I’ve enjoyed drinking tea since the days my dad would bring home new flavors of The Republic of Tea from his gourmet shop. They also had my favorite booth, a “tea wonderland” I’ll call it as I picture it in my memory, at the NASFT Fancy Food Show that I made sure to stop at every summer. I loved trying all the different flavors and continue to today. In a time when the importance of self-care, healthy habits and hobbies are more prevalent than ever, drinking different teas with health benefits has quickly become a favorite part of my daily routine. I’m talking 2-3 cups every single day. Lucky for me, there’s an endless assortment of teas out there!
While many reach for coffee in the morning, I reach for tea. When I join friends or colleagues on a coffee shop run, I order tea. When it’s cold outside and I want to warm up, I crave tea. When I am in the mood for a refreshing beverage that’s not water but also not loaded with sugars like juices or sodas, I choose tea. When I am trying to intermittent fast in the morning, I drink tea. Need I go on? I’ve become a tea addict!
I should note that I rarely add any sweetener to my tea except the occasional honey if I’m sick or am in the mood for it. I also love drinking tea for its health benefits, so you’ll see ingredients like dandelion, ginger, turmeric, and mint below. My mom used to make iced tea all the time that I loved, but for some reason this year I’ve been on a hot tea kick, so the ones you’ll see below I drink hot. Alas, my recent favorite healthy teas you need to try…
Yogi Blackberry Apple Cider Digestive Awakening Tea with blackberry, apple cider vinegar, ginger, raspberry, and licorice, and The Republic of Tea Beautifying Botanicals Blueberry Lavender Herbal Tea with organic green rooibos, hibiscus, lemongrass, rosehips, lavender, hibiscus, lemon balm, blue butterfly pea flower, and schizandra berry are favorites to drink first thing in the morning when I wake up. I often eat berries for breakfast so these pair nicely with that too.
The Republic of Tea Organic Serenity SuperGreen Tea with Japanese matcha, green tea, lavender and holy basil. The health benefits of matcha and green tea are no secret, and adding holy basil and lavender gives this tea a balancing and calming effect. The Republic of Tea website says it “yields a state of calm alertness,” since green tea does have some caffeine. I love it! I think a while back I tried their Lean Green SuperGreen tea, but I need to try it again. I’m a big cinnamon fan and it’s one of their best sellers.
The Republic of Tea Be Well Get Lean with green tea, organic green maté, dandelion root, chickweed, orange and vanilla. It’s in this stackable tea tin because of the ability to eliminate excess water weight and bloat, keeps you satisfied with the orange and vanilla without sugar, and a boost of caffeine to give you energy. The Get Burning and Get Lost are good, but the Get Lean is definitely my favorite of the three.
The Republic of Tea Organic Dandelion SuperHerb® with organic roasted root from the “remedy plant” with vanilla. Not only is this a nice alternative to coffee for those trying to avoid it, but dandelion also has cleansing properties and is a natural aid for digestion. I’ve tried other straight dandelion teas and they are gross – super bitter! The Republic of Tea nailed it by adding a touch of French vanilla. Trust me, it’s so good.
Celestial Seasonings Peppermint Tea is our favorite of the Celestial Seasonings teas we’ve tried. It’s so aromatic and refreshing that it requires no accompaniment – it’s simply the only ingredient in the tea.
We have spearmint growing in our AeroGarden and in a pot on our balcony, so we have fresh mint tea fairly often. I don’t understand why more places in the U.S. don’t serve fresh mint tea – it’s all over Europe (and oh so amazing)! Sometimes we’ll add fresh ginger or chamomile (if we have any growing in our AeroGarden) to it too, but that’s it. Easy, simple, fresh, and delicious.
Yogi Honey Lavender Stress Relief Tea with rooibos, lemon balm, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, chamomile, lemongrass, sage, passion flower extract, and stevia. We love this one at night to relax after a stressful day at work.
Yogi Honey Chai Turmeric Vitality Tea with chai, honey, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, ginger, clove and stevia. I love these ingredients and their health benefits, but it does contain stevia leaf to make it a little sweeter without sugar, so just keep that in mind!
The Republic of Tea Peppermint Chocolate Tea with rooibos, carob, cocoa kernals, peppermint leaves, sweet blackberry leaves, mint, and some chocolate & vanilla flavoring is truly a dessert on its own, guilt-free! When I’m trying to avoid sugar or dessert in general, I love reaching for this to get my sweet tooth fix. Apparently I’m not alone – it was featured on the Today Show as one of the top 10 skinny foods all dieters should try!
Tea Accessories & Storage
Loose Leaf Tea Glass Teapot – I’ve tried buying the bags that you can scoop loose leaf tea into but this is WAY easier. This is the one we have but there’s plenty that are similar out there. We also use this when we make fresh mint, ginger or chamomile tea.
Fellow Stagg Pour-Over Electric Kettle – Never microwave a mug of water again! This kettle sits on our countertop and looks great (we have matte black). It’s incredibly easy to use, heats up fast, and best of all, you pick the temperature. Optimal brew temperature is between 195 and 205 degrees fahrenheit. We often keep it on to hold it at our preferred peak temperature for top-offs or seconds. Don’t worry about forgetting to turn it off – it will automatically shut off after an hour.
I love to organize and keep things tidy while also not letting something hide in the back of the shelf. Enter this acrylic tea bag organizer – game changer! It fits perfectly in our kitchen cabinet above where we keep the kettle. Of course loose leaf teas, tins like The Republic of Tea, or boxes like Celestial Seasonings won’t work here, but any individually packed tea bags like Yogi, Tazo, etc. do so it works for us. The same brand, mDesign, has different sizes and options like this hinged lid option or this one with narrow drawers. Check it out if you’re a tea collector like us.
In Case You Missed It
- The Top 20 Wines I Drank in 2020 *NEW!
- The Best Places To Eat & Drink in Jacksonville *NEW!
- An Afternoon in Sanford, FL *Don’t miss my favorite local Orlando shop for loose leaf tea
- London City Guide *Including the best afternoon tea service
- Couples Trip to Montreal *Escape the tourists at a Chinese tea parlor
- A Guide To West Village *Features one of my all-time favorite tea shops
I would love to know what your favorite healthy teas are that we should try next! Please leave suggestions in the comments below.