An ancient Chinese scholar and mathematician of the Ming Dynasty, Xu Guangpi, once said that “tea is a divine herb.” I'm inclined to agree within Guangpi, and I'm here to tell you why:

Tea Promotes Good Health

Before tea became a beverage of choice, it began as a medicinal staple of daily ritual. Green tea and Oolong tea are two of the most popular teas with health benefits that promote vitality and longevity. For example, Green tea helps to regulate blood flow. According to new research on the health benefits of green tea, Epigallocatechin gallate (ECG), which is one of the major polyphenolic compounds in green tea, activates endothelial nitric oxide synthase in the cells lining blood vessels causing the muscle within the blood vessel wall to relax and increase the diameter of the blood vessel. The simplistic result is improving blood flow. Secondly, Oolong tea promotes healthy weight loss by stimulating a process called lipolysis where triglycerides in fat cells are broken down to supply energy throughout the body. This process reduces the absorption of dietary fat in exchange for those dietary fats to be used for energy purposes.

Tea Is The Perfect Workout Supplement

Drinking either of these teas before a period of rigorous exercise can augment your gym workout by supporting healthy blood flow and stimulating exhaustion of fat cells in the body during your workout. A great way to develop a habit of drinking tea before an exercise is to pair tea with meditation. An important component of a tea ritual is patience for the ideal moment. One must wait not only for the tea to steep, but for the cup of tea to reach the proper temperature for drinking. This gives you an opportunity to contemplate on your exercise objective beforehand. Consider the mindset that accompanies a great exercise session. One might go to the gym without a strong understanding of the sequence of intended exercises and effort required thus leading to leaving the gym with a sense of dissatisfaction. When you wait for your tea to reach the right temperature, and contemplate your exercise goals, that first sip of tea can inspire goosebumps and the motivation to accomplish your new workout plan.

Tea Provides Peace Of Mind

Tea is liquid wisdom. Whether in the morning with breakfast, in the afternoon, or before bed, tea can provide the time to reflect and peace of mind in about 10 minutes. Many people who I meet that say they don’t appreciate tea eventually get around to telling me that they have never had someone make them a cup of tea. I see these moments as opportunities to change an individual's mind on tea by sharing one of my favorite tea flavor combinations.

My mint tea with a hint of lemon might just change your mind.

1. Place a mint teabag in a mug with a lemon wedge and a drizzle of honey.

2. Fill with hot water and allow to steep for two to three minutes.

3. If you are more adventurous, you should try the eating the lemon wedge. It will be sour but the hot mint tea infused into the lemon is quite tasty.

Stir and enjoy.