My Tea Dips-1

 MY TEA DIPS

The best time to have a cup of tea...... Well!!!! There's no best time to have it. Have it when you wake up, early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when you are fed up of your work and literally drowsing off or sitting before your desktop,staring at the codes and graphs in office with drooping eyes or carrying a load full of tension and stress due to your daily dose of unexpected happenings.... You will always find a cup of tea waiting next to you for you to take a sip of that hot steaming beverage and fall in love with it all over again. 

DIP 1: GREEN TEA

I've noticed that my love for tea is growing with my age and I've started to enjoy it at the most unexpected places and unlikely times. My recent attractions have developed for "green tea" . According to many people green teas are not very good at their tastes nor do they give a satisfactory feeling of having tea as they are generally served without sugar which is not very appealing to the senses of tea-lovers. Frankly, even I didn't get a very good impression of these teas until I started taking green tea regularly with the correct brewing and correct choice and quantity of tea leaves.

Green tea is an un-oxidized tea that is named – obviously for its green colored leaves and green tinged color when brewed. As I went a bit into the history of green tea I found that these tea leaves probably first originated in the southwest area of China more than 3,000 years ago, and was initially used by people just for chewing and eating, Over time, the use of leaves and buds from the tea tree gradually expanded as people began to use it in cooking and adding to boiling water to flavor the water they drank.

I was not a very keen green tea follower but when I started hearing reviews from people about its benefits and effects, i thought of giving it a try. I started with the "Organic India Tulsi Green Tea".

When I tried it for the first time, it was something similar to colored water with the aroma of Tulsi in it. Gradually I learnt the technique of brewing the tea properly and I was pretty impressed with the results. 
If using a tea bag, 

1. Boil a cup of water or just microwave heat it for about 2-3 mins.
2.  Add the green tea bag to the cup of boiling water.
3. Allow it to steep in the hot water for 3-5 mins
4. Before removing the tea bag, dip it 2 to 3 times and remove it from the cup
5. Add a few drops of lemon (a pinch of pepper if needed for a spicy tinge) and half a tea spoon of artificial sweetener or sugar as per your requirements. 

It is suggested that you have it without sugar for better benefits. Adding a crushed ginger to the green mixture also acts wonders if you are suffering from cold or throat dryness or fever.

If using tea leaves,

1. Boil a cup of water in a saucepan or any boiling vessel.
2.  Add one teaspoon of Organic India Tulsi Green Tea to the vessel of boiling water(the optimal temperature is 80 degree Celsius. At a higher temperature, the tea gets bitter).
3. Allow it to boil for 3-5 mins.
4. Add a few drops of lemon (a pinch of pepper if needed for a spicy tinge) and half a tea spoon of artificial sweetener or sugar as per your requirements. 
5. Serve it hot. 

On trying the above method with the  "Organic India Tulsi Green Tea", I got the flavors of tulsi, lemon and a tinge of spiciness along with the tangy taste of lemon and ginger blended well with the color from the green leafy dry tea powder or mixture. 

The "Organic India Green Tea" also comes in other delighful flavors such as

• Organic India Tulsi Green Tea Pomegranate
• Organic India Tulsi Green-Lemon Ginger
• Organic India Tulsi Cleanse
• Organic India Tulsi Sweet Rose
• Organic India Tulsi Tummy
• Organic India Tulsi Sleep
• Organic India Tulsi Lax
• Organic India Tulsi Mulethi
• Organic India Tulsi Earl Grey
• Organic India Tulsi Sweet Lemon
• Organic India Tulsi Honey Chamomile
• Organic India Tulsi - Jasmine Green Tea
• Organic India Tulsi Ginger

Some other brands of green tea available in India are :-

• 24 Mantra Organic Green Tea 
• Basilur
• Typhoo
• Golden Tips
• Twinings
• Happy Valley
• Lipton
• Tetley
• LaPlant

Now coming to the Benefits of green tea:-

Green tea is naturally rich in antioxidant which boost immune system.

Green tea helps in reducing stress and shedding extra kilos

Green Tea is said to be the healthiest drink present today.

It’s green tea, which wraps up all our health worries and throws them out of our mind and body.

Green Tea is like an elixir. It not only helps in weight loss, but also acts as a medicine to fight against cancer, depression and blood pressure.

Compounds in Green Tea Can Improve Brain Function.The key active ingredient is caffeine, which is a known stimulant.It doesn’t contain as much as coffee, but enough to produce a response without causing the “jittery” effects associated with too much caffeine.

Green tea can kill bacteria which improves dental health and lowers your risk of infection. 

Green tea also reduces risk of Type II Diabetes .

Apart from these major benefits, green tea also has various other benefits such as improves your skin quality and stimulates hair growth. Although this tea has a wide range of health and skin benefits, there are certain things that should be kept in mind before or while using it. 

Drinking too much green tea, which is more than five cups a day, is not recommended. If had in excess, it can create various health issues. It contains caffeine, which can induce headaches, sleeplessness, nausea, vomiting, irregular heartbeat, and heartburn. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid green tea due to its caffeine content. Green tea may aggravate certain conditions, including anxiety, osteoporosis, liver damage, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Green tea also lowers blood sugar, which is why diabetics ingesting it should carefully monitor their blood glucose.

When it comes to green tea, the options are endless. So pick one, or even try them all, to find your perfect match.