Coach’s Corner: Enjoying Green Tea

Dr. Hartman has listed green tea as a powerful therapeutic food in many posts on this blog. It seems to be good for (almost) whatever ails you!
 
Does his recommended therapeutic dose of 4-6 cups of green tea a day feel like a bridge too far? If you are looking for ways to add more green tea into your daily routine, this post is for you!

Why Drink Green Tea?

A few of the benefits of green tea include:

• Improved immune function
• Improved insulin sensitivity
• Reduced inflammation
• Detoxification
• Aids in rebalancing hormone levels (including estrogen and testosterone)
• Supports a healthy gut microbiome
• Supports anti-cancer activity

 
Green tea can even help with weight loss. With all of these benefits, it seems worth the effort to make green tea a habit.
 

Green Tea Doesn’t Have to Be Bitter OR Boring!

Here are a few ways to enjoy this powerful, delicious drink:
 
Cold brew it.
This is my personal favorite. Simply add 3-4 tea bags to a quart of cold water and steep it on the counter for at least 30 minutes or place it in the fridge overnight. Four cups of green tea, ready to be enjoyed. Check. Cold-brewed green tea is not only super easy, but it is also less bitter, has less caffeine, and has more antioxidants. A longer steeping time produces more antioxidants. If you prefer to drink it hot, just heat it before drinking.
 
Use it to make kombucha.
Fermented green tea has even more health benefits, so use it to brew your own kombucha at home. It’s delicious, easy, cheap, and you can try out different flavor profiles. My favorite is ginger pomegranate. It tastes great and the fermented pomegranate juice has known anti-cancer properties as well.
 
Use cold-brewed green tea as a base for your smoothie.
Why not add some green tea to that smoothie? It will add an antioxidant boost and you won’t even taste it!
 
Need more ideas? Here are a few:

• Try loose leaf tea. Some people say that it tastes better.
• When brewing hot green tea, use water that is not boiling and steep only 2-3 minutes. Over-
• brewing can create a more bitter flavor.
• Add lemon, lime, or other fruit.
• Add a little honey or a drop or two of pure stevia.
• Make a green tea latte. Here’s a recipe to try: https://www.simplyquinoa.com/green-tea-latte/
• Add a little pomegranate juice.
• Mix green tea with another tea of your choice.
• Add some mint.

 
I hope this will encourage you to make green tea a new daily habit. How do you like to drink your green tea? Leave a comment on Facebook or Instagram and let us know!
 
Since 2010, Richmond Integrative and Functional Medicine has been helping people to restore their health and hope with an integrative approach to conventional and alternative medicine that’s entirely science-backed. We at RIFM believe everyone is made for health. We offer a comprehensive, in-person patient membership program to ensure you get access to the care you need to thrive.