Hi there. I'm 29 year old male who wants to start drinking herbal tea for
a few reasons:

1) I quit smoking cigarettes. I was a pack a day smoker for 5 years.
Although I do not miss the action of smoking I do miss the habit of a
comforting break.

2) Weight loss and diet. I am not looking for a tea to lose weight
with. Last year I lost 25 lbs by adjusting my diet and dinner plate sizes
without increasing exercise. I simply would like a hot beverage that
requires no sweetener and will provide little energy. I don't want another
liquid in my diet that has the potential to "add weight"

3) A tea that has little or no tannins and caffeine. I drink too much
coffee in the morning and although I can now drink coffee without sugar or
sweetener dunno how to do without the caffeine. because my coffee
consumption has gone up since I quit smoking (and the elimination of sugar
as well) body is adjusting to new chemistry from new dangers.

I would be drinking my tea at night in front of my computer while I am
trying to get my work done. That said I am very active in the that for I
am on my feet 9 hours a day. At night I am behind the computer for 4 or 5
hours and this is the time I would drink the tea. I wouldn't want
sleeplessness to be a side affect of a herbal tea BUT I would love alertness
from a tea it that is possible.

I have Experimented with peppermint tea and I like the taste I would
preferred the real herb in the tea and not a "flavoured" tea.

Where on the www can I get honest and detailed information about herbal tea
adn it's constituents? Any FAQ's to look for? Any warnings to issue?

HeadHunter

>1) I quit smoking cigarettes. I was a pack a day smoker for 5 years.
>Although I do not miss the action of smoking I do miss the habit of a
>comforting break.

Good idea! heh.

>
>2) Weight loss and diet. I am not looking for a tea to lose weight
>with. Last year I lost 25 lbs by adjusting my diet and dinner plate sizes
>without increasing exercise. I simply would like a hot beverage that
>requires no sweetener and will provide little energy. I don't want another
>liquid in my diet that has the potential to "add weight"

>
>3) A tea that has little or no tannins and caffeine. I drink too much
>coffee in the morning and although I can now drink coffee without sugar or
>sweetener dunno how to do without the caffeine. because my coffee
>consumption has gone up since I quit smoking (and the elimination of sugar
>as well) body is adjusting to new chemistry from new dangers.

A habits hard to break. Maybe just drink more water? heh. Actually,
most teas have plenty of caffine in them; switching to tea in the
morning could be seamless...and it actually isn't the caffine that
hits you immediately like most people think; it's the sugar. The
caffine doesn't kick in for 2-3 hours depending on your metabolism.

>
>I would be drinking my tea at night in front of my computer while I am
>trying to get my work done. That said I am very active in the that for I
>am on my feet 9 hours a day. At night I am behind the computer for 4 or 5
>hours and this is the time I would drink the tea. I wouldn't want
>sleeplessness to be a side affect of a herbal tea BUT I would love alertness
>from a tea it that is possible.

Making tea from just straight herbs could be a idea...or a decaf.

>
>I have Experimented with peppermint tea and I like the taste I would
>preferred the real herb in the tea and not a "flavoured" tea.
>
>Where on the www can I get honest and detailed information about herbal tea
>adn it's constituents? Any FAQ's to look for? Any warnings to issue?


Well, it depends on what you want the herbal tea for. If you want the
real deal herbal tea, with actual herbs and not flavored black, I
think you should pick up a small book on herbs and their medicinal
properties that you should be able to get at any local book shop. As
for the WWW, hit up google a bit and see what you can find. Although
some of the properties for the different herbs may vary slightly. I
have http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/1menu.htm bookmarked and look at
it occasionally; seems to have some good info there. You really can't
go wrong with the more benign herbs like Chamomile or most of the mint
family (peppermint, spearmint..great for colds or sore throats) when
you make teas out of them; just be sure to try not to make tea out of
something like mugwart or skullcap and you'll be fine.

