Author: Karley @ Tealightful

Cold Brew Iced Tea Recipes

How to make cold brew iced tea with fruit

Fill the stainless steel infuser basket with 2 heaping tablespoons of your favorite Tealightful white tea, green tea, herbal or fruit tisane. Note: Black tea is best steeped with boiling water yet black tea blends that are not 100% black tea can be cold brewed.

• Add Water: Fill the mason jar 3/4 of the way with cold filtered water.
• Add any fruit that appeals to you! We added strawberries, mango and oranges to our jar of cold brew Chamomile Mango (Organic Green Tea blend). Note: Fruit lends a natural sweetness to the tea so you don’t have to add sugar.
• Steep in the refrigerator! Put the iced tea jar in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.
• Remove the infuser basket, add the lid back to the jar and enjoy!

Recipe Variations:

Try using any kind of sparkling water, flavored water or soda in place of plain water!

Sun Fruit Sangria Punch

Ingredients:

• 32 ounces of hot water
• 3 tablespoons of Tealightful’s Sun Fruit Sangria white tea
• 2 oranges
• 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 lime
• 1 – 8.4 oz. can of pineapple banana juice
• 16 oz. ginger ale
• sparkling raspberry water (use to taste)

Directions:

Steep tea in water for 4-5 minutes. Cool slightly. Add tea to a large pitcher with the juice of one orange, pineapple banana juice and ginger ale. Add sliced oranges, sliced lemon and sliced lime. Add ice and top with sparkling raspberry water to taste.

Strawberry Lemonade Spritzer

• 32 ounces of hot water
• 3 tablespoons of Tealightful’s Strawberry Lemonade white tea
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 c frozen strawberries (optional)
• 1.5  17 ounce bottles of Sparkling Ice – Strawberry Lemonade flavor

Directions:

Steep tea in water for 4-5 minutes. Cool slightly. Add tea to a large pitcher with the Sparkling Ice. Add sliced sliced lemon and frozen berries. Add ice.

Blueberry Lemon Drop Chiller

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup raw organic coconut sugar or any zero calorie sweetener
• 3 cups water
• 2 heaping tablespoons Lemon Drop and 1 extra large paper tea filter for steeping.
• 1 pint fresh blueberries (washed and dried)
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 9 large lemons)
• Water and ice

Directions

Blissful Blueberry Half & Half

What’s in your cup today?

As I type this, I am enjoying a refreshing Colada Crush over ice. Look at how beautiful this tea is! This blend is a Rooibos — and that is what we’re going to be talking about today on our blog.

What is Rooibos?

A Red Bush tea, Rooibos is grown exclusively in the Cederberg Mountain region of South Africa. The tea belongs to the Aspalathus genus, which is genus of flowering plants in the Fabaceae legume family.

In the summer and early autumn months, the branches are harvested by hand, broken up into smaller pieces, and are then soaked in water. Once they are moistened, they are bruised and put into heaps to be oxidized for up to 24 hours. Once the herb has oxidized, it is then placed in the sun to dry.

Fun fact: Botanically speaking, Rooibos is technically a legume, as it does not come from the Camellia genus like other teas.

A Unique Flavor Profile

Woody, spicy, caramel, and honey notes are often used to describe the sweet aroma of  this beautiful tea. Nina Muller of South Africa’s Stellenbosch University conducted a study on its unique flavor profile and says, “There’s an herbal floral note which is particular to rooibos.”

The flavor is often described and mild or mellow. This is quite accurate, as it is much lower in tannins than other teas. In fact, the amount of tannins found in this red bush tea is about half the tannins found in black tea. For those unfamiliar, tannins give tea its slight bitterness.

Health & Wellness Benefits of Rooibos

• Loaded with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Rooibos contains a powerful bioflavonoid called Quercetin.  This bioflavonoid may offer protection against heart disease and cancer, as well as other age-related health conditions. There is substantial ongoing scientific research about the possible tumor-inhibiting power of Quercetin, such as this promising study published in the Journal of Cellular Biochemistry. Another study showed that showed that drinking Rooibos can inhibit the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). This enzyme raises blood pressure.

• May act as a bronchodilator, helping those with asthma and high blood pressure. In fact, a study published in the European Journal of Nutrition looked at a flavonoid found in the tea called Chrysoeriol and researched its impact on the possible medicinal uses of this red bush tea. The conclusion of the study states: “This study provides a sound mechanistic basis for the wide medicinal use of Rooibos tea, with the therapeutic potential to be developed for congestive respiratory ailments.”

