9 Ways Tea Can Change Your Life

I love tea. Hot or iced, tea not only comes in a never-ending abundance of flavors, but it’s also incredibly good for you. The health benefits of tea have long been researched, and studies have found that tea’s benefits range from helping with diseases such as cancer and diabetes to encouraging weight loss and lowering cholesterol. With less caffeine than coffee, tea is a gentle mood and energy lifter.

In the words of Katherine Tallmadge of the American Dietetic Association, “There doesn’t seem to be a downside to tea.” I sure can't think of any--can you? I'm so glad to have such a delicious and healthy drink available, especially during rainy Seattle winters like this one.

With all its positive affects on the body, tea has been touted in the East as the “key to good health, happiness, and wisdom,” according to WebMD. So, what are the ideal blends of tea for different moods or ailments? I was inspired to find out by both my love of tea and by Back on Pointe's lovely graphic below, which I discovered on Tumblr. Here's what I found out about the mental and physical health benefits different types of tea can bring.

The Effects of Tea
Image: Back On Pointe / Tumblr

Energy Boost—Black tea has a significant does of caffeine, less than coffee but still enough to perk you up. Plus, the bold flavor will help give you an extra jolt of energy. Spiced green teas will also give you a boost without the jitters.

Refresh—White tea has the most antioxidants of all types of tea, as well as the lowest caffeine content (other than herbal tea, which is caffeine free). Sip on some white tea for a mellow drink that will leave your body feeling refreshed and healthy.

Stress Relief—Green tea’s naturally leafy flavor and light dose of caffeine will help ease stress and refocus all those frazzled brain signals without wiring you for overload. Try to avoid black tea when extra stressed, as it has higher caffeine content. Roobios, honey bush, and herbal chai blends all help keep stress away, and ginger teas can get rid of those nervous jitters when they come a-knocking.

Creative Boost—To get those mind juices flowing, try a spicy blend like Indian Chai mixed with a little cream and honey or a rooibos tisane rich in electrolytes.

Immune System Boost—Get a dose of anti-sickness with fruity herbal teas like orange, lemon, or raspberry. The hot liquid will ease sore throats, and the lack of caffeine will help settle your stomach. Chamomile tea is also a great way to combat general winter blues.

Anti-Nausea—My personal favorites for settling an upset tummy include herbal mint and ginger teas. Mint and ginger naturally ease nausea and always leave me feeling much better. Try these with just a touch of honey if you want a little sweetness.

For Tranquility—Feeling frazzled and just want to relax? Try chamomile, lavender, roobios or lemongrass teas, which will help your body settle down. A steaming cup of any of these is wonderful shortly before bedtime.

Think Happy Thoughts—Need a mood elevator? Try lemon verbena and rooibos teas, which have natural mood-boosting qualities.

Focus—Sip on green tea or yerba mate to help with focus and overall productivity. Green and black teas help improve our cognitive function, alertness, attention span, and more. 

What's your favorite tea blend?  

Foods That Reduce Stress

If you’re like me, you get hungry when you’re stressed out. And with how much I’ve let stress pile on in the past, it’s quite literally a miracle that the pounds didn’t also pound on. I go for the chocolate, particularly hot chocolate, cookies, and sugary coffee drinks when I feel the need to relax a little. And while some studies have shown that some dark chocolate can be good for you, I don’t think they meant in the amount I want to consume it in.

Lots of people go for sugary snacks when stressed, myself included.
Image from cookingclassy.com

My main concern isn’t the chocolate itself, anyhow. It’s the sugar that it comes loaded with—and which can actually exacerbate stress, gives me headaches, and is overall a bad thing to have too much of. In fact, many “fast,” “easy,” and “convenient” foods that people turn to when eating out of stress are incredibly unhealthy, the eating of which can contribute to stress levels.

Since I like to munch on something when I’m stressed or working a lot, I try to surround myself with healthy snacks. And I was super excited when I found this list of foods that can actually help reduce stress levels. Who knew I’d be able to use my snacking habit to combat stress in a healthy way? Consider eating these foods when you’re stressed (or when you want to prevent stress):

The Vitamin C in oranges could help reduce stress.
Image: Shutterstock

Oranges—Vitamin C can reduce stress and regulate blood pressure and cortisol levels, which often rise when you’re stressed. It also keeps your immune system healthy so you don’t get sick, something I have a tendency to do when stressed.

Sweet Potatoes—Besides being one of my favorite foods ever, sweet potatoes make me feel like I’m eating sweets and carbs when really I’m packing my body with vitamins, betacarotene, and fiber.

Dried Apricots—These delicious little guys are full of magnesium, a natural muscle relaxer and stress-reducer (just don’t eat too many, since they’re pretty sugary).

Almonds, Pistachios & Walnuts—Almonds have high levels of B and E vitamins, and pistachios and Walnuts have been found to reduce blood pressure.

Turkey—L-tryptophan, an amino acid, is found in turkey. It tells the body to release serotonin, which is a natural mood booster and relaxer.

Green vegetables are full of stress-reducing vitamins.
Image: Shutterstock

Spinach—Like apricots, spinach is packed with magnesium. If you don’t get enough magnesium, it can trigger migraines and fatigue, both bound to increase stress levels. So eat up!

