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FEATUREHOTDRINKS
Time for a Brew?
As the seasons change and long, cool summer drinks are replaced by
something warming in a mug – what’s the best choice?
An old fashioned cuppa
It seems that your grandmother was right
all along! A good, old fashioned cup of
tea contains antioxidants and drinking tea
during the day can be as good for you as
drinking plenty of water – it may also
protect against heart disease and some
cancers. Take care however, as tea also
contains caffeine which can cause
irritability, insomnia and an irregular
heartbeat. The tannins in tea also
interfere with the absorption of minerals,
so consider herbal teas too.
Green tea is a particularly good
alternative, with claims that it can protect
your heart, cure Alzheimer’s, prevent
cancer and aid weight loss. Always look
for a good quality brand of green tea,
such as Double Dragon’s range of
individually-wrapped teabags which
includes Green Tea and Organic Green Tea
as well as Jasmine-scented Green Tea,
Green or Organic Green Tea with Ginkgo
Biloba or Pure Ginseng Tea, all available
from selected independent health stores.
Qi Herbal Health, specialists in green
and white china teas, now pack real fruit
into their teas for those who like flavoured
teas. Try White Tea & Pomegranate or
Blueberry Twist with green tea and citrus,
both rich in antioxidants. For fruity flavour
there’s White Tea & Acai Berry and Green
Tea Plus, with refreshing pomegranate,
blueberry and red grape.
An alternative tea drink is Pau d’Arco,
used by South Americans for hundreds of serotonin and melatonin. coffee as a breakfast beverage! Too much
years. As well as a refreshing, warm tea, A mug of hot chocolate, in theory, caffeine will over-stimulate the nervous
it is also a cough and cold remedy and contains enough essential amino acid and system and elevate blood sugar and
contains anti-fungal properties that make natural caffeine, phenylalanine, to be cholesterol levels – hardly a good start to
it helpful for Candida sufferers. 40 therapeutic for brain chemistry. However, your day!
teabags at £5.99 from Rio Trading. remember that many ready-to-mix milky If you are a coffee addict, limit yourself
drinks also contain saturated fat and to no more than three cups a day and
Milk before bed? sugar. If you do like a milky drink before always avoid caffeine after 6pm if you
Another of grandma’s favourites is a hot bed, try using low fat milk or alternatives want a good night’s sleep. Better still,
milky drink just before bedtime. The idea such as rice or soya milk. you can always look for alternatives to
was that the fat and protein in milk coffee, from dandelion root, acorns and
would sustain you until breakfast, so Waking up to coffee? barley to chicory sweetened with
avoiding hunger pangs and giving a Many Europeans start their day with a cup figs. They may not be everyone’s cup of
better night’s sleep. Milk is also a source of strong coffee. However, you’ll not find tea, but next time you fancy a cappuccino
of tryptophan which helps the body make much health advice that recommends or latte, give the healthy choice a try!
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