Reasons Why You should Drink Green Tea
February 28, 2011
To some people, drinking tea has long been part of their daily lives. You’ll be surprised to know that drinking green tea has a lot of benefits to it. Green tea is known to be the ‘unfermented’ tea due to the process of preparing it. Once the leaves are picked, these leaves are immediately heated to avoid any fermentation from taking place. You’ll find most commercially prepared green tea from parts of Asia such as China and Japan.
In Asian countries, it is not uncommon to find families that drink green tea on a daily basis. In the western part of the world however, people are used to drinking black tea instead. If you’re one of the people drinking black tea for its health benefits, you really should try out green tea since it has far more excellent health benefits than black tea. The main reason behind this is that green tea isn’t fermented like the black tea. It gets to keep its antioxidants intact during its processing method. You really should try it out some time and you’ll be surprised to know its huge number of benefits.
Green Tea Characteristics
Green tea has a notable pale green color to it. Tasting it will give you a mild and an herb-like flavor, although it can also have a bit of sweetness to it, depending on the processing method used.
Green Tea with Meals
Taking green tea with certain meals will even let you enjoy them to a better extent. With the herb-like flavor of green tea, you’ll be enjoying your light meals. Also, with the freshness of the tea, it’ll go well with spicy foods, cheese, fish, and certain meats as well. Also, it’s always a great idea to go for a bit of tea time with your family every after meal so it’ll wash away the last taste of the dish you’ve just consumed. Also, you could add an interesting sweetness to it if you add a twist of lemon or you could even go for a tea latte if you just add a bit of milk to it.
Health Benefits of Green Tea
This is perhaps the most notable benefits anybody can get from drinking green tea. Green tea has proven to be one of the most healthful teas around and it even aids in weight loss. Also, since the tea leaves are processed much quicker compared with the other types of tea, you’ll get tons of its beneficial components such as antioxidants and the like. These antioxidants will help strengthen your immune system and as a result, you’ll even get better resistance to cancer causing substances. You’ll also get reduced cholesterol levels, thus reducing blood levels and reducing stress. These are but a few known health benefits of drinking green tea and another good thing to note is that green tea doesn’t have too much caffeine in it either and you could even decaffeinate your green tea as well.
Green tea is not only a very healthy beverage to have, but it is also great to pair your favorite meals with it. Spending an afternoon tea time with your family or friends will certainly improve your quality of living.
Raspberry Tea and Its Benefits
February 21, 2011
There are many Kinds Of Teas around and they are usually made out of the evergreen of the Camellia family. Raspberry tea is a pretty different kind of tea since you’ll be adding raspberry flavor to the mix and there are a lot of benefits you can get from the said tea and it’s a very refreshing drink to boot whether you’re fond of tea or not.
Raspberry Tea and Health
Like most teas, raspberry tea can aid in a lot of health related things and it could very well improve your quality of living. First off, raspberry tea is known to help pregnant women with their nausea. This is a very useful thing to have in the home when the pregnant woman is suffering from morning sickness. Also, it will help prevent hemorrhage and reduce the pain when giving child birth. Aside from these already well known facts, raspberry tea can help in other concerns as well. If you’re suffering from infertility, you could very well drink raspberry tea n a regular basis since it helps males enhance their fertility. Raspberry tea is also known to reduce the risk of developing abnormalities in your cells. Another thing is that raspberry tea helps enhance your skin firmness which will let you be less susceptible to skin irritation. Not only that, you’ll also prevent gum diseases and bad breath. Also, raspberry tea will also help diabetic patients lower their blood sugar levels. You’ll also get to treat appetite loss, stomach problems and fever as well. If you’re experiencing a sore throat, drinking raspberry tea will help relieve the pain and discomfort.
