Health Benefits of Hibiscus Tea

So, my family and I have embarked upon this Paleo-ish reset plan since the first of the year. The kids are still eating some things like bread, cheese and sweetened items containing sugar that are a no-no on my plan - although they are consuming them in markedly lower quantities since the holidays. I do all of the cooking around here so unless he's getting food elsewhere on the low-down, my husband is following the same plan. I'm not really following an actual plan verbatim, but it's probably similar to a Whole30 cleanse or a very strict Paleo diet. I've basically nixed all added sugar, legumes, dairy, grains and alcohol for about a month.  I was feeling like my weight had just gotten out of control despite regular workouts and mostly healthy eating. It's been a little over a week since I started this plan and I feel awesome.

For the most part, I'm not really feeling like I'm missing out on anything except in the beverage department. I miss wine. A lot. Probably too much for my own good, to be honest. And it's probably a big reason why I managed to pack on a bunch of weight over the holidays. All that holiday "cheer" goes right to the old waistline, not only by tacking on loads of extra and empty calories, but by loading up your liver with toxins and wreaking havoc on your hormones. Plain old water is boring and although I'll drink it most of the time without too much complaint, it's nice to have a beverage that is a little prettier and has some flavor. The trouble with 'flavor' is it usually comes packaged with 'sugar' or some kind of artificial sweetener. Sugar is toxic and most of the artificial sweeteners aren't good for you, (not to mention they're not on my plan right now).

I remembered awhile back trying some beautiful drink called 'aqua de jamaica' at our local Mexican restaurant and then being pleasantly surprised to find out it was just sweetened hibiscus tea. Tazo has

a great tea called 'Passion' that's made out of hibiscus leaves and it's one of the hot teas my kids actually like to drink so I decided to make a large pitcher of it to serve iced. I added a little bit of 100% orange juice to sweeten it a little and this is now my go-to drink when I'm feeling like I want a slightly more indulgent beverage without breaking the calorie bank. I like to drink it out of a wine glass sometimes to make it feel even more indulgent.

To make the brew, I boil 2 Liters of water and use 8 tea bags to prepare the tea. Let it cool and then I add in about 8oz of juice and mix. Store in an airtight pitcher in the fridge. Not only is it pretty tasty and low in sugar, but it's actually pretty healthy. Hibiscus is like some unsung hero in the food and beverage world. It has a pretty impressive list of reported health benefits, one of which is to boost metabolism. Score! Hibiscus tea has also been shown in studies to help:

• Lower blood pressure 
• Maintain healthy cholesterol levels
• Aid digestion
• Ease menstrual pain
• Protect the liver

Hibiscus also has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial properties, contains anti-cancer compounds and ingredients that have an anti-depressant effect.  Lots of good stuff from this lovely flower!

For more information, check out these articles: 

http://www.motherearthnews.com/natural-health/herbal-remedies/lower-blood-pressure-naturally-zmgz11zrog.aspx

http://www.gaiaherbs.com/articles/detail/42/The-Surprising-Health-Benefits-of-Hibiscus

https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/beverage/hibiscus-tea.html

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/03/21/hibiscus-extract.aspx