Introduction to our Teas:
Here at Tea Zaanti we have seven different varieties of tea to suffice your needs for any kind of day. If you come in after an evening hike and need a non-caffeinated tea to refresh and also help you relax for the rest of the night, any of our herbal teas will do the job. Maybe you’re craving a latte but you don’t want to consume any more caffeine for the day, we have rooibos teas that make the perfect treat. We carry a few select white teas – white tea does contain caffeine but the tannins aren’t as strong as black teas and the liquor is a little sweeter. Say it’s the day before a big exam and you are in need of something to help you focus and decrease your stress levels, we have a fun variety of green teas to help your brain. Ready to try something different? We have delicious options in our selection of oolong teas. And you can always choose to boost your energy levels with a black or pu-er tea.
Self-reflection:
Working at Tea Zaanti I have adapted to a tea lifestyle. I come in on my days off and choose a black tea to energize me for a day of errands. When I feel the need to detox, I brew up one of our many herbal teas with honey; this place has endless options to help you with your day. I’ve had the pleasure of moving over from coffee to tea which has benefited me in many ways. I have noticed a difference in my overall energy and alertness when I drink tea rather than coffee, both at work and for a visit or study session. Now that I know more about some of the benefits of tea, I’ve become more conscious about what I put in my body. Here are just a few things I’ve noticed about replacing coffee with tea.
Energy Levels:
Maintaining a daily consumption of tea while also researching the benefits it’s been giving me, I have realized the true enjoyment of this caffeinated beverage and how it helps me avoid the downsides I feel from coffee. Tea does not have the same caffeine levels that coffee does, but it does have just enough to keep you energized for longer and doesn’t come with the “crash” that coffee is known for. Reading over a post from Zest, they explain how tea is rich in L-theanine which is a powerful antioxidant that stimulates your brain. “This amino acid is what helps just a little caffeine boost your day so much better (Zesttea.com)”. L-theanine works alongside caffeine to give energy that will come on smoother and allow for a boost that is calmer on your nerves and prevents the caffeine crash that happens with coffee. I experienced this first hand while switching from a latte to a matcha latte one day – I felt energized throughout the day, awaiting a crash that never came. I still felt an alertness and sharpness to what I did that day, but didn’t suffer the consequences of being exhausted later as I usually did with coffee.
Stress:
Stress can be an extreme roadblock to any day and lucky for you, Tea Zaanti offers a variety of teas that contain herbs which can decrease stress levels. For our herbal teas we have a chamomile lavender, two herbs that hold benefits to help your mind and body. Chamomile can calm your muscles, improve stress symptoms, and also help with sleep which is a very important contender when it comes to decreasing stress (Karetnick). Lavender also contains similar benefits to chamomile. Our lavender gray, is a black earl grey tea that also contains this relaxing flower. While black teas still have a high caffeine level, they can be mixed with beneficial herbs to diffuse these levels, rather than coffee which is solely caffeine.
As a former coffee drinker I can say that I have experienced that overwhelming feeling that pours into my body when drinking coffee. Switching over to tea has toned that down. In addition, there are other herbs that can help your body in so many different ways.
I am a big fan of teas with mint, they hold an array of benefits just a sip away. Peppermint specifically helps ease headaches, soothes upset stomachs, increases alertness, and yes, reduces stress (sipsby.com). At Tea Zaanti we have several mint teas from green to black and herbal blends. My personal favorite is our moroccan mint green tea; green tea sets you up for a calming day as it contains a flavonoid (phytochemical compound) called epicatechin which “helps to protect your brain from oxidative damage, helping to combat the negative effects that stress has on your body and can also be helpful for improving memory (sipsby.com).” Interested in drinking something that will help reduce stress levels and keep you on your feet throughout the day? Tea will try its best to do this for you and lucky for you, we have a variety of options for you to try at Tea Zaanti with staff to give their best advice to you!
