Green tea question

[TiKuanYin]

I am a big fan of tea. My screen name here is from my favorite kind of oolong, Ti Kuan Yin (Iron Goddess of Mercy). Caffeine isn't particularly good for you, I think is Dr. McDougal's stance. I'm also somewhat sensitive to caffeine so I stay away from it. Caffeine and sugar together come close to making me pass out.

BUT.

Not all teas are as caffeinated as coffee, and I am not sure if there's a reason for this or if it's just my own biased perceptions, but the more typically Asian, less fermented teas do not affect me as strongly as black "breakfast" tea or coffee. So maybe they are less potentially harmful.

In any case, green tea is significantly lower in caffeine than coffee ( http://coffeetea.about.com/library/blcaffeine.htm ) and has antioxidants and, I've heard, great anti-aging properties. Cold, unsweetened green tea seems like it would be a great beverage for MWL because it has no sugar, and tastes great.

I do not know what Dr. McD would say, but green tea is definitely a big part of the Asian diet, and it's good qualities may balance or outweigh the bad. I think it is a much healthier way to treat oneself than coffee is, at least. In the winter especially, sometimes you just need a good hot drink.

(I get my tea from a couple local shops and order from http://www.adagio.com/ if I can't find what I'm after. I really enjoy gyokuro and genmaicha green teas.)

[Ellen Jaffe Jones]

I visited a Teavana store this week, and it is incredible. They have everything from white to black and everything in between. You can sample free many of the varieties. Including the rooibos tea (no caffeine) that Mary has spoken highly of. The issue of it being organic is challenging...not seeing the organic label in other languages.

I am still blown away by how much I think the green tea I've been drinking is helping me lose and maintain my historic adult low of 125. When I stick to MWL AND green tea, the pounds just roll off. Which has never been easy. I predict tea will overtake coffee in popularity, if it hasn't already. If you have any similar success, I'd be interested to know what you're drinking.

[Malva]

I am a big fan of tea. My screen name here is from my favorite kind of oolong, Ti Kuan Yin (Iron Goddess of Mercy).

It's also my favorite oolong tea sold by Republic of Tea.
http://www.republicoftea.com/templates/ ... p?navID=35

But every morning my favorite green tea is the one I purchase from Uwajimaya (http://www.uwajimaya.com/index.html)-- a Japanese green tea that is quite different from the Chinese teas.

The Japanese green teas are "greener" tasting and have a cleaner and sweeter aftertaste. The one I drink has the aftertaste similar to sweet, winter squash. Which I love.

Of course, the higher grade Chinese teas are also very sweet.
But at $20 per ounce, I don't think that's something I would drink every day.

There is a great little tea room in San Francisco that you should visit when you have the opportunity. This was where I learned that tea was more than a bag and a cup of hot water.
http://www.imperialtea.com/

[LauraA]

My favorite green tea is the Tazo Zen - in grocery stores and at Starbucks. I decaf it myself. Just brew for about a minute, dump out that water, pour in more water and brew for 2 minutes. If I can't do that process (when I travel) I drink Yogi decaf green tea. Take care, LauraA

[melaleuca]

anything???
honey? a small amount?
stevia????
drinking it straight?
rice milk?
soy creamer low fat???

[MilesA]

Mostly it's just plain (may be an acquired taste). I'm sure you could get away with a tiny amount of honey, agave nectar or other mild sweetener. Not much, though.

Green tea is delicate, and would be easily overwhelmed with strong sweeteners, plant milks, etc. If you want to use those, I think black tea is better.

I was a big black tea drinker for years. I still like it, but switched over to green tea gradually. Making green tea is a bit different than black tea, to get the best flavor. After boiling the water, let it sit for a couple of minutes, then pour over the tea. Remove the tea leaves in 3 or 4 minutes. Works for me.

[melaleuca]

someone from green tea board @ facebook said the same thing:
use less hot water
70 degrees they suggested
and that the official way to drink it is not with added vanilla, etc....

i am measuring my honey
in the morning
trying to rationalize it:
drink before i work out in the morning
the tea and honey for energy and have to work out to burn it off...
but stevia is not potable to me in green tea
prefer to train my taste buds to appreciate less honey

so i have been freezing my honey to keep it out of site
tried it that way a couple times...

makes it so hard to get it out of the container...