There are more flavors and types of tea than I can keep track of and they all have different health benefits. I’ve always loved tea; if I have a headache I drink tea; can’t sleep, drink tea; stomachache, drink tea; sick, drink tea. Now that I’ve learned how bad a coffee addiction can be, I’ve learned to love tea even more. I’ve begun drinking more teas and enjoy learning about their health benefits. But my biggest reason why you should drink tea is because it is relaxing, and can be a building block of a less stressful lifestyle.

There are many cultures that value teas: Middle Eastern, Asian, and Britain. Americans tend to value coffee a bit more; you can see this by taking note of how many coffee chains we have. Even Dunkin' Donuts only serves two plain types of teas compared to their many coffee flavors. America runs on Dunkin'; it is normal for us to start the day with a cup of coffee with breakfast. Running on caffeine may work for you but running on caffeine will catch up to you. Starting your day with a cup of tea starts your morning much more relaxing.

There is a movement toward stress-free healthy living in our generation and I believe converting coffee drinkers to tea drinkers is part of this.

Sure, you can go buy some Lipton tea bags, but if you try some different teas and find the ones for you, you will not miss coffee. You can go to Teavana (there is one in Providence place mall) and try their tea samples any time.

So here are some of my favorite teas and how they can help you.

Black tea, such as my favorite chai oolong tea, is caffeinated so it can give a boost similar to coffee, but is less likely to lead to a crash.

Green tea has antioxidants that help your immune system and taste great as iced tea in any flavor.

Peppermint tea not only smells wonderful but can help with digestion, improves constipation and relieves stress.

Chamomile is my favorite to help with migraines and insomnia.

Ginger tea is full of vitamin-C and is great for digestive issues.