#goodforstress

[isabellasanchez]

So this happened today! #gymtime #herewego #goodforstress #grateful

[wondrousmind-blog]

Tea Time

Before my parents decided to add the "precious little cherub" (aka my two year old sister) to our family, the idea of drinking coffee was unpleasant. I never enjoyed the taste of coffee and found it strange that my parents craved it so often. Fortunately for me, the little bundle of joy, Dakoda, has lead me to an extreme passion of coffee, in large amounts. I now believe that kids turn you towards a coffee addiction. After transferring to RIT, I figure my caffeine consumption might suppress; however, I was happily delighted to find a coffee machine or joyous barista at every corner of campus. I worked three jobs over the summer to save up for my first year away from home. Now, roughly seven months into it, I have seen my savings turn to a negative amount. Uncertain of where my money had gone, I did some honest self-reflection. I estimate that the three trips a day, four times a week to visit my joyous baristas had encouraged my negative savings. So I figured, around March that my coffee binging would be more appropriate for someone with the necessary funds. I recently introduced the You Are What You Eat. Fascinating enough caffeine was one of the most common responses to things to avoid while stressed. Ironically my coffee intake had decreased prior to the research. Now offers time for reflection. Indeed my passion for coffee served more as a hindrance rather help to my stress levels, and perhaps the restless nights of sleep were provoked by this. About three weeks ago I made the executive decision to quite "cold turkey." If you are relating to this post, don't try this method. I promise the persistent migraine is not worth is. In place of the coffee I began much research on the benefits of tea. My research has lead me to discovering a lieu of stress relieving and detox teas. My first stop was Teavana tea store. HOLY...tea. I explained to the associate that I was looking for a stress relieving tea. She came up with a mix using three teas: Lavender Dreams (Flavored White Tea), Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls (Flavored Green Tea) and Peach Tranquility (Herbal Infused Tea). She served it on ice- it was amazing. The tea had a lavender aroma but was balanced by a peachy taste. Pictured above is the stress relieving mix from Teavana. Although the tea was amazing, the cost was out of my budget. Next stop, Wegman's. Wegman's dedicated an entire section to tea. After perusing for some time, I spotted the Stress Relieving tea by Yogi. The tea happened to be on sale, so I purchased it (16 tea bags) for $3. The tea was just as rich as the tea from Teavana. Infused with a lavender mix which made drinking simple. Pictured above is the Stress Relief tea by Yogi. I found that the Yogi tea better suited my wallet, and was not disappointing. My tea journey has had a positive effect on me. I find myself craving coffee less, and turning to tea. After finishing my lemonade detox, I continue to drink the detox tea. I find myself as alert, if not more alert, throughout the day, as if I were still fixed on three cups, four days a week. Let's be honest, those double doubles I require in my coffee aren't that healthy either. My point is not to turn you from your coffee. Remember 1.5 cups of coffee is considered healthy, and some researchers think this has positive health benefits. I just want to tell you what is good for your stress! If you find yourself stressed, like me, try some tea. It's soothing and relaxes your mind just enough to go about your day. Try cropping out that excess caffeine and indulging in some tea. You might just feel less anxious on your most stressful days. P.S. Researchers believe green tea can increase weight loss ;)