When the world is at odds, And the mind is at sea, Then cease the useless tedium, And brew a cup of tea. There is magic in it's fragrance, There is solace in it's taste, And the laden moments vanish, Somehow into space. And the world becomes a lovely thing! There's beauty as you see; All because you briefly stopped, To brew a cup of tea. -Anon
With over 273 billion litres of tea being drunk across the world, tea is the most consumed drink ever, following water. Tea brings us together with every country having a preferred blend. Imho, there is no feeling quite like hugging your hands round your freshly brewed cuppa waiting for it to cool down slightly before taking your first gulp and *insert “aaahhh” sound here*.
Tea is good for us and we love to know we are being good to ourselves. It is made with the kindest of plants and we should take care to brew with the most wholesome of love. Tea is packed with antioxidants that fight off free radicals, it boosts our immune systems. It is 100% natural, so let’s keep it that way and enjoy the subtle flavourings present, instead of disguising them with sweeteners, refined sugar and artificial syrups.
Here are 7 reasons we love tea:
1. Tea refreshes and revives me
A cuppa, a brew, a cup o’ joe, a cuppa char or a Rosy Lee. For 10 minutes I sit down and relax with a cuppa. I find that nothing picks me up as quickly when I need a recharge!
2. Tea gives me a useful dose of flavonoids
Tea is a great source of phyto-chemicals (antioxidants) known as flavonoids. Flavonoids keep your heart and blood vessels healthy by keeping the blood vessels ‘flexible’ and able to stretch in and out so your blood flows smoothly. They help reinforce our body’s natural defence system and slow the ageing process.
They may have a protective role to play in preventing stroke and some cancers. Tea is also anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic. It can destroy bacteria and viruses which was handy in the early days when most water was not safe for drinking.
Black and green teas both contain similar amounts of flavonoids, however they differ in their chemical structure. Green teas contain more of the simple flavonoids called catechins, while the oxidisation that the leaves undergo to make black tea converts these simple flavonoids to the more complex types called theaflavins and thearubigins. All belong to the class of polyphenols.
There is a link between regular tea consumption and heart health. Drinking three cups of tea per day may decrease the risk of heart problems by 11 per cent.
3. Tea re-hydrates me and quenches thirst
We used the think that all our fluid should come from water but this has been overturned in recent years. Tea is a healthy beverage that can count towards your fluid intake for the tea, nice to know in colder weather.
4. Tea helps me focus
Tea contains theanine, a natural amino acid, which helps me switch off distractions and focus on the job at hand, like writing this post. It works on the brain to enable me to stay alert yet relaxed. I suspect theanine is also part of that feeling of ‘revive’. Seems it’s the combination of caffeine plus theanine that does the trick – theanine appears to ‘mellow’ the acute negative effects of caffeine so you don’t get that adrenalin jolt you get from coffee.
5. Tea adds hardly any kilojoules or calories
Tea without milk or sugar has zero kilojoules (Calories). For those that drink plant-based milks, my go to is oat milk in my English Breakfast Tea.
6. Tea is low in caffeine
Tea helps me cut back on caffeine overall so I get a good night’s sleep. I want a little caffeine but not so much that it makes my heart race nor upsets my stomach nor stops me sleeping. Which is why I drink tea.
Tea (and coffee) were once seen as ‘evil’ thanks to their caffeine which was regarded as an unnecessary stimulant.
Attitudes to caffeine have changed in recent years. Obviously you can take in too much but the consensus is that 300 to 400 mg of caffeine a day is no threat to healthy adults.
Yes tea contains caffeine but only about half that of coffee. But bear in mind the amount of caffeine present depends on how long you brew your tea and the type of tea.
7. Tea is the best conversation starter
“Shall I put the kettle on?” Enough said.
Whether your preference is green tea, black tea, white tea or any other colour of the rainbow tea, we should be thankful for the small cup of happiness sitting before us oozing with fragrance.
Clink on the link below to find out the best types of teas to buy and what to avoid if your aim is to be more sustainable by bringing peace to the planet and peace to your pockets:
Tea time! Tea is one example of a daily purchase in which we need to look beyond “zero waste” and think about the larger issues. Tea was (and still …
Sustainable, ethical & low-waste tea
Love always, The Humble Avocado x x
I got a lovely tea mug/strainer for Christmas. The strainer sits in the mug… like it’s mug shaped. Always found leaf tea weak but this and the tea I got is a good combo. Been really enjoying good quality tea… not from bags.
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This is lovely to hear. What tea leaves have you been using? 🫖 it feels a lot more wholesome as well using tea leaves rather than just reaching factory made teabags. Looks like you got a gift for Christmas you’ll use for life!
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Some form of Assam that I remembered being nothing too wacky (For me!) and this particular one was very pleasant. On good old English Breakfast now then got Ceylon to try. Again, tried the tea bag version previously. Think Ceylon’s a little more alternative.
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