Tea has been enjoyed for many hundreds of  years to help comfort and heal. Today tea based beverages are recognized as a valuable addition for us who seek out a plant-based diet. There are just so many health benefits you can get from a nice cup of tea, and it is just so easy, so it is the perfect choice for everyone who is vegan or trying to go  vegan.

The main benefits from tea is that it is high in antioxidants, and antioxidants are essential for keeping us in good health. Antioxidants help to protect our cells from all the damage caused by free radicals. The best tea for this is of course is Green tea, as it is so high in antioxidant content. Green tea is also rich in catechins which are a type of antioxidant that has been shown to have great anti-inflammatory properties. 

We also know that tea is of course a great source of hydration, so it is a great choice for everyone wishing to stay hydrated if you are following a plant-based diet. Tea also contains no added sugars or other artificial ingredients, so it is important for everyone trying to keep a health wight .

In the western world the big killer in many cases can come down to too much stress in our everyday lives. Tea has a great ability to reduce stress. Lots of varieties of  teas and herbal infusions like green tea and dreamy chamomile all contain compounds that have been proven to  have a calming  effect and it is easy to  create new and exciting flavor combinations of teas and herbal infusions. This makes tea a great choice for those looking to add variety to their plant-based diet.

Tea can even be used in cooking, so adding great flavors to lots of dishes. We can use tea as a  marinade for tofu, or it can be added to stews and soups to give amazing flavor. So basically there are so many ways to use tea into a plant-based diet , it is the secrete weapon of nature! .

We should also remember that tea is usually produced by small, family-owned farms, and so is very often grown by using sustainable farming , so it is really good for the planet and it is really good for us .Therefore we can really feel sure to say that  tea is really good if you are on a plant-based diet or starting to experiment with a plant based diet. Tea has so much with its  high antioxidant content, it's ability to reduce stress, and its amazing versatility tea truly is a great choice for everyone trying to improve their overall health and energy levels, so Go on Go and enjoy the great benefits you will get in each cup of tea or herbal infusion. 

Go On it's time to tty the best teas in the world at the Dublin Veg Fest ! Saturday, September 23 and Sunday 24th 2023, Leinster Cricket Club, Observatory Lane, Rathmines, D06 WF96

Come and say hallo to Mrs Doyle's team of Lovely girls who will be serving their range of happy teas and also launching their new range of Persian teas and Spices !

Yes Mrs Doyle's team of lovely girls have been away traveling along the Silk Road searching for more exotic teas and spices and have teamed up with sisters Mahay and Maryam, who's family have been trading the Silk Road for as long as time itself !

Join us for the celebration of all the best food on the island at Dublin Vegfest 2023! Get ready for a day filled with delicious food, cool talks, and lots of  exciting activities. There will be a variety of plant-based cuisines from local vendors and renowned chefs in the Food Village. We will have fantastic stories and tastes from the Silk Road and there will be comfort foods as well as decadent desserts and we might even teach you how to make amazing dishes from the Persia . So Go On discover new flavours and find your new fav vegie dish.

SLEEPY TEA  does it work ? 

According to many studies most adults require between six and nine hours of sleep every night, so what if you just can’t get yourself to sleep at night? Well there are lots of reasons why it can be difficult to get to sleep at night , like depression , over work,  use of blue light devices like laptops just before bedtime and yes drinking too many drinks that contain caffeine during the evening.

There is a chill in the air and it is beginning to feel a little like winter so maybe it's time to put another log on the fire! Winter is all about keeping cozy, jumping up on the couch and watching fav movies  and getting some much needed relaxation time and indeed we all know that a nice cup of tea is the perfect cold weather brew.

 Tea is the perfect friend So Go on Go get cozy with one of your favorite teas and relax, forget fighting work, the traffic, and set up with one of your favorite teas. What are our picks for a cozy night at home? We love a nice cup of Earl Grey tea or an Irish cream tea and well if its really stormy outside lets have a bad weather tea blend.

Winter is also party season , so time for meeting up with friends and sure it's great too invite a few friends over for a few cups of a nice warm cupa and well tea and cakes, be nice to yourself ! and why not have a tea tasting competition to decide on your top winter tea .

 How to Host a Tea Tasting?

Well you will need a notebook for everyone, you will need pens or pencils, you can decide on the scale of marking, we suggest 1 -100 with 100 being perfection, after that you will need a set of matching cups, or even glasses and a cupple of nice big teapots to make those great tea brews! The next big question is what teas to put on your list? for best winter tea here our a few of our fav winter teas to start with :   Irish cream tea,  English afternoon tea ,  Earl grey blue flower and just to add a herbal tea to the competition we definitely would start with bad weather tea blend .

Anyway after a social afternoon of tea sampling its time to carve out some time for yourself with your happy tea. So if you are giving yourself a few moments respite with a nice hot mug of tea or just giving yourself some meditative time, tea will always give you the excuse to slow down, relax and enjoy the fall and winter season

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Using tea to boost your immune system

Tea can be a great way to boost your body's defense systems especially as winter comes. Some types of tea have antimicrobial, antiviral and immune-boosting properties that can help keep you fit. We know that tea has been used as an ingredient in herbal medicine for many years to keep us safe from potential illness and prevent the symptoms of colds. We should however always remember that tea is not a replacement for good medical treatment , so if you think you might be getting sick go see your doctor!

Tea is great for boosting a person's immune system, it's high in antioxidants, and a great source of hydration. Many types of tea also have antiviral and antibacterial properties so they can help to prevent you from getting sick. Also if you might have already caught a bug, tea may help to soothe you and hopefully ease your symptoms until you recover.Of course tea is full of health benefits but it's not a replacement for seeing your doctor if you think you might be sick. You should always visit your doctor if you think you’re suffering from a serious illness. 

