Study hints at lower blood pressure for black tea drinkers

 

An Australian study found that people who drink three cups of black tea a day can lower their blood pressure by 2 to 3 points. According to researchers, although the reduction may seem small, it has a significant effect on the prevalence of high blood pressure and the risk of heart disease. The observed decrease in blood pressure is equivalent to a 10% reduction in the prevalence of both conditions and can have a major impact on risk factors behind heart disease and death. The study was performed over a period of 6 months on 95 regular tea drinkers. Previous research suggests that possible explanations for the findings may include improved interior lining of blood vessels and reduced body weight and abdominal fat achieved by regular black tea consumption

Used Tea Leaves

Great article on many uses of tea leaves.

http://www.veetea.com/site/articles/Used-Tealeaves/

Tea at community center

What a blessing today was.  I talked to about 60 women today about Your world in a teacup.  Two other blessings before I reached there.  I discovered I had flat tire before I left, got other vehicle ready and then drove on snowy, icy roads with many accidents along the way and I arrived there safely.  Met some wonderful women at the tea as I always do.  It was so much fun to share tea and talk with the women. 
God was present as always but wondered before I arrived there if I was to be going there but God showed me through all of the struggles along the way to keep the faith and keep my trust in Him.  I was listening to the radio on the way home and person was talking about stepping out in faith.  God will do the rest.  Thank you God for your presence today and for the new friends I met today.  They were beautiful people. 

Enjoy your cup of tea this weekend and His word.  Spread His word with a cup of tea!

Matcha tea

Have you checked out Matcha tea?  Here is some great info on this tea and the many benefits to drinking or adding to your food, juice, etc.  I will have some Matcha Green Tea in next week or so if interested. 
 
What makes matcha tea so special?Matcha tea is a high-quality green tea that is covered before picking to accentuate the color, then stone-ground after being picked and before being sealed into small tins. Matcha tea is enjoyed in many ways. In Japan it is a very important part of the tea ceremony, and in both Asia and the West, people drink it because they like the taste and the ritual. Now some people are drinking it because of the reported health benefits.
The taste is strong and vegetal - some people would say spinachy, others would say grassy and with an umami character. This will also of course depend on the quality and source that you use. The tea used to make matcha tea is important; there are many cheaper imitations that use low-grade tea.
As with all teas, where you get it is important. You want to purchase your tea from an importer who moves through their stock so that you get fresh product. You should use about a teaspoon in a bowl with a third of a cup of hot water and heated to less than a boil. Then agitate it with a bamboo whisk and you are ready to drink it.

Some more articles on Matcha

Matcha Green Tea Benefits

There are many benefits to drinking Matcha tea, some of which are purely for the enjoyment of the consumer and other benefits that involve health. In this article I will cover the health benefits of Matcha Green tea, and touch briefly on the other benefits involved.

Nutritional Benefits of Matcha Green Tea

Many people know about the benefits of Green tea, but Matcha Green tea provides even more health benefits. Some of the advantages of Matcha tea over other teas include:

• rich in nutrients
• very high in antioxidants (higher than blueberries, gojiberries, pomegranates, orange juice, and spinach)
• contains fiber
• High in chlorophyll
• Sugar-free (great for diabetics or people who enjoy low sugar diets)

Matcha Green Tea Nutritional Profile:

Nutrient	Per 1g Matcha
Total Catechins	105mg
EGCg	61 mg
Total Amino Acids	34 mg
L-theanine	14.26 mg
Caffeine	35mg
Fiber	318mg
Carbs	447mg
Vitamin C	1.75mg
Vitamin A	291 units
Potassium	26.6mg
Calories	3

You can see that there are many benefits to drinking the tea that other beverages just don’t have. Matcha green tea contains more nutrients and antioxidants than any other tea or green tea in the world. This is achieved through delicate and precise growing, harvesting and processing.
How Matcha Green Tea achieves it’s high antioxidant and nutrient count

Matcha Green tea, like all other types of traditional tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. In fact all black tea, oolong tea, green tea and white tea are made from the Camellia sinensis plant however different harvesting and preparation is used to make Matcha tea VERY high in anti oxidants and nutrients
Matcha Green tea is produced only in Japan. The rich green color is achieved by shading the tea bush before harvesting which causes them to turn a rich green color and become filled with chlorophyll. After the leaves are harvested they are steamed and then air dried. Keep in mind that when producing Matcha tea everything is done by hand. After the tea leaves are harvested and dried they are hand sorted depending on the grade. The leaves are then de-stemmed and de-veined.
Once the leaves have reached this stage they are known as tencha, the tencha is then ground by stone into a fine powder which you know as Matcha. There are different grades of Matcha, the tea grade Matcha is ground by stone into a fine powder however the industrial grade tea is ground by machine. The stone grinding will produce a different shaped powder which has an impact on the texture and taste.

