Healing Remedy

Brewing up healthy

In the winter months when flu season peaks and sore throats are common, hot mugs of herbal tea replace ice-cold glasses of lemonade. But to local health store owner VICTORIA CHAVEZ, herbal tea is much more than a cool weather comfort. She hand-blends more than 100 teas year-round, always with health benefits in mind.

In 2007, Chavez’s family opened PURE LIFE ORGANIC  – a health food, vitamin, and tea store. Next to Pure Life’s popular juice bar, large glass jars contain different teas that fill the shelves.

Chavez remembers watching her grandmother pick plants in the backyard to use for remedies. This began her lifelong study of herbalism and holistic medicine.

“I had to learn what part of the plant was what, and what part definitely not to use,” Chavez says. “(These teachings) are straight from my grandmother, great-grandmother, and our town in Puerto Rico.

Of the 100 tea blends, she keeps about fifty-four in stock, and they’re made with 100 percent organic or natural ingredients. Each tea is unique, designed for common medical conditions or every day health problems. Chavez says that during fall and winter, the store’s cold and flu formula is the number one selling tea.

Herbal supplements are not tested for their medical claims like prescription drugs, but it has always been Chavez’s passion to make people feel better.

“Say someone has been partying, and they need to clean out their liver. We have a detox tea that does that. It’s even better than possibly drinking water,” she says.

Chavez believes being healthy requires respect for your body, which means no processed foods.

Even the tea ingredients are handpicked to ensure a nutritious blend. Chavez imports ingredients from around the world – Japan, Germany, India, and from all over the U.S. After years in the herbalism field, Chavez knows by one sniff if the ingredient is organic.

Pure Life also takes special orders. Chavez has more than fifteen books in the store about natural medicine, allowing her to study remedies for specific medical conditions such as thyroid issues.

She makes all of the herbal infusions herself.

“I wouldn’t want you to put something in your body that I wouldn’t want to put in my body,” she says.

Find Chavez’s tea blends at 317 North Front Street.

HERE IS A SAMPLING OF TEAS THAT PURE LIFE ORGANIC OFFERS:

Women’s Tea ($9.95 per ounce)

A tea intended to foster hormonal balance and overall well-being for women of all ages, whether they’re just starting puberty or they’ve finished menopause. It is said to prevent mood swings, bloating, and cervical cancer.

• Tea base: Organic Tulsi “Indian Holy Basil”

• Base region: India

• Ingredients: Black cohosh, dandelion, dong quai, vitex, nettle (hormone balancers); red raspberry leaf (reproductive health); Tulsi “Indian Holy Basil” (sugar craving prevention)

Cold & Flu Tea ($8.95 per ounce)

A tea designed to fight airborne infections by promoting a healthy immune system.

The ingredients help reduce fevers, expel mucous, and relieve aches and pains.

• Tea base: Hibiscus

• Base region:  USA

• Ingredients: Echinacea, olive leaf (immune boosters); marshmallow root (sore throat reliever); lemongrass, orange peel, hibiscus flower (vitamin C providers); nettle, Astragalus (upper respiratory and allergy relievers)

Sexy Tea ($8.95 per ounce)

This blend serves as a “light switch” and lubricant. It’s designed to increase desire and energy, as well as regulate hormonal balance.

• Tea base: Yohimbe Bark

• Base region: West Africa

• Ingredients: Muira puama, yohimbe bark, horny goat weed/epimedium (aphrodisiacs); marshmallow root (lubricant); cinnamon (energy booster)

To view more of photographer James Stefiuk’s work, go to http://carolinafoodphotography.com.