Have you stopped drinking tea? Wait. You don't have to! Here are some tips that can help you make your cup of tea healthier.
You should not drink tea on an empty stomach
HIGHLIGHTS
- Choose good quality of tea leaves
- Ditch artificial creams and sugar while preparing tea
- You can add herbs like clove, cinnamon and ginger
India is a land where tea is held in high esteem. However, nowadays, many of us are asked to ditch our favourite cup because of health issues. While some people believe that tea can actually help in maintaining our health, others cite its caffeine content and call it the reason behind increased anxiety, headaches and disruptive sleep patterns. To help us come out of this straitjacket over tea, life coach Luke Coutinho has suggested ways to make tea healthier. The best way is to keep it simple and not to overdo its intake, he said. Here are some pointers that he shared on Instagram.
Addicted to tea? Try these tips to make tea the healthy way
1. Tea Leaves
Always go for good quality tea leaves in the market. Although expensive, they taste better and benefit our health.
2. Lactose Intolerance
If milk bloats us or if we are lactose intolerant, we can choose "ethically sourced" milk over packaged ones. If that doesn't help, ditch the milk and switch to black tea.
3. Artificial Creamers
Use no artificial creamers. Use only real cream or milk. Or leave it altogether.
4. Artificial Sweetener
Instead of using artificial sweeteners, use stevia or natural jaggery instead. Or, have it plain.
Avoid adding artificial sugar to tea
Photo Credit: iStock
5. Spices And Herbs
To boost the health properties of tea, add clove, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, lemongrass, tulsi or saffron to the cup.
6. Timings
Luke has suggested that we shouldn't have tea on an empty stomach. It's also not a good idea to have it before going to bed.
7. Caffeine
If caffeine in tea is making us more acidic or disturbing our sleep patterns, it's better to leave it. However, we can switch to herbal infusions like tulsi tea that do not contain caffeine.
8. Regularity
We can safely continue drinking two cups of tea every day unless our doctor suggests otherwise. But if we've made it a habit to drink five or more cups a day, it's time to gradually step away from the habit.
9. Sugar
We can opt for a teaspoon of normal sugar if we are keeping good health, have no health issues and are happy about our body weight. Do not over-consume sugar.
10. Honey
Do not boil tea with honey and do not drink chai when it is boiling hot.
Now, it's time to enjoy our cup of chai in the right way.
(Luke Coutinho, Holistic Lifestyle Coach - Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine)
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
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