Lemon green tea is a type of drink that combines the comfort of sipping green tea with the refreshing, citrus aroma and flavor of lemon. Not only does this combination have a lot of health benefits, the drink also looks aesthetically appealing due to the bright color of the lemon in contrast with the subtle color of green tea. Green tea and lemon are known to be medicinal, and combining the two further compounds their benefits.

1. Antioxidants

   • Green tea has antioxidant properties, which absorbs free radicals in your body. The type of antioxidant found in green tea is polyphenol. Green tea can also aid in digestion, and it has astringent properties that help cleanse the body. Lemon is also rich in antioxidants, including flavonoids, which have been shown to aid in the prevention of cancer.

   Vitamin C

   • Lemon juice is rich in ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid has cleansing properties, which is beneficial to the body. Vitamin C also has been shown to slow down symptoms of arthritis. In addition, this vitamin also strengthens the immune system, protecting you from common illnesses such as colds and flu. Lemon juice can also act as a stimulant that can help increase your energy level.

   Combination

   • Adding lemon to green tea may boost its antioxidant properties, since lemon and green tea antioxidants complement each other. Lemon may also increase the health benefits found in green tea. A recent study at Purdue University stated that adding ascorbic acid can help the body absorb healthy compounds such as catechins, which are found in tea.

Try our Lemon Green Tea or our Pan Fired Green Tea, chill it, add ice and lemon.

Dear 16-year-old Me

Dear 16 year old me.....

I realize this is an unusual post for a tea company, but there is more to me than Drink T.  My sister had posted this video, I watched it and I cried.  I cried because it is something so simple yet easily forgotten.  I cried for all of the beautiful 16 year old kids that were just living their lives and now have no life to live.  I cried for all those who were left behind wishing there was something they could have done.  I cried because when I was sixteen I fell asleep in the Florida sun and woke with a horrific sun burn  that sent me to an emergency center.  I received shots to bring down the swelling on my face and spent the rest of the vacation in the room with my face packed in ice.  I cried because I am lucky. 

We can do nothing about the should have's or could have's, but you can do something in the present moment and watch this video. Share it with sweet loved ones and do something about your future.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4jgUcxMezM&sns=fb


Best Wishes to All,
Sheryl Myhre
Founder and owner of Drink T

Some Good Reasons to drink Green Tea

Green tea is a popular source of polyphenols. Polyphenols are potent antioxidant compounds that have demonstrated greater antioxidant protection than vitamin C.  The major polyphenols in green tea are flavonoids (catechin, epicatechin gallate (EGCG) and proanthocyanidins).

To achieve some degree of protection, nutrition and health experts recommend you drink two to three cups a day. However, over-consumption may produce nervousness, anxiety, insomnia and irritability....too much of a good thing IS NO longer good. 

Research suggests that polyphenols provide cancer-protective properties by blocking the formation of cancer-causing compounds, suppressing the activation of carcinogens and effectively detoxifying cancer-causing agents, as well as reducing the inflammation associated with cancer and other diseases.


Numerous studies show that polyphenols reduce the risk of cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, including cancers of the stomach and colon, lungs, prostate and breast. Polyphenols may also improve a woman’s prognosis once she’s diagnosed with breast cancer by lowering the risk of the cancer coming back by 46 per cent.

Avoid milk in your tea, as research suggests that it interferes with polyphenol absorption.
On the other hand, adding lemon or other citrus fruits to tea increases the bioavailability of green tea’s antioxidants. (Try our Lemon Green Tea - pictured right) 

Find varieties with whole tea leaves, as they have more surface area for hot water to extract the flavour and the antioxidants in the leaf. Green tea extracts and other food products containing green tea are available, but typically do not have the same health benefi ts as the beverage.


Enjoy!

a little history of drink T

Drink T began conceptually years ago when Sheryl Myhre, founder and tea buyer, had a memorable cup of tea while vacationing. Sheryl’s search for fine loose leaf tea, brewed properly was only the beginning of a new journey. Realizing the connection between the earth, tea plants, art, history and people was much more than a great cup of tea, Sheryl’s mission was to build a company that would be a leader in the specialty tea industry. 

Sheryl believes part of this connection begins with the tea growers.  So Sheryl sources and cups each and every tea direct from the tea gardens to insure she is importing extraordinary tea from reputable growers whom practice sustainable agricultural techniques.

Sheryl has also embraced the use of medicinal herbs and botanicals for many years, and putting forth much effort into the research of creating hand-blended artisan teas and tisanes is something Sheryl feels is worth while.  The end result is a nothing short of a celebration between the earth and people.... So lets all raise our cups and savor the gift of a cuppa a tea. 
 

White Teas ....Sublte Powerhouse

White tea originated in a small area in the Fujian province of China, once considered for only the wealthy and privileged, this mild delicate tea is now enjoyed all over the world.
This rare tea is hand harvested from medium-leaf tea bush varietals once a year for a few weeks in early spring when the temperature is consistently cool and dry, producing silvery-white sprouts and leaves. The unique withering process and the absence of firing or rolling, makes white tea the least processed of all teas.
It is well documented that white teas are low in caffeine, contain high concentrations of antioxidants, and the amino acid, L-theanine, that help reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure, improve artery function, reduce stress and have detoxifying benefits.

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, I started wondering about the history behind the ever popular Irish Breakfast Tea.  Where did the flavor profile come from and why is it so popular in Ireland?


The history of tea in Ireland is almost as old as the history of tea in England.  It was initially introduced by the Anglo-Irish aristocracy as an import from India to the upper class in the nineteenth century and later spread to the rural and lower class.     

As the popularity of tea grew, the Irish initially relied entirely on U.K. importers for their tea supply, which became a problem during World War II, when Ireland chose not to ally itself with the United Kingdom. Consequently, the government of Ireland set up Tea Importers (Éire), Ltd., a conglomeration of companies that imported tea directly from the producing countries.

Irish tea consumption continued to increase in the postwar years. In 1973 Ireland had to disband Tea Importers because it violated antimonopoly statutes of the EU, so the business was taken up by the subsidiary companies that had made up the organization. As the Irish imported their own tea direct from the source they were able to experiment with the teas and blends.  Irish Breakfast blends were usually a blend of Assam, Darjeeling and Ceylon teas, but what they found is that the Irish tended to like their tea stronger than the English blends they were once consuming. They also began gravitating towards East African suppliers, who provided leaves that were aromatic.  The Irish blend evolved into a strong, rich, aromatic and malty cup of tea. 

Soon the whole nation was hooked on Irish tea or as they pronounce it..."tay"(from the French pronunciation) and enjoying a cuppa tea with sugar and generous amounts of milk.  The Irish have a saying that a good cup of tea should be “strong enough for a mouse to trot on.”

Well there you have it.   Lets all brew a cup and toast our Irish friends for this special treat.