Want to beat the soaring temperatures this summer? Forget cold brewed coffees or a fruit juice, a cup of hot tea is just what you need to beat the heat without unwanted calories.
The ritual of drinking a hot beverage on a warm summer day goes back centuries. In fact, offering a cup of hot tea on a warm day to guests is an indispensable part of Indian, Moroccan, Yemeni and Azerbaijani cultures. And while all these countries experience scorching high temperatures throughout summer months, the concept of iced tea has never existed in our cultures.
Tea: The Perfect Drink For a Hot Summer Day
You may think that reaching for a cold can of soda or a chilled fruit juice will help cool you down, but a hot cup of tea will work better. Why? The answer lies in tea’s ability to help you sweat, which is the body’s natural mechanism to cool down.
This counterintuitive technique of cooling down lies in sync with what your mom always told you about letting your body go too fast from hot – cold – hot temperatures can make you fall sick. A hot cup of tea will further increase your body temperature which makes you break into enhanced sweat. As sweat evaporates, the body cools down in an even, balanced way.
Scientific studies tested this theory to find that body heat storage during physical activity is lowered with hot fluid ingestion under conditions that permit full evaporation. In simpler words – a hot drink will help you sweat, which is the key to modulate body temperature and maintain heat balance. Sipping on a warm drink increases overall sweat output that prevents internal heat gain.
On the other hand, if you opt for a chilled drink when you’re feeling hot, you risk falling sick as your body temperature can fall too low too fast. A cold drink can make you feel better temporarily as it cools you down, but soon your body temperature rises again. On the other hand, a cup of tea alters the body’s inner mechanisms to bring long-term relief from the heat.
4 Ways To Beat The Heat With Tea This Summer
1. Quench Your Thirst with Tea
Ever noticed that your mouth feels dry after a chilled soda? Thirst caused by rising summer temperatures is two-pronged. The body desires fluids to quench the thirst, but also needs to replenish lost fluids from the body. A hot cup of tea truly hydrates you as it increases the production of body fluids while also bringing relief to your parched throat.
2. Banish Heat and Cool Down
With the very first sip of hot tea, heat transfers through nerve receptors to alert the brain. The brain triggers sweat glands to produce enhanced sweat in an effort to avoid overheating. In fact, the nerves in the mouth and upper digestive tract are more sensitive to a hot beverage. The end result – you feel cool and refreshed by the time you savour the last sip in your cup.
3. Beat the Bloat This Summer
Ever experienced bloat during summers? That is your body holding on to excess water in an effort to prevent dehydration when the temperatures rise. Tea is a natural diuretic that increases urination. Not only does this help expel toxins, but also treat water retention, a.k.a. summer bloat.
4. Refreshing Taste without the Calories
Now, most fizzy drinks and packaged fruit juices come with added sugars. Which means – they are going to do no favours to your waistline! A refreshing cup of tisane tea like our Honey Limón is infused with the refreshing flavours of lemon and honey, without any unwanted calories! Mildly sweet in taste and luscious in texture, this tea blends the hydrating properties of honey with the zesty flavours of lemon which gives this blend a refreshing twist.
Picking The Right Tea This Summer
When we talk about drinking tea to beat the heat, not all teas are created equal. Some teas have a better ability to cool down your body, like a cup of soothing green tea that dispels inner body heat.
We highly recommend Magical Mint which combines the intense flavours of mint blended beautifully with the mellow astringency of green tea. High in antioxidants, the mint gives it a uniquely rich feel after every sip, and helps further cool down the body. This is because mint contains menthol – an organic compound that gives the nerves a sensation of coolness. White and yellow teas are also cooling in nature. Try our Silver Linings loose leaf tea which is naturally sweet with a distinctly rich character. Perfect to beat the afternoon heat, the long white velvety buds brew into a refreshing liquor that retains a fresh floral aroma.
Tisanes blended with cooling spices are also particularly great at keeping you cool and comfortable on a hot summer evening. We offer Jasmine Pearl – a perfect blend that’s elevated with the scent of jasmine to uplift your mood and leave a lingering, soothing effect. The golden liquor with a calming fragrance is perfect to beat mid-day slumber.