Chai Tea

Chai tea is a beverage that started in India thousands of years ago. It is a blend of herbs and spices with tea. Sometimes milk is added.Chi can be made from many different formulas using differing herbs and spices. Sometimes one has to try several types of chai before choosing which is their favorite. There are some usual spices that are most often used in chai. For example, cardamon, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, ginger, fennel, star anise and nutmeg..Chai can be made with black, green, oolong and rooibos tea. There are endless combinations of the teas and spices that can be made into chai.

 The health benefits of chai come from the different spices and from the tea itself. They work synergisticly, which means they work together to produce the healthful benefits. Chai according to Indian folklore was used as a tonic to preserve health. It was also credited with giving a person peace of mind. In modern times more benefits of chai have been found, like fighting inflammation and improving digestion. Chai has antioxidants in it and there is some talk about antibacterial and anti-cancer effects. The health properties of chai vary considerably with the varying properties of the herbs and spices used.

The herbs and spices are boiled in the tea and the various components come together in a tasty and healthful whole. Chai can be bought in tea bags, in loose tea blends, in bottles or boxes in the supermarket. There is an endless number of blends available. My favorite is a tea made with red tea from Africa called rooibos. It is put out by the Stash tea company and is called red dragon spiced chai. It is made with rooibos, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. I drink it without milk, but milk or coconut cream can be added if you wish. (I am not receiving anything from Stash tea, it just happens to be one of my favorites.) Choosing a chai that is right for you is a sort of personal thing. Some chai teas I strongly dislike and others I could drink all day.

Chai is good to drink in place of coffee since a cup of chai has only about 1/3 the caffeine of a cup of coffee. Be careful of how much sugar and cream you add as it could add calories to your drink that may not be wanted.. The various commercial outlets that offer chai tea often have a nutritional breakdown of the type of chai they serve. This can be very helpful for some folks. You can find hundreds of recipes for various types of chai tea if you search the internet.  Do you have a favorite chai? Tell us about it in the comments section below.

Be sure to check out my website, at www.valerielull.com

Sources:
htttp://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5825/Why-Everyone-Should-Drink-Chai-Tea-html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/23035-health-benefits-chai-tea/
http://www.chai-tea.org/benefits html
Http://www.med-health.net/Chai-Tea-Benefits.html

Valerie Lull
Author
Ten Healthy Teas
Lullval@clearwire.net

Ginger Tea

One of my favorite herbal teas is ginger. It warms me up on cold winter mornings and helps to relieve minor aches and pains. Ginger is a very versatile herb and has a lot of things going for it. Since this is National Hot Tea Month, for today's blog, I will be talking about Ginger used in the form of a tea.

Ginger is known as a good choice for folks who travel and have problems with motion sickness. It is also known for minor problems with digestion such as gas, nausea and bloating. It contains anti-inflammatory properties that help with minor aches and pains of the joints. It warms you up when you have a cold and the tea has a bit of a spicy kick to it when you drink it. This can help soothe a sore throat and provide a sensation of warmth.

Ginger tea has vitamin C, and magnesium which can help with circulatory problems and ginger slightly thins the blood. It is useful for minor cramping that occurs with the menstrual cycle in women. Ginger contains antioxidants and has a calming effect for stress and tension. Some minor ailments that ginger can help with are heartburn, clogged sinuses and bad breath.

There is some controversy about the use of ginger for morning sickness. Be sure to consult your health care practitioner if you are thinking about using it for this purpose.Ginger should not be used if a mother is breast feeding. It could lower blood sugar so if you take more ginger than what is used for culinary purposes be sure to work with your health practitioner. High doses of ginger may not work well for folks with heart conditions.

Ginger tea is easy to make. Get some ginger root at the market and cut off a few slices. Add the slices to boiling water. Cover the pot and let it steep for 10 minutes. If you want a stronger tea use more slices of ginger. You can peel the ginger root before slicing, or leave it on depending on your preference. There are many blends of ginger tea that can be bought in tea bags. Some brands are a better quality than others. The quality of your water makes a difference in how good your tea tastes. Pure filtered water is the best. There are many things you can combine with the ginger to make a good tea. Lemon and honey are very popular. Peppermint or chamomile are good. Many types of chai tea have ginger in them.

Sources:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style-health-fitness/diet/8-health-benefits-tea/articleshow27714978.cms
http://bembu.com/ginger-benefits
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-961-ginger.aspx?activeingredientiname=ginger

To learn more about tea check out my website www.valerielull.com

Author
Valerie Lull
Ten Healthy Teas
Lullval@clearwire.net

Brewing the Perfect Cup of Tea

Since this is National Hot Tea month I am devoting all my January blogs to tea and tisanes (herbal teas). This week I am writing about brewing tea. Brewing tea is a highly personal thing. Some like their tea hot, some like it iced, some like it stronger than others. Some prefer it with milk, and others with both milk and sugar. This week I'm going to give you some tips to help you brew  your perfect cup of tea.

