If you’re anything like me, you enjoy the heck out of your morning cuppa-joe. I tend to get excited thinking about my first cup of coffee in the mornings! Yes, as lame as that sounds, this is what caffeine does to a person.

While there actually are some antioxidants and other proven benefits to having a daily dose of coffee, there are some limits as to what you should be having. This daily dose does not include the crazy, highly sugar induced, fake ingredient coffees orders that are available at your big box coffee “café’s”. In the past decade, we have all gotten away from the actual beneficial, Plain Black Coffee that has the great anti-oxidant benefits. This is something to consider while ordering/making your daily coffee. Do yourself a favour and if you are going to have one, eliminate all the junk and start with plain black coffee; add a little dairy if you can’t do just black.

Around 7 weeks ago I set a new goal for myself: to reduce the amount (and type) of coffee I enjoyed and to also introduce more tea. I’ve reduced my coffees to no more then 2 a day. Trust me this is a major reduction from before! Tea and the millions of types available in this world give you more benefits then you can even imagine. Starting a new health and wellness journey has led me to realize that I have a new love and appreciation for tea.

There are four main types of teas that make up the various flavours that you know and love today and they all come from one plant species called Camellia sinensis. There’s black, white, green, and oolong. Under each category are millions of flavours and infusions. Herbal teas are also infusions and not technically “tea” but can still be a better option when it comes to your health.

Tea has been consumed for many, many years and lately we are seeing more tea focused café’s pop up because people are realizing the many benefits that is has on the human body. I’ve researched myself and come up with the top reasons why I made the switch.

While black coffee contains antioxidants as well, the concentration that is in tea has been linked to helping protect you from of a boatload of cancers, including breast, colon, colorectal, skin, lung, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, pancreas, liver, ovarian, prostate, and oral cancers.

There is a type of antioxidant that is present in tea that has been linked to helping protect the brain from developing Alzheimer’s. Teas have also been linked as an effective agent in the treatment of neurological diseases.

Tea contains catechins, an antioxidant that boosts the immune system. Vitamin H, also known as biotin, is present in teas and also assists with a healthy immune system.

Antioxidants called catechins are highest in green tea and found in low doses in black tea. Catechins act as “fat blockers,” especially of abdominal fat. In the digestive tract, catechins reduce the absorption of dietary fats by inhibiting the body’s ability to break them down. Catechins also act as “fat burners” by activating the enzymes in the body that metabolize stored fat.

4 reasons alone had me convinced even though are hundreds of reasons to drink tea. I even joined one of the tea café’s “frequent steeper” programs to try a new tea every time I go in. There are so many varieties present under each type (black, green, white, oolong) that you can try a new one every day and continue to enjoy the benefits each one brings to you. Try swapping one of your hot drinks each day for a tea to know that you are doing your body a favour and making a good choice that will benefit your health.