The Benefits of Homemade Iced Tea

Recently I wrote about all of the health benefits of tea.

Tea is always delicious, but with this gorgeous weather we have been so lucky to be enjoying, who wants hot tea? Iced tea is delicious and refreshing! The only problem? If you go to Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, or any other beverage store it can cost up to $3 for this treat. If you are ordering iced tea out it also tends to have additives like sugars and syrup.

Since the price is sky-high at these beverage centers you would expect that an iced tea maker is expensive AND time consuming. Nothing could be further from the truth!

I snagged my Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker off of Amazon for $20! In the morning I fill the base with water, add ice and tea to the pitcher and press a button. Within 5 minutes I have delicious and pure iced tea! You can add some sliced lemon to spice it up. 

Because it is so easy to use and iced tea is a great break from the regular hot beverages, I have found myself drinking multiple cups a day. It keeps you hydrated, delivers an antioxidant kick to your system, and tastes great! I do not like to have extra appliances around in the kitchen, but an iced tea maker is an essential tool! You will find yourself saving money and enjoying a healthy beverage everyday.

Tea: Our Old Friend

Tea has been around for over 12,000 years! The earliest record of tea takes us to China. It was not until the 17^th century that tea was even on the radar of our European ancestors. It would be another 200 years until afternoon tea became commonplace in Great Britain.  

Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world (water is number 1). So why do most American adults prefer a cup of joe to a cup of antioxidants? Coffee has more caffeine and is more readily available in our culture, but lacks the health benefits of tea.

The antioxidants in tea help prevent against cancer, tumors, and genetic mutations. Wow! But that is not all! Tea has been shown to prevent heart disease (our nation’s number 1 killer), slow the affects of aging, improve and maintain cognitive brain functioning, improve immune system response, normalize blood pressure, promote dental health, and to prevent diabetes. You mean those tiny leaves can do ALL of that? Yes, and they’re still not done! Pick a cup of tea over coffee and you are offering your body more hydration. When we are dehydrated we get easily fatigued and can feel sick.

There is even more good news about tea: it comes in an absurdly large amount of flavors. Last night I was fortunate enough to be gallivanting around the West Village. The BF and I walked past McNulty’s Tea and Coffee Co., Inc., on our way back to the PATH station. We had walked passed it before many times on our way home from The Blind Tiger Ale House, but it was always closed (I guess most people don’t like buying tea at 1AM).  It is a small store filled with jars of every flavor of tea you could think of! And the staff knows their tea! After smelling a few dozen jars we settled on 4 flavors: blueberry, berry crème, apple mint, and blood orange. We’ve both had a lot of fun brewing the different teas and tasting them!

Don’t forget your honey! Honey is a great natural energy booster and can help cure a cough. More importantly it makes your tea taste like a little treat and is better for your health than the cream you add to coffee.