In a world of constant hustling and bustling – from Zoom meetings and school runs, to admin work and countless errands – it often feels like there are never enough hours in the day, and we are always overstimulated, tired and in danger of burning out. There is one easy, age-old lifestyle hack that has been proven – by science and great anecdote tellers alike – to help the mind, body and soul. Tea.
We all have fond memories of our first passion, and mine was tea. Today’s is a coffee-centric world, but remember that coffee and too much caffeine in general leads to an artificial high and inevitable crash. Maintaining “zenergy” is where tea comes in.
Non-drinkers and even many tea-drinkers are unaware of the many types of tea and their plentiful health benefits. Most think the brew is either English breakfast, your go-to chai, green, or sleepy-tea chamomile. Breaking misconceptions of bland and generic flavours has been one of my biggest pleasures as a tea lover and teahouse owner, and what better occasion to do so than on International Tea Day, which falls on May 21?
The journey of tea is for everyone, come as you are and partake in the near-magical world of remedial herbs and leaves. There’s a potion for everyone and every purpose, whether it’s to boost collagen or concentration, improve sleep or skin, aid anxiety or fertility, reduce inflammation or soreness … I could go on, and I will.
Look out for ingredients that act as adaptogens. These can counteract the adverse effects of stress and eliminate toxins; they also allow our cells to utilise oxygen in a more efficient way, which in turn clears brain fog, leads to high energy levels and a more resilient body.
Immunity-building ingredients such as turmeric, ginger, gynostemma, ginkgo and burdock are perfectly at home in a cup of tea, as are ashwagandha root, maca, liquorice root, holy basil and rose hip, which can ease mood and hormone imbalances, and improve autoimmune conditions.
Another prominent ingredient in most tea blends is L-theanine, an amino acid that alters brain function to induce relaxation and reduce stress. Studies have shown that the simple act of taking a few minutes to yourself to drink tea is relaxation in itself, as well as tea being a communal act that brings people together in many cultures.
One piece of advice is to drink teas that are free of artificial flavouring and are ethically sourced, so as to do yourself and hard-working tea farmers a favour. Having run a teahouse for three years now, here are the three in-house blends I’ve noticed flow the fastest among tea drinks in the UAE.
Detox Tea-Tox. Laced with antioxidant-rich ingredients such as lemongrass (prevents infection), jiaogulan (increases resistance to environmental stress), camomile (super- soothing) and liquorice root (anti-inflammatory), this is a caffeine-free herbal tea blend.
Golden Glow. An elixir of ginger, turmeric, carrot, beet and pineapple, this blend is super-refreshing as an iced tea (hello, summer). Ginger and turmeric have immunity-boosting and anti-inflammatory effects, carrots and pineapple aid in cell repair, and beetroot is full of nutrients.
Dat Cookie Dough. A guilt and calorie-free dessert tea, this is evocative of a fresh batch of cookies from the oven. It's infused with calendula, which has antifungal properties, and camomile petals. Black tea, in general, is good for gut health, reduces blood pressure and increases metabolism.
Tania Lodi is founder of Tania’s Teahouse in Dubai, and featured in Caterer’s 25 Most Influential Women in Middle East F&B list this year
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
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Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
ENGLAND SQUAD
Team: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Ben Te'o, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Jonny May, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs, 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Dylan Hartley, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Maro Itoje, 6 Courtney Lawes, 7 Chris Robshaw, 8 Sam Simmonds
Replacements 16 Jamie George, 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Harry Williams, 19 George Kruis, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Danny Care, 22 Jonathan Joseph, 23 Jack Nowell
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The Lost Letters of William Woolf
Helen Cullen, Graydon House
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The biog
Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns
Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
Food of choice: Sushi
Favourite colour: Orange
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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Guns N’ Roses’s last gig before Abu Dhabi was in Hong Kong on November 21. We were there – and here’s what they played, and in what order. You were warned.
- It’s So Easy
- Mr Brownstone
- Chinese Democracy
- Welcome to the Jungle
- Double Talkin’ Jive
- Better
- Estranged
- Live and Let Die (Wings cover)
- Slither (Velvet Revolver cover)
- Rocket Queen
- You Could Be Mine
- Shadow of Your Love
- Attitude (Misfits cover)
- Civil War
- Coma
- Love Theme from The Godfather (movie cover)
- Sweet Child O’ Mine
- Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb cover)
- Wish You Were Here (instrumental Pink Floyd cover)
- November Rain
- Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden cover)
- Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan cover)
- Nightrain
Encore:
- Patience
- Don’t Cry
- The Seeker (The Who cover)
- Paradise City
The biog
Name: Marie Byrne
Nationality: Irish
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption
Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston
Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams
