Lori asks… Jenny, PLEASE help me to enjoy the taste of GREEN TEA !!! I have tried it straight, with honey, lemon. I can’t stand the taste….too bitter, what am I doing wrong???

My response… I can’t even remember the first time I drank green tea but I probably didn’t like it either. Now I sip green tea all day long. Here’s what I’ve learned…

1) Don’t use boiling water – that makes it bitter. Use water around 180 degrees. It doesn’t have to be exact – you can boil water and let it stand for a minute before using.
2) For me, honey is too heavy and won’t help the taste but you could try adding a little sugar. Eventually, you could use less and less as you adjust to the taste.
3) Try flavored teas. Green and white teas flavored with things like passionfruit, white peach, & jasmine are fantastic. A little sugar would make these so easy to drink – about 1/4 teaspoon per cup.
4) Don’t use tea bags but brew whole leaf tea. It costs more but I’ve never had a green tea bag that wasn’t bitter.
5) Not all green teas taste the same – not even close. Keep sampling different ones from different sources (I prefer Chinese over Japanese teas).
6) Try buying from a tea store or online. You do get what you pay for and a smooth tasting green tea may cost more but it’s an investment in your health.

Aspasia asks… Hi Jenny, Am fairly new to your site, I want to try some of your recipes. Question: I love  to drink red wine preferbly dry to semi dry, I’ve heard alcohol turns into sugar, is this true? I grew up in a Greek household we always had wine with dinner, why is alcohol getting a bad rap..please explain… Thank you AF 🙂

My response… According to nutritionist Joy Bauer MS, RD, CDN, not only is it impossible for alcohol to turn into sugar in the body, it also tends to lower blood sugar levels.

“This effect is so well documented,” says Ms Bauer, “that people with diabetes are advised to adjust their insulin and oral medications if they drink alcoholic beverages. Of course, this only refers to straight liquor and wine. Cocktails made with sugary mixers are another story. Alcohol is the only food component other than fat, protein, and carbohydrate that contains calories, and like these other nutrients, excess alcohol calories can be stored. The storage form for alcohol is triglycerides, which is a fancy name for fat. In other words, alcohol acts more like fat in your body than sugar! This is why one of the first things I recommend for my clients with elevated triglyceride levels (a known risk factor for heart disease) is an immediate reduction or elimination of alcohol.”

Her advice is to keep it moderate. That’s a five-ounce glass of wine, 12-ounce beer, or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor per day. And try your best to avoid sugary mixers like syrups, tonic, juices and regular soda.