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Sunday 22 October 2017

Tea Drinker Me : Herbal Teas, Low Carb Lemon Cake and More !

Well as regular readers of this blog know I just love my cup of tea, and my go to choice is always a cup of ordinary breakfast tea ... I can enjoy this anytime of the day - or night! I do have a favourite blend, but that would be telling! LOL! Many friends, and readers, keep a variety of herbal teas in their kitchen cupboards and there really is a wide array to choose from. If you'd like to know more about these, you may find the next few paragraphs of interest.




"Herbal teas have been around for centuries. Yet, despite their name, herbal teas are not true teas at all. True teas, including green tea, black tea and oolong tea, are brewed from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. On the other hand, herbal teas are made from dried fruits, flowers, spices or herbs. This means herbal teas can come in a wide range of tastes and flavours and make a tempting alternative to sugary beverages or water. In addition to being delicious, some herbal teas have health-promoting properties. In fact, herbal teas have been used as natural remedies for a variety of ailments for hundreds of years. Interestingly, modern science has begun to find evidence supporting some of the traditional uses of herbal teas, as well as some new ones.

Here is a list of 10 healthy herbal teas you may want to try:

1. Chamomile Tea - is well known for its calming properties, and preliminary evidence supports this. It may also help relieve premenstrual symptoms and high blood lipid, blood sugar and insulin levels.

2. Peppermint Tea - is traditionally used to relieve discomfort of the digestive tract. Studies have found that peppermint oil can help relieve nausea, cramping, spasms and stomach pain.

3. Ginger Tea - is best known as a remedy for nausea, and studies have repeatedly found it to be effective for this use. However, several studies have also found that ginger can help relieve period pain, and it may offer benefits for people with diabetes.

4. Hibiscus Tea - may help lower high blood pressure and fight oxidative stress. However, it shouldn’t be taken with a certain diuretic medication or at the same time as aspirin.

5. Echinacea Tea - is commonly used to prevent or shorten the duration of the common cold. While several studies have found it to be effective for this use, the evidence on the matter is conflicting. However, at the very least, this warm herbal drink may help soothe your sore throat or clear up your stuffy nose if you do feel a cold coming!

6. Rooibos Tea - has just recently begun to be studied by scientists. Preliminary evidence suggests that rooibos tea may help improve bone health and reduce heart disease risk, but more studies are needed.

7. Sage Tea - is well known for its medicinal properties, and scientific research has begun to support several of its health benefits, especially for brain health. Several studies have found that sage improves cognitive function and memory. It may also benefit colon and heart health.

8. Lemon Balm Tea - has a light, lemony flavour and seems to have health-promoting properties. Preliminary studies have found that lemon balm tea may improve antioxidant levels, heart and skin health and even aid in relieving anxiety.

9. Rose Hip Tea - is made from the fruit of the rose plant. This tea is high in vitamin C and antioxidants. Its anti-inflammatory properties may reduce inflammation and pain associated with arthritis. Studies have also found rose hips effective at fighting aging of the skin and reducing stomach fat.

10. Passionflower Tea - the leaves, stems and flowers of the passionflower plant are used to make passionflower tea. This tea is traditionally used to relieve anxiety and improve sleep, and studies have begun to support these uses.

Herbal teas come in a variety of delicious flavours and are naturally free of sugar and calories. Many herbal teas also offer health-promoting effects, and modern science has begun to validate some of their traditional uses. Whether you’re a tea lover or novice, don’t be afraid to give these 10 herbal teas a try."

These words taken from a recent article by Taylor Jones RD and her full article with all relevant research and other links can be seen here


and since tea-making is an art form, here's a guide to making the perfect cup


how about a slice of low carb lemon cake to go with it


 find the recipe details here

Make time today for a cup of tea (or coffee!)

All the best Jan

34 comments:

Valerie-Jael said...

I mostly drink coffee but I do like herbal teas - right now I'm drinking fig and lemon tea, lovely! Hugs, Valerie

eileeninmd said...

Hello, it is interesting to see all the different teas and their health benefits. The cake looks delicious. Enjoy your tea and your day! Happy Sunday, enjoy your new week ahead.

Jo said...

I don't drink coffee at all and I've never been a big tea drinker either, preferring cold drinks to hot drinks, but I've been drinking tea more just lately than ever before. I especially enjoy a cup on a weekend morning when I have a cooked breakfast.

Martha said...

Such great information! During the colder months I really enjoy drinking herbal teas. Peppermint has become one of my favourites.

Carol Blackburn said...

I love my teas, especially since I don't drink coffee after noontime. I keep a stock of Chamomile, Mint, Vanilla Chai, and Rooibos along with regular Lipton decaf tea on hand. Always so warming and comforting to drink.
Have a wonderful day!

Barbara said...

