The Story Behind Tealeavz

September 09 2018 – Diana L

the story behind tealeavz

the story behind tealeavz

David and Diana launched Tealeavz, a family-owned and operated online tea business, in 2018 after being inspired by the dramatic change in Diana’s well-being since switching from drinking coffee to loose leaf tea. As they discover new artisan teas to enjoy, their goal is to share those teas and the amazing benefits with you. Here is her story....

Whether you refer to it as a craving, a daily tradition or a “need”, it is such a common ritual that it has become almost involuntary. You get up each morning, pet the dog, grab the news, maybe even get in your morning run, but then you reach for it. That habitual cup of coffee. It smells gooooood. It tastes gooooood. But what happens if you miss that cup for a day maybe two. You feel it...headaches, fatigue, decreased alertness, irritability. You wonder why you feel like this. Then you realize it. You missed your fix.

 

The bottom line? You’re addicted. Believe me, because I was there.

I loved everything coffee. Drip, espresso, cappuccino, iced. Then when I got tired of spending insane amounts at the local coffee spot, I bought my own espresso machine. Even better! Now I could have it whenever I wanted! I could dial in the intensity (double bonus!) Then my strong little espresso cup became a full size mug. Heck, why not two?

Then I noticed it. Whenever I couldn’t have my cup for a day or two, for whatever reason, I would get these unbelievable migraine headaches. Nothing touched it. Aspirin, water, sleep, protein (all the culprits I was blaming for the headaches) would not make the headache dissipate. Then I retraced my steps. Aha! I had not had my coffee fix. So I would brew a small cup of just drip. One cup. BAM! Headache gone. 10-15 minutes tops. A headache so intense that lasted day after day. Gone with one cup. Hmmmm. That’s odd….Or is it?

Ok. So I had to cut back. I get it. So I did. I cut back to just one cup of my super octane in the morning. And just made sure I did not miss a day. Ever. Easy peezy!

 

But then symptom two hit me and this stopped me in my tracks. Literally.

I am a very active person. Love everything sports. Running, cycling, tennis, golf, skiing. But this one morning I wasn’t doing anything extreme. I was simply going out for a walk.

I walk 3-4 mornings a week typically going 3-4 miles. This one morning though, I walked down my street to pick up the path that I like to take. It felt like a ton of bricks hit me. My heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest. I was walking a normal pace, certainly not enough to even get the heart rate up, yet I looked at my fitbit and my heart was indeed racing! I was half a block from home. It was so sudden that I sat down on a bench. Wow, is this what old age is going to feel like? I see elderly people occasionally sitting for a “rest”, but ME? Really??

Ok get over it. Get up. Get moving. It will pass. So off I went. Got a couple hundred yards further and there it was again! Sat down, and thought “geez, do I really have to turn back?” Na, must be stress or something. A walk will be the best thing for me to get over this. I got up again and walked. I felt it moderately on and off the rest of the walk, but I kept monitoring it on my fitbit and all was good.

But this wasn’t the last time it would happen. This occurred morning after morning after morning. Simple walking. No extreme hills. But yet stopped in my tracks. How was it that I could climb three flights of stairs without a problem. Golf and walk hills? No problem. Elliptical machine? No problem.

So I decided to do some testing. Maybe it was the tomato juice followed by coffee combo I had before the walk. Ok. Cut out the tomato juice. (Of course not letting go of the coffee!) Nope. Happened again. And again. Only in the morning. Only when I walked.

Ok I’ll try it…. I’ll cut out the coffee and swap for tea. I had some loose leaf tea that I had enjoyed so I decided I’d try that the next morning. It was very tasty! Took my walk and felt normal again! No pain. No need to stop. The strange feeling I had experienced in my chest must have been caused by the coffee.

I am “coffee-free” now for three years. I haven’t had any chest pains since. ZERO. No migraine headaches. No churning stomach. I feel good! Plus I love the fact that there are so many tea flavors to choose from! Each day I choose the tea that I am in the mood for - White Ayurvedic Chai? Rooibos tea? Or maybe a green tea such as Apricot Green? All delicious teas and a great way to start each day.

Plus it starts my day with the added bonus of antioxidants and other beneficial compounds I get from a cup of tea. Loose leaf teas have amazing health benefits whether it is improving oral health with White Tea, boosting heart health with Black Tea, reducing stress with an Herbal Tea, improving bone health with Oolong, lowering blood pressure with Rooibos or increasing fat burn with Green Tea to aid in weight loss or Matcha for a super boost of antioxidants. All contributing in an incredibly positive manner to improving my overall health and wellness.  

 

So let’s look at the differences between coffee and tea.

