Good health is in the little things. The bigs things are healthy meals, exercise, enough sleep—but if you’re messing up the little things, you won’t get the results you’re working so hard for.
For instance, you probably know that sugary drinks will sabotage any weight loss plans you have. Did you know that there are some teas out there with sugar added? And I’m talking about the things you brew yourself—not even the ones that come in a can or the ones you brew yourself.
I’ve noticed it as tea has become more popular. Dried fruit (not just in herbal teas, but added to make blacks and greens more palatable to new tea drinkers), candy (even popcorn!) and chocolate shavings are all showing up in trendy teas—and all are adding sugar when you think you’re getting something healthy.
I suspect that certain brands have added caffeine, too, to try and make it easier for people to switch over from coffee (because caffeine withdrawal is truly awful).
And finally, I’ve noticed that some brands have really had a drop in the quality of their teas (at least so far as any makes it into their mix of fruit-flowers-popcorn-chocolate “teas”).
To be honest, many of these teas are great as a sometimes drink. Decadent, strongly flavored, and a good caffeine boost when you need it.
But they aren’t healthy, and they’re not a good choice for a quiet moment in the morning or the afternoon (after all, avoiding stress is another big thing you can be doing for your health!).
So I’ll recommend a tea that is healthy. No added sugar, no caffeine, and it may even support heart health: our Jiaogulan. A hot beverage on a cold day is a simple pleasure you should be able to enjoy, not leave you hopped up on diet-ruining sugar and heart-taxing caffeine (the benefits of tea and coffee are almost entirely in the antioxidants, flavonoids, and other ingredients). And a tea rich in those good things will also have a nice strong flavor—maybe one you’ll have to get used to if you’re used to creamers, soda, and concentrated fruit, but one that is its own pleasure.
Try a real tea.
What are your thoughts on tea and other drinks?
