Day 64- Drink Tea

I'm not much of a tea drinker, but when I was in China it was pretty much all we had. Tea to me is similar to the feeling I had towards water. When I first started drinking water I wasn't a big fan of the stuff. I didn't completely hate it, but I didn't really like it either, but after awhile water started to grow on me. I have the same attitude towards tea.

The four different types of tea are black, white, green and oolong, and can be very beneficial to your health. They are all made from the same type of plant. Some of the benefits of drinking tea are that they contain antioxidants, lowers your stress levels, fights cavities and reduces plaque (the more natural teas without sugar added), keeps you hydrated, may reduce the risk of heart attacks or strokes, lowers blood pressure, aids your body in digestion, may help prevent diabetes, can help fight bacteria and aids in the defense of your immune system. The only downfall to these is that they contain caffeine, which is not such a bad thing, but I was really hoping that I'd be able to have a cup of tea before bed, and caffeine is not such a good idea before bed.

Other common types of teas are herbal teas, but these are not true teas, so they seem to have a category all to themselves. They are made from herbs, spices, flowers etc.. The true name for this beverage is actually called 'tisane' and not tea, but I'll still refer to it as tea. These can have some health benefits too, but not as dramatic as the other teas. Unlike their counterparts they contain no caffeine. They tend to promote relaxation and a calming effect. So this would be the tea for me to take before bed.