Tea is a miracle drink. I drink it every day.
A few months ago, I made a decision to drastically cut down on coffee. It hurts my stomach, especially when it's made with cream or milk, and aggravates my IBS symptoms. It also makes me jittery. Also, I wanted to see what it was like to not have to rely on a drink to get out of bed in the morning.
Originally, my plan was to cut it out altogether, but I decided to keep a little bit of it in my diet as a special treat. I figure, I'm currently writing my senior thesis, and I deserve a little mocha every once in a while. However, since cutting out 90% of the coffee I drink (going from two cups a day to about one delicious latte a week), I have noticed that I need some supplemental caffeine, especially in the morning. Enter the consumption of tons and tons of tea. It's so much gentler on the stomach, tastes delicious, and is a warm and soothing way to start my day. This post is going to be about my favorite kinds, teas that I have been drinking for years: not just for the caffeine, but also for myriad other health benefits.
A few months ago, I made a decision to drastically cut down on coffee. It hurts my stomach, especially when it's made with cream or milk, and aggravates my IBS symptoms. It also makes me jittery. Also, I wanted to see what it was like to not have to rely on a drink to get out of bed in the morning.
Originally, my plan was to cut it out altogether, but I decided to keep a little bit of it in my diet as a special treat. I figure, I'm currently writing my senior thesis, and I deserve a little mocha every once in a while. However, since cutting out 90% of the coffee I drink (going from two cups a day to about one delicious latte a week), I have noticed that I need some supplemental caffeine, especially in the morning. Enter the consumption of tons and tons of tea. It's so much gentler on the stomach, tastes delicious, and is a warm and soothing way to start my day. This post is going to be about my favorite kinds, teas that I have been drinking for years: not just for the caffeine, but also for myriad other health benefits.
- Black tea. This is my favorite tea for my morning wake-up. My favorite is Irish breakfast, but I honestly really love the plan black Lipton tea bags as well. I brew it strong, and drink it black with no sweetener. I usually leave the bag in the whole time I'm drinking it - I like a really strong morning tea. The bitterness reminds me of coffee, the warmth wakes up my digestive system, and the caffeine wakes up my brain. I always drink it hot in the winter and iced with lemon in the summer.
- A close second favorite for the morning is green tea, specifically matcha. Matcha is a potent green tea, made from grinding the whole leaf into a dense green powder. Green tea is amazing for calm, focused energy. It's also chock-full of antioxidants, which keep you from getting sick, and metabolism boosting nutrients. I'll share my recipe for my collagen matcha latte in another post if you guys are interested in it.
- Chai is another favorite for caffeine. I love the spiciness of it. This is one tea I prefer to drink with a little bit of coconut creamer in it, and I usually froth with my milk frother and top with a little bit of cinnamon. Decadent, healthy, and invigorating.
- Getting into the decaf teas, my favorite for when I have my period is red raspberry leaf. Not only does it taste like juicy raspberries, but the warmth helps relieve cramps and the raspberry leaf improves blood circulation to the reproductive organs.
- I also love peppermint tea for when I've eaten too much, am bloated, gassy or constipated. It also tastes divine, especially with honey. It's great to drink a ton of when I know I need to get hydrated.
- Chamomile tea, as well as lavender tea, (I also love the "Tension Tamer" and "Sleepytime" tea from Celestial Seasonings) are wonderful for insomnia and evening stress.
- Ginger tea is great for digestion and tastes delightfully spicy. I love it with lemon.
- Fun flavored teas, like "caramel toffee," "chocolate mint," "sugar cookie," and fruity teas like lemon, berry and peach, are great to drink without sugar because they can help to assuage your sweet tooth, without any added sugar. Plus they're hydrating.
- Kava. Kava tea is amazing for relaxation. The compound in kava that triggers relaxation is called kavain, and it's similar to a sedative. It acts like a muscle relaxer, so you're mentally alert but physically loosened up. Yangonin, also in kava, is often compared to marijuana, since it affects the same brain receptors as THC. Finally, desmethyoxyyangonin in kava drives up dopamine levels in the brain. This can give the drinker the sensation of euphoria.
- St. John's Wort. Lots of people love St. John's Wort for managing symptoms of depression. Like SSRIs (Zoloft, Prozac etc,) St. John's wort is believed to work by allowing more serotonin to linger in the brain, as low serotonin levels have been linked with depression.
- Valerian root. Valerian puts you right to sleep. Studies have shown that valerian can provide a sound sleep and relief from some minor anxiety without that morning-after hangover that people often get from prescription sleep aids.
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