Soar Across Long June Days With Caffeine-Free Energy Teas
The welcome rounds of moisture and unseasonably cool temperatures here in Colorado now are behind us. And so we enter June, named after Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage and childbirth, with a forecast predicting pleasant weather.
One thing is for sure, regardless of the vagaries of clouds, rain, wind and heat across the month: the days will continue getting longer until June 21. On that Tuesday, the sun rises at 5:30 and sets 8:33. By contrast, on December 21, this year’s winter solstice, the sun will rise at 7:16 and set at 4:40.
We know Alaskans who say that once the days start growing shorter, immediately following the summer solstice, many people experience relief. For months leading up to the solstice, with so much daylight for so long, people eat dinner at 10 or later, meet pals at midnight, and might even head out for a hike at 2 a.m. It’s exhausting.
Colorado + Long Days = Circles Under Eyes
Our bounty of sunlight is not as aggressive as that for the Land of the Midnight Sun. But still — summer days in the Centennial State are drawn-out, and we embrace every glorious minute of it. This being Colorado, that means we remain active for at least as long as the sun shines.
No matter where you live, the longer summer days call for energy. We need boosts for those long hikes in the High Country, for afternoons that become evenings on the beach, for long trips on the bike. While we at Ku Cha sip quite a bit of caffeine — traditional Camellia sinensis contains the chemical compound — we also enjoy caffeine-free energy enhancements, especially once afternoon begins.
We’ve got plenty of herbal teas for you, blends of botanicals that will fill your days with zip without giving you the jitters or interfering with sleep.
Happy June! We hope to see you on a trail somewhere this summer.
Caffeine-Free Energy Teas: Organic Ginger Refresh
Most people in the West associate ginger with its pungent yumminess, and its culinary versatility. It cleans the palate for sushi, enlivens many stir fries and curries, spikes many beverages with a bit of zing and turns a simple butternut squash soup into a majestic thing.
But in Chinese medicine, ginger is used to stoke energy. It works! Not only will the rhizome put spring in your step, it also is a fabulous stomach soother, and aids with digestion.
We created Ginger Refresh to give people a bit of zip, while at the same time improving their health. Other ingredients in this wonderful blend — lemongrass, pepperming, licorice and lemon peel — also benefit digestion, energy, heart health and more.
Caffeine-Free Energy Teas: Cape Town Medley
Our new Cape Town Medley blend quickly became a customer favorite. A blend of the South African shrub rooibos, dried fruit and natural flavors, this tea is a taste sensation. But it also optimizes energy, thanks largely to the rooibos, which is pronounced ROY-boss.
The plant, which is widely consumed as tea across South Africa and has become popular around the world, lacks energy-enhancing plant compounds such as caffeine or adaptogens. But rooibos is packed with electrolytes, which among other things serve as excellent vehicles for improved hydration. With what is Gatorade packed? Electrolytes. Athletes often turn to rooibos to help them power through tough physical challenges; by buttressing hydration, rooibos strengthens energy because poor hydration saps human vim and vigor.
Caffeine-Free Energy Teas: Immortal Tea
This tea includes peppermint, which helps clear the mental cobwebs while at the same time aiding digestion and balancing this blend with a touch of natural peppermint sweetness. But the energy stars of this tea are adaptogens, botanical compounds found in a variety of plants that support stamina, endurance, mental alertness and overall vigor.
Ginseng, the most famous adaptogen, plays a key role in Immortal Tea. The root, different species of which grow in parts of Asia and North America, simultaneously provides energy while also nurturing relaxation and mitigating stress. Ginseng offers a unique flavor — bitter and sweet, with strong earthy overtones. We love it.
This blend’s other adaptogen, jiaogulan, is well-known in Asia. Its popularity in the rest of the world does not compare to ginseng, but that may change in time. Jiaogulan is a powerful plant, known in China as the “herb of immortality.”
A climbing vine native to southern China, jiaogulan has long been incorporated into Chinese medicine protocols, used to address a wide range of conditions, such as high cholesterol, and boosting vitality.
