Spring Equinox · Tea break · Qi Stagnation
Grapefruit green tea
Fragrant green tea with grapefruit juice and segments: sweet, sour and faintly bitter, and instantly refreshing.
- 10 min
- Serves 2
- Infuse
- Easy
CoolingMoves qiCalms irritability
Why it suits you: Qi-stagnant types feel irritable, tight-chested and sigh a lot as liver qi peaks around the Spring Equinox. Grapefruit moves qi, resolves phlegm and settles the stomach, and green tea clears the head and eases restlessness; the sweet, sour, faintly bitter taste perks you up in the afternoon.
Method
Prep 5 min · Cook 5 min- 1Infuse the tea leaves in the hot water for 3 minutes, strain and let it cool to warm.
- 2Peel and segment the grapefruit, then squeeze half the segments for juice.
- 3Stir the juice and honey into the tea and add the segments. Drink warm or cooled.
Cautions
- Grapefruit interacts with some medicines, such as certain blood-pressure and cholesterol drugs; check with your doctor if you take regular medication.
- Green tea contains caffeine, so avoid it after about 3 pm.
The TCM view
Grapefruit is sweet, sour and cold, moving qi, resolving phlegm and aiding digestion. Green tea is bitter, sweet and cool and clears the head and relieves restlessness; honey eases tension. Together they relieve stagnation and calm irritability.
