Today, June 10th, is National Iced Tea Day!  Why not celebrate with a drink of your favorite type of tea!?!

Most people who like to drink iced tea have a favorite flavor.  My favorite iced tea is a blend.  I use a coffee maker to brew it, but you can make it with whatever method you like best.  At one point in time I had a regular iced tea maker, but it gave up the ghost and the store was all out when I went to buy a new one.  So I got a coffee maker instead, dedicated to making tea.  It works fine; the only drawback is it doesn’t automatically shut off when the ice tea is done brewing.

Anyway, here’s what I use for my favorite iced tea:

• 2 tablespoons, more or less, of loose leaf yerba mate
• 1 family sized bag of green tea
• 1 family sized bag of black tea
• 1 Mint Mate tea bag
• 1 Orange Blossom Mate tea bag

I tear open all the tea bags and pour the loose tea into the coffee filter, add filtered water, then let it brew.  And I prefer decaffeinated tea, but that’s a matter of personal perference.  Sometimes I change it up and use different flavored bags of tea for the last two. 

I buy my yerba mate tea from Guayaki, and buy a big 5-poung bag of San Mateo Air Dried Mate along with half pound bags of the Orange Blossom Mate and a bag of mint mate.

After I fill a small canister with the San Mateo Mate, I put the rest in the freezer.  A 5-pound bag lasts a LONG time, even though I brew a new batch almost every day!

I use liquid stevia to sweeten each glass full of tea before I drink it.  Since yerba mate, green and black teas have healthful properties, this is a great beverage both taste wise and health-wise.

So enjoy a glass or two of iced tea today!

Post from: Health Food Made Easy

National Iced Tea Day

This video is a dramatization of how soft drinks pour on pounds of fat. It’s put out by New York City’s Health Department:

What you drink has a real impact on your health, so remember!
Healthy beverages are important!

Post from: Health Food Made Easy

Why Healthy Beverages Are Important!

If you’d like to try having a smoothie for breakfast, or even just as a good pick-me-up, here’s an all-purpose recipe you can use.

Mix And Match Smoothies

• 12 ounces of water or juice
• 6 ounces of yogurt, flavor of your choice
• 1 scoop of whey protein powder
• 1/2 cup of fruit (fresh, canned or frozen)
• 6 ice cubes

1. Pour liquid into a blender.

2. Add the yogurt and protein powder.  You can use whatever flavor protein powder you like.  The most popular flavors available are vanilla, strawberry and chocolate.

3. Blend the liquid, yogurt and protein powder until smooth.

4. Add the fruit and blend for another 30 seconds or so, depending on how pureed you like the fruit.

5. Add the ice cubes and blend on high until smooth.

NOTES: If you use canned fruit, drain it and use the juice as part of the 12 ounces of liquid.

Of course, you could also use milk for the liquid, but it really isn’t necessary with the yogurt and whey powder. 

However, if you don’t like yogurt, you could leave it out and use 2 scoops of whey powder, or a packet of some kind of protein powder mix.

Experiment to your heart’s content, and find a combination you like.

And there you have it, a quick and easy recipe for smoothies you can enjoy for breakfast.

Post from: Health Food Made Easy

Mix And Match Recipe For Smoothies