June 25, 2025

Coffee or Tea?...An easy decision for me...How about you?

For me, Coffee is an occasional treat, reserved for times that keep it special, and keeps me drinking amazing tea on a regular basis...here's why...

To me, coffee comes from a different place than tea...

Let's be clear...I like coffee...a lot, but my every day beverage is amazing tea. What I have to share is not about convincing people to abandon coffee, but it is about drinking more of the right teas.

The inherent quality of coffee containing about 80-100 mg of caffeine compared to 30-50 mg per up of tea makes coffee akin to an energy drink.

Looking more closely at tea and taking into consideration the highly valuable amino acid L-theanine that is in all real tea, we see that the relationship between the caffeine and the L-theanine slows caffeine entry into the bloodstream where the 80-100 mg of caffeine in a cup of coffee begins entering the bloodstream in the stomach lining...immediately.

In addition to the taste...the pleasure of drinking a cup of coffee, the high stimulating effect ranks high for what many enjoy from coffee.

Why I say tea comes from a different place is that the initial, immediate effect of tea is satisfying taste/mouthfeel, clear-calm alert sensation and gentle cognitive boost...

Your approach to life...

My thinking is that we should live in a continual awareness of what we consume and what it is doing for our wellbeing as well as pleasure...I like to think of it as mindful living.

Eastern wellbeing philosophy considers a life-force within us that we can continue to nurture and improve throughout our lives.

I see Camellia sinensis, the tea plant, on the preventative side of wellbeing, supporting us in our quest to optimize our wellbeing and quality of life.

As our understanding of the contribution bioactive compounds in tea have on our longevity grows, our tea awareness develops and our perception of what we are consuming takes on new significance.

While I thoroughly enjoy that cup of coffee, the value that tea is adding to my life on a daily, regular basis out-weighs the attraction of coffee on a daily basis.

Every day the sand is going through the hourglass of life...

Finding the balance of eating to live and living to eat is at the center of mindful living...That is where coffee, alcohol and ice cream come into the picture for me.

Living each day satisfied that you are doing the things in your life to responsibly steward your wellbeing empowers us to make choices on our terms of when to live to eat...to splurge a bit.

You are the gatekeeper, the one who knows if you are where you need to be, and if you are maintaining the balance you want and need in your life.

Coffee is a splurge for me...why? Because it is not so much that having that cup of coffee is bad, it is that I am missing out on infusing myself with an army of bioactive compounds from my cup of tea...it is a sacrifice to my wellbeing objective.

The right teas help us minimize the impact of life marching on...

Utilizing tea to help minimize your biological age is a real thing...

Consuming the right teas on a regular basis is a lifestyle choice synergistic with a host of other wellbeing lifestyle choices that can keep us closer to our minimal biological age.

Like everything we purchase, including everything we consume, there are differences in products and tea is no exception...not all teas are created equal, and if wellbeing is important to you, the right teas should be too...

Tea puts more in my favor...

The coffee/tea decision gets easier for me when I consider my long-term objectives...

I like to say that Tea Is 10,000 Medicines...that is because of the thousands of bioactive compounds in tea that are working at a cellular level to support our natural systems by allowing them to be more effective in managing our body.

While coffee contains some beneficial antioxidants and can contribute to some aspects of performance or wellbeing, for me the right teas far exceed those attributes in my pursuit of wellbeing and minimizing biological age.

The quest for wellbeing...How important is it to you?

If you are 20 or 70, the question is the same...and the answer should be the same too.

Taking personal responsibility through mindful living is the key that unlocks the door giving you the best option for a long, healthy, quality life.

Greed fuels corporations to create products that are designed to be irresistible to consumers, and to sensationalize markets with no regard for the wellbeing of those purchasing their products, including most restaurants as well as most packaged food products.

Consumers get a constant marketing blitz about countless products that we likely would not want to put in our body if we realized the ingredients.

