Aren't you tired of sipping your regular cuppa 'chai'? Move on to green tea, a more exciting, invigorating and healthier infusion, says Shruti Saraf

Imagine fresh green grass pressing up under the soles of your feet. A crisp, fragrant breeze wafting through your hair; and a plantation of tender tea leaves before you. Sounds soul soothing, doesn't it? That's exactly what green tea can do for you. From bath salts to ice cream, this traditional Asian beverage can be used in dozens of ways to relax the mind, strengthen the body, and raise the spirit.

So, What's Green Tea?

Made from dried leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant, green tea is steamed, rolled and dried, unlike the black and oolong tea that are fermented - the shorter process gives green tea a lighter flavour, while retaining powerful antioxidants and other benefits intact.

Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one - goes an ancient Chinese proverb. Here's a bit about this special tea, which might infuse similar sentiments in you as well.

Savour The Sip

It's fresh, light and grassy. However don't be disappointed as green tea doesn't taste like regular tea, but rest assured it's a good choice - very healthy and a taste not difficult to acquire. Different varieties of green tea have their own nuances - some have a tinge of sweetness while others are more astringent.

Slim Tea

'The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition' reported that green tea has a significant effect in incre-asing the metabolic rate, calorie burning and on fat oxidisation. Research suggested that the caffeine in the tea interacts with flavonoids that are present, to alter the body's use of chemical transmitters, thereby increasing the calorie-burning rate.

Lessens The Risk Of Cancer

One of the greatest therapeutic powers of green tea lies in its high concentration of EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate), a potent antioxidant that is believed to restrain cell-replication enzymes, preventing the growth of malignant cells and killing cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. Japanese researchers have further reported that green tea appears to inhibit various human tumours in test tubes, including leukaemia and skin cancers, plus carcinomas of the breast, gastrointestinal tract, colon, and lung.

Lowers Cholesterol

Green tea is effective in lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels and preventing the formation of blood clots. Says Seemaa Tarneja, a Mumbai-based consulting nutritionist, "The magnesium content in green tea prevents cholesterol from clogging the arteries, and reduces the risk of attacks and strokes in the elderly."

Strengthens The Immune System

It kills the bacteria that cause dental plaque, preventing tooth decay. Skin preparations containing the green tea extract, polyphenol, are being used in cosmetics as an antioxidant and for skin protection from UV rays. Some scientists also say that gargling with green tea inactivates the virus flu; and drinking a daily cup activates the body against the common cold and strengthens the body's immune system. Also, its antioxidising content reduces the potentially harmful free radicals in your body that team up with bacteria to cause mutation of cells and make you sick. In other words, it simply reduces the risk of ailments.

The Caffeine Scene

The caffeine content in green tea is relatively low - 30 to 60 mg in approximately eight ounces of green tea, as compared to over 100 mg in eight ounces of coffee - and doesn't affect the heart rate, which is of critical importance for thyroid patients. As a stimulant, it affects the central nervous system and prevents drowsiness, while also enhancing endurance. Also, green tea is good remedy for hangovers as caffeine blocks the absorption of alcohol and its diuretic function encourages detoxification. Though caffeine does have a downside when consumed in larger quantities - more than four cups a day - the problem with decaffeinated tea is that it has a lower level of antioxidants.

Brew Your Own Cup Of Green Tea

Follow a few pointers to ensure that you assimilate the best out of your tea leaves.

Do not over-brew green tea since it gets gassy. Adjust the temperature and brewing time to absorb flavour, sweetness and astringency - if steeped in too hot water, only about 25 per cent of the goodness of the leaves is extracted, and the tea gets bitter and astringent. Tarneja says, "You need to steep your tea for at least three minutes to get all the antioxidants in your beverage. However," she warns, "adding milk to green tea will dilute its goodness to a great extent, killing the natural antioxidants contained in it. White sugar and lemon can be added freely, though."

Beau-Tea Tips

Place two cool tea bags over the eyes for 10 to 15 minutes to reduce under-eye puffiness.

• Soothe the itching or swelling caused by an insect bite or cut by placing a green tea bag over the affected area.

• After a bad sunburn, try a tea bath. Hang four or five oolong, jasmine, or green tea bags under your bath spout as you fill your tub. Soak in the fragrant, warm water.

• Keep foot odour away with a foot soak in natural tea - the tannic acid present in tea kills odour-causing bacteria.