What is Irish breakfast tea?

Well there is no standard formula , however, most Irish tea blends share common traits that makes them different from British tea blends. Traditionally the base of the Irish tea blend has always been a strong black Assam tea from India which is well known for its dark colour, strong flavour and slightly malty aroma. The Assam teas are usually blended with one other tea, basically a softer tea which brings out the different flavours and helps support the Assam tea. These secondary  teas are usually sourced from Kenya, and a popular choice is Kenyan Broken Pekoe.

The amazing taste of Irish tea 

The percentage of Assam tea to the ancillary leaves is what gives the Irish breakfast tea its amazing flavour. Irish tea is traditionally a strong cup of tea which comes from the processing of the leaves . Irish breakfast tea is usually made with leaves that have been broken and then lightly crushed . This is the process which permits the tea to steep faster and so release more flavour than an unbroken leaf. 

When is it best to drink Irish tea ?

Well the Irish drink tea almost more than any other nation, on average around 5 to 6 cups a day per person. Basically Irish tea is great for Breakfast, and during the afternoon , and well herbal teas are best close to bed time !

so Go On enjoy a cup of the worlds most loved tea blend , and what the Irish love even more than Guinness!   

How do you make Earl Grey tea ? 

The ingredient which turns tea leaves into an Earl Grey tea blend is the  addition of bergamot orange oil. Bergamot is a type of citrus fruit which comes from the Calabria region in Italy. Earl grey tea is made with milder blends of black tea leaves. Most People enjoy the flavor of Earl Grey without milk or sugar as it doesn’t have the bitterness of most black teas. If you like to  take the tea with milk, we would go for a creamy nut or plant milk, and  first pour the milk into a warmed teacup before pouring in the tea, so that the milk can be warmed up! 

Caffeine and Earl Grey tea ? 

Also remember Earl Grey Tea contains caffeine so it’s best enjoyed as a late morning or early afternoon. Earl Grey  contains around 30-40 mg of caffeine, which is less caffeine than most breakfast blends,  as the average cup of coffee comes in  95-150 mg of caffeine.

3 Health Benefits of Earl Grey Tea

1. Gut Health Support

Earl Grey is is a black tea, which means that it’s oxidized, so helps play an important role in supporting the balance of healthy gut bacteria.

2. Antioxidant 

Earl Grey tea unlike most black teas, it has antioxidants from the addition of bergamot oil. Antioxidants can help to scavenge free radicals in your body, so it can  help support your immune system. 

3. Earl Grey Tea helps to booster you mood

 We know that L-theanine is a unique amino acid found only in tea, and it is seems this is linked to supporting a calm and focused mind!  therfore you get the caffeine boost along with a calming effect . 

Can tea save your hair?

It's vacation time in Ireland and it's a good time to think about looking after your self and your hair. The Irish drink more tea than almost any other nation per person .Tea contains antioxidants and in particular a type called catechins, as well as  polyphenols which support overall health, including great hair and skin .The antioxidants in tea can help inhibit free radical formation and hopefully before any cellular damage occurs. Free radicals are unstable molecules that may damage  the cells in your body. When we age, our body slowly gets worse at fighting off free radicals. The build-up of free radicals may cause oxidative stress, which lead to degeneration which can cause a change in your overall hair texture, gray hair, or even hair loss. It seems tea can help counteract oxidative stress and so tea helps to maintain or improve the health of your scalp and hair. Many herbal teas also support healthy hair, and guess what , tea can fight dryness and dandruff.

How do you use tea for your hair?

Basically drink  a fresh cup of tea regularly. Make sure that the type and quality of the tea leaves  you purchase is of high quality. 

Which tea is best for hair growth?

Some types of tea do seem to help stimulate hair growth and prevent breakage, here's a list of these teas and the benefits they offer: 

Green tea

Green tea has a high level of antioxidants that help fight off daily stressors, like UV rays, so they can keep cells healthier for longer. Green tea contains epigallocatechin-3 gallate (EGCG),which is a type of catechin, therfore green tea can help reduce dihydrotestosterone (DTH), which is a hormone that causes shedding and possible hair loss. It also seems that green tea can also help increased blood and nutrient flow to your  hair follicles, which will help keep your hair in a good condition. It seems that studies have shown that EGCG can  help stimulate healthy hair growth .

Black tea

Black tea contains flavonols, theaflavins, and catechins so you get lots of  good-for-you nutrients and antioxidants . As black tea is oxidized, it has fewer catechins than green tea, but during the oxidation process unique theaflavins are formed. Also remember the higher amount of caffeine in black tea may help block DHT, which seems to  possibly preventing hair loss in some people.

Herbal tea

If you are into herbal teas then have a look at the following herbal teas as they all seem to help many people trying to improve their hair condition or even hold on to their hair as they age. Lavender helps your scalp stay healthy and may aid in preventing hair loss. Rosemary increases blood flow to your scalp and may help unclog hair follicles, that are so important. Peppermint helps balance sebum production. Chamomile tea is great if you have an itchy scalp. Ginger for many people helps keep their hair strong and flake-free. Nettle tea has long been known for its hair-boosting abilities. Nettle is has a lot of silica and sulfur which can help keep your hair healthy. Nettle also contains Iron, zinc and the many other vitamins so it's a great tea to support your overall health.

Are there any side effects drinking tea ?

Unless you have an allergy, tea is safe for regular use. However, it is always a good idea to chat with your doctor if you have any questions about drinking teas and herbal infusions. Alwasy remember that all teas other than many herbal infusions contain caffeine, and certainly drinking black tea in the evening might not help you get to sleep easily.

So basically tea is a great and a very affordable way to boost your hair health and almost all teas are packed with nutrients that play a big role in maintaining your overall health and so keep your hair healthy.