Hi Jan, I’ve not had a cup of tea for over three months (I’m on a caffeine-free diet under doctor’s orders!) so I found this post really interesting. A friend told me about Rooibos tea, but I’ve yet to try it, maybe now is the time.
I can’t join you in a cup of tea, but I would love a slice of low carb lemon cake, thank you!

Marilyn @ MountainTopSpice said...

I really enjoyed this article Jan! I am an avid tea drinker and like to drink it all day long. My favorite tea is green tea and my favorite herbal tea is raspberry leaf tea which I use my own raspberry leaves that I've dried and just brew tea with them. Raspberry leaves are very good for women's menstrual cycle and just taste very good as well. I enjoyed this article very much and it is encouraging to know that studies are being done to see how teas are beneficial to our health!

Christine said...

Thanks for this useful info!

Silver in AZ said...

I've just discovered I can't drink any of the Starbucks latte flavors that I've always enjoyed, so I'm going to start trying their herbal teas. Thanks for the tutorial on herbal teas in general!

Linda P said...

I've started drinking herbal teas instead of breakfast tea and my favourite at the moment is lemon grass and ginger. I look forward to my first beverage of the day.

NCmountainwoman said...

I've become more and more a fan of afternoon tea. I like several types but my go-to comfort tea is Harney & Sons Pomegranate Oolong. Lemon cake or thin cookies and I'm a happy woman.

William Kendall said...

I tend to favour breakfast or Earl Grey teas.

Elephant's Child said...

I developed a sensitivity to coffee more than twenty years ago and have happily been drinking tea ever since. Quite a lot of different teas, including herbal tea. At the moment my tea of choice is chai.

A Joyful Chaos said...

I don't drink a whole lot of teas, but the herbal variety has intrigued me ever since I was a little girl. I've enjoyed studying and learning about them ever since.

Blessings~

H.R. Bennett said...

I tend to rarely drink herbal teas. My big one is Oolong, but will enjoy Jasmine now and again. My wife, on the other hand, has probably had all ten of these plus a hundred varieties more. haha

Snowbird said...

Fascinating. I keep trying herbal tea but always end up going back to regular tea. Love that cup!!!xxx

Lisabella Russo said...

Oh I love tea and the lemon cake looks delicious! Thanks for the information on the teas.

happyone said...

Interesting to hear about all the herbal teas. A piece of that cake would certainly go great with any tea!!
What a lovely tea cup! : )

sheila 77 said...

How interesting about the herbal teas. We drink a lot of these teas so good to know this.
That's a good recipe for cake too, thanks for the link.

Tom said...

...I'll have water please.

Revrunner said...

Absolutely! And I just switched to Harney's loose leaf English Breakfast blend.

Lorrie said...

Tea for me, Breakfast or Earl Grey or another Black Tea in the mornings, herbal in the afternoons and evenings. An interesting list of the properties of some herbal teas. Thanks, Jan.

Conniecrafter said...

I have been drinking cold brewed black tea for a few years now, don't really care for hot tea, but sounds like many of these would be good for me if I could handle drinking them

carol l mckenna said...

Love herbal tea and that lemon cake looks good too ~ Wonderful post ~ ^_^

We love your comments, thanks, ^_^

Love and light,
A ShutterBug Explores




peppylady (Dora) said...

I need to get back drinking teas, we have a wonderful tea shop here.
The hot is about hot

Launna said...

I like a great cup of herbal tea myself... my absolute favorite one is cranberry... it's so yummy. I love drinking it on cold winter mornings xox

Margaret D said...

So many different flavours of the these days but I prefer a cuppa over coffee any day with normal tea.

baili said...

Honestly i never liked herbal tea .
when my mom forced me to have it in winters specially i felt bad .
but now i admire them once in while!

many of these herbal teas are popular here too.

baili said...

what surprised me is that you take tea in night too .
i can't if i do ,it spoils my sleep so much

Bob Bushell said...

I love tea, tea tea.

Bill said...

Darjeeling tea and chocolate tea are my favorites and coffee too. :) Add a piece of lemon cake, priceless!

Rose said...

I enjoy coffee, but I always start the day with a couple of cups of tea. It seems to help my digestion and clear my sinuses, which coffee could never do. I remember as a child, whenever I was sick, my mother gave me hot tea and homemade zwieback, which my grandmother made often. My grandparents always had tea and a snack in the late afternoon as well. Not only do I like tea, but it brings back lots of happy childhood memories! Hope you are doing well, Jan.

DMS said...

I am a coffee drinker- but I didn't start drinking coffee until my 30s. I do enjoy tea and tend to drink more of it in the winter. Definitely warms me up after shoveling or being outside. :)
~Jess

Magic Love Crow said...

I love this post! Thanks Jan!
I love tea and I love lemon cake! Big Hugs!