• You may sleep better after drinking this tea, according Ernest DuToit of the SA Rooibos Council. “There are two critical compounds found in rooibos which interfere with the production of the stress hormone, cortisol. These are aspalathin and nothofagin – both potent antioxidants.” He goes on to say that because of the “lower the levels of cortisol in the body, the higher the likelihood of uninterrupted sleep.” Did I mention it is caffeine-free? 

• You may notice an improvement in your skin. Pamper your skin from the inside out by drinking a cup (or more) a day of your favorite red tea. Have you ever heard of the skincare powerhouse ingredient called superoxide dismutase? It is a well-researched potent antioxidant that is being used in high-end skincare. The same ingredient is present in Rooibos, as are Vitamin D, Alpha Hydroxy Acids, and Zinc. All benefit the skin and help keep it radiant and smooth.

We offer several delicious flavors of Rooibos here at Tealightful. Visit our website to find your new favorite!

What is My Easy Matcha?

We are so excited to launch something brand new, created by our CEO with passion, love & her expertise in this industry!

It’s groundbreaking. It’s unique. Of course, it is healthy and tastes great. Introducing Tealightful My Easy Matcha™️.

For our CEO, Charlene Phillips, this product creation was something personal: “In an attempt to replace my son’s unsafe and unhealthy energy drink, I started experimenting to create a new line of Matcha blends that would accomplish 5 goals:

How is My Easy Matcha different?

Not all Matcha is created equal. The quality of our Matcha sets Tealightful apart.

• Tealightful My Easy Matcha™️ is pure organic Matcha. Many flavored Matchas are a blend of different green teas. Not ours.
• Speaking of our Matcha, we source our Superior Organic Tencha leaves from Nishio, a city in the Aichi prefecture of Japan.
• Plus, our original recipes have been lovingly and expertly created by our Founder and CEO, Charlene Phillips.
• Did we mention that NO whisk is required? It’s true. This game changer easily mixes into hot OR cold water!

Gain Natural Energy

Wake up with Matcha!

Are you tired in the morning? Put down that unhealthy energy drink and feel energized and ready to tackle the day with our newest creation, My Easy Matcha™️. It’s FAST –  all you need to do is tap it into water – and it is HEALTHY. Get energized first thing each morning without the crash and burn you often feel after bottled energy drinks or strong cups of coffee. Our Blueberry Banana is a perfect option to start your day off on the right foot.

Find a Sense of Zen Balance

Tealightful My Easy Matcha™️ is also helpful after lunch. 

Lunch time tends to be a busy time of day. So many people run through the drive-thru for fast food on their lunch breaks. Others pack their lunches but have to hurry in order to get back to the grind.

This can leave you feeling rushed, irritable, uncomfortable, and in need of that feeling of BALANCE.

Our Peppermint Stick or Ginger Lime options may help to aid digestion after your mid-day meal. Just tap our Ginger Lime or Peppermint into hot or cold water. You’ll recapture that moment of zen and be ready to focus on your afternoon.

Achieve a State of Mindful Wellness

The afternoon slump: we’ve all been there. Dinner is still a couple hours away, lunch has worn off, and that candy jar on your desk looks SO tempting – as does the vending machine, which is full of packaged sweets.

Our new Vanilla Cheesecake My Easy Matcha™️ will quickly become your afternoon pick me up. Tap it into cold or hot water for an afternoon pick me up. Just open, tap & stir for a guilt free treat.

One last thing: The truth about the price

“But Matcha is too expensive.” 

Not so fast. Let’s talk about price for a moment. If you break it down to the cost of our brand new My Easy Matcha™️, it is only $0.40 per serving. 40 cents! Each serving is 1/2 gram, or about 15 taps into your mug. 40 cents for each cup of energy, focus & mindful wellness? Yes, please! Compare prices. At my yoga studio, a regular sized mug of Matcha is $3.50 and I do not get to control its strength to make is bolder or weaker.

Are you a Negative Nellie? Do you look at a glass as being half empty instead of half full? Do you choose to dwell on things you cannot control rather than focusing on the good? Whether you realize it or not, YOUR frame of mind impacts others. People who tend to be “glass half full” types of people tend to draw like-minded people. That positive attitude radiates and attracts others. On the other hand, people tend to avoid toxic personalities — the types of people who are energy drainers. In all honesty, those who dwell on negativity really aren’t that fun to be around.

