Thread: Thoughts on tea?

I used to hate tea. I never wanted to even give it a chance. But I figured I needed to all but completely give up soda pop to lose weight, which I did about a year ago. I now have soda pop as an occasional treat, but for my day-to-day caffeine intake, I drink green tea. I usually have two cups of it to start off the day. I might have another cup around lunch, but usually not. But what I've been consuming even more than green tea is red (roobios) tea, which is a true (not herbal) tea that is naturally caffeine free. I usually have two cups with dinner, but sometimes I have even more than that. I often drink it at the end of my workouts too. I usually have two cups of iced red tea with a little grapefruit juice added for flavor.

So, what do people think about tea? Besides getting too much caffeine, is there any probably with drinking a lot of green tea? And is there any reason to limit intake of red tea?

Hey there,

I used to dislike tea too, but during a recent cycling trip we were riding all day and usually ending in rain and the hosts would always have a pot of hot tea and some little cakes for us to snack on when we came back in. Since then, I've been drinking at least two cups a day...usually green tea. There are mixed reports on the benefits of it, the last thing I read said caffeine and polyphenols in green tea increase thermogenesis, the rate at which calories are burned, and therefore raises metabolism. Who knows, but I love the stuff and it IS better for you than sugary juices and soda.

Tea ...the British Empire was built on it.


Dont drink it myself

Originally Posted by marko157

Tea ...the British Empire was built on it.


Dont drink it myself

You mean the former British empire was built on it.


Chillen

Tea rules. Lots of different, interesting flavors, whether you are going for caffeinated or non-caffeinated (or even decaf - I distinguish between tea that originally had caffeine & then it was removed as opposed to the herbals that never would have had it). You can drink it hot or cold. It is good.

Plus, some teas are major power-houses in terms of antioxidants.

I am definitely pro-tea. Hee. (I'm also "pro-tein" if you are what you eat. Ha-ha!) The only downside is that being pro-tea can also make you pro-pee...

i started drinking tea when i was probably about 15. There was a korean girl at school handing out green tea at a cultural day. i haven't stopped drinking it since. at the moment i'll have a cup in the morning and a cup about 2 oclock. sometimes i'll have a cup at night.. i have tried red tea before and thought it was good but don't know much about it other than it's from south africa. sometimes i will also have yerba mate in the morning. i went through a box of white tea with plum once too.

I'm a fan of white tea. I found this really good vanilla flavored white tea made by Good Earth. I put a spoonfull of honey in it. I really have to have it before I can stomach anything else in the morning. I need the simple sugars to get me going. It's lower in caffeine than green tea which is good, and I think it tastes better.

Green and White Teas have very little caffeine in them. Traditional English black tea has about 1/2 the caffeine you'd find in coffee. Green and white teas have less caffeine that black tea. I'm not sure where red tea fits in with it all.

I've heard several people say that tea has more caffeine than coffee, but that is not true. However, tea may give you more of a kick due to different chemicals that naturally occur in tea leaves.

I am a tea lover and a self-appointed tea snob.

I got addicted after I decided to kick coffee and go to tea instead. So, when I lived in Madrid I went to a tea store called Bomec (apparently where Victoria Beckham was buying her tea when they were still on this side of the pond! hahaha)... Not only did the employees know an amazing amount about the product, but they made me curious. Just how different is the quality of loose tea, and what are the differences in the various red teas, green teas, etc. Here's what I know:

FIRST AND FOREMOST: That stuff in teabags is crap! You get no benefit from it because it's basically the powder/shake that is left after the processing of higher-quality loose teas. The essential oils are gone, because the exposure to air dries it out completely before you even buy it! Therefore, you get NO BENEFIT AT ALL from tea in teabags, except for "flavor", which is infinitely better in loose teas anyway. If the idea of loose tea scares you, buy a metallic tea filter or empty bags, which you can fill up as you use them. You can get them online or at Whole Foods/Wild Oats/Trader Joe's, etc.


GREEN: There's Japanese, Chinese and even a variety from Ceylon. They all come from the same plant but they are processed differently. But the higher the quality, the better. I used to buy a Japanese green tea called Tokio T, which consisted of WHOLE leaves and orange rind. Now I stick to the (much cheaper) Chinese Gunpowder, which you can find at any Asian Market. Green tea has antioxidant properties, and drinking 5 cups of green tea a day has been shown to burn an extra 65-70 calories a day! It has also been shown to be somewhat of a cancer "blocker", with much lower rates of cancer among smokers in Asian countries with a high consumption rate of green tea.

