I Love Iced Green Tea with Fresh Lime

I have spent the last two years living in South Florida, where the heat and humidity of the summer months can really cause your body to become dehydrated, and the humidity also just makes you feel exhausted if you spend too much time outside.

I was living on my own for the first time in years, and having been subjected to a somewhat unhealthy diet, I was determined to lose weight and to try and improve my fitness level.

I had already broken my habit of drinking coffee every day, which is a common problem with anyone who works in an office. It is far too easy to relieve the frustrations of the working day by heading off to the coffee machine and pouring another cup throughout the day, but aside from the coffee at work tasting awful, the continual intake of caffeine is not good for you, and so I switched to drinking either Green Tea or Water. I also gave up my occasional Diet Coke over this period, which I found that I didn't miss. I think it was just the pleasure of drinking something that was fizzy that I enjoyed, and in particular icy cold and fizzy.

I had moved into a condo in the 7th floor of a block, and was living in a community surrounded by a golf course, which is common in Florida. The community was great, with plenty of places to walk, as well as a pool to swim in during the day. In the evening I also often walked the fairways of the golf course with a friend, which was great, being away from the lights and traffic on the main roads, and this helped me to relax and to get the stress of the way off my chest as well.

But I digress away from the theme of this article (very common with me as you will find if you read my articles), so back to the joys of Iced Green Tea With Fresh Lime...

Being outside in the hot sun and the humidity of South Florida in the summer makes you thirsty, in fact more like super thirsty! While energy drinks and sodas can seem to quench your thirst and give you more energy, just looking at the labels will tell you that they are full of caffeine, sugar, additives and colorings, plus more often than not high fructose corn syrup, none of which is healthy for you.

This is where true tea drinkers will turn their nose up for sure, since I found that I was content to use green tea that came in teabags, rather than use leaf tea. To make my tea I fill a large glass with ice, brew a mug of green tea in the microwave (add tea bag and water to the mug, microwave on high for 2 minutes and 20 seconds), allow it to cool, then pour it over the ice. This makes for a really refreshing drink, but for me it needed something more.

I love lemons and limes, and always thought that limes were more sour than lemons, but this really isn't true, especially with the limes that you find in South Florida. With the price of limes (at Walmart) being 10cents each, they are really affordable for most of the year, making this a very cheap drink. I decided to try squeezing a whole fresh lime into my iced green tea, rather than just half a lime, and the result is surprisingly refreshing. Rather than tasting too sour, this drink was just perfect to drink, each gulp making your whole body feel more alive and energized.

For those of you who can't handle this drink without sugar in it, you can always use sugar or sweeteners, but I really recommend trying it without. It's very good.

So what are the benefits of drinking iced green tea with lime instead of sodas or energy drinks?

Well, it has been proven that green tea is loaded with antioxidants, and also helps reduce fluid retention in the body. Limes are loaded with Vitamin C, boosting your immune system and also helping to reduce fluid retention. Between the two of these ingredients, this drink leaves you feeling more alive helps your body rehydrate, and even without exercising you can feel the weight starting to drop off as your body releases fluids.

With my walking up and down seven flights of stairs several times a day, swimming twenty plus lengths in the pool, and walking between two and five miles a day, in just a few months I lost over twenty pounds in weight, at a cost of pennies and without paying anything for expensive supplements.

There are some additional benefits to drinking green tea with lime that you might not be aware of.

Firstly, having squeezed the juice from a lime, you are left with the skin. There are various uses for this, including facial rubs and washes, but I place mine in a bowl of water in the bathroom, or kitchen, and this provides a pleasant citrus aroma for a few days. You can also dip your fingers into the bowl and rub the liquid on your skin for a refreshing citrus splash.

Secondly, I have oily skin, especially on my face. Once the teabag is cool, I use it as a facial scrub. Rubbing the teabag on my face really helps take away a lot of that oiliness, reduces blackheads and pimples, and leaves my skin feeling refreshed and clean. It has been proven that green tea is good for the complexion, and it's used in many cosmetic products.

I am sure that you can find many more uses for the lime and tea bags as well, and I hope you try my iced green tea and fresh lime drink. I will definitely be pleased to see any feedback that you leave, and suggestions on how this can be improved further.

Finally, for me only fresh limes will do of course - no juice concentrate, and my favorite green tea is Uncle Lee's Legends Of China Green Tea which is quite inexpensive. It can be found in stores, including some Walmart's, as well as online. You may prefer other brands, but having tried a number, this is by far my favorite.