I love tea. Its fragrance and taste are like a time machine, vividly reminding me of memories from my world travels. Chai with my cousins in India in the spring, blackcurrant tea with my girlfriends in Singapore’s humid summer, and English chai with my godfather in Holland in the freezing cold of winter. Making a cup of tea, watching it brew, wrapping your hands around the mug, and sharing it with a loved one is so therapeutic. A meditation in and of itself.
But teas are also good for you. They contain antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-viral properties and help to restore hormonal balance. While tea contains less caffeine than coffee, all teas still contain caffeine. If caffeine makes you jittery, go easy on tea.
L-Theanine is a unique amino acid found almost exclusively in tea. Clinical studies have demonstrated that L-theanine reduces stress, improves the quality of sleep, diminishes the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, heightens mental acuity, and reduces negative side effects of caffeine. It also increases the levels of GABA, serotonin, and dopamine – calming neurotransmitters in the brain that regulate emotions, mood, concentration, alertness, sleep, and energy. L-Theanine creates a meditative effect.
How much tea should I drink and how?
Due to quality control issues and how the plants are grown, only drink tea that is organic and not made in China.
Drinking your tea hot rather than cold helps you to get the maximum benefits from the tea.
It is recommended that we drink 3 cups of tea per day. While this might sound like a lot, teas can be less expensive than coffee. Tea also contains less caffeine than coffee. A cup of coffee can have 10 times as much caffeine compared to a cup of tea.
If you drink tea throughout the day, you’ll keep a flow of antioxidants throughout your body. These antioxidants are called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). White tea and green tea have higher EGCG than black tea.
Types of tea
- White tea: White tea has a mild flavor, so if you don’t care for the taste of tea but still want the benefits of drinking it, start with this tea. It also has the least amount of caffeine of all tea, making it very suitable for those who metabolize caffeine slowly.
- Green tea: Green tea is filled with antioxidants and has many fabulous benefits, including helping to prevent dementia and memory loss, protecting the brain cells from oxidative damage, and protecting the heart. It can reduce cholesterol, lower overall inflammation, reduce plaque build-up in the arteries, lower cancer risk, improve memory, boost metabolism, improve skin quality, and slow down aging.
- Black tea: Black tea is a great option if you need a boost of caffeine and still want antioxidants. Black tea has the highest caffeine content of all teas. You can choose from many types of black tea such as Darjeeling, Earl Grey, and Assam.
Herbal teas
Herbal teas are made from plants, flowers, spices, and herbs. Here are some of the benefits of readily available herbal teas.
- Chamomile tea: Reduces stress and anxiety, an effective relaxant especially before bedtime.
- Rooibos tea: A South African tea that helps to fight off free radical damage, which contributes to premature aging. Also reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
- Rosehip tea: Good to balance female hormones, reduce symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, maintain youthful skin, and to reduce inflammation. Also packed with Vitamin C.
- Hibiscus tea: A North African tea that balances blood glucose levels. Packed with Vitamin C.
- Dandelion tea: Roasted dandelion tea is similar to coffee in taste and is especially beneficial for liver detoxification.
- Licorice tea: Helps to heal the gut lining.
- Peppermint tea: A great digestive aid for people who tend to run hot, helps with irritable bowel syndrome.
- Ginger tea: Helps to reduce inflammation, manage cravings, and boost immunity. A great digestive aid for people who tend to run cold.
- Elderberry tea: Immune boosting with its antimicrobial and antiviral properties.
Ayurvedic tea
Ayurveda teaches that drinking herbal teas on a regular basis is one of the most beneficial way of taking herbs.
Ayurvedic teas are prepared to achieve a specific effect in the body, such as to induce sleepiness, boost the immune system, or strengthen digestion. Ayurvedic teas balance at least one of the doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha) through the use of herbs. If you don’t know your dosha yet, set up a 20-min complimentary call with me to find out.
Try this tridoshic CCF Tea to balance all three of your doshas and to promote healthy digestion and gentle detoxification. This is a delicious tea to sip throughout the day. But because coriander is a diuretic and might keep you up, don’t drink too much of this tea in the evening and at night.
CCF Tea
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 pint water
Combine ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let the tea simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, strain, and serve. For a stronger brew, boil the tea for 10 minutes.
Feel free to add a spoonful of honey on occasion, especially for balancing Vata and Kapha doshas. If balancing Pitta is your main focus, try adding a squeeze of fresh lime to cool things down.
To find out which teas are beneficial for you, learn about your doshas.
Brew yourself a cup of tea, sit back, slow down, and transport yourself to another time!