No Sugar Added, No Sugar Needed

TEA AS NATURE INTENDED IN ST. SIMONS
By Nancy Hill

There is no denying the fact that obesity is a problem in America. What if the solution was as simple as three letters ?Tea. According to the owner of Serenity House Tea Society and Shoppe, Angela Cunningham, 80 percent of Americans drink iced tea, but of those tea drinkers, 80 percent regularly add sugar to their tea. Cunningham whole-heartedly believes that drinking tea the healthy way holds the solution to obesity and other associated diseases.

Cunningham is no stranger to the world of healthy eating and organic foods. While in her early 20s she opened The Carrot, the second health food restaurant in New York City. Since then, she has made it her continuous goal to share her knowledge and passion for healthy eating with others.

Cunningham?s newest endeavor came in 2008 when she opened Serenity House Tea Society and Shoppe. ?The mission is a little more than just a tea shop,? Cunningham states. With a wide variety of more than 140 teas, there is something to please everyone. The sky is the limit when Cunningham and her team begin to formulate menus and mix flavors, creating blends with incredible flavor as well as health properties.

All variations of tea come from the Camellia Sinensis plant. The processes used and the region where it is grown combine to make each type of tea unique. The variation of tea is in the hands of the estate master who grows the tea the hands of the tea master who processes it. Tea can be processed by steaming, roasting, fermenting or aging, but regardless, the tea is treated with extreme care and nurturing. ?Tea is one of the most amazing products when you think about the hands that touch it to bring the tea to you,? says Cunningham.

While there are a few main categories of teas sold at Serenity House, the variations within each group are countless. Some of the products sold include black, white, green, chai, rooibos, fruit fusion and health and wellness teas. The spectrum ranges from simple to complex, but the thing each blend of tea at Serenity House has in common is the freshness and high quality.

Cunningham stresses the important role that green tea plays in the lives of Americans. It has been around for more than 4000 years but has recently made a comeback in America. Diet books and doctors are more frequently suggesting that green tea be incorporated into daily diets in an effort to increase metabolism and burn more calories. This task is daunting to many Americans, in particular Southerners. The bitterness makes them want to add sugar and other sweeteners, defeating the healthy aspects of green tea. However, in reality green tea is not bitter. ?The problem is not the tea, it?s the water poured on it,? Cunningham said. By using water that is too hot, we often burn the delicate leaves and create a flavor that is bitter. If the right water temperature was used, sweeteners would not be necessary, and the nutritional value of drinking green tea would be maintained.

Another trending tea is chai. It is a beautiful and versatile tea that can be made using either water or milk. One theory on the creation of chai is that a young chef accidently dropped a mixture of spices into warm milk. The rest is history, and the delicious drink now takes many forms and is abundantly found in grocery stores and coffee houses throughout the world.

The Health and Wellness teas sold at Serenity House are mainly from Europe where it is very common to use tea to cure and aid the body. These teas can tackle the common cold and provide stress relief for anyone in need. Their calming blend includes chamomile blossoms that have proven to help one relax and sleep. Any of these wellness teas are great to try before you turn to pharmaceuticals. Cunningham adds, ?In my opinion, drinking tea is a lot better than swallowing a pill.?

The fruit fusion teas are another fascinating and versatile type of tea at Serenity House. These naturally flavored teas with no added corn syrup provide a sweet treat without all the sugar. ?I am against sugar all together,? said Cunningham, which is why she is such a big advocate of these teas. Just add milk or yogurt and you have yourself a delicious milkshake or popsicle that is perfect to give to children without worrying about all the additives. Adults can enjoy these teas by using them in sangria or other drinks without worrying about headaches from all the sugar.

It is seemingly impossible to touch on all the options customers have at Serenity House which is why there is a comprehensive overview on their website. The tea learning center talks about all that Serenity house has to offer. Being educated is crucial when using tea and at Serenity House, they not only want to sell you tea to drink, but they also want to sell you tea that you can learn to cook with. They offer a multitude of drink and food recipes that are helpful to get started in hopes that customers will begin to experiment and blend their own teas. The website also divulges the history behind some of the teas which is important because tea is an ancient drink that has now circled back around. ?What I like about tea the most is its history,? says Cunningham.

Cunningham?s belief that tea is the drink to combat obesity fuels her efforts and operations at Serenity House. She adds, ?If you switched out your soda every day and drank green tea, you could save 15 to 20 pounds per year.? The goal and purpose behind Serenity House is to inform Americans of the benefits of using tea and make people more health conscious. They are constantly developing new teas which add more flavor choices and new health benefits. Tea has come a long way, and as it continues to evolve Cunningham and her staff at Serenity House plan to bring attention to the many uses and benefits of tea.

Source: http://www.southerndistinction.com/no-sugar-added-no-sugar-needed/

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