Biggi Does Detox – Day 8

Many scientific studies have been done on the health benefits and superpowers of green tea since the mid-nineties. From boosting your brain power to fending off diabetes, the list of benefits is ever-growing.

The good news is, it only takes three cups a day to “keep the doctor away.”

Health Benefits of Green Tea

• improves memory
• fights dementia and Alzheimers
• lowers risk of cancer and heart disease
• strengthens gum and teeth
• prevents oral cancer
• delays the onset of type 1 diabetes
• reverses metabolic syndrome (a pre-cursor for type 2 diabetes)
• is anti-inflammatory
• helps eliminate toxins
• improves mood

How to Boost the Superpowers of Green Tea

Here’s a trick I found over at Dr. Mercola’s website that will boost the absorption of the beneficial compounds in green tea:

Add lemon juice to your tea! The vitamin C from the lemon juice increases available catechins from the green tea by 5 times, making a full 80% of catechins bioavailable!

Dr. Mercola also shares this great recipe to make the perfect cup of tea:

“Here are a few simple guidelines for making the “perfect” cup of tea:

• Bring water to a boil in a tea kettle (avoid using a non-stick pot, as this can release harmful chemicals when heated)
• Preheat your teapot or cup to prevent the water from cooling too quickly when transferred. Simply add a small amount of boiling water to the pot or tea up that you’re going to steep the tea in. Ceramic and porcelain retain heat well. Then cover the pot or cup with a lid. Add a tea cozy if you have one, or drape with a towel. Let stand until warm, then pour out the water
• Put the tea into an infuser, strainer, or add loose into the tea pot. Steeping without an infuser or strainer will produce a more flavorful tea. Start with one heaped teaspoon per cup of tea, or follow the instructions on the tea package. The robustness of the flavor can be tweaked by using more or less tea
• Add boiling water. Use the correct amount for the amount of tea you added (i.e. for four teaspoons of tea, add four cups of water). The ideal water temperature varies based on the type of tea being steeped:
  • White or green teas (full leaf): Well below boiling (170-185° Fahrenheit or 76-85° Celsius). Once the water has been brought to a boil, remove from heat and let the water cool for about 30 seconds for white tea and 60 seconds for green tea before pouring it over the leaves
  • Oolongs (full leaf): 185-210° F or 85-98° C
  • Black teas (full leaf) and Pu-erhs
• Cover the pot with a cozy or towel and let steep. Follow steeping instructions on the package. If there are none, here are some general steeping guidelines. Taste frequently as you want it to be flavorful but not bitter:
  • Oolong teas: 4-7 minutes
  • Black teas: 3-5 minutes
  • Green teas: 2-3 minutes
• Once the desired flavor has been achieved you need to remove the strainer or infuser. If you’re using loose leaves, pour the tea through a strainer into your cup and any leftover into another vessel (cover with a cozy to retain the heat)”

And as always, if you like this article or know of someone else that may benefit from it, please share!