There’s a variety of reasons we may choose to drink alcohol: relaxing after a hard day’s work, relieving anxiety, for inspiration, or for socializing. Instead of the daily whiskey or wine, why not make a healthy habit of drinking tea? Tea is an amazing alcohol replacement and in this article, we will elaborate on the 5 reasons we believe it's good to make the switch from alcohol to tea.
Alcohol tends to trick our hormones into giving us a rushed sense of well-being. In actuality, tea does something similar. Except that it happens organically. If you sometimes find yourself in need of an alcoholic beverage after a hard, busy day to relax or to comfortably fall asleep, try making the switch to loose leaf tea.
Whether you have been fighting alcoholism for a while, or choose to find an alcohol replacement for a few weekly drinks, tea is a great way to start.
As the famous Chinese proverb states: 以茶代酒. Drink tea instead of liquor.
The Health Benefits Of Tea: What Makes Tea A Good Alcohol Replacement?
Tea is not only an excellent gateway into replacing your alcoholic beverage with a non-alcoholic one, but it also acts as an amazing detox from alcohol and alcohol withdrawal.
Fresh, naturally grown tea is good for your health. It is a highly nutritious and hydrating beverage. Modern-day scientific research has proven tea to contain many healthy compounds, such as antioxidants, L-theanine, and essential minerals like potassium.
Real tea, ie. white, green, oolong, black (red), and hei cha like pu-erh (but not herbal), all come from the leaves of Camellia Sinensis. Although there are some differences in the amounts of caffeine, theanine, and magnesium between tea types, generally, all teas contain meaningful quantities of tea phytonutrients. Read more.
Green Tea Alcohol Detox
After our bodies metabolize alcohol, the healthy amount of antioxidants is disturbed.
Out of green tea’s oxidants, gallic acid is one that has been proven to protect from alcohol intoxication by raising our antioxidant enzymes, restoring our body’s natural balance.
Another antioxidant known as primarily epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) protects our livers from cell damage caused by alcohol overconsumption.
One cup of green tea gives you 40-50mg of EGCG. According to studies, 2-3 cups of tea per day will help maintain a healthy amount of antioxidants and help detox.
There have been some studies that showed drinking tea shortly after alcohol intoxication helps to sober up. We do not recommend doing this. While tea does have a strong detox effect on the body, drinking tea right after drinking copious amounts of alcohol has its toll on the kidney.
The process of our organs processing the liquor takes anywhere from 2 to 4 hours. During this time, it is not recommended to drink tea, especially strong, concentrated tea.
If you do feel that you’ve had a bit too much to drink, always start with large amounts of water. Also, try drinking celery juice or tomato juice; both of these have shown great flushing effects on the body.
5 Reasons To Make Tea Your Go-To Alcohol Replacement
1. Tea Is A Healthier Option
Drinking tea, even in large amounts, won’t impact our health. Studies have shown that for tea to affect our health negatively, it would have to be consumed in pretty absurd quantities. One or two healthy gong fu sessions a day will only have a positive effect on us. Tea is also an amazing alternative to alcohol for anxiety and those dealing with it.
2. Tea Is A Cheaper Option
Whether drinking at home or when going out. If we compare it with going to a bar, one alcoholic beverage will already cost higher than tea. And while good quality loose leaf tea may be pricey, it can be refilled with hot water 10+ times. Opting to go to a tea bar rather than an actual bar will result in a 1-2 hour gong fu session for a fraction of the price. A great way to spend a mindful time with friends!
3. Tea Gets You High Too
It does, but not in the same way as alcohol. Getting tea drunk will leave you with many of the similar effects as alcohol drunk does, except without all the adverse side effects.
After getting tea drunk, you may feel:
happy, uplifted, creative, energetic, rational-minded
You won’t feel:
loss of control, cloudy/foggy, headache, stomachache, irrational
A Tang Dynasty essay called “A Debate On Tea And Wine” aimed to examine both tea and alcohol side by side. During Tang Dynasty China, both beverages were commonly consumed. The author, however, writes that although wine gets you higher, broadens your imagination, and fills you up with courage, it also leads you to act somewhat crazy and uncontrollable. Tea, on the other hand, never impacts our ability to behave and reason.
4. Tea Is A Great Ally For Meditation
Since the beginning of tea history, tea has been cultivated by monks and drunk throughout the day to aid in meditation. The balanced quantity of caffeine that tea contains is perfect for keeping the mind mildly awake, sharp, and alert, without giving our body the jittery feeling that coffee gives us.
Try starting a little daily or weekly tea ritual of your own. Start by preparing all the tea utensils you will need, prepare the tea leaves. While you set up for your tea ceremony, take the time to ponder on the day, what you wish to accomplish.
If you are drinking tea after a hard day, take the time to give gratitude for the things you have in your life. Perhaps it is clean drinking water, a warm home, the ability to relax at the end of the day. When drinking the tea, feel the warmth spread from your belly all across your body. To your fingertips, to your head and face. While alcohol diverts our attention from things we don’t wish to think about, tea brings our attention to it. It guides us to take a look at things with a tranquil mind, seeing them, letting them go. Bring our attention to the things we wish to avoid will help us in the long run. Diverting our attention may feel good for a fleeting moment but doesn’t bring us much good over time.
Furthermore, drinking tea throughout the day, while at work even, will put you in a sense of well-being and emotional lightness. You may feel less of a need to “unwind” by the end of the day. While drinking alcohol at work is frowned upon, no one will stop you from drinking tea. Even better — you can share it with your co-workers!
Read more: Practicing Mindfulness In Simple Tea Meditation
5. Tea Is Relatable
Many people are, indeed, social drinkers. They enjoy having a drink in the company of friends or new acquaintances. However, the truth is that more people drink tea than those that drink alcohol. Tea is a relatable beverage. At the next social gathering, you can try offering people tea as an alcohol replacement. You may be surprised by how many people are into the beverage!
Tea For Winding Down
When choosing a tea for relaxing at the end of the day, it’s best to opt for something with lower caffeine content. You can quickly check the specifics of each tea in our tea shop to see how much caffeine each tea contains. Our top recommendations for teas with low caffeine content are:
Hojicha, Genmaicha, Aged White Tea, and of course, tisanes!
Uplifting, Energizing Teas
If you are on your way to a party or need some extra energy for socializing or getting some work done we recommend choosing teas with slightly higher caffeine content. Our top picks are: