Dry January is catchy these days as people (…maybe you?) want to be better to their health and bodies than before because living longer optimally is available.
…And I have an offer below 👇 (that’s FREE) to help this cause, and if that’s where you are!
Drinking healthy is smart and good for weight loss as metabolism and the body changes over decades.
…And no matter what age you are, we’re living in tech exciting times.
That surely (if nothing else yet) keeps us curious to what’s next and on our toes! 🩰
Curiosity and wonder is what this life journey is all about. 💭
And to enjoy life fully, being healthy changes everything about daily life.
It’s the daily little steps that make all the difference. 🐾
And this article is all about how you can optimize your life with healthy tea (and other anti-inflammatory drinks) you can celebrate the ride with through dry January if that’s what you’re doing or aspiring to.
Your healthy drink habit intentions and efforts could be the one action step change that changes the trajectory of your future. No judgment wherever you are, just a mild fact.
…You can avoid surprising health diagnoses and gain healthy outcomes with the one life you and I get by your daily drink habits.
And off the bat, ruling out excessive drinking is good for your body.
…Not just cocktails, but also regular mocktails 🧉filled with sugar. That often comes in a pretty and shiny can.
And for starters, I’m a Sugar Queen.
I know all about the substance as I was the kid who delighted in spoonfuls of sugar out of the sugar jar and always had candy, cookies, cakes… you name it.
If you had a sweet emergency, you could always count on me to have something sweet-on-hand to calm your nerves. 😁
And today I still enjoy the sweet bakes with low-sugar so I can feed my craving that’s not a sugar addiction.
Sugar drinks is where you can score lots of points. I had my own lessons learned experiences. That’s how I started my mornings for a few years where cola felt good.
These days, I can’t tell you the last time I picked up a soda pop because I broke the bad habit.
When you get to that point, your body helps you too and you no longer have a sweet soda craving (addiction).
But getting there can be gradual.
And a good place to start is replacing bad drink habits with simple and low-sugar drinks that are good for your health, like healthy smoothies.
There are also plenty of delicious natural drinks that have a great taste out-of-the-box that don’t need much thought to make or zhugh to create…
Teas are at the top of list.
With a little added water (that is the drink of life), you’re off to the races, avoiding some headaches and overeating.
Water is life and naturally the drink for all life, like camels that can’t get enough of the flowing crystal liquid 🐪
And water in tea as flavoring is a great way to add variety drinks to your day!
The healthy tea benefits outweigh the concerns for stained teeth and any other tea-related disadvantages.
…I’ve been drinking black tea and all different color 🌈 and types of teas my entire adult life, and my teeth are still white.
Plus, we live in an era of whitener options to get them pearly.
And tea is much better for your teeth than sugar.
One super tea is green tea (more on this below 👇).
And if you’re not a green tea 🍵 flavor fan (like most Vata first people that prefer sweet), there are options, like: fruity herbal tea and adding cinnamon spice.
There is so much drink-from-the-rainbow variety! 🌈
And last time I checked the stores, there were whole aisle shelves filled with teas, so you’re in good company to support a dry January cause that can be year-round.
Packaged tea from grocery stores often come with 20 bags and for under $20 you can buy lots of tea variety.
But before you head to the stores, check your teas at home.
When you’re ready, head to your tea stash to survey what your current options are. And maybe think of how you can add to the deficit.
In your kitchen shelves, as part of organization, you can pull out all your tea bags and loose teas (whether they’re in bags or not).
Sniff how fresh they are.
And see what your (Ayurvedic) preferences are as your nose knows!
That’s what I like to do also with spices during the holidays.
…This sniffing idea caught on with me from childhood slumber parties I went to.
Sleepovers were a popular thing to do.
And one New Year’s childhood sleepover (…back then, they were all dry 😊), we stormed my friend’s kitchen (aka parent’s cabinets) and pulled out all the spices and set them on the table… and from there we did a fun blind sniff test on one another.
