Peppermint Iced Tea

Here's a super simple Peppermint Iced Tea recipe. Ready? Head to your local tea store either on Main Street or e-street. Find some loose peppermint tea leaves. Stuff some in a tea ball, boil water, brew and refrigerate. Yup, it's that easy. Keep some handy for a refreshing break or a funny tummy!

Peppermint is considered one of the oldest natural remedies. Its cooling effect relieves external pain and headaches and can even calm your scalp for healthy hair, peppermint is also considered an antispasmodic - yes, an antispasmodic - which eases spasms in your digestion tract and relaxes the stomach lining. Peppermint also contains essential minerals and nutrients like iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium and folate as well as Vitamin A and C and those ever elusive omega-3 fatty acids found mainly in fish, flaxseed and mammal brains. Yes, mammal brains.

And the best part? It tastes delicious!

But, as if not having to eat brains to maintain a healthy level of omega-3 fatty acids isn't enough for you to break out the kettle, peppermint promotes mental alertness and clarity and boosts energy levels so it's an ideal alternative, both hot or cold, if you're trying to cut out caffeine. To shake things up you can create variations on Peppermint Iced Tea by adding ginger root, cloves and orange or lemon rinds to the sachet or tea ball. The tea will usually last 4-5 days refrigerated.

After you brew the tea you can serve it right away by pouring it over ice but keep in mind the ice will dilute the tea, so brew the leaves at a higher concentrate of water at the outset. I actually prefer to steep the tea to its desired strength, then stick it in the back of the refrigerator until it's really, really cold so I can drink it without ice. I know, but Peppermint Really Cold Tea just didn't have the same ring to it.