I am Mae German. 34 years old. Born in Mangatarem, province of Pangasinan. I was taught and trained by 
Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop For The Love of Tea | For The Love of Tea |
| Thursday, 23 October 2008 | |
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Forget about the number of Q-tips I have used. Now let's talk about the number of (green) tea bags I have consumed since day one here. I am happy to announce that I have influenced my SIL to do the same now. Believe me, everyone should have a cup or two each day. I am a coffee- but more often a tea-drinker. I am a tea-person. I have been and will always be one. Before I have learned about the health benefits of drinking tea, I have been pouring my cups with hot black tea already. I have even eaten its tiny fruits (we had a small tree at our backyard). After college, I was introduced to green tea, white tea, Oolong tea, flower tea, herbal tea and every kind of tea. I love seeing tea bags. I love the smell of a freshly brewed flower tea. I love the feel of a hot cup between my hands. Tea comforts me. I wondered why but now I know. While some drink tea to lose weight (careful on these kind of teas, especially the ones with Senna leaves), I drink hot tea to complete my meal. Give me a bar of chocolate, I'll take it all with my hot cup of tea. Offer me a piece or two of that devil's cake, I'll finish it all with my hot cup of tea. Heard me sneeze? I'll run for my hot cup of tea! To understand more about my favorite hot beverage, I decided to do my research and share it with you here. Suite101.com says: Black tea, green tea, Oolong tea and white are the four main types of teas. There are also other varieties like herbal, flavored and scented.
Black Tea is the most popular tea all over the world. It comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant. Black tea is made from the young tea leaves and the buds. The leaves and buds are completely fermented or oxidized after they have been dried. Black tea has a strong, bitter flavor. Some different types of black teas are Orange Pekoe, and Earl Gray. Green Tea comes from the same plant as black tea, Camellia Sinensis. It is even made from the same leaves as the black tea. The difference is that green tea does not go through a fermenting process. Instead the leaves are steamed after they are dried. Green tea has a grassy flavor. Oolong tea only is partially fermented. This gives the tea a smoother taste that is not as strong as black tea and curbs the grassy flavor of green tea. White tea was once reserved for royalty in China and has only been available outside of China for a few years. The leaves are also from the Camellia Sinensis plant. The leaves are picked only twice a year at a very young stage just before the buds are beginning to open. The leaves are then partially fermented in a similar manner to the Oolong tea. ... Herbal teas [on the other hand] are made from flowers, leaves, roots or seeds of plants and generally do not contain leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant. Some examples of herbal teas are chamomile, mint, and Jasmine. The benefits of the herbal teas vary based on the herbs included. Now let's go through the caffeine content. Camellia Sinensis contains caffeine, by the way.According to studies, when measured in its dry form, coffee has lesser caffeine than tea. But a prepared cup of coffee has a higher caffeine content than a prepared cup of tea (stashtea.com). Definitely black tea has the highest caffeine content among the types of tea. White, having the least. Note that normal caffeine consumption does not pose any health concerns. Uhh... let me not start writing about the role of caffeine in our system. But yes, our body needs caffeine, too (case to case basis). Here comes the best part about teas. Their health benefits! Tea may be useful to slow the spike of blood sugar following a meal (talk about managing your glucose level). It also aids in weight loss by increasing your metabolic rate, helping your body to burn more calories. You know those diet pills you're taking? They actually have a high percentage of green tea extract. *wink* Believe me, there is so much more about green tea than just burning fats. Tea is filled with polyphenols, flavonoids, and catenins. One word: Antioxidants! Lower the risk of heart disease and other neurological diseases now. Go eat more vegetables and fruits. Go drink your hot cup of tea now. Polyphenols could also be found in berries, grapes/wine, chocolate/cocoa, coffee, walnuts, peanuts, pomegranates, and so on, and so forth. There is such thing as Vitamin P, eh? It enhances immune responses, and repairs DNA damage caused by smoking and other toxic exposures. High levels of this could be found in fruit skins so watch out how you peel your fruits. Good sources of Flavonoids, to name a few, include all citrus fruits, onions, parsley, dark chocolates, red beans, cranberries, and red wine. It has a potential role in the prevention of cancers, cardiovascular disease, and age-related degenerative diseases. Catenins, on the other hand, are proteins. All these can protect our cells from aging and damaging. And all these can be found in a bag of tea. How hot is that? Just remember not to drink tea on empty stomach, eh? This will bring us to the side effect of drinking green tea (amazing-green-tea.com: the basic arts of tea drinking): Don't drink tea when it is scalding hot or when it turns cold. Haven't I influenced you yet? Phew! I enjoyed my research! Time for a cup of hot green tea now. My SIL has bought me a box of Kirkland Signature Japanese Green Tea with 100 tea-bags (thank you!). Join me, will yah? |
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