[wyrillco]

Ok, so I drink too much diet soda. I keep hearing how bad it is for me, and I am willing to try and cut back on it. I'd love to give it up one day, but for now I just want to cut back.<br><br>
However, I do not want to get caffiene withdrawl headaches. I can't function then, and I will give in and have a soda.<br><br>
So... I understand tea is good for you.<br><br>
I hate regular tea. Like iced tea? Yuck. It tastes like dirty water to me. But I also know there are more teas out there, and some of them must not taste like crap.<br><br>
I don't really like hot drinks, so if there is something I can drink in a cold form, that would be better. I am mostly wanting to eventually give up soda because of the carbonation, which I keep hearing makes you puffy. And I could do with less aspertame.<br><br>
Any thoughts?

 

[wyrillco]

Oh, I don't drink coffee, so don't suggest that for caffiene. I worked in a coffee shop in college and tried really hard to like it in some form, but I just can't.

 

[merigayle]

oooooh, i LOVE tea. Some take some time to get used to.<br><br>
green tea, i love Tazo Zen green tea. Jasmine and oolong are other good teas.<br><br>
can you get to this place? <a href="http://www.teavana.com/" target="_blank">http://www.teavana.com/</a><br>
Cherry Creek<br>
3000 E. 1St Street<br>
Denver, CO 80206<br>
Phone: 303-394-2005<br><br>
They have the most incredible tea on earth. Azteca fire tea is the most complex and delicious tea i have ever had. It is like tasting a fine wine when you go in there <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif">

 

[spidergirl]

If you don't like the taste of black tea and are looking for cold tea, you might try Inko's iced tea. They have great flavors and aren't overly sugary.<br><br><a href="http://healthywhitetea.com/" target="_blank">http://healthywhitetea.com/</a>

 

[pombili]

i love red tea (rooibos). republic of tea makes several different flavors. it doesn't have caffeine, but i don't even notice the difference.

 

[wyrillco]

meri, I may be able to get down there next weekend...<br><br>
I have a Vitamin Cottage here, and two grocery stores. I should go look for this stuff. I hate buying it, tho, if I won't drink it.

 

[seattlegirl]

Have you tried chai tea?<br><br>
I like green tea, as well.

 

[wyrillco]

No, I sure haven't! I'm a tea virgin. <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"><br><br>
I grew up around iced tea, but that's it.

 

[Sans Souci]

<i>Love</i> chai. And Jasmine tea.<br><br>
I prefer Genmaicha tea to green tea as the toasted rice gives it a little more flavour.

 

[LookiLoo]

<a href="http://www.adagio.com" target="_blank">www.adagio.com</a> - you can order little sample cans, and they have a zillion different types of tea. I'm currently hooked on apricot green, but I also love mango green and roobios mango (but that's caffine free). Tea is fun <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif">

 

[melistic]

how about water. with a dark chocolate covered espresso bean for a shot of caffeine here & there<br><br>
there are lots of teas. just because you don't like how they made in round home doesn't mean you won't like any of them but it is a pretty good indicator (lest it be southern tea vs. northern tea or hot tea vs. cold tea) not to mention if you are adding in the sugar I don't know how much better off you are than the soda<br><br>
I suggest going to a restaurant that serves a bunch of teas. Most of those breakfast places do. (Bob Evans, Frisch's, T-jays. Ihop, Awful Waffle) Brew yourself 6 or 8 cups and have a little tasting. I'd do it on a Tues. night; not a Sun. morning. When the waitress is less likely to care and will bring lots of hot water and cups.<img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"><br><br>
For the record. I'm hot tea w/ cream & sugar. By the pot full

 

[wyrillco]

I don't want to add sugar or fake sugar to mine...<br><br>
And I drink lots of water anyway...<br><br>
My real dilema is that I don't want to give up soda. <img alt="sad.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/sad.gif">

 

[merigayle]

do some research on soda, that will help. <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"> seriously. And research soda + calcium. <img alt="wink.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/wink.gif"><br><br>
i only drink tea straight up, no sugar or milk. good tea, you don't need anything in it!

 

[diablita]

I'm a huge Teavana fan! If you can get down there, Court, that'll be great. They brew teas to drink from any of their flavors, so you can smell the different teas and figure out what you want.<br><br>
I find that I prefer to blend two of their flavors (e.g., plum and lemon) rather than have just one.<br><br>
And if you do go: you DO NOT have to buy a lot of tea. And you DO NOT have to buy their pricey cans. The little brown bags are just fine if the tea isn't going to sit around for months, and if it is, well, that's b/c you didn't love it to begin with.

 

[triciaflower]

yerba mate!

 

[merigayle]

yes!!! HOW COULD I FORGET? <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"> it is my favorite.

 

[triciaflower]

A friend of mine turned me on to Yerba mate a few months ago, and I'm hooked. I had had green tea with mate but never the mate by itself.<br><br>
It's soo good. I like it better than green tea, for sure!

 

[triciaflower]

I just had a thought about not being able to give up soda.<br><br>
How about drinking sparkling water? It's fizzy. And refreshing.<br><br>
If you like the sweetness, maybe you can make your own italian sodas. Find a syrup made with cane sugar (monin is one brand I know is sold in some grocery stores.) In a glass, pour the contents of a small bottle of Perrier to about an ounce of syrup. Top with ice. For a cream soda, add a dash of half and half or milk. (Non fat milk will not have the same creaminess, so don't even bother!)<br><br>
Much better than soda, imo. And depending on what syrup you get, it won't have nearly as many chemicals!

 

[Sans Souci]

I love chai but the packaged varieties are a tad expensive.<br><br>
Masala Chai<br><br>
1-1/2 cups water<br>
1 inch stick of cinnamon<br>
8 cardamom pods<br>
8 whole cloves<br>
2 whole peppercorns<br>
2/3 cup whole milk<br>
6 tsp. sugar (or to taste)<br>
3 teaspoons any unperfumed loose black tea<br><br>
Put 1-1/2 cups water in saucepan. Add the cinnamon, cardomom, and cloves and bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.<br><br>
Add the milk and sugar and bring to a simmer again. Throw in the tea<br>
leaves, cover, and turn off the heat. After 2 minutes, strain the tea<br>
into two cups and serve immediately.<br><br>
You can add things like honey, vanilla, fresh mint leaves, try skim<br>
milk, soy milk, and a bunch of other things to change the flavour. Go hog wild. Enjoy. <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif">

 

[muzicgrl]

I am trying to force myself to drink tea instead of diet coke, but its really hard. As much as I try (including many different kinds at the fancy tea shop that my old knitting club used to meet in) I just dont really like the stuff. <img alt="sad.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/sad.gif"><br><br>
There need to be more tasty no cal drinks!