Drink to your health

CEBU, Philippines - Development, industrialization, global warming, pollution.

These words seem to go hand in hand. Add to that, lifestyle diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, certain types of cancer, and a lot more, and we have progress.

It seems that the more man progresses, the more he forgets about his body. However, the increasing prevalence of diseases and suffering caused by one’s unforgiving lifestyle, has led man to take the road to wellness.

Today, wellness products are best sellers. We have all types of food supplements, different wellness treatments, and physical activity that promote total body health. The irony is that many of those who go through all the trouble of becoming healthy have totally missed the point. Many still have eating habits that are unhealthy, and sadly they tolerate this believing that exercise would melt excess cholesterol, or that supplements would take care and protect the organs of their body.

When I went to Singapore a few years back, courtesy of the Singapore Tourism Board, I was amazed at the popularity of tea houses that serve tea-based health drinks. These tea houses are pretty common, and they have many patrons, most of them of Chinese heritage.

It is not a wonder that fitness expert Harley Pasternak, author of “The 5-Factor World Diet,” ranked Singapore as one of the world’s healthiest countries, together with Japan, Korea, and China.

What these countries have in common is the fact that tea has become a staple for its citizens.

A friend and a fellow writer at The FREEMAN gave a remarkable observation on her recent trip to Taiwan. She said that for most Taiwanese, their primary source of hydration is tea instead of water.

Tea, which is argued to be a Chinese invention, indeed has remarkable health benefits that had been proven for centuries. And although its popularity has reached the shores of our archipelago, we still have to know the difference between real tea with all its benefits, and the ready-to-drink or instant tea with its questionable claims.

Recently, I was introduced to a new brand of tea by the father of a friend from the Brahma Kumaris, Antonio Alesna.

Businessman Willy Cai saw the potential of putting up a small kiosk selling none other than milk teas of various flavors, using infused tea leaves for base.

“Here in the Philippines, all season is very hot,” said Cai, owner of YGYZ Milk Tea House. “There is so much pollution and Filipinos do not have a healthy eating habit. They always want to eat grilled and greasy food.”

This observation led him to open his first kiosk in the food court of Elizabeth Mall. He later expanded to 138 Mall, and now has even put up small stands near the main campus of the University of Cebu.

Cai, who is excited to show how he stirs up his tea, believes that Filipinos would benefit from this healthy beverage, adding that aside from the tea itself, his beverages also contains other ingredients that are just as beneficial to the body.

Black gulaman, for example, is good for the lungs and the liver. He said that this has properties that would help eliminate toxins from the body, based on ancient Chinese medicine.

The use of fruit nectar for sweetener also makes the beverage ideal for people with diabetes.

Another liver brew would be pure green tea with jasmine, which he claims is also good for the skin and in promoting a fairer complexion.

Cai explained that the milk in his milk tea concoctions provides enough amount of carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, and minerals that our body would need for the day. Because of this, a glass of milk tea is able to alleviate hunger while giving one the energy that he would require.

This I could personally attest to as the whole day after I drank a glass or two of coconut-flavored milk tea with nata de coco, hunger never crossed my mind or my guts. In fact, the whole day I felt full.

Perhaps, this could also be the reason why this milk tea concoction is a great weight-reducing formula, as reducing one’s intake of unnecessary and indulgent food becomes easier for the tummy.

Cai, however said that milk tea is not a meal replacement nor would he recommend that it be used to replace one’s established weight reduction regimen.

Aside from milk teas, YGYZ Milk Tea House also has 50 other drinks that would include different flavored pure tea, fruit juices, fruit shakes, and glazed drinks. The best part is their drinks come at a very low price ranging from P20 for small-sized tea drinks to P40 for ice-glazed white gulaman with milk tea, or P60 for a big bowl of halo-halo.

So, if you are in for a healthy and refreshing drink try YGYZ Milk Tea House’s tea concoctions. YGYZ Milk Tea House kiosks can be found at the food court of Elizabeth Mall, the ground floor of 138 Mall, and near the Osmeña Boulevard entrance of University of Cebu – Main.