Sunday, November 30, 2008

Tea Tree Oil for Ringworm

Though oral medications are widely used all over the world for treating people affected with ringworm, in many cases, it has proven to be ineffective and has lead to worsening of the fungal infections. Many people having ringworm tend to be allergic or unresponsive to oral medications or prescription medications. For such people, tea tree oil is often recommended for the treatment of ringworm. Tea tree oil has traditionally been used for the treatment of many types of bacterial infections but of late it has been found that it is highly effective in the treatment of various kinds of fungal infections as well.
Oral On the other hand, tea tree oil takes care of. In addition to this, these medications have to be taken for an extended and long time period and quite often lead to only temporary treatment, failing to eliminate the fungal infection totally. Oral antifungal medications tend to be quite expensive and are potentially toxic. On the other hand, tea tree oil takes care of.

In addition to this, these medications have to be taken for an extended and long time period and quite often lead to only temporary treatment, failing to eliminate the fungal infection totally. Oral antifungal medications tend to be quite expensive and are potentially toxic. There are certain demerits of oral antifungal medications, which the use of tea tree oil takes care of. On the other hand, tea tree oil has been preferred to the use of oral medications for treatment of ringworm. In addition to this, these medications have to be taken for an extended and long time period and quite often lead to only temporary treatment, failing to eliminate the fungal infection totally.

Oral antifungal medications tend to be quite expensive and are potentially toxic. In some cases, the use of tea tree oil takes care of.
One major advantage of using tea tree oil is that its repeated usage is not hazardous in any way. One major advantage of using tea tree oil should be applied on to the affected area or areas about three or four times a day for two to three weeks until the fungal infection totally disappears. One major advantage of using tea tree oil should be applied on to the affected area or areas about three or four times a day for two to three weeks until the fungal infection totally disappears. One major advantage of using tea tree oil should be applied on to the affected area or areas about three or four times a day for two to three weeks until the fungal infection totally disappears.

Light coatings of tea tree oil should be applied on to the affected area or areas about three or four times a day for two to three weeks until the fungal infection totally disappears.
Ring Worm
provides detailed information on Cause Of Ring Worm, Human Ring Worm, Ring Worm, Ring Worm In Cats and more. Ring Worm is affiliated with
Baby Eczema
.

Protecting Your Heart - Green Tea and Green Tea Extract

Studies have concluded recently that including Green Tea and/or Green Tea Extract into your diet may be very wise regarding your heart health. Currently, heart disease is the number 1 killer of US citizens so understanding how green tea or green tea extract works in your system to defend against coronary illness may be extremely valuable information for many.
Studies have shown that green tea can combat heart disease in few ways:
Green Tea Extract Can Reduce Cholesterol
Recent studies at the "Cedars-Sinai Medical Center" have supported this . Of course, knowing that you should keep your arteries clear from bad cholesterol is nothing new, yet many people are unaware that drinking green tea can be a totally effective and safe way to accomplish this. Green tea's powerful antioxidant properties can reduce plaque build up ( bad cholesterol or "Low density lipoproteins (LDL)" ) in the arteries which can directly cause heart attack and stroke.
Another relatively recent ( 2003 )12 week study from the "Archives of Internal Medicine" showed that participants taking green tea extract had a drop in "bad" cholesterol of 15% and their "total" cholesterol fell by 10%.
Green Tea Can Reduce Cell Damage
The powerful component in Green tea and green tea extract "EGCG" has the amazing ability to speed recovery of damaged cells. During a stroke or heart attack many cells are damaged due to lack of oxygen to the brain, and much of the cell damage is irreversible which is known as "cell death". Green Tea's powerful antioxidant properties can reduce the level of cell death that occurs after heart attack and stroke.
A cup of green tea provides upwards of 40mg of polyphenols ( catechin group) and has antioxidant activity greater than a serving of broccoli, spinach, carrots or strawberries. EGCG is a powerful catechin, a biological compound produced in green tea that is responsible for the amazing inherent antioxidant properties which are so beneficial.
How much Green Tea is Effective?
While there is no RDA for Green tea or Green tea extract since it's not considered an essential nutrient it has been reported that taking about 240-320mg daily is beneficial to overall heart health. This benefit can be derived from drinking about 4 cups of green tea daily or taking one 300mg green tea extract capsule daily. There is no difference in potency; the extract is recommended for those who may not like to drink tea but still want the powerful health benefits.
So, drinking just a few cups of green tea daily could become part of your heart disease prevention routine, along with a sane diet plan and exercise you should surely be much more healthy and of course, feel great. It's very low cost, has virtually no side effects (there is 40mg of caffeine in 8 oz cup of tea, much less than coffee however) is totally natural and is delicious hot or cold!
For more information on the powerful heart health benefits of Green Tea and Green tea extract visit
Green Tea lowers cholesterol
Or you can also visit
http://www.wulongtea-info.com
, for more information on the amazing benefits of Green Tea.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Unique Wedding Favors Series: Personalized Tea Favors and Sweet Honey

The perfect wedding favor will engage as many senses as possible while recreating the sweet memories and emotions of your wedding for your guests. Wedding tea favors and sweet honey delights, personalized with your name and unique message, are an ideal wedding favor choice. Gifts rich with sensory joys like beautifully packaged teas are the latest trend in favor gift giving as they evoke a feeling of warmth and comfort symbolic to your marriage itself.
Tea favors bring depth and culture to your choice of wedding favor. Tea has been enjoyed by mankind since 3,000 BC and is rich with tradition and meaning. The distinctive wedding tea favor is a robust blend of black tea, created from the leaves of the
Camellia sinensis
Many scientists and naturalists believe that teas promote a long healthy life, a symbolism of a wonderful marriage. , a beautiful white flowering plant known for its medicinal qualities.
In many cultures, sharing tea with guests, friends, and family is a sign of ultimate respect and gratitude. In China, guests sip sweet tea as a symbolic wish for a sweet marriage between the newlywed couple. Tea has been an important part of wedding traditions all over the world for centuries.
Wedding tea favors are becoming a popular wedding favor choice and can be customized with gorgeous prints, lettering, and packaging to match the theme of your wedding. Try packaging the glossy white foil packs with aromatic cinnamon sticks and an elegant tea cup, bound with flowing ribbons. For an even richer gift surprise, add a matching personalized honey favor jar to further enhance the sweet warmth of the wedding tea favors.
The most wonderful way to reward the friends and family that made your day special is to send them home with invigorating tea favors and an opportunity to enjoy a moment of warm comfort. Sensory rich wedding favors have a way of bringing the romance and splendor of your wedding back to your guests long after your last dance.
Tea favors and hearty sweet honey jars are perfect items on which to print your name and your sweetheart's names and the date of your wedding. The shiny packaging of the tea favor and the charm of the honey jar are fit for display and invite your guests to relive the memory of your union with each glance.
The hopes, dreams, and romance that create a perfect wedding are emotions that are difficult to capture with objects in the physical world. Warm, invigorating tea favors sipped from a delicate cup and sweetened with rich honey offer a way to recreate the magical moments of peace and joy that form a beautiful wedding.
Author is a small business internet marketing consultant and the cofounder of nGenuity Solutions.

Paying for Print on Demand (or How a Tea Set Led me to Amazon)

Print on Demand publishing turned my dream of publshing a book about anticipatory grief into a reality. The idea for the book came to me while I was caring for my mother, who had probable Alzheimer's disease. For nine years I worked on the outline and many of the points came from my mother's life.
If she hadn't experienced anticipatory grief she wouldn't "get it." The editor sounded like she was in her early or mid-twenties. "I don't get it," the editor said. Finally the phone call came.

One month passed, two months passed, and then three. I sent the outline to my publisher and waited for the acceptance phone call.
Though she rejected the book the editor gave me some sage advice: Get a medical co-author. I followed her advice and asked Dr. Lois Krahn, a nationally known psychiatrist and sleep expert, if she would help with the book. Dr. Krahn agreed and I'm grateful for her wisdom. Grief is a hard sell and, though we sent the proposal to several other publishers, they passed on it.
So Dr. Krahn and I decided to try POD. I put up most of the money and, to curtail expenses, offered to edit and index the book. In addition, I would do all of the submission and correction work. My husband would have gladly given me the money for POD, but I wanted to do this on my own. How could I come up with the cash?
I decided to sell my mother's sterling silver tea set. Mom had given me the ornate Gorham set after my father died. I shipped it to Rochester, Minnesota, along wth gold-rimmed dishes my parents received as a wedding gift in 1929. Mom had scrimped and saved for the tea set and it was her pride and joy. I remember the day Mom bought the first piece, the tea pot, and placed it proudly on the sideboard in our tiny dining room. Every time I walked past the sideboard to the kitchen I saw the tea pot.
Parting with the tea set would be emotionally painful, but I was willing to accept that pain in order to see the grief book in print. I used the set once or twice and then put it away. Parting with the tea set was, I'm not the kind of person who sits around sipping tea.