Preparing Raspberry Tea
Making your own raspberry tea is pretty easy. All you’ll need are water, 2/3 cups of sugar, 5 tea bags, and of course, 3 or 4 cups of unsweetened raspberries. Note that you can use green tea bags for this. First, boil 4 cups of water in a saucepan. Once boiling, add in the sugar and stir continuously until the sugar has been dissolved. Turn off the heat and add in the tea bags. You can leave it for 5 minutes or so. Once the minutes have passed, add another 4 cups of water. In another saucepan, you pour in another 4 cups of water and add in the raspberries. Let it boil for a few minutes and reduce the heat. Then you’d want to strain it and get rid of the berry pulps. Then you’ll add the juice to the tea you first made. Add in some ice, and there you have it. Whether you’re fond of iced tea or hot tea, this will do just fine.
Making raspberry tea is a pretty easy thing to do and don’t forget that there are numerous benefits in drinking raspberry tea on a daily basis. Raspberry tea is not only a refreshing beverage to drink, but a very healthy one as well. Overall, having a pitcher of raspberry tea in your fridge is never a bad idea and you should try it out for yourself.
Image Credit: greygoose.com
Oolong Tea – The Best Beverage in the World
February 14, 2011
The Western world has embraced a lovely export from Taiwan and simply cannot seem to get enough of it — Oolong tea. The largest producer of “Formosa oolong tea” worldwide, Taiwan’s unique blend is considered the most delicious variety, and one of the best beverages in the world.
“Oolong,” translates to “black dragon” in Chinese – the original home of this fine drink, and it is often called” Wu Long tea”, the name of its’ creator. Despite its’ literal translation, Oolong is neither black nor green, and its’ fermentation time is shorter than for the black variety. In color and flavor, Oolong resembles green tea but is made only from the large leaves growing further down the plant – not from the top.
Formosa oolong tea has two varieties, differing by length of the fermenting period. True Formosa oolong teas resemble Chinese oolong tea. Both are fermented until about 30% of their leaves are red, and about 70% green. Formosa Pouching leaves are closer to the green variety, with about 15% red and 85% green.
For Formosa oolong and pouching teas, the leaves are harvested in early morning and left to dry in the sun. Bruising the leaves starts the fermenting process. Tea artisans watch their leaves closely, sometimes shaking or tumbling them to speed up the fermentation. When the leaves have fermented to the appropriate amounts of green and red, the process is over. This is then the perfect time to steep a cup!
Imperial Formosa oolong, an intensely flavorful tea, is considered to be of the utmost quality in the world. When it’s ready, it has a golden hue and a crisp taste. One can pick up the significant faint taste of orange and nuts, and the finish is woodsy, with a sweetness that lingers.
Imperial Formosa oolong tea is rare and slightly more expensive than other blends. True connoisseurs will agree that Imperial Formosa oolong has an exceptional flavor, and a variety of nuances.
All oolong teas are high in antioxidants, thus healthy. Tea naturally has a high count of antioxidants, but varying degrees of fermentation can lower the count. Oolong blends are only partially fermented, preserving more of the healthy antibiotics in their natural state. The leaves contain a high level of polyphenols, a very powerful antioxidant. Polyphenols have aided in the treatment of cancer and heart disease. Scientists have researched the Health Benefits Of Tea and believe that a lifelong drinker will live a longer and healthier life.
Oolong tea is also used a healthy weight loss supplement. This tasty beverage contains caffeine, which, mixed with the antibiotics, speeds up metabolism, and helps with the oxidation of fats. Research has shown that oolong tea is different than other caffeinated beverages. It does not raise the heart rate, nor make one jittery and on edge. This makes this a healthy alternative for those who are caffeine-sensitive.
People who have sampled a wide variety of teas will tell you that Imperial Formosa oolong is the most fragrant, flavorful tea in the world. Each cup presents you with different nuance! For a newcomer to this fabulous beverage, Imperial Formosa oolong is the most sophisticated introduction to tea you can enjoy.
Author Suzanne Bender has enjoyed a wide variety of tea from around the world, and wants to share more oolong tea benefits with you! Go steep yourself a cup, then sit down to read everything you need to know about the benefits of Bojenmi tea.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Suzanne_Bender
Image Credit: tea-brewery.com
