In Praise of Tea

I have another low-level cold and I cannot stand the taste of coffee when I'm congested.  I don't drink much coffee anymore and right now it tastes like dirt, which is not appealing in the least.  Tea, on the other hand, tastes delicious right now.  And there are so many different varieties and flavors that I can keep myself happy.

I love tea and I love the fact there doesn't seem to be a a health risk for drinking it. Black tea has about half the caffeine of coffee, oolong has a little less than black tea, green tea has a quarter of the amount of caffeine in coffee and white tea has about an eighth.  Herbal tea, made from fruit; herbs; seeds; and roots, does not contain caffeine.  They are considered a tisane as they do not come from the same plant as the other teas.

Tea is shown to:

     Reduce the risk of cancer by deactivating cancer promoting cells

     Prevent stroke by reducing blood clots

     Lower LDL (bad) cholesterol

     Theanine, an amino acid uniqe to tea, helps fight bacterial & viral infections

     Helps the digestive system  (where 70% of our immune system resides)

     Protect agains the affects of aging with its powerful antioxidants

I keep my caffeine down by having one or two cups of black or green tea in the morning and then switching to herbal varieties in the afternoon.  The herbal varieties help me cut down on treat cravings.  A cup of rooibas chai tea is tasty enough that I don't feel the need to have something sweet along with it. 

There are so many varieties of tea that there is definitely something for everyone.  Most of the avid coffee drinkers I know enjoy a mate vana or a barley roast to get them through their coffee cravings.  Not sure that you'll enjoy it?  Stop by Teany on the Lower East Side, an Argo Tea Cafe or a Teavana to ease your way in to different flavors and varities.