Thursday, October 1, 2009

First MoFo post, and it's about tea


Alright, so I need to get back on track with blogging, and Vegan MoFo sounds like the perfect time to do so! I'm going to try my best to post something every weekday for the month of October.

Today's post, since I'm consuming it right now: tea! I've always liked it, and am trying to get back into it more. While I may not drink it every single day, when I do I am a total tea snob - NEVER from a bag (there's actually a good reason to avoid bags), and generally it's not something boring like Earl Grey. It's really about the same price as buying tea bags (well, tea bags of reasonable quality - Lipton will always be the cheapest but who uses that outside of iced tea?), plus the tea is fresher and you often have many more flavor options. Like right now, for instance: I love Republic of Tea's Pomegranate Green tea, but it's super fruity so I cut it with Tea Haus's China Lung Ching, or "Dragon Well." I'm trying to drink mostly green tea because 1) it contains a decent amount of caffeine 2) it has tons of antioxidants and magical powers and 3) I like its taste and can drink alot of it.

What healthy benefits does tea have exactly, you ask? Ask and you shall recieve:

Anti-cancer properties
Increases metabolic rate
Possible anti-diabetes effect
Boosts mental alertness
Boosts immune system
Lowers chances of cognitive impairment
Lowers stress hormone levels
Therapy for HIV patients
Reduce inflammation for those with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
Inhibits growth of bacteria that cause bad breath
Helps stop excess iron damage for those with iron overload disorders
Benefits associated with caffeine
Effects on obstructive sleep apnea-related brain deficits
Helpful in treating bacterial and fungal infections
Anti-venom effects (!!!!) - can help treat snake bites!
Reduces the risk of stroke
Improves Cardiovascular health
Treatment for Anogenital warts (ew)

Now, if you drink loose tea you need to invest in a few pieces of equipment. When at home, I use my trusty Bodum Assam pot. I love it! While it may seem pricey, these thing hold up super well and do a really good job - and you can just toss everything in the dishwasher when it needs to get cleaned.

Work is a little trickier. Sometimes I bring my Bodum pot into work, if I really want alot of tea - like four cups worth. But usually, I use my fun little lollipop-like infuser and a cute vessel - like right now I have 12 oz. tumbler featuring ghosts and other Halloween ghouls. Luckily, we possess a tap that instantly produces near-boiling water, so I'm all set in that regard. Other alternatives include microwaving or getting an electric kettle, which are neat little items.

And one of the biggest benefits for me is that I save a ton of money not running through the Starbucks drive-thru!

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