Good Tea, Very Good Tea

In this month's issue of Natural Awakenings, there is a simple, direct article reminding us why we should pass on the skinny caramel latte double foam and go straight for tea-- especially green tea.

You have never had to convince me about the virtues of a leafy warm beverage-- for some reason, even though my Mom was always a Folgers drinker, I followed my Dad's preference of hot Liptons in the evening. It wasn't the health qualities tea brings with it after steeping, but the mere warm-y goodness of it.  Drinking tea, even at my desk on a busy afternoon, opens for me whole moments of pause, time to just sip and commune with my thoughts.

Tea, in some way, has a direct line from my lips to the slower part of my brain, it seems. No matter how much I love to indulge in cup of sweetened-cream Dunkin D's coffee (a poor substitute for Tim Hortons I might add), I still consider myself, truly a tea drinker.

If you are wondering what I buy in the tea aisle, it has recently come down to two brands: Numi and Yogi. Recently I decided to fully commit to organic teas, and I go back and forth between Yogi and Numi. Yogi Tea, made in Eugene, Ore., has a mad variety, but they are not entirely organic. Still I am charmed by their recent re-branding, especially the thoughtful teabag-tag and yoga-on-the-box advice.

Numi, out of Oakland, Calif., is a bit more serious, intense and rich, slightly more expensive (not by much) with a wilder undercurrent. When I hold a box of Numi in my hand, it feels like a commitment-- a very good one.

So, if you happen by the Wild Harvest aisle of Shaw's and spot of woman standing, gazing lovingly at the shelves of tea, say hi. I'm often there, visiting the boxes, seeing what is new, trying to resist.