Have we got brews for you!
Everything may stop for tea but turning cheering cuppas into healthy hacks starts here, as Chris Page reports.
‘Everything,’ sang Jack Buchanan in a cutglass English accent, impressive for a born and bred Scotsman, “stops for tea”.
A lot of water has passed under the bridge - and refilled UK kettles - since his 1935 musical toast to tannins.
But, almost a century on, cheering cuppas remain more popular than ever, we Brits daily drinking 100 million brews.
“It’s a very good English custom, though the weather be cold or hot, when they need a little pickup, you’ll find a little teacup, will always hit the spot,” as the debonair crooner suggested.
A new report confirms nearly six in ten of us find such a hug in a mug relaxing, a fifth claiming refreshing Rosie Lee our “superpower” go-to stress buster.
Tea Advisory Panel (www. teaadvisorypanel.com) has been able to TAP into the nation’s zeitgeist with “Take 5 how actioning just five health hacks can unlock your better self ” research studying our traditional drink’s health properties.
Guest advisor GP Gill
Jenkins, Dietitian Dr Carrie Ruxton and Dr Tim Bond distil science to share simple lifestyle top tips to get our fitness back on track, saying: “As our lives become increasingly complex and fast-paced, it’s essential to keep focussed on our personal wellbeing.” Dr Jenkins explained: “Tea works on the heart and vessels thanks to its rich content of polyphenols and beneficial plant compounds that help to lower blood pressure and fight oxidation, a process that damages our cells if we don’t eat enough antioxidant-rich foods.
“What’s good for the heart is also good for the brain as studies show drinking tea – especially black tea – can have a positive effect on cognitive function (attention, mind wandering and focus), mental wellbeing (stress and mood), and brain blood flow. Even just one or two cups a day provided some benefits.”
Studies examining associations between tea and heart health suggest the sweet spot for tea drinking is four to five cups a day, Dr Bond confirming: “Encouragingly, the research poll we reviewed shows 21 per cent of the nation are hitting the target during their working day but that leaves room for improvement.”
And he advised: “Ideally, we should leave the tea bag to brew for at least three minutes to release the optimal number of polyphenols.”
Dr Carrie continued: “Tea is like nature’s pharmacy with polyphenols for heart and brain health, fluoride for strong teeth, caffeine for alertness and L-theanine – a unique amino acid found in tea – for destressing and focus.”
HEALTHY HACKS
Dr Bond advises: “Scientists have settled on 4-5 cups a day as the optimal intake to not only help keep us hydrated but provide the right amounts of the natural polyphenol compounds. Top this up with tap water, soup, herbal infusions and fruits to reach the recommended 1-2 litres a day of fluid.”
Dr Jenkins says: “Stress is a major driver of ill-health and disease so it’s a false economy to ignore your own wellbeing by not taking a regular five minutes out of your day to rest and reset. Brewing a cuppa is a great way to stop doing or thinking and just be yourself for five full minutes. Plus, it’s great news for our brain and mind health as well as providing that TLC time for our bodies, top to toe.”
“Use it or lose it” is a helpful phrase to remember when motivation for exercise is waning. “What we put in our bodies, how we rest and recharge, and how we move are three key pillars to maintaining our health,” said Dr Ruxton, who recommends five simple exercises to get you going ... crunches for abdominals, twist-ups for obliques, plank for stability, bridge for glutes and toe taps for core strength.
“Healthy movement doesn’t only involve getting the heart pumping with cardio and building muscle through strength training. Stretching our muscles and supporting our joints are equally important aims, perhaps more so as we age,” says Dr Bond, advising five exercises ... roll down and up, standing lateral flexion, spinal twists, hip flexor stretch and hamstring stretch.
Five steps include boost your breakfast fibre by choosing wholegrain bread or breakfast cereal to keep you feeling fuller until lunch, add veg or beans to recipes, snack on fruit or making a smoothie with frozen berries and banana, decommission your sugar bowl by trying low calorie sweeteners, Friday is treat day but whopping quarter of our daily calories come from nutrient-poor cakes, biscuits, sweets and sugary drinks. relieve mid-afternoon slump with a warming cup of tea and handful of nuts to keep cravings at bay.
We’ll drink to that!