Good Tea or Bad Tea?
3lilkids
Posts: 90 Member
Are flavored teas an ok thing to do on Paleo? I know that most likely the types of tea I like are not paleo, can't imagine cavemen drinking Egyptian Licorice or Kava Stress Relief. Looking at the ingredients though, it's all natural herbs. But if tastes good, and sweet, even though I add nothing to it, is it telling my body to crave those sweets? Do I stick to Chamomile? What about Raspberry, or Chamomile with Honey?
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Read the ingredients. I almost bought a tea yesterday and it had soy lecithin. Also, consider buying organic and fair trade teas. Teas are often highly contaminated with pesticides. I don't trust "organic" labelling 100% but I still buy many things organic. I like knowing the country where the ingredients originated as well. The more info that a company discloses about their product, the more likely I am to buy it. I also try to avoid brands that are owned by the big food corporations, which takes research. I don't like artificial flavouring, but many tea flavourings would be natural (liquorice tastes like liquorice). I'd skip the honey.0
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Some teas that taste sweet without added sugar or artificial sweeteners have cinnamon oil or stevia leaf. If they are naturally sweet without sugar, then they are safe and will not feed a sugar craving. I agree that looking for sneaky ingredients is a good call. Most of the Ceslestial Seasonings teas have soy, as do Bigelow and another brand I can't think of right now.
I do use honey or maple syrup in my tea/coffee on occasion. I use just half a teaspoon or even a teaspoon. Some people stay low carb and do well. I can't be low carb because it messes with my metabolism (and gives me horrible problems with my period). So, I can incorporate small amounts of natural sweeteners. I still find that I am low carb compared to a SAD, since i generally stay under 125 grams.0 -
I'll echo the sentiment. If the ingredients are all natural, go ahead.
Try it and judge for yourself whether you think it's increasing your sweet cravings. Some people can't handle anything that tastes sweet, but I would think that for most, having some natural sweet-flavored tea wouldn't be an issue at all.0