TENSION TAMER TEA
There are many good relaxation teas and herbs from which to choose.
One that has had good results with many RLS sufferers has been Celestial Seasoning's
"Tension Tamer" tea. The ingredients include eleuthero ginseng root, peppermint
leaves, cinnamon, ginger root, chamomile flowers, lemon grass, licorice
root, catnip leaves, tilia flowers, natural lemon flavor, hops, and vitamins B6 and B12.
I try to NOT use this on a regular basis, but more as a therapy
for a middle of the night RLS attack or when I'm facing an evening
of sitting around watching a movie or visiting with family.
I make a STRONG cup of the tea, using two tea bags in two cups of hot
water. I leave the tea bags in the cup while I slowly sip it over a 10-15 minute
period. By the time I get to the last swallows, it's relatively strong.
It's a pretty pleasant tasting tea, with a little sweetening in it.
When I use the tea in the middle of the night, I also try to involve myself
in something like a computer game, email, or chatting, so my mind is completely
involved in something as I drink the tea. Usually, in about 20 minutes, my body
is relaxed and I can get to sleep. The only drawback, is that I end up relaxed
and enjoying the computer game, and I often stay up well past the end of the RLS attack.
I try to take the tea with me when I stay in hotels, travel on planes, or
visit for an evening at someone's house. It's usually easy to ask for some hot
water and pull out your own tea bags.
TENSION TAMER SUPPLEMENTS
When it's not convenient to have hot tea, you might want to try some of the
many herbal supplements that promote relaxation. I have had some success with
the Tension Tamer supplements. Be careful when buying these, though, because the
name on the bottle can be misleading. There are at least three supplements called
"Tension Tamer". One is the original blend, one is the Ultimate blend, and one is
the Unique blend. They each have slightly different ingredients and they are also different
from the tea, itself. I've used the Ultimate blend, which contains: 200 mg kava kava; chamomile;
Vitamins B and C, magnesium and pantothenic acid.
REMINDER: I use these therapies as a RESPONSE to RLS. They will
not prevent it or cure it. I use them as sparingly as possible, so I do not
start relying on them and so they do not lose their effectiveness.
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