Iced Lemongrass Green Tea

Source: Recipe adapted and modified from The Malaysian Women's Weekly foodbook Issue 2 - Cooking Made Simple
Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 stalks Lemon grass (about 6-7cm long), halved lengthwise and crushed lightly
700ml Water
2 Green tea bags (I used Japanese 100% Green Tea Bag)
Ice cubes
2 - 3 tbsps Raw honey (I used Organic Wildflower Honey)
2 Lemon, sliced thinly reserved 4 lemon slices to decorate
Halved lemon grass stalks to decorate

Method:
1. Combine lemon grass and water in a pot. Bring to a quick boil over medium heat.
2. Lower fire and allow to simmer for 15 mins. Turn off fire and add tea bags. Leave to sleep for 10 mins.
3. Let the juice cold down and drain away the ingredients. Add the honey to taste.
4. To serve, fill glasses with ice. Add 2 lemon slices in each glass. Top with tea and add halved lemon grass stalks & lemon slices to decorate.


Lemongrass and green tea are versatile ingredients in cooking and also beneficial in maintaining good health. Their goodness is well-known regardless of traditional or modern medical benefits. Lemon grass is not only a useful ingredient in the kitchen but also one of the natural remedy of inserts and mosquitoes rebellion agent. There are many household products using lemon grass extract due to their benefit of expelling inserts & mosquitoes, such as floor cleaner or moisquito rebellion badges. More benefits of lemongrass & recipe from my other post here.

What makes green tea so special? The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. Free radicals are the damaging compounds in the body which alters the cells, tampers with the DNA or may also cause cell death. The occurrence of Free radicals is natural in the body but environmental pollutants can also get added as the damaging particles in the body. Polyphenols which are present in the Green tea are excellent anti-oxidants which neutralizes the Free radicals and helps in preventing the damage caused by the free radical. Green tea also helps the body in protecting the cells from damages which are believed to be linked with Cancer. Hence Green tea is considered as a powerful anti-oxidant.

Besides, a powerful anti-oxidant, green tea helps in boosting the metabolism rate of the body and also helps in burning fat. In another words, green tea induces weight loss. The reason why it helps in preventing obesity is that it blocks the movement of Glucose in Fat cells. It has substances known as Polyphenols which are proven to help in weight loss by increasing the metabolism of fats by the liver, stops the lipase (a fat absorbing enzyme) in the digestive tract and also provides the fullness feeling. Polyphenols especially Catechins do not function as a stimulant but helps in burning calories. For those ladies out there who wants to lose some weight, consuming green tea daily is definitely a good option.

There are few medical conditions in which drinking green tea is reputed to be helpful:
• cancer
• rheumatoid arthritis
• high cholesterol levels
• cariovascular disease
• infection
• impaired immune function

Even there are so many positive health benefits of green tea, there are also some negative issues too. Green tea is not recommended for pregnant or lactating women. In addition, negative effects of green tea leaves would link to individuals who have allergies. In this case, someone who is caffeine sensitive could develop problems such as hives and rash from consuming green tea. With caffeine being a stimulant that affects the central nervous system, other problems could result such as insomnia, excessive urination, reduction of potassium levels, and even incontinence. Check out more info here

References of Green Tea from:
Ezinearticles
Chinesefood.about



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