My Love Affair With Tea

Posted in Category(ies): Alternative, Health, Healthy Eating, Mind Matters

Tea Leaves
  GREEN TEA SPILLING OUT© Ragne Kabanova | Dreamstime.com

 

White, green, oolong, black,  puerh and matcha … the language of tea is foreign to North Americans, however more than ever people in the west are embracing the little green leaf from Asia. Oh sure, tea has been an adored beverage here for centuries, but I've ventured way beyond the teabag and have found it's a path of no return.

You would almost have to be living in a box not to have heard the nutritional buzz around tea. The benefits are myriad, if not completely understood. Tea has been shown to reduce  and most certainly prevent many (if not all) kinds of cancers. Tea has a number of compounds that seem to be responsible for this including polyphenols, catechins, antioxidants, minerals vitamins and pigments.  Tea also has been purported to burn fat more efficiently, reduce cholesterol levels, and improve the HDL/LDL ratio, reduce appetite and cravings, boost immune system, clear "brain fog", reduce inflammation, settle heartburn and aid with digestion.

It's difficult to argue against adding a few cups of tea to your daily regimen from a purely health perspective, but far beyond the clinical benefits of tea, I've found a joy in the preparing, the aroma, and even the rich history of the humble tea leaf.

Did you know that there are over 10,000 different types of tea? I am ONLY talking about true tea, the leaves of which hail from the camellia sinensis bush, indigenous to many parts of Asia. If you've found you "don't like tea" you just haven't tried hard enough. 

I implore you to throw away the lowly gauze tea bag and experience the intriguing world of loose tea leaves. Once I started exploring the world of tea leaves, I found I couldn't bear to drink the brew from a bag.

What is it about tea that has captured my attention? It isn't just the nutritive qualities of tea. It's far more than just the health benefits. Of course, every time I sip I know I am doing something good for my body. No amount of goodness, however, can force a ritual unless it is pleasurable, and I find tea (and the idea of tea) pleasurable on many levels.

The first thing to capture my attention was the aroma. There is something about the scent of tea that fills my senses, brings back memories of comfort and warmth and happiness. I can't explain it. I don't recall making those memories. But they are there every time I pour hot water over a fresh bed of leaves. Aside from the arome of the tea, there are so many different fragrances that could have infused the tea. A really good Tie Guan Yin (Iron Goddess) tea has an intoxicating fragrance of orchids that lingers just above the tea smell, and fills your senses with each deep breath. Jasmine tea is a popular scented green tea . The jasmine leaves are introduced to the tea leaves and allowed to absorb the aroma.

Then there is the ritual. The act of making tea is simply representative of taking care of myself. Tea time is a moment of pampering just for me, and my tea time is something I enjoy so very much, that the preparation of it is "pre-amble" for the experience to come.

I FEEL good when I drink tea. Tea has compounds in it that interact with the chemicals in our brain and give us a feeling of peace and wellbeing. It is relaxing and yet brings me to a more alert awareness. I don't need it with the same intensity that I used to feel addicted to coffee (when I drank coffee) but I miss it when I don't have it. 

Add to all of the pleasure of the senses a rich and intiguing history that is interesting to read about and you have all of the makings of an obsession.

Do yourself a favor and FIND a tea leaf that you can enjoy brewing and drinking. Not only will you be giving your body one of the best healing medicines that nature has to offer, but you could very well be adding a new 'experience'. It isn't very often that you find something in our modern world that is good for body and soul. Tea is it for me.

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Shelley Penney is a RN (retired) with a keen interest in health, peace and abundance.
Shelley has penned several e-books, currently runs several successful business ventures
from her home office, and has time to write, meditate, travel, and spend time with her
family. Visit Shelley at http://www.shelleypenney.com for interesting articles and
stimulating discussion.
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