Tag Archives: black tea

Energize Yourself to Make Your Day More Productive

Over the past year I spent a lot of time implementing habit loops, to make my days more productive and ensure I can get the best results out of my time. I love the concept of ‘Return on Energy’, asking myself the question: with a minute (or an hour or day) spent, what did I got out of it? How has this energy spent on this minute helped my life? Has it been able to grow me as a person? Of course there will be minutes you perceive as ‘boring’ or ‘normal’ but it will be about your perspective on how you value your time and what you decide to do with it.

In this blog post I will give you powerful tips to implement small hacks to create positive habit loops that will help to advance your life. I sorted them by time of day, so you can decide what best fits into your daily routine. Hydration is tricky. We normally drink water when we get thirsty. When your brain receives the ‘thirsty’ signal it is normally too late, your organs have already started to struggle to function optimally. The key in hydration is to drink water throughout the day to keep the engine and your systems running smoothly. Most people underestimate this. If you hydrate constantly, good for you and you are ahead of the game.

Your body is made from 70% water. Give it the attention it needs.

Wake up

Our normal instinct is to get up and kick start the brain with caffeine, either a coffee or a tea. What our body needs most first thing in the morning is a glass of water to replenish the liquid lost during the night. With every breath we are exhaling tiny droplets of water. By the end of a good night’s sleep, you will have exhaled a cup of water! That first glass in the morning will jump start your organs and will prepare the metabolism to be ready for breakfast.

Add a few drops of lemon juice which will give you a good initial boost of Vitamin C in the morning. If you have water with a high TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) available, go for it. Minerals will help your body to get started. If you only have tap water within reach, add a little salt to it to help your body with minerals. The key will be to develop a daily routine to help your body to become stronger and healthier.

Breakfast

Make it a habit to have a glass of water with your tea (or coffee) for breakfast. While cups of coffee and tea will help with your daily liquid intake, it is the caffeine which will dehydrate you. A nice glass of water with breakfast will help you to hydrate better and assist your body with digesting the food. You can brighten your day by adding a nice brand of fine water from an interesting part of the world. When you eat with your family this could be a good conversation starter and a way to learn something new.

Morning

Hydration does not stop after breakfast. As you jump into your busy day, water can become your companion. I always carry a water bottle with me and sip once in a while and it gives me a good feeling. I feel that despite the challenges I am facing that day, I continue to invest into my body and support my wellness. In addition, I love to have a cup of tea by my side and I always take a moment to appreciate the taste of the tea I have picked for myself that moment.

We are working together with people, we are working towards larger projects, but it is important not to forget about investing in yourself constantly. The better you become, the more productive you will be. Always remember the safety instruction on an airplane. First put the oxygen mask onto yourself and then you can help your loved ones and those you travel with.

Lunch

Make every day special. The more you can mix things up and create variety the better and happier you will be. We all face challenges and we all are surrounded by things we cannot control, but focus on the things you can control. When you have lunch, be curious and select a new brand of water you have not tried yet. Focus on the taste. How does it compare to the water you normally drink? It will add a new little taste experience and it will enhance your day.

Afternoon

My energy normally drops in the afternoon. That’s where I get my secret weapon out – a strong black tea. I have been trying this habit for a few weeks now and it works like magic. The strong tea will bring back my needed energy more gradually and it will help me to focus and accomplish my remaining tasks for the day.

Evening

Dinner will be an opportunity to relax and unwind from a busy day. Adding a nice fine water rather then the dull glass from the tap will add a little pleasure, a little piece of luxury, to celebrate your accomplishments of the day. Try a nice sparkling water, which will also have the benefit to replenish your minerals, aid with your digestion and will get you ready for the night.

Night

Have a water near your bedside. This way if you get thirsty in the middle of the night , you can replenish your fluids quickly. Pick a water with a medium to high TDS to add a bit of minerals and help your body in the middle of the night. As you fall asleep and recover from a busy day, remember that water and tea have been there to boost your day a little bit and make it more pleasurable.

I hope these little reflections and hacks got you thinking about how you can improve your day. We certainly do not focus on water or tea the whole day and surely I am thinking about this way more then you need, but I am here to help.

Feel free to reach out to me if you need ideas for specific brands and where to get them. That’s what we sommeliers are for, to give you ideas which match your taste. With hundreds and hundreds of amazing brands, it’s no easy task, but somebody’s got to do it.

Stay thirsty!

How to Choose Your Tea – A Guide On Finding the Best Tea

How should I choose my tea and how can I trust that I am getting what I am paying for?

One thing is for sure: if you buy tea bags from the supermarket aisle from a big name brand, you will get exactly the same thing: small bits of tea dust or fannings which will turn the color of the water brown and will taste like the same thing over and over. For some that is what they prefer, but I am reaching out to you on this one! There is another, far more amazing world out there of high quality loose leaf teas!

Yes, you have to be adventurous and you have to trust someone that they will sell you something that is of good quality, comes from the area they are advertising, and is free from pesticides or other items which are not good for your body. So which way to go?

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A Trip to a Yangon Supermarket – A Closer Look at the Tea Aisle

A few weeks ago, while on vacation in the US, I went to an ordinary supermarket, curious what the regular consumer can expect when in the mood for tea.

I was a bit disappointed to see convenience ruling over quality. Rows of teabags of all sorts, not that there is something wrong with it, but it would be nice to give the regular consumer some choice; an avenue to explore towards new heights and infinite better quality.

In all fairness it is getting a bit better when compared to years ago as some loose leaf tea has found their way to the shelves. However it’s still a far cry away from the wonderful complexity and taste wonderland that is the loose leaf tea world.

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Darjeeling – A Mystical Tea Region

23247819_trainAs I have mentioned in many blog entries before, I am passionate about the Darjeeling tea region. It has a special place in my heart as this relatively ‘small’ tea region has a unique structure but most importantly produces amazing teas.

This region strives to produce high quality loose leaf teas to amaze the tea community. I am not quite sure if this comes from my cultural DNA, as Germans in general have a strong connection to this tea region and this type of tea. This blog entry by no means is meant as a complete and conclusive overview of the Darjeeling region but more of a reflection of personal experience I had with these wonderful teas. Continue reading

Tea Reflections – Black Teas, The World’s Most Popular Tea Type

Black Teas

Now this is probably the most common type of tea and most people in the world and mostly in the western world are used to some sort of black tea. Known as red tea in China, it can range quite a bit in quality – from the stuff that makes it into the tea bag up to a high quality loose leaf tea.

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