Take Time for Tea

Tea and time have a lot in common, and I mean more than just the fact that they both share the same starting letter. But that in order for you to really enjoy tea, you also need to take time. Tea is more than just a drink to be had. It is something that should be enjoyed and thoroughly loved. It’s a process. It’s an art.

Take a moment to really examine your tealeaves; they come in a variety of shape. The amount of care that was put into the tealeaves is incredible. For the most part, tealeaves are hand picked and hand rolled. Doing this is a form of art created by the most delicate hands.

The next time you pour hot water onto your tealeaves, don’t get impatient waiting for you tea to steep. Watch as the tealeaves begin to unfold and move about. This is a necessary process so that the flavors and the nutrients of the tea are released into the water. The perfect amount of time for steeping must be considered depending on the type of tea you are drinking, and also your personal preference. Perhaps you enjoy your tea more bitter than most.

Take a long amount of time to enjoy your tea. Sip it. Take in the aroma and watch the steam rise from your cup. You wouldn’t gulp down a cup of tea the way you would a cup of water, now would you?

Unfortunately, speeding through life has become such a prevalence amongst people now. Everyone wants to do things as quickly as possible. We want to rush from point A to point B. We get our food from fast food restaurants because we won’t have to wait.  Our new fast paced lives are not allowing for us to really enjoy our time the way people used to before we were surrounded by all different kinds of technology.

Living a life like this can really put a stress on us. We may find that this way of life is truly putting a psychological toll on us. Tea is a great way to take a moment and slow down. Enjoy yourself and turn your brain off from overdrive. Enjoy a cup of tea. 

Nothing can help you truly enjoy a cup of tea the way a great kettle will. Follow this link for some recommendations on the best electric tea kettle.

Loose Tea and it's role in the US

Loose tea used to be very popular in the United States back in the colonial times. However the marketplace for tea in the US has decreased drastically, mostly confined to iced tea and tea in bags.

Despite its lack of popularity now, loose tea was well loved in colonial new york. An early governor of the New York colony was the first to bring loose tea to New York. Loose tea had become to popular that the colony of New York consumed more of it than even all of England!

Over time the tea market here in America began to change, especially with the creation of iced tea in the early 1900s and then the introduction of bagged tea. Now the vast majority of tea consumed in the US, nearly 80%. Is had in the form of iced tea.

Fortunately the demand for loose tea is once again growing, now that there is such a great awareness of the health benefits that tea holds. Loose leaf tea sales are experiencing tons of growth thanks to the rising popularity of natural foods supermarkets.

It is my hope that tea love will continue to grow in the US. There is much to be gained from drinking tea, and many people are missing out. The health benefits are not the only reasons, but tea just generally tastes amazing, and can really help relieve the stress from a bad day. 

Herbal Teas and a Caffein Free Life

Caffeine can really take a toll on your health. Coffee is packed with it and so are many teas. If your health is important to you then you may want to go for a drink that has no caffeine in it at all. Herbal teas may be the drink for you if you are looking for something that can help you kick start your morning without the added effects of caffeine.

Herbal tea comes in so many delicious flavors. You can have herbal tea in anything from raspberry, peach, lemon, and cherry. All of these flavors can be yours in the morning without the same side effects as those that come packed with caffeine. A lot of people may not worry about what caffeine can do to their health, and many people don’t need to. However, if you are already suffering from depression, something like caffeine can bring you down even more.

Those who have depression may find that it is better to avoid caffeine altogether. Caffeine, especially with added white sugar can increase feelings of sadness. Black coffee has 150mg of caffeine. If you are a heavy coffee drinker, all of this caffeine built up in your body is no good for you. Caffeine has often been said to be just as addictive as some drugs, so it’s best to be careful with your caffeine intake no matter what.

So the next time you feel yourself reaching for a nice cup of joe, maybe you could go for a delicious cup of herbal tea instead.