That started my cinnamon curiosity. 💕
…And that cinnamon stick memory sticks with me as decades later I’m into the Ayurvedic spice. 😊
Just like that, I grew from sugar to cinnamon girl! 🧒🏻 🦸🏻♀️
And today you can do the same fun experience with your tea and spices at home.
…In the malls I went to (another popular past-time), there were Teavana stores (that Starbucks currently owns) where they kept loose teas and they would let you sniff the loose tea wafts.
The employees waved the tin tops so you can make your own tea pairing blends.
And you could bring back the canisters to refill. I miss those days when I fell in love with mate tea and chai undertones that are BOTH even more popular today!
That’s inspiration for making your own home tea blends that can be made from spices, and vice versa.
…And with teas in front of you, you can mix-and-match and have a dry January party every day. 🎉
You can even double-up with 2 tea bag flavors to light your tea fancy.
…And this is how you can fit your green tea in that goes well with peach and other fruity flavors.
Leaving the teas out so they’re visible brings tea possibilities.
Detox, black, green, herbal, white, and red (rooibos) teas… bring it on! This is my sample stash that changes as often as the seasons…
When you sniff teas, the tea smell strength tells the tea story… of how it will taste brewed. And also how healthy it will be.
The healthy profile is in the fresh, so that’s one reason why freshness and expiration dates do matter.
On Green Tea
Green tea is one of the most healthy tea types, and matcha tea is one potent green tea type that is high in tea caffeine if that’s important to you. 🍵
Teas have anti-inflammatory healthy profiles. Like L-theanine in green teas and catechin (polyphenols) in white and black teas.
Usually polyphenols are rainbow 🌈 colors, but black is void of colors and white has all the colors.
Like fine wines, green teas have grades and ceremonial grade is high-quality and going to be the most favorable for a sweet tooth.
Premium grade is close, but comes from a second harvest so will be a more like a traditional green tea that’s bitter and culinary grade.
And green tea is great for a tea ritual.
Dry January won’t seem as dry with your tea practice that is cozy warming 🕯️and complement yoga time on your mat. 🧘🏻♀️
Muti-tasking both is healthy.
And as for beginner tea tools:
Buy or bring out a tea pot that will make your party enjoyment easier.
Growing up, tea pots with jasmine tea are familiar to me because that’s when I saw them served with fortune cookies at Chinese restaurants my family occasionally went to.
And in trying this at home, keep in mind a tea pot is not a tea kettle. 🫖
Word to the wise: read the instructions that came in the box.
And if it’s a hand-me down pot or doesn’t come with any instruction (…sound familiar?), proceed with caution as many ceramic or clay pots are not boiling water heat-safe… so they could blow a lid.
Leave the tea pot on the serving table and pour the hot water from the stove tea kettle into the table tea pot.
And if you are drinking green tea, let any boiling water cool down first to steaming hot (but not boiling hot).
⛔️ Boiled water burns green tea leaves and that’s how you get a more bitter taste that isn’t favorable (that will make a non-green tea fan even less of a fan!).
To sweeten, you can also add honey and a great healthy flavor pairing is lemon.
Lemon and green tea are anti-inflammatory activating-powerful as a pairing. ⚡️
And when you lean into fun flavors like pucker-up lemon 🍋, dry January will no longer be as dry anymore… and also when you immerse yourself in teas that are easy to find.
Like, a Chai Latte where you fall in love with tea as your new go-to comfort when you’re feeling bored with water.
Or try a ginger tea and you’ve got a delicious drink that’ll give you something to hang your hat on (and not a hangover). Pair with lime, orange, or lemon that are all winter citrus fruits with a zippy vibe.
📣 NEW: For more inspiration, if you would like more daily healthy tea and drink ideas, grab my FREE digital/printable 7-Day healthy smoothie recipe guide.
👉 And if you want super easy and healthy blender recipe ideas, check out my NEW Magic Bullet recipes.
