I struggle like a moth in a windstorm with some healthy habits. For example, grilled or baked salmon and I just don’t see eye to eye. I expect him to have more taste, he expects me to lower my expectations. I’m also not a huge fan of milk. I try to outfox myself by throwing it over a bowl of sugary, chocolaty cereal. I wish I were kidding. The size 10 Levi’s I’d love to get back into wish I were kidding.
I love walking and biking and live for fresh vegetables and fruit – so at least I’m all over those areas. I’m also the poster gal for drinking coffee and tea (black, green, herbal, white..). Coffee has been shown to help ward off Alzheimer’s and tea? It’s fantastically healthy for just about every inch of your body.
From Prevention.com:
Both green and black teas contain a concentrated dose of catechins, substances that help blood vessels relax and protect your heart. In a study of more than 40,500 Japanese men and women, those who drank 5 or more cups of green tea every day had the lowest risk of dying from heart disease and stroke. Other studies involving black tea showed similar results.
Be warned, though: If you rely on bottled teas to get your daily doses of goodness, you’re missing out. For the most benefits, you need to drink freshly brewed tea. Ready-to-drink teas simply don’t offer the same health benefits. . Also, don’t add milk to your tea (for the life of me, I don’t know why anyone would invite milk to a tea party anyway). Adding milk may eliminate tea’s protective effects on the cardiovascular system, so stick to just lemon or honey.
So there you have it. If you regularly drink soft drinks, make the healthy switch to tea. Scientists in Boston found that drinking one or more regular or diet colas (double dang! – I love my Diet Dr. Pepper so..) every day doubles your risk of metabolic syndrome- – a cluster of conditions, including high blood pressure, elevated insulin levels, and excess fat around the waist – that increase your chance of heart disease and diabetes. Here’s a cute little tip from Prevention: If you’re all about the fizz that comes from soft drinks, try sparkling water with a splash of juice. Hmmm, maybe if I pour it into a Diet Dr. Pepper bottle…. Not that I have 2, 4, or 7 bottles in my home at this moment.
I’ll meet you in the tea aisle. There are countless varieties and flavor combinations to entertain your taste buds. Your heart will love you for it.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post! I love tea and it’s awesome to know it’s good for me too.
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I love the post! I’m trying to switch from coffee to tea!
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Susan, I pretty much have at least one cup of either coffee or tea near me at all times. I’m such a guzzler – It’s a good thing I don’t drink alcohol!
As a matter of fact, right at this moment I have a tall glass of iced tea AND a mug of fresh coffee on my desk to the left… and a sleeping cat on the right. With Golden Girls on the television – I must say, I’m in my own little personal Heaven!
P.P., I’ve always been a big tea drinker and, like you, I was overjoyed to learn that it was actually such a healthy drink. I’m trying to get accustomed to unsweetened tea (we Southerners are such suckers for sweet tea!). Truvia and Stevia are saving the day.