I think I’ve become quite the tea aficionado lately, as tea drinking has become a daily ritual for me for the past couple of months.
Being a college student who has constantly needed to stay up late writing papers and wake up early–or not groggy, for that matter–to attend class, drugging my system with caffeine was not a likely answer. I absolutely love coffee and trying different roasts and whatnot, but, if I want to lead a healthy and pure lifestyle, I’d rather not be one of those ladies who needs her morning coffee-fix just to function. I’ve never been a fan of energy drinks either (they taste like carbonated candy or something!), so tea seemed to be my newest interest.
It’s long been known that tea has so many long-term benefits for your health–and it’s true! The antioxidants and natural nutrients embedded in those tea leaves support your immune system so well and offer many benefits for aging in the long-run. Plus, after I feel guilty finding my hands grabbing for that late-night bag of “healthy and organic” chips, I want to flush all those toxins out of my body with tea and fluids.
I thought I’d share with you a couple of my recent discoveries I’ve been drinking lately. As this past winter quarter has been quite the devil–being out late every night teaching workshops, staying up ’til 4am catching up on work, and waking up early to attend things–I needed all the energy I could get to power through those times (but, of course, in the most natural and healthful way)!
Yerba Mate Organic Fresh Green Tea
Green tea is popularly known to be the “best” tea out there. The Japanese drink green tea regularly and they seem to age beautifully, yes? That may be true but green tea has a lot of other benefits! Green tea is packed with a lot of antioxidants that increase your metabolism–so it promotes weight loss and controls your appetite. It also promotes anti-aging as it fights free radicals–meaning it fights against aging and promotes longevity. It also helps regulate a lot of toxins and chemicals in your body–glucose/sugar levels and cholesterol are regulated, turning those into good energy, rather than letting them sit and cause bad effects on your body. It has a natural amount of caffeine as well, which helps perk myself up in the morning if I need a natural boost, and keeps my energy running late at night if I see a long night of writing ahead of me!
Madagascar Vanilla African Red Rooibos Tea
Green tea isn’t the only good tea out there for you, and I’ve really been loving red tea lately–and I feel that it’s such an underestimated one as well! This particular brand has such a rich and warm vanilla aroma (talk about aromatherapy!) while the richness and red color of the tea is welcoming. This tea is also caffeine-free which is proven to help you sleep better, as it helps me personally relax at night and put my body to rest. But, what makes red tea particularly special is that it is packed with a lot of good stuff. It’s rich in calcium, which makes your bones and teeth naturally stronger, and the contents in red tea are the best for your skin (its powder can even be directly applied to relieve any skin imperfections). It also slows down aging and boosts the immunity levels in the body. In South Africa, this tea is used to treat allergies and colds, and is known to ease cramps and pains. Also, one of the most apparent and immediate changes I’ve noticed while drinking this tea is that it is amazingly soothing. It’s said that Rooibos tea brings relief to stress, nervous tensions, and hypertension conditions–and, while drinking this tea at night, I noticed how immediately ache-free, relaxed and less stress-ridden I felt. It was almost like I reached a place of euphoria and calm contentedness–and this stuff is au-natural!
Lemon & Ginger Tea Infusion
Although this tea isn’t really a tea, nor natural (rather, it’s an infusion of lemon juice and ginger root) I love drinking this herbal tea, which I normally save for the days and nights my cold is getting the best of me. Ginger and lemon are known to be the greatest herbs in remedying colds, flus, allergies, etc., and the natural boost it gives you while being caffeine-free is awesome. It has a good source of Vitamin C, and the ginger helps with stomach and digestion problems. It also helps with inflammation and boosts your metabolism while improving blood circulation. All in all, I feel better during a cold when I drink this–and its caffeine-free contents makes me not feel guilty drinking this throughout the day!
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Although universally, tea is known to be good for you, there are different benefits each tea can bring you. Whether you need that extra boost in the morning, a light dose of caffeine, a cure for colds, or a new supplement for your diet–tea drinking in general is bound to be good for your body, no matter what you drink. Just expect a lot of peeing throughout the day and feeling better about yourself. In the long run (since my exercise regime is mostly sedentary, besides when I dance or walk around a lot), tea and other healthy alternatives make me feel in charge of my body. After all, I long-hold the belief that “You are what you eat” and “Your body is a temple,” so I take care of what I put into my body–but I also want to look to the future as well! (Plus, tea just makes me feel good!)
If you know of any good teas I should try, let me know! Also, I wouldn’t mind a friend to join in my tea-capades!
beauty within 