Well, the New Year is upon us. It’s time to get back to good habits (oft neglected during the holiday season), take charge of ourselves, and forge into 2013 with our eyes on the prize. We only suggest that you consider making that prize a healthy regimen of tea.
You’ve likely heard about all the health benefits of tea by now. There’s a lot of research already out there, and more keeps coming every day. Our inboxes are constantly filled with evidence pointing towards tea’s effects on weight loss, alpha brain waves, and cancer prevention. You’ve probably even some specifics on your favorite teas: that Pu’erh may lower cholesterol, Rooibos may help relieve allergies, or that Oolongs may serve as appetite suppressants. That’s all good and well, but well, it’s all a little medical, isn’t it?
Here I’ll make the case for fitting tea into your day. Let’s have a look at this in the second person (that means I get to boss you, my character, around).
You wake up – if you’re like me, you’re a little startled by the day, and a little cranky. Hey, it’s cold out there. You know what isn’t cold? No, not your bed. A hot, steaming cup of stimulating black tea. Take it with milk & sugar, take it black, but however you take it, take it hot. Nothing sharpens the mind and insures that you won’t slip in the shower like black tea. Nothing gets you out the door and on your way to work like a cup of black tea. If you commute, you’ll find perhaps that tea offers you both the get-up-and-go of coffee without the negative side effect of jittery road rage. When that jerk cuts you off, you can simply raise your glass, shake your head and say, “Psh, coffee drinkers.”
Alright, now you’re at work. The tasks have magically piled up overnight (or heaven forbid, over the weekend), and it’s a little daunting. Do you know what the Chinese use to climb mountains? Green tea. Yup, a fresh, bright, enlightening cup of green tea to keep the mind bitingly sharp and tackle that mountain. Surefooted and steadfast, you’re ready to greet all the day’s events through multiple infusions, operating at your highest level with the wind of a thousand tea garden at your back. Drinking green tea, staying away from sweet and salty snacks, oiling that well maintained machine with powerful antioxidants and exciting your brain’s pleasure center. Like the boss you are.
It’s a New Year, and you’re nailing it. You’re home from work – the check marks have been chicken scratched all over your to do list. The T’s are crossed, the I’s are dotted, the buttons buttoned down, and it’s time to wind down and treat yo’self. Go ahead and make yourself a cup of your finest naturally-caffeine free herbal tea. Whether you’re a classic Chamomile fan or a Rooibos connoisseur, there are plenty of options to keep you delighted through the days.
I know what you’re thinking. Who really drinks that much tea? Well, I’ll tell you who. I do. And it’s a quintessential part of my operations. In this new year, that’s a habit that won’t change (though others will), and I greatly look forward to trying out many new teas in 2013. As we reflect on the future, I ask you: what mountains will you climb this year, and what teas will you try?