23 Apr 2014

T is for Tea!


Today I'm continuing with the A-Z Blogging Challenge. The aim is to write a post for every day of the month except for Sundays, with each post representing a different letter of the alphabet. This year I'm doing an A-Z of Great Britain, covering as much as I can about British music, literature, TV and film, food, wildlife and culture.

For the letter 'T' I have chosen Tea! There are over 3000 types of tea in the world and all of them come from the same plant-camellia sinensis.

Britain is renowned for it's love of tea, and I can't really argue with that since I love the stuff. My favourite cuppa is a Builder's Brew-a strong tea with a little milk and two sugars. It has virtually no health benefits when taken like this, but I adore the taste. I normally drink 2-4 cups a day, depending on the weather. I automatically put the kettle on in the morning and whenever I get home-it's a reassuring daily ritual.



In Britain one of the first things we do in a crisis is put the kettle on. When there's a family upset like a bad row or a bereavement we all sit round the table and have a nice, hot, sugary cup of tea. It actually makes a lot of sense-a hot drink is comforting when you're tired or stressed and the sugar can be a boost if you've been under stress or shock. Tea always makes me feel better.

Of course if you drink a purer form of tea like green tea, black tea or herbal tea (and forgo milk and sugar), you also reap some fantastic health benefits. These kinds of tea are full of antioxidants thought to prevent all sorts of health problems. Below is my little guide to some of my favourite teas and their uses.







For Morning Energy


Black Tea
This tea has the highest caffeine content so is great for a boost in the morning. Studies have shown that black tea may protect lungs from damage caused by exposure to cigarette smoke and may also reduce the risk of stroke. Earl Greyis a black tea infused with bergamot, which gives it a distinct flavour. This classic tea is the favourite of Jean Luc Picard. Try Tea Pigs Earl Grey Strong.

Ginger Tea

The invigorating flavour of ginger is great for waking up your taste buds. Twinings Awake is a great blend of warming rooibos, sweet cinnamon, spicy ginger and energy boosting ginseng.

To Boost Your Immune System

Echinacea Tea
Echinacea is a good herbal cold remedy. Try Twinings Blackcurrant, Echinacea and Vitamin C to boost your defences when you're feeling under the weather.

For Stress Relief

Camomile Tea
Camomile helps you to relax and unwind so it's a great tea to drink at bedtime. Twinings Sleep includes camomile, lavender and vanilla.

For Weight Loss and Digestive Health

Mint Tea
Mint helps to reduce bloating and aids digestion. I'm a fan of Twinings Digest, which contains peppermint, fennel and dandelion root.

Green Tea
Green tea is rich in antioxidants which may help to prevent certain cancers and clogging of the arteries. It is also claimed to help burn fat, reduce the risk of neurological disorders and stroke and improve cholesterol levels. Twinings do some lovely fruit flavoured green teas, or if you're after something targeted at fat-burning, try Skinny Tea.

Oolong Tea
Oolong tea may help to lower cholesterol. Try Teapigs Tung Ting Oolong Tea.


What's your favourite kind of tea?



6 comments :

  1. I am a coffee drinker but also enjoy a good cup of black tea. Earl Grey is one of my favourites. Ginger tea is a good remedyfor indigestion too, but I prefer using the root to make this. I like the other teas mentioned, but prefer black tea. Nice post. www.writer-way.blogspot.com

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  2. Watching British films and reading novels and stuff I get the idea that afternoon tea is a pretty important ritual over there. Almost a national heritage honor type thing. As anAmerican, I chug gas station coffee on the regular, but I'm not ashamed. Do you hear me, England? I refuse to be ashamed!

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  3. "Earl Grey, hot."

    Words to live by, apparently, if you happen to be a 24th century starship captain.

    On Enterprise NX-01, two centuries earlier, T'Pol shuns Vulcan blends in favor of first green, then, later, mint and chamomile. Daring choices, for her.

    For myself, I adore chais, and a Stash tea I have called Zen (I don't know what's in it, but it's very tasty with a little honey). My 12 year old is a chamomile fan.

    Mostly, though, I am a coffee person. But, since two of my dear friends are tea enthusiasts, I always keep a variety on hand.

    Very sweet post (pun perhaps intentional, or perhaps reflecting a caffeine deficiency!)

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  4. I a 'weak and sweet tea' person. Nice to meet and connect through atozchallenge. http://aimingforapublishingdeal.blogspot.co.uk/

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  5. Love tea. I like a strong, black tea. Strong enough to make a spoon stand up in it! ;)

    --
    Timothy S. Brannan
    The Other Side, April Blog Challenge: The A to Z of Witches

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  6. I've always heard different teas can help with a lot of things, but I never knew which did what. Thanks for much for posting this. I'm your newest a to Z follower, and it's nice to "meet" you. :-)
    Deb@ http://debioneille.blogspot.com

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