I love hot tea and typically drink at least two cups each day and some days it’s upwards of 4. I credit my mom for this as she was always making tea and offering me a cup when I was growing up. I should have taken a picture of her tea stash when I went to visit last weekend. It was impressive!
Tea used to be an every afternoon/evening ritual for me but I’ve started to incorporate it into my mornings as well. When I did the Skinny Limits juice cleanse last December I broke myself of the habit of having to have coffee right when I woke up. Now I kick off my day with a mug of warm lemon water followed by a smoothie and hot tea. I still drink coffee most days but just a cup sometime between 9-11 a.m. I don’t really know how to describe it but I feel like tea is “lighter” than coffee and a gentler way to start the day. In the mornings I gravitate towards more of black/non-floral/non-fruity tea like dandelion or English breakfast style tea.
I almost always make a cup of tea after lunch. Oftentimes it’s ginger tea because of its digestive benefits. I also like green tea variations in the afternoon. And finally, I love a good chamomile tea in the evenings…especially in bed with a book.
I wanted to share six of my favorite teas with you along with the benefits of each and what I like about them. And note…this is just store bought tea bags. We won’t even get into loose leaf tea. I have quite a supply of that as well! And another note…I almost always drink my tea with no added sugar/honey/agave/milk/etc. Straight up!
I have been drinking this tea since worked in advertising and lived in Birmingham 5 years ago! It tastes amazing with a lightly fruity taste and I always get compliments on how nice it smells when I make a cup at work.
From the Yogi Tea website:
Yogi’s special formula of Organic Green Tea with Kombucha is designed to support your immune system and provide antioxidants. Spearmint naturally supports digestion, and Lemongrass and Plum flavor combine to create a smooth, fragrant blend with a light, fruity flavor.
I like to drink this tea in the afternoons as a pick me up.
2. Traditional Medicinals Roasted Dandelion Root Tea.
This is a pretty recent addition for me. I started drinking this tea a couple of months ago upon the suggestion of a fellow trainer. The taste takes a little getting used to. It’s earthy and slightly bitter while having a natural sweetness.
This article from MindBodyGreen cites the following 8 reasons to drink dandelion root tea:
- It improves digestion and aids weight loss.
- It eases congestion of the liver.
- It helps to purify the bladder and kidneys.
- It reduces the risk of urinary tract infections.
- It contains calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium, vitamins B and C.
- It helps to purify the blood, regulate blood sugar and improves blood circulation.
- It helps to ease bloating and aching joints.
- It helps to cure skin conditions.
I typically drink this tea in the morning with breakfast. I feel like it’s a great way to start the day given its benefits.
3. Yogi Ginger Tea.
I like anything ginger…ginger ale, ginger chew candies, fresh ginger, ginger kombucha, green juice with ginger…I just can’t get enough of that subtle spice and I love it’s benefits of easing digestion and nausea.
From the Yogi Tea website…
For millennia, herbalists throughout the world have known of the rejuvenating, soothing and invigorating qualities of Ginger. Naturally warming, Ginger supports healthy digestion. Ayurvedic practitioners have used Ginger as a way of activating the body’s internal energy to help regain balance and harmony. In our organic Ginger tea, we build on this therapeutic tradition by adding a unique blend of herbs and spices to complement Ginger’s piquant flavor.
I drink this tea almost every day after lunch.
I drink this tea more as a treat than for its health benefits. It tastes all warm and spicy. It’s an especially perfect compliment for an afternoon of baking! 🙂
From the Trader Joe’s website…
Trader Joe’s Spiced Chai takes its cue from masala chai, a lively blend of black tea and warm spices. It’s a carefully crafted combination of strong black tea from India’s Assam valley, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, star anise, black pepper, nutmeg, roasted chicory and vanilla bean.
This is a tea where I may occasionally add some milk or agave.
5. Yogi Bedtime.
This tea is perfect for unwinding and relaxing. The tea features valerian and chamomile to help with relaxation but it also includes licorice, cardamom and cinnamon and they add the most cozy slightly sweet and warm flavor to the tea.
From the Yogi Tea website.
This blend is a soothing combination of herbs traditionally used for centuries to promote relaxation and sleep. Valerian and Organic Chamomile can help calm occasional nervousness and restlessness. Then we add Passionflower, used in Native American blends to helps reduce every day stress to support sleep. Licorice, Cardamom and Cinnamon add a delicious, warming flavor that’s just right for drinking before bedtime.
I drink this one in the evenings before bed.
6. Tazo Awake Tea.
I have been drinking this one as long as the Green Tea Kombucha. It’s an a great choice for plain black tea. It’s got a decent amount of caffeine without being as strong as coffee and also features what I would consider a “traditional” tea flavor.
I frequently drink this tea “black” in the mornings but I also make my own Starbucks Awake Tea Lattes with it as well.
There you have it…my six favorite teas and when/how/why I drink them. Let me know if you have any questions!
Are you a tea drinker? If so, what’s your favorite kind? Any recommendations for me?
I drink the Yogi Bedtime tea every night! I love it!
I can’t wait to try the Roasted Dandelion Root!
Love hot tea! I really want to try the Yogi Bead time – I have tried Awake. Love it!
I love tea! I am a huge green tea fan I used to drink at least 4 cups a day! I have toned back a bit with the tea drinking but I would say I have at least one cup a day!
