The Tao of Tea

I admit it.  I’m a tea junkie.  I especially love green tea. And rooibos blends.  Also fruity herbal teas.   Oh! and licorice tea!  In fact, I have taken over an entire (small)! cupboard over the stove to store all my teas.  For some reason whenever my husband opens that cupboard, boxes fall out onto his head and then he loses his mind and throws my tea boxes around the kitchen.  I have suggested a nice cup of chamomile to calm him down but he simply doesn’t share my love of tea.  I don’t get it.  What’s not to love about tea?

My husband is a scientist at heart.  Whenever I suggest a dietary improvement or talk about the health benefits of a food, he wants proof.  I get that.  So do a lot of people.  So here are some facts for Brian and any other non-believers out there!

A Medline search of articles on tea and its health effects yields scores of reports in the medical and scientific literature in the past several years. What emerges is a significant body of literature from animal studies showing that green tea may prevent heart disease and cancer.

Because of green tea’s minimal processing — its leaves are withered and steamed, not fermented like black and oolong teas — green tea’s unique catechins, especially epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), are more concentrated.  And EGCG is an extremely powerful antioxidants, the organic substances believed to scavenge “free radicals,” the toxic by-product of natural biological processes that can damage cells and lead to cancer.

In terms of heart disease,  green tea’s antioxidants are dilators. They improve the flexibility of blood vessels and make them less vulnerable to clogging.   And there are indications that the polyphenols in green tea help to lower LDL (the “bad” cholesterol) and to prevent the oxidation of cholesterol in arteries which leads to heart disease.

Green tea and its extract have been shown to fight obesity. In a Dutch study, participants who drank caffeinated green tea lost more weight but even those who typically drank the decaf variety saw a decrease in their waistlines and body weight. Researchers speculated that the caffeine helps with fat oxidation.

Other studies have also suggested that it may help avert osteoporosis, a condition characterized by fragile bones, and that it might have beneficial effects on skin when applied topically.  Plus, some experts claim that it rehydrates the body even better than pure water!

Pretty impressive for a humble cup of tea, I’d say.

If that’s not enough for you, there’s a new tea in town vying for your attention.  Rooibos (pronounced ROY-boss) appears to be matching — and possibly besting — the health benefits claimed for other more established teas. A favorite among South Africans for years, the beverage is said by some to have 50% more antioxidants than are found in green tea. And the health benefits of Rooibos are bound to make it a favorite: rich in antioxidants, rich in vitamin C, caffeine-free, and low in tannins, the residue in teas that can sometimes cause digestive problems.

There are experts, of course, who would deny the health claims of both teas.  Many of the studies that have been conducted to date have been isolated to the countries of these teas’ origins. Critics suggest that the health benefits attributed to the teas may actually be caused by other factors including diet and environmental factors common to the study participants.  However, more and more studies around the World are beginning to publish results supporting these health claims and all of the experts agree that drinking the teas can cause no harm.

So, I say “Drink up!”

I myself drink 3-4 cups of green tea every day.  It is delicious both hot or cold and you can even cook with it!  Here are two recipes, one sweet and one savoury, for you to try.

Morning Metabolizer Parfait

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1 banana

1/2 cup strawberries

Unsweetened coconut, to taste

2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed

Matcha green tea powder, to taste

Buttered Green Tea Shrimp

8 ozs. deveined shrimp
12 ozs. water
1 tsp. Matcha green tea powder
1 tsp ground Szechuan pepper
2 tbsp chopped chives
1/2 oz. salted butter

Bring 12 ozs. of water to rolling boil in medium pan. Stir in Matcha powder. Add shrimp and boil for 3 minutes until cooked. Strain out all but 1 tbsp of the tea and add 1/2 oz. salted butter. Increase the heat and fry until the butter starts to sizzle. Just before removing from the heat, sprinkle in 1 tsp ground Szechuan pepper and 2 tbsp chopped chives. Serve with rice and/or salad.

So now you can eat and drink your tea all day long – Bon Appetit!

For information on how a Holistic Nutritionist can benefit you, please go to http://www.goodforyou.co .