Five Simple Chinese Medicine Tea Blends You Can Make at Home
One of the questions I get asked all the time is:
“Is there a tea I can drink for this?”
While a personalized herbal formula is always the most effective approach, there are several gentle food-therapy blends that I frequently recommend to patients who want additional support between treatments. These aren’t meant to replace herbal medicine. Think of them as nourishing daily rituals that can support the body when you’re feeling stressed, depleted, bloated, emotionally overwhelmed, or simply in need of a little extra care.
How to Prepare (Applies to All Teas)
Most of these blends include two types of ingredients:
Roots / seeds / fruits → simmer (they need longer cooking)
Flowers → add at the end (they are delicate)
I use gram measurements instead of teaspoons because herbs vary a lot in density (a teaspoon of light flowers vs. heavy seeds can be completely different amounts), so a simple kitchen gram scale keeps each blend accurate, consistent, and reproducible every time you make it.
Standard method:
Add all non-flower ingredients to a pot with 3–4 cups of water
Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer for 20–30 minutes
Turn off heat
Add flowers, cover, and steep 5–10 minutes
Strain and drink warm
Moody Tea (Calm the Liver)
For irritability, stress tension, emotional buildup, and PMS mood shifts.
What it’s doing (in simple terms)
Chrysanthemum (Ju Hua) → clears heat and helps with irritability or “pressure in the head”
Rose buds (Mei Gui Hua) → gently moves stuck emotions and supports Liver Qi flow
Goji berries (Gou Qi Zi) → nourishes Blood and supports emotional resilience
Jujube/ Chinese Red Dates (Da Zao)→ supports digestion and helps stabilize mood
Ingredients (per day)
Chrysanthemum flowers — 5 g
Rose buds — 5 g
Goji berries — 10 g
Jujubes — 2–3 pieces, sliced
How to make it
Simmer goji berries and jujubes in 3–4 cups of water for 20 minutes
Turn off heat
Add chrysanthemum and rose buds
Cover and steep for 5–10 minutes
Strain and drink warm
Deep Sleep & Overthinking Tea
For light sleep, waking at night, or a mind that won’t shut off.
What it’s doing
Lily bulb (Bai He) → calms the mind and helps restlessness
Lotus seed (Lian Zi) → strengthens digestion and helps “anchor” the mind
Longan fruit (Long Yan Rou) → nourishes Blood for mental calm and emotional steadiness
Jujube (Da Zao)→ supports relaxation and sleep quality
Ingredients
Lily bulb — 10 g
Lotus seed — 10 g
Longan fruit — 10 g
Jujubes — 2–3 pieces
How to make it
Add all ingredients to a pot with water
Simmer gently for 20–30 minutes
Strain and drink warm
(No flowers in this blend, so everything is cooked together.)
Hormone Support Tea (Replenishing Blend)
For fatigue, dryness, burnout, and feeling depleted over time.
What it’s doing
Poria (Fu Ling) → supports fluid metabolism and helps reduce heaviness or dampness
Lily bulb (Bai He) → nourishes Yin and calms nervous system fatigue
Goji berries (Go Qi Zi) → supports Blood and liver nourishment
Jujube (Da Zao)→ supports digestion and gently builds energy reserves
Ingredients
Poria — 10 g
Lily bulb — 10 g
Goji berries — 10 g
Jujubes — 2–3 pieces
How to make it
Simmer all ingredients together for 20–30 minutes
Strain and drink warm
Emotions Tea (Heart + Blood Support)
For emotional sensitivity, burnout, over-giving, or feeling emotionally drained.
What it’s doing
Longan fruit (Long Yan Rou) → strongly nourishes Blood and supports emotional stability
Goji berries (Go Qi Zi) → supports recovery from stress and fatigue
Lotus seed (Lian Zi) → calms the mind and strengthens digestion
Rose buds (Mei Gui Hua) → gently moves emotional stagnation and softens stress
Ingredients
Longan fruit — 10 g
Goji berries — 10 g
Lotus seed — 10 g
Rose buds — 5 g
How to make it
Simmer longan, goji berries, and lotus seed for 20 minutes
Turn off heat
Add rose buds
Cover and steep for 5–10 minutes
Strain and drink warm
Digestion & Anti-Bloat Tea
For bloating, heaviness, sluggish digestion, or a “puffy” feeling after meals.
What it’s doing
Poria (Fu Ling) → helps move excess fluids and supports digestion
Lotus seed (Lian Zi) → strengthens digestive function and helps firm digestion
Chrysanthemum (Ju Hua) → gently clears heat and supports Liver–Spleen balance
Jujube (Da Zao) → supports digestive Qi
Ingredients
Poria — 10 g
Lotus seed — 10 g
Jujubes — 2–3 pieces
Chrysanthemum — 5 g (added at the end)
How to make it
Simmer poria, lotus seed, and jujubes for 20–30 minutes
Turn off heat
Add chrysanthemum
Cover and steep for 5–10 minutes
Strain and drink warm
A Final Note
One of the things I appreciate most about Chinese medicine is that healing doesn’t always happen through dramatic interventions. More often, it’s the small things we do consistently that make the biggest difference.
These teas are gentle, food-based support—not replacements for individualized herbal treatment. The goal here is not intensity. The goal is consistency. A warm cup of tea won’t solve every problem, but it can become part of a daily rhythm of nourishment, rest, and self-care.
These are some of my favorite blends because they’re simple, accessible, and easy to incorporate into everyday life. Whether you’re looking for better sleep, calmer moods, improved digestion, or a little extra support during a stressful season, a daily tea ritual can be a meaningful place to start.
As always, these recommendations are for general wellness and education. If you’re experiencing ongoing or persistent symptoms, a personalized evaluation and treatment plan will provide the most effective results. A warm cup of tea once a day can be a simple way to support digestion, calm the nervous system, and help the body recover from daily stress.