Try Teecino!! Lots of teas plus herbal non-caffeinated coffee that is yummy!!
love yogi teas! have you tried their green tea muscle recovery? screams PBR to me 😉
I gave up coffee a few years ago and just drink tea. Tazo Awake is one of my favorites!
I’ve always wanted to try the Green Tea Kombucha! My favorite is Yogi Egyptian Licorice and Tazo Zen. Will have to try some of your recommendations. 🙂
I haven’t been drinking much tea these days and have even cut my coffee consumption down drastically. However, I LOVE Yogi’s Kava Stress Relief tea. I received a sample at the Hershey Park Half marathon expo almost 2 years ago and was blown away with how good it was that I immediately bought it the next day. I want to try their bedtime tea now too.
Harney and Sons, African Autumn and Dragon Pearl Jasmine! In the summer though homeade sun tea, decaf green or plain old decaf Lipton’s with some lemon-y herbs from my garden!
I love the green tea kombacha tea, except I get the decaf one! I think my #1 favorite tea as of the last few months is this Vanilla Ceylon from St. Dalfour!
Ok, this post was immediately evernoted. If I didn’t have an inordinately huge amount of tea to get thru I would be buying all of these right now. alas, i must try and learn patience. Thank you so much for sharing!
For Traditional Medicinals l like:
lemon echinacea throat coat
plain ginger
raspberry leaf
My favorite from Tazo are
Organic Chun Mee Green Tea
refresh mint
I also make mint tea from organic dried mint leaves, I bought a huge bag of Frontier natural organic spearmint.
Love tea!
I enjoy drinking tea, but mainly during the colder months. I like the Tazo teas, especially hibiscus. The Awake is great for making milk tea! I also like matcha green tea.
I need to try a few of these. Have you tried Numi teas? I get them at Healthy Home Market, breakfast blend and yerba mate lemon are my favorites.
I’ve tried all six of those! I also like the Numi teas.
Loving my lemon and raspberry tea in the morning 🙂
Chai tea will always be my favorite but mint is now a close second. I love adding just a fresh sprig of mint to tea instead of sugar/milk/etc.
I am a coffee lover and am looking into adding hot teas into the mix. Thank you for this post, now I know which ones to choose from : )
I’ve got to admit – reading this was one of those moments for me when I felt the Atlantic may have got just a teensy bit wider 😉 See, I’m English, and that of course means:
– We know of no other kind of tea than ‘hot’ tea. (Cold tea goes straight down the sink with a disappointed sigh that you were dragged into a meeting and forgot about the mug you made an hour ago…)
– Tea is, and should always be the following: strong, black, in a big mug with a dollop of milk. That’s it. Sugar? Well we can discuss that on a case by case basis – though it’s a tooth-rotter I find it definitely helps ease a hangover.
– ‘4 cups a day’ is a lot?? Blimey, in my office we easily get through 8+, and that’s just in a regular working day.
– All that fruity, floral, herby stuff is all well and good to make your shelves look pretty but there’s nothing like proper tea to make the world seem right. We’re British, we’ve won wars, climbed mountains and crossed ice caps powered by nothing more than a mug of Tetleys you know.
And no, we don’t take tea seriously AT ALL. Oh no.
😉
I don’t drink tea but I keep meaning too!! I think I’ll buy the green kombucha tea this weekend! =)
I LOVE the Yogi Green Tea Kombucha and Ginger tea. Have you ever tried Green Ginger tea? It’s one of my favorite late morning/afternoon teas. I think Traditional Medicinals and Yogi Teas both have a version.
This is great—thanks! I’ve only had Dandelion Tea as part of that Jillian Michaels flush water recipe. Good list! 🙂
Traditional Medicinals Ginger Tea is amazing and not like most ginger teas that can be too “sharp” for some people.
I am also a regular Yogi Kombucha Green Tea drinker as well as the Bedtime tea!
I drink a lot of these same teas…I’ve also been drinking Traditional Medicinals Licorice Root and Burdock Root (the burdock also takes some getting used to).
i go through spurts with tea. obviously more in the winter than in the summer. There are actually a decent amount of teas that have gluten in them (WTF i know) so i have to research sometimes to find ones i can / can’t have. i really like mint tea though lately. For the past 2 years we have gone to jamaica and at the resort they had a coffee shop that stayed open late for coffe, pastries, etc and after dirnking a lot each night we ended at that cafe for a cup of steaming (and i mean steaming) tea at like 1 AM and drank it sitting outside, a bit tipsy, listening to the waves. when i got home i got some of that tea since it reminded me of vacation and i called it “jamaican tea”. i would ask my boyfriend if he wanted some “jamacian tea” and he woudl say of course…well we ran out of it and he went to the store in search of a box that said “jamaican tea” and of course couldnt find it. we still laugh about that now. He even asked the sales person if they had it : )
I love Yogi Green Tea Super Antioxidant and The Republic of Tea Honey Ginseng. Both are fragrant and delicious. Currently though, I’m drinking mostly Earth Mama Angel Baby Organic Milkmaid tea. I was interested in your dandelion tea, and upon reading about it found that it supports breastmilk production also. I will have to try it; thanks for the recommendations.
Yogi Soothing Caramel Bedtime is the best! It takes like cookie dough!
I love all of these teas as well!! I am really loving the ginger right now for bed time or right after dinner!
Do you have your hot tea and lemon before your morning workout or after when you’re getting ready to eat breakfast?
i don’t usually workout in the morning but i have the lemon water before breakfast (like when teaching or training clients early) and the tea with my smoothie.