A supplement that boosts metabolism, helps with weight loss, soothes people and tastes great? No, it’s not a new weight loss plan — it’s tea.
Like other colleges, Plattsburgh State is a latte-drinking, ice cappuccino-ordering and overall coffee-loving campus.
But coffee can be too bitter for some, leading the drinker to add massive amounts of sugar and creamers, which can lead to weight gain.
Tea provides not only a heavy amount of caffeine they need, but it also tastes great with little to no sugar at all. Michelle Simono, an avid tea drinker, prefers tea because of the health benefits it provides.
“I like the soothing effect it has on the body and the abundance of flavors that give you a taste of different cultures in each sip,” Simono said.“I also love that you can drink it whenever you want.”
Anthropology major Anastasia Plavnicky encourages students to drink more tea, not only for its taste but also because of the feeling it can give to people.
“For me, tea helps to calm my nerves and anxiety,” Plavinicky said. “During the winter, it’s both the perfect thing to hold in your hands to keep them warm and to warm you up on the inside. I really love that tea is a way to socialize. It is something that you offer to guests when they visit your home, or something you go out with friends to enjoy.”
Tea has many health benefits that go unaware to most. Donna Lynn, owner of SensibiliTeas located in Glens Falls, finds tea to be an uplifting and relaxing drink that should be a part of anyone’s routine life.
“Tea has half the caffeine of coffee,” Lynn said. “It also has a compound in it called theanine, which helps offset the effects of caffeine. There are also antitoxins in tea that you can’t find anywhere else in the world that have been proven to be effective against cancers.”
Like coffee, tea comes in a variety of flavors and styles. The basics are green, black, white, oolong and herbal. Most flavored teas fall into the categories of herbal tea. Each has its own different levels of caffeine, sweetness and taste to please anyone’s taste buds.
Sue LeBlanc-Ocheur, owner of My Cup of Tea in Plattsburgh, offers advice to those who are not regular tea drinkers and may be unsure of where to start.
“I usually ask them if they want caffeine or not because they help me eliminate certain teas,” she said. “Then I usually ask them what their favorite flavors are. Is there a certain berry or herb or flower that they really like, and that will break it down even more.”
Email Cierra Patterson at cierra.patterson@cardinalpointsonline.com.
