Brew your mood

By United Dietitian Team

United Supermarkets’ Lifestyle Desk

Get those kettles whistling, sleeping “brew-teas!” It’s time to pay homage to a drink that has been making us look and feel great for literally thousands of years. Grab a jar of honey and give your mug a hug because these five benefits of drinking tea will bring you much closer together. Now, we know it’s the middle of summer but that shouldn’t stop you from exploring your options and finding something that is new, exciting, a little different. Be is decaf, or fully caffeinated, earl grey or chamomile, let’s spill the tea.

IT CAN ACTUALLY MAKE YOU HAPPIER

What It Does: Yep. With less caffeine than a cup of coffee, tea can help you feel alert and refreshed without overloading your system. What to Try: Reclaim your joy with a steaming cup of lemon, mango, turmeric or hibiscus tea.

IT CAN HELP YOU FELL LESS STRESSED

What It Does: It’s true! The ritual of making and sipping that steamy goodness has been claimed to have a soothing, medicinal effect on the mind. What to Try: Kick stress to the curb by brewing a cup of almond creme, lavender or chamomile tea.

IT BREAKS DOWN YOUR CREATIVE BLOCK

What It Does: The cleansing effect tea has on our bodies doesn’t exclude our minds! Drinking tea can lead your mind to a place of peace and meditation—you know, where our fickle senses of creativity like to hide. What to Try: Reconnect with your inner creative genius in-between sips of energy-boosting Matcha or Yerba Mate tea.

IT CAN HELP BLOCK HUNGER

What It Does: There’s nothing worse than nourishing your body with a healthy meal, only to ruin it with a giant, guilty bowl of ice cream. By drinking a cup of tea, you can still enjoy the satisfaction a blend of flavors can bring, but in a manner that is much better for you. What to Try: Say goodbye to post-dinner munchies with a piping mug of jasmine or apple-cinnamon tea.

IT CAN HELP YOU STAY FOCUSED

What It Does: The winning combo of caffeine and brain-boosting antioxidants can help stay productive all day long! What to Try: Keep your eye on the prize by keeping Earl Grey, Oolong, sage or Rooibos in your cup.

Something to try along side your cup of tea would be this Cherry Scone recipe since cherries are in season and bursting with flavor.

Cherry Scones

What You Need

1 1/2 c. cherries, pitted and chopped

1/4 c. pistachios, roughly chopped

1/4 c. dried cherries

1/4 c. white chocolate chips

3 1/2 c. Flour

1/2 c. Sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick cold Butter, cubed

1 Egg

1 c. milk

How It’s Made

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Sift together dry ingredients

3. Add butter in a incorporate until pea sized with pastry cutter or forks

4. Add in egg and milk and stir until loosely coming together

5. Add in cherries, pistachios, dried cherries, and white chocolate chips and combine but do not overmix

6. Lightly dust a clear surface with flour and turn out dough to knead for 1 minute

7. Form into a rough rectangle and roll out to ½ to ¾ inch thickness

8. Cut into circles using a cookie cutter, jar, or glass cup about 3 inches in diameter

9. Bake for 30-35 minutes