Saturday, June 15, 2013

"As much as you can eat healthy, it's also important to remember to drink healthy too. Tea is very healing." -Kristin Chenoweth

Tea.

We are constantly striving to make better food decisions, but do we ever think about what we may be drinking? 
As we already know, simple H2O is the best thing for your body. It hydrates, replenishes, nourishes, and can even prevent us from over indulging. Have you ever considered adding a little bit of tea to your life? Green tea, for example, is great if you are trying to lose weight while camomile tea helps to ease stress.

If you are like me, then you probably worship tea. I take tea time with my roommates very seriously. There are numerous types out there: green, black, white, oolong, etc. Which one is your favorite? Maybe you like slightly sweeter teas while some of you dig the floral aromatic ones.


Throughout my various travels, and because I am an organic tea fiend, I have ventured into many places where tea is either a specialty, or sold in large quantities. Here is a list that I have compiled over the years. I've listed the most obvious places that ship worldwide first. Go ahead and check out their websites!

-Whole Foods (US/UK/Canada)
-Teavana (US/Mexico/Canada)
-Kaleisia Tea Lounge (Tampa, Florida)
-Oxford Exchange (Tampa, Florida)
-Dandelion Communitea Cafe (Orlando, Florida)
-Infusion Tea Cafe (Orlando, Florida)
-SpecialTea Lounge (Miami, Florida)
-Urth Cafe (Los Angeles, CA Area)
-Canyon Coffee & Cafe (Colorado Springs, CO)
-Adagio Teas (Chicago, IL)
-McNulty's Tea & Coffe Co. (NYC)
-Coffee Exchange (Providence, RI)
-Babington's (Rome, IT)

Taken from TeaPalace.com, check out the chart below to figure out which tea would give you the proper benefits to aid in your lifestyle.

Organic & Caffeine Free:
Our herbal infusions are all blended using real herbs, flowers and seeds and contain no artificial flavourings or colourings.
Tea Tonics
Tea Palace offers a Tea Tonics selection of infusions, specifically blended to improve well-being according to Ayurvedic practices. The infusions improve health and well-being by addressing various minor ailments such as indigestion, insomnia, stress, weakened immune system, anxiety and are blended in accordance with Ayurvedic recipes from Kerala.
Rooibos, or Redbush, is grown in South Africa. Naturally caffeine free, it contains high levels of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals as well as anti-ageing properties.
All the fruit infusions are made with only real visible pieces of fruit, whole berries and flowers. They contain no artificial colours or flavourings and are sugar-free.


Four Main Types of Tea:
Black teas get their characteristic flavour and colour from a natural oxidation process, which follows initial drying and rolling of the leaves after they have been picked. Tea Palace offers a wide range of single estate black teas including world famous AssamsDarjeelings and Ceylons and a range of bespoke Black Blends.
Green Teas
Green tea is made from unoxidized leaves which are simply heated after picking to destroy the enzymes that cause oxidation. They are then rolled to release their flavour. Green teas are sweet and contain many of the vitamins and antioxidant properties of the fresh green tea leaf, making them highly regarded as a healthy, fragrant and delicious drink.

Oolong Teas
Oolong, meaning Black Dragon, is usually from China and Taiwan (often called Formosa, its old Portuguese name). It is a semi-fermented tea, a cross between green and black teas, which is widely prized for its digestive benefits. Tea Palace offers a range of the finest oolong teas from both China and Taiwan, including Iron Goddess of Mercy (Ti Kuan Yin) and the highest grades of Formosa Oolong teas.

White TeasWhite tea is the world's rarest tea as it can only be picked for a few weeks in any one year. Authentic white tea is only grown in the Fujian province in China where the exact method of processing is kept secret. What we do know is that white tea is made from a specific tea plant variety, as well as a particular processing method which raises small silvery hairs on the leaves and buds.
White tea has seen a recent increase in popularity and has well-documented antioxidant and detoxifying benefits.

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