As someone who recently made the decision to reduce their caffeine intake, a vibrant collection of caffeine-free teas designed especially for mums was an ideal product to be asked to review. Mama Teas are a set of caffeine-free infusions that are great for anyone trying to reduce their caffeine intake, including pregnant and nursing mums.
At my caffeine-fuelled peak, I was drinking 3 cups of strong italian coffee and 3 cans of diet coke just to get me through the working day. I would round the day off with another fizzy drink during the evening and a cup of tea before bed. Not a great recipe for mellowness.
I've recently replaced one of my hot drinks during the day, and my hot drink in the evening with one of the tasty infusions from Mama Tea. I can't tell you how many times in the past I have tried herbal teas and lasted about 2 days before giving up. Generally, my opinion on herbal teas is either “ick” or “ho hum”. I also usually have to add a lot of sugar to make them palettable.
I have actually been really surprised by the set of Mama Teas. My favourite is the “Cool mama” which is a chamomile, spreamint and marshmallow infusion which is suitable throughout pregnancy. It is a tea designed to ease heartburn and indigestion or to generally cool you and make you mellow. I really like it as an evening drink to help settle me down for the night. The “Cool Mama” tea doesn't taste too strongly of any of the ingredients – just the way I like it.
Out of interest, I tried the Ready Mama tea which is a raspberry lead and motherwart (traditional ingredients to help prepare for birth) but it is also mixed with hibiscus and rose. My experiences of raspberry leaf tea from about week 38 of my pregnancy were definitely of the “ick” variety which is why I wanted to see if Mama Tea had managed to make it palletable. The hibiscus and rose give the tea a very gentle floral scent and it certainly does seem to make the tea taste less of general-purpose plant ingredient! It is also a really groovy pink colour instead of the more traditional bluey green. If you are looking for a tea to get you through labour and birth then I'd highly recommend it.
One of the other infusions in the range is the “Morning Mama” (ginger, chamomile and citrus) which is definitely one to replace my coffee-time drink. It has a fascinating tingle from the ginger and the scent of the lemon, orange and lemon-balm is enough to make you feel sprightly and ready for the morning. The "Morning Mama" tea is known to help reduce the feelings of nausea during morning sickness.
The range is finished off with “Glowing Mama” (rooibos, elderflower, echinacea and dandelion) which claims to be a powerful antioxidant and good for fluid retention and boosting the immune system. And finally, “New Mama” which is Mama Tea's most popular infusion designed for breastfeeding mums (not pregnant ones). The “New Mama” tea is a liquorice tea with fennel, fenugreek, nettle and lemon-balm. I have to say that I found it a little weird... very liquoricy and yet quite savoury. Three of the active ingredients are intended to increase milk flow so this tea is ideal for breastfeeding mums.
For each of the teas in the Mama Tea range, I found the flavours to be well balanced and not too 'tea-ey'; sometimes I find herbal teas to taste bitter and to leaf my mouth feeling dry, but these ones leave me feeling refreshed, as a good cup of tea should. My two favourite teas “Cool Mama” and “Morning Mama” really are a delight to drink and I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.
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At my caffeine-fuelled peak, I was drinking 3 cups of strong italian coffee and 3 cans of diet coke just to get me through the working day. I would round the day off with another fizzy drink during the evening and a cup of tea before bed. Not a great recipe for mellowness.
I've recently replaced one of my hot drinks during the day, and my hot drink in the evening with one of the tasty infusions from Mama Tea. I can't tell you how many times in the past I have tried herbal teas and lasted about 2 days before giving up. Generally, my opinion on herbal teas is either “ick” or “ho hum”. I also usually have to add a lot of sugar to make them palettable.
I have actually been really surprised by the set of Mama Teas. My favourite is the “Cool mama” which is a chamomile, spreamint and marshmallow infusion which is suitable throughout pregnancy. It is a tea designed to ease heartburn and indigestion or to generally cool you and make you mellow. I really like it as an evening drink to help settle me down for the night. The “Cool Mama” tea doesn't taste too strongly of any of the ingredients – just the way I like it.
Out of interest, I tried the Ready Mama tea which is a raspberry lead and motherwart (traditional ingredients to help prepare for birth) but it is also mixed with hibiscus and rose. My experiences of raspberry leaf tea from about week 38 of my pregnancy were definitely of the “ick” variety which is why I wanted to see if Mama Tea had managed to make it palletable. The hibiscus and rose give the tea a very gentle floral scent and it certainly does seem to make the tea taste less of general-purpose plant ingredient! It is also a really groovy pink colour instead of the more traditional bluey green. If you are looking for a tea to get you through labour and birth then I'd highly recommend it.
One of the other infusions in the range is the “Morning Mama” (ginger, chamomile and citrus) which is definitely one to replace my coffee-time drink. It has a fascinating tingle from the ginger and the scent of the lemon, orange and lemon-balm is enough to make you feel sprightly and ready for the morning. The "Morning Mama" tea is known to help reduce the feelings of nausea during morning sickness.
The range is finished off with “Glowing Mama” (rooibos, elderflower, echinacea and dandelion) which claims to be a powerful antioxidant and good for fluid retention and boosting the immune system. And finally, “New Mama” which is Mama Tea's most popular infusion designed for breastfeeding mums (not pregnant ones). The “New Mama” tea is a liquorice tea with fennel, fenugreek, nettle and lemon-balm. I have to say that I found it a little weird... very liquoricy and yet quite savoury. Three of the active ingredients are intended to increase milk flow so this tea is ideal for breastfeeding mums.
For each of the teas in the Mama Tea range, I found the flavours to be well balanced and not too 'tea-ey'; sometimes I find herbal teas to taste bitter and to leaf my mouth feeling dry, but these ones leave me feeling refreshed, as a good cup of tea should. My two favourite teas “Cool Mama” and “Morning Mama” really are a delight to drink and I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.
You can follow the Mama on twitter
