June is National Iced Tea Month: Recognize with TasTEA Recipes

Below are a list of links to some of the best iced tea recipes I came across while searching high and low. These teas are perfect anytime, and not just in liquid form (hint - try some of these recipes as frozen slushes or popsicles)! Browse, click, try and enjoy! 

Blueberry-Lemon Iced Tea

Hot Steeped Lime Green Iced Tea

Citrus Rosemary Iced Tea

Hibiscus-Pomegranate Iced Tea

Pineapple-Mint Iced Tea

Black Tea Punch 

Pomegranate and Lime Iced Tea

Blackberry Mint Iced Tea 

Mixed Berry Iced Tea

Mango Iced Tea 

Thai Iced Tea

Frozen Iced Tea

Sip, Smile, Stay Awhile 

Match by Mood: Teas if You Need Energy

Tired: Whether it's the morning and you need a kick start, or mid-day and you need a boost, tea can be an all-natural way to sip the zzz's away. Depending on your caffeine sensitivity green tea may give you enough of a perk. Most commonly, black tea, with the highest levels of caffeine in tea, is a sure thing to get you moving. Chai tea, which is black tea based, has added spices that provide an extra zing when consumed. As a bonus, they have been known to even trigger creative inspiration. 

• Bombay Chai 
• Orange Dulce 
• Organic Earl Grey 
• Organic Breakfast
• ORIGINS Berry Black 
• ORIGINS Classic Breakfast 
• ORIGINS Earl Grey 
• Marrakesh Mint 
• Organic Mint Melange 
• Green Tea Tropical 
• ORIGINS Citrus Green 
• ORIGINS Kyoto Rice 
• ORIGINS Jasmine 

Sip, smile, stay awhile

Match by Mood: Teas if you feel Sluggish

Sluggish: We all have those days where we just feel a bit slow. Maybe it was self-induced after an over-indulgent night, maybe it's the weather or the time of the month, whatever the reason may be you just feel like you're dragging. If this is the case, tea may be the answer. Generally, green and white teas do wonders for "cleaning"out the system. Teas that include rooibos and ginger are also excellent for flushing the body of unwanted toxins and other junk. This is part of the reason ginger is commonly found in many detox drinks. 

• Marrakesh Mint 
  
• Green Tea Tropical 
• ORIGINS Kyoto Rice 
• ORIGINS Jasmine 
• ORIGINS Citrus Green 
• White Orchard 
• Organic African Nectar 
• Ginger Twist 
• ORIGINS Ruby Spice 

Sip, smile, stay awhile

Match by Mood: Teas if you feel Distracted

Distracted: Maybe it's the mid-week slump, last hour of the work day or simple total chaos, but if something has you feeling less than focused, a spot of tea may help redirect you. Green tea and black tea provide pep to help get the wheels turning. If you're sensitive to caffeine, try a mate tea, for the boost without the jitters. As mentioned previously, the Indian spices in chai tea help to increase creativity and mint can help stimulate brain function. 

• Marrakesh Mint 
• Green Tea Tropical 
• ORIGINS Kyoto Rice 
• ORIGINS Jasmine 
• ORIGINS Citrus Green 
• Bombay Chai 
• Orange Dulce 
• Organic Earl Grey 
• Organic Breakfast 
• ORIGINS Berry Black 
• ORIGINS Classic Breakfast 
• ORIGINS Earl Grey 
• Rainforest Mate 
• Organic Mint Melange 
• ORIGINS Mediterranean Mint 

Sip, smile, stay awhile

Tea Envy

For once it's ok to be green (tea) with envy; the health benefits and multiple uses for green tea make it a drink worth coveting. I'm sure this is not the first time you have come across green tea health benefits, so let us go over a few you may not have heard of and some that are just so impressive they are worth repeating.

Weight Loss - Green tea works to promote weight loss by boosting metabolism. Green tea contains a polyphenol that increases fat oxidation and speeds up the rate at which your body turns food to calories.

Diabetes - Green tea helps regulate glucose levels, helping to keep blood sugars from rising too highly after eating.

Heart Disease - Scientists have found that green tea helps to line blood vessels, keeping them relaxed and better able to handle changes in blood pressure. It can also help to reduce clotting, the primary cause of heart attacks.

Esophageal Cancer - Green tea can help reduce the risk of this cancer as well as help kill cancer cells.

Cholesteral - Drinking green tea lowers bad cholesteral in the blood and helps balance the ratio between good and bad.

Alzheimer's and Parkinson's - Drinking green tea is said to slow the process of deterioration caused by Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, some studies have even begun to show that green tea may help protect and repair brain cells.

Tooth Decay - Green tea contains a chemical antioxidant, "catechin", that can rid the mouth of bacteria and infections that can cause things like throat infections and dental conditions.

Blood Pressure - Drinking green tea regularly can help reduce the risk of having high blood pressure.

Depression - Green tea and other teas contain an amino acid, theanine, that helps provide a relaxing, calming effect.

Anti-viral and Anti-bacterial - Some studies have shown that green tea stops the spread of many diseases, and the "catechins" have strong anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties that are helpful in treating things from the flu to several types of cancer.

Skincare - Green tea has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which can help reduce the appearance of aging, fighting off the free radicals that cause wrinkles and and sagging.

So I don't know about you but I'm going to brew some green tea now, and get my health on. For more ways to use and enjoy green tea, check back later for posts on how to create your very own green tea skin treatments.

Sip, smile, stay awhile