There are plenty of blends available in teashops that are acceptable,
I'm sure. If worse comes to worse, use bagged. We mostly discuss
loose leaf of various varieties here such as Chinese Wulong.

Stay with us and you'll learn alot! I sure have!!


Mydnight

--------------------
thus then i turn me from my countries light, to dwell in the solemn shades of an endless night.

One other suggestion A Weak Cup of Tea taste better than A Weak Cup of
Coffee. Take a tea bag, and simply dunk two or three times, or remove
immediately after infusing with empty cup. I could drink any tea I
make with a 10-1 dilution and still find it enjoyable.

Jim

Mydnight wrote:
....I delete you...
> There are plenty of blends available in teashops that are acceptable,
> I'm sure. If worse comes to worse, use bagged. We mostly discuss
> loose leaf of various varieties here such as Chinese Wulong.
>
> Stay with us and you'll learn alot! I sure have!!
>
>
> Mydnight

"HeadHunter" > wrote in message
. ..
> Hi there. I'm 29 year old male who wants to start drinking herbal tea
for
> a few reasons:
>
> 1) I quit smoking cigarettes. I was a pack a day smoker for 5 years.
> Although I do not miss the action of smoking I do miss the habit of a
> comforting break.

Congrats!

> 2) Weight loss and diet. I am not looking for a tea to lose weight
> with. Last year I lost 25 lbs by adjusting my diet and dinner plate sizes
> without increasing exercise. I simply would like a hot beverage that
> requires no sweetener and will provide little energy. I don't want
another
> liquid in my diet that has the potential to "add weight"

Green and white teas are meant to consumed straight and some do taste
"sweet."

> 3) A tea that has little or no tannins and caffeine. I drink too much
> coffee in the morning and although I can now drink coffee without sugar or
> sweetener dunno how to do without the caffeine. because my coffee
> consumption has gone up since I quit smoking (and the elimination of sugar
> as well) body is adjusting to new chemistry from new dangers.

A cup of tea contains approx. 1/2 the amount of caffeine of a cup of regular
coffee, so switching to regular tea might be a good step for you to take in
the weaning process.

<Pause for station identification>

Herbal teas are properly called tisanes, not teas, simply because they don't
come from the tea plant, Camellia sinensis. AFAIK, herbal teas don't have
caffeine except for yerba mate and guarana. Please see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbal_tea.

<Back to regular program>

More tannins are released as the steep gets longer. Since longer brew times
also makes tea bitter, it's fairly easy to avoid. This page says that green
tea does not release tannins and I would assume by extension that white tea
doesn't either: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tannin#Tea.

OTOH, caffeine is highly water-soluble resulting in up to 80% of the
caffeine in tea being released in the first 30 secs. or so. This allows you
to reduce the amount of caffeine in your tea yourself, if you don't want to
buy decaf tea. All you have to do is brew the tea like normal for 30 secs.
and discard that water. Then, proceed to brew as usual with fresh water for
a beverage w/ much less caffeine. Also, since it's common to infuse green
and white teas 3x or more, the first cup will give you the caffeine and
subsequent cups will have lower to negligible levels. Consuming tea gongfu
style will give you similar results.


> I would be drinking my tea at night in front of my computer while I am
> trying to get my work done. That said I am very active in the that for I
> am on my feet 9 hours a day. At night I am behind the computer for 4 or 5
> hours and this is the time I would drink the tea. I wouldn't want
> sleeplessness to be a side affect of a herbal tea BUT I would love
alertness
> from a tea it that is possible.

For alertness, IMO, it would be easier to stick with a true tea for the
caffeine. If you buy a CO2 decaf'd tea, it will have something like 99+% of
the caffeine removed compared to the up to 80% if you decaf'd it yourself.

For relaxation, I've found that the chamomile and rooibos herbs work well.


> I have Experimented with peppermint tea and I like the taste I would
> preferred the real herb in the tea and not a "flavoured" tea.

Okay, so stick with herbals, and avoid flavored teas which are real teas.


