Happy International Tea Day!
I can't tell which beverage I like more: tea or coffee. I think I like them both for various reasons.
I know the international tea day is past but TEA is a beverage we celebrate every day, whether we want to admit it or not! Since becoming an adult, I love my meals and beverages hot. The operative word here is "hot". As a child, I was forced to drink my tea hot but somehow it always turned cold before I drank and my mother would be pissed with me. Now I find myself doing the same with my children (eye roll). Life is a circle!
When I was in my early twenties, I became health conscious because of continuous stomach problems that affected my general health. That was how my love for tea was born —particularly tisane tea. I learned then that the Japanese drink their beverages hot after every meal to aid digestion and overall wellness. This knowledge came to my rescue.
I started with black tea and later on, green tea. The common brand in my country then was Lipton black tea. I would infuse a tea bag for a few minutes and flavour it with some lemon juice and drink it with my meals. It worked wonders and my stomach problems lessened. I felt better but my sleep time gradually became less. I didn't know that black and green teas had quite some caffeine in them and I would drink two to three cups per day apart from an occasional cup of coffee.
When I was pregnant with my first son, I wasn't getting much sleep. I complained about it and a friend who is also a doctor suggested I reduce my black tea intake. She bought me a small bag of peppermint, rooibos and chamomile loose teas, saying they were caffeine free and good for my pregnancy. I had no idea the gift my friend gave me. I thought she wanted to deny me of my love for my favourite teas.
I grumpily settled for the caffeine-free loose tea. I brewed a mix of peppermint and chamomile for a few minutes and added some honey before drinking. I slept for hours like a log of wood! My blood pressure stabilised throughout my pregnancy and that was how I was sold on these loose teas.
I always make sure to have some of these herbal teas in the house. Whatever is my favourite becomes my family's favourite as well. Haha. My sons complain whenever I 'force' them to drink some at night before going to bed simply because they don't like the taste. One time, they poured more honey into their tea behind my back and messed up the kitchen. I wasn't happy about it. They reminded me of the mischief I got up to when I was younger. I let them know that tea is good for their health and they sleep better because of it. I'm hoping it's a habit they will cultivate as they grow older.
My favourite herbal tea mix is peppermint, lemongrass and chamomile. Sometimes I like to drink rooibos particularly because of its natural mild sweetness. So I don't sweeten it. Hibiscus is another favourite and I must balance the tart taste with a sweetener or I don't drink it at all These teas calm my body as well as my mind.
As we celebrate this favourite beverage of mine ( I think those who don't like tea are missing out ), I remember my friend and her gift that made my stomach a little less achy and my health better!
Have I influenced you to like tea more? I hope so. You are invited to join the ongoing tea contest here.
Thank you for your time. 🥰
NB: All photos were taken by me and the first two were designed using Canva