Admittedly, I am a water-holic. At any given time throughout the day, you will find me drinking water or re-filling my favorite blue water bottle. Afterall, I live in Michigan surrounded by fresh water and I happen to reside in Grand Rapids, the first city in the nation to flouridate their drinking water. (That explains the cavity I got after moving to Boston! Hmph.) Soda was removed from my diet a few years ago (yes, even the diet stuff) and I no longer drink anything with artificial sweeteners (ie Crystal Light or Diet Snapple). What does that leave me with? Water, coffee, tea, wine or beer. And the occasional vodka.
As much as I love my h2o, every now and again I like to kick it up a notch by infusing it with various flavors. In the Summer, I love sparkling water with a splash of pomegranate juice and lime. Today I’m featuring another favorite which can be served hot or cold, my Orange Ginger Tea. Did you know that black tea is loaded in health benefits? Similar to coffee, tea is a very healthy addition to your daily routine:
1. Drinking black or green tea helps reduce bad (LDL) cholesterol and increase good (HDL) cholesterol.
2. Black tea is full of powerful antioxidants which prevent damage caused by free radicals that lead to cancer, diabetes and other diseases.
3. Tea contains flouride which helps prevent tooth decay.
4. Drinking black tea can reduce the risk of heart disease or heart attacks because it expands the arteries which increases blood flow to the heart.
5. Properties of the tea slow down the growth of cancerous cells without destroying healthy cells.
Your tea kettle is waiting.
Can be served hot or cold and is a very healthy addition to your daily routine.
- 8 black tea bags (such as Liptons, Rose's or PG Tips)
- 1 medium orange peel only
- 1 tbs ginger freshly grated
- 8 c boiling water
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Bring water to a boil and place 8 tea bags in a large pitcher.
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Meanwhile, carefully remove peel from one orange. Be careful to avoid the bitter, white pith - you only want the bright orange peel. A small sharp knife or carrot peeler works well.
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Place orange peel and grated ginger in pitcher on top of the tea bags.
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Pour boiling hot water in the pitcher and let steep 10 minutes.
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Serve hot or chill to serve iced.
Nutritional Information (per glass):
Tea is about 5 calories a glass. Drink up!
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