4 Teas to improve your mood this Dry January
Having seen in the New Year many of us have decided to kick the excesses of December to the kerb and start the new decade in fine style. You might have decided to do the entire New Year New You thing, maybe join the gym, do a detox diet or even do Dry January or Veganuary in a bid give your system a bit of a break in a bid to lose those festive lumps and bumps and keep you in tip top health. You may have also been looking into alternative drinks to help give you that boost. With that in mind, we’ve shortlisted 4 teas that can make a positive contribution and improve your mood.
Health drinks and tonics are in plentiful supply, but some are more obvious than you think and don’t cost the earth either. One pretty obvious health drink has been helping Brits detox since 1657.
TEA, NATURE’S DETOXIFYING DRINK & MOOD ENHANCER
This mysterious miracle elixir has been doing the rounds for thousands of years and ever since it was first discovered in China in 2737 BC it’s been going down a storm… As you might imagine most of the evidence was anecdotal but now scientists have waded in and have validated what the ancients knew all along… tea is good for you!
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The first written records banging on about the health benefits of tea drinking dates back to the eighth century in a book called ‘Ch’a Ching’ (to you and me ‘Tea Classic’) by the eminent Chinese tea master and writer Lù Yǔ (give him a Google – he’s a nifty bloke).
Whilst statistically, water remains the most popular drink in the world, tea is a close second! There are four main types of tea, Green Tea, Black Tea, White Tea, and Oolong Tea and since early 2000 herbal teas have begun to muscle in on the act too with tasty infusions including, Camomile, Hibiscus, and Rooibos going down a treat.
Depending on you choose – and whether or not you eat healthily and exercise frequently, these teas and herbal teas pack just the right punch to give you a real health boost.
WHEN IS A TEA NOT A TEA?
Strictly speaking not all of these ‘teas’ are teas.
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While we’ve shortlisted our favourite teas to improve your mood some of these teas are actually known as ‘infusions’. An infusion is the process of extracting flavours or chemical compounds from plant matter, which is done in the same way that you would prepare any other brew.
However all of these drinks are perfect to detox with. These teas and infusions have different and unique properties to help you:
- Re-hydrate
- Reduce stress
- Improve your mood
- Sleep better at night
SO, HERE’S OUR PICK FOR 4 TEAS TO IMPROVE YOUR MOOD.
#1 GREEN TEA
Green tea is the healthiest of the lot.
The reason being the many different types are brim full of antioxidants, which gives the body the ability to combat free radicals, which the human body makes a habit of collecting. So, do yourself a favour and brew a Farrer’s Green Sencha tea, this stunning Japanese green tea has an intense grassy flavour with a little sweetness and handily it’s rich in antioxidants. It’s just the thing to help you detox.
#2 CAMOMILE TEA
Camomile tea (it’s not really a tea as there’s no camellia sinensis in it) is recognised the world over for its calming qualities, it’s perfect for helping you enjoy your night-time kip, and with over a million cups knocked back every single day lots of people seem to have got on the inside track.
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If you haven’t seen there’s a simple solution to help you get with the programme. Get your hands on Farrer’s Camomile floral tea, not only will you be able to savour a cup of summery elegance, which is brim full of freshness with a light, cleansing flavour that can be enjoyed at any time of day.
With this Camomile Tea you’ll be able to benefit from all of its therapeutic properties.
#3 ROOIBOS TEA
Unsurprisingly Rooibos tea packs a health punch too…
Made from the ‘Red Bush’ it’s been about for a bit, being first drunk by the San and Khoikhoi people in the Western Cape of South Africa… but it didn’t get the recognition it deserved until the 1960’s when Dr. Annique Theron extolled the virtues of Rooibos after using it to treat her young daughter’s allergies. It’s no surprise it worked as the drink is brim full of minerals; including iron, calcium, potassium, copper, manganese, zinc and magnesium.
Rooibos Tea is a little magic bullet and happily Farrah’s Rooibos tea is no different. Delivering a brew with a deliciously distinctive nutty taste and lots of mineral goodness to help you relax and unwind after a hectic day. Which is just what you want from a feel good drink.
#4 LEMON VERBENA
Lemon Verbena is a wee pick me up too, hailing from South America.
(Image by @purejulia on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/v2CBwceqAGo)
This perennial shrub can be found in Argentina, Brazil, Peru and Paraguay. It hit our shores when Spanish explorers brought it back to Europe in the 17th century and it’s been pretty popular ever since, as a flavouring for foods and as an ingredient in perfumes. Handily it just happens to make a tip top infusion too, which is rich in antioxidants and has lots of a chemical called verbascoside in it, a chemical found in lots of medicinal plants, which happens to help the human body deal with all those pesky oxidants we encounter daily.
So when you slurp a cup of Farrer’s Lemon Verbena Infusion not only will you delight in its light buttery notes, subtle lemon scenting and slightly grassy finish you’ll also be able to feel slightly smug because the tea your drinking has a hidden bonus as it helps to increase energy levels too.
TRY ONE OF THESE TEAS TO IMPROVE YOUR MOOD
We’ve touched the tip of the iceberg as far as ‘teas’ (and infusions) go but even just looking at the four suspects above it’s pretty clear that tea in all its forms has the necessary ingredients to help improve your day-to-day health and give you a nice mood boost at the same time.
So, what are you waiting for get the kettle on enjoy a brew as part of your healthy and active lifestyle?