Fatigue is something so many people struggle with. And it can come from so many different things, too! Almost any medical condition can cause it, mental health issues and medicines, too. And, unfortunately, very often it’s not easy to “cure” it.
I’ve had my own fair share of experience with extreme fatigue, and I know how debilitating it can be. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you how to fix it. That’s up to your medical provider!
But, I can share with you my favorite hack for when fatigue hits. I call it a hack, because it doesn’t need much effort. (Ever been told to “Just go for a walk!” when exhaustion hit you hard?! Yeah…)
And it doesn’t solve the problem, but it certainly helps boost energy a little and can even ease depressive symptoms!
Wanna know what I’m talking about already?
it’s Mate tea!
Related: 10 effective morning energy boosters without caffeine
Disclosure: Some of the links below are so-called provision links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I can earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
What is mate tea good for?
Do you feel let down right now? Please don’t!
It’s really an amazing drink for fatigue, even better than green tea or coffee. (And I love those!)
For some reason, the mood enhancing and energising effect is especially strong in mate.
You’ll probably only believe it once you’ve experienced it yourself. But let me tell you about the amazing benefits of Mate tea anyway!
Mate tea benefits
- high antioxidant capacity
- protects your liver
- stimulates the Central Nervous System (meaning, it relieves fatigue!)
- benefits your heart
And yes, these benefits have been shown by science, they’re not just selling points for a new drink!
Honestly, the mood and energy enhancing benefits of this drink can be so strong that some people start wondering: Why does Yerba mate make me happy? Is mate tea a drug?
(Yes, I had people actually ask me that and I totally get why! I felt the same when I first tried mate. It literally made me feel happy and energised!)
Luckily, you can relax. Mate tea is as much a drug as coffee or normal green tea is. So it does have clear effects on how you’re feeling, but it is safe and completely legal!
It actually has less caffeine than coffee and green tea, but more antioxidants!
Is Yerba mate healthier than coffee?
So now you might think you could simply drink a coffee and have the same effect. But even though both of these drinks contain caffeine, they’re not quite the same.
First of all, the caffeine in mate releases slower than the one in coffee. This means fewer crashes and jitters and happy energy for longer.
If you’re already incredibly tired, you certainly don’t need a harsh caffeine crash!
Another big advantage Yerba mate has over coffee is how nice it is to your digestive tract. It’s generally less aggravating since it’s not so acidic and it even fights all kinds of nasty bacteria and parasites in your digestive tract!
Lastly, we know that coffee increases blood pressure, while mate has the opposite effect and can even lower bad cholesterol.
Related: 8 low GI snacks for a quick energy boost
How do you drink mate tea to relieve fatigue?
Alright, now I’ve hopefully convinced you to at least try the wonders of Mate tea. So let’s talk about the typical way to drink it!
What is a gourd and bombilla?
First of all, we need to get to know two basic elements of Mate drinking: the gourd and bombilla!
The gourd is the typical mate tea cup and the bombilla is the best invention for tea-drinking ever. I’ve actually started using it for all loose-leave teas, because it’s so convenient.
In fact, if you’re interested in trying out mate, I recommend simply getting a starter set here!*
What is the bombilla & how is it used in making mate?
The bombilla is basically a tea net and a straw in one. The bottom part has lots of little wholes in it to let the tea through and filter out the mate leaves at the same time. So you simply use it as a straw through which you drink your mate. Genius, isn’t it?
If you ever drink any type of loose tea, I wholeheartedly recommend getting one or five of these. Total game changers!
You can order some here!*
Preparing a mate tea
So now you simply put some mate leaves in your cup (check the packaging for amounts, it can vary greatly!). Add a little cold water and use the bombilla to press everything down.
Then add some hot, but not boiling water, 176 to max. 194 Fahrenheit (80-90 degrees celsius) should work well. Wait a couple of minutes and there you go!
Don’t let it sit too long on the first soak, it might get too strong!
Wait, first soak?
Yes, when your cup is empty, you can just keep re-adding water. Many people use the same mate leaves all day long!
Yes, you can. Especially if you’re mostly drinking mate for the fatigue relieving effects. However, a proper mate gourd will improve the taste of your drink.
If you’re looking for the English word, it’s “gourd”. In Spanish you’d call the traditional Mate cup “Mate” and in Portuguese it’s a “cuia”.
Yes, just as with the cup, you don’t have drink mate the traditional way. You can drink it like any other way. However, once you’ve tried a bombilla straw you probably won’t go back!
Will you try Mate tea to relieve fatigue?
I hope you’ll at least give mate tea a try. And if not, I sincerely hope you find other ways of dealing with your fatigue!
As usual, if you found this helpful, I’d be grateful about you sharing it with someone else. Thank you!
*These links are so-called provision links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I can earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
