After I manage to drag myself out of bed every morning, I put some water in the kettle and wait for it to boil. Most people I know begin their day with a cup of coffee, including my parents, my sister, and my brother. The smell of coffee reminds me of both my family and of college, where students take coffee by the cupful in order to keep themselves awake and alive. As for me, I can’t drink coffee. It has too much caffeine for my body and makes me jittery. I only drink it when I need to be hyped up or really talkative. Instead, I drink green tea.

Green tea used to have a bad rep due to its interesting flavor, but it’s slowly come into the spotlight. It recently gained its popularity from matcha. Matcha is basically green tea in powdered form, and though it’s supposed to have even more benefits, it tends to be expensive. It also has a different flavor, and some people don't like the texture. I think I'll stick with green tea.

Despite having less caffeine than coffee, the caffeine in green tea acts differently. Coffee’s caffeine hits you with a hard punch for a couple of hours until you crash and crave more. The caffeine in green tea releases slowly over a couple of hours, so it doesn’t leave you jittery and it doesn’t make you crash. Green tea contains antioxidants, which help fight free radicals that can cause cancer. It is also proven to help relaxation, as it contains an amino acid called L-theanine. It’s healthy for your gums and teeth and helps prevent cardiovascular disease, obesity, and Type II Diabetes. Basically, green tea makes your taste buds and your body happy.

As for the flavor of green tea, I have to admit that it took me a while to get used to its unique taste. It is commonly described as "grassy." I understand that no one wants to taste cow food when drinking tea, but I’ve found that it's usually only the cheaper and weaker teas that taste like grass. I've also found that adding a bit of honey adds a richer texture and flavor to my mug, and helps eliminate any grassy tinge. As for my favorite teas, mine are Twinings Green Tea and Harney & Sons Japanese Sencha. Twinings is full-bodied and stronger, while Harney & Sons is lighter and subtler.

If you haven't tried green tea, give it a chance! Maybe you'll love the fresh taste as much as I do. Maybe it will become a vital part of your morning routine. And just maybe it will be your next healthy addiction.