TeaTime! <3

mollycule1997
mollycule1997 Posts: 32
in Food and Nutrition
At the end of a long and stressful day, I try to treat myself to a nice cup of tea. Vanilla Chai, Gingerbread, Earl Grey--I love them all. I'm kinda Southern-y, and I used to have sweet tea multiple times a day. But then I realized how much that was adding to my diet, so now I rarely drink sweet tea (I know you can use fake sweeteners, but I'm not a huge fan, and it doesn't really taste the same). So I tried to incorporate hot tea. Do you guys drink tea a lot, and if so, what do you recommend? Also, I've heard a lot about health benefits of tea, but what are they exactly? Thanks guys, walk on <3

Replies

  • GnochhiGnomes
    GnochhiGnomes Posts: 348 Member
    The health benefits are small since there's not really much in tea. Though the mental benefits are amazing.
  • apriltrainer
    apriltrainer Posts: 732 Member
    Tisano. Tisano. Tisano!!!

    THE BEST TEA EVER. Their cacao tea is to die for.

    Am actually sipping on their Vanilla Rooibos Chocolate tea at the moment. WAY better than the Republic of Teas Chocolate collection(and I loved those teas as well....before trying TISANO!)

    It's been one of my secret weapons in my weight loss war.

    http://aprilfitness.shutterfly.com/pictures/8

    One of the reasons I can fit into that bikini in the above pics is because the Tisano Cacao tea satisfies my cravings.
  • PKM0515
    PKM0515 Posts: 3,089 Member
    I love Darjeeling!
  • ToughTulip
    ToughTulip Posts: 1,118 Member
    Tisano. Tisano. Tisano!!!

    THE BEST TEA EVER. Their cacao tea is to die for.

    Am actually sipping on their Vanilla Rooibos Chocolate tea at the moment. WAY better than the Republic of Teas Chocolate collection(and I loved those teas as well....before trying TISANO!)

    It's been one of my secret weapons in my weight loss war.

    http://aprilfitness.shutterfly.com/pictures/8

    One of the reasons I can fit into that bikini in the above pics is because the Tisano Cacao tea satisfies my cravings.

    googling this now...

    I love Apple Cinnamon Tea. Great since fall is coming soon :)
  • I_love_frogs
    I_love_frogs Posts: 340 Member
    I LOVE tea. Hot tea with sweetener and a splash of milk. I'm a sucker for Adiago Teas but I usually hang out at the local loose leaf tea shop in Snohomish...its to die for :) Teavana is good but it tends to be expensive.

    Earl Grey is a favorite, but I absolutely love English Breakfast or Scottish Breakfast...all three mixed with a little bit of my pina colada tea or my Hawaiian sunrise tea. Its amazing!!!

    Yes I know the milk has calories, but when i figured out how much i use per cuppa it only came out to less than 20 cals a cup. Add Splenda with that and its worth the small cals.

    And when I am out and about... I adore a hot chai with 2% milk and an extra shot of chai from the local coffee stand. Its sooooo good!!!
  • flukes9
    flukes9 Posts: 78 Member
    My absolute favorite is the Celestial Seasoning Madagascar Vanilla Red rooibus.....it is AMAZING and zero calories....I put a spenda in it for a guilt-free warm beverage at night sometimes. I love love love it. If you've had the Starbuck's vanilla rooibus, it's just like that, but way cheaper.
  • foxfirekenzie
    foxfirekenzie Posts: 244 Member
    I drink tea like it is going out of style!

    I was lucky enough to take a trip to China, and while there, I went to a tea farm and got the real deal green tea. I drank it and didn't change any of my eating or exercise habits and I actually lost inches-not a ton mind you, but there were no other changes other than the tea. I swear by it. The only drawback for me was the caffeine in it sort of bugged me out if I drank too much.

    For my recommendations, I would say green tea, sweetened with some honey if you want, but I enjoy it just plain.
    I also really enjoy any white peach tea, also with a bit of honey and some milk.
    I would say if you are really going to be a tea person, invest in a tea ball so you can have loose leaf tea versus the tea in the little bags, it is more pure and whole in my opinion. You could also use a French press if you want.

    I better stop now, I could yammer on about tea for pages!

