Hibiscus & Green Tea
Let’s talk about tea. Specifically hibiscus tea. Now, I’ll admit, I was never into tea until very recently. Sure, I tried different kinds over the years. I’d get on a research kick, read articles and think “I should definitely drink tea”. The benefits are abundant and the endless varieties of tea out there is downright overwhelming. The problem… I never found that certain tea that kept me away from coffee.
Coffee is my drug of choice. (I know many of you can relate. Starbucks has a hold on our souls.) But some part of me has always wanted to kick the coffee habit and adopt a more beneficial beverage addiction. Enter my hibiscus/green tea combo.
I was doing research for a class I’m taking and I stumbled upon some interesting facts regarding hibiscus tea. Turns out, this tea has been used for years in countries like Africa and Iran as a tool to treat high blood pressure. A 2010 study by the Journal of Nutrition showed that drinking 2 cups of hibiscus tea a day reduced blood pressure in those who had elevated blood pressure (as apposed to a placebo). Not only that, but hibiscus has major liver enzyme boosting power. Also, HUGELY important to our over all wellness, hibiscus is loaded with antioxidants (which prevent our bodies from creating free radicals that lead to cancer). The awesomeness of nature, right?!
That did it for me. Well, that and the fact that it looks yummy. Love it’s pinkish red hue. I just had to try it. Only problem… NO caffeine. You can envision my scared face right now, can’t you?
Ok, well… (though I probably should) I’m not yet willing to give up that boost I get from a dose of caffeine. So how can I remedy this? Easy. Mix the hibiscus with something containing caffeine. My choice: Green tea. This is definitely one of the better known teas out there. It’s no surprise that green tea is also full of antioxidants and it has an easy citrus flavor. And bonus, it has caffeine.
I headed out to my local market (support small business) on a mission to find some hibiscus and green tea bags. After staring at the many, many different brands, for what felt like an eternity, I settled on a brand that I felt good about and headed home.
Raspberry Hibiscus Green Tea
Here’s my extremely simple recipe:
12 oz of hot water (more or less if you like it stronger, or more diluted)
One hibiscus tea bag (my choice: Stash Wild Raspberry Hibiscus Tea)
One green tea bag (my choice: Bigelow Green Tea)
Steep for about 3-5 mins.
1-2 tsp of raw local honey -Optional (farmer’s markets are great for this)
When I feel like getting fancy, I add some fruit to the tea. In fact, if you prefer cold tea, do the above recipe and then add a ton of ice followed by some blueberries, raspberries or cherries. SO GOOD.
**Noted feel good side-effect: My digestion has improved over the last week drinking this daily. Less bloating.
So there you have it. My new-found, super simple way to get my daily does of antioxidants and caffeine.
Other suggestions? Comment below.
Have a fantastic day!!