Kava is likely one of those health products you’ve heard about but you’re always a little too unsure or intimidated to buy it for yourself. It’s true that there’s a lot of conflicting information about kava out there, much of it positive but also with some quite frightening negatives that cause people to hesitate.
Below are some key tips to having a great experience with kava tea and other kava products.
Tip 1: Start with Micronised Kava
There are a lot of products you can choose from, but micronised kava is an affordable form that is also very easy to use and even integrate into your existing drinks. You can simply add 1-2 tablespoons to warm water, or into other drinks of your choice. It won’t make anything taste fantastic, but it will bring the positive impacts of kava to your beverage. The best way to enjoy it is to mix micronised kava with water as typically instructed on kava packaging. It’s simple and will involve less of a strange mixed taste.
When using water, don’t use boiling water from a kettle. The best way to prepare it is using warm or hot water from the tap. When the water is boiling hot, it will break up the starch and make a real mess of the whole product, especially when you’re using ground kava root and preparing it in the traditional way.
Tip 2: Don’t Expect a Delicious Beverage
However you’re preparing kava, it isn’t known for its delightful taste, so don’t expect it to be sweet or moreish. Even long-term drinkers admit that they still think the taste leaves much to be desired, but they still drink it for the effects. This should also be your focus if you want to have the most positive experience with kava tea.
Tip 3: Drink Kava A While After Eating
The effect of kava won’t be felt as keenly if you consume it on a full stomach. Therefore, the best time to drink it would be at least a couple of hours after dinner. If you’ve had a heavy evening meal, you should perhaps wait 3 hours before consuming. You can also consume kava before dinner, as long as you don’t follow it with a resplendent feast.
When the stomach is empty, the active ingredients of kava can be absorbed more effectively, so if you want to get the most out of your kava tea, then you should really avoid doing so when full. If you want to eat a little something during your kava tea experience, you could try what is called a “kava chaser,” typically some sliced fruit, mixed nuts or a similar light snack food.
Tip 4: Go for Quality, Never Quantity
When searching for kava products, don’t be taken in by sellers trying to shift huge quantities at low prices. There’s likely a good reason that the products are being sold at rock-bottom prices, because the kava is no good. If you want the best of the positive effects of kava, you need to invest in quality. The truth is that even good-quality kava doesn’t have to be expensive, but it will always cost more than cheap and nasty kava. The best signs of quality are first the presence of mostly lateral roots of the kava plant, because these have higher concentrations of kavalactone. Avoid kava that is primarily made up of parts of the basel stem and fibrous roots.
Tip 5: Don’t Exceed Consumption Guidelines
Finally, it’s never a good idea to exceed the recommended consumption guidelines when it comes to portion size, amount of kava to use, etc. Stick to the guidelines as given on your kava product packaging to ensure an optimum experience.