I have fond memories of playing “pretend” tea parties with my childhood best friend Cathleen while giggling over our crushes. Inspired by the Mad Hatter’s tea party from “Alice In Wonderland,” I grew up loving morning, afternoon and evening tea moments shared with a friend or simply by myself.
Next to water, tea is the most common beverage choice worldwide. All types of tea, whether green, black or oolong, come from one plant known as Camellia Sinensis. Color and flavor variations depend on processing methods used to produce tea.
Black Tea – exposing leaves to air causes them to turn deep red-brown in color. Black tea imparts a rich flavor. This is popular among Western countries and is used as a base ingredient for specialty teas. My favorites are the fragrant and citrus-flavored Earl Grey and Lady Grey. These are blended with Bergamot Orange, Seville orange and lemon.
Green Tea – leaves are simply heated or quickly steamed to preserve the green color. Green tea has a delicate flavor and is popular among Oriental countries like China and Japan.
Oolong Tea – a traditional Chinese tea that is “between’ black and green tea. Tea leaves are withered or allowed to wilt under the heat of the scorching sun.
Health-TEA Benefits
Tea houses and lounges are getting popular nowadays. Health claims about teas are emerging which led a lot people to ask me this question: Is tea beneficial or harmful to our health?
Tea has potential health benefits because it contains an antioxidant known as Flavonoids. Some studies have shown that tea’s flavonoids may reduce risk of developing gastric, esophageal and skin cancers. Brewing at least 3 minutes will bring out most of the flavonoids. Drinking 4 to 6 cups of tea a day may offer protective properties for the heart to prevent heart diseases and stroke. Tea also helps in cleansing the digestive system and is helpful when experiencing diarrhea.
Unhealth-TEA Precaution
Despite the apparent health benefits of drinking tea, there are some factors considered to be detrimental to health:
1. Be careful when taking tea formulas for weight loss. Excessive intake may lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance due to its diuretic and laxative effect. Frequent urination and bowel movement can make one lose weight but will cause nutrient malabsorption and depletion.
2. People taking blood thinning medications such as aspirin should avoid drinking tea at the same time. Both prevent platelets from clotting which increases the risk of bleeding.
3. When taking Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs) for treatment of depression, tea should be avoided because it can cause a severe increase in blood pressure called “hypertensive crisis”
4. Bottled and canned tea drinks contain added sugars like sodas. Read the nutrition label to know how much calories there are per serving. Excessive intake could lead to weight gain.
Crea-TEA-ve Drinking
• Scared of consuming too much calories? Skip the sugar cubes and honey. Instead, flavor your tea with a slice of lemon, lime or calamansi. You can also add fresh ginger or mint leaves too! These natural alternatives will not only add flavor but will also soothe your senses with their aromatic scents.
• Add 100 percent citrus juices for flavor. The Vitamin C-rich fruit juices will counteract the action of the flavonoids which inhibit the absorption of non-heme iron we get from grain products, legumes, green leafy vegetables and eggs.
• Add low-fat milk instead of creamer to your hot or cold black tea drink to increase calcium intake.
So while the world is waiting for more studies to prove the health benefits of tea, go ahead and enjoy a cup or two when you wake up, while at work, in an afternoon tea with friends, after dinner with your love ones, or simply alone during your quiet moments. A cup of tea goes a long way for me and I wish to share this TEA-lightful experience with you.
“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” – C.S. Lewis
(Hailing from Zamboanga City, 33 year-old Cheshire has worked with elite level of individual clients, celebrities and consultant for prestigious companies. She is also the CEO of A-List Professional Health Consulting Co. Write her through [email protected].
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