Bitter cold January days call for nothing less than a long bath, candles lit, and cup after cup of hot tea to warm you up from the inside out. A hot, steamy cup of tea is perfect for any time of the day. Happy National Hot Tea Month, do yourself a favor and enjoy tea as much as you want this month! We’ll break down for you what kinds of tea are good for your health at certain times of the day in just a minute. First, have you ever wondered where tea came from, and what made someone put leaves in hot water for flavor? Well, legend says in 2737 BC, a Chinese emperor was sitting under a tree while his servant boiled drinking water when some leaves blew into it. The emperor happened to be a renowned herbalist, and he decided to taste the infusion that had just been created by accident… He loved it, and that’s where tea comes from! Here are some of the best benefits tea has to offer:
- Tea is packed with antioxidants. These help keep our bodies “young” and protect them from toxins.
- It has less caffeine than coffee. (The kinds that do contain caffeine) usually contain about 50% less than coffee which means you can drink it without affecting your nervous system.
- Research shows a correlation between tea and heart health. A recent study says people who drink tea have a 20% less chance of having a stroke or heart attack than those who don’t.
- It can help with weight loss, especially when paired with a well-balanced diet and exercise. Tea is usually calorie-free, and it can give you energy and cause your body to burn more calories throughout the day.
- It’s an immune system booster. Studies show that tea helps immune cells reach their targets more quickly.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Sip some tea and post an aesthetically pleasing photo of it to social media using #NationalHotTeaMonth, #HotTeaMonth, or #TeaTime. The best part is, there’s a tea for literally any and every time of day! Some is packed with natural caffeine, other kinds are caffeine-free and created for you to drink at night to promote a deep, healthy night’s sleep. Let’s break down exactly what kind of tea to drink at what time of day for the healthiest results.
Early Morning: To start your day off right, try white tea first thing when you wake up. It’s gentle on a stomach that has been fasting (which we do when we sleep) and has a light, aromatic quality. For a big caffeine booster right away, choose a high quality white tea and boil with extremely hot water to bring out a lot of the caffeine.
Mid-Morning: Around 10:00 or 11:00 in the morning, move to a green tea. This will help give your metabolism a kick start, and it has a very light, uplifting, approachable flavor.
Lunch: Incorporate some tea with your lunch every day… Black tea is recommended at this time of day for a few reasons. It’s widely available, and easy to find if you’re out and about to grab a mid-day bite to eat. It’s also great paired with food, and you can choose your level of caffeine depending on how your energy levels are that day.
Post-Lunch: Pu-erh tea is a great choice for after lunch, because it only has a small amount of caffeine. Enough to help ward off that afternoon slump, but not so much that you’ll be up all night. It’s a perfect follow-up to a healthy, well-balanced lunch.
Evening: There are several great options for nighttime tea… Stay away from caffeine at this time of night, or you won’t get a restful night’s sleep. Some good teas to try that’ll calm you down and promote a good night’s sleep are Chamomile, Valerian Root, Lavender, Lemon Balm, and Passionflower. Give them a try, do a little experimenting and figure out which ones work best for you.
Source: National Day Calendar