A rare day where i prepare all my 3 meals… Here’s the menu for the day…

I am a tea lover ever since I came across Tazo Mint Tea in Taiwan, i can drink up to 3 cups a days, and the beauty of it, it is zero calories, zero caffeine. I once ignorantly drank chinese tea like water during chinese new year, it step up my heart beat so much at night, i thought i was going to have a heart attack, so it is good to understand different kind of teas. Tea are famous for their antioxidants… i never really bother, until i was concern i was drinking too much of it… So i googled and wonder why do we need antioxidants.

Antioxidants are substances or nutrients in our foods which can prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our body. When our body cells use oxygen, they naturally produce free radicals (by-products) which can cause damage. Antioxidants act as “free radical scavengers” and hence prevent and repair damage done by these free radicals. Health problems such as heart disease, macular degeneration, diabetes, cancer etc are all contributed by oxidative damage. Indeed, a recent study conducted by researchers from London found that 5 servings of fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of stroke by 25 percent. Antioxidants may also enhance immune defense and therefore lower the risk of cancer and infection.

(Source: Health Castle)

Why does tea carry so many colors… The more processed the leaves are, the darker they will turn … Here’s the different kind of teas.

• White Tea – boost immunity and prevent dental plaque
• Black Tea – 10 times more anti-oxidant than fruits & vegetables. Good for lowering blood sugar after a meal.
• Green Tea – Choose the Japanese one, increase metabolism rate, study show that drink five cups a day lower risk of death from heart diseases
• Oolong Tea – Has more anti-oxidant power than Black Tea
• Herbal Tea – caffeine free, Rooibos Tea has high anti-oxidant (My favorite peppermint tea falls here)

(Source: SHAPE Magazine November 2009)

Benefits of my favorite tea

Peppermint is consumed after meals as the oils stimulate the flow of bile to the stomach and helps relieve gas pains. Additionally, it has been reported and written that peppermint sweetens the breath and calms the digestive system, plus it helps heartburn, stomach ache and nausea.

Recently, some of my friend has been substituting tea/coffee for fruit juices, and some thinks that’s a healthy choice, I shall try present some facts and see how fruit juice match up to some daily beverages. Before we start the analysis, remember all sugar = carbohydrates, not all carbohydrates = sugar

Source: CalorieKing

vs.

240 ml of FRESH apple juice (does not include processed/packaged ones)
122 Calories 30.4 g of Sugar 0g of Fiber

1 Can of Coke (330 ml)
133 Calories 37.1g of Sugar

If you are using fruit juice to replace craving for coca-cola, that’s a wise choice, because at the coca-cola has 25% more sugar, and it takes up 25% of carbohydrates daily intake of an asian woman.

vs.

1 Medium Apple (Approx 230 g)
95 Calories 18.9g of Sugar 5.4g of Apple

if you are replacing your daily intake of fruits with fruit juice, that’s a bad idea… Because a serving of apple that keeps you full with all the fiber has significantly less sugar than the juice itself

vs.

1 Grande Café Americano (450ml)
15 Calories 0g of Sugar

1 Grande Tazo Tea (450ml)
0 Calories 0g of Sugar

1 Grande Café Americano (2 tsp of sugar)
47 Calories 8.4g of Sugar

1 Grande Tazo Tea (2 tsp of sugar)
32 Calories 8.4g of Sugar

if you are replacing your guilt trip of drinking coffee or tea daily, then it is a bad idea too, coz a huge cup of coffee or tea, has significantly less sugar and calories than fruit juice! A sugar-less version of coffee or tea has 0 sugar, that means 0 carbs!

Now we have compared the beverage, how about fruit juice as snack…

Source: Glycemic Index, Gardenia Bread

vs. vs.

240 ml of FRESH apple juice (does not include processed/packaged ones)
122 Calories 30.4 g of Carbs 0g of Fiber GI Index: 41 (Low)

2 Slices of Gardenia Bread
133 Calories 31.2 g of Carb 1.4g of Fiber GI Index: 65-70 (High)

If you are using fruit juice to replace craving for bread, that’s a wise choice, coz bread is higher in carbs and GI Index.

175g of Fat-Free Yogurt
98 Calories 13.4 of Sugar 0g of Fiber GI Index: 14 (Super Low)

If you are replacing snack with juice, opt for the yogurt, it is much lower in sugar and GI… If not you will find yourself needing more food to satisfy the craving

There’s no right or wrong in choosing apple juice, but tweaking to a healthier choice a bit at a time, do make a difference in your life.

• If you need a morning or mid-afternoon beverage, go for the coffee or tea
• if you need a morning or afternoon snack, go for the real apple
• If you’re craving for cola, go for the juice,
• if you are hungry at night, go for the yogurt
• if you are craving for white bread… grab the juice…