I used the set once or twice and then put it away. Lovely as the tea set was, I'm not the kind of person who sits around sipping tea. Never one to do anything half way, Mom also bought a coffee pot. Months later she purchased the cream pitcher and sugar bowl.
I sold the tea set at auction for more than expected. The antique dealer was pleased with the sale, I was pleased with the sale, and so was the woman who bought it. Quite by accident, I learned the person who bought the set was a local realtor. Originally from India, she had bought the tea set with the intention of giving it to her sister as a wedding gift.
When I told the realtor why I sold the tea set she changed her mind. "Now that I've heard your story this tea set has to stay in Rochester," she said. "I'll buy my sister another one. Your mother's tea set is lovely and you can visit it any time you wish."
Though her comment brought tears to my eyes, I was still glad I sold the set. The idea for the grief book had come from my mother and it seemed fitting that publication of the book would come from her as well. Several months after I had signed with the POD publisher Amazon bought the company.
It's been eight years since my mother died and I think of her every day. My mother taught me many things and one is that possessions don't matter as much as what's inside a person and how they live their life. Mom was always my biggest fan and I think she'd approve of my selling the tea set. She is probably cheering me on.
Copyright 2005 by Harriet Hodgson. To learn more about her work go to
http://www.harriethodgson.com
Harriet Hodgson has been a nonfiction writer for 27 years and is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists. Her 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from
http://www.amazon.com
A four-star review of the book is also posted on Amazon.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Selling Home-Grown Tea Herbs

There are numerous ways to package dried herbal teas for sale, from tea-themed gift baskets to home spa tea collections. Also, they can be sold as individual live potted plants. These are usually for your customers' gardens, but some tea herbs can be grown on a windowsill or porch, or even on your customers' desks at work.
Live potted plants ready to be placed in the customers' gardens can also be sold in themed packages, such as a collection for a summer iced tea postage stamp garden, or as a collection for a summer iced tea postage stamp garden, or as a collection for a summer iced tea postage stamp garden, or as a collection for a summer iced tea postage stamp garden, or as a collection for the customer's own gift garden, where they grow tea to harvest and dry for gifts they give to family and friends.
Harvested and dried herbs can be sold bulk as individual plants, or exclusive specialty blends can be created with your home business's label.
Herbal teas make great products to wrap with other related products into gift baskets, from simple herbal tea samplers to elaborate tea party gift baskets with the inclusion of resale items such as ceramic tea pots and infusers.
Making direct contact with potential customers involves both allowing visitors to your gardens, or selling the herbs off the premises. For visitors, larger tea gardens can become healing sanctuaries themselves, where replicas of Japanese tea gardens or historical European herb gardens can be re-created. In the 18th century, popular coffee houses, which were then considered somewhat rough places where competitive business deals took place, began to give way to high-class tea gardens at the insistence of the ladies. Some of these gardens were almost visions of paradise, with lantern-lit walks, music, dancing, and where exotic landscapes allowed royalty and the common people to intermingle. A well-known tea garden of 1765, Ranelagh Gardens, hosted the nine-year-old Mozart as a performer. No local Mozart to invite? A commercial garden in Washington State hosts a local harpist every Mothers' Day.
Benefits and other gatherings enjoy such services, especially if their people get to meet the actual farmer. For selling away from home, you can offer to host tea tastings for a fee.
Also, look for a listing of local tea houses. A teahouse the author inquired into even asked for edible flowers along with tea herbs.
HRF's current collection consists of more than 300,000 articles. Since its founding in 1983, HRF has served as the central archive of scientific literature on the health effects and safety of botanicals and has developed the world's most comprehensive collection of clinical trials, pharmacology, toxicology, chemical, historical, and horticultural data on thousands of herbal ingredients. According to the HRI, scientific credibility is essential to bolster consumer confidence in herbs and for the continued growth of the industry.

The non-profit Herb Research Institute, www.Herbs.org (HRI) may be of help in this area (see below). In some cases, you can be allowed to describe health claims if an established research entity has made the claim, and you quote them. John's Wort was reportedly banned in France, while its production continues in other countries. For example, St.

These laws change, so make sure your information is recent. Check into all local regulations on safe harvest and storage, and know what can and can't be said as far as medicinal claims. Stay safe, and keep potential customers safe.
(c) 2006 Barbara Adams

From Prix Fixe to Cold Tea: A Glossary of Popular (and Obscure) Restaurant Terms

An Offbeat Glossary of Restaurant Terms
Everyone knows what a bistro is...right? And a la carte is a
term that even a fifth grader knows...well, maybe not. And
what exactly does smart casual mean? There are so many
words and terms in the English language that are taken for
granted, including those used in the restaurant industry. In a
public service to diners from Boston to Bakersfield,
Boston's Hidden
Restaurants
(Note: This page is part of our restaurant features section.) presents a glossary of useful, as well as totally useless, restaurant terms.
A La Carte

A term used by more upscale, expensive restaurants that
means each item is separate. If a restaurant says that
bread and water are a la carte, flee as quickly as you can.

Bar Pizza

A type of pizza served in bars (duh!) that is smaller in
diameter (usually about 10 inches) and greasier than pizzas
found in restaurants or sub shops. Bar pizza tends to taste
better with beer, and MUCH better after many beers.
Bistro
If a place that calls itself a bistro does not have a wine list, it is simply known as a "small restaurant." A small restaurant, usually informal, that typically has a decent wine list.
Captain
An employee at a restaurant who supervises the waitstaff
and typically seats patrons. These people used to be called
"hosts," but for some reason, many restaurants now call
them "captains." Some restaurants include a place on the
bill for tipping captains. If you see this, flee as quickly as you
can.
Chef
Typically, the chief cook of a restaurant staff. Don't ever
call a chef a cook; he or she will not like that and may put
some extra MSG in your food.
Cold Tea

A term used, usually late at night, that means beer. This
term is fairly common in Chinese restaurants that stay open
after the bars close. The serving of cold tea is often illegal
and unethical, and we at Boston's Hidden Restaurants do
not condone the ordering of cold tea. But our view on that
may change from weekend to weekend.
Kosher
Food that conforms to Jewish dietary laws and rituals.
Pork and shellfish are never kosher, nor is meat mixed with
dairy products. If you see a restaurant named "Ralph's
Clam Shack and Rib House," chances are, it is not kosher.

Prix Fixe

Often, that set price will drive a person to drinking lots and lots of cold tea once his or her credit card bill comes in the following month. A full meal, typically with between three and seven courses that is offered at a set price.
Smart Casual
'Nuff said. George Costanza on "Seinfeld" coined this term. A dubious restaurant dress-code term, typically meaning, "no jeans and sneakers, but don't wear with a suit and tie, either." In other words, dress like you are playing 18 holes of golf (but don't wear metal spikes).
Special of the Day
Whatever didn't sell out the night before.
Trattoria
A restaurant, usually informal, that serves simple,
old-fashioned Italian meals. If a trattoria also has a decent
wine list, another name for the place would be bistro (see).
But a bistro cannot be a trattoria unless it serves Italian
food. However, if a bistro does serve Italian food but does
not have a decent wine list, then it is no longer a bistro. It is
a trattoria. Actually, it may be best to just forget the whole
thing. Both are restaurants. OK?
All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2005, Boston's Hidden Restaurants.
Boston's Hidden
Restaurants
is a restaurant guide that
features top little-known dining spots in Boston and New
England.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Nail Fungus and Tea

A tea made from the inner bark of a South American tree may have antifungal properties that will help cure onychomycosis, the ugly fungal nail infection that many people suffer from. Nail fungus and tea sounds like an odd combination, but for some people, the two do go together.
The tree is the Red-purple Lapacho tree, also known as the Pau D'Arco or Taheebo Tree. It has been used in indigenous healing practices for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. It's now being investigated for its possible applications in various medical conditions. Its healing properties may go far beyond nail fungus and tea is an easy medicine to take: the Lapacho Tree is rumored to work as a painkiller, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, antibiotic, antiviral, even a cancer treatment.
Of course, it could not hurt to both drink the tea and soak in it. Such yeast infections generally require a different treatment approach from nail fungus - tea from the Lapacho Tree might work better for the yeast when taken internally. It might be helpful as a remedy for yeast infections of the nail as well. It is consumed as a drink for most medicinal applications, and is particularly recommended as a treatment for vaginal yeast infections.

Pau D'Arco tea may be helpful both internally and as a solution that an infected hand or foot could be soaked in, though it's use in either capacity does not seem to be widespread - at least, not yet.
It, too, appears to have antibiotic, antiviral, and antifungal properties. This tree, like the Lapacho Tree is being actively studied for the medicinal benefits it may provide. Tea Tree oil is used as a topical treatment for onychomycosis, and it is already so popular that natural remedy suppliers are bottling the oil, and blending it with other essential oils and healing herbs for that very purpose.

In this case, the anecdotal evidence supporting this natural remedy is much clearer. Meanwhile, another tea and onychomycosis connection is well established with a tree from Australia, the Tea Tree. We don't know anything for certain about the nail fungus and tea remedy, but if the tree is being studied, we may learn something before long.
They just don't work for everybody. This isn't surprising though - it also frequently happens with FDA-approved, clinically tested drugs. Some people report good results after using these and other natural remedies, while others get no results at all.

Both of these nail fungus and tea remedies suffer from mixed reports: they don't always work.
She is a contributing editor to Drysdale is a freelance writer with more than 25 years experience as a health care professional. R.
nail fungus remedies
, a blog dedicated to the treatment of fingernail and toenail fungus.

Cholesterol Reduction - Great News for Tea Drinkers

Your chest feels tight. Then a pain begins. You feel short of breath and every movement makes it worse. You are experiencing a coronary. Thankfully you survive and start to think about what went wrong and to find ways of adjusting your lifestyle. You may even require bypass surgery or to be on drugs for the rest of your life. Cholesterol is a major factor leading to coronary thrombosis, one of the biggest killers in western society. Most people have heard about cholesterol and appreciate that it leads to heart disease. But what is cholesterol? Why is it dangerous and how can you reduce its harmful effects?
There are a number of fats in the bloodstream; two of the important ones are cholesterol and triglycerides. There are two main forms of cholesterol, HDP (high density lipoprotein) and LDP (low density lipoprotein). The HDP is sometimes referred to as good cholesterol but most of the cholesterol in your blood will be the more sinister LDP - it is this that needs reducing. High levels of LDP and triglycerides cause thickening, hardening and roughening of the normally elastic walls of the arteries. Where the walls have been roughened, blood cells tend to stick, building up to form a clot. The clot can grow and block the artery or be dislodged and block the blood flow elsewhere. In the brain, it is called a stroke, in the lungs, a pulmonary embolism and in the heart, a coronary. Some of the cholesterol in your blood comes from the food that you eat and some is produced by your liver as it processes the nutrients from your food. There is no simple solution to high cholesterol levels; in fact you could be genetically predisposed to high cholesterol.
It is thought that the caffeine in the tea interacts with the flavonoids in tea to increase the rate of calorie burning. Their findings showed a small increase in daily energy expenditure when compared to a control group. In addition, green tea seems to speed up the metabolism, including fat calorie burning, according to researchers from the University of Geneva in Switzerland. However the fairly high levels of antioxidant flavonoids in black tea are thought to protect against arterial plaques, the fatty deposits that clog arteries, by preventing fat from being deposited on artery walls.

