A cup of hot tea can warm you up on a cold day, but did you know it can provide other benefits too? Tea usually has less caffeine than coffee and can help with weight loss. It may even reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Sipping tea can help curb stress and anxiety, and even help your eye and tooth health.
Markets sell tea in prepackaged bags or in loose leaf form. Although tea bags are a convenient way to steep your tea, they are not as environmentally friendly as using a washable tea ball or infuser. There are bottles with built in infusers for on-the-go convenience.
Don’t throw out your tea leaves once you are finished with your beverage! Tea leaves can be used as a fertilizer for your garden. Simply sprinkle them on your plants and soil. You can also add them to your compost if you have one.
Just like baking soda, tea is a natural odor absorber so you can place dried tea leaves in your refrigerator to absorb odors. You can also try sprinkling them in a kitty litter box to remove odors naturally.
Tea bags can help reduce puffiness and dark circles around your eyes. Simply place steeped tea bags in the refrigerator to chill until you are ready to place them over your eyes. If you have old tea that has lost its flavor and freshness, you can use them for craft projects such as making your own potpourri.
Written by Emily Su, Class of 2022
Photo Credit: Rappler
Thanks for sharing these tips. These are helpful to us and to our environment.