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Spinoff: is tea raw?

nycgrrlnycgrrl Raw Newbie

I am trying to stop coffee (main reason actually being the acrylamides than anything else) and was wondering if black tea is raw? any tea? my guess is not…

Comments

  • rachel_akikorachel_akiko Raw Newbie

    I’ve been wondering about that too. I’ve read a little about soaking the tea bags overnight instead of heating them, or soaking them outside on a sunny day for 8 hours. I’ve also heard of doing the same thing with actual fresh herbs, like mint leaves and stuff.

  • I actually had the same question because I really love tea!

  • pianissimapianissima Raw Newbie

    i usually look at things in terms of “is it better for me than what i’m doing?”

    black tea is better than coffee green tea is better than black white tea is better than green herbal infusions are better than white tea… on so forth.

    be wherever you are, and when you are ready for a change, go to the next “level.”

    if you get down to herbal stuff and you want them to be RAW, i like to blend herbs with a tiny amount of water in a small blender, strain, and add more water. particularly great with ginger.

  • nycgrrlnycgrrl Raw Newbie

    thanks pianissima—i am def getting off coffee, and I love earl grey tea, so that’s my next stop on this trip ;)

  • ZoeZoe Raw Newbie

    No tea isn’t raw. See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_processing Steps 5, 7 and 9 in the processing involve heat.

    I used Roosboch tea to come off coffee because it hasn’t got the caffeine that green and black tea has. I used that for a month then went on to warm water and lemon and then green juice. And at times I have used “raw” cacao, but I’m not going to any more, can’t take the caffeine/theobromine side effects. But maybe as a transition thing it may help you out?

  • I enjoyed the tea processing article. It must have taken the Chinese a long time to figure all of that out.

    There is a funny myth about how the first tea plant came into existence: The Buddha of Infinite Compassion was meditating in his cave when he fell asleep. When he woke up he was so angry at himself for falling asleep that he tore off his eyelids and threw them out of the cave. The eyelids landed on a hillside and a tea plant sprang up out of the ground. The tea plant is a gift to all monks so that they won’t fall asleep during meditation.

  • have_merseyhave_mersey Raw Newbie

    I personally don’t care. Black tea isn’t raw in the first place, and then yes, sometimes I BOIL the water! But it makes me SO immensely happy that I think it isn’t a big deal(especially if black tea is the ONLY “cooked” thing you consume). I don’t have it everyday anyway.

    White tea can be raw. You could always sun brew it. Certain herbs actually benefit from being boiled, though that goes mainly for fresh. If you sun brew herbs, make sure and dry them first. And now they have Rooibos and Green Earl Grey teas. You could also buy bergamot oil and add it to white or green-rooibos if you are worried about the raw thing. Though I haven’t tried that combination myself.

    ANYWAY my whole point is that if tea is the worst thing you do, you’re not that badly off. Especially if it is replacing coffee. :) And if you aren’t worried about the non-raw aspect but want a coffee sub. they have something called teecchino (spelling??), or you could roast dandelion root.

  • have_merseyhave_mersey Raw Newbie

    I always make rather jumbled posts. Forgive me. :P

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    The stuff you buy in the bags at the store is probably not raw. I like Black tea too – I usually make it as sun tea.

    If you drink herbal tea and gather the herbs fresh yourself (or buy them fresh not dried) and use them fresh and brew it either cold or in the sun than it would be raw. Also if you live in an area that has fall, the fall leaves make a nice tea too.

    Don’t worry about it so much – tea is better than coffee because it isn’t roasted.

    There is actually a few ‘semi-raw’ coffee subs. NaturalZing sells one that is roasted maca that is supposed to be brewed like coffee. There are things like chicory root (which I think it gross tasting). I used to drink Teechino when I was trying to get off of coffee.

    If it makes you feel any better, David Wolfe is a big tea drinker and he doesn’t feel quilty about it. He even sells some healthy teas on his site. You should check them out – you might find new teas that you like.

  • nycgrrlnycgrrl Raw Newbie

    thanks everyone!!! i am def transitioning from coffee, so will do the tea thing for a while. I DID have a big cacao smoothie this morning as of 6 pm I am NOT TIRED. I only had 1 small cup of coffee this morning (used to have 3-4) so this is HUGE. Normally by this time I am exhausted if I haven’t had coffee, so this is a very good thing. Baby steps, right?

  • Even if tea is not raw I’ll still continue with my consumtion of yerba mate to get off the coffee.

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