I’ve been drinking green tea for years and I suspect that may be why I simply never get sick… no colds or flu since I can remember.

Green tea is high in antioxidants, which boost your immune system but that’s not all. Green tea is also reported to burn body fat, inhibit the flu virus, prevent strokes and heart disease, and even protect against food poisoning, cavities and bad breath. Hold on… there’s more. It also protects against cancer and many other degenerative diseases. Plus, I always find it calming since it has very little caffeine (you can also get decaffeinated).

If you don’t like the taste, it could be because you’re using boiling water. Green tea should be brewed in hot water - around 175 degrees is best. It helps to have an instant-read thermometer but you can also find electric kettles made just for tea so you always get the right temperature. And for the best taste, don’t steep it longer than 2-3 minutes.

You will get the most health benefits using loose tea leaves and the more they move freely in the water, the better. If you choose tea bags, try to find the “pyramid” style bags that contain whole leaves.

One last thing… for the most benefits, drink the tea before it oxidizes (turns dark). I always make the tea & then cool it down by adding a little cold water so I can drink it right away.

Besides green, other teas are also made from the same plant including black tea, oolong, and white. They are all beneficial to your health, with white and green being the best choices. White tea has even more antioxidants than green tea but it can be more expensive and harder to find. You hear more about green tea because it’s been studied more. Research indicates you will not get the same benefits from bottled tea.

I drink 3 to 4 cups of freshly brewed white & green tea every day and I encourage everyone to give it a try.