Tea Time = Me Time

The Brits with their afternoon tea time were onto something. It seems the fashionable social event was more than just a way to stop hunger pangs before the evening meal. While tea has the ability to soothe, restore and refresh, it’s also considered incredibly healthy. Tea contains antioxidants which can help slow down aging and help your cells regenerate and repair. In other words, antioxidants are the body’s way of preventing rust. Tea also hydrates you while providing antioxidants. Without anything added to it, tea is calorie free and a flavorful alternative to water. You can also drink it hot or cold.

Tea also has less caffeine than coffee. Traditional teas have about half the caffeine of coffee, and herbal teas have no caffeine. That means you can reap the health benefits of tea without affecting your nervous system. The potential health benefits of tea are impressive:

• Your brain and mental health may be boosted by tea. It can help you become calmer, more alert, help with memory and even ease headaches, insomnia, irritability and nervous tension.
• Studies show that significant tea intake might reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke, balance cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure.
• There are also studies and evidence that tea may help with weight loss, is good for your bones and teeth, boosts the immune system and may play a role in preventing cancer.
• Tea may also help your digestive system, reduce stomach cramps and inhibit intestinal inflammation.

Popular teas are white, green and black. Black teas are the most common. While all tea is made from virtually the same plant, the variety and differences are based on how long the tea leaves are oxidized and fermented. Herbal teas made with fruits, herbs, roots or seeds have less antioxidants than white, green or black tea, and are considered not as healthy as white, green or black. Popular herbal teas include ginger, ginkgo, hibiscus, jasmine and chamomile.

So, do as Lady Mary in Downton Abbey and consider helping yourself to an afternoon tea that might do a lot of good things for your mind and body.