There is very little that can compare to a hot cup of tea. No matter what the time of day or night it is my go to drink in any situation. In the mornings one of the first things I do is put the kettle on, in the evenings it is one of the last actions of the day. I do try to be a little bit healthy now and then and drink herbal tea, but generally I will have a strong (builders) cup of tea with a dash (a very, very small one) of milk. No sugar, just cups and cups of pure tea-y goodness.
Because of the copious amounts of tea coursing through my body I was absolutely thrilled when I stumbled upon an article telling me that tea actually reduces stress and that naughty (but very necessary) hormone cortisol in our bodies and helps us relax much quicker after stressful events. It even helps our blood clot and the likely-hood of having a heart attack is lower in tea drinkers, too.
I was even more thrilled when another study told me that my forgetful-self would be better at remembering things with a dunk of a tea bag. One of the main chemicals that our little think machines need to do all sorts of stuff, like be attentive, awake, remember and even is important in sexually activity, is called (this is a hard one) acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Surprise, surprise this unpronounceably named chemical is found in the wonderful plant Camellia Sinensis, which produces all four variations of tea (black, green, white and oolong, so when we drink a cuppa we are increasing our AChE levels and our minds work better.
As I take a sip out of my red and white polka dotted mug I am no longer surprised why memories and ideas invade my brain and I suddenly remember to unplug the iron. Already a tea lover, this only increases my fondness of the dark brew and as the warmth of of the hot fluid hugs me from within I know that there will be many, many more hot cups of tea in my future.
jensinewall 