The Goddess of Teas.....Why Green Tea is Always Here to Save the Day!

There are more than 1,500 types of green tea produced around the world. With its fresh, grassy, and herbaceous flavor, green tea can be combined to create some of the tastiest and healthiest tea flavors. The different flavors of green tea depends on the country, and region where the tea leaves are grown. Most commonly produced in its birthplace of China, green has popular varieties that come out of Japan (who doesn’t love Macha), India and Nepal. With its most recent popularity serge you can now find all types of uses for green tea such as ice cream, beauty products, medication, and dietary supplements.

How is green tea produced:

Like all tea, green tea derives from the Camellia Sinensis plant. Green tea leaves are best flavored when grown in shady conditions. Green tea is unoxidized tea and most closely resembles the original plucked leaf. Dried tea leaves may be light or dark green in color and come in many shapes and sizes. Green tea also does not endure a fermenting process making it one of the least processed types of tea.

Health Benefits of Green Tea:

Although true “good health” comes from a combination of lifestyle, maintaining a healthy diet, inherited gene structure and regular exercise, green tea offers a range of benefits to help improve your health and is a great resource for preventative medicine. As a beverage, green tea is probably one of the healthiest on the market. Green tea contains high levels of antioxidants and polyphenols which are powerful natural compounds known to reduce inflammation, help manage blood pressure levels and keep your blood vessels healthy and flexible. Polyphenols are also known to promote good circulation and control your blood sugar levels. Green tea also contains catechin called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which are natural antioxidants that help to prevent cell damage, increase weight loss and protect the brain from disease.

Some of the health benefits of regularly drinking green tea:

• Helps to boost brain function, and contains bioactive compounds that have protective effects for the cognitive function of the brain

• Provides an excellent source of powerful antioxidants that may lower the risk of some cancers

• Can prevent the growth of plaque and other oral bacteria including the bacteria that causes bad breath

• Antioxidants that help to prevent liver disease as well as to boost the overall health of our livers

• Contains powerful amino acid, theanine, which has been known to have a relaxing and tranquilizing effect on the body helping to reduce the feeling of anxiety

• Improves blood flow which lowers cholesterol improving heart health and helps to prevent other cardiovascular diseases and reduce the risk of stroke

• Boosts the metabolic rate and helps to reduce body fat

Some may question the caffeine content of green tea when discussing the health benefits of the beverage. Green tea does contain about 30-50 mg of caffeine per 8 oz. cup. However, green tea also contains L-theanine. L-theanine slows the absorption of caffeine by the brain giving off more of a calming effect. The benefit of L-theanine when combined with the caffeine found in green tea is you get the caffeine boost without experiencing the feeling of jitters.

Other Uses of Green Tea:

While the health benefits of green tea are truly amazing, the benefits of green tea also come from the tea leaf’s versatility, including its thrifty and eco-friendly benefits. Green tea can easily be repurposed in several ways. Here are some of the wonderful ways to repurpose or reuse your green tea leaves.

• Reduce dark circles and puffy eyes or alleviate irritation and redness of the skin – green tea contains tannins which can work as an astringent and can shrink living tissue (including human skin). To start, brew a fresh cup of green tea and let cool. Then, use either a cotton ball or a clean washcloth to dip into cooled green tea. Wring the excess tea, then place over your eyes while closed to reduce swelling and tighten the skin around the eyes.

• As a facial scrub - green tea’s skin-tightening ability makes it perfect to use as a facial scrub. With the addition of water, white sugar and honey, you are not only infusing your skin with the benefits of green tea but you can also exfoliate and moisturize your skin giving you the perfect smooth finish. Green tea also has anti-inflammatory properties that assist in preventing wrinkles and fine lines, and can cure some types of acne

• Eliminate odors in your refrigerator - to counteract bad odor in your refrigerator, take a handful of green tea leaves and place them in a thin cloth bag or cheese cloth. Place the bundle in a secure place in your refrigerator. The leaves will absorb the odors in your refrigerator.

• A bath soak - A popular choice for a bath soak, green tea can help reduce muscle pain. It’s also soothing and softening for the skin, helping to relieve redness. Because it’s loaded with antioxidants, a green tea soak can also have wonderful anti-aging effects, helping your skin to recover from environmental irritants.

• Use in a foot bath - Soaking your feet in green tea will get rid of foot odors and bacteria. Green tea has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties

• Add vitamins & minerals to plant water - Green tea is packed with antioxidants and is a great way to improve the look and health of household plants. Soak tea leaves in water for a few days, remove the leaves, and then use the water to fertilize plants.

• Use as a deodorizer in your closets & drawers - Place green tea leaves in a thin cloth bag and toss it into your closet or lingerie drawer. The green tea leaves will absorb odors and leave your apparel fresh and ready to wear.

• Use as a body deodorant – Use a washcloth to dab cooled green tea water on your underarms. It’s a cheap and effective way to battling the effects of heat and stress.

