Would you like coffee or tea with your breakfast?
It’s a common question we hear at restaurants and even in our own kitchens. But how you answer this question is more important than you might realize.
Tea has been a staple in cultural traditions for thousands of years and cherished for its varieties, flavors, and healing properties. Coffee is typically much higher in caffeine than tea, and it also comes with the following negative associations:
- Acidity
- Yellow teeth
- Adrenal fatigue
- Increased stress hormones
- Jittery feelings
These are some of the most surprising benefits that we’ve come across for switching your morning routine from coffee to tea.
Tea Naturally Hydrates the Body
Tea is great for people for find it hard to drink those recommended eight glasses of water per day. Meanwhile, coffee is acidic and can make you feel dehydrated after drinking it. Iced tea is ideal for restoring hydration to your body when you sweat during the summertime. It’s also good for keeping your body, hair, and skin hydrated while indoors with artificial heating during the winter.
Tea is Packed with Antioxidants
Antioxidants are found in healthy fruits and vegetables like broccoli, berries, and garlic. But there’s only so much produce you can eat in a single day to fight free radicals and keep your immune system functioning well. Pick up the slack with a cup or two or tea each day. Tea is packed with antioxidants, which are also known to reduce the effects of aging.
Tea Has Natural Stimulants
Tea doesn’t have as many stimulant properties as coffee, but it does have the types of stimulants to keep you alert, while also calm and soothed. A stimulant in tea known as theophylline is known to relax muscles, theobromine is a mild diuretic, and L-theanine is an amino acid known to reduce stress. Several studies, such as one published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, point out that green tea is linked to weight loss and suppressing the appetite as well.
Tea Boosts Your Mood
A study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that simply smelling teas with jasmine and lavender reduces heart rate and calms nerves. There’s a certain guilt-free satisfaction associated with drinking tea and a calming effect that isn’t felt while sipping other types of beverages.
Tea is Eco-Friendly
Whether you use K-cups or coffee filters, those coffee items are single-use and end up in landfills. Opt for loose-leaf tea that doesn’t require tea bags to reduce your carbon footprint while drinking tea. There are many tea companies that are involved with organic growing processes and fair trade practices, so support local and sustainable tea brands. Tea is also simple to make with very little mess or fuss.
If you’re looking for a 100% natural, caffeine-free tea to incorporate into your regular diet, consider giving our Olive Leaf Mint Tea a try.
It’s great to sip when you feel like you’re starting to come down with the flu, or just warm you up on a chilly day. It has a soothing taste and no artificial ingredients to weigh you down. These are some of the other popular types of tea to try and experiment with as you make the switch over from coffee:
- Black tea
- White tea
- Green tea
- Chamomile tea
- Yerba mate tea
- Herbal tea
- Oolong tea
- Detox tea
- Bedtime tea