Within a few hours of stopping drinking coffee, the withdrawal effects can begin to kick in. In some cases, these symptoms can even resemble flu-like symptoms. Adenosine begins to flood through our body, leading to fatigue. Many will also experience a dull headache. Caffeine narrows blood vessels in the brain, so when we stop drinking it, there is an increase in blood flow, which triggers a headache. "On the rare occasions I have drunk coffee for a few days, when I stop I start to feel under the weather and think I am coming down with a cold," says Professor Rogers, professor of biological psychology at Bristol University and a leading expert on caffeine. "But then I remember - this is what caffeine withdrawal feels like."

 

Coffee and tea contain caffeine, but the doses and how it affects the body are quite different.

Coffee contains almost double the amount of caffeine per regular cup, compared with tea. But the difference doesn’t stop there. The caffeine content in coffee is a central nervous system stimulant and has immediate effects. It excites us, accelerates our heart rate and raises blood pressure. Coffee is also associated with a ‘coffee high’ followed by a low, and arouses a feeling of anxiety, popularly known as “coffee jitters”. Or the dreaded “crash”.

Caffeine in tea is known as theine. When tea steeps with water it forms different bonds to those of caffeine in coffee, resulting in a different effect on our bodies. The stimulating effect of caffeine in tea usually takes longer to enter the bloodstream than coffee, slowly releasing theine in the blood over a 6 to 8 hour period. The effects of theine in tea on the central nervous system and cardiovascular system are mellower on the system as a whole. The caffeine content in tea helps to increase concentration levels and a relaxed sense of alertness.

 


Instead of a quick fix with coffee, tea is a healthier and longer-lasting fix.

Research shows tea sharpens the mind, increases concentration, and enhances relaxation without the over-stimulating effects akin to drinking a cup of coffee. Coffee is bitter and extremely acidic. Many coffee aficionados describe that high acidity in coffee as brightness or liveliness. But it comes at a cost. Coupled with chlorogenic, mallic, citric, caffetic, and quinic acids, the high acid content of coffee is a big contributor to acid reflux, GERD, heartburn and indigestion. Coffee can increase blood pressure and cortisol levels (stress hormone) thus can increase levels of anxiety and insomnia.
Withdrawal produces headaches, fatigue, decreased alertness and irritability.

On the other hand, the caffeine derivative ‘Theine’, present in Tea, is much less acidic and gentler on the digestive system.

 

Tea and coffee are the most popular drinks on earth besides water.

Consumed on a daily basis by billions of people worldwide, I doubt I am only 1 in a billion that has experienced this feeling from coffee. I hope that if you have read this and are shaking your head yes, that you will give loose leaf tea a try. And feel good again.

--

This story is my true coffee story. The details of the studied caffeine effects were excerpts from an article I found interesting.


Tagged:

25 comments

  • Diana L.: February 11, 2024

    Hi Beth,

    To redeem your points, log into your account and go to any product page. Click on the “Get Rewarded” button at the bottom of the page. Then click “Redeem Points” and then “Redeem”. Use the sliding bar to select how many points you want to use. You receive $5 off for every $100 spent. (So you need to earn 100 points before you can redeem.)

    Let us know if you have any other questions!

  • Beth: February 11, 2024

    How do you redeem reward points? Durning checkout there is no option to use reward points.

    Thank you.

  • Diana: January 23, 2024

    Hi Jennifer,

    Transition sounds like a good idea!

    We carry Jasmine Pearls (https://tealeavz.com/collections/types-of-green-tea/products/jasmine-green-tea-pearls) as well as Tropical Green Rooibos (https://tealeavz.com/collections/rooibos-tea/products/tropical-tea-green-rooibos).

    Our Tropical Green Rooibos is a little variation from what you had, but it is a blend of Green Rooibos tea, marigold flowers, natural passionfruit flavor, orange, mango pieces, natural mango flavor, and natural apricot flavor.

    Another option for Rooibos with peach and strawberry is our Nectar Nirvana with green rooibos tea, orange peels, marigold flowers, strawberries, natural peach, strawberry, and orange flavors.

    Give them a try to help with your transition from coffee!

  • Diana L.: January 23, 2024

    Hi Kathy,
    Typically, 3oz of tea will make 30-45 cups of tea. But that can vary depending on whether you use teacups or mugs, how strong you like it, and what type of tea. The volume of an ounce of dry tea leaves can vary quite a bit. Some teas are light and fluffy, while others are dense which is why there is a variation in the number of cups.

  • Diana L.: January 23, 2024

    Hi Hiromi, Yes! You can find the tea candy here: https://tealeavz.com/collections/teaware/products/tea-candy

    Enjoy!

