I came across an interesting post on Andrew Weil’s blog about coffee. He makes an important observation for all you coffee drinkers out there:
“A cup of plain, black coffee has about 10 calories. But add milk, chocolate, whipped cream and other flavor enhancers and coffee-shop staples such as mocha lattes can contain more calories – and almost as much unhealthy fat – as a Big Mac. When you consider that many people have these drinks daily, the total calorie intake can add up quickly.”
I had no idea that a mocha latte could be the unhealthy equivalent of a Big Mac. I suspect most people have no idea either. Multiply that by one daily drink and by the end of a month, you’ve gained weight. So that’s how those 10 pounds seem to creep onto people each year and why we’re in the midst of an obesity epidemic. Although soda drinkers face some caloric increase with their beverage of choice, it’s 
the size of the drinks that really gets them in trouble. I’m shocked by the sizes of soda these days. A trip to the movies or any fast food joint reveals soda sizes that are simply outrageous.
For those who can’t seem to get into the exercise habit, but want an easy way to take those pounds off and keep them off – enter tea. That’s right. A simple shift away from high-sugar beverages to tea and you’ll be eliminating vast amounts of unhealthy fat and calories. Keep in mind, however, that you’ll need to develop a taste for tea that is served straight up – or “neat.” No sugar or milk need be added. Feel free to splurge with a squeeze of lemon or orange juice, but once you brew your tea properly, you won’t want to alter the flavor with anything. Add to this the fact that tea has an army of phytonutrients that work to keep your body healthy and you’ve just taken a huge step toward enhancing your health in more ways than just your weight. So drink often and enjoy each delicous, healthy sip of your favorite tea – be it white, green, yellow, oolong, or black. I’m not talking herbal tisanes, people, I’m talking TEA. Herbal beverages have their place, of course, but I would suggest that the bulk of your tea consumption be Camellia sinensis.
High quality tea or coffee doesn’t need to have anything added. Our customers have told us they have quit putting sugar and/or cream in their coffee since coming here. Oh yeah, we do lattes too. But the quality of the product and how it is prepared really matter. Is Dr. Weil suggesting the bulk be true tea because he feels herbals just aren’t as healthy? Some, like Rooibos, may be more healthy without the caffeine.
I’m in total agreement with you Diane. If you have good quality tea and brew it properly, it stands up well by itself. You do voice an interesting question however. I think he’s a big fan of green tea specifically. He blogged about it just today in fact. Ounce for ounce, I think it has the most antioxidents and polyphenols of all teas/tisanes. He never seems concerned about the caffeine issue.
My personal belief is that some herbals are excellent sources of medicine. They need to be brewed differently, steeped longer in hotter water, but offer tremendous benefits as well. I’ve grown to love my Rooibos.
I’ve gotten healthy in large part by completely abstaining from sugar, sugared beverages and alcohol, switching to coffee, tea and unsweetened ice tea. It’s helped me get a healthy BMI for the first time in my life (24.2, clinically “normal weight”, down from “morbidly obese”), cut my waist size from 52 to 36 and my neck from 18.5 to 16. I’m off both insulin and oral diabetes and cholesterol meds, cut blood pressure meds by half. Cardiologist, Endocrinologist all delighted. Makes you wonder why Uncle Sam does so much to promote the unhealthy stuff, and so little to let folks know how good tea is — and how good it is for you. I’m not the connoisseur you all seem to be (Tetley’s or the $1 store for the iced stuff, Barry’s decaf in the afternoon) but it’s great to find a site like this. You’re bookmarked!