The 2-Ingredient Protein Smoothie It’s no question, smoothies are awesome. When I have time, I love to create new recipes using various fruits and vegetables. The problem with many smoothie recipes is I don’t always have a lot of  Read

While tea is certainly a popular beverage for many reasons — health benefits, warming properties and general drinking pleasure — here are four ways, aside from steeping it in water, in which tea can be used beneficially.

1. Beauty: Reduce puffiness around the eyes

Suffer from red or puffy eyes? Try putting a warm tea bag covered in a paper towel or soft cloth on top of it. The caffeine from black tea helps constrict blood vessels which helps reduce puffiness or swelling. Green tea contains antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and redness. Either will do the trick for red, puffy eyes.

2. Cooking: Add antioxidants

When you are making quinoa, rice or pasta, add a few green tea bags to the boiling water and then remove them after a few minutes. The grains soak up the extra antioxidants and you get to enjoy hidden health benefits in your pasta or rice dish.

3. Compost: Recycle your leaves

Ever wonder what to do with your loose leaf tea bags after the fact? Well, good news — you can compost them. Loose leaf tea leaves will actually help increase the speed in which your pile decomposes. With tea bags, just make sure the bags themselves are decomposable. If not, cut open the bag and just add the leaves.

4. Smoothies: Blend for health

Matcha is a powdered green tea originated from Japan and it is the highest quality tea there is. It not only contains antioxidants, but it also contains the amino acid L-Theanine which can help boost your mood and increase your energy.

And, last but not least, this tea can also help detoxify your body. Add a serving to your smoothie to get all of the health benefits without actually having to make a cup of tea. This is great during the summer months when hot tea makes you cringe.

Photo Credit: Stocksy

Lindsey Smith, known as the “food mood girl,” works with people who have a habit of looking to food for all the wrong nutrients: comfort, reward, fun, and acceptance. Through speaking and coaching she motivates, equips, and inspires people to sort out their relationships with food so they can live a healthy, balanced life. Lindsey is also the author of Junk Foods & Junk Moods: Stop Craving and Start Living. For more information, visit http://www.foodmoodgirl.com/ !

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