Every morning, I try to set our day up correctly, honing in on rituals like exercises, sunlight, and nourishing foods and supplements to support our bodies for the rest of the day. I’ve found that having morning rituals helps set our days up for success but giving us a sort of proven outline that we know makes us feel energized and inspired.

During these first few hours of our days, I’ve found it’s so important to be conscious about what we consume. I’ve found that it’s not just about eating the most important meal of the day, but starting it off by knowing what works for us, and the finding energy and inspiration we need in these magickal foods and drinks that have immense detoxifying and healing properties.

Let’s dive into some morning tea benefits, along with some foods and rituals to pair with them!

The power of tea when starting your day

Packed with beneficial, warming nutrients, tea dances to the rhythm of health and vitality, especially during your first few hours awake. Potent antioxidants, essential vitamins, and other nutrients to support your unique body can all hail from these humble leaves steeped in your cup!

But the magick of tea is not merely in its health benefits; it’s also in the mood it conjures. You might need something that energizes you and wakes you up like a cold shower. Or, you might already feel overwhelmed and need something to keep you in a relaxed focus throughout the day.

Finding tea, food, and morning rituals that can help you elevate your morning can greatly improve your ability to create and live beautifully. It can definitely look different for different creatives, so let’s deliver into a few unique types.

Top 5 teas for morning energy and inspiration

1. Matcha tea

Best for a focused calm

Caffeine content: mild

The first stop on our morning tea journey is in the verdant tea fields of China and Japan, where the vibrant green, finely ground powder known as matcha hails, the same leaves as green tea.

Matcha is packed with antioxidants, particularly a type known as catechins, which are known to have heart health and cancer-fighting benefits. And while it contains a modest amount of caffeine, it also offers a gentle calm with the amino acid L-theanine, which promotes a sort of relaxed alertness.

So, in essence, matcha doesn’t just give you an energy boost, it keeps you grounded and focused as well.

Here’s a sweet little showcase of some brands that offer superb matcha tea:

• Naoki Matcha
• Kachava Matcha
• Cymbiotika Organic Matcha

2. Golden milk ⚱️

Best for a warm, anti-inflammatory awakening

Caffeine content: none

Next, we venture to the vibrant landscapes of India, drawn by the warm, inviting hues of golden milk (sometimes referred to by the main ingredient that brings it its gold essence: turmeric milk). This soothing drink, a blend of turmeric, milk (or a dairy-free alternative), and typically other spices like black pepper, contains so many anti-inflammatory and health-friendly benefits.

Firstly, its main ingredient turmeric has a compound called curcumin, which is a natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. The thing about curcumin is that it doesn’t have a super high bioavailability (meaning it doesn’t absorb easily into your body), so it needs a spice like black pepper to help it, which helps absorb curcumin by 2,000%!

So, if you’re rocking golden milk in the morning, it’s great to pair it with black pepper to help it better absorb into your body! And not to mention the fact that it’s just such a warming and thick drink in the mornings, especially with a frother.

Here are a few brands that have captured the essence of golden milk beautifully:

• Sunfood Superfoods Golden Milk Superfood Powder
• Harney & Sons Golden Milk
• Gaia Herbs Golden Milk

3. Peppermint tea

Best for a refreshing, anti-viral start to your day

Caffeine content: none

The next step on our morning journey brings us to the aromatic fields of peppermint. Though you drink this warm also, it gives a slightly different energy without any caffeine with its menthol makeup, while also greatly benefitting your digestive system and helping with bloating. Plus, peppermint oil itself is used for reducing fatigue and can help alleviate mucus to clear up your sinuses.

And while you might consider it the best herbal tea for energy and digestion in the morning, It also has a cooling and soothing effect that can help you have it in the nighttime, too.

Here are three brands that have captured that crisp freshness of peppermint tea:

• Teapigs Peppermint Leaves
• Thrive Market Organic Peppermint Tea
• Traditional Medicinals Organic Peppermint Herbal Teas

4. Chaga “mushroom” tea

Best for an earthy anti-inflammatory and antioxidant morning

Caffeine content: none

Our journey now takes us to the wild forests where Chaga mushrooms thrive. Chaga tea carries a pleasant, slightly sweet, and earthy flavor, a rustic delight for those adventurous at heart. Beyond its taste, Chaga is packed with antioxidants and compounds beneficial to the immune system and helps with digestion (with benefits similar to peppermint tea!) It’s also an anti-inflammatory, helps balance blood sugar, and helps with muscle fatigue.

