Wake me up before you go-go! Tea recipes for a boost in the morning

No two days are the same! One day I jump out of bed and want to take over the world and the next I don't want to know anything about the world apart from the pillows and duvet and just go back to sleep.... but unfortunately my wishful thinking isn't always possible.

And since I'm not a coffee drinker and don't believe in coffee's ability to wake me up, I've been experimenting with different types of tea recently. And I can always rely on these energy boosters:

Green Tea Cocktail

Green tea is considered by many to be a general remedy. It should never be underestimated. In the beginning, I could never drink it on an empty stomach as it immediately made me feel queasy and gave me palpitations. And that's why I spiced it up a bit:

What you need is a teapot or a heat-resistant water jug (at least 1 litre). I like jasmine-flavoured green tea, but the variety is of course up to you. Pour hot water at 80 degrees over the green tea and leave to infuse for about 4-5 minutes.

In the meantime, I peel a thumb-sized piece of ginger, cut it into thin pieces and put it in the jug. Then I squeeze half a lemon into it. The tea is steeped and can be strained. I always like it a little sweeter in the morning and add 1 teaspoon of agave syrup. Then I leave it to infuse for a while and my morning green tea cocktail is ready. I always take the rest that I don't drink in the morning with me in my mug.

Matcha

I've been reading a lot about matcha recently, "Vegan for Youth" - author Attila Hildman is a big fan of the ground tea and recommends it in different variations every day.

Matcha is the entire green tea plant in powdered form and is therefore often referred to as the "royal class" of green tea. I almost spat out the first matcha I drank. I definitely had to get used to the taste, but in the meantime I have learnt to appreciate this earthy flavour. Everyone has to experiment for themselves with the amount of powder, because if I got too much, I immediately got palpitations.

I prefer to drink my matcha with frothed almond milk and a little agave syrup - it definitely cheers me up!

Black Tea with a Lemon Boost

Black tea always works because it depends on how long you leave it to infuse. As a "30 second tea" it is good for the stomach, after 4-5 minutes it supposedly has the caffeine content of cola. If you leave it to infuse for longer, the theanine (which is responsible for making you alert) dissolves and it has a calming effect. I like my black tea best with a dash of fresh lemon or grapefruit juice - it's really refreshing. Depending on your taste, you can sweeten it with brown sugar.

The important thing with all types of tea is to prioritise good quality. And I just wonder who needs coffee here when there is so much more variety!

In this sense

Cheers and these teas won't leave me hanging like a yo-yo!

Picture credits:
chinese tea: yomi yomi, wikimedia.org
Green tea & black tea: soultea.de/André Helbig
Matcha: 121stephen, wikimedia.org