Being an optimist or a pessimist affects more than just your social relationships.

According to the Mayo Clinic, researchers have been able to determine that optimists may enjoy several different health benefits. Here are just a few:

• Less likely to experience depression
• Lower rates of cardiovascular disease
• Longer life span
• Increased resistance to viruses such as the common cold
• More likely to be in better physical and mental health
• Better able to cope with the times when life “gives you lemons”

Why is this? Is it just a fluke or is there science behind this?

There was a wonderful article in The Atlantic concerning this very topic. There are over three thousand published papers citing groundbreaking research from 1985 done by psychologists Michael F. Scheier and Charles S. Carver. What did their research tell them?

“We also know why optimists do better than pessimists. The answer lies in the differences between the coping strategies they use. Optimists are not simply being Pollyannas; they’re problem solvers who try to improve the situation. And if it can’t be altered, they’re also more likely than pessimists to accept that reality and move on. Physically, they’re more likely to engage in behaviors that help protect against disease and promote recovery from illness. They’re less likely to smoke, drink, and have poor diets, and more likely to exercise, sleep well, and adhere to rehab programs. Pessimists, on the other hand, tend to deny, avoid, and distort the problems they confront, and dwell on their negative feelings. It’s easy to see now why pessimists don’t do so well compared to optimists.”

In the Netherlands, there was a cardiovascular health study conducted over nine years revealing that negative people die sooner than their optimistic counterparts — not just of heart issues, but in general. Being a pessimist may also increase the chances of suffering from dementia later in life.

So what can you do if you are a pessimist?

1. Start with gratitude. If you sit down and think about all of the amazing things in your life that you feel grateful for, it may help put things into perspective. Perhaps that will help you get into the frame of mind that you are a LUCKY person.

2. Establish healthy rituals. Good habits — whether it’s meditation, daily yoga, or going for a morning run — are stress relievers linked directly to better coping skills and reduced anxiety. Taking a mini tea break can be one ritual that you can enjoy as part of a healthy ritual.

3. Eliminate negative self-talk. Don’t self sabotage! Think about your inner dialogue. Are you respecting yourself or putting yourself down? No one is perfect, so do not be so hard on yourself. There is an expression “You can’t have a positive life with a negative mind” and I firmly believe this to be true. Be more conscious of the way you speak to yourself.

Can aromatherapy help you be a glass half full type of person?

There has been some very promising scientific research on the relationship between essential oils and mood. Perhaps the most cited study is one published in the International Journal of Neuroscience back in 1998 which showed how certain essential oils promote mental alertness and relaxation.

According to the National Cancer Institute, there are mood-boosting benefits of aromatherapy. According to the NCI, studies “show sedative and stimulant effects of specific essential oils as well as positive effects on behavior and the immune system… Functional imaging studies in humans support the influence of odors on the limbic system and its emotional pathways.”

You may find that certain teas can be uplifting, too.

• There was a recent study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry which showed that curcumin, a compound found in turmeric, may help improve mood. Try: Tealightful Turmeric Tulsi
• Peppermint tea also may have mood-improving benefits, according to published research out of Northumbria Univeristy. Try: Tealightful Peppermint
• In Ayurvedic medicine, ginger is often referred to as the “universal” medicine, while Lemon is believed to be a spirit booster, with its bright aroma. Try: Tealightful Lemon Ginger Green

Find the good each day.

Consider a gratitude journal or a page in your bullet journal to jot down what you are grateful for. It is something all of us can do.

We leave you with a favorite quote: “Every positive thought propels you in the right direction.”

Sources:

Diego, M., Jones, N.A., Field, T., Hernandez-Reif, M., Schanberg, S., Kuhn, C., McAdam, V., Galamaga, R. & Galamaga, M.(1998). Aromatherapy positively affects mood, EEG patterns of alertness and math computations. International Journal of Neuroscience, 96, 217-224.

Buckle, J. (2007). Literature review: should nursing take aromatherapy more seriously? British Journal of Nursing, 16(2), 116-120.

Edris, A. (2007). Pharmaceutical and therapeutic potentials of essential oils and their individual volatile constituents: A review. Phytotherapy Research, 21, 308-323.