You may ask, can you get drunk for the right reasons? Can you drink every day and live a long healthy life?

Well, it depends on what you drink which, affects your body. I drink tea! Yeah, you heard me right. It is tea.

My love for infusions, and especially teas, grew after I realized I could enjoy them.

This magic happened during my trip to Poznan, Poland! My brother and his wife made us a nice brew just after dinner and added some peels of lemon with a dash of honey, and that was it to date! I got hooked!

Poland by the way, has such a fantastic range of teas and infusions. If you ever visit, you will be amazed!

In this post, I will be sharing my best teas and infusions for weight loss, staying healthy and flushing the system.  

So back in Lisbon, I of course started experimenting with the various teas I had at home and the ones I also bought on my trip. From lemon zest, orange rind, lime, and grapefruit peels, I delved into the world of flavours. Also, with a squeeze of the juices of this citrusy goodness, it boosted the aroma and flavour of the tea, kicking a pure cup of simplicity into a swirl of cocktail 🙂

The art of tea is as old as humanity, and it is a pristine form of wellness and longevity. When it comes to teas and infusions, you can see them as healing, beauty, well-being, or simply for aromatic fragrance.

To differentiate teas from infusions, one can simply distinguish teas as grown from tea leaves also known as camellia, and they usually contain caffeine. In contrast, infusions can be any mix from herbal to fruits or a mix of both.

Infusions usually do not contain caffeine and can be consumed at any time of the day while you have to be careful with some teas that are high in caffeine so as not to stay awake the whole night.

Teas can be categorized into 5 types due to the colours and flavours they exhibit when brewed.

Black Tea

This is one of the most common teas as they are usually drunk black or with cream. It is also known as the English breakfast. The colour of the tea which is a dark brown gets its colour and caffeine from the oxidation of the leaves. This tea also is best known for energy and vitality as I call it, arise, and shine! The black tea has a soothing effect for stomach upset especially when paired with some milk. It became my all-time favourite during my 1^st trimester that came with the night or morning sickness. It was one of the best things I consumed when I felt queazy.

Green Tea

This tea is what is trending right now. Lately, green tea has gained a lot of popularity for its benefits toward weight loss, cancer-fighting, metabolism kick-starter, and anti-ageing amongst other benefits. The colour just like the name is light green or very subtle yellow. Due to its high caffeine content, I will not recommend its consumption at night unless you do not have a problem with sleeping after sipping a cup.

Red Tea

Red tea also known as Pu-erh is typical of the Yunnan province of China. These fermented tea leaves when brewed have a deep reddish colour and have great health benefits from detox and healing the organs of the body to controlling your cholesterol. Also, due to its high caffeine content, it should be consumed wisely and during the day.

White Tea

This tea can be likened to the gentle tea. Just like the name, when brewed, the colour is very light in nature, with a very light tint to it like a diluted green tea. It is an unoxidized tea which preserves the tea in its purest form. The caffeine level of this also is almost insignificant and can be enjoyed all the long. Youthfulness is restored with this tea.

Blue Tea

This is one I just started enjoying and it is also known as oolong tea. Due to the semi-oxidization during its production, it has green and black tea characteristics. Its colour isn’t blue, don’t get me wrong but it can vary from light green to a darker reddish tint like the black tea. The colour of the tea depends on its oxidization process.

Ways to enjoy teas

When it comes to teas and infusions, I do not limit myself. This is the easiest healthiest way to express your water intake. You can never go wrong. Below are some suggestions that you can incorporate into your daily tea and infusions:-

• Citrus peels
• Sweeteners – Agave, Honey, Stevia, Brown, White or Yellow sugar
• Fruits
• Milk or creamers
• Citrus juices
• Spices & herbs – star anise, cinnamon, fennel seeds, peppermint or mint leaves, lavender, rosemary etc.

The ways to enjoy teas are endless and each tea is packed with beneficial properties both for the body and the mind. The mental state of one can be improved with the consumption of many cups of tea and infusions daily. If you get bored easily with the same tea, you can buy different varieties and discover the brews of preference and how they make you feel. You can find a great recipe in this post.

INFUSIONS

So, let’s jump right to infusions. Infusions are simply a mix of various dried fruits, flowers, peels, and herbs either sold in bags or in loose forms. They do not contain caffeine and can be consumed at any time of the day. They are usually fruity in nature and vary in colours from the different ingredients they are made from. So, we can call infusions, the rainbow fragrant goodness. The list of infusions is endless and you can also make yours at home. My favourite shop for getting gourmet teas and infusions is TEA SHOP, you can’t beat them. For those who live in Lisbon or Porto, you can google the various locations to get the teas of your choice if you wish to. 

For Wellness

The most important thing is to hydrate the body either with teas or infusions in other to achieve the desired body balance. You can boil your water, add your infusions and enjoy them hot. But considering the current season of summer, you can be sure to give your body what it needs by doing the above step and storing it in a glass jug in the fridge. You can even cut in orange slices, cucumbers, and spices like star anise or cinnamon to even enhance the already delicious drink. This is also ideal for a complete detox as it cleanses the body by flushing out toxins. 

Teas and infusions for Beauty

Use the leaves from used tea bags as facial scrubs or blended into a paste for a beauty facial cleanse.

For Air fresheners or Room Fragrances

 This is best with used infusions as they contain fruits, flowers, and everything good. When brewing with loose infusions, use an infuser mug and gather the leaves after you enjoy your tea. You can either re-dry them or bake them in the oven to dry them. Believe me, your house will smell heavenly straight from the oven to the perforated bags you’ll be storing them in. Place these bags in strategic places in your home and wow yourself and your guests!

For Baking

Did you know that you use your infusions as the flavouring essence in your cakes and bakes? Well, if you didn’t, now you know. Imagine taking a spoon full of these infusions and steeping for a few minutes in hot milk or even boiling these in hot water or milk to use for your bakes. Sounds too good to be true, right? I will make a post on that in the near future. 

Whatever time of the day, the great news is that there are specific teas for specific times of the day. From energy like black, green, or red tea to relaxing teas like chamomile, melissa, or tilia. 

For wellness and longevity, drink to health. This also helps you stay focused especially for those who are attaining a particular weight goal. 

Heal yourself both mentally and physically. Drink!