Trick or Treat (Without the Flab)

Whoever started Halloween is evil. Not evil in the sense that a bunch of Monsters got together and devised a special holiday. But evil in the fact that we all just start to nibble here or there on sweets. How bad can it be after all? The candy bar is only 1 inch long! Then bam!! We get on the scale in December and we are packing on the pounds and wondering what in the heck happened. Well, the good news is Halloween hasn’t even started yet. The better news is some teas can satisfy that urge we all get to stuff our faces with candy bars and desserts.

Some flavored tea has zero calories

While most people know that regular tea is zero calories, I am here to tell you that most flavored teas are also calorie free. This gives you the ability to have something that is a bit sweet without gaining any weight.

How do they add flavor without any calories?

It is done through what we call “flavor essence.” Essentially what flavorists do is extract the natural alcohols from the tea and use them to add flavor.

Vanilla extract is a “flavor essence”

If you have ever used a high quality vanilla extract before, you know it is an all-natural way to add the vanilla flavor to your desserts. You also know that it only takes the smallest amount to get a nice vanilla flavor in your pies and cakes. The same theory applies to tea, a small amount of flavor essence goes a long way.

What about dried fruit in tea?

If the tea has dried pieces of coconut, pear or other fruits, then it has some calories. In our calculations, they average about 8 calories per cup. Considering each mini candy bar has over 100 calories, a few cups of this tea will not do any damage to the scale in the grand scheme of things.

Summary

So, if your sweet tooth rears its ugly had and drags you to the candy drawer, remember there is a great alternative, tea. And, tea not only keeps the pounds off, but actually makes you healthier through its numerous antioxidants and flavonoids. That makes Halloween a bit less evil this year!

P.S - I told you last week about the amazing Gyokuro I had. The truth is I have been getting the most incredible teas recently, but I have been hoarding them all to myself. I have been getting these teas from friends in the tea business and they are so limited they are impossible to sell through traditional methods. But, I think I have a way to "share the wealth." Keep an eye out for announcment soon. It looks like this idea will come to fruition in December.

photo: www.flickr.com/photos/96310508@N06/10390119783