Tea time Anytime

Tea was regarded for thousands of years in the East as a key to good health and happiness. Now tea has caught the attention of researchers in the West, who are discovering the many health benefits of different types of teas. It’s pretty well established that the compounds in tea - their flavonoids - are good for the heart and nutritionists agree that any tea is good tea but choose brewed teas over bottled to avoid the extra calories and sweeteners.

What is Black Tea?
Black Tea is made from the leaves of the plant, Camellia sinensis. Black tea leaves are prepared by breaking the leaves or rolling them, which allows them to fully oxidize. The oxidation process also turns the leaves a darker colour. If you enjoy the flavour of black tea, you also have a choice to consume it in a variety of ways. Chinese people add sweetening agents, spices, chocolate, or even rare herbs while brewing black tea. In India, milk and sugar is normally added to black tea. Some people also add various herbs including ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, lemon grass, mulethi, or holy basil (tulsi). Black tea is known for its curative qualities and are positively loaded with health benefits. So, go ahead, enjoy that freshly brewed hot cup of black tea and stay healthy all your life!

What is Green Tea?
Green tea is considered one of the world's healthiest drinks and contains one of the highest amount of antioxidants of any tea. The Chinese have been drinking green tea for centuries and it is now well known that green tea may improve cardiovascular health, reduce the risk of many health conditions and can assist with weight loss as unsweetened brewed green tea is a zero calorie beverage. Green tea comes from the same plant as black tea, but is harvested at a younger age. It is consumed "fresh", while black tea is consumed roasted. Drinking three cups of green tea a day gives an antioxidant benefit. But green tea contains about 20 grams of caffeine per serve, so be careful if you're sensitive to caffeine.

What is White Tea?
White tea is an antioxidant powerhouse, because white tea leaves are processed only minimally after they are harvested, they hold onto most of their naturally occurring antioxidants which are so important for good health. They protect us from free radicals, fight harmful inflammation and much more. Choose organic as the tea plant readily absorbs fluoride from pesticides. The most popular types of White Tea are White Peony and Silver Needle. White Peony is made from the first and second tips of a tea stem and is considered to be the best quality. It gets its name from the way the brewed leaves seem to bloom like the buds of the first flowers in springtime. The tea has a light yellow colour and refreshing taste and aroma. White tea also tastes different to green, having a smoother, gentler, almost sweet taste.

What is Matcha Tea?
Matcha or maccha is a finely ground, bright emerald-green tea powder. It is a natural, organic green tea which has been the heart of the famous Japanese tea ceremony for over 900 years. Matcha is prepared from a high-quality shade-grown leaf known as tencha. The tea bushes are sheltered to avoid the exposure of direct sunlight which reduces the pace of photosynthesis and slows down the growth of the plants. This provides the leaves with a darker shade of green and stimulates the production of chlorophyll and amino acids. Harvesting of matcha is done by hand to ensure selection of youngest and smallest leaves for the finest quality tea. Unlike other green teas, leaves used for matcha are briefly steamed to protect them from oxidation and preserve its flavour and nutritional content.

Bergamot - The citrus fruit is known as the main ingredient in Earl Grey tea and has been used for digestion problems. Look for it in herbal blends rather than as a stand-alone tea.

Chamomile - Chamomile has many benefits, it soothes the stomach and can be helpful for nausea, reflux and abdominal cramps including period pain but the benefits don't stop there - it was recommended in the 1600s to 'comfort the brain' so if you are anxious, swapping coffee for chamomile tea is a good move.

Cinnamon - Not only is it a delicious ingredient in apple pie, cinnamon in herbal tea helps improve digestive function too. Cinnamon is a warming tonic, wonderful for easing winter chills, and also for people who feel the cold.

Fennel - Don't let the distinctive liquorice flavour put you off, fennel tea is often served with honey for indigestion. A weaker form blended with chamomile flowers is great for babies with colic.

Hibiscus- Hibiscus flowers contain high levels of antioxidants, and in tea, it is helpful for the inflammation of mucus membranes.

Peppermint- Excellent for an upset tummy, peppermint tea is also good for sniffily colds. Sipping cool peppermint tea can also help relieve the hot flashes of menopause.

Raspberry Leaf
This herbal brew is particularly good for pregnant women. Drinking raspberry leaf tea was traditionally used to assist in preparing a woman's body for childbirth.

Sage - Even though sage tea is quite pungent to taste, it is a perfect cure for the blues. "It has an uplifting effect and is great during menopause and PMS".

Spearmint- Another tea to get us through a long, cold winter. Spearmint tea is a fragrant way to clear nasal passages - especially delicious mixed with lemongrass.
Source:healthylife

Nitro Coffee: What Is It?

Just when we thought lemonade was the latest thing in iced coffee, along comes a new trend to add to our must-sip list. It’s called nitro coffee, and it’s made by—you guessed it!—infusing cold brew coffee with nitrogen gas. It’s served straight from a beer tap to achieve a cascading, foamy brew (reminiscent of Guinness), and Starbucks announced on Tuesday that it’s on their summer line-up.

