is there better stuff to be had locally? Since I'm a newbie I grabbed the Celestial Sleepy Time and Stash Lemon Ginger. Longhair27 suggested I take ginger root for the throat so I picked some of that up as well.And some honey to add to the tea. Sleeping more,maybe 4-5 hours last night. Also taking Herb Pharm herbal extracts;Echinacea/Goldenseal,Fenugreek,Licorice and some Nettle Blend.Mixed with water in a seperate glass.Not sure if they interfere with my sleep. The extracts work well.As for the tea,I expected more.Oh well,I'll take what I can get. I'd like to know more about tea since I hear such good things about it.Really want to stray away from Diet Coke in 2013.Any thoughts or suggestions?

[Spotly]

[LewisGoes]

Try Traditional Medicinals Nighty Night w/valerian for falling asleep and Throat Coat for sore throat. Throat Coat has Slippery elm to coat the throat and licorice to thin mucus secretions.

[SergioNapelo]

Tea... aah! I love my tea! I usually have few cups a day. On your question about different boxes, tea have to be air sealed to stay good, in paper packaging it looses flavor fast. More expensive teas usually better quality. In higher quality Full-Leaf used, leftovers used for lower quality stuff. You can see how big are tea leafs are when you brew it. If you want better tea, you can go to "European" (Russian), Indian, Chinese speciality stores, they have good selections of teas by weight, or some mixes that are prepackaged. It is fun to see big leafs unroll as you brew your tea! I buy tea in Edmonds in Chinese store, it is $30 to $120 per pound. Good thing about it, you can brew it 3-4 times, and do not need much of it, and it is a real thing. (p.s. best tea is from Shrilanka. It grows at high altitudes in perfect climate)

[tigermn]

Wow whoda thunk tea could be so complicated... I've always just grabbed the Lipton bags out of the cupboard and threw them in the hot water to make a pitcher of iced tea... I guess I've never been much of a hot drink drinker.

[SergioNapelo]

[wakerobin]

http://www.choiceorganicteas.com/index.php Choice makes good teas, made locally, a friends husband used to be a blender there, so I have tried lots. Most QFC, Whole Foods type grocery stores carry them. I brought a bunch of tea home from China (we were in Dali, where much of the tea is grown.) My favorite is Ginseng, which looks like bb's or some kind of rodent poop I drink loads of it with honey when I feel sick. The Throat Coat is my old stand by, as well as the Breath Easy.