More info from Feeling Absolutely Fabulous
Remember Peter Rabbit? After a day pilfering the farmer’s cabbages, Peter had a tummy-ache. So, what did his mum do? She gave him a nice cup of chamomile tea, and sent him to bed. Well, this remedy works for people as well as rabbits!
So, did you know that second to water, tea is the most popular drink on the planet? Yes, even more popular than coffee!
Tea has been around for years and it’s considered one of the world’s oldest beverages.
The perfect cuppa warms you up when you are cold, comforts when stressed, energizes when you need a pick-me-up, and tastes good too! And currently, is one of the trendiest drinks, gaining popularity with the rich and famous.
But, what is Tea?
There are two major branches of tea. There is the “herbal” variety and “real” teas.
The difference? Herbal teas contain no tea. Herbal teas are made only with brewed herbs. Real or true tea is made from the leaves of the tea bush, Camelia sinensis. Real teas include oolong, black and green. Herbal teas may be made with hundreds of different herbs. Either alone or mixed together to form blends.
The third type of tea available, and this often confuses people, is flavoured tea. Flavoured teas very often contain a mixture of black tea + herbs or oils. For example, one of my favourite teas is Earl Grey; a blend of black tea and oil of bergamot.
“Tea – the cups that cheer but not inebriate.” William Cowper
Tea time has never been so good…
All tea offers health benefits.
You just have to pick the right one for what ails you. Black, green and oolong teas offer you a dose of flavonoids. Scientists have proven that these flavonoids lower our risk of cancer + heart disease. Flavonoids help to protect our body cells from free radicals, which destroy body cells. Is that why us tea drinkers look younger than coffee drinkers?
Name that tea!
Orange pekoe – your regular black tea. Not an actual type of tea, but a cut of leaf. Small pieces of tea to make it quick and strong.
Darjeeling – delicate black tea. The tea of choice for those of us who do not like a strong, dark cup. Known as the champagne of teas!
English Breakfast (or Scottish, or Irish) robust black tea. Good as a “pick-me-up”, either in the morning or in the afternoon.
Green tea – subtle and fresh, as long as you don’t over steep. Often served in Chinese restaurants, this tea is currently the tea of choice for health and well-being.
Oolong – more delicate than orange pekoe in flavour and colour.
All the above teas contain some caffeine. A general rule is the stronger the tea the more caffeine. So these teas do work to lift your mood, and cannot be consumed willy-nilly before bedtime.
Herbal Teas
It’s good to know that the benefits derived from herb teas depends on which herb the tea is made with. So, I’ve included a few tips for you.
A really simple way to enjoy herbal tea is to pick fresh herbs from the garden, pop them in a teapot and add boiling water. Steeping time depends on the herbs. However a general rule is anywhere between 7 and 12 minutes.
Sip and see if it’s ready for you.
If you are new to drinking herb teas, you probably will not like the idea of drinking something that tastes too “twiggy”.
So, let’s start with a few “beginner” herbal teas:
Peppermint
Whether fresh or dried, this is good hot or cold. And is a refreshing tea which is gentle on the digestive tract + therefore very suitable after dinner.
Use cold peppermint tea bags on your forehead to sooth a headache—lie down and relax for 20 minutes.
Chamomile
Another herb tea that works nicely, whether hot or cold. Super for the digestive tract. Some people (including moi) find this tea very sweet tasting. So, you’ll often find it recommended for children. A nice intro to tea-drinking for your little-ones.
Only thing to watch out for here is allergies to members of the asteracea family.
If you use teabags, save them and when they are cool, lie down and put them on your eyes. Any puffiness is reduced + after 10 minutes your eyes will feel refreshed.
Lemon Balm
This herb grows easily in the garden and can be made simply. Fill a mason jar with herbs + covering with water. Leave on your windowsill in the morning and come home to a cup of “sun tea”.
Lemon balm has a gentle lemon taste that is both refreshing + uplifting without any caffeine.
If you pop the herb in your bath (either fresh herb or tea) along with some Epsom salts your skin will soften and feel silky smooth.
Rosehip
Fruity tasting herb tea available in tea bags. Another tea that’s high in those health-enhancing flavonoids mentioned earlier. It’s also chocka full of Vitamin C.
Back in the day, this was often given to babies in the UK as a dietary supplement. I guess we had to start drinking tea at some time!
If you would like more information on how herbs can be introduced into your diet to help your health, please call me for an appointment at 206-883-3482.
If you would like to learn how to make “the perfect cuppa” email me and put “perfect cuppa” in the subject line – I’ll send you instructions.
Happy Tea Drinking!
Jacqueline Fairbrass
[…] I know, I know…I’m always talking about tea. But it really is good for your health to get into drinking tea. My top favorite, cheap + cheerful, go to is Tetley’s British Blend. It’s a true black tea, which means it contains caffeine. And I buy the loose leaf, as the bags aren’t nearly as good. So, I drink it in the morning and switch to herbal teas in the afternoon. Check out more about the different types of tea. […]