Rooibos Red Tea. Great tea, great tan!

I love Rooibos red tea. Firstly, it doesn't make my throat dry like other teas. Secondly, it's my guilt-free tea and i can drink all day... because it's not tea at all. It's actually a plant which grows in the Kalahari desert (Yes, where the bushmen from the movie The Gods must be Crazy live!!). Rooibos = dutch/ African slang term for "Red bush", which is the plant it is made from.
So basically it's a plant that is not tea, but it tastes exactly like what you think tea should taste like. The embodiment of tea is not tea at all. Kind of like how wonder bread taste like "bread", but it's not really made of bread: it's made of foamy paste, right? Err..

This tea quenches my thirst, but at the same time, it's much easier for me to drink than water. Don't get me wrong- i love water. But i am able to handle rooibos in larger quantities at a time in my stomach. This, in turn, allows me to get the hydration i need.
I used to buy the tea bags when i was a broke college student, but now i buy organic rooibos in bulk, loose leaves. I always place it in cold water and let it seep as the water comes to a boil. Also, i always use the teabags or the loose herbs twice. This means that rooibos is strong enough to be used for two brews.

The Japanese have done many studies on Red Tea and here are a few important facts:

• It's a powerful antioxidant (in fact, it has 50% more antioxidants than green tea).
  
• Caffeine-free and low in tannin
• It has calcium, zinc, potassium, magnesium, etc.
• Can help with allergies, skin problems (contains alpha-hydroxy acids!), inflammation, nausea, irritability, among others.
• At first, rooibos was given to pregnant women and colicky babies (because it's a safe, soothing drink).
  

Don't even TRY to make your own rooibos. I remember once thinking it would be a good idea to harvest my own. We have a huge yard area in sunny, dry southern California so it seemed to make sense. Then i stumbled upon a website that gives you point by point directions on how rooibos is harvested. I start reading: "...needs to grow in a warm, dry place..." So far, so good! But then it went something like this: plant, cut, bruise (whatever that is!), dry, oxidize, wash, re-dry, dry in the sun, dry in the shade, replant, ferment, sift, etc. And NOT in that order. Phew! Needless to say, i gave up that idea and just wished and hoped that my favorite tea would become more popular and would be available forever and ever. And it has!

Another great thing about rooibos for all you natural health and beauty freaks out there is that it really works as a "natural fake tan" solution. I used to spray the tea on my skin to reduce my acne and i realized that every night i would be more tan than the last. It's gives you subtle sun-kissed color as it seeps into your skin and it is color that builds. I just use the rest of my tea when it has cooled and put it in a glass spray bottle. It's also good for the skin!
Try it and let me know how it worked out...