Randomramblings

I drink a lot of tea. In fact I should say that I used to drink a lot of tea. I liked gunpowder green tea and drank it a lot, especially throughout the autumn and winter when the days are short and one needs to stay awake to study; also there's a general depressing atmosphere and one is faced with a rather difficult decision whether to stay awake at 1.30 am and continue studying or go to bed.

In high school I used to drink cappuccino when I was out with my friends, but I soon dropped the habit because coffee isn't really my piece of cake and I thought that taking in all that caffeine (when there really wasn't a need for it - e.g. to help me stay awake) was excessive. There was a year when I had several almost successive colds and my mother (and in fact every living relative I have who witnessed over two months of runny noses, sore throats and coughing) suggested drinking warm tea with honey and a bit of lemon juice. I found a tea I liked and began drinking it in vast quantities - up to a litre and a half per day.

Later, when I began studying at University I soon realized I will probably be doing long hours and thought I should try one of the teas that my biology teacher mentioned in class, saying they keep you awake longer than coffee. And as long as I can tell, it's true. Green tea has less caffeine than a normal coffee and it wakes one up slowlier, but keeps you alert for a longer time and the effects fade away slowly, at least slowlier than with coffee. I never really liked the taste of coffee either and always had the feeling that when the caffeine "stopped" working it's magic I could tell because I suddenly felt very tired, at least far more tired than I did before. Whereas with green tea this is not so. Its effects last for hours and I rarely drink it two or more times a day. One time represents two mugs of tea.

As mentioned before I drink gunpowder green tea which has leaves that are rolled tightly and they spread out when you pour hot water over them. But gunpowder is a fairly strong and stimulating green tea so it is not advisable to over do it. I have tried two other types of green tea but like gunpowder's flavour best.

And even thought it is not advisable for me to drink tea now, I have found a variety I can drink. Green tea has a lot of tannins and they prevent the absorption of iron in the body. (I am currently very low on iron, but not yet anaemic, so I should take care. In time I hope my doctor will be persuaded and will prescribe me some iron supplement.) However, rooibos tea has very little tannins and has a nice sweet flavour and despite having no caffeine (no stimulating effect) I like to drink it.