​Keep Your Cool (And Your Summer Bod) With Iced Tea

Keep Your Cool (And Your Summer Bod) With Iced Tea

The sun's coming out, and the layers are coming off! As temperatures rise, beverage preferences shift to something cool and refreshing. Often, that means we're sipping on ice cream (disguised as coffee), soda, or neon bottles of "water."

Unfortunately, we're also guzzling down calories and sugar while cooling off. Caloric drinks can quickly nullify all the hard work we put in at the gym.

Drinking water is boring... and drinking mimosas on weekdays is generally frowned upon. What are we supposed to do?

Brew some iced tea! The resulting brew is refreshing and healthy! There are plenty of ways to spruce up a pitcher of iced tea without making it southern sweet.

Slimming

One of the easiest ways to cut calories is not to drink them. Replacing sugary drinks with iced tea automatically reduces the total calories consumed during the day. Tea comes in various flavors that can please the palate without requiring sweetener.

Herbal teas and tisanes are caffeine-free and delicious. White, green, oolong, and black tea have the bonus of EGCG and antioxidants. EGCG is a catechin found explicitly in tea. It helps to stimulate weight loss and maintenance.

Drinking green tea before exercise increases fat burn during a workout. Post-workout, you can treat yourself, but don't guzzle down a smoothie! One of these fruit concoctions can add an extra 250-800 calories to your daily intake.

Meanwhile, the "calories burned" on the elliptical are up to a 40% overestimation. Replacing this indulgent treat with a calorie-free, refreshing, and metabolism-boosting iced tea will sway the calories in vs. out in your favor!

Thirst Quencher

It is a common misconception that caffeinated beverages dehydrate the body. A cup of tea is mostly water. A study published by the EJCN suggests that even "the most caffeinated variety" of black tea still hydrates the body. With tea, you get the bonus of antioxidants and health-promoting properties. Iced tea counts toward your daily hydration goal, and it tastes great.

Calms The Nerves + Energizes The Mind

All tea prepared using tea leaves (not herbal tea) contains L-theanine amino acids. This naturally calming amino acid helps to calm and center the mind by stimulating alpha brain wave activity!

Even though it chills you, iced tea won't make you drowsy! Caffeine paired with L-theanine keeps the mind active and even improves response time. It's a win-win.

Easy Ways To Brew

Brewing tea is easy! Whole leaf tea contains the highest level of antioxidants and other nutrients. The highest quality steeps come from preparing iced tea with loose organic leaves. Tea bags don't offer the same beneficial properties because they contain the dust and fannings of lower-quality leaves.

Cold Brew Method

Cold brewing has become very trendy for both coffee and tea. Since hot water never touches the leaves, tannic acid doesn't release. The resulting brew is less astringent and bitter. The flavor profile is generally smoother and lighter. Super refreshing!

Preparation of cold brew is straightforward. A pitcher with a strainer works perfectly. Find out how many cups your pitcher holds by dividing the total ounces by eight. The dividend is how many teaspoons to put in the strainer.

8 ounces = 1 Teaspoon of Loose Tea

If you like your tea extra strong, add a couple of teaspoons of tea! Your tea leaves will infuse their flavor and nutrients within six to ten hours! Once you have the proper amount of tea, fill your pitcher with room temperature water and refrigerate.

Traditional Iced Tea

The usual method is to brew hot and then refrigerate. By preparing iced tea this way, you can taste it and ensure the strength is to your liking; if you want to sweeten your iced tea, it's best to do so while hot! Taste test and then chill.

Don't worry if it becomes cloudy! Preparing iced tea using high-quality loose tea also means more tea leaf particles are suspended in the liquid. The cause of the cloudiness is nothing more than that and doesn't change the flavor or benefits.

To prepare, the same formula and tools are required! Follow typical brewing instructions (proper temperatures for different varieties of the leaf.) One teaspoon of tea per every 8 ounces in your pitcher.

Instant Chill

What if you're thirsty now and didn't set up a pitcher overnight? Don't run to the store to pick up a 99¢ tall-can sugar bomb explosion that says "tea" on the label. You can make iced tea instantly! To prepare a strong and delicious cup, make a concentrated brew.

You can use your standard brewing device for a single hot cup:

- Double the number of tea leaves (for a 16 oz mug, use 4 tsp)

- Use half the amount of water (for a 16 oz mug, use eight ounces)

- Brew for the same amount of time you usually would

- Brew at the same temperature

- Add ice and stir or shake well

- Boom and voila! You have an instantly brewed iced tea!

Cool It!

You can feel hot all summer long by drinking cold tea. So, save your money and your tummy! Brewing a pitcher of iced tea is simple, and the flavor possibilities are endless.

A cup of tea hydrates and offers many beneficial components like antioxidants and EGCG. Calming L-theanine also helps keep your mood mellow.

Low calorie and satisfying, iced tea is the perfect accessory.