herbal-teaI love herbal tea. It’s so cozy, isn’t it?

Makes me feel nice and happy anytime of the day.

At night, before I go to bed, I make myself a cup of herbal tea and lay in bed thinking about everything….

I’ve been thinking so much lately about how we’re all so hard on ourselves.  Everywhere I turn someone is complaining of their weight or judging someone’s outfit or making fun of someone who expressed their interests during a presentation.

So, I made a promise with myself to be accepting of who I am. Loving every little part of myself. Releasing all of that tension that is keeping any of us stuck.

I’m not a fan of Facebook for personal pictures and updates; actually I never even log in! I do, however use Facebook for my business and I enjoy interacting with all of you on there everyday! It’s a way for me to get to know you and chat in real time. But, I grow tired of people who post on Facebook or Instagram or Twitter or any other social media platform who pretend to live perfect lives, which only leads others to compare themselves and judge themselves as not perfect or not good enough. When did it become so bad to not be ‘perfect’? Seriously, I admit that I’m imperfect and I’m not ashamed of it but it seems like social media can turn into a whirlwind of fake-ness and it’s just sort of icky, isn’t it? Being imperfect makes us relate-able and beautiful, doesn’t it? That’s how all of you can relate to me and the health issues I’ve faced and so on, right?

hot-teaYou can hate yourself for your imperfections or you can choose to embrace them and learn how to enjoy them. You can also learn to appreciate them for the role they have in your life – and teaching you to take life just a little bit lighter. Since I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease, I gained a few pounds last year from my PCOS and no food or exercise changed it so I just shut up and bought a bigger size pair of pants and put a smile on my face because spending hours at a gym and dieting is NOT in my vocabulary and surely NOT something that is going to ever make me happy.

Sometimes I look at the little birds chirping in the trees and wonder if they engage in the same self-shaming thoughts we do. Maybe we’re all little birdies and we just need to see the beauty we really have.

That’s all.

Just do me a favor?

Remind yourself today that you are lovable, just as you are…

xo

Now go enjoy a hot cup of this tea and share below in the comments one perfectly imperfect thing that makes you real!

Try to buy everything organic. Here’s why: The Benefits of Eating Organic.

Hot Coconut Herbal Tea
Serves: 6
 
Prep
Cook
Total
 
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan
Author: Amie Valpone
Recipe type: Entree

Ingredients

  • 4 cups purified water
  • 1 tsp. honey
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 2 Tbsp. coconut flakes
  • 1 large Granny Smith apple thinly sliced
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon zest
  • 3 organic tea bags
  • 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint or cilantro

Instructions

  1. In a medium pot, combine water, cinnamon, coconut flakes, apple slices, tea and lemon zest; bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cover. Let steep for 20 minutes.
  2. Serve with fresh mint leaves.
Nutrition Facts
Hot Coconut Herbal Tea
Amount Per Serving
Calories 55 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Sodium 11mg0%
Potassium 73mg2%
Carbohydrates 7g2%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 121IU2%
Vitamin C 5mg6%
Calcium 20mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

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35 comments

  1. So refreshing this tea looks.. i wanna try this for sure.. what is that granny smith apple? can i use normal apple slices.. i am in India.. i have no idea of Granny smith…

  2. I too dislike “Fakebook”. People writing aboout the life they wish they had and making things up just to make other people envious and feel bad about themselves. I have never been on Facebook and have no interest to ever be. I prefer to go out and live life and enjoy it, not just write about it.

  3. This is really interesting! My wife and I are always trying new teas (thanks to our daughter telling us the benefits of various teas). We will definitely have to try this one out.

    One perfectly imperfect thing that makes me real is that although I try to stay strong and take care of everyone, but sometimes it’s nice to be taken care of as well, especially after a long day at work.

  4. What kind of tea bag did you use? With so many herbal choices, it would make a big taste difference.

  5. Hi Aime,

    Quick question – I didn’t see it asked in the posts – since this serves 6 and I’m only 1 person (might not want to drink 6 servings in a day), who knows, I may, but if not, can this be left out overnight or refrigerated?

    Can’t wait to try and hope to hear from you!

    Thanks,
    Kristine

  6. Oh, I love the idea of this – definitely going to make this during the week.

    I’m imperfect in so many ways that I’m not even going to count! 🙂 But my husband and friends seem to love me anyway so they’re my blessing and reminder not to be so hard on myself all the time.

    Glad I found your site and Happy New Year…

  7. 5 stars
    Very inspirational post! I love your realistic take on just accepting who you are and all the flaws that come with being human. I too often forget to embrace all of my imperfections, so thank you for the reminder that just being here now is enough 🙂 This tea looks amazing! I never would have thought to put coconut flakes in tea, and I love the idea! I have all the ingredients and am ready to go!

    1. Thank you so much Julia; so nice to hear from you! Life is all about dropping the judgements we put on ourselves and embracing imperfections! Have a great New Year. xoxx

  8. 5 stars
    Thank you for recipe love herbal teas and this sounds so good. I agree with your thoughts , especially embracing and learning from our imperfections.

  9. 5 stars
    I absolutely LOVE this post!!
    So awesome, thank you for putting what are my my thoughts exactly, into words, and so eloquently done!!

  10. This tea sounds amazing! It doesn’t help that I am always cold in the winter and constantly guzzling warm tea 🙂

    I totally agree with you about the problems we have with imperfection! I lost about 40 pounds a year ago and I am constantly in fear of gaining it back. I hate that I can’t shake the fear of weighing a few pounds more, but I haven’t yet been able to let it go. I am not really one for “new years resolutions” but not being so obsessed with every calorie and just accepting myself the way I am are definitely on my to-do list.

    1. I used to be “always cold,” even in air conditioning, and when I complained to my chiropractor, he said, “Take cayenne pepper.” I tried it, and within a week I noticed I was fine in situations where I’d previously been cold.

      I still take it, because it has fantastic health benefits–too many to list. I use the “Cool Cayenne” brand, the highest concentration, and take one with breakfast and one with lunch (because it can be too energizing if taken in the evening).

      Every friend I’ve recommended it to, who has actually done it, has come back to tell me it worked for them, too. Improves your circulation, I guess! In fact, one friend who is quite tiny had something that felt like hot flashes…so if you’re on the small side, maybe start slow and use a lower concentration.

      Oh, and maybe you know, but getting cold easily could be a symptom of low thyroid. It turns out that I do have a thyroid problem, but when I take cayenne, I don’t have that symptom.

  11. This was such a great post, Amie. I feel the same way about Facebook — the fakiness of people’s perfect lives just leaves me feeling sad.

    I also appreciate your perspective on weight. I remember my aunt, who tried for 25 years to lose the “last 10 pounds” and eventually she did — by getting cancer and eventually dying. If only we could be grateful for this very moment.

    I’ll drink (tea) to that! 😉

    1. Thank you Elizabeth; so nice to hear from you. So sorry to hear about your aunt. Glad you can see the light through all the darkness, too. Hugs from NYC!!!

  12. Just one mug of herbal tea a day? I drink at least 5 – totally addicted! This looks amazing Amie, and I definitely know what you mean about the “perfect” images out there. I suppose most desire to put their best foot forward in the name of promotion, but some of the most famous people out there have no qualms about putting it all out there.

    1. Thanks Alisa; so great to hear from you! You are so right. Glad to have you in my life! Thanks for your comment. I’m addicted to tea…already drank 5 cups of herbal tea this morning, hehe…Happy New Year to you and your husband. xox