RED: Rooibois is good for those who want less caffeine, and Pu-Erh is good for those who want to de-bloat. After any sodium-heavy meal I always drink a cup or two of Pu-Erh to get rid of the side-effects of all the salt. Again, buy it LOOSE! Also, Pu-Erh is aged like wine, and some people consider themselves "collectors" and "afficionados" of the stuff, so if you jump on the internet and see REALLY expensive Pu-Erh don't get discouraged - the cheaper stuff is out there. The stuff I used to buy in Madrid was reasonably priced and had a great taste.

One more tip: DON'T drink this stuff with milk and sugar! Certain benefits of tea are lost through the addition of this stuff, especially milk.

Thanks for the advice, I've been getting into green tea recently to cut down the amount of caffine I drink and looking at any health benerfits as a bonus, but will have to try some of the "real stuff".

Originally Posted by Jessica M

One more tip: DON'T drink this stuff with milk and sugar! Certain benefits of tea are lost through the addition of this stuff, especially milk.

Yeah, that and it tastes ming. If your going the milk and sugar route then you cant beat a cup of yorkshire tea, brewed so strong the spoon stands up.

Jasmine tea (a kind of green tea) made in a pot with loose leaves is my favorite.

as long as its not sweetened I think shoud be ok but remember too much of anything isnt good.

Here is a GREAT website for buying tea:

Buy Tea Online - Compare Tea Prices and Quality

They have EVERYTHING, from super-fancy Pu-Erh "cakes" for $50 to sterling silver tea strainers. The prices are really reasonable and the product is quality.

Good Luck!!!

Originally Posted by Jessica M

I am a tea lover and a self-appointed tea snob.

I got addicted after I decided to kick coffee and go to tea instead. So, when I lived in Madrid I went to a tea store called Bomec (apparently where Victoria Beckham was buying her tea when they were still on this side of the pond! hahaha)... Not only did the employees know an amazing amount about the product, but they made me curious. Just how different is the quality of loose tea, and what are the differences in the various red teas, green teas, etc. Here's what I know:

FIRST AND FOREMOST: That stuff in teabags is crap! You get no benefit from it because it's basically the powder/shake that is left after the processing of higher-quality loose teas. The essential oils are gone, because the exposure to air dries it out completely before you even buy it! Therefore, you get NO BENEFIT AT ALL from tea in teabags, except for "flavor", which is infinitely better in loose teas anyway. If the idea of loose tea scares you, buy a metallic tea filter or empty bags, which you can fill up as you use them. You can get them online or at Whole Foods/Wild Oats/Trader Joe's, etc.


GREEN: There's Japanese, Chinese and even a variety from Ceylon. They all come from the same plant but they are processed differently. But the higher the quality, the better. I used to buy a Japanese green tea called Tokio T, which consisted of WHOLE leaves and orange rind. Now I stick to the (much cheaper) Chinese Gunpowder, which you can find at any Asian Market. Green tea has antioxidant properties, and drinking 5 cups of green tea a day has been shown to burn an extra 65-70 calories a day! It has also been shown to be somewhat of a cancer "blocker", with much lower rates of cancer among smokers in Asian countries with a high consumption rate of green tea.

RED: Rooibois is good for those who want less caffeine, and Pu-Erh is good for those who want to de-bloat. After any sodium-heavy meal I always drink a cup or two of Pu-Erh to get rid of the side-effects of all the salt. Again, buy it LOOSE! Also, Pu-Erh is aged like wine, and some people consider themselves "collectors" and "afficionados" of the stuff, so if you jump on the internet and see REALLY expensive Pu-Erh don't get discouraged - the cheaper stuff is out there. The stuff I used to buy in Madrid was reasonably priced and had a great taste.

One more tip: DON'T drink this stuff with milk and sugar! Certain benefits of tea are lost through the addition of this stuff, especially milk.

Thanks for all the info. jessica! i'm gonna hit my local trader joe's and check out what they have.

Originally Posted by Chillen

You mean the former British empire was built on it.


Chillen

Whadya mean? Haven't you heard the sun never sets on the British Empire?