teas for what ails you

BY MEGHAN BYERS
SPARTA – Sparta resident Susan Parnell launched a new local business this August, Wild Leaf Tea, which aims to offer "benefit-driven" tea blends.
Parnell, who has lived in Sparta for four years, got started in the tea business after researching alternative treatments for Lyme disease, which she struggled with soon after moving to New Jersey.
"I started to become increasingly ill, and antibiotics failed to help," Parnell said. "I took matters into my own hands and started doing a lot of research, and I found that teas and herbs were helpful for chronic illnesses."
Although Parnell was eventually able to find an appropriate antibiotic treatment, she cites tea as the main reason she was able to overcome her illness. "I couldn't have done it with antibiotics alone," Parnell said. "I wholeheartedly feel that it was the tea that gave me the strength to overpower and overcome the Lyme disease, and get me to a more manageable state."
Parnell continued her research as her health improved, finding that specific teas could alleviate specific symptoms. "I was so amazed with the power of teas and how it helped me overcome such a debilitating disease," Parnell explained. "I was really in a dark place...I thought, if this helped me then what could it do for other people? We started Wild Leaf with that notion, and we've now created six varieties of benefit-driven teas."
Over the past year, Parnell has worked hard to establish herself in the tea industry. "We now work with farms from all over the world," she said. "We work directly with one of the largest importers of organic teas in North America, and all of our tea is organic and fair-trade certified."
Parnell, who started her career in sales, added that she enjoys the many challenges of running her own business. "It's so empowering when you work for yourself, especially when you're creating a business where you can share your passion with others," she said. "There was so much I had to learn – things I never foresaw myself learning. I was able to overcome those obstacles. It was my greatest challenge, but also my biggest joy."
Although Parnell worked with a team of tea experts from Los Angeles to develop over 200 different blends of tea, she said that in the end it was the Sparta community that helped her narrow it down to the six blends that Wild Leaf now sells.
"Everything from the name of our company to the core benefits I picked – all of our ideas were bounced around through the local Sparta community," said Parnell. "They really helped shape this company."
Wild Leaf Tea can be found in local stores such as Shelter, Cloveberry, and Green Life Market, as well as online at www.drinkwildleaf.com.