Have you ever heard that tea can calm your nerves? You heard it right and it is not some sort of placebo.
Tea is one of the most consumed beverage and there are very good reasons why tea deserves the spot.
I didn’t use to drink so much tea, let’s say tea was completely out of my drinkopedia. Then, I often found my stress level increasing during the day and my productivity decreased. It was not the ideal work day in my head so I did a little research. And there, when I never thought of it, I found tea to be one of the most common suggestions. This is quite a long post but it is packed with useful information that I hope you enjoy 🙂
I stared off by drinking a cup of green tea in the afternoon. I never thought I would like it, but the result is unexpected. I felt calm and energized, something I would never feel after a cup of coffee. Then a cup of afternoon tea turned into one in a mid-morning and one more in the late evening.
I wouldn’t say I love tea but more like I love the effect of drinking tea. I know I am not the first person to suggest drinking tea for your mood, and you might have already been drinking tea. If you are not drinking tea, this article might convince you to try. After all, you are on this article for a reason and I believe I can relate to that.
Here I have crafted a little tea drinking guide I found to work best for my mood and consumption throughout the day.
Types of tea
Let’s start with the basic. You might already know the basic types of tea existing in this world, but you might want to look closer on the benefits and the downside of each type.
There are basically black tea, green tea, pu-erh, oolong, white tea and herbal tea. The most common ones that you probably have in your cupboard somewhere are black tea, green tea and herbal tea. While herbal tea is the only tea that doesn’t come from the plant Camellia sinensis, it also has great benefits and has been a viral drink.
Each of them has their own distinct benefits and downsides. Knowing those can help you make a better decision when it comes to a specific time of the day to drink a cup of tea.
1. Black Tea
What we commonly know when it comes to black tea is that it is the tea with quite a high caffeine profile. In the tea production, black tea is like dark roast coffee. The leaves are fully oxidized, giving intense flavors and astringency.
The benefits of black tea:
– Give you energy from its caffeine content
– High antioxidants
– It has the ability to lower blood pressure
The risks of black tea:
– Can reduce the blood ability to absorb iron due to its tanning
– Excess consumption (more than 6 cups of 200ml a day) of black tea can cause unwanted dehydration from caffeine
When to drink black tea
Black tea is good for when you need to pick up your energy or when you feel sluggish and slow. It is also good on a dull and rainy day to give you a sense of alertness.
2. Green Tea
Green tea including matcha is known to be a magic health beverage. Produced with lower oxidation than black tea, green tea has lower level of caffeine and less astringency. You can read more specifically about matcha compare to other types of tea here.
The benefits of green tea:
– Calming effect from L-theanine
– Increase concentration from the mixture of L-theanine and caffeine
– High amount of antioxidants
The risks of green tea:
– Can upset your stomach as tanning (polyphenols) in green tea increases stomach acid
– Cannot be combined with many types of medication such as asthma medications and antibiotics.
When to drink green tea
Green tea is a great mood booster. The caffeine is not so strong and with the combination of caffeine and L-theanine, it is best to drink when you feel the need to concentrate and get things done.
3. Pu-erh
Pu-erh is a aged and naturally fermented leave mixed between green and black tea, produced exclusively in Yunnan province of China. It has a very earthy taste and dark color.
The benefits of Pu-erh:
– Can promote weight loss as it contains probiotics
– Increase energy level due to its caffeine level
The risks of Pu-erh:
-Contains quite high caffeine content
When to drink Pu-erh tea
Pu-erh is great to have after the meal. Due to its slightly high caffeine content it can help ease the discomfort of overeating and food coma. So when you feel the need to lay down after a huge lunch, you can try some Pu-erh.
4. Oolong
Oolong is a traditional Chinese tea which is know from its unique characteristic taste. Oolong tea leaves is partially oxidized which is in between green tea and black tea, which the tea can be as vibrant as green tea or as full bodied as black tea depending on the manufacture.
The benefits of Oolong tea:
– Promote bone health
– Increase mental alertness from its caffeine content
The risks of Oolong tea:
– Drinking more than 4 cups of Oolong tea per day can cause common side effects from caffeine such as dizziness and heart burn.
When to drink Oolong tea
Oolong tea is great during mid-morning or mid-afternoon as it is not suggested to be consumed right before or after a meal. Oolong can relieve stress and boost the brain function. It is good for when you feel unproductive and restless.
5. White Tea
White tea comes from a young tea bud and leaf. It is also the least processed tea compares other three types that comes from the plant Camellia sinensis. That is why it has a distinctly clear color and characteristic taste.
The benefits of White tea:
– Great for you teeth as it contains fluoride
– Rich in antioxidants (more than green tea)
The risks of white tea:
– Depending on the manufacture, some white tea can contain high amount of caffeine
When to drink white tea
White tea has a light almost sweet taste and usually low in caffeine, which make is a great tea for late afternoon. When you feel like doing something relaxing with something to drink. It can also give a sense of calmness and cool down.
6. Herbal tea
Herbal tea or tisanes can be separated into another whole category of tea. They are all the teas that didn’t come from the plant Camellia sinensis such as Rooibos, peppermint tea, chamomile tea and hibiscus. Here are some common herbal tea you can easily find in the supermarket.
Peppermint Tea
Peppermint has an amazingly unique flavor and scent. The mint itself has been use as flavour for candies and other foods. It is great for suppressing bad breath, mild pain and some inflammation. Peppermint tea is naturally caffeine free, but with its cooling effect it is often use as a refreshing beverage.
When to drink peppermint tea
I have know a lot of people that drink peppermint tea in the morning as the cooling scent wakes them up and also give them nice morning breath. The menthol in peppermint tea is also a great muscle relaxant and soothes upset stomach.
Rooibos Tea
Rooibos (red) is femented tea leaves from South African shrub. The tea is red in color and has a honey sweet scent which makes it on of the most popular caffeine free alternative. Rooibos is high in antioxidant and has low tannin levels unlike green and black tea. There is also green rooibos tea which the leaves are not being fermented. Green rooibos gives the same benefit despite the slightly grassier taste.
When to drink rooibos tea
Red rooibos has the ability to lowering blood pressure, combining with its honey-sweet smell, it is a great stress relieve. In the afternoon when the day is getting quite intense, rooibos tea can be a great company.
Ginger Tea
Ginger tea is very common and easy to find. It is best when fresh ginger is being use. Ginger is a great cold remedies, mix with some honey and you’ve got yourself a great deal.
When to drink ginger tea
Ginger tea is amazing for digestion, and the distinct taste is best to have when you feel nauseatic or have indigestion. It is also a great morning drink to get your body awake.
Hibiscus
Hibiscus tea is brewed from dried roselle flower giving it dark red color and tart, sour, cherry-like taste. It is known to help lowering blood pressure and a great source of vitamin-C.
When to drink Hibiscus tea
Hibiscus is also popular as a cold tea, this makes it a great summer drink. When you feel the intense thirst or eating food that is too spicy, this is the tea for you.
Chamomile
Chamomile tea comes from dried chamomile flower. The tea is best known for its calming ability. Chamomile is soothing, refreshing and caffeine free, so you can drink chamomile tea anytime of the day.
When to drink Chamomile tea
It is most commonly drink to treat insomnia. Chamomile is good to drink when you feel like you can’t sleep or when you are stress. It is also a great helper to comfort when the body is in pain, this also includes period cramp and head ache.