As always with biological research, there may be other contributing factors, the Dutch team acknowledge that people who drink tea generally have a healthier lifestyle and diet. Just one or two cups per day seemed to have a marked effect. A study by the Dutch suggests that tea drinkers, particularly women, may derive some protection against the build up of cholesterol in their arteries.
The British Medical Journal has also reported a Japanese study on the benefits of green tea consumption in preventing cardiovascular disease, liver disorders and possibly cancer. The study, in the 1990s, involved over 100 men aged over 40. Tea consumption was classified as less than 3 cups, between 4 and 9 cups, and over 10 cups per day. It was found that consumption of green tea was significantly associated with lower serum concentrations of lipids and lipoproteins. The study also found that the strong association remained unaltered after age, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and relative body weight were controlled for.
Not only does it taste good, it may protect your heart, reduce your chances of cancer and help to keep your weight down, all by drinking just a few cups per day! So in short, tea drinking is a great habit to develop, especially if it is a good quality, pure organic green tea.
You should seek the assistance of a qualified physician if you require medical advice on any condition mentioned in this article. When pregnant or nursing only small amounts of green tea only and should not be regarded as medical advice in its own right.
Kevin Woodward looks after the In Nature web site at
http://www.in-nature.com/teas/
Memberships are available which entitles you to discounts on the products and a free health consultation based on traditional Chinese medicine. which offers top quality pure organic Chinese teas, including green tea, plus Chinese medicinal herbs for sale securely online.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Financing a Vehicle is Your Cup of Tea with Used Vehicle Finance

It is quite possible that buying a new vehicle is not a cup of tea for all. In such situation, one can go for used vehicle. It is also possible that the person might find difficulty in arranging an amount to buy a used vehicle. And, fortunately the financial market also provides financial assistance in the form of used vehicle finance for buying a used vehicle.
Used vehicle finance
Secured used vehicle finance offers better and low rates than unsecured used Secured used vehicle finance offers better and low rates than unsecured used vehicle finance. Secured used vehicle finance offers better and low rates than unsecured used vehicle finance. This implies that if the person is not able to place collateral, then he is not at all required to worry as he can avail unsecured used vehicle finance. Secured used vehicle finance can be availed in any of the two forms that are with collateral and without collateral.

On the other hand, if he can and willing to place collateral against the loan amount then he can go for secured used vehicle finance. This implies that if the person is not able to place collateral, then he is not at all required to worry as he can avail unsecured used vehicle finance. Secured used vehicle finance can be availed in any of the two forms that are with collateral and without collateral. Secured used vehicle finance offers better and low rates than unsecured used vehicle finance.

Commonly, used vehicle finance offers better and low rates than unsecured used vehicle finance. can be used to buy any used car or any other automobile.
An amount which can be borrowed in used vehicle finance depends on many factors such as:
•Value of collateral
•Credit score
•Financial status
•Repayment ability
•Credit worthiness
Making high down payment is always recommended in order to avail competitive and low rates. Even the person with poor credit score can avail used vehicle finance on competitive rates which is only possible through co-signer. Otherwise, generally a bad credit scorer is obliged to pay high rate of interest.
And, further he can easily choose the lender offering most competitive rates by making comparison. The person is suggested to visit each lender located, as this will help him in knowing the trend and the rates prevailing in the market. In reality it is not a simple task as it requires lots of research work to be done.

But, which source must be chosen to avail used vehicle finance? As it is true that financial market has number of lenders who offers used vehicle finance that is banks, building societies, private lenders etc.
The best way of applying used vehicle finance is through online mode which simplifies the task of locating, comparing and applying to the lender. Online mode not only saves times but effort and money also.
To find He holds a masters degree in Finance. Gary Grobowski is working as financial consultant for Used Vehicle Finance.
Used vehicle finance
, used vehicle finance UK visit
http://www.usedvehiclefinance.net

Antioxidant In Green Tea Helps Fight Alzheimer's Disease

Scientists from the University of South Florida found that high doses of the antioxidant epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) found in green tea prevented Alzheimer's-like damage in the brains of mice bred to develop symptoms of this disease.
After several months of injecting the mice with pure EGCG on a daily basis, the nerve cells of the mice generated 54% less beta-amyloid proteins than not-treated mice. One of the possible causes of Alzheimer's disease is the harmful accumulation of beta-amyloid, which is just a very small protein fragment of a larger protein in brain cells.
The drinking of green tea alone would not be sufficient to have this particular effect. In the case of humans, we would need a daily dose of 1,500 to 1,600 mg of pure EGCG to achieve the similar effect experienced by the mice and this daily dose has been studied in healthy human volunteers and was found to be safe and well tolerated.
Journal of Neuroscience (2005) 25(38):8807-8814 Reference: "Green Tea Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate (EGCG) Modulates Amyloid Precursor Protein Cleavage and Reduces Cerebral Amyloidosis in Alzheimer Transgenic Mice" Kavon Rezai-Zadeh, et al.
Related tips:
Alzheimer's Disease
Antioxidants
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Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Tai Chi, NOT Chai Tea!

Those of you that have either completed a one-on-one program, purchased an on-line program or have read anything else that I have written in the past have most likely determined by now and realize it is quite evident... I am a huge supporter and advocate of integrated and phase-based training as optimized methods of health and fitness technologies/systemologies. And it wasn't until I started researching Tai Chi as an alternative form of exercise (I have been exercising for three-and-a-half decades consistently) did I understand how such a slow-velocity activity can help decrease blood pressure, reduce stress, help develop a greater degree of coordination and diminish the number of falls experienced by the elderly. The affects of resistance and aerobic type activities and their impact on health is unequivocal. Resistance training improves strength and the development of lean muscle mass, as well as an increase in bone-density and cardiovascular training improves the efficiently of the heart, lungs and circulatory function while decreasing mortality rates. However, over the past few decades, Eastern practices such as Tai Chi and Yoga have complimented mainstream fitness training programs by demonstrating comparable health benefits to traditional fitness training. A closer look at Tai Chi is warranted and yes this is coming from a fitness coach who intrinsically knows and has meticulously practiced and has been the recipient of the absolute benefits of weight bearing exercise for over 30 years.
What is Tai Chi Anyway? So...
Tai Chi is used as an alternative form of exercise that requires a greater degree of movement than yoga and eliminates the impact nature of many aerobic or cardio-respiratory type activities.
Vitality: The Health and Well-Benefits of Tai Chi
Recent research also suggests Tai Chi to be an effective program in the reduction of blood pressure and blood lipid levels. The practice of Tai Chi has also been linked to a reduction of falls and injury for the elderly, an important attribute given that one in three adults 65 years or older fall each year. Overt health benefits such as decreased stress, improved cardiovascular fitness, balance, muscle strength, coordinative reflexes, arthritis relief and flexibility in people of all ages have been reported.

The life force or energy in Tai Chi is a moderate intensity exercise where aggregate energy expenditure is comparable to walking at a pace of 3.5 mph. Talk about Synergy...
Integrating Tai Chi and Strength/Training.
Since Tai Chi creates a state of tranquility, calmness and relaxation it is best to perform the activity on days off from your regular While the movements may look simple, proper execution of forms take months of practice. Similarly, muscular effort can be increased by emphasizing knee bends, arms swings, twisting of the trunk and overall body recruitment when carrying out and finishing the forms. The forms can be performed in a quick controlled pace to raise the heart rate and induce a greater aerobic intensity. The forms are completed very slowly and consist of many sequential and continuous postural changes from the beginning to the end of the workout session, including both double stance and single stance weight-bearing maneuvers.

Alternatively, you may complete the circuit on Monday and Thursday, followed by a warm-up to increase blood-oxygen flow and body temperature. All sessions begin with a few minutes of meditation to calm the mind as well as the body, followed by a short 20-minute cardio session on both days, and practice Tai Chi on Tuesday and Saturday. Ahh…yes, a typical Tai Chi session can last five minutes to an hour depending on the experience and fitness and primary conditioning level of the participant.
Traditions...
Using a phase-based training approach, Tai Chi is a valuable form of exercise to help relax your body and replenish your energy stores from the intense fitness workouts you are accustomed to, so good luck and may God bless each and everyone of you. Combined with a proper fitness training program and nutrition, Tai Chi can provide the alternative form of movement that you have been searching for. Life is about balancing tasks while nourishing your mind, body and spirit.

In over 25 countries around the globe, people are enjoying the many benefits of practicing Taoist Tai Chi in friendly atmospheric locales. The gentle movements of Taoist Tai Chi convey the essence of this tradition to the modern world. The ancient Taoists were renowned for their study of the arts of health and longevity.
-To Your Absolute Health, Kurt Lee Hurley

Can Green Tea Protect Against Atherosclerosis?

Out of control cholesterol is a leading contributor to heart disease, blood clots and stroke. One of the things that all of us should be concerned with in our quest to live long and healthy lives is our cholesterol levels. Heart disease and high cholesterol are some of the most prevalent health concerns in our country today.
High levels of this type of cholesterol are too low, the bad cholesterol is allowed to take over. HDL cholesterol actually carries bad cholesterol away from the heart and deposits it to the liver so that it can pass from the body. HDL cholesterol or (high density lipoproteins) is what we refer to as "good cholesterol".

Cholesterol comes in two forms.
It is this process that turns the LDL into plaque. Part of the "hardening" process in LDL is what is known as peroxidation. When an artery is blocked, this can cause heart attack or stroke.

These narrowed arteries make it for a clot to cause a blockage. This is what we call atherosclerosis. It forms plaque, a hard substance that clogs the arteries. When too much LDL circulates in the blood, it can build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. LDL cholesterol (low density lipoproteins) is the "bad cholesterol".
See your doctor for a blood test to determine your cholesterol levels. If you fall into this category, you may need medication along with lifestyle changes to get your cholesterol under control. You can significantly affect your cholesterol levels by with lifestyle choices; though some people are just genetically inclined to have high LDL levels.