• Storage - Loose tea tends to pick up the odors of the kitchen so it is best to keep it in a tin or tea canister. Bagged tea us usually in individual wrappers so it is already protected.
• Loose or bagged - This is a matter of preference. Some folks don't like fussing with an infuser and having to measure the tea out and find bags more convenient.
• Tea bags - They come in bleached and unbleached bags. Folks that are health conscious will often prefer the unbleached bags. 
• Quality of tea - The larger the particles of the tea the better. Some of the really inexpensive teas are merely the dust from the tearoom floor. Broken leaf or whole leaf are generally better. Also the more expensive teas are usually a better quality. A lot of it depends on which country or estate the tea comes from, the climate, soil conditions, amount of sun or water the plant is exposed to, and the amount of shade or sun the plant gets. There is also the question of pesticides and organic might be preferable to the regular teas.
• How much tea to use - Bagged tea is already measured and one usually uses one one bag per cup, though with some teas you can get a second cup from one bag. For loose tea the rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon of loose tea for each person plus one teaspoon for the pot. This can vary with how strong you want your tea. If you want a stronger tea add more loose tea. It is supposed to be better than steeping it longer. 
• Water - Tea likes oxygen so fresh cold water is best. Purified water is generally preferable to tap water, if you have it available. The better the quality of your water, the better your cup of tea. 
• Temperature - The various different kinds of teas require different temperatures. Water for black tea should be about 208 degrees while green and white teas are better at 175 degrees. You may want to make your tea water a little hotter or colder depending on your preference. Personally for some green and white teas I prefer 165 degrees. A programmable electric tea kettle is very handy for this. You simply put in the temperature you want and the kettle brews it to that temperature. 
• Steeping time - There are charts available online that list the different teas and the temperature and steeping times required. Again this can be a matter of preference. A general rule of thumb is 2-3 minutes for black tea and herbal teas, 4-5 minutes for green and white teas.
• Pouring the tea - It is a good idea to put some of the boiling water in the pot and swirl it around to warm the pot first then put in  the tea and the water.
• Cream and sugar - This is also a matter of preference. Some prefer their tea straight, others prefer sugar and others prefer both cream and sugar. Generally green tea is taken without anything in it, though I have been known to use a little sweetener in mine. Herbal teas are usually taken without anything added to them.
• Additional thoughts -  There are lots of things that can be added to tea to flavor it up; honey, agave, cinnamon, lemon. Experiment and find your preference. There are also many tea blends available and I get great pleasure trying out different kinds and finding the ones I enjoy the most. 

I hope you find these ideas and suggestions helpful. For more information about tea go to my website at www.valerielull.com  

Valerie Lull
Author
Ten Healthy Teas
Lullval@clearwire.net

Rooibos

Red Tea

Rooibos, also known as red tea, comes from South Africa. It comes from a completely different plant than our familiar green and black teas. Because of this it is not considered a true tea, but a tisane or herbal beverage. It is made from the branches and twigs of the  bush Aspalethus lineans; it has a red color and it has a pleasant taste. It is also the national drink of South Africa.

This tea has some good things going for it. It is caffeine free and contains no oxalic acid, so folks with kidney stones can drink it. It is also low in tannins so it is not as likely to upset one's stomach. It has a pleasant taste and is rich in nutrients. It also acts as a preventive for hypertension and heart problems. Some of the minerals in rooibos include copper, manganese, zinc, magnesium, potassium, calcium and iron. It also contains vitamin C. Red tea contains antioxidants and polyphenols which help prevent cell damage and slow down aging.

Rooibos tea has many health benefits for such problems as asthma, eczema, bone problems, allergies, hypertension and premature aging. It also boosts the immune system. It is recommended for insomniacs because it contains no caffeine and can be taken before going to bed. It is good for infants, relieving colic. Rooibos relieves stress and tension. Roobios is anti-inflammatory and helps blood pressure problems. Rooibos also has preventative properties like helping to prevent heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Rooibos contains alpha hydroxy and zinc, which are good for your skin.

There are some side effects one needs to be aware of. Rooibos tea can interfere with chemotherapy for cancer patients and it has estrogenic qualities so is not to be used if you have a hormone sensitive cancer. Be sure to ask your health care provider about using red tea.

January is National Hot Tea Month so throughout all of January I will be devoting my blog to teas. To learn more about healthy teas check out my website at www.valerielull.com.

Valerie Lull
Author
Ten Healthy Teas
Lullval@clearwire.net