Red Chai Tea 
3 rooibos tea bags
3 cups of cashew milk (personal preference)
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
6 cardamom pods (ground in mortar and pestle)
7 rainbow peppercorns (ground in mortar and pestle)
1 whole clove (ground in mortar and pestle)
2 3-gram pieces of candied ginger
1 tablespoon of maple syrup
Bold items are in the herb-a-shake mixture ready to add into rooibos tea.

Heat cashew milk to 190-200 degrees
Add 3 rooibos tea bags (9 grams)
Steep tea bags in milk for 8-10 minutes
While steeping add the following ingredients
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
6 cardamom pods
7 rainbow peppercorns
1 whole clove
2 3-gram pieces of candied ginger
tablespoon of maple syrup
Use sieve and pour into a mug
Stir and enjoy

A little background info: 

When I was first testing this recipe, I was using the spices around my house. I’m sure that (1) 3-4 inch cinnamon stick could take place of the ground cinnamon.

Rooibos tea has a long history of helping with menstrual cramps. I first discovered the tea on a trip to South Africa in 2013. My friend’s family had prepared it iced and I thought it was the most delicious iced tea I had ever tasted. I went to different shops looking to purchase rooibos tea to give as presents when I returned home. I kept seeing it in the feminine health section of boutiques and shops. One of the labels I remember most, was a woman wearing boxing gloves with a text reading “Fight Cramps with Rooibos Tea.” I became very intrigued and started drinking the tea on a regular basis. It wasn’t until this class that I really decided to do some research regarding the anti-inflammatory and muscle soothing properties of this tea.

Rooibos tea is grown the in the Cederburg region of South Africa. Rooibos has been used as a tonic by Afrikaans for centuries. It has known to help with cramps, reduce stress, relieve babies with colic, cure insomnia, and slow down the aging process. (Steenkamp & Van Rensburg, 2002)

The flavonoids found in rooibos tea are contribute to the antispasmotic activity. Aspalathin andnothofagin are main flavonoids contained in rooibos tea and have stronger anti‐oxidative activity.

Since rooibos tea is naturally caffeine free, it is a useful gastroprotective herbal beverage, as caffeine contributes to gastrointestinal secretions. (Gilani, Khan, Ghayur, Ali, & Herzig, 2006)

The Benefits:

-Cinnamon is a very popular spice. The use has been chronicled for centuries. According to animal studies, the constituents in cinnamon contribute to its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. (Singletary, 2008)

-Black peppercorns contain alkaloids. Piperine is known anti-fever, pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory effects. Black pepper also has anti-fungal and anti-oxidant properties. (Butt, Pasha,Tuseef, Randhawa, Saeed, Waqas, 2013)

-Cardamom is a great spice for gut health. Even though it is a spice, it has a cooling effect. It can help relieve acidity, indigestions, nausea, and stomach pains. It also improves circulation (TNN,2017)

-Clove is an expectorant and promote the the flow of saliva and gastric juices. It can also relieve stomach pain when prepared in a chai blend. Due to its pleasant smell, breathing in clove can be a respiratory aid. (Bhowmik, et al., 2012)

-Ginger has long been used in folk medicine to relieve stomach issues. Ginger is known to help with nausea during pregnancy and alleviates inflammation. Preliminary studies show that ginger can lower blood cholesterol and blood glucose levels. (Singletary, 2010)
Mixed together this is a delicious drink with many benefits.

References
Bhowmik, D., Kumar, K. P. S., Yadav, A., Srivastava, S., Paswan, S., & Dutta, A. S. (2012).
Recent Trends in Indian Traditional Herbs Syzygium aromaticum and its Health
Benefits. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 1(1), 13–22. doi: 2278- 4136
Gilani, A. H., Khan, A., Ghayur, M. N., Ali, S. F., & Herzig, J. W. (2006, October 31).
Antispasmodic Effects of Rooibos Tea (Aspalathus linearis) is Mediated Predominantly through
K ‐Channel Activation. Retrieved March 3, 2020, from
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1742-7843.2006.pto_507.x
Masood Sadiq Butt, Imran Pasha, Muhammad Tauseef Sultan, Muhammad Atif Randhawa,
Farhan Saeed & Waqas Ahmed (2013) Black Pepper and Health Claims: A Comprehensive
Treatise, Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 53:9, 875-
886, DOI:  10.1080/10408398.2011.571799
Singletary, K. (2008). Cinnamon: Overview of Health Benefits : Nutrition Today. Retrieved
March 3, 2020, from
https://journals.lww.com/nutritiontodayonline/Fulltext/2008/11000/Cinnamon__Overview_of_H
ealth_Benefits.9.aspx?casa_token=cBvveiVU9VMAAAAA:ijQt0TamU_7n-
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Singletary, K. (2010). Ginger. Nutrition Today, 45(4), 171–183. doi:
10.1097/nt.0b013e3181ed3543
Steenkamp, V., & Van Rensburg, C. E. J. (2002, October). Short Communication. Retrieved
March 3, 2020, from
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Vanessa_Steenkamp/publication/277938939_Antioxidant_s
cavenging_potential_of_South_African_export_herbal_teas/links/55b1e89c08aed621ddfd6d9a.p
df?inViewer=0&pdfJsDownload=0&origin=publication_detail
TNN. (2017, August 28). Health benefits of cardamom - Times of India. Retrieved March 3,
2020, from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/health-benefits-of-
cardamom/articleshow/23707717.cms