Be You, Tea Full

I wake up, stroll to the kitchen and turn the kettle on. As I wait for it to finish with a quiet ding, I sleepily prepare my morning cup of tea. Placing the tea leaves in a strainer the smell of cinnamon, cardamon and aniseed surround me, calming me. 

My morning ritual is my meditation. A period of 15 minutes where I am by myself and enjoying the small things that life has to offer. The world is quiet, the rest of the house is asleep and I just sit there and watch the sun rise with my cup of tea. Perfection.

Hoping to share my love of tea with you, below are several of my go to teas throughout the day,why I love them and a range of health benefits that they offer. 

After reading this, I hope you too start your day with a delicious pot of beautiful tea. 

CHAI TEA

Benefits: It is made from a blend of aromatic herbs and spices, such as cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and nutmeg that contain antioxidants and phytochemicals known to reduce the risk of certain cancers. The antioxidants and phytochemicals within Chai tea benefit the immune system, gut health and facilitate energy production.

I love: My dog is named after this tea, that’s how much I love it! The best way to drink it is by brewing a wet chai mixture over the stove, with soymilk and a dash of honey. Delish!

MINT

Benefits: It improves digestion, reduces pain, eliminates inflammation cures bad breath and aids the immune systems. Mint tea is the perfect cuppa to sip on when it’s that time of the month as it eases nausea and stomach cramps.

I love: A warm cup of peppermint tea is my go to when I am feeling nauseas or off in the stomach. It also aids digestion, which makes it the perfect ‘after-dinner-mint’ to help relax and unwind after a big meal.

CHAMOMILE

Benefits: It promotes sleep, eases stomach-aches and can help in calming muscle spasms. This non-caffeinated herbal tea is the perfect solution for people looking to relax, unwind and enjoy a cosy evening ahead.

I love: drinking a hot mug of chamomile tea right before bed to relax me and put me straight to sleep. My only problem is that I always wake up in the middle of the night busting to go to the bathroom (eek).

GREEN

Benefits: It contains lots of antioxidants (catechins) and nutrients that are said to boost the metabolism, aid weight loss and improve brain function. Catechins are an important antioxidant present in green tea, known to assist heart disease, cancer and overall cell damage.

I love:  I would say that green tea is an acquired taste, one that has not come so easily to me. Due to green tea’s well-known benefits I do try and drink it several times a week however it has nothing on a scrumptious pot of chai.

LIQUORICE

Benefits: The liquorice root has long been used to treat ulcer like symptoms, digestive problems, heartburn and upper-respiratory ailments.  Liquorice root can however cause several side affects when used for a long period of time. 

I love: I regularly drink a liquorice tea infusion that contains only 44 per cent liquorice root. I am obsessed with this tea at the moment as it has the perfect combination of sweet, spicy yet subtle flavours.

BLACK

Benefits: Made from the same plant as green tea, black tea assists in lowering cholesterol as well as containing caffeine to give you a burst of energy throughout the day. Perfect for people like me who are trying to stay away from coffee.

I love:  A slug of boiling water and a dash of milk is how I like my black tea. Everyone is different, but this bad body gives me an extra oomph of energy I need to get up and attack the day ahead.

What is your favourite type of tea? Share below

Morning Glory

I was always that person whose body clock went off at 5a.m. and within minutes I was dressed and ready to attack the day. By 7a.m. I had exercised, eaten breakfast, drunk my morning tea and was ready for whatever the rest of the day had in store for me.

Over the last 7 months my morning enthusiasm has flown out the window. My zest to get up and go has been drowned by warm cuddles, the snooze button being hit on repeat and an ‘I will do it later’ attitude. What have I become? Where has my ‘oh so annoying’ morning persona gone?

Now that I have lost my morning person edge, the concept of trying to get back into the routine of waking up early and seizing the day is incomprehensible, but with summer fast approaching I really need to get my bum into gear.

In order to fit everything into my day – work, the inklings of a social life, exercise, date nights and the occasional alone time – I have to start getting up earlier and making the most of every minute. I have read countless articles on the internet and a million and one tips on how to become a morning person but let’s be honest, some things work other things do not. Here are some tips and tricks that work for me and hopefully will work for you too.

