So many aspects of our lives require us to make a choice – what clothes we should wear, what we should have breakfast, or even what route we should take to work. One thing that didn’t require a decision was drinking a cup of tea, besides how much milk and sugar to have at least.
It seems we might be part of a bit of a revolution now though, where the simple cup of tea is disappearing and we’re left with a far more difficult choice.
Over the last 5 years you’ll have noticed the change in the products found in your local supermarket’s tea aisle – more brands, more types and more flavours. In fact the market for different types of tea is still growing rapidly today.
Tea is no longer just a tradition, but a drink we consume to provide us with a number of benefits! In particular herbal teas and green tea have seen a rapid growth in popularity – and there is a clear distinction between the two.
For one herbal teas often aren’t even made from tea, rather just infused herbs or spices that produce a hot beverage that is void of caffeine. Green tea on the other hand comes from the tea plant and still contains caffeine, offering a completely different set of benefits.
Let’s look at herbal teas first.
- Peppermint tea – This is one herbal tea that is said to relieve the body from all sorts of pain, including bloating and muscle spasms. It’s great for making the body sweat so it can a really effective treatment for a cold too. It’s not great for everything though – for example some people recommend to avoid peppermint tea when experiencing indigestion or heartburn.
- Chamomile tea – If it is digestion that you’re having trouble with then it seems you need to step away from the peppermint and look more closely at chamomile. Its sedative effect appears to ease digestion as well as working effectively against insomnia too.
- Lemon balm tea – Not all herbal teas have to relax us though, lemon balm’s refreshing taste has been attributed to improved concentration in day-to-day life.
As I mentioned before, it’s important to distinguish these teas from green tea – green tea comes from the tea plant and contains caffeine as a result, unlike most herbal teas.
As much as I’d love to sit here and tell you how all that green tea that you’ve been drinking is likely to stop you getting cancer, I can’t. The truth is there’s no real evidence to suggest drinking green tea, or any kind of tea for that matter, will prevent us from getting cancer.
But there are still other benefits to be had from these teas – green teas contain certain antioxidants that help to regulate digestion and have even been shown to possess fat burning properties that can help with weight loss.
These teas are packed full of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins that we supplement with tablets everyday! Now surely it’s better to get these vitamins from an organic tea, rather than a tablet. If nothing else it’s going to do a better job at keeping you hydrated!
Let me save you some time – there’s no tea, coffee, milkshake or any other beverage that you will find that can do the work for you. If you really want to succeed you need to put the effort in yourself, don’t rely on a product.
That being said, some herbal teas can help with a number of recurring problems and let’s be honest, they taste great too! So don’t be afraid to add them to your diet if you haven’t already.
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