Making a Cuppa

When I saw the neurologist about my migraines, one of the first things he told me to do was quit drinking coffee. I mostly quit soon after, but then the sleep disturbances from my mania grew severe and I started drinking it again to be able to function. I didn't drink it every day, but about half to two-thirds of the time.

I noticed that I was more likely to get a migraine on days that I had drunk coffee, and it was rare that I got a migraine on a day that I didn't drink coffee. I knew the neurologist would know what he was talking about, but this proved it.

Over the last three months or so, I've started drinking a lot more tea, and while tea is a known migraine trigger food, it doesn't seem to do so for me. Even on days I drank a lot of tea, if I didn't have coffee, I didn't have a migraine.

My mania has started to ease, or at least I'm sleeping most days even if it's at strange times, so I decided to switch from coffee to tea. I bought a tea-for-one set with a pot, cup, and saucer made from bone china so I could make tea for myself properly in a nice tea set without making a ton of tea I might not drink.

The pot is about sixteen fluid ounces and fills the cup twice. I use one tea bag for one pot of tea.

I've started drinking two pots each morning right after I wake up, always a pot of Twinings Irish Breakfast, then another black tea. I usually have tea a few other times during the day as well.

Ever since I was a child, I've loved tea, though until I was in my late teens it was herbal tea. Celestial Seasonings's Wild Berry Zinger was my favorite, and is still near the top for me. I started drinking black and green teas, though I favor black tea over green. Ever since, I've harbored a deep love for tea.

The years I spent as a Mormon where I couldn't drink tea (it is forbidden by church doctrine) were sorrowful. I quit smoking when I joined the church, and my biggest temptation was always coffee and tea, not cigarettes. Once I stopped going to church, I started drinking coffee and tea again, but I mostly drank coffee until December 2021.

I have a number of teas in my cabinet that I've bought at the grocery store—black, green, and herbal. My favorite brands are Twinings, Stash, and Celestial Seasonings, and all of them have blends that sound amazing on their websites in addition to what I've seen and bought at the store.

With how much tea I've been drinking, I'd like more of a variety to choose from in my cupboards. There are many I want to try that are not sold at my local stores. 

I recently ordered five teas on the Stash website. I ordered one green tea, two oolong teas, and two black teas: Asian Pear Harmony green tea, Coconut Mango oolong tea, White Peach oolong tea, Double Spice Chai black tea, and Chocolate Hazelnut decaf black tea. I cannot wait to get my box of tea, though it might take a while to get here.

I already drink Stash's Breakfast In Paris black tea and Pomegranate Raspberry green tea with matcha.

My two favorite teas are Twinings's Irish Breakfast and Lady Grey. I also have their Darjeeling and Jasmine Green Tea. I really want to try the English Afternoon tea, Oolong tea, and Lapsang Souchong tea. I'd love to try Scottish Breakfast tea, but they don't sell it in the US.

I drink Celestial Seasonings's Sleepytime Extra every night before bed sweetened with honey, and we usually keep Wild Berry Zinger, Cinnamon Apple Spice, and Bengal Spice in the house. Bengal Spice is herbal chai tea.

We don't have room for more than what we have and what I ordered, so I'll have to stick with that for now, but once I get down a few boxes, I plan to order from Twinings to try those other teas.

I'd forgotten how much I love tea, and the ritual of making a pot of tea is lovely. I'm having more pleasant mornings drinking tea than the coffee because coffee, while I enjoyed it, was about functionality, and tea is something that gives me pleasure. There's a big difference between the two, and to start the day with something that brings me pleasure puts a whole different spin on the day.

For me, tea is self-care.

I'm off to make a pot of tea.

Photo Credit Katherine Elizabeth