A quick question about tea

SilverSkorpious

I find it hard to drink plain water, but I drink a LOT of Wegmans brand Just Tea, black. It has 0 Calories, 15 mg sodium, and 100% vitamin C in an 8 oz. serving. Knowing that sodium is the devil to most, is it really that horrible a substitute for water?

icewyche

Maybe. The caffeine and the sodium aren't the most desirable things on the planet, but on the other hand, you're staying hydrated. That's what really counts.

Danlol

One thing you need to watch is Caffiene. A lot of it is not good for your body, and i heard it can be deydrating.

kcalli0429

you would probably do better with crystal light tea

frugalmomsrock

I have to force myself to drink plain water, but I usually get about 32 oz. down per day. The rest of the time, I drink Propel Zero or Powerade Zero. They both have sodium. I have low blood pressure, though, and I also work out between 60 and 120 minutes per day of hardcore cardio, so I think I need it (I tell myself that for self justification, anyway).

I heard that tea-with it's antioxidants and some caffeine-can help boost your immune system [and metabolism]. *shrug*

SilverSkorpious

My blood pressure is pretty low even for someone much thinner than I am, so that doesn't worry me. I suppose if I keep my eye on sodium it might not hurt so much. I'll try to replace but I love my tea, hehe!

littlemili

There are lots of kinds of tea with no sodium and no caffeine. You could try white tea which is, to my taste, in between black and green in flavour but is very low in caffeine and has many of the health benefits of green tea. Also rooibos (red bush) tea, or green rooibos (which is naturally slightly sweet) are good alternatives to black tea. It goes without saying that green and herbal teas are the ultimate healthy option but they can be an acquired taste for someone who needs their caffeine fix.

Atlantique

I find it hard to drink plain water, but I drink a LOT of Wegmans brand Just Tea, black. It has 0 Calories, 15 mg sodium, and 100% vitamin C in an 8 oz. serving. Knowing that sodium is the devil to most, is it really that horrible a substitute for water?

It's fine. Not enough caffeine to matter. And there is no law that says you can't flavor your water!

I drink a lot of the 4C Light Green Tea and the 4C Light Half & Half (half tea half lemonade) and it's got the same stats as your Wegman's brand.

Atlantique

*double post*

elg963

Why not try buying tea bags and brew your own tea. I do it ALL day long. It's super easy. Pop some water into the microwave, steep your tea bag(s), and ur done. If you want it iced, ... then add ice. It will give you your tea and caffeine but take out the sodium.

CraftyGirl4

There are lots of kinds of tea with no sodium and no caffeine. You could try white tea which is, to my taste, in between black and green in flavour but is very low in caffeine and has many of the health benefits of green tea. Also rooibos (red bush) tea, or green rooibos (which is naturally slightly sweet) are good alternatives to black tea. It goes without saying that green and herbal teas are the ultimate healthy option but they can be an acquired taste for someone who needs their caffeine fix.

I'm a HUGE fan of tea as well, and I can attest to the tastieness of the rooibos tea. I think I might make a cup right now...

deltajuliet64

I drink a lot of tea, both hot and cold. Some of the green, white, and red teas taste pretty good iced, you just need to find one where you love the flavor - hot doesn't necessarily translate to cold. When making your own tea at home, the amount of steep time and the temperature of water used influence how much caffeine ends up in your finished product. http://www.thefragrantleaf.com/caffeine.html


If you really prefer black iced tea, start brewing it at your preferred strength, and then gradually cut back the amount of tea bags you use per pitcher until you are acclimated to drinking a very weak (less caffeine, less sodium) tea. Making refrigerator tea should also reduce caffeine - fill a quart jar with cold water, add 4-6 tea bags (I only use 5 small bags for a gallon, so for me that would be 1-2 bags for a quart), steep in the refrigerator 6 hours to overnight, squeeze the bags and remove, and serve over ice.

This site has specific suggestions for both hot and cold teas: http://www.teavana.com/tea-info/how-tea-is-made