Turns out Posh Spice and I are both tea totallers. Who knew! I'm wondering who schooled her to the benefits of pu-erh tea? Maybe she reads this blog. I'm sure of it. Nowadays pu-erh is being hawked as a weight loss aid but the traditional benefit is reducing cholesterol levels in the blood. Yep, pu-erh tea is great stuff, although it's definitely a taste for those with sophisticated palates--like me and Posh.

There's milky sweet breakfast tea and then there are Super Teas. Super Teas are nutritional and medicinal. What's even greater is that tea has next to no calories so drinking tea is a no brainer. All the Super Teas have antioxidants which are great for slowing down the aging process.

Nettle Tea

Nettles contain proteins formed from a great number of amino acids, volatile oils, B1, B2, C and K vitamins. Drinking nettle tea will remove uric acid, chlorides, and urea from your body so it's a wonderful tea for those with edema, gout, and rheumatism. Nettles are also traditionally used for hair loss. You can add some extra water to the tea and a little vinegar. Simmer that mixture and rinse your hair with it once a week to slow down hair loss.

Catnip Tea

Catnip isn't just for kitties, but if you decide to use it buy pure, organic catnip. One of the chemicals in catnip, nepetalactone, has a relaxing effect on humans and therefore is used in herbal remedies for people with migraines and muscle spasms. The leaves and flowers of the catnip plant can be boiled and used as an astringent. Catnip Tea is used to relieve colic in babies, restlessness, and nervousness. Stronger tea relieves fevers due to colds and flu as well as calming the stomach and preventing nausea and diarrhea.

Rooibos Tea

With more antioxidants than green or black tea, as well as a host of minerals, Rooibos is a nutritional gem. Rooibos tea contains the antioxidants quercetin and luteolin Rooibos is also the only natural source of another antioxidant, aspalathin. The tea also contains:

* Copper
* Iron
* Potassium
* Calcium
* Fluoride
* Zinc
* Manganese
* Magnesium

As if that weren't enough, it has medicinal properties as well. Rooibus contains flavonoids which are powerful antioxidants that have more antioxidant activity than vitamin C. As a result, Rooibos slows the aging process.

But back to my new favorite pu-erh. One good thing about pu-erh is that you can use the same cake over and over for multiple infusions. If you use it just once, you're wasting tea. If you want to try pu-erh, keep in mind that pu-erh is like wine. Aged pu-erh tea cakes are more valuable than new cakes. pu-erh tea cakes from the time of the cultural revolution can go for thousands of dollars. Unless you're a tea aficcianado, get the cheap stuff. You probably want to hurry though. Now that Posh has been spotted sipping it, the price is sure to go up.

Remember, tea is a natural de-stressor. It forces you to slow down because you have to take time to brew it and time to sip it. So slow down and enjoy a cup of nutrition