It's critical for all of us to know our cholesterol levels and make sure that we have high levels of HDL and low levels of LDL.
How Can I Improve My Cholesterol Levels?
Here are the basics If you know that your cholesterol numbers could use some improvement, there are many things you can do to improve those numbers.
Exercise - Just 30 minutes of walking, 3-5 times a week can help bring your cholesterol numbers in line.
Taking the weight off can improve these numbers. Lose weight if you're overweight - Overweight people tend to have higher LDL levels.
Don't smoke - Smoking contributes to high LDL levels and to low HDL levels.
Managing Your Diet
Diet is the most important factor in controlling your cholesterol levels. Whether or not you need to lose weight, a healthy diet is critical to maintaining good cholesterol levels. Here are the diet basics you should follow.
Use egg substitutes or egg whites rather than egg yolks. Opt for chicken, fish and turkey more often; beef and pork just once or twice a week. Reduce the amount of red meat in your diet.
Choose low fat cheese, yogurt and sour cream.
Oatmeal and whole wheat are great options. Increase your whole grains - Replace simple, white flower based products with whole grains.
For the highest levels of anti-oxidants, be sure to eat your share of blueberries, red beans, artichokes and tomatoes. They are also filled with anti-oxidants, which can prevent disease by combating our body's free radicals. They fill you up on fewer calories, so you can eat less and lose weight. Increase your fruits and vegetables - Fruits and vegetables provide vitamins and fiber.
These good fats can help raise your HDL levels, without elevating your LDL levels in the process. Use olive oil, flaxseed oil and canola oil as your primary fats. Stay away from anything that contains "trans fats". Use good fats - We all need fat in our diets, but the types of fat we choose are important.
There have been many studies that have concluded that green tea's anti-oxidants have a powerful influence in preventing heart disease. Green tea is rich in anti-oxidants, just like fruits and vegetables. Add Green Tea to your diet - Green tea is one of the most under-recognized health protectors.
In this study, some mice were fed a diet high in saturated fats and other products known to raise bad cholesterol. The University of Shizuoka in Japan conducted a study on green tea and its ability to prevent atherosclerosis. One study, in particular is worth noting.
After about eight weeks, the mice who were fed green tea showed significantly less propensity to have atherosclerosis.* While the high level of LDL could still be spotted in the blood, it was not being converted to plaque.
So, even when the diet was higher than normal in "bad cholesterol" foods, the green tea seemed to prevent this cholesterol in the blood from turning into artery blocking plaque. The study concluded that green tea has the ability, likely because of its high anti-oxidant level, to prevent the peroxidation of the LDLs.
However, it does indicate that green tea may be highly effective at preventing the bad cholesterol that we do ingest from turning into arterial plaque. Now, this doesn't mean that it's ok to eat a diet high in fat and cholesterol and rely on green tea to take care of the problem.
It may give you an extra edge to winning the cholesterol battle! But, it's also wise to add green tea to your diet. So, for the best plan for preventing heart disease and stroke, it's wise to follow a low cholesterol diet, maintain a healthy weight and get regular exercise.
At their website, you can learn more about their current Stout is the Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea carefully selects the finest rare and orthodox teas, which are processed slowly and handcrafted with extreme care. Jon M.
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Monday, November 24, 2008

Drinking Green Tea May Help You Lose Weight

Green Tea Also Has Anticancer Properties
A new study in the March issue of the International Journal of Obesity concludes that green tea extract increases the burning of calories and fat needed to lose weight. Green tea, which has been reported to have anticancer properties and to raise levels of antioxidants in the blood that may ward off heart disease, now appears to have the potential to promote weight loss.
Green Tea In Liquid Or Capsule May Aid In Weight Loss
Previous animal studies showed that green tea in liquid or capsule form may be an effective way to aid weight loss.
In the new study, conducted by Abdul Dulloo, from the
Institute of Physiology at the University of Fribourg in
Switzerland, researchers exposed a particular type of fatty
tissue from rats to caffeine and to
green tea extract containing small concentrations of
caffeine.
Green Tea Containing Caffeine Can Raise Metabolism
Green tea containing caffeine significantly increased
thermogenesis by 28% to 77%, depending on dose, whereas
caffeine alone resulted in no significant increase. When the
stimulant ephedrine was added to green tea with caffeine,
the increase was even more significant compared with
caffeine alone and ephedrine alone. Caffeine and ephedrine
are used together in some herbal weight loss preparations,
but there are many safety concerns regarding ephedrine
because it raises heart rate and blood pressure.
Dulloo and colleagues also tested the plant compound EGCG
found in green tea. They found that the stimulant ephedrine
alone had no effect on thermogenesis, but that caffeine plus
ephedrine resulted in an 84% increase. However, adding EGCG
to the caffeine plus ephedrine mix increased thermogenesis
even further.
"Our studies ... raise the possibility that the therapeutic
potential of the green tea extract, or indeed a combination
of EGCG and caffeine, may be extended to the management of
obesity," Dulloo and co-authors write.
A researcher who reviewed the study for WebMD says that
while the work is interesting and extends this group's
previous findings by showing that compounds in green tea
other than caffeine are involved in thermogenesis, caution
should be used in interpreting animal data and applying it
to humans.
"It doesn't rule out the significance of the findings, and it is a good model to use to look at the effects of caffeine and the [plant] compounds that are present in green tea, but until better clinical trials are done in humans, it's hard to say what the physiological significance of this actually may be." non-obese people," says Sheri Zidenberg-Cherr, PhD. "They used [a particular type of fatty tissue] from rats and we don't really know how significant that tissue is in humans or if it is different in obese vs.
Zidenberg-Cherr, who is an associate professor of nutrition
at the University of California, Davis, also points out that
thermogenesis plays only a very small role in energy
expenditure in adults. Most of the energy expended is used
to maintain basic body functions such as breathing and the
flow of blood throughout the body.
She says green tea may have many health benefits due to its
plant compounds, but cautions that it is not the answer to
weight-loss woes. "Green tea can't be used, and it shouldn't
be used, as a 'magic bullet' for weight loss," she tells
WebMD. "You've got to combine it with other changes,
including increasing physical activity and reducing a
high-calorie diet."
You may reprint or publish this article free of charge as
long as the bylines are included.
Original URL (The Web version of the article):

Drinking Green Tea May Help You Lose
Weight

Drinking Tea Can Actually Help You Lose Weight

The following are the ones that have some scientific research behind them. Although experts are divided on exactly how healthy green tea, there is no doubt that it has some health benefits.
Tea can help reduce your chances of getting heart disease by up to half, as well as fight dental plaque and cavities (although it will also stain your teeth if you don't make sure to drink plenty of water and brush regularly, so watch out). Firstly, green tea shares all the health benefits that are thought to come from black tea, except in a more effective form, as the tea is fresher.
Drinking tea also burns more calories than it contains, meaning that could potentially help you to lose weight if you drink enough of it.
Black tea will make it a little redder - it sounds too far-fetched to be true, but many women swear by it, particularly in India. Strangely enough, tea is also thought to affect the colour of your hair if you drink it in sufficient quantities.
Unfortunately, there is also no shortage of people willing to claim that green tea will help you with whatever condition is fashionable at the moment. For that reason, read this list with some scepticism - it's up to you if you want to believe in green tea, or if it makes you personally feel better, but little has been proven scientifically either way. Green tea has been mooted as a cure for cancer, Alzheimer's, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, cardiovascular disease and HIV. But if it worked, surely we'd all be drinking it by now?

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Tea Blending-An Accidental Invention! It Needs More Support From Tea Research!

There was an English tea merchant selling tea packs in his town during the year 1660 A.D. He used to get a bag of tea from one estate or the other and make small packs and sell them to the people in his area.
People were buying from him, but used to make remarks on the quality of the tea he supplied.
THE GOODNESS OF TEAS!
The flavor was not always the same. Again, when the taste was good, the tea color was very low. Again, when the taste was not so.

Again, when the taste was not so. Again, when the taste was not so. When the color was good, the taste was good, the taste was not so. They said, "The tea was good last time, but it is different now".

It had become quite customary to hear comments of his customers about his tea.
The merchant was not able to find out a way to escape from the unsatisfied customers' remarks. Man could be a silent listener of all these things and cannot control. The tea characters change from grade to grade, season to season, process to process and even time to time.

This is because the teas grown in different estates differ in their characters. When ever he buys a new tea bag and distributes it in small packs, the customers' comments were also changed.
NO SINGLE TEA HAS ALL CHARACTERS IN PERFECT MATCH!
It was quite surprising to hear from almost all consumers that the tea was good that time in all respects. To cover up the time, he mixed all the remainings of tea bags and made into small packs and sold to his customers with all the reluctance. Once it happened that the merchant sold almost all the tea bags as remnants.
He had actually mixed all the leftover teas purchased so far and supplied to the consumers only to avoid the time gap. But, the customers were satisfied and started asking to supply only similar teas in future also.
MIXING MAKES IT BETTER - AN ACCIDENTAL INVENTION!
The color, taste and flavor are average and were acceptable to the people of the town. It was fine; blending of various kinds of tea had helped the merchant to run his business without much of bad comments. He started mixing and selling!

The trader understood the idea and started buying different kinds and grades of teas from a number of estates!
THANKS TO THE ANANYMOUS TEA MERCHANT!
We cannot continue with just mixing any kind or grade of tea available in the market as did by the merchant. But, this will not suffice the varying market needs of this modern day. It has its own merits!

So, tea blending was born. Though accidental, it was really an invention worth to be written in the history of tea industry!
WANTS ARE DIFFERENT! TEAS ARE DIFFERENT!
The tea taste changes with so many factors, natural and man made too. Some like leaf teas and others dust teas. Some love teas made by orthodox way and others the modern CTC way of production. There are different kinds of people loving different kinds of teas to make varying tea drinks.
NEED TO INVENT, INNOVATE AND STRATEGISE!
The growth of any product depends on the merits of invention to begin with, innovation in course of time and finally the strategy to cope up with the market competition.
RESEARCH NEEDED!

Hence, there is a need to do a research at a higher level with identification of tea grades, their physical and functional characters in relation to the final tea drink. There is also a compelling need to have an unbiased tea evaluation technique to judge true market values of the teas in question.
ART OF TEA TASTING - WITH HUMAN ERRORS!
Evaluation based on this gives only artistic values and do not speak about the real value of tea. It has erroneous influences of human mind. Simply because, the traditional tea tasting is an art and has no scientific base.

However, it has all the demerits of the human errors. It took a number of years gradually to improve up on the art or knowledge of tea tasting.
You know an art is enjoyable, but contains more of illusions and not the truth always. An art is always kept as a secret and not open for scientific analysis and confirmations.
SCIENCE IS TRUTH, A FOUNDATION FOR GROWTH!

However a revolutionary tea research culminating into a unique "scientific tea testing, tasting and blending technique" was done only very recently. Science is truth always and gives confirmative results and paves way for innovative and progressive growth of any business.
There is delay and it is due to the strong belief of the tea industry as a whole!
TEA TESTING, TASTING AND BLENDING TECHNIQUES:
Is it different from traditional tea tasting?
Yes. With all scientific base!

Is it a competition technique to the art of tea tasting?
No, it is complementary and supportive!

Tea researchers and students will also get benefited! In a big way! Yes.

Will this help the tea business and industry?
Tea blending, an accidental invention has opened new vistas to tea industry through scientific tea testing, tasting and blending techniques!
To know more about scientific tea testing, tasting and formulae of tea blending, please contact: pnkguru@yahoo.com Also visit:
http://www.teablends.blogspot.com/
RESOURCES:
FROM OWN RESEARCH AND BUSINESS EXPERIENCES OF THE TEA SCIENTIST AND THE AUTHOR.

