Tea... don't ya just love it?

Iced Tea... hot tea... chai tea... green tea...

LOL... kind of sounds like the beginning of a Dr. Seuss book... huh?

Do you LOVE tea...like me?  I've sort of become a tea fiend in the last couple of years...  I'm not shy about my tea addiction either... come and look in my pantry anytime... and you will see no less than 100 different types, flavors and kinds of teas...

I'm really a fan of loose teas as of late.  Whole loose teas.  I'm becoming less of a fan of the pre bagged teas, in the paper tea bags...Why? I don't know... I just like the flavor and all the little tools necessary to make good loose tea... I enjoy the process of steeping, filtering, etc...Call me crazy... but in my mind... all food is love... if it's the best type of food available...

Even more recently... I've been playing around with marinades, rubs, and even baking breads infused with tea...
and I have been LOVING IT!!!

Tea is a WONDERFUL food.  It contains THOUSANDS of compounds that are beneficial to our bodies... tannins, ECGC, amino acids, polyphenols, blood cleaners, etc... Basically... all those benefits have to do with the big "C", Cancer.  Teas can be a fantastic way to help prevent some cancers.. along with a healthy diet and virtually cutting out all junk and processed foods.

My favorite tea..hands down... is Rooibos, pronounced (roy-bus).  It actually isn't a tea at all, but a bark of a bush in South Africa.  They call it "Bush Tea" in Africa... and it's DELICIOUS!  It have absolutely NO CAFFEINE... and it's a gorgeous red color.  I buy it in bulk, organic from Amazon.com from David's teas...
They give it to newborn babies for curing colic.  They peel the bark from the trees, beat it up into tiny pieces... let it dry in the sun to turn red... and bag it up...

It contains flouride, magnesium, Polyphenols, some vitamins and lots of minerals.  Did I mention it tastes really good?  It's one of the few teas that is lovely with milk. I like mine with just a hint of honey... mmmmm...

If you hate to drink water... (that is soooo strange to me... but I know lots of people that actually say that), and want to stay away from soda's (diet and regular are the devil), try drinking some unsweetened tea, or sweeten it with a little honey...

You will lose water weight, hydrate yourself, add some vital minerals and healthy compounds to your body... and maybe even enjoy drinking non carbonated drinks a little more...

Its a fantastic alternative to soda...

Did you know... that if  you love drinking green tea... that is great... but squeezing in a little citrus (lemon or orange) will actually help you body absorb 50% MORE of the beneficial ECGC of the green tea??? 

Next time you want to marinate a steak or two or four... brew some tea, and mix in some soy sauce, orange juice, honey, worcestershire and a little olive oil and pour it over your meat for a few hours...

It'll add a little something something to the flavor of your meat that will dance on your tongue!

Making a rub? Add some loose tea to the mix for a depth of flavor that is earthy and lovely on chicken or fish or beef.  Just a tablespoon or so does the trick!!!

Enjoy... and drink tea for your health!