Indian Chai

{Digest, Relax & Revive}

Thanks to the caffeine content of chai tea, this tea is a great choice for getting your morning started or getting a little extra energy halfway through the day.  Chai tea has caffeine since it contains black tea leaves, which naturally contain caffeine.

Chai is excellent for regulating digestive systems and keeping your gut healthy. The spice in chai tea that is largely responsible for digestive health benefits is ginger. Ginger aids digestion by improving circulation and delivering oxygen to organs so they can perform optimally.

Another spice in chai that aids digestion is black pepper, which helps the pancreas produce digestive enzymes.

The biological compounds of ginger that help to treat nausea are known as gingerol and shogaol. These two compounds have anti-inflammatory properties that work to soothe an upset stomach and alleviate stomach pain associated with nausea. The spices found in chai tea can help to alleviate common aches and pains and may even help people with more severe pain such as arthritis. These health benefits derive from the anti-inflammatory properties of many of the ingredients in chai tea, specifically ginger and clove. If you’re looking to build a healthy immune system, drinking a few cups of chai tea every day can help you achieve your goal. Cardamom has been a staple of Tibetan medicine for centuries and it contains high doses of vitamin C and other nutrients that keep your immune system healthy.

Chai tea contains a high amount of powerful antioxidants known as polyphenols that help to eliminate free radicals. Free radicals are compounds caused by pollutants and chemicals in foods and the surrounding environment that can cause cell damage. Free radicals have been linked to chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s as well as many types of cancer.  There is evidence that many chai ingredients may help build a healthy heart. Drinking chai tea can help prevent cardiovascular disease when consumed regularly over long periods of time.

In a nut shell –

Benefits:

chai has proven health benefits that make this drink not only tasty, but also good for your health. Whether you’re looking to protect heart health or want to boost your immune system and alleviate pains, chai tea has something to offer.

Ingredients:

Daintree Black Tea, Nutmeg Chips Organic, Cardamom Pods Green, Cardamom Seeds Whole, Cloves Whole, Cinnamon Chips Organic, Ginger Cut Organic, Black Pepper Cracked, Star Anise

Directions:

Bring water to a boil in a stainless steel saucepan. Remove from heat and add herbs. Cover and let steep for 10 minutes or more. Strain, squeezing the tea out of herbs well. Sweeten with a little jaggery or raw honey (do not heat honey above 40 degC. Good hot or cool. Add milk if preferred

The milk for this recipe is totally flexible. Cow is classic, but almond, cashew, or hemp are tasty options. You can also do half milk, half water if you like.