Tea has long been know for being high in antioxidants that can strengthen your immune system and fight off any number of infections. You'll even read, if you double click the article/picture to the left, that tea can lower your cholesterol. Combine that with the simple experience of a flavorful cup of any variety you desire, its easy to see that tea is an amazing beverage.
I see regular tea consumption as a form of preventive health maintenance, but if your under the weather drink much green tea and water. The enclosed article will give you some more information to that point. Most teas have some caffine, with White and Rooibos having none, but such is far less than coffee and most sodas have. I love Ice Tea and especially as it gets hot out.
Wegman's Market has a excellent tea section, which is the largest in our area. I am a big fan of Wegman's whole leaf teas, many of them are organic, which you'll see in large metal tins there. These whole leaf teas are even cheaper than their other packaged teas. I listed some places below where you can get whole leaf tea and other necessities for brewing.
Whole leaf tea is better and more beneficial than bag tea, and their is scientific research to this point. I use a mesh strainer to help make the tea and remove the leaves. Wegman's has disposable tea bags in their teas section, right below the metal tins containing the loose tea. These bags make is easier to brew a bigger batch for ice tea, and simplifies the clean-up. I wrote a couple of emails to their corporate HQ's in Rochester, NY requesting these disposable tea bags. You can also get these same bags at Target for cheaper.
There are tea making instructions on the bags you use to purchase their whole leaf teas. Please remember to always follow the instructions about temperature, steep time and amount of tea leaves used per 8 ounces of water. These specifics are important to making the tea taste right, and not overdone,bitter or burnt. Tea bags usually have a teaspoon of chopped or broken tea leaves in them. But all tea is good, and surely better than a Mountain Dew or even a Red Bull.
I always used organic unprocessed sugar to sweeten our ice tea. I feel strongly that organic sugar is far better for you than regular processed sugar. Processed sugar is in almost everything we eat. I also think that we and maybe you have far too much bad sugar, which is in much of the foods we eat but mainly the garbage sodas that I am even guilty of on occasion.
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My ice tea not only had all the great benefits that tea offers you, but Pomegranate(fruit) is a 'Super Food' and does wonders for you to. I hope you enjoyed the ice tea these past two seasons, and it made you think of a simple way to kind of eat healthier. I'll make some different teas' next year, more whole leaf oolong and green tea.
Think about eating good sugars more which come in the form of blueberries, apples and oranges. Eat more WHOLE FRUITS. There is sugar in these fruits and they TASTE SWEET. Please remind yourself of that fact once in a while. I'd recommend to spend some time in the summer learning how to cook, as this will give you a whole new perspective and appreciation for food and what you put into your body. Remember no good tennis player could fuel their body with soda and chips and expect it to do anything but harm there physical and mental performance during practice or competition.
Eating healthier is not just a fad, its something your parents do and something you'll all do more of the older you get, if you don't already. There is more information available to us about the ingredients in our foods. I think it helps all of us, including athletes live healthier and more productive lives, as it gets harder to ignore how many health issues can occur through food and diet.
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As you get older and more thoughtful about your diet, do think and understand more about how much bad stuff you may put in your body on a daily basis. I'd say to you to please think of more ways that you can make or find something that may be tasty and or sweet, but not have say high fructose corn syrup in it. Get into good dietary habits now by being a little more thoughtful each and everyday about the accumulation of things you put in your body on a daily basis.
High Fuctose Corn Syrup is a very, very, very bad ingredient that is in way to many things we eat and drink, and it is the main ingredient in all sodas. It's even found to a lesser extent in some bread and many other foods we eat. Remember these sodas we drink (coke,pepsi)could be used as a paint stripper, now imagine what it does to your stomach. Try pouring it on an old piece of painted wood and lay it in the sun for a couple hours and see what happens. Maybe even try to clean that soda stain off with some soap and water and see how hard that is. Its and eye opening experience for sure.
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I love this cold brewing method you see to the left.
Other places in our area that have good tea sections are:
Asian Food Market
100 Barclay Walk
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-2108
(856) 857-1388
Han-Ah-Reum Asian Market - in Danzizen & Quigley's shopping center
1720 Marlton Pike E
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003-2301
(856) 751-6659
Teavana - Cherry Hill Mall, go through Nordstrom's into the mall, a bit to the left
2000 Route 38
Cherry Hill, NJ
(856) 663-3380
www.teavana.com
this is a great specialty tea store that sells much loose tea and brewing supplies
Mulberry Tea House - An authentic English tea room experience
60 South Main Street
Medford, NJ
(609) 714-0640
www.themulberryteahouse.com
TBar - and if your in Philly, this and the one below are excellent tea bars
117 South 12th Street
Philadelphia, PA
(215) 625-3936
www.tbarteas.com
Premium Steep
111 South 18th Street
Philadelphia, PA
(215) 568-2920
www.premiumsteap.com
'Holy Detox' one of their signature herbal teas, with Tulsi (holy basil). This chai style blend is awesome as it seems to simply attack any sickness or cold i've had. I swear by it and its their best selling tea for this reason as others concur. It's perfect for ice tea to, with lemon myrtle, rose hips and spearmint. Click here to learn more about Tulsi, its a facinating herbal remedy.
www.hinduism.about.com/od/ayurveda/a/tulsibenefits.htm
