Hydration

Do you ever get tired of hearing how much coffee and sodas dehydrate you? These truths are pretty rampant and cause us to begin to tune it out as soon as someone says, "When you are thirsty you are already dehydrated."

I have done my time of trying to drink more water than seems possible. Times of saying no to my favorite hot drinks and saying yes to more water.

But did you know that tea has less caffeine than coffee. Tea is often called a dehydrator due to its caffeine content but this is actually not necessarily true. Some studies have shown that tea (I believe it was black tea in the study) hydrates as well as water.

Some sites disagree but if you are truly not certain stick to tisanes (herbal teas) which are caffeine free. Keep your tea unsweetened as the sugar can also be a problem.

So, the next time you need to rehydrate grab a cup of steaming tea and sip your way back to health!

Following Instructions

"I don't like that kind of tea" "that tea is too bitter." It is amazing how often you can hear these phrases. What is interesting is that any tea, with the exception of herbal, are all from the same plant. Granted teas do have quite a range of flavors, quite a range of added herbs and such, but I do believe some of these statements stem from a lack of brewing.

About a year ago I started actually brewing tea for the proper times and in doing so I discovered that I really do like green tea! It is quite delicious. Prior to this I would only drink infusions or tisanes. I had green tea but I would often avoid drinking it. Now, one of my favorite teas is a toasted rice tea from Japan. Amazingly satisfying!

So follow the instructions prior to deciding if you do or do not like a tea. You may surprise yourself!

Steaming Cups

"I know we will get through this" I think one moment. "perhaps it would be better if someone else did my job" would be my thought the next moment. This is how I spent the past 24 hours, on an emotional roller coaster. Perhaps it was stress related, maybe hormonal, but honestly it was still a test that I had to walk through.

The hot water is perhaps the obvious correllation here. Pouring near boiling water over the tea causes it to unravel and brings out it's best qualities. Have you ever made tea in a French press? This tea is subjected to water just off the boil and then squeezed until the leaves are all at the bottom and the liquid is poured out. I am blessed to say that I didn't have quite that rough of a week but I have in the past. I certainly know what that feels like.

So what do I do? Worship music, a good solid teaching, and a nice hot cup of anything will do. Tea may not add to your spiritual well being (though some would claim it does, really I do not see that in the Bible) but it definitely has some physical benefits. Add a bit of lavender or jasmine to your tea, the smells are soothing and have a calming effect. That coupled with some good worship will set you on the track to healing.