Dyspepsia? Try this iced tea

60 million Americans suffer from some form of dyspepsia- the generic term for digestive unrest. The typical prescription is a proton-pump inhibitor- the same drugs we now know cause a whole raft of diseases down the road, like dementia and osteoperosis. Why? Turns out if you inhibit acid, you don't digest your food- hence no nutrients, hence all of the bioprotective aspects of food are severely limited.

Unless you have acute symptoms that need to be controlled as quickly as possible, a better course might be to ingest foods known traditionally for their digestive aid. In this tea recipe, I combine the power of turmeric and other digestion-friendly spices, honey, ginger and green tea to produce a delicious iced tea that Abbey dubs "Michael's pumpkin pie iced tea." it does contain coconut cream, which some people can be sensitive to for its high fat content. Feel free to substitute whatever milk or cream that suits your digestion best.

ingredients:

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp powdered ginger, or pulverized fresh ginger
1 tbl honey
green- loose or matcha (or black) tea
coconut or other milk or cream, to the top

method:

brew a cup of the tea of your choice according to the usual sort of directions- just big enough for a traditional CUP, NOT MUG, of tea but you want it to be on the strong side, so whatever tea you'd put in a mug is fine.

as the tea is brewing, add the spices. let them sit in the tea five minutes after the tea is finished brewing.

now the tea should be hot, but not blazing. add the honey and mix until incorporated.

Prepare a tumbler with cubed or crushed ice.

pour the fortified cup of tea in the tumbler. Top it off with the milk or cream of your choice. mix.

Enjoy! I have periodic problems with indigestion- some days it's pretty awful- but this tea never fails to calm things down and soothe my insides. I hope it does the same for you.

Tea is our friend

As we fortify ourselves for certain phase one deprivation, we develop an array of coping mechanisms.  Michael and I frequently sit down after dinner in the evenings with a satisfying and warm cup of tea.  Tea was once accompanied by things like chocolate cake or my latest Christmas cookie creations, but these days, tea is a more ritualistic affair.  We crave something sweet, some comfort, and it seems tea is just the right thing.

Our taste in tea runs the gamut. We brew crazy funky herbal teas, the respectable Earl Grey, serious loose leaf teas in black, white, or green. Jasmine tea is so pleasant to inhale between sips. Simple orange pekoe can be a pleasure as well. So many varieties, some caffeinated, some not, to distract the palate. The warmth of the mug in my hands is comforting and I can sip a hot cup for a good 10 minutes. Yes, keep your brain distracted with a little ritual of tea in the evening and you might perhaps forget all about dessert...here's hoping!

My mania for tea now extends into days at work. I become restless and go to the break room for hot water. I steep my tea and enjoy each sip with a sort of zen-like simplicity. The hot tea in my mug is also a nice pairing with whatever sad little snack I'm currently gnawing.








Almonds go well with my current favorite tea--Yogi brand's Mayan Cocoa Spice--a boon to a chocolate lover like myself. They use actual cocoa in the tea and the blend of spices seems very well done. To some degree, this particular tea takes care of my chocolate craving. I haven't entirely given up on dessert, though. I'm researching a way to make a chocolate flourless cake sweetened with stevia. Stay tuned!