  • Jennifer : January 23, 2024

    Due to age & health reasons I need to transition from coffee to tea. I know I can do it if I can find the blend I would always buy at Teavana. It was one of their most popular blends! I can’t find it anywhere 😥 It’s the Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls with Rooibos Tropica. I don’t know much about teas but I bc ive been searching everywhere for this I’ve learned that Roobios Tropica comes in different blends. The blends Teavana used to use was a blend of green and red Roobios with orange peel, and petals from cornflower, sunflower, peach, and strawberry. Please advise & let me know if you carry, if you know who does, or if you have any suggestions for me. Thank you in advance for your help!

  • Kathy: January 23, 2024

    How many cups of tea can be made out of the 3 oz loose tea

  • HIromi Y. Somawang: January 23, 2024

    Hello—I received my order a few weeks ago.
    There were two pieces of tea candy in there…do you sell those online?
    Thank you,
    Hiromi :)

  • Diana: December 30, 2023

    Hi Michelle,

    Thanks for reaching out! The New Year is a good time to start!

    If you are used to the caffeine from coffee, we recommend starting with caffeinated tea for an easier transition. Here is a link to our caffeinated teas: https://tealeavz.com/collections/caffeinated-tea

    What type of flavors do you like? Spiced? Sweet? One that I enjoyed when kicking coffee was Maharaja Chai Oolong. (And still enjoy it daily.) It is a very popular bestseller! It has caffeine and a cinnamon spice flavor. You can find it here: https://tealeavz.com/products/maharaja-oolong-chai.

    If you want more guidance, send me an email at info@tealeavz.com

    Happy Steeping!

  • Diana: January 23, 2024

    Hi Lina – Our tea is only sold online, however, we do ship other countries. Where are you located?

  • Michelle : December 30, 2023

    I love your story and unfortunately have similar experiences. I would love to switch to tea and love the choices you offer but how do I know where to begin? Do you have a recommendation on how to make the switch from coffee to tea?

  • Diana: December 30, 2023

    Hi Lina,
    We do ship to some locations out of the US, and constantly adding more locations. Our teas are only available online. Where are you located?

  • Lina : November 07, 2023

    Hi. Do you ship worldwide? Do you have physical stores?

    Love, Lina

  • Diana: April 17, 2023

    Yes, you can certainly blend Peach Tranquility & Jade Citrus Mint. It is a popular duo!

    Our production chief and I do not foresee any issues pre-blending the two teas as long as it is stored in a proper canister (which it sounds like you may have) and in a cool and dry area.

    Let us know if you have any other questions. Happy Steeping!

  • Shari Holmes: April 17, 2023

    I enjoy the Teavana Peach Tranquility & Jade Citrus Mint steeped together. Would I be able to mix the 2 loose leafs that replicate these Teavana teas? Would it be ok to store in a canister pre-mixed?
    Thank you!

  • Diana: February 17, 2023

    Hi Janet – You can find our collection of caffeine free tisanes by following this link: https://tealeavz.com/collections/caffeine-free-herbal-tea-tisanes Enjoy!

  • Janet Riner: February 17, 2023

    What is the best way to find caffeine free teas?

  • Diana: February 24, 2022

    Hi Trisha,
    Yes! We sell our Dancing Vanilla Bean Chai at https://tealeavz.com/collections/types-of-chai-tea/products/rooibos-vanilla-chai-tea. It is a very popular chai with Rooibos and chai spices infused with ginger, orange, and vanilla bean flavor. Give it a try!

  • Trisha Finlayson: February 24, 2022

    Do you not sale
    Dancingvanilla bean
    Chai tea?

  • Diana: November 18, 2021

    Hi @Stephanie Akindumila -

    Thanks for reaching out with your question about Royal English Breakfast tea.

    We now offer an English Breakfast tea! You can find it here: https://tealeavz.com/products/english-breakfast-tea

    We have a few suggestions you might want to try:

    Irish Breakfast Tea – This one is often compared to the English Breakfast tea – it is a blend of Ceylon Tea and Assam Tea just like your Royal English Breakfast tea, so it will have a malty flavor as well.

    We also have a few others you might enjoy as well…

    Earl Grey Vanilla – A blend of black tea, orange peels, blue cornflowers, natural vanilla flavor, natural bergamot flavor, and natural creme flavor.

    Golden Monkey Tea – Also known as Jin Hou tea, this full-bodied black tea is from mountains at 3000 feet above sea level in the Fujian province of China and is considered to be one of the finest black teas.

    Vanilla Tea – Another Ceylon black tea blended with the sweet aroma of fresh vanilla beans. This flavored black tea steeps to a beautiful amber color with a full-bodied flavor that mellows with each sip. The vanilla flavor reduces the astringency of the black tea creating a soft and wonderful vanilla black tea experience.

    Let us know if you have any other questions!

Leave a comment

All blog comments are checked prior to publishing