Tea Time

Part of the Food Talk series

Tea Time with Tea, a. healthy snack, and a book

Let’s talk about tea time…

My daily habit of tea time started several years ago as a means to reduce my snacking. Initially, it was simply a designated moment in the afternoon when I would have a snack rather than grazing throughout the day. Over time,  it has evolved into a self-care ritual that I look forward to each day.

 My tea time has evolved over the years to meet me where I’m at on my health journey. 

A Break In The Day

I love this little afternoon break in the day. When the weather is nice, I sit on my back deck, and when it’s cold, I cozy up by the fire. I use this time to stop working for just a few minutes and read a book. This short break provides the extra boost I need to spark a final burst of creative energy before diving into dinner preparations and evening activities.

This short break provides the extra boost I need to spark a final burst of creative energy before diving into dinner preparations and evening activities.

My Tea Time Components

  1. A Delicious Tea: I usually drink unsweetened black tea at meals so I use tea time for variety and to get the health benefits of green tea.  In the summer, I make a pitcher of green tea to drink iced. Usually this is unsweetened. But I occasionally will add a touch of honey. In the winter I’ll make a cup of hot green tea usually with a touch of Manuka honey.
  2. A Good Book: Reading is one of my favorite pastimes, and having a designated time each day to indulge in a book is something I eagerly anticipate. This addition to my tea time enriches the experience and adds to my overall well-being.
  3. Calm: If your days are like mine, they can sometimes be hectic and stressful. Having a moment to breathe deeply and just be is so good for my mental health
  4. A Healthy Bite: Having significantly curbed my snacking habit, I don’t always include food with my tea. When I do, it’s usually a small,  healthy homemade treat, a mini grazing board with dates, chocolate chunks, and nut butter, or steamed edamame.

Health Benefits of Tea Time

  • Tea may reduce the risk of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and arthritis. Some studies even show that it can aid in  weight management and gut health
  • Reading for pleasure may reduce stress, increase empathy, and increase cognitive function.
  • Taking a few minutes of downtime during your day can help your focus and decrease stress.

Looking for a healthy tea time treat?

2 Tea Time Bars on a white plate

These Tea Time Bars use dates to create a luscious caramel peanut butter filling. Plus there’s coconut and chocolate and cashews – Yum!

Sources

Khan N, Mukhtar H. Tea and health: studies in humans. Curr Pharm Des. 2013;19(34):6141-7. doi: 10.2174/1381612811319340008. PMID: 23448443; PMCID: PMC4055352.

Sirotkin AV, Kolesárová A. The anti-obesity and health-promoting effects of tea and coffee. Physiol Res. 2021 Apr 30;70(2):161-168. doi: 10.33549/physiolres.934674. PMID: 33992045; PMCID: PMC8820582.

Wang L, Shu XO, Cai H, Yang Y, Xu W, Wu J, Cai Q, Zheng W, Yu D. Tea Consumption and Gut Microbiome in Older Chinese Adults. J Nutr. 2023 Jan;153(1):293-300. doi: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2022.12.002. Epub 2022 Dec 21. PMID: 36913464; PMCID: PMC10196597.

Thadani, N. (2022a, March 8). The benefits of recreational reading. George Mason University. https://www.gmu.edu/news/2022-03/benefits-recreational-reading 

Boynton, E. (2022, April 18). Taking breaks is good for your brain – here’s why. Right as Rain by UW Medicine. https://rightasrain.uwmedicine.org/mind/well-being/taking-breaks 

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