“Tea for a healthy mind and body”

We love our cup of tea. It’s hydrating, soothing and adds a boost of antioxidants and nutrients to our diet. We love it even more when it’s organic and all natural, which means none of those weird artificial colors and flavours that you find in many of the tea blends out there. That’s why for our feature friday this month, we set out to interview one of our favourite local tea brands, The Honest Leaf that’s developed by a fellow Nutritionist, Shelby Kroach.

1) Shelby, we’re so happy to be here chatting with a fellow Nutritionist. We were so excited when we came across your teas in a local eatery and have been a fan since. Could you tell us a little bit about how you got started and what inspired you to spread the message of health through delicious tea?

When I enrolled in school for nutrition, I never imagined that I’d be running my own tea business. I grew up drinking tea with my mom and whenever we’d go on a trip, we’d always try new teas from around the world. After learning about the benefits of herbs and teas in school, I decided that I wanted to create different blends that would target people’s health goals. After months of research and trial and error, The Honest Leaf was born.

2) How do you come up with your amazing tea combinations?

The first thing I do is decide on a function that I want to target. I then research various herbs and teas that help to support that function. The fun part is all the tasting. Not only do we want the blend to serve a purpose, but it has to taste good!

3) We know that all your teas are organic and you don’t add any flavours or artificial ingredients. Can you tell us where you source and package your products?

All of the ingredients in our teas come from around the world. We like to say, you have the world in your cup. Each tea is blended and packaged here in Toronto.

That said, we’re proud to feature a number of Canadian-made ingredients in our products.

4) We know that you are currently expecting 🙂 Tell us what is mama & baby’s favourite tea at the moment?

Earl grey tea is always going to be my favourite, however, I’ve really been enjoying our Nourish blend, which we made specifically for Mom’s-to-be. It’s a light mineral rich tea that has a hint of natural sweetness from the elderberries and rosehips. It’s also delicious cold so I switch it up from time to time.

5) A lot of our readers struggle with stress and fatigue, sugar cravings and digestive issues. Which tea combinations would you recommend to help calm the mind, reduce cravings and aid digestion?

Our Serene blend was made specifically to help calm the mind and the body. It has ingredients like chamomile, passionflower, jasmine and lavender, which are so relaxing.

Our Crave and Balance blends are both great for helping to squash cravings and balance blood sugar. Crave has a natural sweetness and maple flavour, which is perfect when you need a little something to pick you up.

Balance is packed with Pu’erh tea, cinnamon and ginger that are excellent for keeping your blood sugar in check.

Lastly, we created Relieve to help aid digestion. From bloating to gas and distension, it’s the perfect blend when your tummy isn’t feeling so great.

6) We are fans of having a little ‘naughty’ piece of chocolate with our cup of tea, do you have a ‘naughty’ treat that you like to pair with any of your teas? 

I’m a big fan of dark chocolate. But I’m that person that will eat 90% dark chocolate and enjoy every bite. To me, that’s the perfect pairing with a cup of tea. Or a chewy dark chocolate chip cookie of course!

7) We can just imagine the great mocktail and drink combinations with the teas. Do you have a favourite recipe to share with us?

I love a cold glass of lemonade on a warm summer day and our Fresh tea would be a perfect citrus addition. I usually just wing it, but if you steep 0.5-1 cup of fresh tea, add some organic lemonade (we love Santa Cruz), a hit of sparkling water and some fresh berries, you’ll have the perfect mocktail in no time!

Looking for more awesome tea combos? Check out our Tea Guide that includes a delicious Very Berry Iced Tea Sangria recipe here.