Although products, ideas and standards vary dramatically from one company to the next, there has been a common ground for a high percentage of companies in the United States. Until recently, these businesses have typically been fueled by the coffee machine.
For the majority, the company coffee machine it is where the day begins. This small cup of delicious brown brew gets the credit for getting the brain waves in gear. The aroma of the beverage wafts up and sparks the senses; it wakes us up and allows us to begin a new day. When you drink the liquid, it warms your body and loosens you up.
What if that coffee is replaced by tea?
Have you ever thought to replace your cherished beverage with tea? Tea has many stereotypes that often dissuade consumers from experiencing all that tea has to offer. Many people will link drinking tea to illness, as tea was the antidote to curing many common ailments. Your first experience with tea was most likely at Grandma’s house, where the tea came from a bag which had been on the shelf for decades, only to be drunk after it had been boiled and over-steeped, leaving a bitter and astringent aftertaste. Up until recently, tea has had generally the same flavor, only to be made tolerable by milk, sugar or honey.
However, the tea of the past is not the tea of present. It’s time to take a fresh new look at the tea industry.
Worldwide, tea consumption is second only to water. This fact in itself merits enough credibility to persuade corporate America to open its eyes to another choice of office beverage. The health benefits in tea are overwhelming. Tea is packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants. The fluorides found in teas are used within your body to build a strong bone structure. If you are worried about the loss of your caffeine-packed punch, don’t be. Although the amount is less, tea still offers a comparable amount of caffeine to coffee.
The varieties of tea today provide a substantial upgrade to the human taste, often eliminating the use of flavor enhancers. Although there are many different varieties of tea, they come from the same plant (Camellia sinensis). The difference in your tea comes from the location and climate where the plant is harvested, along with the processing phases it goes through.
Each one is a unique brew that offers different health benefits, as well as tastes. Whether you choose white, green, oolong, black or herbal, you can drink it plain or infused with different flavors extracted from berries, fruits or herbs. In today’s society, we have forgone the tradition of drinking from the porcelain tea pot. Today, you are able to order your tea iced, hot or even in a smoothie.
The changes in the tea industry over the past decade are progressive. The next time you head to the coffee cart at your workplace, I invite you to fill your mug with a full-leaf tea instead. You will be surprised by the effects it has on your daily routine.
Fit to a tea
Consumption of tea, which contains antioxidants, is being studied for its reported benefits on:
• Enhancing immune function
• Lowering LDL cholesterol levels
• Increasing HDL cholesterol levels
• Reducing blood pressure
• Thinning the blood, reducing the risk of a heart attack
• Lowering the risk of stroke
• Reducing the risk of cancer
• Boosting longevity
• Aiding digestion
• Preventing dental cavities and gingivitis
Source: Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D. (www.inpursuitoftea.com)
