Archive for the ‘Green Tea’ Category

  • 11 Sep

    Posted by
    elynevay


    Category

    Stress In Your Life

    0

    Does it seem like you never have enough time to get things done. Are you always on the go? Do you find yourself over whelmed with responsibilities? If so, you know what it’s like to be stressed out.

    Long-term stress can cause a lot of nasty health problems. It can lower your immune system making you more susceptible to infections. It has a direct affect on the cardiovascular system causing high blood pressure and increases your chances of heart disease and stroke. Continuous stress causes the body to stay in “flight or fight” mode and the liver produces high levels of blood sugar. If this happens, you’re at risk to develop type 2 diabetes. It can affect your memory; make you depressed, or more aggressive.

    There are some easy ways to reduce or eliminate stress in your life.

    Eat right – don’t skip meals, limit junk food, drink plenty of water, substitute teas for coffee and energy drinks. Green teas have natural antioxidants and a soothing and calming effect on the nervous system.

    Laugh or Cry – laughter releases endorphins that counteract hormones that causes stress. Crying rids the body of harmful stress induced hormones.
    Exercise – simple stretching exercises, a short walk, or yoga all work wonders to improve our mood and release stress

    Rest – lack of sleep actually increases stress. Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night. Having trouble falling asleep? Listen to soothing music or sounds. Avoid caffeine late in the day. Try Rooibos Tea. It’s an herbal, caffeine free tea with excellent calming abilities.

    Take Deep Breaths – slow, deep breathes by inhaling through the nose and slowly exhaling through the mouth oxygenates the blood, clears the mind, and lowers stress.

    Talk – find someone to talk to. Make sure that person is someone you can trust and will be sympathetic and reassuring. Can’t find someone, then talk to yourself. Make a plan that you can easily achieve and then tell yourself everything will be OK and tomorrow will be another day.

    Touch – hold a loved one’s hand, pet your cat or dog, hug you child, or get a massage.

    Sound – forget rock and roll when you’re stressed. Try classical music, wind chimes, or simple natural sounds like ocean waves or cascading water.

    Hobbies – pick a fun hobby, something you enjoy and allows you to escape from the daily grind

    Get Rid Of Clutter – clutter causes stress so clean up your house or office and keep it in order

    Learn To Say “No” – don’t take on more than you can do in a day. Find different ways to get unpleasant tasks done. Learn to nicely say no to extra responsibilities or obligations that you know you can’t possibly fit into your schedule.

  • 06 Jul

    Posted by
    elynevay


    Category

    Tea In The Garden

    0

    The title of this blog might be a bit misleading. I’m not talking garden parties or afternoon tea; I’m talking gardening with tea and tea leaves.

    Tea is high in nitrogen and contains minerals like magnesium, potassium, zinc and even fluoride that are needed for healthy plants.

    Tea leaves make a great organic fertilizer. When added to soil, they add bulk and acidity and help absorb and hold moisture. The recommended tea leaves for fertilizer are black, green, oolong, and Rooibos (also known as redbush).

    True teas from the Camellia Sinensis plant are highly acidic and are the most beneficial for acid-loving plants. Try sprinkling your used black, oolong, green and/or white tea leaves around the base of azaleas, rhododendrons, ferns, hollies and roses. Vegetables plants that benefit from tea leaves include tomato, pepper, and eggplant.

    Got leftover tea? Add it to your watering can and use it to water your indoor and outdoor potted plants. This will add nutrients and, in the case of green tea, may even discourage insects.

    Another added benefit of adding tea leaves to your soil is the possibility of warding off slugs and snails. Some studies have shown that as little as a 1 to 2 percent solution of caffeine can kill these pests.

    This sounds great, but does it really work?

    I scared my husband a bit when I surrounded his tomato and pepper plants with a generous amount of used tea leaves. After a few waterings, he had deep green, healthy plants that almost doubled in height. It was amazing. Even the little runt of a tomato plant greened-up and started growing. So after the vegetable garden, I moved on to the roses which are now blooming like crazy. When we potted up some flowers, I added tea leaves to the potting soil. So far, I have nice healthy plants that seem to be withstanding the heat.

    Just remember that too much of a good thing can kill you plants. It’s recommended that you only add tea leaves or water your plants with tea no more than every two weeks.

    Happy Gardening!

  • 19 Mar

    Posted by
    elynevay


    Category

    Boost The Healing Power of Green Tea: Add Ginger

    0

    Spiced Green Tea

    Green tea and ginger have become important elements in preventive health care. Their high concentrations of antioxidants boost the immune system. Also, both contain plant-based chemicals called polyphenols that neutralize free radicals in the body.

    One’s risk of developing cancer may be greatly reduced by Green Tea and ginger’s ability to neutralize free radicals. These polyphenols might help arrest the growth of cancerous cells and possibly diminish those that are already present in the body.

    Due to their antioxidants, Green Tea and ginger protect against blood clots. Ginger is a natural anticoagulant. Green tea is believed to help reduce cholesterol levels and promote healthy blood pressure. Thus, both are useful in the prevention of heart attacks.

    Ginger is known to help reduce nausea. Those suffering from motion sickness, morning sickness, or nausea that is caused by chemotherapy can benefit from drinking Green tea and ginger.

    Note that pregnant women should discuss the use of ginger with their doctor since ginger may stimulate uterine contractions.

    Both, Green Tea and ginger have potent anti-inflammatory properties that are useful in significantly reducing the pain and joint swelling associated with arthritis.