> Where on the www can I get honest and detailed information about herbal
tea
> adn it's constituents? Any FAQ's to look for? Any warnings to issue?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbal_tea has several common, popularly
infused herbs.

The misc.health.alternative ng may offer more assistance as r.f.d.t. is for
the discussion of tea merely as a beverage.

Here is the r.f.d.t. FAQ which has more info including about kicking a
caffeine habit:
http://pages.ripco.net/~c4ha2na9/tea/faq.html#3.1.2.


HTH.


--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.

well you say you want "alertness" and "energy" but not caffeine. I'm afraid
you can't have it both ways. Herbal 'teas' (jasmine, chamomile, not real
'tea' from the tea plant), usually do not have any caffeine, so the only
'alertness' you'll be gettting is from the taste and maybe the warm water.

Often herbal teas will be called "tisanes" .. try searching for that word.


"HeadHunter" > wrote in message
. ..
> Hi there. I'm 29 year old male who wants to start drinking herbal tea
for
> a few reasons:
>
> 1) I quit smoking cigarettes. I was a pack a day smoker for 5 years.
> Although I do not miss the action of smoking I do miss the habit of a
> comforting break.
>
> 2) Weight loss and diet. I am not looking for a tea to lose weight
> with. Last year I lost 25 lbs by adjusting my diet and dinner plate sizes
> without increasing exercise. I simply would like a hot beverage that
> requires no sweetener and will provide a little energy. I don't want
another
> liquid in my diet that has the potential to "add weight"
>
> 3) A tea that has little or no tannins and caffeine. I drink too much
> coffee in the morning and although I can now drink coffee without sugar or
> sweetener dunno how to do without the caffeine. because my coffee
> consumption has gone up since I quit smoking (and the elimination of sugar
> as well) body is adjusting to new chemistry from new dangers.
>
> I would be drinking my tea at night in front of my computer while I am
> trying to get my work done. That said I am very active in the that for I
> am on my feet 9 hours a day. At night I am behind the computer for 4 or 5
> hours and this is the time I would drink the tea. I wouldn't want
> sleeplessness to be a side affect of a herbal tea BUT I would love
alertness
> from a tea it that is possible.
>
> I have Experimented with peppermint tea and I like the taste I would
> preferred the real herb in the tea and not a "flavoured" tea.
>
> Where on the www can I get honest and detailed information about herbal
tea
> adn it's constituents? Any FAQ's to look for? Any warnings to issue?
>
> HeadHunter
>
>

"HeadHunter" > wrote in message

> 2) Weight loss and diet. I am not looking for a tea to lose weight
> with. Last year I lost 25 lbs by adjusting my diet and dinner plate sizes
> without increasing exercise.

Well, it's never bad to increase very slightly exercise, especially during
the transition period. Walking often does wonders.

>I simply would like a hot beverage that
> requires no sweetener and will provide little energy. I don't want
another
> liquid in my diet that has the potential to "add weight"

All the herb teas can be had without adding sweetener. You can get used to
it very quickly, but if you had the habit of over-sweet soft drinks, maybe
you could start with fruit tisanes (like the German red berry ones).

> 3) A tea that has little or no tannins and caffeine.

Roasted tea ( like Japanese Houji cha) have a reduced cafeine level, even
children can have them.

> I would be drinking my tea at night in front of my computer while I am
> trying to get my work done. That said I am very active in the that for I
> am on my feet 9 hours a day. At night I am behind the computer for 4 or 5
> hours and this is the time I would drink the tea. I wouldn't want
> sleeplessness to be a side affect of a herbal tea BUT I would love
alertness
> from a tea it that is possible.

