Tea and Me

Methods for Preparation

Now that I've reeled you in with the scheduling and abundance of health benefits, it's time to learn how to prepare your cup of tea! While steeping times can vary, the only real difference in method is between loose-leaf tea and tea bags.
Loose-leaf tea can be intimidating at first especially because of its variable nature. However, once you learn how to properly measure out your leaves per your preffered strength, there is nothing needed but a tea cup and an infuser. What is an infuser? It is nothing more than a strainer that holds your tea leaves together while they steep.
If the idea of infusers is still a little daunting, buying empty tea bags can give you a safe place to return to the norm. You simply have to place your leaves inside the disposable filter, steep and dispose as you would a regular tea bag. If you are ready to jump into the world of infusers, be prepared to browse many different shapes, sizes and types. To grossly sum up the most commonly used types, there are metal mesh infusers, whimsical silicone infusers, and self contained infuser cups. All of these different types of defusers can be found on Stash Tea Company. Personally I own the Cup-Size Mesh Tea Ball and it does it's job quite well. It is perfectly sized for my cups of tea, and it is extremely easy to clean.

When it comes to steeping times, there is no need to worry, the reccomended steep time is almost always written on the packaging of your teas. As for how much to steep at a time, I reccomend sticking to a measured ammount so as to make it easy to adjust how much you are steeping. I usually stay around a tablespoon and adjust according to what I feel like and how innately strong a tea is.
So you have all of your equipment and information. It is finally time to brew some tea! Below I have included my favorite ways to brew some of my favorite types of teas.

Oolong

I can summarize my tea drinking into a few categories, all for which I will provide the link to the tea I am currently drinking.

• Teas I drink at scheduled times.
• Teas I drink situationally.
• Teas I drink as much as possible.

I hope these lists can help you understand the variety of benefits that come from drinking tea!

Scheduled Tea

• Spiced Chai - I drink Chai tea with my breakfast and dinner because it is great for digestion, lowers blood sugar levels, and is heart healthy. The additional kick from the spices like cloves and cinnamon also help to get my morning started.
• Green Tea - Green Tea is an amazing post workout tea, because it is filled with antioxidants and reduces muscle damage. It also helps bump your energy and focus levels back up to normal after all that hard work. The mellow grasy flavor just feels right following intense activity.
• Chamomile Tea - For those who struggle to fall asleep right away, I definitely reccomend a nice strong cup of chamomile tea. This particular brand includes valerian root which aids in relaxation and promotes restful sleep. I prefer "Sleepytime Extra" because I find it does a better job at keeping me asleep for longer periods of time. This tea is hard to explain, it has such a deep flavor its almost mouth numbing with very rooty and woody tones.

Situational Tea

• Black Tea - When the time inevitably comes to pull all-nigters, I turn to a highly caffinated black tea. It does not give you a jittery sensation or an energy hangover like coffee, and is definitely way easier on your digestive track. It is great for heart and gut health, and in some cases may even lower cholesterol and blood sugar.
• Earl Grey - Earl grey is a flavorful and satisfying tea with notes of citrusy notes that is a wonderful accompanyment to any snack-time needs you may have. It leaves you feeling full and contended with a wonderful aftertaste. I usually drink this tea with a snack between meals if I am still feeling unsatisfied.
• Peppermint - I find peppermint tea to be the perfect tea for fixing any minor ailments that dont require pain killers. It can reduce headaches and migranes, ease stomach pain, and releave clogged sinuses. An added bonus is that it freshens up bad breath and gives a little boost to energy to make rainy days a little bit brighter.

Teas to Drink as Much as Possible

• Oolong - Oolong tea is a big metabolism and immune booster, and while it may be an uncommon aroma and scent at first, you wont be able to live without it after your third or fourth cup. I drink this tea whenever I can get my hands on it throughout the day. It has a strong woody flavor that I find almost addicting.
• Jasmine Green Tea - Jasmine tea boosts brain function, lowers risk for heart disease and is great for oral health. If that wasn't impressive enough, it is also (in my opinion) the best tasting tea out of the bunch. Jasmine tea has easily become my go-to tea order from anywhere, and I drink it at home as much as possible. It has a delicate floral taste with a unique lightness to it that cant be beat.

As you can see, tea is not only a passion and a hobby for me but also a way of maintaining physical and mental health. Drinking tea instead of coffee in the morning has opened me up to a world of possibilities and I have yet to stop exploring this world. My favorite brands at the moment being Twining, Celesteal and Bigelow, which are all perfect brands to start with for they all offer a wide assortment of teas, both loose leaf and in tea bags.
Regardless of how you left this experience, I am so happy I was able to share my love of teas with you. Please feel free to click on any links above and join me on my journey!