Tea Tree Oil Nail Fungus

You may have read or heard about a tea tree oil nail fungus treatment and wondered if this is some kind of gimmick designed to part the unwary and the desperate from their hard earned money. These schemes abound today as much as in the past: tea tree oil however, deserves a hard second look.
First, tea tree oil, marketed as a natural remedy for toe nail fungus and other fungal infections, does not come from tea, but from an Australian tree called the tea tree, Melaleuca alternafolia. It contains a number of naturally occurring substances, but the one that is thought to be the most important is terpinen-4-ol. To extract it and produce a tea tree oil nail fungus remedy, leaves and stem of the tree are subjected to a steam extraction process. The resulting oil is either sold as a pure oil, or blended with other plant extracts.
The important point to understand is that good scientific research has been conducted on the medicinal properties of tea tree oil nail fungus treatment appears to be able to penetrate the thick layers of an infected nail to reach and act on the fungus: lack of nail penetration has been a serious impediment to the development of topical treatments for fungal nail infections.
It seems that tea tree oil nail fungus remedy has everything to recommend it: it's available without a prescription and is relatively inexpensive compared to prescription medications for nail fungus; it's a topical treatment, so potential side effects of a systemic drug are not an issue; it's a genuinely natural remedy for toe nail fungus, and it appears to work. One note of caution is in order: tea tree oil has not been proven safe for ingestion, so only use it topically, and if you have sensitive skin, choose a product that is not pure tea tree oil (terpinen-4-ol, or some other component of the oil, can be irritating to skin).
Always consult a medical professional for a proper diagnosis before embarking on a self-care program for any health problem.
R. Drysdale is a freelance writer with more than 25 years experience as a health care professional. She is a contributing editor to
Tea Tree Oil Nail Fungus
, a blog dedicated to the treatment of fingernail and toenail fungus.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Cooking with Green Tea

Green tea has a very distinct flavor that many enjoy and cannot be easily emulated by anything but green tea itself. The other reason would be flavor. In fact most Asian countries have used green tea for cooking purposes for these very reasons.

It lowers cholesterol, is high in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Well green tea is filled with a wide array of health benefits. Recently it has become popular to cook with such a thing.
This is why loose leaf tea is generally recommended. The stronger the tea is the more flavor and color will remain in the end product. When you do this keep in mind that you want the green tea to be strong.

This is probably the best way for someone who is experimenting with a recipe or this style of cooking. A very simple way is to substitute the water in a recipe with brewed green tea (at room temperature or as specified by the recipe). So now the big question, "How do I cook with green tea?" Well as I said earlier it's really very easy to do.
You may be surprised to find several already available. Simply go online and search for "green tea" and your favorite recipe. I see new ones popping up every day. You may also just want to look for green tea recipes.
A lot of green tea recipes will ask for green tea powder or matcha. This is ground up green tea leaves. Matcha specifically is ground up Gyokuro leaves and is used for tea ceremony purposes. You will find matcha generally more expensive than green tea powder, which can be made from almost any green tea. However you may find matcha worth the extra price for those specially recipes.
If you have never done it, I recommend buying green tea powder or matcha and trying it on some of your favorite recipes. You will find it amazing how much color and flavor one teaspoon of this stuff can provide.
John Newman is an author for Teanobi.com.
http://www.teanobi.com
Matcha

Friday, November 21, 2008

Types Of Chinese Tea

Probably you are familiar with the Chinese saying, "Firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea are the seven necessities to begin a day." Though tea is last on the list, we can still see how important the tea is for the Chinese.
These include green tea, oolong, black, red, white, yellow, flower, and compressed tea. However, if we will consider tea in terms of quality, there are actually eight classes of Chinese tea. These are usually classified by procedure, quality, and preparation methods and so on.

There are actually thousand of Chinese tea varieties.
Now, let's take a look at these classes one by one.
Green Tea
Green tea is said to be the most natural type of Chinese tea. It is usually picked, naturally dried and fried briefly to get rid of its grassy smell. Unlike the other types, green tea skipped fermentation process.
Today, about 50% of China's tea is green tea. The aroma of this type of Chinese type range from medium to high, while the flavor is usually light to medium. According to some experts, green tea has the most medicinal value and the least caffeine content of all Chinese tea classes.
Oolong Tea
Chinese also call it "Qing Cha" and its typical leaves are green in the middle and red on the edges as a result of the process to soften tea leaves. This type of Chinese tea is halfway between green tea and black tea in a sense that it is half fermented.
Then, it is fried, rolled and roasted. Oolong tea leaves are basically withered and spread before undergoing a brief fermentation process.
Black Tea
The leaves of this variety become completely oxidized after processing. Also, this type of Chinese tea undergoes withering, then left to ferment for a long while, and then roasted. The Chinese black tea produces full-bodied amber when brewed.
Red Tea
It is also considered that red tea has low aroma and medium flavor and it is now divided into three subclasses: Kung Fu Red Tea, Ted Tea Bits, and Small Species Red Tea. This color is strongly highlighted during the fermentation process. As the name implies, this type of Chinese tea has red leaves and red tea color.
White Tea
This type of Chinese tea is sometimes considered as subclass of green tea. Perhaps it is for the fact that it is only withered and then roasted. Just like green tea, white tea escaped fermentation process. And, it has low caffeine content.
Yellow Tea
Apparently, yellow tea has yellow leaves and yellow tea color. According to some experts, this type of Chinese tea is an uncommon class of Chinese tea. The flavor of yellow tea is usually mild and refreshing.
Flower Tea
Generally, this class has light to medium flavor and medium to strong aroma. The Scented Tea, on the other hand, uses green tea and red tea as base and mix with scent of flowers. Well, the Flower Tea is just based on a simple concept that dried flowers are used, without much processing, to make tea. It actually subdivides into Flower Tea and Scented Tea.

Here is a unique type of Chinese tea - the Flower tea.
Compressed Tea
The final type of Chinese tea is the compressed tea. This class uses black tea as base tea. It is steamed and compressed into bricks, cakes, columns, and other shapes. Also, compressed tea has all the characteristics of black tea. It can be stored for years and decades.
Improve your health dramatically with the use of chinese tea -
http://www.chinese-tea-today.info

Thursday, November 20, 2008

The Origins of the Humble Tea Leaf

The Origins of Tea
According to mythological fables, there are many tales of the origin of tea. The first one comes from over 4500 years ago. The Second Chinese Emperor Chen Sung(circa 2737-2697 BC) was sitting beneath a tree while his servant was boiling some water. A leaf from the tree above fell into the boiling water and Chen Sung tried the brew and liked it. The tree was a tea tree, of course.
Another fabled origin of tea comes from Bodhidharma, the traditional founder of the Zen school of Buddhism. The Japanese claim that he brought tea with him from India to China. The Indian legend proclaims that after 5 years of a 7 year sleepless meditation exercise on the Lord Buddha, BoddhiDharma began to feel sleepy. He immediately plucked a few leaves from a nearby bush and chewed them which thereby kept him awake. The bush was
a wild bush tree. Another story along these lines has him plucking off his eyebrows when they started drooping and he threw them on the ground. It is reputed that 2 tea trees sprang up that had the power to keep him awake and alert.
Whatever the truth is, the raw leaves of the tea tree were probably used as food from the earliest times by the native populations of Southern China. A chinese text of 50 BC mentions tea being prepared by servants. Historians and scholars have tea being cultivated in Szechuan around the 3rd Century AD. There are many authentic references to tea in the Chinese dictionary circa 350 AD.
In the 8th Century the Chinese author Lu Yu wrote the first book on tea, the "Ch'a Ching". This book summarised all the accumulated knowledge to date about tea growing and preparation. There were many illustrations of tea making utensils. This book succeeded in giving a major impetus to the drinking of tea by the upper classes. Some say that this book inspired the Buddhist priests to create the Japanese tea ceremony.
Early Processing of tea.
In the 4th Century the fresh green tea leaves were picked , squeezed into cakes and then roasted to a reddish color. These cakes were crumbled into the water and boiled, meanwhile adding onion, ginger, and orange peel. This tea was considered to be a good remedy for stomach problems, bad eyesight and many other diseases, but must have been a very bitter brew indeed.
Tea was beginning to be exported to Tibet, Turkey , India, and Russia because of its easy transportability. In the Tang Dynasty, this tea recipe was the national drink of the ruling classes. Around about the 8th Century the bricks of tea were now boiled with only a little bit of salt.
The first mention of tea outside China and Japan was by the Arabs in 850 AD. Some say that they introduced it into Europe throught the port of Venice. The Portuguese paved the way for the entry of tea into Europe also because of their exploration of the sea passages to China as early as the 16th Century. Jesuit priests coming back from the East brought back their tea drinking habits back to Portugal. The Dutch merchants got in on the act as well. In 1610, regular shipments of tea to ports in France and Holland were started. In the late 17th Century, the English East India Company entered the trade.
Beginnings of the names for tea.
In the 4th Century in China, the Chinese word t'u was often used to describe shrubs besides tea. The modern term for tea comes from early chinese dialect words such as Tchai, Cha and Tay. These words were used to pertain to both the drink and the leaf. Tea is known as Cha or Chai in India to this day. In japan, the word Cha is used to describe both tea and a hot broth.
Early Benefits of Tea.
From the earliest times tea was recognised and enjoyed because it is a healthy refreshing beverage. Made from the dried leaves of the camellia sinensis plant, tea is said to have antioxidant properties, can fight the flu virus, and boosts the immune system.
http://www.healthfromtea.com

Benefits of tea and the spiritual and health factors that add to our enjoyment of the refreshing taste.