    Tea is great! Hot or cold. Enjoy!
  • WifeNMama
    WifeNMama Posts: 2,876 Member
    Tazo chai with a bit of milk, green tea, hot buttered rum tea from David's Tea, Yellow Label black tea with a bit of honey and milk.
  • RainHoward
    RainHoward Posts: 1,599 Member
    I keep a 5 gallon jug of cold green tea going in the fridge at all times now and drink from it multiple times a day.
  • Amazon_Who
    Amazon_Who Posts: 1,092 Member
    Love tea hot or cold. Repblic of Tea has a wide selection I like. Oolong is my all time favorite.

    I bought some Nectresse I am going to try tonight. It is a 0 calorie sweetener made from monk fruit (lo han). It contains monk fruit extract erythritol, sugar and molasses. I will report back.
  • AShawneeF
    AShawneeF Posts: 123 Member
    i try to stay away from caffiene because i really don't need it (not a health thing- i'm hyper to begin with) so i tend to stick with herbals.
    one of my stand-by favorites is blueberry pomegranite tea by lipton. it comes in a gauze triagle so it doesn't taste like paper the way other packed teas do.
    i also really love cinnamon flavors, though they smell better than they taste until you add a little sugar. i'd rather take the extra 15-30 calories for real sugar than have that yucky artificial stuff.
    black tea, when i am in the mood for it...english breakfast is quite good with a splash of milk.
  • alliecat21
    alliecat21 Posts: 2 Member
    I used to work at a tea house a few years ago and have tasted many teas. My favorite by far is Kyoto Cherry Rose. It's a loose-leaf green tea and is absolutely delicious! It can be served hot or cold but obviously for summer is better cold right now! I found this tea on the English Tea Store's website.

    I had some health issues a couple of years ago and started drinking 32oz of green teas every day. My health improved greatly, my blood pressure changed dramatically (though I was on meds for it too). I found an article online that suggests why green tea is good for your health. Good luck!

    Here’s a list of some of its amazing benefits — benefits that you may not have been aware of. Some of these benefits are still being debated, so please do your own research if you want to use green tea for medicinal purposes.

    1. Weight Loss. Green tea increases the metabolism. The polyphenol found in green tea works to intensify levels of fat oxidation and the rate at which your body turns food into calories.
    2. Diabetes. Green tea apparently helps regulate glucose levels slowing the rise of blood sugar after eating. This can prevent high insulin spikes and resulting fat storage.
    3. Heart Disease. Scientists think, green tea works on the lining of blood vessels, helping keep them stay relaxed and better able to withstand changes in blood pressure. It may also protect against the formation of clots, which are the primary cause of heart attacks.
    4. Esophageal Cancer. It can reduce the risk of esophageal cancer, but it is also widely thought to kill cancer cells in general without damaging the healthy tissue around them.
    5. Cholesterol. Green tea reduces bad cholesterol in the blood and improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol.
    6. Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It is said to delay the deterioration caused by Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Studies carried out on mice showed that green tea protected brain cells from dying and restored damaged brain cells.
    7. Tooth Decay. Studies suggests that the chemical antioxidant “catechin” in tea can destroy bacteria and viruses that cause throat infections, dental caries and other dental conditions
    8. Blood Pressure. Regular consumption of green tea is thought to reduce the risk of high blood pressure.
    9. Depression. Theanine is an amino acid naturally found in tea leaves. It is this substance that is thought to provide a relaxing and tranquilizing effect and be a great benefit to tea drinkers.
    10. Anti-viral and Anti-bacterial. Tea catechins are strong antibacterial and antiviral agents which make them effective for treating everything from influenza to cancer. In some studies green tea has been shown to inhibit the spread of many diseases.
    11. Skincare. Green tea can apparently also help with wrinkles and the signs of aging, This is because of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Both animal and human studies have demonstrated that green tea applied topically can reduce sun damage.
  • chippy83
    chippy83 Posts: 92 Member
    I love drinking Peppermint tea before bedtime. Helps keep my mouth busy, aids in digestion, and acts as an appetite suppressant. :)
  • littlecuteone
    littlecuteone Posts: 16 Member
    I love sweet tea but obviously I don't want the sugar calories. I was drinking a ton of diet soda trying to avoid sweet tea but I now have three cavities since my last cleaning only 6 months ago. So for the past two weeks I've been drinking iced green tea sweetened with splenda. I too was bothered by using artificial sweetner in my iced tea but using green tea is way different so it doesn't bother me. I use one tea bag of regular green tea and one bag of lemon green tea plus three packets of splenda and then pour over ice into my reusable insulated straw cup (about 16oz). I drink two to three of those per day.

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