And I put quotes around “mushroom” because some say that Chaga isn’t a mushroom, but a fungus!

Here are a few brands that offer excellent Chaga mushroom tea!:

• Four Sigmatic Organic Mushroom Elixir Mix with Chaga
• Numami Chaga Mushroom Powder for Tea
• Moon Juice Chaga Powder Supershroom

5. Dandelion root tea (coffee alternative)

Best for an earthy detoxifier

Caffeine content: none

People often overlook dandelions and see them as a weed (and honestly, I did up to a few months ago) but every part of the dandelion can be used for medicinal qualities, loaded with vitamins and minerals from root to flower. Many people trying to kick caffeine will take a dandelion root drink as an alternative to coffee, with a similar earthy and rooty flavor without caffeine.

Dandelion root: detoxifier

Dandelion stem: fiber

Dandelion greens: Vitamin A, C, K, iron, calcium, magnesium

Dandelion flower: antioxidant

Dandelion root tea has a robust, earthy flavor, reminiscent of coffee, making it an excellent coffee alternative for those looking to limit their caffeine intake. Here are a few brands crafting delightful dandelion root teas:

• SerpentsTale (Etsy) Feelin’ Dandy Roasted Herbal Tea
• Traditional Medicinals Dandelion Leaf & Root Tea
• Full Leaf Tea Co. Organic Dandelion Tea

Energy-driven foods to pair with your morning tea

Oatmeal

Just a simple blend of oats, oat milk, and nuts can help bring a good amount of protein to your morning. Pop in some natural jelly, honey, or fruits and you’ve got yourself a delicious, nourishing, warm morning meal. Or, make it flavored, like blending golden milk, saffron, and raisins into the mix for an Indian-style breakfast.

Fruits

Fresh fruits, particularly berries, and citrus, offer a burst of natural sugars for a quick energy lift, along with a host of vitamins and antioxidants. A fresh fruit salad could also pair with a refreshing mint tea.

Chia Seeds

This amazing seed can basically be added to anything, like oatmeal or smoothies, or mixed into some filtered or alkaline water, or made into a chia pudding with oat milk.

Tea accessories for an elevated morning ritual

The beauty of tea lies not just in the taste but also in the experience of brewing and sipping. Here are a few of our favorite tea accessories for your tea-filled morning ritual:

Electric Tea Kettle

Glass Honey Dispenser

Stainless Steel Tea Strainer

Zulay Milk Frother

Morning habits to complement your tea ritual

The delicate dance of morning is not just about what you consume, but also about what you practice. As your tea gently steeps, let’s infuse your morning ritual with habits that nourish your mind, body, and soul with a few morning habits to sync up with your tea drinking.

1. Intentional tea drinking.

The practice of making and pouring your tea is a practice and meditation all on its own! Think about the process it takes to get to this— finding herbs, blending them together, placing them in a strainer or bag, and letting the hot water distill their medicines.

Take all of their magick into their presence to bring yourself a little more into the moment. No phones, just full intention!

2. Meditation.

Consider incorporating a few minutes of meditation into your morning routine. As you sit with your tea, close your eyes, breathe deeply, and gently clear your mind. Even a few minutes can create a sense of calm and focus that carries throughout the day.

We’ve used tools like Headspace, we use brown noise when we sleep, and I love any and all of Teal Swan’s meditations.

3. Exercises.

We always find that exercising in the morning is the best time for us to get our movement in… mainly because we don’t feel like we have the energy to after the work day. I’ve watched Blogilates since I was in high school, and have found lots of back aid in Yoga with Tim, too.

4. Gratitude and mantras/affirmations.

Every morning, I like to go through an Attitude of Gratitude, a la Jack Canfield— one of the highest vibrations out there. Throughout our day, we could be exposed to so many different lower vibrational energies, like stress, anger, frustration, or one of the worst, fear.

Then comes affirmations or mantras. There are so many different types depending on what you need, but some of my favorites are:

“I have no apologies.”

“There is enough [time, money, abundance] for me.”

“I am enough.”

Hope you enjoy your next morning ritual with a little more love and intention for your beautiful body! Happy sipping.