Tea Pot
New addition to my tea collection $8
Have I mentioned my obsession with tea, teapots, kettles, and tea sets??  After many unsuccessful years of trying kick my coffee habits, I finally made the switch to tea after studying abroad in Turkey, where natives drink up to 20 cups a day!  I brought back with me about fifteen different flavors of tea, a new tea set, and a new found love for the drink. The whole idea of sitting pretty and sipping away with a great book (Fifty Shades of Grey, anyone??) makes me giddy with excitement! Sounds fabulous, no?  If you're not yet convinced, the beverage certainly offers numerous other benefits besides the dreamy ideal and taste ::

1.  Wakey Wakey!  Black tea provides the most caffeine, followed by green, having up to 120 mg/cup, while the other nutrients and herbs can have lifting effects, as well.

2.  Sleepy Sleepy.  Chamomile tea has the ability to aid in sleeping and also help relieve anxiety.

3.  Prevent Heart Disease and Cancer.  Antioxidants, anyone?

4.  Lose Weight!  Zero calorie drinks in almost an unlimited amount of flavors, so you'll never get tired of it.  Some teas, such as Pu-erh & White teas (promoted by Dr. Oz!!) , gets you up and moving, increases metabolic rate, while also curbing your appetite.  Just cutting out 250 calories/day can result in losing one pound per week.

5.  Brighten Your Smile.  Tea actually contains fluoride that may prevent plaque build-up and prevent periodontal disease.

6.  Be Happy.  Tea helps control blood sugar levels to prevent you from having sugar highs and lows and keep you at a steady, happy medium.

7.  Easy Lifestyle Change.  If you've always envied the lifestyles of those chill, happy-go-lucky, carefree individuals, drinking tea natural pushes you in that direction.  A very simple lifestyle change like drinking tea, can promote an overall feeling of well-being and help you make other changes you've had trouble with before in order to better your life!

Just starting out, and don't know what kind to buy?  I recommend a new brand from the heart of tea lovers, the UK, called Higher Living.  Inexpensive, flavorful, and a variety of different healing herbs. (My favorite is Vitality)

What are your favorite flavors/brands? Hope you join in the joy of TEA TIME!