Tips for Tea Lovers and More

Hot tea with sugar and milk or a touch of honey with lemon or even 'neat', with nothing in it, can do so many kind things for us.  

A nice cup of hot herbal tea will serve to calm the stresses of the day and a hot cup of black tea will start the day with a little boost of energy and turn you into a real tea lover. White tea and green tea will provide antioxidants and protections against the rigors of everyday life and can even help with weight loss.  There are types of tea for every yearning and frame of mind.

For centuries, people in just about every country have had their favorite brew of some kind of 'herbal' tea infusion. Now medical science is really beginning to understand the benefits of drinking tea for the health and well being of the human body. Try cooking with tea. Tea has a cleansing effect on the mouth and teeth; it has antioxidents that strengthen the immune system perhaps holding cancer at bay as well as, possibly, helping to prevent clogged arteries.

Did you know that you can grow your own tea plants? It takes about 3 years for a plant to mature for picking, but in the meantime you have a nice potted plant to enjoy with anticipation. The tea plant has fragrant flowers in the fall and is a relative of the camellia. You can get seeds from the local nursery or online.

There are many ways to brew the perfect cup of tea, the easiest being to boil some water and pour it over a tea bag and allow it to steep for a few minutes. Some feel using loose tea produces the best brew. There are tea pots, brewers, infusers, electric kettles and more. Using the    microwave to heat tea water could be dangerous, because the water, for perfect tea, should be a rolling boil or it won't steep properly. Create a Tea Gift Basket for your tea loving friends full of necessities for the perfect cup of tea.

Don't forget about cold tea. Iced tea is always a wonderful pick-me-up on hot days. Iced tea can be made from cooled hot tea, but also from tea 'cold steeped' in a jar in the sun. Put some of the tea in ice trays for icing the drink without diluting it. Add sugar, lemon, or mint for a really refreshing hot day drink.

Check out our articles for some of the many tea related questions that come to mind. Always remember, tea is one of Nature's gifts for the human race to use as a tool for good health.