Product Review: Yogi Healthy Fasting Tea

I am a HUGE tea fanatic. While those of you salivate over that triple shot grande mocha latte, I am salivating over my simple tasty cup of tea. I've never been much of a coffee drinker as I find that it makes me crash horribly so I stay away from it as much as possible. Tea, on the other hand, is my bestie!

For my introductory Product Review series, I'll be reviewing my favorite tea at the moment which is Yogi Fasting Tea. I'll explain why I absolutely love it in a moment but first:

Picture Source: Yogi Products

Product Background: It's made by Yogi Tea Company which is based in Portland, OR. (I used to live in Portland, I miss it so much!) Their philosophy is promoting good health by making tea blends with holistic and medicinal benefits through the use of Ayurveda, an old form of alternative medicine from India. They believe in green sustainability and use the whole of plants rather than the parts for the most effective use in their teas. Seeing as they're a Portland company, this really doesn't surprise me at all since that area of Oregon is known for their highly eco-friendly and green living beliefs.

Info: I bought it at my overpriced local grocery store for $5.69. The tea is called Healthy Fasting and includes a proprietary blend of over 15 herbs! It includes spices such as black pepper, cinnamon bark, clove bud, and ginger root as well as other plants like dandelion root and licorice. According to the product description on the website, this blend helps to "maintain circulation and healthy digestion", and "support stamina and digestion as you diet." Essentially, it functions as an aid for when you feel the need to detox and/or to cleanse while you fast, which is perfect for me since I'm currently doing both at the moment.

The box does include brewing instructions on how to get the most out of each cup. You know the drill, steep it in a cup of boiling water for 5-10 minutes and enjoy. They even say you can drink up to 10 cups a day of this stuff but I would definitely hold off on doing that and consult with your doctor to make sure that's okay. What I love about Yogi products is that on each box, they actually advise you to do just that and to carefully consume their products with wisdom and guidance from a health care professional rather than just drinking their teas blindly.

What's it like?: Hmmmm. It's definitely not your standard excessively fruity tea blend.We've all had our share of passionfruitlemonstrawberrygrapepeppermint tea, I'm sure. This tea is very decadent with a woody type flavor. The licorice and fennel seed inside the blend are pretty strong and leave a slight biting aftertaste. It's nothing I can't handle and I actually like it. It's definitely an acquired taste for some.The aroma is cinnamon-y though some of my friends who have smelled it thought something was burning at first (I so need to get them on the tea bandwagon!). I drink it "raw", as I like to call it, which is basically with no sweetener or milk and I find it to be quite delicious on it's own. Though sometimes, I will drink it with green tea and a dash of lemon juice when I'm in the mood.

The most striking benefits I've noticed from consuming this tea is that it curbs my hunger completely, no questions asked. I honestly don't crave or want food for hours, it is such a great appetite suppressant that it shocks me. It truly does chase off that "I really want to eat something even though I'm not hungry" feeling so well, it's amazing.

Another great blessing about it is that it gives a nice natural boost of energy!. After I drink it, within 15 minutes or so, I literally feel more... vibrant and alert. I don't know how else to explain it without sounding weird but I feel so much more alive and in tune with my surroundings. It's like this tea just turns on senses in your brain and body that may have been functioning sort of sluggishly or had fallen asleep at the wheel.

I drink no more than two cups a day of this herbal blend and the only side effects I noticed from using it is that I urinate a lot. I consider that to be a great thing because it means my body is ridding itself of excess water weight and toxic nastiness.

As an added bonus, each tea bag comes with an inspirational nugget of wisdom on its tag to meditate on and encourage you  throughout the day. I love reading each one as they help bring out more of my spiritual awareness in a convenient way.

My message for the day..

Overall: I highly recommend Yogi Healthy Fasting Tea for those of you who want to cleanse your body of toxins and to help kick-start your digestive system without resorting to using quick-fix pills or wacky fasting diets. I can't say it'll help you lose weight but I find it to be a highly effective weapon against overeating and hunger cravings. While it's taste is certainly unique, if you can get past it, you may find it to be exactly what you need for when you're fasting or transitioning to a healthier diet.

Rating: 5/5

*DeeDee's Tea-licious hints:

• Try drinking it first thing in the morning and you may find that it's a surprisingly nice breakfast that gets you through most of the day.
• While the tea is brewing in your cup, cover it with a lid so the vapors and oh-so-good vitamins and nutrients don't evaporate off into the air!
• If you really can't stand the licorice/fennel taste, try steeping it with another favorite tea of yours, lemon juice, sweetener, and/or milk and seeing if it blends well.