Salmon—I was never a huge fish fan, but I do like Salmon. That’s a good thing, since it’s full of Omega-3 fatty acids, which help fight heart disease and regulate stress hormones, cortisol, and adrenaline.

Avocados—Avocados are a great source of monosaturated fats and potassium, which can help lower blood pressure. It can also prevent symptoms of stress like muscle twitches and spasms.

Green Vegetables—Any dark green vegetable, such as spinach, broccoli, kale, and beans, is full of vitamins. When we get stressed out, our bodies are sapped of vitamins and energy. Remembering to eat healthy greens when stressed can go miles in keeping stress under control.

Home Remedies for Common Ailments

Bananas are a great source of potassium.
Image: Shutterstock

 As the holiday season comes to an end, I find myself feeling run-down, tired, and under the weather. I’m still eating well and exercising daily, and I love spending time with friends and family—but after two weeks, it can become exhausting. Yesterday, I was at work when my eye muscle started twitching, one of the signs of potassium deficiency. This morning, I dutifully ate a banana before work. Then I got to wondering what other natural remedies can be used for common ailments. Here’s what I came up with:

Chicken soup is a traditional cold remedy.
Image: Bram Cymet via Flickr CC

1. Chicken Soup has long been used to treat the common cold. It provides a warm meal for the body, but some also claim it helps reduce white blood cell activity, which is what causes the respiratory symptoms of the common cold.
2. Clove Oil contains eugenol, which is both an antibacterial and a painkiller. Because of this, it can be used to treat toothaches when mixed with olive oil. However, be sure to look up exactly how to prepare the clove oil. It should never be used undiluted, put directly on broken skin, or taken in large doses.
3. Bicarbonate of Soda (baking soda) is the main ingredient in most antacids. By mixing a teaspoon in a cup of water, you can easily treat an upset stomach (as long as you don’t mind it being a little salty tasting).
4. Whole Milk contains Monocaprin, which can be especially useful to those suffering from cold sores. Monocaprin slows the virus activity that causes cold sores to emerge and blister, so drinking whole milk can help promote healing when this happens.
5. Honey is probably my favorite remedy for a sore throat. Not only is it delicious, but also it is as effective as some cough syrups to suppress coughs and soothe sore throats. It can be mixed with lemon and ginger tea or eaten alone.
6. Vinegar is one of the best ways to cool sunburns when applied as a solution or pure via spray bottle.
7. Olive Oil, which I’ve spotlighted before as a natural beauty product, can be used to treat earaches when warmed. It soothes the inflamed eardrum and helps relieve pain in the eardrum, which is caused by a mucus blockage.

Honey is a delicious remedy for a sore throat.
Image: Shutterstock

Have you ever used any of these home remedies (or others) with success? Or are there any that you think don’t work? I’ve tried about half of the remedies above with success, but the other half is listed on the word of others. List any other remedies you can think of in the comments below! I’ll look forward to reading them!

Foods That Boost Your Immune System

Cold & flu season calls for immune-system boosting foods.
Image: Shutterstock

As I sit at work, I’m reminded of the fact that it is cold and flu season and my immune system needs all the help it can get. I can literally feel my body fighting off sickness when I’m around others who are sick—I get run down, tired, and exhibit a few symptoms of the sickness. Sometimes I do get sick, but when I’m lucky, my immune system wins the battle and that run-down feeling passes in just a few days.

Most of us hate being sick, and if you’re like me, you don’t mind adding a few extra steps into your daily routine to ensure that the bad bugs stay out and your immune system stays strong. So, what can you do to help your body out? For starters, you can feed yourself foods that help your immune system fight off viruses and bacteria.

The following foods can help prevent sickness, and I’m more than willing to make sure they stay in my diet for the next few months:

Chamomile tea can help boost your immune system.
Image: Shutterstock

1. Chamomile Tea
2. Oats (especially steel-cut)
3. Salad Dressings (the ones with healthy fats from nut and olive oils, NOT the fat-free kind)
4. Whey Protein (found in protein powders and yogurt)
5. Tomatoes
6. Butterbur plant extract supplements
7. Sports Drinks (think Gatorade and Powerade)
8. Wine (especially reds)—in moderation
9. Hot Sauce (or peppers containing capsaicin)

The above foods boost your immune system in a variety of ways, from helping it produce its own antibodies to warding off food poisoning to providing you with valuable antioxidants. What could be easier than adding some of these in to your daily routine? It seems a small price to pay for avoiding sickness.

Foods with capsaicin, like peppers, help your body
fight off sickness.
Image: Shutterstock

Another recommendation from Women’s Health to help ward off sickness is to cut your daily calorie intake by 200-300 calories if you are overweight. Though it may sound like a lot, it’s really not hard to do—substitute a serving of pasta for steamed veggies or cut the sour cream and cheese out of your chili and you’re done. This can help you lose weight and keep all your vital systems (including your immune system) in better shape.

Do you already eat any of these foods? Which is your favorite? I love a glass of red wine with dinner and we also eat a LOT of spicy food. Comment below!