And I thought I hated tea!

It's that time of year again - everyone is cooped up inside, everyone is sharing germs, and everyone is sick. It's right about now that I usually get some form of bronchitis-strep-ear infection, and I'm not particularly looking forward to it. I've been trying to fight the worst of it by consuming as much water/soup/tea as my body can handle. What's funny though is that I always thought, "Ew, I hate tea." The smell of it always turned me off completely.

What I have discovered though is that I only actually hate BLACK (English) tea. Why? Still not entirely sure. But I'm very excited to find a new hot beverage -- a girl can only drink so much coffee -- that warms me up and keeps me healthy (zeroooo calories!). For everyone else who thinks they hate tea, here are my Top 5 Must-Try Teas:

1. Hibiscus - a little tart and not at all perfume-tasting, plus great health benefits
   (best cup: Espresso Royale Cafe)
2. Lemon - soothes a sore, swollen throat like nothing else
   (best cup: Lipton brewed at home with 1 tsp of honey)
3. Red Raspberry - fruity, great for an afternoon sip with a snack
   (best cup: Bigelow - which apparently has hibiscus in it!)
4. Passion - herbal infusion of lemongrass, rose hips, mango, passion fruit & (you guess it) hibiscus
   (best cup: Tazo - available at Starbucks)
5. Apple Cinnamon - one of the first teas I drank, kind of like hot liquid dessert - which tastes much better than that sounds
   (best cup: Lipton)