With the wide range of benefits for green tea, it is easy to see why so many think of it as the tea that is always here to save the day. From being the perfect beverage to make you feel better, lower your risk of chronic diseases, or for that mid-day boost making green tea a regular part of your life truly has its long-term positive effects. Please keep in mind that too much of anything could be dangerous and because of the caffeine content in green tea, I would recommend that you don’t drink more thank 6 cups of tea per day without consulting a medical professional.

The biggest benefit of adding green tea to your regular diet is that it’s the perfect way to just take a break. Here are some tips for making your next cup of green tea:

• Don't add green tea to boiling water. It's bad for catechins, those healthy chemicals, in the tea. Tea is best steeped at 160-170 degree water.

• Add lemon to your green tea. The Vitamin C in lemons makes the catechins easier to absorb. Dairy, on the other hand, makes it harder to absorb them.

• Nutrient levels vary in your green tea. Pricier teas usually have more, and bagged green-tea drinks generally have less.

Cheers to your next cup of green tea!

Try our selection of green teas here:

Peachy Pleasures, Happily Ever After, Quiet Before the Storm, Ginger Peach Potion

The Wonders of Black Tea!

Celebrating black tea, where it comes from and how it gets its wonderful flavor.

People always ask what is better black tea or green tea? I like to answer that question by saying both. Tea is the product of the Camellia Sinensis plant. This single, small leaved, evergreen plant is where we get the many varieties, tastes and pleasures that make up the world of tea. The production of the tea leaf gives each type of tea its unique flavor, color, taste and strength.

Black tea in its purest form is fully oxidized tea and is mostly produced in Indian and Asian countries. Black tea is believed to have originated in China during the 17th century. It was discovered when the Chinese started fermenting tea leaves in order to preserve them for storage. Fermentation produced an oxidized, darker version of the tea leaves.

Though originating in China, black tea gained its popularity when it was brought to Europe during the 18th century. In Europe, tea was originally considered an expensive and exotic drink that was mostly consumed by the wealthy. Eventually, tea became more affordable and flavors like English Breakfast and Earl Grey became beverages that was regularly consumed over meals. Black teas are typically blended with other plants, fruits or herbs to enhance and change the flavors.

Benefits of black tea

Black tea is the most caffeinated tea but has less caffeine than coffee. Aside from offering a lower dose of caffeine, black tea has a ton of benefits for the mind and body.

Black tea is rich in protective antioxidants called polyphenols. Polyphenols are a category of plant compounds that offers several health benefits. The regular consumption of polyphenols decreases the risk of chronic disease and can improve your overall health. Black tea also contributes significantly to the reduction of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity.

Studies have also shown that black tea plays a significant role in helping to maintain a healthy gut. The polyphenols and antimicrobial properties found in black tea promotes the growth of good bacteria. Black tea has also been studied extensively and has been found to help reduce the risk of stroke, improve blood pressure, cholesterol and lower blood sugar levels. Polyphenols have also been shown to improve muscle strength, improve bone density, and protect the sections of the brain responsible for learning and memory.

Black tea is a great way to incorporate antioxidants into your diet and reduces your risks of future health complications. The many unique compounds found in black tea contribute to better overall health and well-being. Making black tea a flavorful way to improve your mind, body & spirit.

Black Tea Flavor

Black teas are known to have a malty and smoky flavor that develops during the oxidation process. Black teas have a strong aroma and are known to go well with cream or milk and sugar.

Interestingly, all black teas are not made only from the Camellia Sinensis plant. Black teas made from Assam (India), Darjeeling (India) and Ceylon (Sri Lanka) tea plants have a slightly different flavor but are simply variations of the Camellia Sinensis plant. Each plant offers a slightly different flavor of black tea, some malty and strong while others are spicy or flowery. Most English Breakfast tea bags sold on the market are made from a blend of Assam, Darjeeling and Ceylon tea leaves.

There are also lesser known black tea flavors such as Lapsang Souchong and Yunnan (Dianhong) teas which are found in China and tend to have more of a spicy and floral flavor.

It is typical to add items such as milk, cream, sugar or lemon to black teas. Many tea drinkers find milk or cream to be the perfect addition to black tea because it cuts through the sharp flavor of black tea adding a sweetness and aroma that many enjoy. Brown sugar, dehydrated or fresh citrus fruits, cinnamon and vanilla or mint are other options that go well with black teas.

How to Brew Black Tea

Step 1

Brewing the perfect cup of black tea starts with having fresh water. Filtered, spring or bottled water are your best options for water. Fill your tea kettle or electric water heater with about 8 oz of fresh, cool water.

Step 2

Bring the water to a rolling boil. The water for black tea should be warmed up to a temperature of 212 degrees.

Step 3

You typically need about 1 teaspoon of loose leaf tea per 8 oz cup of tea.

Place your selected tea leaves in a tea infuser.

Step 4

Pour the boiling water over your infuser with the loose leaf tea leaves inside. Black tea should steep for about 2-3 minutes. Be sure not to let your tea leaves sit in the hot water for too long. Tea leaves can burn if they steep for too long causing a change in the flavor of the tea. Oftentimes, making the tea taste bitter or burnt.

Step 5

Remove the infuser. Add milk, lemon, sugar or honey if you wish.

Sit back and enjoy your perfect cup of tea.

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