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It’s January, the festivities of the holiday season are over, we’re all back at work and many people’s minds turn to new year’s resolutions and fresh starts. In recent years, one of the most popular new year health kicks has been Dry January, which simply involves not drinking any alcohol for the whole of the first month of the year.
Research conducted by Royal Free Hospital in 2018 and published in the British Medical Journal concluded that even taking a short, one month break from alcohol had health benefits such as:
However we all know that giving something up, even when it’s good for us, can sometimes feel like a chore. So I thought I’d inject a little fun into Dry January with five fun tea based drinks.
Iced tea isn’t particularly widely drunk in the UK and every time I think of it, I’m transported back to a warm Spring day, sitting in a bustling piazza in Florence, Italy, sipping peach iced tea and watching the world go by. Dating back to the 19th century, iced tea is a popular drink in the Southern states of the USA. I particularly this recipe by Minimalist Baker for it’s simple ingredients and use of fresh peaches.
Flowering teas or blooming teas have to be one of the most visually stunning teas to observe. They are created with hand tied bundles of dried tea leaves and flowers, which once submerged in hot water unfurl in a beautiful floral display. Choose a glass teapot to best witness this majestic transformation.
Matcha is part of the green tea family and traditionally drunk in East Asia. Specially grown leaves are ground to a fine powder which, unlike other green teas where the leaves are steeped in hot water, is then whisked with hot water, meaning you are consuming the whole tea leaf. If you have tried Matcha before and would like something a little different, I think this Mermaid Matcha by independent tea company Bird and Blend, with it’s bright blue colour is a really fun option.
Rose tea is made from the petals and buds of the rose bush. Naturally caffeine free, high in vitamin C and antioxidants, rose tea is thought to ease menstrual pains, boost the immune system, speed healing, improve digestion, detoxify the body, stimulate mood and regulate the sleep cycle. Let’s be honest here though, the real reason I love it is because it’s just so darn pretty!
Butterfly Pea Tea is a bright blue herbal tea, made using the flowers of the Clitoria ternatea plant, otherwise known as the butterfly pea plant. Not content with it’s striking natural blue colour this tea has a magic trick up its sleeve! The blue colour of the tea changes to deep violet or purple when the pH level is altered. You don’t need to be a chemist to perform this alchemy, simply add a little lemon juice and the citric acid will produce this colour change magic before your very eyes.
And if all that tea excitement is a little too much for you, you can of course put the kettle on for a nice cup of English breakfast tea.
