Many people drink tea because they consider it to be a healthy alternative to coffee, soda, and energy drinks, and in many cases, that is true. However, we can tend to get carried away with the modifications that we make to our tea, or we fail to choose the tea that will serve us best. Here are seven tips you should consider to make your tea healthier without sacrificing taste or quality.
1. Be Cautious of Sweeteners
Similar to sugar, it is also important to watch the inclusion of sweeteners if you want to make your tea even healthier. While many sweeteners are considered healthy, overindulging or using the wrong sweeteners can lead to serious health ailments, such as weight gain, certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, and mood disorders. In order to ensure the purity of your tea, try to limit sweeteners and add them in moderation.
2. Add Less Sugar
There are many people out there who enjoy tea, but they don’t think it has enough flavor to satisfy their palette. To try and rectify that situation, they will add heaps of sugar in order to make it more appetizing. The problem is that sugar can be dangerous to our health if we are not careful. The fact is that sugar affects us in many harmful ways. In addition to impacting your gut and heart health, sugar can also dampen your cognitive function, which can cause memory problems and even eventual dementia.
If you generally avoid soda so you can eliminate the unnecessary sugar from your life, you should do the same with your tea. You’ll enjoy your beverage just as much with less sugar.
3. Watching Caffeine Intake
Yes, tea generally contains less caffeine than coffee, but in most cases, it is still there. Most tea will include between 20 and 60 milligrams of caffeine per cup, which isn’t so much if you only drink one cup of caffeinated tea per day. However, if you drink multiple cups, that caffeine can add up. While caffeine has its positive attributes, it is not all good. When taken in excess, caffeine can cause physical and mental issues, including headaches, insomnia, anxiety, dehydration, and a quickened heart rate.
The best thing you can do is monitor your caffeine intake. Look at the ingredients in your tea of choice, and if it contains a lot of caffeine, then consider scaling back or choosing a different tea. Chamomile tea and many herbal teas are typically caffeine-free.
4. Drink Different Teas For Different Benefits
If you want to drink tea for its health benefits, choose a tea based on the part of your life that you want to improve. Different teas provide unique health benefits.
For instance, peppermint tea is ideal for those dealing with constipation, ginger tea can help with indigestion, and green tea can have a positive impact on liver, breast, and prostate cancers.
If you want to ensure that you get the positive health benefits of tea, shop carefully. Read the ingredients before you buy. Many fancy teas that you buy at the grocery store are full of sugar. Herbal teas may contain ingredients that many people may be allergic to, including certain herbs, spices, and flowers. Choose carefully, so you don’t reverse the purpose of getting a healthy tea.
5. Try Non-Dairy Milk
You must also be careful if you add milk to your tea. Again, moderation is key because although you may hear that drinking a lot of milk is essential to reduce the risk of osteoporosis, the fact is that drinking more milk doesn’t necessarily mean healthier bones. Some studies even show that drinking more milk can increase the potential for certain conditions, such as prostate cancer.
You can also try to eliminate the issue altogether by trying non-dairy milk options, such as almond, coconut, oat, and pistachio milk. All of these options are healthy, and they will add a great element of flavor to your tea.
6. Add Fruit And Herbs To Your Tea
Although you want to limit sugar and sweeteners, you can still bring your tea to the next level and make it healthier by adding fruit and herbs.
Many people choose to add orange peels to their herbal tea to give it a tasty citrus aroma. You also can’t go wrong by adding a squirt of lemon juice to your tea, as it will add another level of taste while also improving the antioxidant benefits of the beverage.
There are also many herbs that can elevate your tea. A common addition is ginger root, which enhances the sweetness of black and green teas. By adding sage to your tea, you can give your beverage a more refined taste. Plus, sage is loaded with antioxidants, it can help to reduce your blood sugar levels, and it is great for memory and brain health.
Use Filtered Water
Perhaps the most important step to try when making your tea healthier is to use filtered water to brew your beverage. Non-filtered water from the sink may include dangerous chemicals like lead, aluminum, and fluoride. When you use a water filter, you eliminate many of these unwanted ingredients, and you will have a healthier and tastier cup of tea.
So there you have it, seven tips to make your tea even healthier and even more delicious. Consider these tips for your next cup. You will be glad you did.