After dinner, I drink :
tisanes (orange tree, chamomille, linden, etc)
fruit tisanes
cereal decoction (mugi cha, sobacha)
rooibos (African red not-a-tea)
roasted tea
lemonade (lemon juice + water)
fresh herb water (water + my herb garden plants let together a few hours in
the fridge)
yuzu cha (citrus jam + hot water, that has calories, but the day you have
that, don't get a dessert)
water
*(secret)

None of that makes me sleep. Doing a little break gives you energy, no
matter what you drink. You can also add a few
yoga/strectching/relaxation/massage minutes to your break as for computer
work, the tireness comes easily in the shoulder, neck, eyes.

*(any tea I feel like and even very strong coffee, the truth is I don't like
sleeping at night...)

Kuri (night bird)

HeadHunter wrote:
> 3) A tea that has little or no tannins and caffeine. I drink too
much
> coffee in the morning and although I can now drink coffee without
sugar or
> sweetener dunno how to do without the caffeine. because my coffee
> consumption has gone up since I quit smoking (and the elimination of
sugar
> as well) body is adjusting to new chemistry from new dangers.

Well, you could try an infusion made with chicory root. It's used as a
substitute for coffee and can help wean you off of the caffeine. I've
never had an infusion of pure chicory root but I've had a couple blends
that used large amounts of it, and I thought they tasted pretty good.
They weren't bitter at all, but that could have been because of the
other herbs in the blend, I'm not sure. If it is too bitter plain I
figure you could have an herb shop mix a blend that is more palatable.
Just some suggestions.

I like to buy my herbal (tisanes) teas from Special Teas.com.
www.specialteas.com
I love the blueberry yogurt (listed under the Fruit Blends) and caramel
rooibos but there are plenty of flavors from which to choose. I also drink
peppermint & chamomile at night...mine is home grown but SpecialTeas sells
that as well.

If you're looking for "alertness" you might want to find something with
ginseng...though it may have the potential to keep you up if you drink it
too late. You should be able to find that in a local health food store. (I
don't like the flavor so I don't drink it.) I buy my real tea from either
Special Teas or Upton Tea, www.uptontea.com. A low caffeine oolong or green
in a gung fu cha method (small cup/multiple infusion) might be an option for
a light pick-me-up since I find the second and third infusion very relaxing
rather than "wired." You can always decaf your brew as suggested in earlier
posts and dump the first thirty second steep.

All the best,

Renee


"HeadHunter" > wrote in message
. ..
> Hi there. I'm 29 year old male who wants to start drinking herbal tea
for
> a few reasons:
>
> 1) I quit smoking cigarettes. I was a pack a day smoker for 5 years.
> Although I do not miss the action of smoking I do miss the habit of a
> comforting break.
>
> 2) Weight loss and diet. I am not looking for a tea to lose weight
> with. Last year I lost 25 lbs by adjusting my diet and dinner plate sizes
> without increasing exercise. I simply would like a hot beverage that
> requires no sweetener and will provide little energy. I don't want
another
> liquid in my diet that has the potential to "add weight"
>
> 3) A tea that has little or no tannins and caffeine. I drink too much
> coffee in the morning and although I can now drink coffee without sugar or
> sweetener dunno how to do without the caffeine. because my coffee
> consumption has gone up since I quit smoking (and the elimination of sugar
> as well) body is adjusting to new chemistry from new dangers.
>
> I would be drinking my tea at night in front of my computer while I am
> trying to get my work done. That said I am very active in the that for I
> am on my feet 9 hours a day. At night I am behind the computer for 4 or 5
> hours and this is the time I would drink the tea. I wouldn't want
> sleeplessness to be a side affect of a herbal tea BUT I would love
alertness
> from a tea it that is possible.
>
> I have Experimented with peppermint tea and I like the taste I would
> preferred the real herb in the tea and not a "flavoured" tea.
>
> Where on the www can I get honest and detailed information about herbal
tea
> adn it's constituents? Any FAQ's to look for? Any warnings to issue?
>
> HeadHunter
>
>

There have been studies that show mints, citrus, and jasmine scents
effecting alertness--lemon is especially good at improving productivity.
Certainly the scent of the tisane could help you to be more alert.