    Ginger also:

    • Increases blood circulation and reduces blood sugar
    • Has an aphrodisiac effect on the body
    • Treats colds and coughs by reducing fever, soothes sore throats, and helps clear up phlegm
    • Relieves heartburn, indigestion, diarrhea, and vomiting
    • Eases headaches, fatigue, muscle pain, menstrual cramps, gout, and soreness

    Caution:  If you have a medical condition, take medication, or are pregnant, consult with your healthcare provider before using Green Tea and/or Ginger either medicinally or therapeutically because they may interact with certain medications and medical conditions.

    Green Ginger Tea

    Peel approximately 1 inch of fresh ginger root and slice it thinly.

    Place the ginger in a saucepan, cover with 4 cups of water and simmer for 15 minutes.

    Let ginger steep in the boiled water for 5 minutes before removing and discarding.

    Brew Green Tea in another pot.

    Combine both teas.

    It’s recommended that you consume 3 to 4 cups of the mixture per day. Store mixture in the refrigerator and discard any leftovers after 24 hours.

    Or try Evanor Tea’s Spiced Green Tea; a light, not too spicy, refreshing drink that’s popular both hot and as Iced Tea.

  • 11 Jan

    Posted by
    elynevay


    Category

    Which Tea Do You Drink With Dinner? Part II

    0

    When you want food combinations that go well with Green teas think about the foods you consume with white wines. Green teas have a fresh, light flavor that is well suited to mild flavored foods.

    Green teas are superb with seafood. Other foods that would be paired with Green teas would be salads; rice, chicken, vegetable, and fruit dishes.

    Surprisingly, Green tea is great to drink with fried foods. It “cuts” through the greasiness of fried food and reduces the chance of indigestion.

    Fruity desserts and white chocolate are excellent with Green teas.

  • 26 Sep

    Posted by
    elynevay


    Category

    Green Tea for Puffy Eyes And Dark Circles

    10

    Here’s a quick tip to reduce puffy eyes and lighten dark circles. All you need is green tea and one small cucumber.

    Brew two cups of green tea and allow it to come to room temperature. While the tea is cooling, thinly slice the cucumber. Put the cucumber slices in a glass dish, pour the tea over the slices, cover and refrigerate for a few hours. To use, gently blot excess tea from cucumber slices and place slices on puffy areas for about 10 minutes.

    It’s amazing how this works. Cucumbers have astringent properties that cause blood vessels to constrict, plus their cooling affects helps ease painful inflammation.

    It’s the tannin in tea that also works as an astringent. You could use black or oolong, but green tea contains considerably more tannin. The caffeine in tea also helps to constrict blood vessels, reduce swelling, and tighten the skin around the eyes.

    Cucumber and green tea will help lighten dark circles. because of their ability to constrict the blood vessels and tiny capillaries under the eye.

    To turn your next eye treatment into a spa experience, try adding a teaspoon of honey to the tea and mix well before adding the cucumber slices. The honey will help erase small wrinkles from around the eye.

    Always be careful when putting anything on or around the eyes. I recommend that you first test this on your wrist to check for redness or irritation, if so, do not place on the eyes. Of course, if you are allergic to any of the ingredients you should not use this procedure.

  • 05 Sep

    Posted by
    elynevay


    Category

    Ease That Sunburn With Tea

    0

    We finally got some relief of high temperatures and humidity, so I took the opportunity to do some yard work yesterday and ended up with a nasty sunburn. As the evening progressed, the heat and burning really started to bother me, so I decided to use tea compresses to ease the pain.

    Yes, you heard me right. Tea is a great home remedy for easing the burning and pain from sunburn. Black and green teas contain tannic acid that soothes sunburn and helps heals the skin.

    I hope you never experience a painful sunburn, but, if you do, here’s how I use tea.

    First you need to brew a large pot of very strong black or green tea, then refrigerate until the tea is cold. I prefer to use green tea because it contains powerful anti-oxidants. Green tea will help reduce skin redness and inflammation, while also helping to protect the skin cells from the effects of UV exposure.

    For all over relief, add the cold tea to a lukewarm bath and soak in the tea mixture for 20 to 30 minutes or until the bath becomes cool.

    When experiencing a localized sunburn, soak a clean cloth or gauze in the cold tea and gently apply it to the burned area for about 10 minutes.

    You can even put the cold tea into a spray bottle and mist the sunburned area. Keep the spray bottle in the refrigerator and throw out any remaining tea after a week. This is a good solution if you are going to the beach or on a picnic, just keep your spray bottle in the cooler.

    Remember that tea will stain, so use old towels and be careful where you use the compresses and spray.

    Usually one treatment will relieve the pain and reduce the redness associated with sunburn, but, if you want to, you may repeat the baths and compresses as often as you like.

  • 12 Jul

    Posted by
    elynevay


    Category

    Green Tea and Oral Health Connection

    2

    I’ve been blessed with a good set of teeth, but it could also be due, in part, to my love of tea.

    Did you know that green, black, and oolong teas all contain natural fluoride? They absorb it through the soil and water that they are grown in. Fluoride is helpful in strengthening teeth and preventing cavities.

    A Japanese study also revealed that green tea contains high concentrations of catechin. The antioxidants found in catechin reduce the inflammation that mouth bacteria causes and can reduce tooth decay and gingivitis. The study suggested that one to four cups of green tea per day could reduce the risk of loosing teeth.

    Another interesting study from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Center has promising research that green tea can help prevent oral cancer. Polyphenols are found in green tea and they seem to retard carcinogenic bacteria in the mouth.

    Also, due to the limited fermentation process of green tea; it retains more of its antioxidant properties than black or oolong teas.

    To get the most benefit from green tea, one should use high grade, loose-leaf tea made from young buds. This will ensure the highest concentration of catechin for better oral health.

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