I’ve had more than one person tell me that tea must be the secret to my success. Since I eat all the time it must be the cups and cups of tea I drink each day that keep me fit. I laugh and tell them, no it’s my workouts, what I eat and how much I eat that are what keeps me healthy and fit.
I do love tea. Tea has a long list of health benefits including:
- Lowers the risk of certain cancers due to the high antioxidant content
- Increases metabolic rate
- Boosts the immune system
- Lowers stress hormones
- Inhibits the growth of bacteria that cause bad breath
- Lowers the chance of stroke
I could go on and on. New potential benefits are found every day. Tea also tastes good. On a cold day nothing is better than a hot cup of tea. Sitting back at night with a good book and cup of tea is a perfect way to end the day. On a hot day, nothing is more refreshing than iced jasmine green tea.
Green tea, by the way, is my normal morning tea. Jasmine pearls most of the time. However, lately I have been drinking some amazing tea a friend of mine, Jeremy, gave me to try. It’s a black tea called Thai Chai (or Chai Thai, we aren’t sure) and it is a perfect morning beverage.
Traditionally when you order a chai tea at a coffee house, it is blended with milk, sugar and spices. While you get the health benefits you can also get a potential calorie bomb. Instead of giving up milky chai, I thought, why not turn it into something healthy.
That’s how this month’s recipe was born.
Thai Chai Protein Shake
- 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder (I like Designer Whey Vanilla Praline)
- 6 oz brewed black chai tea
- ½ cup vanilla almond milk
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
- A dash of nutmeg
- Ice cubes (to your liking, I normally use 2-3)
Place all ingredients in blender and combine until smooth.
Creamy, tasty and healthy. This could also be a good pre workout shake as well due to the caffeine in the tea, a little energy kick for your workout. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
