I’m sure you’ve enjoyed tea at some point. It keeps you warm on cool days and cool when the weather is warm. You know that tea is a healthy beverage. But do you know all the benefits? I’m betting the answer is no!
Obviously tea that’s sweetened with sugar or uses fatty milk isn’t as healthy as a pure green tea. So let’s talk about healthy tea. Because if your idea of a good tea is something you buy in a bottle, then you’re probably not drinking the tea with the most health benefits.
The health benefits of tea
Let’s start by listing some of the most common benefits of tea.
- A cup of tea contains less caffeine than coffee, making it a great hot drink to consume as part of a healthy diet.
- When made the right way, tea contains little to no calories.
- Regular tea consumption can reduce your risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart attack and high cholesterol.
- Drinking tea keeps your system flushed, clearing out your system and detoxing your body.
- Tea contains antioxidants which help keep your body young and protected from pollution.
- Tea may help with weight loss. Natural green tea can help speed up metabolism.
- Certain types of tea, such as Rooibos Tea, can help reduce acne by providing anti-inflammatory effects.
- Tea tastes great and has a natural earthy flavor when made the correct way. Especially when you take note of the subtle differences that could affect the taste, such as the temperature of the water and the tools you use.
Tea is a miracle drink that is loaded with good stuff. And it contains minimal bad stuff. However, the types of tea that you drink might be missing out on some of these essential nutrients. Especially if you’re used to drinking bottled or powdered tea.
Bottled and powdered teas can be good… sometimes
Here’s a tea challenge for you. Take a look at the sugar content of a typical store-bought iced tea. Are you shocked yet? These are absolutely not the teas that you want to be drinking.
However, powdered or bottled teas can be good. Many Asian supermarkets are now carrying Japanese teas that contain little or no sugar. They brew them from proper tea leaves. And they don’t contain sugar. These bottled teas can be good choices
Powdered teas can be excellent as well–that is, unless they’re loaded with sugar. For instance, matcha tea comes in powdered form and has a special brewing process. But you can buy the tools for cheap and they’ll last a long time, giving you a healthy and convenient drink that you can prepare in just seconds.
However, do beware when buying matcha because there are many matcha drinks that are loaded with sugar and additives. When in doubt, look at the ingredients. And pick the powders which have fewer additional ingredients.
Consuming more good tea
After trying regular pure tea, you might have cravings for sweet honey lemon teas or teas that are loaded up with milk. In fact, many people find that they simply can’t stand the earthy taste and would much rather have a sweet drink that they can just purchase from the store.
In this section, we’ll talk about a few tips to help you drink regular, nourishing tea.
- Make your own iced tea – Brew some tea and store it in your fridge for a convenient and healthier homemade iced tea.
- Use honey instead of sugar – Honey has many health benefits and it’s commonly used to sweeten tea instead of sugar.
- Try fruit-flavored tea – There are many teas that are flavored with fruits, making them a lot more interesting and easier to drink.
- Look at other stores for healthier bottled tea – If you prefer bottled tea, then look at Asian brands or healthy versions that skip out the sugar.
- Try different brands of tea – No teas are born equal so if you don’t enjoy one brand, you may want to try another to sample the taste.
- Consider buying a tea-making set – If you want to get more involved in the tea making process and use loose leaf tea, then you can invest in a tea making set that will motivate you to try and make different teas.
- Use tea bags – Don’t be afraid to use tea bags. They’re convenient, give a great cup of tea and can be stored very easily compared to loose leaf.
Hopefully, this has shown you just how fantastic tea can be. And how easy it can be to consume more on a regular basis to get more of the health benefits. So what are you waiting for? Grab a cup, and cozy up to all its health boosting powers.
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*Photo courtesy of Pexels
I need to drink more tea than coffee! But I do use honey or maple syrup instead of highly processed sugar when I do drink tea- so that’s good! Unfortunately I just put a bit of white sugar into my coffee.
I really didnt know tea has that many benefits to it. Thanks for sharing
I love healthy tea! I drink aloe vera tea every morning! I can totally feel the difference in my skin and overall health..
I love tea. Good to know it’s good for me as well!
What a great read! I personally love tea, but I also love coffee haha. I tend to drink coffee in the morning then tea throughout the day.
Kasey Ma
thestylewright.com
Some great tips here. In the winter I make an elderberry tea with echinacea and rose hips to boost our immune systems. Elderberry is also naturally sweet, so the tea doesn’t need much (if any) honey added to it!
I love tea! I shop at David’s Tea (Canadian brand) and they have so many yummy low caffeine teas, that are primarily made with fruits and taste amazing!
I love teas. There are so many types to choose from. One of my favorites is lapsang souchong. It has a delightful, smoky flavor.
Sippin a cuppa chamomile ginger at this very moment! It calms an irritated stomach and just tastes good! I don’t like sweetened coffee, so would rarely add anything to my tea. Gosh, on a cold winter’s day, there’s just nothing better.