It all happened so fast

During a period of my life where I thought nothing else could go wrong. As I had just experienced the loss of my cousin and father. A diagnosis of Lupus was given a few weeks later. 

Doctors said that I would have to deal with this for the rest of my life. We couldn’t figure out what caused it, what brought it on. The only information that was provided was that this auto immune illness affects a majority of African American women. I couldn’t make sense of it. I was shy of my 32nd birthday and up until that I was pretty healthy, or so I thought.

There were many days I didn’t want to do anything. Missed doing the simple things that we normally take for granted. My joints were inflammed, my heart rate was elevated as I experienced weight loss due to changing my diet.  I was a complete mess. 

While researching natural ways to heal myself and soothe the pain that was being experienced, I decided to look up more information on herbs. Now, I was already an avid tea drinker but wasn’t really knowledgeable on the many different types and beneffits. Tea has become a big business, as it is delicious, full of antioxidants and other healthful compounds. There’s just something about winding down with a warm cup of tea that just feels calming and relaxing. If you’re curious on the benefits – please read on! 

Benefits of tea

Tea is a great source of antioxidants, which are beneficial to our health. Antioxidants can help you lower your risk for heart disease and cancer. Tea is also a great way to relax and de-stress. Studies show that by drinking tea your stress levels can be reduced by 70%. The feeling of calmness that you may experience while indulging in your favorite brew may be related to the chemical L-theanine, which can help you feel more relaxed but still alert. Finally, drinking tea before bed will help you sleep better at night and it might even help with weight loss!

Caffeine and L-theanine are both present in green tea, and they work together to provide you with a balanced boost of energy. So what is caffeine? Caffeine is a stimulant that can help with alertness or concentration, depending on the amount of caffeine consumed. L-theanine is an amino acid that is naturally found in green tea leaves. This helps you relax without feeling drowsy, making it ideal for those who want to be productive during the day without feeling sluggish or fatigued later on. The combination of caffeine and L-theanine means that your brain will be more awake but also calm enough to function at peak performance. 

How to brew the best cup of tea.

This is my favorite part, where I provide the steps to make a great cup of tea. First, make sure you have freshly boiled water. You can do this by bringing a kettle of water to a boil, letting it sit for five minutes, then pouring the hot water over your tea bag or loose leaf. If you’re using a tea bag, let it steep for abou 3-5 minutes. For loose leaf, steep for about four minutes for best results. 

You can then add some lemon to bring out the flavor (I recommend this for black tea). Next you can add your sweetener! Honey is great to use with black teas for additional flavor, but personally agave is my fave. Saved the best for last, if you’re looking to get that creaminess feel add milk. When I want to spice things up and a Starbucks run can’t fit in my schedule for that latte. Let me tell you, its amazing !

6 types of teas that are beneficial to your health

1.  Sage Tea-beneficial for cognitive function as well as effective against the effects of the plaques involved in Alzheimer’s disease.  A number of studies have found improvements in mental function and memory in adults after taking one of the several different types of sage extracts. 
2. Rooibos Tea (my absolute FAV!) is an herbal tea that comes from South Africa. It is beneficial to bone growth and density. also helps with inflammation and may help prevent heart disease. 
3. Echinacea Tea- is for boosting the immune system and shortening the common cold. 
4. Chamomile Tea- is used to help with sleep quality and depression. It has liver protecting benefits, and can also relieve premenstrual symptoms and high blood lipid, blood sugar and insulin levels. 
5. Peppermint Tea- is one of the most commonly brewed teas in the world. It is often used in my household as it supports the digestive system and has antioxidant, antibacterial and antiviral properties. 
6. Ginger Tea- has a lot of disease fighting antioxidants and fight inflammation and stimulates the immune system. 

Overall, my health has improved, stress levels have decreased and I have been informed that my lupus is in remission. I am no longer taking lupus medication since my diagnosis and pushing forward with hope that it remains this way. So in the meantime, staying stress free and healthy has been my mission. Hopefully this blog has given you a better understanding of tea and its benefits. Don’t forget to grab your favorite cup and wind down with your favorite tea!