Hi there! So glad you dropped by Flawed yet Functional today! I’m Emily, a Type 1 Diabetic using the Autoimmune Protocol to obtain flourishing health. Do you know what was one of the hardest things for me to give up during the elimination phase? Coffee. Yes, the AIP diet does not allow coffee, but it is a Stage 3 reintroduction! It was hard, my friends. More than the coffee itself, I loved a hot mug of something in my hands while I read my Bible in the morning. It really was the ritual more than the drink that I missed. What’s a girl to do? I dove into tea! And guess what? I found out I love tea…perhaps more than coffee! Gasp! Today I’d like to share how to learn to love tea when all you really want is coffee.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links which just means if you purchase from the links provided, I may get a small commission at no additional cost to you! At Flawed yet Functional, I only reference products that have real value that I actually use.
If you do any amount of searching about how to brew tea or go in search of tea information, you will find a whole bunch of purists out there. Tea knowledge and nuances of tea go deep, very deep. Brewing and sharing tea is an art form which is really what I love about each food group/item: the history and knowledge of what makes a really good {fill in the blank}.
So if you know anything about me, I’m rarely a dive deep kind of girl. The only thing I dive deep into is Jesus. 🙂 The rest of life, I love to learn but will let the experts be experts.
So this guide for how to learn to love tea when all you really want is coffee is for everyday folks like me trying to make positive health improvements one step at a time. So let’s dive into this beginner’s guide for learning to love tea!
Cut the Sugar
A big step towards being able to enjoy any type of tea is being able to taste it, truly taste the tea and any additives as they really taste. What I mean by that is if you are adding sugar to your tea (or coffee), the sugar masks the nuances of the flavor of the tea. So don’t add it!
This will be a difficult step if you are a regular store-bought-creamer-in-your-coffee kind of gal. So perhaps the step prior to this is cutting sugar out of your coffee and, while you’re at it, go ahead and get it out of the rest of your food too. Processed sugar is just no good for you, and it robs your taste buds of the joy of tea.
Begin with Flavored Tea
Ok, purists have a field day with this one. Flavored tea is not the best and truest form of tea. BUT, I think it’s an easy place to start if you’re coming from creamer-with-a-hint-of-coffee.
For me, I had cut my sugar in my coffee to about 3/4 teaspoon per 15 ounce cup when I made the switch to tea. I began drinking Hot Cinnamon Spice
Cinnamon tastes sweet even without additional sugar, so you won’t even notice the absence of sugar. Give yourself time to adjust to drinking the one tea you love before moving on.
Experiment with Types of Tea
Once you’ve found one tea you love, try another type of tea. Again, without sugar. You will be amazed what your taste buds will pick up! Nuttiness, floral, fruity, or tannin there are so many flavor profiles of tea to be found and enjoyed!
Tip: Order tea directly from Harney & Sons and they toss in sample sachets with your order. I love being able to try a new variety without a big purchase commitment!
Ok, so how exactly does one experiment with different types of tea without buying 20 cups at a time?! I’m so glad you asked…
At a Coffee/Tea Shop
Look up your local coffee shop, they likely offer tea too. Go and taste a green, white, or oolong there before buying a bunch to make at home.
There are shops that specialize in tea too. Do some digging to see which places pride themselves on their tea. You are more likely to have a properly brewed cup there!
Tip: West Michigan locals, Tea Trade Cafe and The Sparrows Coffee Tea & Newsstand do it right! There are probably more great places, but these are the ones I’ve tried.
In Bulk at Gourmet Food Shops
My other tip for trying out teas, without the commitment of 12-20 cups, is to find a grocer that sells tea in bulk. This will likely be a higher end, international grocery or even a beer/wine brewing supply shop.
There will be a section with loose leaf tea in large containers. Simple scoop a small amount, 1-4 teaspoons depending on how many cups you want to try, into a bag and off you go to try your new tea!
Tip: West Michigan local, Peters Gourmet Market and The Seasoned Home are two good places to scope out!
Make it a Ritual
My last tip to making tea a well-loved part of your life is to find the right tea for the time of day and make it part of your routine.
In the morning, my cup of spicy Hot Cinnamon Spice
Find a tea you love then incorporate it in to your life on a regular basis. I bet you won’t even miss coffee. 😉
As a fairly novice tea drinker yet used to be an avid coffee drinker, I assure you there is so much to love and enjoy in tea! Take the time to find a tea that suits you. It is a complex tasting experience, much like wine. Once you find one you love, you won’t even miss the coffee!
Want to remember this? Pin Learn to Love Tea When All You Really Want Is Coffee to your favorite Pinterest board!
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