It starts with being aware and making mindful choices synergistic with our wellbeing objectives...and staying disciplined.

It's not that coffee is not good...it's that tea offers me more...

OK, so I am not down on coffee, I am up on tea. I enjoy my coffee and fit it in to the right spots in life that allow me to enjoy it in moderation but allow myself to maximize the benefit I can get from Camellia sinensis.

Tea for me is a catalyst and an incentive to embrace the opportunity of what can come with The Healthy Tea Lifestyle...

We call it The Healthy Tea Lifestyle...for a reason...

I think of tea as the cornerstone in a foundation of a wellbeing philosophy focused on reaching and maintaining optimal health, leading to opportunity for quality of life.

it is not just tea, it is philosophy, it is cause, it is reason. It is a vehicle, a tool, a means of empowering us to strive for and get the upper hand in control of maintaining our wellbeing.

Coffee drinkers, don't get mad...just drink more great tea...

Sometimes people tell me they want to start drinking tea because they want to get away from coffee...that coffee makes them feel lousy and they are on a rollercoaster of highs & lows, anxious, unable to sleep well, and feeling trapped drinking coffee.

I tell them to not stop drinking coffee. I tell them if they do, they may resent tea because they cannot EVER have a cup of coffee. I tell them to drink less coffee, and to begin embracing the right teas.

I tell them that becoming aware of what impact tea can have on their life will amaze them...and for those that hear me, it usually does.

Contemplating and reassuring Why Drink Tea...

So, Why Drink Tea?...

If everything you just read leaves you wanting to know more, here is a partial condensed list of some reasons one might consider most often reaching for a cup of tea...

1. Gentler Caffeine Boost

Tea contains less caffeine than coffee—about 30–50 mg per cup compared to coffee’s 80–100 mg
Tea also contains L-theanine, an amino acid that promotes relaxation without drowsiness. This combination provides a calmer, more sustained energy boost without the jitters or crashes often associated with coffee
Tea provides improved cognitive function, focus concentration, creativity

2. Rich in Bioactive Compounds Including Unique Antioxidants

While both beverages are antioxidant-rich, tea—especially green and black varieties—contains catechins, theaflavins, and EGCG, which have been linked to reduced inflammation, improved heart health, and cancer protection
Green tea, in particular, is high in epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), known for its powerful disease-fighting properties

3. Supports Stress Reduction, Lowering Blood Pressure & Mental Health

Tea has been associated with reduced anxiety and depression risk, thanks to L-theanine and other calming compounds
Regular tea drinkers may experience lower stress levels and improved mood stability compared to coffee drinkers

4. Better for Hydration

Tea is generally more hydrating than coffee, especially when consumed without added sugar or milk. It’s often closer to water in composition, making it a better choice for maintaining fluid balance

5. Fewer Side Effects

Coffee’s higher caffeine content can lead to insomnia, increased heart rate, anxiety, and digestive issues in sensitive individuals
Tea is less likely to cause these side effects and is often better tolerated by people with caffeine sensitivity

6. Dental and Bone Health

Tea may stain teeth less than coffee and has been shown to reduce plaque and cavity formation
Some studies suggest that regular tea consumption may improve bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis

7. Immune and Anti-inflammatory Benefits

Tea contains compounds that support the immune system and reduce inflammation, which can help protect against chronic diseases

When Might Coffee Be Better?

Coffee may be more effective for athletic performance, fat metabolism, and liver health due to its higher caffeine and chlorogenic acid content

As much as I like coffee, a couple of things to be aware of that are not so great...

Sometimes coffee can give us an over-anxious sensation that is not always predictable, and can get a little uncomfortable...let alone negatively impact sleep...
Coffee is highly acidic which can contribute to a negative PH. This can be problematic because an acidic PH can make us more vulnerable to factors opposed to the wellbeing quest I have been touting above. Osteoporosis is one classic example of this...

So Coffee or Tea?...You Decide...An easy decision for me.

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