The Perfect Spa Beverage

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An article I just ran across The Perfect Spa Beverage Inspired by SuperFoods Rx, by Pratt, MD, and Kathy s Here is some great news: there is a widely-available drink that has no calories, is inexpensive, tastes good and, best of all, has an amazing number of possible health benefits, including preventing wrinkles and skin cancer, lowering blood pressure, encouraging heart health, and helping to prevent tumors, cancer, and kidney stones. It is also anti-inflammatory, may prevent cataracts and cavities, helps control allergies, improves bone health, is anti-viral, promotes longevity, and may encourage weight-loss, too! What more could we ask from a beverage? TEA is the miracle-drink. Flavonoids are part of the reason

it’s so good for us: one cup of green tea contains about 316 milligrams of flavonoids, black tea about 268. (There is a green vs. black vs. white tea debate going on, but most studies agree that you can drink whichever you prefer and get numerous benefits.) Caffeinated tea, however, does seem to be the most beneficial. If you are worried about caffeine, it is good to know that black tea has about one-third less caffeine that coffee, and green tea even less. Also, fewer caffeine-related side effects have been noted with tea than with coffee. This book suggests that a cup of tea before your morning exercise will give you an antioxidant boost, helpful for handling the free radicals that exercise generates. As little as one cup of tea per day can improve your health. So drink up! Here are some tips: 1. Use brewed tea, not instant, but tea bags work just as well as loose-leaf tea. 2. Be sure to allow your tea to steep for at

least 3 minutes. And squeezing the tea bag at the end of steeping will help to double the polphenol content! 3. Avoid drinking tea that is too hot. 4. Drink as soon as possible after brewing.

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