This is interesting!
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I want to share with you 2 delicious tea recipes that I love to make to add variety to my healthy drinks.
Before we get to those, I want to address an important question I received after sending out all the detailed information about tea…“Isabel, is it true that the tannins in tea negatively affect digestion?”
Let’s take a look at exactly what tannins are and what their effect on the body is.
Tannins are substances present in the seeds and stems of grapes, the bark of some trees, and present in tea leaves. The tannins in tea are responsible for the bitter taste in your mouth after you drink your tea and also responsible for tea’s dark color (making green tea contain less tannins than black tea). It has been shown that the shorter the steep time of your tea, the less tannins that will be released (which is consistent with the fact that if you leave your tea bag in your tea cup too long, it will develop a very bitter taste.)
But the bitter taste of tannins is generally not as concerning as research that has shown that tannins negatively affect the digestive process.
However, even though tannins have been shown to slightly slow down the digestive process, slower digestion does not mean imperfect digestion. It has also been shown that this slowed digestion may actually be beneficial, causing people to become hungry less often and able to remain satiated with their meal much longer.
If you have ever experienced digestive discomfort from your tea drinking, it may not be because of the tannins the tea contains, but may just be that you are drinking too much tea in one day. Lessening the amount to only 1 cup per day could be better suited to your body’s needs and relieve any digestive difficulties. You can also drink tea in between meals as opposed to with meals to keep it from affecting the digestive process of your food.
I have found it to be consistent that the tolerance of any food is so incredibly personalized to each person individually. Whereas some people feel wonderful drinking coffee, others feel ill, even nauseous at even the idea of having a cup of Joe. The same goes for tea or any other food or drink for that matter. Your body is your best indicator of whether something is well suited for you or not so don’t forget to pay close attention to the cues your body is giving you at all times.
If you’ve found tea to be a good choice for you, here are 2 of my favorite tea recipes that I use to change up my usual tea routine.
Indian Chai Tea
(modified slightly from www.tealand.com)
Ingredients
* 3 teabags black tea
* 4 cups water
* 1 3 inch cinnamon stick
* 1 inch piece of ginger root cut into 4 slices
* 1/2 tsp (2 ml) cardamom seeds
* 1/2 tsp (2 ml) black peppercorns
* 1/2 tsp (2 ml) whole cloves
* 1 tsp (5 ml) whole coriander seeds
* 1 cup (225 ml) coconut or almond milk
* honey or stevia to taste
Directions
Bring water to boil in a saucepan. Add spices, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Add teabags and steep 10 minutes. Add milk and heat to drinking temperature-do not boil. Strain mixture through a cheesecloth or cotton dish towel. Serve with honey or stevia to taste.
Green Tea Smoothie
(www.smoothieweb.com)
Ingredients
* 1 green or white tea bag
* 2/3 cup water
* 1/2 cup mango, cubed
* 1 wedge fresh lime juice
* 2 cups crushed ice
Directions
Heat water and brew tea. Let cool.
Place cooled tea, mango, lime juice, and crushed ice in a blender and blend until thick and smooth. Adjust ice to the consistency you like best.
The fruit will naturally sweeten this smoothie but for those who want a little more sweetness, add a touch of stevia or raw honey.
So, have no fear, enjoy your tea and all its wonderful health giving and fat burning properties!
