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January 9, 2013

Detox - Dandelion Tea

For those of you who know me pretty well, you know

1.  I don't agree with radical diets
2.  I'm not a fan of deprivation or starvation for weight loss
3.  I love food and believe you should ENJOY your food
4.  I have always hated hot tea and it would make me gag when I would drink it.

Well, recently (for health reasons) I have ACQUIRED a taste for green tea and peppermint tea.  I used this to also help with sweets cravings.

Back in early December I did a 3 day detox where I juiced and ate only raw veggies, fruits & nuts.  Honestly, it wasn't as bad as I thought and I really felt the benefits of detox on my body.  Needless to say over the holidays I indulged in large amount of desserts.  Yummy desserts made with condensed milk.  I may have over exaggerated and now feel the need to detox again.  However, I am in the middle of training and cannot afford to detox and not train, so I needed another method of detoxifying my body and wouldn't drain me of my energy.

I have been hearing a lot about dandelion tea and how it's great to incorporate into your healthy diet to help detoxify the liver.  I figured since everyone has been talking about it, I should be able to easily find some at my local supermarket.  So, I went looking for it and had to start reading ingredients on boxes because I was not "easily" finding it.  There were 2 teas that contained dandelion root, so I chose the one where it was one of the main ingredients.  The other main ingredient in the tea I chose was licorice root (obviously listed in it's scientific name).  To most people that would be a turn off, but I do happen to enjoy black licorice.  I know, I hate tea and like licorice...I'm weird.  Not sure how I felt about the taste of licorice in hot water, but was willing to buy it and give it a try.

I honestly was expecting to gag with this tea, but decided to try some after breakfast because I'll do things that are good for me and hope to acquire a taste. I read the box and followed the instructions.  After brewing, you must let it sit for about 15 minutes to obtain it's full flavor and benefits.  I used my new Keurig to brew some hot water for me, added a touch of honey, and added the tea bag.

One of the nice things about letting the tea sit is that you do not burn your mouth when you take that first sip =)

I am amazed to tell you how much I enjoyed the tea.  It was much better than expected and wouldn't mind drinking this 2-3 times a day as recommended.  I read customer reviews and there was not 1 negative review in all the sites I researched.  People mentioned how they enjoyed it and how sweeteners are not needed (which will try next time because I believe it), they mentioned how they felt a sense of well being after, and how it really did help flush out their bodies.

I am not yet at a point to comment or review the tea in that sense, but it really was great tasting and wanted to share it with everyone because if it really helps in the way I'm thinking, it's a great addition to your diet.  I won't be able to completely give up coffee.  It's not about the caffeine...it's the taste and the experience I have when I drink it, but I will definitely be adding this tea to my daily routine.

Below is a picture of the tea I bought.  They also have one with a lemon flavor, but can't comment on the taste of that tea.  Hoping this works so I don't have to starve myself.

If you happen to try it, feel free to leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts.


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