It’s no news to friends and family that I love tea. I drink at least 3 cups a day of different types of hot teas. I don’t drink with added sweeteners though, unless I am treating myself. Tea offers all kinds of health benefits, and each type offers a different type of benefit. Forming a palate for tea is comparable to forming a wine or cheese palate. In some teas, the flavor only increases the more aged it is. All the different types of tea come from a single tea plant, with the exception of herbal tea (which isn’t made from tea leaves, but herbs). Tea leaves undergo processing(wilting, steaming, rolling, and/or drying of the leaves) that produce the different types of tea, and also the amount of caffeine that they will contain. Basically, the more the plant is processed the more caffeine it will contain, as in black teas. There are even fermented teas!

White Tea– This is the purest, least processed form of tea you can have. The tea leaves is taken before the buds open, withers naturally, and then is air-dried. It produces a very light taste and is a pale yellow clear liquid.

Benefits: Protects skin from UV rays, anti-inflammatory, and the antioxidants in this tea protect against stroke, cancer, and heart disease.

My Choices: Body And Mind White Tea or Youthberry White Tea

Green Tea- A very common tea in the asian countries, and one of my favorite teas, this tea is processed a little more than the white tea. The leaves for this type of tea are either grown in the shade or the sun. The crop from the shaded area has more chlorophyll, hence the green color. So, if you have a cup of “green tea” that is more of a yellow color, you are drinking a Chinese tea, because most all Chinese teas are grown in the sun. If it is a true green color and tastes more grassy, it is probably a Japanese tea. Both offer great benefits.

Benefits: Helps with alert-ness (from low levels of caffeine), maintains healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels, good for teeth and skin.

My Choices: Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls or Gyokuro Imperial Green Tea

Black Tea– The most fermented of teas, this tea has the highest amount of caffeine of the bunch because it is the most processed. I love black tea for not only its energizing effects but also the abundant flavors that it produces. I love mixing black teas to get a signature flavor.

Benefits: Promotes heart-health, energizing with about 20% the amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee, high levels of antioxidants.

My Choices: Taj Masala Chai or Amandine Rose