Lessons Learned in the Tea Room

Take two parts training and three parts hard knocks. Shake them together and you get a lifetime of lessons learned on the front line in the tea business industry. 8 years of ups and downs have taught me a few simple steps that can save you hours of heartache if applied now.
Here are the top 3 lessons that I learned in the tea business:
Lesson #1 A Consistent Atmosphere Creates Loyalty
Before you enter the door you know what atmosphere to expect and are inwardly grateful. I would venture to guess it is a consistent atmosphere. What does the public library and Starbucks have in common?
Be it the old fashion "silence" of the library or the wafting smells of grinding beans an knowing what's coming cannot be beat. Expectations met in this era of constant change can be soothing.
So, ask yourself...What type of atmosphere am I creating for my customers and how will I keep it consistent?
The key comes in presenting that same experience again and again like clockwork. Consider your types of tea, food and services which all contribute to the overall impression and ultimate experience your guest will look forward to .
If you can achieve that your customers will look to you as a refuge from the storm of life and keep coming back for more.
Lesson #2 The "Show" Must Go On
A tea business is a "show" and the "show must always go on. Just at a consistent atmosphere will keep your customer flow returning, a sense that someone else is in charge will extend a comforting blanket to a ragged and weary public.
They do not need to know that the lead actress has the flu or that the set has a hole in the wall which you carefully covered with a large mirror. The audience need not be aware of the chaos behind the stage. If you plan to run a tea business think of it as a play.
They long to enjoy themselves and get away from their day to day drudgery. The audience wants is to be entertained and kept blissfully unaware of the dangers that lurk in the night.
The smart owner recognizes that customers want the "show" to go on. He or she will make sure that customers are not aware of fires in the kitchen or the staff that didn't show up. A successful tea business owner is like a great stage manager.
Give them a break and don't share what goes on behind the magic curtain. Customers have their own set of problems. Not likely. Did you feel relaxed?

Think about this: Have you ever been to a small business where the owner told you all about their cares and woes?
Lesson #3 A Dash of Mystery Keeps Them Coming Back For More
In the 1930- 1940's serial mysteries played daily on radio and in movie theaters. These short episodes left audiences hanging in suspense compelled to return for next week's installment.
A creative entrepreneur knows how to keep their customers involved in their tea business. In today's society, competition for one's time is fierce. So too, a tea business owner must project a sense of mystery and intrigue to keep clients enthralled.
Consider daily menu's, themed events, costumes,festive holiday decor or even contests as part of the mystery your customers crave. A mix of consistency with the great unknown makes for phenomenal stage productions and unimaginable customer loyalty.
In summary, your mission, should you choose to accept it is simple. Provide a consistent, care free enviornment that sparks creativity and delight. Your clients will thank you with their money time and time again.
Dawnya Sasse is the creator of the ultimate tea business training school allowing students to discover the secrets of the tea industy,"quickly and easily" without ever leaving home.
Free audio mini course Discover how to "Unlock the Secrets of the Billion Dollar Tea Industry from the Comfort of Your Own Computer" and make your tea dream a reality. Why do some people succeed in the tea business?
www.StartATeaBusiness.com
This article may be distributed freely on your website, as long as this entire article, including links and this resource box are unchanged.
Copyright 2006 Dawnya Sasse All Rights Reserved. Tea Events
www.TeaEvents.com

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Basic Steps To Make Great Tasting Tea

Tea can be made many different ways but there are some guidelines you can follow to insure you get a great tasting cup. Some people learn by trial and error and others have the information passed down from their parents or other relatives. Not everyone knows how to make tea the correct way.
Some people even add a little sugar or other sweetener but this is all up to preference. Believe it or not this can greatly affect the flavor and overall enjoyment of the tea. You also want to use fresh, high quality water.

Try to get it as fresh as possible for the richest flavor. Before beginning make sure you have a high quality tea from a reputable source.
These are some basic guidelines to follow but always refer to the recommendations set forth by the tea manufacturer. Popular green teas should be steeped at a temperature of 160 to 180 degrees for a lesser time of 2 to 3 minutes. Popular green teas should be steeped at a temperature of 160 to 180 degrees for a period of 3 to 5 minutes.

Oolong tea is recommended for approximately 190 to 203 degrees for a period of 3 to 5 minutes. Black tea usually requires boiling water of around 212 degrees for a period of 4 to 6 minutes. This occurs when the tea is placed in the water for a period of time, but this will vary greatly with the type of tea you are making. Steeping is an important process that allows the tea to flow into the water.
It is a good idea for the tea to be brewed in a large deep pan, to give ample room for expansion of up to 5 times the leafs' original size. The best way is to just brew the leaves loose in the pot as the ancient cultures once did. Plus you get the full experience of brewing tea, not just the enjoyment of the cup. To get the leaves out when steeping is done you can strain them or use a tea infuser. These are products designed to remove every excess leaf from the water at the right time.
Drinking tea is a terrific way to relax with your friends. Now you can sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
James McDonald writes for findteaonline.com where you can find
flavored tea products
Read our related articles for tea information and even find a teapot or fun gifts for the tea lover in your family. including green, black, white, and other delicious teas.

Wholesale Tea: A Market of Possibilities

With the rise in the accessibility of "foreign" countries, one seemingly small item has now exploded onto the market; Wholesale Tea. A wide variety of items are available and relatively simple to acquire as the internet provides a gateway to export companies from all nations. As the business world grows, the physical globe shrinks as products from all nations become business opportunities for companies of all sizes.
Before only available to those with contacts in Eastern nations including, China, Japan, India, and Sri Lanka, wholesale tea has now grown to suppliers in African nations, and importers through out the world, as a simple entry of "wholesale tea" in any search engine will provide users with a list of options supplying not only suppliers of Wholesale Tea, but also suppliers of wholesale tea bags, wholesale gift boxes and gift sets containing tea, and a variety of other similar items.
A now global commerce, items such as gourmet tea bags that you will find the tea bags in a store sold under a third company's brand name.
In regards to the tea itself, there are a multitude of tea variations, including Jasmine Green Tea, a slight variation on tradition, Rooibos, perhaps the most popular herbal tea, Lemongrass, one of many relatively new herbal teas to the mainstream industry and a very long list of blends. Now we see a variety of companies creating an even larger number of options in every facet of the wholesale tea market. This is not to say that Wholesale Tea was not available 5 years ago, but the industry has grown far beyond green tea and breakfast tea.

Experimentation with blends and tea bag designs are the current trends in an up and coming business. As you may have noticed, the tea bag market has a full listing of names and an even fuller listing of variations.
Generally containing a low quality tea dust, these bags focus more on price than quality. In the tea bag world, there are few variations with the machine packaged and stapled standard heavily dominating the market.
Though packaging may not be as easy and all practicality aside, the quality is generally higher than the standard as some form of loose tea is included inside and the look is potentially more appealing. Another design that is available is a pyramid shaped bag.
A new method allowing for design flexibility and the inclusion of high quality loose tea, these gourmet tea bags will put up a good fight against the aforementioned variations. Square and Round shaped, hand sewn bags are now starting to make their way to the industry with a few select companies offering both manufacturing and wholesale tea bag distribution. The newest entry to the market is a smooth balance between the two.
With a little creativity and a good manufacturer, any budding entrepreneur looking for an opening, or any currently established business looking to expand, can now step into the Tea bag world. With the many variables available in both tea blend and tea bag manufacturing, wholesale tea is a prime example of how with the growth of communication and transportation, business opportunities are as easy to find as your kitchen cabinet.
David Giusti is the owner of Sabaidi Tea Co., Ltd.,
http://www.Sabaidi.net
You can read more on the company's home page at , a company that manufactures and exports Handmade Gourmet Tea Bags, Gift boxes and other specialties from Thailand.
http://www.Sabaidi.net
.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Arthritis Relief with Tea Tree Oil

Symptoms of all of these diseases include pain, stiffness and swelling of the joints, and can affect other parts of the body such as other bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments. Quite often, arthritis is cause by the deterioration of cartilage in the joints. The term "arthritis" is used to refer to one or more of a group of over 100 rheumatic diseases.
Tea tree oil is very good for arthritis as it is able to penetrate and desensitize irritated nerve endings.
Put in a dark bottle and shake before applying it topically two to four times a day as a massage oil. For relief from pain caused by the various arthritic afflictions (rheumatoid arthritis , osteoarthritis, etc.), combine 18 drops of tea tree oil with 1/8 cup of almond oil.
Putting 2-3 drops of tea tree oil into a warm bath is also a great way to alleviate the joint pain associated with arthritis.
Omega-6 fatty acids are found mostly in plant seed oils such as evening primrose and sunflower oil, and can also have a positive effect in relieving arthritis symptoms. Omega-3 fatty acids switch off the enzymes that break down joint cartilage, and are found mainly in oily fish such as sardines, salmon and cod liver oil. Changing the type of oil in the diet to one rich in omega-3 fatty acids suppresses the inflammatory that the body makes. In order to go beyond merely relieving arthritis symptoms, it is important to make dietary changes.
Foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids are:
* canola oil (the oil and margarine)
* salmon oil
* cod liver oil (mmm yum :)
* soybean oil
* soybeans
* walnut oil
* walnuts
* avocado oil
* fresh avocado.
Foods to avoid:
Red meat is also a good source of iron, so be sure to eat lots of dark green leafy vegetables and other foods rich in iron so as not to be deficient. Try replacing much of the red meat you consume with oily fish.
* alcohol
* tea
* coffee
* saturated fats
* processed foods
* fried and grilled foods
You cannot expect to cure arthritis through dietary changes but, in conjunction with using tea tree oil, the right foods can alleviate many of the painful flareups.

