Kicking the Soda Habit with Bigelow Tea #AmericasTea

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client. This post was written by guest blogger (and my fiancee) Shannon Jackson. 

Perhaps it’s the Brit in me, but I’ve always loved tea. I’ve tried coffee, but it has never given me the calm, comforting feeling that tea does. Tea has lots of flavors. You can drink it hot or cold. It’s sweet. It’s unsweetened. It’s whatever you want it to be. Tea is one of my greatest loves.

Unfortunately, so is pop.

Recently, I realized that over the years I had grown a bit too fond of pop. Rationalizing my need for pop by telling people I loved the bubbles the carbonation made, or that I liked the taste was a lie I was telling myself. I was addicted. I knew I needed to stop.

Look at the ingredient list on a bottle of pop. It’s long, and there are quite a few things on there I can’t pronounce. I have no clue what they are, or what they do. I wanted to get my kick of caffeine, but I didn’t want to put a bunch of unpronounceable, unfamiliar ingredients into my body. Kicking the habit wouldn’t be easy. The withdrawals consist of headaches, irritability, sleepiness, and even insomnia. (http://addictions.about.com/od/Caffeine/a/What-To-Expect-From-Caffeine-Withdrawal.htm) I had to find a way to lower my caffeine intake, and still get my morning get-up.  I needed my old love. I needed tea.

Hello, Bigelow tea!

I love Bigelow tea. They have so many varieties that sometime I cannot choose what to drink. Have you tried their Pumpkin Spice? Look for it in your local grocery store in the fall time. You will not be disappointed.  Another great thing about Bigelow Tea: the ingredients. In contrast to the pop, their label is wonderfully simple. The ingredient list is tea, and whatever flavor your drinking. That’s it. No artificial colors, flavors, or things I cannot pronounce.

With school starting, I needed a new routine. Before, I would get up, drag myself around the house, and as soon as I got to work I would grab a pop from the vending machine. Not the greatest way to start the day.

We have one of my favorite inventions ever in our house. We own a Keurig, which means I can brew a cup of tea in a matter of seconds.  The water comes out fairly hot, so I use my favorite travel mug. I just place the tea bag inside – usually a black tea (Earl Gary is one of my favorite teas), so that I can get the caffeine I need without any extra unnecessary ingredients – and push a button. My travel mug is is blue with koi decorations. It holds the tea and keeps it warm while I finish getting ready. By the time I arrive at work, my tea is at the perfect temperature to sip.

One cup is not enough, though. In order to ensure that I don’t have a headache later in the afternoon I have to have more tea. This is the time of day where I would have grabbed another pop.  That’s where the green tea comes in. My personal favorite it Bigelow’s Green Tea with Mint. It has enough caffeine to stave off the headache, but it’s also low enough that I am able to lower, slowly, my caffeine consumption.

I know I’ve talked a lot about caffeine, and the unfamiliar ingredients in pop, but that’s not the only reason I wanted to quit. I’ve long wanted to change my eating habits and engage in a healthier lifestyle. Switching to tea was a no-brainier for me as I’ve always loved tea, and it has so many healthful benefits. Tea is chock full of flavonoids which research suggests may block the growth of certain cancers. It may also help burn fat, and help relive stress. http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/tea-types-and-their-health-benefits

But that’s not all! Tea is so much more economical than pop. I can buy a box of Bigelow Tea for less than $2.50. I get 20 teabags. That’s 20 cups of tea for less than two pops in the vending machine. My bank account is thanking me.

One more reason to switch: my son. I don’t want my son to grow up addicted to something that has no health value. I can be a good example to him on how to better take care of oneself.

For me, the switch to tea was easy. I know that it may be a small change, but it will have a big impact on my health, my family, and my wallet and those are always good things.

Check out my latest visit to Walmart to find some Bigelow Tea – Bigelow Tea Shop.

Want to make the switch? Check out Bigelow Tea’s website  – http://www.bigelowtea.com/ – and pick yourself up some of their delicious teas. Learn more about Bigelow Tea’s various ideas around incorporating tea into your life on their blog –  http://www.bigelowteablog.com.