The mind also benefits from a quiet and focused tea session. This reduces stress, which can help with many psychosomatic disorders.
But there is another secondary health benefit that is seldom noticed. For me, this secret benefit has become more and more important in recent years. It is the education of my palate to natural food. As I am getting used to drink very fine, pure and natural tea, I find less and less appetite for chemically enhanced or preserved food. I cook more and more simple meals at home rather than going out or bringing a ready to eat meal home.
Thanks to my tea experience, my mouth is better aware if a food tastes natural or not. Cooking similar meals than in the local restaurants, I realize that I use less salt, less MSG... And the good part is that I like it better light and made with ingredients that I select.
Tea bags are more convenient than loose leaves, but their quality is low compared to whole leaves. I feel more and more the same way about industrial food. I even make my own soy milk now and find it tastes much more clean and good than the soy milk I used to purchase! And I drink it without sugar, of course, because this is also how I enjoy my tea!
Tea has helped me switch to more natural food not because I wanted to eat more healthy, but because I enjoy their flavors much more than artificial ones. This secondary benefit could be even more important than polyphenols'!
I'd never thought of it in this way, but you're right!
ReplyDeleteWhen I approached tea as a more serious and learned subject, there were struggles in appreciating what seemed like slight taste differences at first. Without realising, my taste buds developed for the better until i struggle to finish a plate of what used to be my favourite msg loaded stir fry dish.
ReplyDeleteI think you are right! I began to drink tea when I was 14. And with better teas I also felt need for better food.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think about pairing teas and food? Similar to food/wine pairing.
Thanks for agreeing, Steph.
ReplyDeleteMiss Tea Delight,
Yes, there are foods we leave behind. The process goes both ways: more joy from natural food and less tolerance for unhealthy ones.
Thanks for sharing.
Branislav,
Thanks for your comment. Yes, I think it's possible and necessary to pair tea and food accordingly. It's an area that is still pretty new and where restaurants or individuals can innovate. It's also a trend in our societies that get older and consume less and less alcohol.
I work at local teahouse in Slovakia (we also have some teas from your selection!) We have some young customers, that used to "go drinking" every friday. Now they only get "teadrunk" on friday :-) But I have hard time persuading people sometimes.. Mainly due to few vendors and teahouses in my country (and not only here) the tea is too often considered as something esetoric or something you drink when you want to lose weight..
ReplyDeleteBranislav,
ReplyDeleteI'm very pleased to read that your teahouse offers tea from my selection. What excellent taste!
People will be influenced by the the surroundings and design of the tea. If the teahouse has a Chinese theme, then it will likely be felt as exotic. However, I have seen that in the West there are very successful tea places that are designed like a bar. The design is modern and European. There, tea is felt much less distant. But what is always important is the service: advice in choosing a tea and then brewing it well.
Good luck converting more people to tea!
Stephane
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way, and would also go further to say that so much of my pu ehr teas I can't drink any more due to pesticide contents. Not your Lincan cake of course!
If my throat gets tight and need foood fast before I feel ill, want water but can't swallow easily.
It cannot be a good tea or coffee.
Some think that this is chi but it is not !
Michel,
ReplyDeleteYour observation is spot on. These are very good signs to spot teas with problems/low quality.