Oolong Tea - A Healthy Refreshing Drink

Green tea is often touted as a wonder drink providing all sorts of health benefits. Studies have shown that green tea can prevent cancer, lower blood pressure, boost the immune system and reduce hypertension. Although green tea gets the spotlight, many of these same health benefits can be attributed to all sorts of tea including oolong.
Tea is, after all, tea. The only difference between green, oolong, and black tea is the way it has been processed after harvesting. White tea is a little bit different because of the way it is grown, but all tea is from the same plant - Camelia sinensis. And this plant has naturally occurring antioxidants that are beneficial to human health.
Antioxidants are also present in other types of food such as nuts, fruits, vegetables, and wines. They are good for disease prevention by combating free radicals - substances in the body linked to cancer, Parkinson's disease, senile and drug-induced deafness, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's.
There are several components in tea that act as antioxidants including catechins, flavanoids, and polyphenols.
White, Green or Oolong?
Oolong tea is produced by allowing the tea leaves to oxidize for a short time after picking. Oxidation is the process which makes the leaves turn dark on exposure to oxygen. Oolong is semi-oxidized; black tea is fully oxidized; and green tea is un-oxidized.
Fresh tea leaves are high in catechins. Processing the tea reduces these levels, so the more the tea is oxidized the lower the catechin levels. This means that white tea has the highest levels of catechins closely followed by green tea.
Catechins are the media darling of green tea promoters and usually receive the most coverage when discussing the health benefits of tea. There is one point, however, which is often overlooked: As the levels of catechins decrease during oxidation, the levels of theaflavins and thearubigins increase.
These two substances are found in higher concentrations in oolong and black tea than in green tea and have anti-allergy, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties. A 2001 Chinese study indicated that the antioxidant properties of green tea and black tea are equal.
So it appears that oxidation does not eliminate the health properties of tea, but simply reduces one type of antioxidant while increasing other health-promoting compounds.
So is Oolong Good for You?
It is safe to say that all tea is good for you, but since we are particularly interested in oolong, let's see what the medical literature has to say.
Diabetes - Oolong tea may be an effective adjunct to oral hypoglycemic agents in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Eczema - Japanese researchers reported that patients with a form of eczema improved after drinking a liter of oolong tea daily.
Allergies - Two catechin derivatives (C-1 and C-2) with potent antiallergic activity were isolated from Taiwanese oolong tea.
Bacterial infections - Oolong tea polyphenols strongly inhibited the enzyme activities of some types of streptococci.
Cavities - Oolong tea polyphenolic compounds could be useful for controlling dental caries.
Obesity - Consumption of oolong tea stimulates both EE and fat oxidation in normal weight men.
Cancer - Oolong tea extract has a chemopreventive action against hepatocarcinogenesis.
Great stuff! Drinking oolong tea will make you healthier, live longer, be more beautiful and have great teeth!
The Bottom Line
Drink oolong tea for your health, but don't lose sight of this simple fact - people have been drinking tea for thousands of years because it is a great tasting beverage. Sit back, relax, and savour the sensations as you sip this wonderful drink. It's good for the soul, and what's good for the soul is certainly good for the body.
__________________________________
References:
J. Agric. Food Chem., 47 (5), 1906 -1910, 1999. 10.1021/jf981114l S0021-8561(98)01114-5
Archives of Dermatology, January 2001
Diabetes Care 26:1714-1718, 2003
Appl Environ Microbiol. 1993 April; 59(4): 968-973.
131:2848-2852, November 2001 Nutr. The American Society for Nutritional Sciences J.
Caries Res. 1993;27(2):124-9.
Jpn J Cancer Res. 1996 Oct;87(10):1034-8.
Journal of Nutrition. 2001;131:2248-2251.
Copyright © 2006 by Ross MacIver
TeaFromTaiwan.com
This article may be redistributed freely on the Internet or in ezines as long as the resource box and hyperlinks remain intact.
Ross MacIver is the webmaster of
Tea From Taiwan
, a Taiwan-based merchant of high-quality oolong tea. Taiwan produces the best oolong tea in the world. All the tea carried by
Tea From Taiwan
is hand picked and hand processed. The tea is shipped worldwide by Taiwan air post.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Green Tea: Natures Miracle Heath Drink

It is best to drink pure green tea without preservatives or other artificial flavors. The best variety is said to originate from tea farms in China, especially those protected from pesticides. "Camellia Sinensis" or Green Tea is rich in Catechins, which are antioxidants.
In Japan, it was discovered that drinking 10 or more cups of green tea daily delays the onset of cancer by some nine years among women and about three years in men. Green tea in particular can also help in battling cancer. Teas have been found to have powerful effects on levels of cholesterol in the blood stream and on your health in general.
Pure green tea is said to be 100 times more effective than vitamin C from other sources, and 25 times better than vitamin E from other sources. Green tea also has carotenoids, chlorophyll, polysaccharides natural vitamins C and E, manganese, potassium, and zinc, all essential to your health. Catechins destroy free radicals. These are delicious teas and contain large amounts of polyphenols and flavoniods (catechins which are also immune system boosters), and natural vitamins and minerals.

Pure green tea is the high-grade tea sold at Japanese Tea Online. Green tea also has carotenoids, chlorophyll, polysaccharides natural vitamins C and E, manganese, potassium, and zinc, all essential to your health. Catechins destroy free radicals. These are delicious teas and contain large amounts of polyphenols and flavoniods (catechins which are also immune system boosters), and natural vitamins and minerals.

Another source of good green tea is the high-grade tea sold at Japanese Tea Online.
You may find green tea mixed with other medicinal herbs in leading drug stores, but rarely can you find pure green tea sold alone. Green tea is usually sold in tea bags, but modern processing has made possible its liquefied form in bottles, and also its powdered form in sachet packages, without damaging its health and healing benefits.
Green tea and other natural food supplements carry micronutrients that feed your immune system and strengthen your body cells. When the immune system becomes stronger, tissue and cell repair is enhanced in a way that the body retains the ability to heal itself; thus, ailments and even serious diseases are healed. It is not the food supplement itself that heals, but the empowered immune system.
A Japanese monk, Eisai, wrote in 1211 AD that (green) tea is a miraculous medicine for the maintenance of health. "Tea has the extraordinary power to prolong life. Anywhere a person cultivates tea, long life will follow."
Eisai further wrote that tea in general was known as an elixir that created the "immortal" mountain dwellers.
It eliminates distress by refreshing your mind and body. It actually delays the aging process. In the 16th century, European explorers were said to have found that tea, especially green tea, was used to treat fever, headache, joint pains, and stomachaches and some other health ailments.Green tea, according to modern nutritionists and herbal medicine experts, can help prevent high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, heart ailments, skin diseases, and lung ailments.

Useful Information About Tea

Tea is drunk in more countries than any other beverage. It is one of the most popular drinks today. Little wonder it is known as "the cup that cheers."
The only difference between them is the way they are made. The main types of tea available today are black, white, green, and oolong. China is a major producer of green tea. Other countries that produce tea are Kenya, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

India is one of the leading tea producers offering 720 million kilograms each year. The yearly worldwide production of dried tea leaves is over 2.6 billion kilograms.
Though mechanical pluckers are sometimes used, hand plucking is said to be a better option. Approximately 18 kilograms of tea leaves can be harvested a day to produce about 4.5 kilograms of manufactured tea. or a growth of new shoots with many leaves and a bud, which are picked by hand. Grown on hill slopes on tea estates, its botanical name is "Camellia sinensis." In about four to five years the tea tree produces a ?flush?

The tea tree is an evergreen plant with small, white, sweet-smelling flowers.
Tea is graded according to the size of the leaves, which has nothing to do with the quality of the tea. In order of size, they are orange pekoe, pekoe, and pekoe souchong. The smaller or broken leaves are used in tea bags. Each tea company has tea tasters who select only specific teas.
1773 was the year of the famous Boston Tea Party. By 1657, it was being sold in English coffee houses. In the 1600s, it was imported into Europe from China by the Dutch.

In Japan, tea drinking was elevated to a full-fledged ceremony by 600 A.D. It finds its mention in Chinese around 350 A.D. It was supposed to have been discovered by Emperor Shennong of China in about 2737 B.C. Tea has a colorful history.
Today tea is a popular beverage all over the world. The country importing the most tea is the UK, importing a total of about 180 million kilograms per year. It has been calculated that the British drink 3.2 kilograms of tea per person every year. Australians and New Zealanders are also great tea drinkers and each person would, on an average, be drinking about 1.4 kilograms of tea annually. Special varieties of tea are also gaining ground; the market is expanding and offering a greater choice to the consumer. It really is the cup that warms a lot of hearts all over the globe!
Tea
provides detailed information on Tea, Green Tea, Herbal Tea, White Tea and more. Tea is affiliated with
Benefits of Green Tea
.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Choose The Hybrid Tea Rose For A Touch Of Classic Elegance

The Hybrid Tea Rose is a modern rose, the offspring of 2 old timers getting together: the Hybrid Perpetual and the Tea Rose. These magnificent modern flowers grow on long stems and bloom throughout the year. Although this rose gives off only a faint scent, it makes up for this shortcoming with its many petals and tall stature. The Hybrid Tea Rose has been referred to as "your basic rose on a stick." These are the most popular roses to give or receive on special occasions.
A Thorny Issue
You can find these roses in every color of the rainbow, except blue. When shopping, look for roses with tags that read "smooth" on the label. Well, good news -- there are several thornless varieties!

Many gardeners avoid the Hybrid Tea Rose because they're turned off by the idea of thorns.
You Look Marrrrvelous
Plant in the spring. Space your plants approximately 24 inches apart to ensure a good growth pattern. It's much easier to tend to them this way. They are happiest when planted in rows by themselves.

A Hybrid Tea Rose will look fabulous in any garden.
These roses, like most flowers, do not enjoy the company of weeds. Be sure to keep this area weed-free.
Water Generously
Regardless of chosen schedule, if the ground looks dry and cracked, you water at once. Most gardens require a weekly soaking. Hybrid Tea Roses require lots of water during hot weather, especially if the heat is accompanied by dryness.
The mulch will help prevent those aforementioned unwelcome weeds and conserve moisture. Placing mulch around your roses is a very good idea.
Sunlight is Essential
The morning sun will dry up excess moisture and dew, which will help prevent diseases from developing. Roses require a minimum of 6 hours of sunshine a day, including morning sunlight. It's important that your roses get plenty of sunlight.
Most modern roses, such as the Hybrid Tea, live a span of 6 or 7 years -- even longer if the flower has been given exceptional care. Even after pruning, the flower will grow back to this height annually. The Hybrid Tea Rose will likely reach full height in about 3 years.
How to Care for Your Hybrid Teas
In February, when your flowers are dormant, prune your roses. Your first step will be to remove dead branches and damaged canes.
Those are the canes that will produce buds in the spring. Look for lively green canes -- and don't cut them. In colder climates, you'll probably have to cut all the old damaged wood.
In warmer areas, remove any existing leaves from the plant to promote new growth.
Lastly, remove any debris from your garden.
As spring approaches and your roses begin to grow, you should fertilize your garden with a high-nitrogen fertilizer. Now you're ready for spring.
Then sit back and enjoy nature's beauty.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Introducing White Tea

White tea has only about 200 years of history and is the youngest among major tea types such as Green, Oolong and Black tea. Even though tea has been enjoyed for about 5000 years since its serendipitous discovery by Chinese Emperor and "Divine Healer" Shen-Nung in 2737 B.C, White tea did not come to existence until at much later time.
For her kindness and courage, people honored her with the name of Mother Taimu and named the mountain Taimu Mountain. While taking refuge up in a cave in the mountain, Lan Gu found a special tea tree to help cure them. According to a legend, White tea tree varietal was discovered by a girl named Lan Gu from Fuding county of Fujian Province in China where the beautiful Taimu Mountain is located.
This legend parallels the same divine healing spirit of tea discovery by Shen-Nung, only more than 2000 years later.
According to the history, White tea was first produced in Fuding in 1796 and later spread to two other counties (Zhenhe and Jianyang) in Fujian.
There are three different cultivars of White tea tree - Big White, Narcissus White and Vegetable White with the Big White as the finest and most popular. There are also three different types of White tea based on different ways of plucking - Silver Needle (only one bud is plucked), White Peony (one bud together with one leave down) and Longevity Eyebrow (one bud with two to three leaves down). Silver Needle is also known as its original Chinese name "Bai Hao Yin zhen" and is the most precious and exotic.
Due to the minimal processing, White tea preserves most natural compounds and potentially has the most health benefits. White tea is also called a lightly fermented tea positioning itself between the unfermented Green and semi-fermented Oolong tea. White tea brews to a pale yellow color and has a slightly sweet flavor.

