Tea vs. Coffee

In the battle of tea versus coffee you may expect to find a clear winner –and you may suspect that winner to be tea, since this is tea blog. The truth is, both beverages are very different and have positives and negatives associated with them. The most notable difference is how they are prepared. Tea, whether white, black, green, or herbal, is made with some type of dehydrated leaf. Coffee on the other hand, is made from ground beans. Another big factor in choosing the beverage for you is the amount of caffeine in each drink. One cup of coffee ranges from 125-185 mg of caffeine. Tea has a significantly lower amount of caffeine with only 55 mg per cup.

Tea became popular in China for its healing abilities and has since developed a reputation for being the healthier drink. Here’s another truth, coffee has been proven to have some health benefits. Research has shown, coffee consumers are less likely to have type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and dementia. But don’t let me make your decision for you, below are some distinctions between tea and coffee.

Tea

The antioxidants in tea help:

• To build a strong immune system
• Weight loss
• Achieve younger looking skin
• To lower cholesterol and blood pressure
• May prevent cancer and heart diseases

Coffee

• Reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes
• May help prevent strokes
• Helps protect the liver
• Increases ones energy and focus

So there you have it. If you want to help your skin and maintain your weight and cholesterol levels, tea is probably your best choice. But, if diabetes runs in your family maybe having a cup of coffee in the morning will do more than get you ready for the day’s activities.

Save your skin with white tea extracts

White tea is not only a delicious and nutritional drink, but apparently it can save your skin. A study published in Experimental Dermatology found that applying white or green tea extracts can help protect your skin from the aftereffects of sun exposure. The study used skin samples from volunteers who applied the tea extracts after they had been out in the sun or exposed to some form of ultraviolet (UV) light.

Tea extracts are not to be used in replacement of suntan screens because they do not protect against direct UV absorption. Instead, tea extracts can be looked at as an organic alternative to using Aloe based products for soothing the skin after being out in the sun. The antioxidants in the tea help to prevent oxidative DNA damage caused by solar rays. Many doctors and scientists have linked oxidative DNA damage to identifying future risks of getting cancer.

So what do we get from this study? Next time you are out in the suns harmful rays – yes this applies to the winter as well – treat your skin with white tea extract.

Chinese Tea Ceremony

Chinese tea ceremonies have helped shape the Chinese tea culture for over 1200 years. The ceremonies were initially called cha dao, which translates to the way of tea. Today, tea ceremonies are described as he, jing, yi, Zhen, meaning peace, quiet, enjoyment, and truth. The unique style of drinking and elegant service has grown in popularity over the years and is frequently performed in teahouses around the world.

It is important to note, that the ceremony is not very strict. In the tea ceremony it is not about the person serving the tea, it is all about the tea itself. There are six main parts to a tea ceremony:

1. Attitude: The attitude of the person performing the ceremony should be a happy, peaceful and calm attitude when serving the tea. The performer should be confident in their movements.
2. Tea Selection: You want to select the best tea for your tea ceremony. In addition to taste, smell, and shape of the tealeaves, the tea should have a nice name and story.
3. Water Selection: Poor water selection can make even the best tealeaves taste sour. To produce the best taste and smell of tea the water should be clean and purified.
4. Teaware Selection: You want to select tea-ware that is both functional and beautiful.
5. Ambiance: It is important that the Chinese tea ceremony be performed in a peaceful and calm environment.
6. Technique: The tea ceremony performer is like the ballerina of dancers. Their hand and body movements must be graceful and elegant.

Below is a short version of a Chinese tea ceremony.