This is Sunday, so it's only appropriate for me to focus on how  religion was largely responsible for the beginning of alcoholic refreshments .  Why monastic origins? They owned vast tracts of land to plant grapes, barley, etc. There is a long institutional memory. Teamwork was part of their daily task. Alcohol for much of history promoted health to kill pathogens.  Roman soldiers were given a daily allowance of wine, more to purify water than to get drunk.  Whiskey, herbal liquers and bitters were invented for medicinal reasons. Water was dangerous to drink in Europe, so beer was the only safe thirst-quenching drink. Then, of course, the  Eucharist . Some history: Of course, alcoholic abuse can be a serious problem, but it is not sinful to drink and make merry, responsibly.  Wine was invented 6000 years before the birth of Christ, probably in Babylonia, but Benedictine and Jesuit monks preserved viniculture in Europe.  The motivation had to do with Eu...

At one time tea, and especially coffee, were on the negative list for your health.  Then both drinks gained in  respect by health authorities. More recently tea has further improved its standing, even for resulting in loss of weight.   More so than coffee. Healthline lists  six best teas to lose weight and belly fat .  This aromatic beverage is most commonly made from the leaves of  Camellia sinensis , a type of evergreen shrub native to Asia. Green tea. 11 studies have shown that green tea should help reduce BMI for those with type 2 diabetes.  But will it work if you are normal?  Probably, too. It is believed that catechins, naturally occurring antioxidants in the green, increase your metabolism for gat burning. Matcha, a highly concentrated powedered green team also works. Puerh tea. This is a type of Chinese black tea that has been fermented. Has an earthy aroma that increased with time of storage. Animal studies also show that puerh tea ...