During the process, there is light oxidation occurring. The leaves are withered and then dried. The process only consists of two steps. White tea is the least processed among all types of teas.
In 2002, a research paper by Oregon State University scholar Roderick H. Dashwood published in Foods and Food Ingredients Journal of Japan "White Tea - A New Cancer Inhibitor" provides insight into the anticancer and anti-mutagenic properties of White Tea.
They also found that the anti-viral and anti-bacterial effect of white tea might be greater than that of green tea. In 2004, at the 104th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Researchers at Pace University presented their finding that White Tea Extract (WTE) may have prophylactic applications in retarding growth of bacteria that cause Staphylococcus infections, Streptococcus infections, pneumonia and dental caries.
In addition, several companies started marketing White tea flavored "Ready to Drink" (RTD) bottled beverages. Recently, White tea has found itself used in anti-aging skin care and beauty products.
If you find the price for White tea is generally higher than that of Green and Oolong teas, you now know why. If you find the price for White tea is most exotic and rare due to the rare White tea tree varietals and short harvest time (high grade Silver Needle is only made from the youngest bugs plucked during only a couple of days of spring). White tea is most exotic and rare due to the rare White tea tree varietals and short harvest time (high grade Silver Needle is only made from the youngest bugs plucked during only a couple of days of spring).
White tea could be the tea of the future with its legendary spirit, exotic nature and wide applications of health benefits.
Jay is a tea lover and the owner of
Taimu Tea
- a premium Chinese tea store that focuses on tea knowledge, news and education in addition to providing quality fresh teas from Taimu Mountain and its surrounding areas in Fujian province of China.
http://www.taimutea.com
tea@taimutea.com

Green Tea And Weight Loss

There's recently been a LOT in the weight loss news concerning green tea.
Green tea's weight loss effects have been causing more and more people to start sipping the ancient Japanese brew.
This article gives you the real facts about drinking green tea to lose weight. And does it really work or is it all just hype? But just how does green tea help you lose weight?
Advantages of Drinking Green Tea for Weight Loss:
1) Green tea revs up your metabolism
A study reported on in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that green tea extract resulted in a significant increase in energy expenditure (a metabolism 'boost').
The researchers also concluded that that over a 24-hour period, green tea extract increases the metabolic rate by 4%. These effects are probably due to the high concentrations of catechin polyphenols found in green tea. These work to help intensify levels of fat oxidation and thermogenesis (the rate at which your body burns calories).
2) Green tea inhibits fat absorption and helps glucose regulation
Experts tell us that the catechins in green tea help to inhibit the movement of glucose into fat cells. Green tea may also act as al glucose regulator. It helps to slow the rise in blood sugar after a meal. This prevents high insulin spikes (lots of insulin promotes fat storage) and the subsequent fat storage.
3) Green tea may help reduce appetite
This may have something to do with the blood sugar regulating effects of green tea. Rats injected with a green tea extract lost their appetites and consumed up to 60 percent less food after seven days of daily injections. Scientists at the University of Chicago found that green tea caused rats to lose up to 21 percent of their body weight.
4) Green tea can help you save calories on your morning brew.
Be it the regular double-cream, double-sugar standard or that mocha, dappa, frappucinno, the calories we ingest just to get our morning caffeine is wreaking havoc on our waistlines. We are a nation hooked on our java.
You'll definitely notice the difference in your waistline after a few weeks. Or have a green tea in the afternoon instead of that 700 calorie mocha-chillate dream. If you want to save mega-calories in the morning but still get your caffeine fix, try substituting green tea for coffee.
So there are 4 ways that green tea can help you with weight loss. But how much do you actually have to drink to get these amazing metabolism boosting effects?
Pretty good for not exercising or cutting calories, right? Doing this can help you burn an extra 70 calories per day which amounts to 7 pounds per year. Experts vary but the general consensus seems to be that 3 - 5 cups of green tea per day is optimal.
However, 3 - 5 cups can be a lot for some people, so you might also want to consider green tea extract, green tea pills or a green tea patch.
Disadvantages of Drinking Green Tea For Weight Loss:
#1) Green tea is not a magic bullet
A healthy diet and increased exercise will go a long way in helping you lose weight and keep it off. You're not going to eat 5000 calories a day, drink a cup of green tea and make it all go away - it just isn't going to happen. While some people will tell you that green tea is the be-all-end-all for weight loss success, I think the keyword here is balance.
#2) Be cautious of the caffeine if you have health problems
Most green tea extract is made from decaffeinated green tea so you can still get the weight loss benefits without the caffeine. If you're worried about the caffeine from green tea, try taking green tea extract. For some people that have heart troubles, high blood pressure or stimulant sensitivities, the caffeine in green tea may not be the best idea.
Also make sure to consult your doctor before starting green tea if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Also make sure to consult your doctor before starting green tea for weight loss. Also make sure to consult your doctor before starting green tea for weight loss.

If you think the caffeine may be a problem, make sure to consult your doctor before starting green tea for weight loss.
While it's not the magic bullet, it can definitely give you a boost in weight loss and in your overall health! Bottom Line: Green tea helps you with weight loss by boosting your metabolic rate, regulating your blood sugar, suppressing your appetite and giving you something else besides that high calorie, high sugar coffee beverage to drink in the morning.
Kathryn O'Neill is a contributing writer to
Diet and Weight Loss Reviews
.
For more free weight loss tips and diet reviews, visit
http://www.FreeToBeThin.com
.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Tea Party Etiquette - Birthday Fun For Your Child

These tips and guidelines will help your child and all her guests enjoy their party and learn proper manners.
How much you follow accepted etiquette really depends on the age of your child and her guests.
For a very young group
you may find that simply instructing them to say "please" and "thank you" and to ask for things to be passed rather than reaching for them is acceptable etiquette at your party.
As a parent
it might be helpful if you stand beside the table and gently offer guidance as you go. You could even start your party by giving all your guests a short lesson in this party etiquette.
For older children
you can use more proper etiquette, but in either case it will be necessary for you to instruct your child and their guests in the fine art of tea party etiquette that you are expecting them to follow.
Have fun
While following good etiquette will make your party more enjoyable and at the same time provide everyone with at least a little education in proper manners, you don't want your child or their guests to worry about making a mistake.
Tell them to Make sure everyone understands that if they forget and make a mistake, it's all right.
have fun and do their best
to remember the etiquette guidelines.
Tea Party Etiquette
I've put together a list of helpful tips and guidelines that will help everyone better understand how to do things properly at a tea party without getting too stuffy and formal. We are after all putting together a party for young girls.
A
Birthday Tea Party
is a wonderful opportunity for your birthday child and her party guests to not only have a lot of fun, but to learn proper manners as well.
Keep in mind the ages
of your birthday child and her guests. For very young children you can't expect them to understand or use much in the way of formal tea etiquette, so you may want to try using only a few simple tea party etiquette guidelines.
Send Your Guests The Etiquette Guidelines
If you feel that your birthday child and her guests are old enough to understand, observe and use more of the following tea party etiquette guidelines, you might want to copy the list we've provided here and send these guidelines along with your invitations, informing your guests that you will be following this list of tea party etiquette guidelines. That way, each guest will have an opportunity to become familiar with tea party etiquette and will be more comfortable at your party.
A Gentle Reminder - The Etiquette Game
You can also take a few minutes at the beginning of your tea party to go over these simple guidelines with your guests so that everyone can have fun doing their best to follow the proper etiquette that is expected. You can even make this into a game and reward the guests who observe the best etiquette.
Preparing Your Tea Party
Tea bags are just too messy. Your tea should be served from teapots. One word about preparing your tea party.
Remember It's Fun
I've already said this, but it's worth repeating. The most important thing to remember is to make sure your birthday child and all her guests have fun. Observing proper tea party etiquette can be a fun part of the party experience, but you don't want to make your party atmosphere too stiff because everyone is "worried" they will make a mistake.
Tea Party Etiquette Tips and Guidelines
Since most tea party foods are "finger foods" it is perfectly alright to eat with your fingers. If something is a bit messy, use your fork or spoon.
Break off bite-sized pieces of larger foods unless they are messy. In that case, use your fork or spoon
Even if the sandwich is tiny, never put the entire sandwich in your mouth. Take bites of small sandwiches.
When you sugar your tea, be careful not to dip the serving tong or spoon into your tea.
Stir sugar or milk into your tea with your teaspoon. When you are finished stiring, place your teaspoon on your cup saucer.
Drink your tea by holding your cup and saucer up to your mouth and take a drink.
Don't slurp or gulp you tea. Just take small sips.
Hold your teacup normally, it is not necessary to "stick out your little finger" (your pinky) while drinking your tea.
If your tea seems too hot to drink, place your cup back on the saucer and return your cup and saucer to the table to let your tea cool off. Never blow on your tea.
You should not reach across the table to pick things up. Instead, politely ask someone to pass the item to you. "Excuse me Cindy, could you please pass the sandwiches?"
Remember to say "please" and "thank you" and "excuse me."
It's not polite to talk with your mouth full of food.
Cover your mouth if you need to cough or sneeze.
Be careful not to talk too much, let everyone have a chance to join in the conversation.
Remember to use your napkin.
Do your best to remember and use these etiquette tips and guidelines, but if you forget to do some things properly, don't worry, have fun.
Thank You Notes
After your child's tea party is over, proper etiquette also calls for thank you notes to be sent to your party guests. This is a great project for you and your birthday child to work on together.
A Closing Thought
These simple tea party etiquette tips and guidelines will help make your child's birthday tea party a great success and one they will remember fondly for years to come.

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