Did you ever come to the realization you are not who you think you are? If you haven't, just wait. It's really disconcerting. If you have, you might understand what I am about to say...maybe.
My whole life, I've been a tea drinker. I love tea.
I love it iced. I love it hot. I love it frozen in dixie cups with little bits of ice crystals. I love it, love it, love it.
Growing up, Mom always had at least 3 gallons of tea in the fridge. She stored it in those old yellow tupperware containers.
The recipe was simple: 4 tea bags, one gallon of water, 2 cups of sugar.
As an adult, I have spent HOURS scouring restaurants for the best tea in town. I know who serves it sweetened, what brand of leaves they use, whether the ice is cubed, crushed, or shaved, whether they have a drive through, how late you can get it, what kind of to-go cups they use, etc. etc.
If I do say so myself, I have PERFECTED the art of finding the perfect glass of iced tea in Central Florida (and in some parts of Georgia).
WHY? Because drinking tea is the best thing in the world...at least I thought it was...until today.
Turns out, after 40 years of non-stop, obsessive tea drinking, I don't actually like tea. I just thought I did.
Let me explain.
Over the past several months, I've majorly cut sugar out of my diet. If you do the math (see recipe above), you can understand why. It's not good for you. It adds weight. It does funky stuff to your insulin, etc. etc.
To compensate, I switched to Splenda (ohhhh noooo, you might should be thinking). And my doctor couldn't agree more.
So, in the world of tea (and in the pursuit of altering my health), I'm left with a few options. A) Use Stevia or some "via" equivalent (which I don't like) B) Use Agave or some honey- like syrup (ok, but not the same) or C) Drink it unsweetened and see how it goes.
After putzing along with options A and B for the past several weeks, this week I selected option C and the results were shocking. Turns out, I'm not actually interested in tea. What I am interested in is a SUGAR delivery medium. Can you believe it?!??!? I am like a little junkie for sugar. I could care less about the leaves.
So, with my "non-alcoholic" batch in hand, I have a whole new perspective on what I choose to drink. I'm not saying I'll never have a brewed glass again (that would be crazy), but at least now I know what I am really craving has got nothing to do with Tetley. And that's a real eye opener.
Altered Today: Realized my Favorite Beverage is Actually Sugar, Hydration Habits, Taste Buds, Smarter Health Choices
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