April 3, 2012 - Tea

I've never been interested in drinking hot drinks. I do not care for coffee, although I do love the smell of it....I have never really enjoyed tea - perhaps I just haven't found the right one, or the right formula of added milk or sugar...or as my Mom has said in the past "I'm just not grown up enough for it yet" (same goes for wine LOL)

Tea has seemed, in the last little while, to explode with popularity....with new tea shops opening around us - such as Teaopia and David's Tea , I thought I would give ea drinking a shot.

My good friend, Erin, has started a Tea Blog called Erin's Tea. It is a fantastic video blog that she started not too long ago and has already over 3,400 likes on Facebook. It is a fantastic blog where she reviews an assortment of teas as well as talks about different brewing techniques and even yummy snacks that accentuate the tea drinking process. Just a shameless plug for a dear friend ;)

Anyway - all this talk of teas got me thinking today while I was at Fortinos doing my weekly shop...
I decided to buy a box of tea bags. Now, I didn't go somewhere fancy for my teas...just my local grocery store but they did have a huge selection of tea. I decided on a President's Choice one as I didn't want to spend a bunch in case I didn't like it. After the kids went to bed, I got out my kettle and boiled some water and thought I'd try some. I had purchased "Feeling Calm - Chamomile Citrus" as I haven't been sleeping great and I'd heard that Chamomile is a relaxing tea that may help you sleep better.

I wasn't sure if I should add anything to it...so, I drank it as is. I even got out one of my fancy Royal Bone China mugs that my Opoe bought me years ago. Thought I'd better drink my first cup of tea out of something other than a plain coffee mug I use only for guests ;) I must say, it was pretty good. Not very sweet, couldn't taste the citrus at all - but it did have a nice flavour. I am off to bed shortly, so we'll see what sort of sleep qualities is possesses ;)

I looked up the benefits to Chamomile Tea, just wondering if there were any - (next I may try Green Tea, as I hear it helps in weight loss ha!)
This is what I found:
Better SleepChamomile tea's most well-known benefit is as a sleep aid. It is known for its relaxing and soothing properties and is often taken before bed to promote restful sleep. Could definitely benefit from this one!

Stomach Soother Peter Rabbit's mother was right to give him chamomile after he ate too much in Mr. McGregor's vegetable garden. Chamomile is helpful for a variety of stomach problems. It soothes stomach aches, eases the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, promotes elimination, and assists in overall digestion. It is often found in teas for digestion in combination with peppermint.

Menstrual CrampsThe ancient Egyptians used it to soothe menstrual cramps and now science is catching up. One study found that drinking chamomile tea raised urine levels of glycine, a compound that calms muscle spasms. Researchers believe this is why chamomile tea helps menstrual cramps.

Cold Fighter Chamomile has immune boosting properties and helps in the fight against colds due to its antibacterial properties.

Wound Healing The Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks used chamomile flowers in a poultice and applied them to wounds to speed healing. They must've been on to something. In one study, rats given chamomile extract in their water experienced faster wound healing times.

Diabetes Management Chamomile tea is being studied for its beneficial effects in the management of diabetes. In one study, daily consumption of chamomile tea was found to prevent the progression of diabetic complications and hyperglycaemia.

Cancer In-vitro studies show possible protection against several different types of cancer cells.

But also found these Precautions
Some people have serious allergic reactions (including anaphylaxis) to chamomile. If you are allergic to other plants in the same family such as daisy, ragweed, aster, chrysanthemum, or marigold you should use caution when using chamomile. I do seem to have an increase in hellish allergy symptoms when ragweed is high, although I did not test positive for the allergy when I had my test at 10yo....I did not notice any sort of reaction to drink this tea...thank goodness!

So, I think I will continue to try some different teas - maybe even venture into a tea shop for some fun new flavours. I certainly enjoyed my warm drink before bed...and can imagine myself liking something warm in the morning, as well. So - we'll see...wish me luck on my new adventure ;)