Tea for Two

Let’s talk tea.

I’m basically a java girl but I keep plenty of tea around for those tea occasions. Ginger tea after meals to aide digestion, green tea in the evening, and of course chamomile (honey vanilla chamomile) before bed.

Let’s dissect my favorite teas.

Ginger tea:

Used for centuries to aide digestion, ginger also helps with gas and bloating. Ginger tea is also considered an aide for motion sickness. Talk to your doctor if you are taking warfarin (coumadin) which may be affected by ginger consumption.

A lovely Lemon Ginger Tea recipe from The Daily Green

SERVINGS
4-6

INGREDIENTS
6 cups water
4 teaspoons sugar
1 inch fresh gingeroot, thinly sliced
8 pieces lemon peel, strips
6 green tea bags

PREPARATION

1. In a large saucepan, combine the water, sugar, gingeroot and lemon peel.

2. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

3. Remove ginger and lemon strips and discard them.

4. Place the tea bags in a teapot and immediately add the simmering water mixture.

5. Cover and let steep.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
(based on individual servings)
Calories: 10
Total Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 g
Sodium: 4 mg
Carbohydrates: 2.8 g
Fiber: 0 g
Protein: 0 g

Green Tea:

Green tea is a potent antioxidant and the catechins in green tea have been shown to lower blood sugars.

Additionally green tea is said to be a starch blocker and a tool in increasing insulin sensitivity and balancing the metabolic rate of fat deposit and fat burning.

From WebMD,Green Tea May Delay Diabetes. This article discusses how green tea may assist in insulin sensitivity.

Check out what the American Diabetes Association says about green tea here.

Chamomile tea has been in the news this week:

First, what is chamomile tea?

Chamomile is a relative of the ragweed, and it can cause allergic reactions–and because it contains coumarin, a blood thinning substance, it can interfere with blood thinning prescription medications. The chamomile flower is used for tea, and has relaxation qualities and is used as an anti-spasmodic and anti-inflammatory.

And from the headlines–diabetes and chamomile tea:

ScienceDaily, September 16, 2008. Drinking Chamomile Tea May Help Fight Complications Of Diabetes. “Drinking chamomile tea daily with meals may help prevent the complications of diabetes, which include loss of vision, nerve damage, and kidney damage, researchers in Japan and the United Kingdom are reporting.”

From the Washington Post, September 19, 2008. Chamomile Tea May Ward Off Diabetes Damage “The findings, published in the Sept. 10 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, are based on feeding chamomile extract to a group of diabetic rats for 21 days. Those on the chamomile supplement experience a significant decrease in blood glucose levels.”