Thursday, January 19, 2012

TEA DRINKING TIPS

From a Tea Lover,

You will find that there are many beneficial substances in tea that make it good for you. The more tea that you drink, the better you are going to feel. You will find that one of the best features in tea are the poly phenols, that are basically a very strong anti-oxidant. Anti-oxidants are great because they actually slow the aging process and help to strengthen the immune system all at the same time.

Another health benefit of tea are the lip polysaccharides that actually help to reduce the harm caused by toxins and other radiation. There is also caffeine in the tea that will help you reduce any fatigue that you are feeling and clear your mind. Tea also has fluoride in it to help reduce tooth decay. Lastly, you will find that flavonoids are something in tea that actually can help you lose weight by burning fat (IF YOU DONT PUT TOO MUCH SUGAR OR CREAM!).

There are tips for drinking tea that you need to know so that you can enjoy tea to its fullest.

Don’t Drink Tea When Hungry

You will find that tea actually prevents the secretion of the gastric juice and reduces bile in your stomach. This will also cause more absorption of the proteins and nutrients that you have. When you drink tea and you are hungry, you will actually lose your appetite.

Do Not Drink Tea That Is Too Hot

Tea that is hot is dangerous for you, it will actually irritate your throat and it can cause inflammation. It will also cause this to happen to your esophagus and stomach lining too. You possibly can even cause some damage to those areas of your body in terms of permanent scarring.

Brew Your Tea Light

Most people think that they should brew everything strong, however strong tea can be harmful. Sometimes, doing this will cause it to have too much caffeine which can create headaches and restlessness. Don’t use too many leaves when you are brewing your tea and don’t brew it in water that is too hot.

Brew Your Tea for a Short Period of Time

If you brew your tea for too long, you will find that the liquid will get really cloudy or dark. This will also cause the flavor to be bitter and in some cases it may be undrinkable. By overbrewing it, you are going to lose the precious nutrients that are in the leaves such as the anti-oxidants and the amino acids.

Don’t Re-Brew Your Tea Leaves Over and Over Again

You will find that you can use tea leaves over again, but you only want to use them about three or four times, after that point you want to discard them. There are actually some teas that you can brew over and over again like Pu-erh and Oolong tea. But, don’t be stingy, get fresh tea leaves often, it will just taste better.

Don’t Drink Tea Heavily Before a Meal

Tea makes you lose your appetite, but it also makes food tasteless. So, you want to make sure that you are not drinking tea about 30 minutes prior to eating a meal. You want to make sure that you are getting all the protein that you need.

Don’t Drink Tea Right After a Meal

You will see that the same rule will apply to drinking tea after eating. Tea has tannic acid in it and it actually binds together with iron and protein, so that these are not absorbed into the body. Just as you don’t drink before a meal, don’t drink for about thirty minutes after meals.

Don’t Take Your Medication With Tea

The tannic acid in tea will also stop your body from absorbing the medications that are in your system. Tea will actually make medicine fail, so don’t take it while you are drinking tea.

Drink Tea that is Fresh Brewed Only

You don’t want to drink tea that has been sitting. You will find that if you leave your tea out for a long time, go ahead and throw it out. Tea contracts bacteria extremely easily and if it is left out overnight it can be really bad for you. Don’t drink old tea, brew a fresh cup.

If you follow these tips and the advice out there on drinking tea, you will find that it will actually do your body good and will provide a lot of benefit to you.

3 comments:

  1. I think that the point on 'Don't Drink Tea Right After a Meal' serves as a reminder to many of us, especially the Chinese! I am sure many of us might have heard from either our mothers or grandmothers that drinking tea right after a 'greasy' meal/ meal that is high in fats would cleanse our body of the 'oiliness' and helps to eliminate toxins.

    While I am not sure if this is just an old wives tale or it has been scientifically proven (i can't find any reliable articles to support the saying), I am sure we can all wait for at least 30 minutes after our meal before drinking a cup of tea.

    In that way, we can ensure that our nutrients are properly absorbed and reduce bloatedness!

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  2. I agree with you Amanda! My mum always says tea can help us "remove" those oils from the deep fried food we eat...I also not sure if is true or not, but I do feel better (as in not so oily) when i drink the tea after the meal. Perhaps I should change my habit of doing this, since drinking tea after a meal can cause the iron and protein to bind together, thus unable to absorb into our body.

    I definitely agree that "Don't drink tea when it is too hot!" I came across this article saying that hot tea may raise esophageal cancer risk as scalding hot liquid could injure the cells in the esophagus. Luckily, I always drink tea that is lukewarm or warm, so it is not much a problem for me.
    Tea, just like the coffee can also help us stay alert due to the caffeine, but I always heard people say if you drink tea or coffee too regularly, you are immune to the tea or coffee, that may cause you not so alert. Perhaps you need a higher dose of tea to help you stay awake. I wonder if that is really true?

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  3. I am surprised at the fact that 'Tea also has fluoride in it to help reduce tooth decay', however if you drink tea on a regular basis, it will stain your teeth as tea contains tannic acid, which create small pores in the enamel of your teeth and the pigment from tea then collects in these pores causing deep stains in the enamel, causing your teeth to become yellow over time. Darker colored teas, like English breakfast teas or Assam teas, or more likely to stain your teeth. White and green teas are less likely to leave a permanent mark, so if you like tea alot, choose green teas over the English breakfast teas.

    The acid found in red wines also helps to erode the enamel covering your teeth, which allows oxidation and stains to set in.To find out more on the types of food that cause yellow teeth: http://www.ehow.com/list_7298199_foods-cause-yellow-teeth_.html

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