Do You Tea?

I love tea.  You can probably call me a tea snob.  I'm probably more of a tea addict than a coffee one.  Why, you ask?  Haha, it's not just because I'm Asian.  Tea contains antioxidants that help with the body to absorb molecules known as free radicals, which are detrimental to the health.  Most teas contain tea leaves and dried fruits and flowers in order to give them each distinct flavor.  What's very interesting about teas, however, is that all teas come from the same leaves.  The way the tea leaves are processed changes the tea all together.

Tea Plant

So what's so good about teas?  Most people just drink it because it's more refreshing than coffee.  Coffee brings that burst of caffeine so it wakes you up in the morning.  Tea also has caffeine, depending on the strain you choose.  The difference is that you don't feel that same spurt of being woken up.  The feeling of waking up with tea is more gradual in most cases (including mine).  I personally don't like the feeling of jolting to life and crashing later, so I'll try to have my tea on most days.  Tea also naturally doesn't contain sugar or any calories, whereas coffee tends to be loaded with sugars, sweeteners, and creamers, depending on your palette.  

Okay, okay Kat... we get it.  You love tea... but which one's right for me?

I'm glad you asked.  Here's my break down for teas and what their purposes are for.  Most teas have almost the same objectives with minor differences.  I still love all my teas just the same, though.

• Green tea: antioxidants, helps flush out the immune system, lowers cholesterol, curbs appetite, burns fat
• White tea: least processed tea (steamed and dried), contains antioxidants, pure and sweet in flavor (my personal favorite!)
• Black tea: strong flavor, curbs appetite, aids in weight loss, natural caffeine (great for morning substitute for coffee)
• Herbal tea: made with flavors from fruits and spices, contains antioxidants
• Rooibos tea: boosts energy, contains caffeine, helps with liver disease, respiratory problems, and brain aging
• Mate tea: good for bone growth, helps with weakened immune systems, may help deter colon cancer, has caffeine
• Oolong tea: antioxidants, promotes weight loss, good heart health, reduces high blood pressure

How can you say NO to drinking this?  How pretty does this look?!

I'm a fan of loose teas.  I don't think I can ever drink regular tea from a tea bag again.  The taste of tea from a bag as compared to a pure loose tea is so different, especially since you could taste the processed flavor.  I usually buy my tea leaves at Teavana, which has recently become a part of Starbucks.  What's even better about all of it is that I can use my Starbucks card there (helloooo points!).  Teavana is a more commercialized store that carries many different types of teas and flavors.  I love shopping there and the tea connoisseurs are more than helpful.  My favorite flavor is currently the Sakura Allure green tea, infused with rose, cherry, mango, hibiscus, and pineapple.  It's funny... I'm allergic to cherries but this tea never seems to bother me.  Teas come in all spectrums of flavors as well if you aren't interested in the fruity ones.  You can have earthy notes (with flowers), sweet treats that can have cocoa or chocolate (great with milk or creamer), or even pure tea on its own without all the flavors.  Some other places you can go to or order online would be David's Tea (I've yet to try their teas but Eat Play Write loves them), Lupicia Tea (from Hawaii), and even Long Island's own Clipper Ship Tea Company.  

My Own Tea Stash - flavors for every day of the year!

Here's to a cup of tea!  ::cheers::  Enjoy everyone!  Try everything out and let me know what's right for you.  Have a good one!