 

The smooth, creamy beverage, which comes out cold from the tap and is served unsweetened without ice, has already been introduced at the Starbucks Reserve Roaster and Tasting Room in Seattle, where it quickly climbed the ranks to become the second highest-selling beverage. The company will introduce the drink in 500 stores in select cities by the end of the summer, including Seattle, Portland, New York, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

But Starbucks isn’t the first coffee company to dabble with nitro coffee—in fact, it’s been on tap at Austin, Texas-based Cuvée Coffee since 2012, and you can now buy cans of it from the Portland, Oregon-based Stumptown Coffee Roasters. And though Cuvée sees an increase in nitro brew sales in the summertime, it's one of their top-selling menu items year-round, likely thanks to its unique texture, says Mike McKim, CEO and founder of Cuvée.

“[The nitrogen] affects the texture more than the taste,” he tells RealSimple.com. “The general consensus I get from people is that the coffee tastes sweeter, but there’s no sugar involved. I feel like the texture creates the perception of a sweeter drink.”

Want to stay ahead of the latest trends in beverages? Be on the lookout for other nitrogen-infused drinks (including beer!), because McKim predicts the nitrogen trend won’t start and end with coffee.

“I see nitro continuing to be a trend in beverages, period,” he says. “Nitrogen is the next big thing for sure.”

Source:health

9 Foods To Lower Cholesterol

Reducing saturated fat is one of the most important changes you can make for cutting down cholesterol level in the blood. We have since always eaten saturated fats and you probably ask yourself why are they labeled as harmful for our health? – The liver uses saturated fats to create cholesterol which means that excessive consumption of saturated fats can increase cholesterol levels, particularly low-density lipoproteins (LDL) which is the bad cholesterol. These potentially harmful fats are found in foods from animal origin such whole fat milk, cream, butter, meat – lamb, beef, pork, cheese, etc. However, there are certain plant-based vegetable fats that are to be avoided, especially palm oil, coconut oil and vegetable shortening.



 The best fighter against saturated fats is fiber-rich food, particularly beans – any type. The healthiest thing about beans is that their composition is high in soluble fibers which are very good for lowering bad cholesterol. They form a gel in water that helps bind acids and cholesterol in the intestinal tract preventing their absorption into the body. Because of this trait, soluble fibers are also good in preventing heart diseases. They are sustained in oats, barley, rice, beans, apples, carrots and most of the fruits and vegetables.



Elevated cholesterol is one of the most common health problems today. Despite leaving the physical activity that indirectly helps its reduction, we remind you that food plays an important and perhaps a key role. Find out food that helps in lowering of cholesterol.



For dinner eat salmon, for snack eat small – handful amount of walnuts in the salad, add olive oil. Eat dark chocolate with more cocoa, and do not worry if this food helps in lowering of cholesterol. Here is a list of other food that is beneficial in case of problems with cholesterol.

Oats

Eat oats in breakfast. Oats helps reduce bad (LDL) cholesterol and 5.3% for a period of 6 weeks. This is due to a substance called beta glucan which absorbs bad cholesterol.


Red wine

This is another reason to drink a glass of red wine. Two glasses a week is ideal amount of red wine which can have beneficial effects for your health.



Salmon and other fatty fish

Salmon is rich in omega 3 fatty acids and is a great food that naturally improves health and helps prevent heart attack, stroke and high cholesterol. Other useful fish are sardines and herring.



Walnuts

Monounsaturated fats are found in nuts and sunflower seed have lowest levels of fatty acids and are the best of the three types of fats (polyunsaturated, saturated fat and monosaturated). Walnuts are a healthy way to intake necessary healthy fats in the body, without feeling guilty, and because it is herbal, natural and chemical raw fat, nutritious and excellent for heart health.



Legumes

Legumes are great for heart and by eating in various combinations – soups and main dishes are easily digested. It is considered that reduces bad cholesterol by 8%, and is especially recommended black beans and white beans.



Tea

Tea contains antioxidants and small amounts of caffeine compared to coffee. One cup of tea contains only 30-40 mg, while coffee has about 135 mg of caffeine. Tea has phytochemicals that protects bones, and is protector of the body from bad LDL cholesterol.



Chocolate

A reasonable dose of dark chocolate is useful for the body. Chocolate is full of antioxidants and ingredients that lower cholesterol. It is thought that antioxidants in dark chocolate reduce damage that may occur in the blood vessels and reduces the additional damage that may endanger the health of people who suffer from cirrhosis.



Spinach

Popeye the sailor was built as a character who symbolizes the strength of the muscle that comes from spinach. It is believed that spinach contains about 13 flavonoids which keep body from cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis.



Olive oil

Olive oil is very beneficial to health. It contains mono-unsaturated fatty acids that lower bad cholesterol and triglycerides without having to disrupt the balance of good cholesterol. It exists in different variants, extra virgin which is best, as well as pure.

Source: mrhealthyguru