The key ingredients in this recipe are (for two cups of tea)

1. One Lemon
2. One teaspoon tea leaves
3. A pinch of crushed ginger
4. Few leaves of mint
5. One teaspoon Rock salt
6. Three teaspoons of Sugar

The first step is boiling the water with the sugar and the rock salt in a container on the gas or in the microwave. Half way to full bubbling of the boiling water – add the ginger and the mint leaves. Simmer for a few minutes to let the flavors of the spices spread in the water. At this point you can take a small teaspoon to taste – see if salt and sugar feel right for you.

In a separate cup/bowl squeeze the juice of the lemon and remove the seeds from the extract. Cut a small piece of the rind – and put it in the simmering water.

Next remove the water from the heat and put in the teaspoon of tea. You can use more than one teaspoon if you are using a very mildly flavored tea. Cover the container, and leave for a few minutes – just enough to get the flavors out and not too long so that the tannins stay in the leaves. This will depend on the type of tea. For the standard Indian strong tea – three minutes is more than enough.

Pour out the tea through a sieve and into a mixing container. Mix the lemon juice and stir till it’s dissolved. At this point you can reheat the tea if it’s gone a little cold. If you plan to reheat – make sure you add in extra the sugar and salt, if you think it’s necessary. Sometimes after the lemon is added – the tea may warrant an increase in the concentration of these two ingredients.

Pour into cups, and enjoy the chilly winter wind in the balcony with your energizing lemon tea.

Tea also has a lot of benefit for our body, especially black tea. It can prevent serious diseases like cancer, and diabetes. Those diseases can be serious, because they can also attack young people who are in productive age. One of the triggers that can stimulate those diseases is the accumulation of free radicals or oxidants which can damage tissues or DNA in our body, teas have certain anti oxidant characteristics that can be helpful over time.

By drinking black tea, we can reduce the chance getting cancer, prevent coronary heart attack, cell aging, and it can even reduce cholesterol in our blood. We can found high dose of antioxidants and theaflavin in black tea. That compounds have an effect to reduce cancer risks. Antioxidants can prevent or delay oxidation. Theaflavin is an antioxidant that can delay LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) oxidation. Theaflavin also give a fresh taste on tea.

Drinking 1-2 cup of black tea a day can also reduce cholesterol accumulation to 46 percent. The number goes up to 69 percent if you drink 4 cup of tea a day. It can also increase insulin activity.

Let’s face it, teas have not been a staple in many cultures for no reason, there are definite and certain benefits to drinking them regularly.

Tea has been proven to yield a wide variety of health benefits. These benefits include lowering blood pressure, lowering risk for stroke, cancer prevention, and preventing cardiovascular disease. In addition, tea also contains substances that may help prevent skin damage from ultraviolet rays, including wrinkles and melanoma.

Since tea is also antiviral and anti-inflammatory, sipping a cup when you have a cold or the flu can also help speed recovery. Because of this, tea is also a good choice for people with ailments such as arthritis and other inflammatory-related illnesses.

The star substance in tea is a type of flavonoid called a catechin. Catechins have proven to be more potent antioxidants than even Vitamin C. Reports have shown that the catechins in green tea have almost twenty times the antioxidant power as Vitamin C. Black teas also contain catechins, but green tea contains the most per cup.

How do you know which tea has the most health benefits? It is true that both black and green varieties contain effective substances to promote health. While green tea may contain more catechins per cup than black tea, black tea also contains more caffeine, which has its own list of healing properties. Even though black tea may have more caffeine, it is not nearly as much as a cup of coffee or a soda. Still, if you have an ailment where caffeine is contra-indicated, a cup of green tea first thing in the morning may be your better choice. It is always best to consult your physician should you have any concerns.

Instead of reaching for a sugary energy drink before a workout, try a cup of tea about a half hour before you exercise. Not only does the caffeine stimulate your nervous system, giving you a little boost (but without the crash of sugar) but the flavonoids present can help your body eliminate free radicals that are produced by exercise.

Whether you prefer the rich, heady taste of Bergamot or the crisp, clean taste of Sencha, you can be sure your body is reaping huge health benefits that only tea can provide. By enjoying a cup a day, you are keeping your heart and cholesterol levels happy. Since the consumption of tea is factored into your daily water intake, you can sip guilt-free on this healing tonic all day long. Go ahead, brew a fresh pot, sit back and enjoy!