Plan Ahead

Currently, the more sleep I can get the better. I can sleep for an extra five to ten minutes in the morning (trust me it is worth it)if I pack everything I need for the next day the night before. I prep all my food and pop it in a plastic bag so it is quick and easy to grab. I lay my clothes out  - including work wear and my gym ensemble – literally everything and anything that I will need to get me through the day. My carry bag will also be packed for the day ahead so when I wake, all I have to do is get dressed, grab my food and I am out the door. This is a great way to maximize your time first thing in the morning.   

Routine routine routine  
If you didn't catch what I was trying to say with the above subtitle - routine is key. Staying up late and binge watching on the latest season of Peaky Blinders is not going to make it easier to wake up at 5:30am. Your body responds well to patterns. Going to bed at the same time and waking up at the same time every day will make it easier for you body to respond to certain things. Make these patterns a habit, not a matter of willpower. By making it a habit you are taking away the decision making action, and turning it into a process.

The good old snooze button

Don’t hit the snooze button. The night before this sounds like a very easy task but come 5:30am the snooze button is irresistible. The only thing that works for me is moving my phone to the other side of the room so I have to get up.  If I have to get out of bed to turn off my alarm, I am far more likely to actually stay up. In saying that, I have been known to roll over and make the better half get up and turn it off. Whoops - at least I’m trying, right?

Seize the day

I think it is extremely important to acknowledge why you are trying to get up early in the first place. If it is for no reason than why are you forcing yourself to get up?  

If there is a specific reasons you want to start being more of a morning person then get up and do something YOU want to do. If exercising isn’t your thing read a blog, pamper yourself, meditate, and listen to a podcast – whatever it is do something for you.

Trust me, you will feel so much better about yourself when you have had the time to start your morning off right and do something that will benefit you. Whether that is relaxing over a morning coffee and newspaper or getting up and doing a morning salute to the sun – make the most of your time and your life.

XOXO 

Avocado Smoothie

Morning brunch of avocado on toast, a delicious guacamole or just plain avocado with a hint of salad dressing - lets just say I LOVE avocado yet I have always been hesitant about hopping onto the avocado smoothie train. Im not sure what about the smoothie concept previously turned me off. I blitz up bananas, strawberries, mango and nearly any other fruit for a smoothie, but the concept of an avocado being put in the blender felt weird. 

After months of watching my male housemate drink avocado smoothies daily he finally convinced me to try some. I sipped with hesitation and swallowed with surprise. It was creamy, smooth and down right delectable! After a quick run down of his basic recipe I jumped into the kitchen to get smoothie making. 

I thought I would share my basic recipe with everyone but feel free to vary the ingredients depending on what you like in your smoothie. As a sweetener my go to is always honey but maple syrup, raw sugar and agave nectar are great alternatives. Replace soy milk with your choice of dairy or non-dairy options. For a bit of extra oomph add a banana, spinach and top with granola for a perfect, healthy breakfast. 

Ingredients:
- 1/2 avocado
- 1/2 cup of soy milk
- 1/2 cup Chobani yoghurt 
- heaped teaspoon of honey 

Blitz all ingredients in a blender. For a runnier consistency add extra milk or if you would like it a bit thicker add more yoghurt and avocado. Enjoy
xxx

(Image one sourced from Eleanor Landford Photography, image 2 sourced from HollyWulf)

Sydney Tea Festival

Tea enthusiasts, if you missed the annual Sydney Tea festival on the weekend then boy did you miss out. I was in tea heaven. As I walked through the door I smelt cinnamon and nutmeg, fruity aromatics and baked goods. I knew from that moment forward it was going to be a good day. 

Three of my friends and I strolled through Carriageworks taste testing tea to our hearts content. Some were aromatic, delicious and moreish, others were less to be desired. Each various tea adding a story an experience to that of tea tasting. The tea stalls were a mix of various teas from green, peppermint to hibiscus, served by sexy men with beards and man buns. Scattered throughout the stalls were tempting sweet and savoury treats. I consumed salted caramel macaroons, vegan cherry ripe granola, lemon semolina bars and chocolate ganache. Any idealisations of a summer bod were out the window with zero thoughts of regret and it felt good. 

For those of you who aren't lovers of tea hopefully you got dragged along to the festival to just share in the atmosphere. I am not sure my friend was impressed when we rocked up. She saw the sign stating 'Sydney Tea Festival' and goes 'f*ck right when all I wanted was a coffee.' Bless her cotton socks. So after hours of tea tasting we took her for coffee at the end and stuffed our faces with dumplings. Oh what a glorious day 

XOXO

 This my friends is a face of pure content :D