Summer is the hottest season of the year and the temperatures skyrocket; you need to keep your body in upbeat health condition. Nothing matches the refreshing energy boost that iced tea and coffee offer. It is the perfect solution to kickstart your day on a high note and beat the heat. Both are great and offer countless health benefits.
How to Enjoy Iced Tea During Summer
Iced tea is the perfect drink during summer and the beauty of it is that you dress it up to make it more flavourful and healthier. Here are ways to enjoy iced tea during summer.
1: Cucumber Mint Green Tea
Cucumber and mint are a perfect combination for iced tea. There is hardly any refreshing and cooling drink like this one for summer. It is prepared by slicing cucumber and combine it with mint to get a hefty Japanese green tea.
2: Iced Lemongrass Green Tea
This is prepared using either tea bags or green tea leaves. The lemongrass is brewed to add a citrus flavor to the drink. Usually, it is served with the famous Asian fruit Kalamansi. No need to worry if you don’t have this fruit, any citrus fruit will is fine.
3: Thai Iced Tea
If you love iced chai lattes, Thai iced tea is a perfect choice for you. This creamy, cooling, and spicy beverage will uplift your mood and cool your body in seconds. A fun array of ingredients and spices are used to bring the sweet milk to full latte form.
Health Benefits of Iced Tea Over Hot Tea
Increase Calorie Burn
Iced tea can speedy the rate at which your body sheds off excess fat by increase the metabolic rate by up to 4%. It can help you lose weight faster than hot tea does. The body has to heat up the cold beverage before its digested and as it does that fat is burnt to produce energy and heat.
Stabilize Blood Sugar Levels
Iced tea contains phytochemicals and flavonoids that are instrumental in stabilizing blood sugar levels. Persons suffering from diabetes and other related conditions may experience a drop in insulin level after drinking hot tea. Based on this fact, iced tea is a perfect alternative to them.
How to Prepare Basic Iced Tea
Ingredients
- 2-¼ cups of water
- 6 regular-size tea bags or 2 family size tea bags
- 6 cups of cold water
- Lemon wedges for garnish
- Granulated sugar for garnish
- Mint sprigs for garnish
Instructions
- Bring the 2-¼ cups of water to a gentle boil in a small saucepan
- Add tea bags and remove the saucepan from the heat
- Steep for 15 minutes
- Remove the tea bags but be careful not to squeeze them (to avoid adding bitterness)
- Transfer the steeped team into a quart heatproof container
- Add 6 cups of cold water and mix
- Leave it to cool at room temperature then refrigerate until cold
- Server over ice cubes alongside the garnished mint sprigs, lemon wedges, and sugar
How to Enjoy Iced Coffee During Summer
1: Cold Brew Iced Coffee
This is perhaps one of the simplest ways to prepare a mug of iced coffee for most people. Coarse ground coffee beans is steeped in room temperature water then mixed with water or milk and poured gently over ice. Add flavor and make it stronger by using cold brew coffee to make the ice cubes.
2: Coffee Milkshake
As the name suggests, this is a unique coffee milkshake that is prepared using strong brewed coffee, delicious vanilla ice cream, and creamy milk. If you don’t like vanilla ice cream, you can use chocolate ice cream. Go an extra mile to use espresso chilled or shots to make it stronger.
3: Thai Iced Coffee
Also referred to as Oliang, this is one of the most flavorsome ways to enjoy iced coffee. It combines sweet and spicy flavors with a strong brew of coffee. Thai iced tea is added to slightly neutralize the bitterness. Sweetened milk is added to make it creamy and its usually served with a sprinkle of ground cardamom on top and ice.
4: Iced Irish Coffee
If you love coffee and also enjoy a glass of whiskey at the end of the day or during the weekend, this is a perfect beverage for you during summer. This traditional Irish coffee is prepared using sweetened coffee beans, whipped cream, and Irish whiskey. The freshly double-strength brewed coffee is poured over a cup containing Irish whiskey and ice.
5: German Iced Coffee
Also referred to as Eiskafee, German iced coffee is prepared using strong cold German coffee beans. Instead of whipped cream, cocoa powder, chocolate sprinkles, or cinnamon are sprinkled on top to make the treat more enticing and heavenly.
Health Benefits of Iced Coffee Over Hot Coffee
Boost the Metabolic Rate
Simply put, metabolism is the natural biological process that the body uses to break down food to produce energy. Iced coffee contains caffeine and research shows it can boost resting metabolic rate by 11%. Therefore, it has the potential to increase the number of calories that your body burns during rest making it easy to either maintain or lose weight.
Uplift your Mood
The caffeine contained in the iced coffee can improve your state of mind especially among persons suffering from sleep deprivation. Another study that sampled more than 370,000 people showed that cold coffee lowered their rate of depression. Just one cup of coffee per day resulted in an 8% drop in depression.
Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease
Heart disease is a general term that is used to refer to the various heart conditions such as coronary artery disease, stroke, and heart attack. A mug of cold brew coffee contains potent compounds such as lignans, magnesium, phenolic compounds, trigonelline, and caffeine. All these compounds work together to stabilize sugar levels, increase insulin sensitivity, and lower blood pressure.
How to Prepare Iced Cappuccino
This is an easy iced coffee recipe that you can prepare in 5 minutes or less.
Ingredients
- Instant coffee granules 2 teaspoons
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 3 tablespoons of warm water
- 6 fluid ounces of cold milk
Instructions
- Combine the warm water, sugar, and instant coffee in a sealable jar. Cover it and shake until it foams. Pour the mixture into a glass full of ice.
- Add the glass of milk and adjust to taste based on your preference
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Conclusion
Clearly, there is no shortage of ideas on how to enjoy coffee and tea during the summer. Make sure that you use fresh ingredients and follow the instructions to get the best results. Revitalize your health and keep your body cool with a mug of ice-cold tea or coffee.
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