Health Benefits of Drinking Matcha Green Tea

Now that you know what is in Matcha tea it will be easier to understand the Matcha green tea health benefits. I will outline some of the most noteable benefits of drinking matcha tea below.
High antioxidant count – If you watch Oprah or any health show, or read any health magazine you should have heard of the benefits of antioxidants. If not here is a quick summary for you “Antioxidants are substances that may protect your cells against the effects of free radicals. Free radicals are molecules produced when your body breaks down food, or by environmental exposures like tobacco smoke and radiation. Free radicals can damage cells, and may play a role in heart disease, cancer and other diseases” you can read more on the National institute of Medicine antioxidant page
Antioxidants are measured with ORAC or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. The ORAC rating of matcha is 1300 units/g, compared to 105 units/g for pomegranates and 91 units/g for wild blueberries. Matcha green tea has a higher antioxidant count than any other super fruit including goji berries, acai, cranberries, raspberries or blueberries (plus it is a pleasure to drink in the morning)
EGCG – EGCG is the most abundant catechin in most notably tea (highest count in Matcha Green tea), among other plants, and is also a potent antioxidant that may have therapeutic properties for many disorders including cancer. EGCG has been reported to help prevent cancer, HIV, and other disorders, you can read more here
Amino acids – Amino acids are very important for the health and wellness of a person and play many roles in metabolism. One of the most important functions of amino acids is to act as the building block of proteins. Amino acids can link with other amino acids in different sequences to make up a number of different proteins. This helps the body get the proteins it needs and easily take them in and use them.

Other nutrients include fiber, Vitamin A, C and Potassium, you can see that just drinking a little bit of tea each day can help improve your health. Besides the nutrients there are also other health benefits of Matcha green tea.

Matcha Green tea is calming and aids in relaxation

The Japanese have been enjoying Matcha Green tea for many many years, possibly as far back as the year 1191. They drink Matcha tea because it helps them relax, as well as focus and achieve a deeper state of meditation. The Japanese drank it because it worked, but here in North America we need proof so we conducted studies. Studies show that Matcha green tea contains the highest amount of L-Theanine over any other type of green tea, and L-Theanine can be very helpful to aid in relaxation. Consider the results from this research paper
L-Theanine: How a Unique Anxiety Reducer and Mood Enhancer Increases Alpha Waves and Alertness

“The calming effect of green tea may seem contradictory to the stimulatory property of tea’s caffeine content but it can be explained by the action of L-theanine. This amino acid actually acts antagonistically against the stimulatory effects of caffeine on the nervous system. (1) Research on human volunteers has demonstrated that L-theanine creates a sense of relaxation in approximately 30-40 minutes after ingestion via at least two different mechanisms. First, this amino acid directly stimulates the production of alpha brain waves, creating a state of deep relaxation and mental alertness similar to what is achieved through meditation. Second, L-theanine is involved in the formation of the inhibitory neurotransmitter, gamma amino butyric acid (GABA). GABA influences the levels of two other neurotransmitters, dopamine and serotonin, producing the key relaxation effect.”

Combine the naturally and physically calming effects of sitting down to enjoy a hot cup of tea with the physiological effects of L-Theanine and you have yourself one powerful relaxation tool!

Matcha Tea is great for cleansing the body

Matcha tea contains Chlorophyll which has been said to aid the body in removing heavy metals and toxins. I have looked for recent studies that support this statement but could only find claims made by companies selling chlorophyll supplements and other claims on natural health websites. I can’t say for sure that Chlorophyll will cleanse your body, but many dietitians will agree that foods rich in color are better for you and the Matcha Green tea leaves are picked when they are a dark green color so they are jam packed with nutrients.

Matcha Tea tastes great and is sugar free

If you are a healthy person you will love the taste of Matcha, it is something you would not want to add any flavours or sugar too, however matcha is great to add to other things like shakes, yogurt, baking or even ice cream. With all the sugar we consume these days it is nice to have a nice tasting tea that tastes great without sugar or cream.

Green Tea may reduce bad cholesterol

From Adiago Tea website

Green tea lowers 'bad' cholesterol in study

November 2011

A little help

A US study suggests that green tea may reduce LDL, or "bad" cholesterol by a few points. It shows that green tea catechins, taken in a capsule or drunk in the form of tea, may trim 5 to 6 points more from people's total cholesterol and "bad" LDL cholesterol levels. Brewed green tea was more effective than capsules, though the benefits overall were fairly small. The drink did not show any effectiveness in boosting "good" HDL cholesterol, or cut triglycerides, another type of blood fat. The trials that lasted between three weeks and six months involved over 1400 adults who were randomly assigned to either use green tea every day, as a beverage or capsule, or be part of "control" groups that used placebo capsules or liquids

Ginger tea

Ginger tea has a spicy, invigorating taste. It's used as a home remedy for indigestion, nausea, and to ward off colds, flu, and sore throats.
Ginger tea is very easy to make. Here is a recipe for you to try.

Ginger Tea Recipe

water, 4 cups

2-inch piece of fresh ginger root

optional: honey and lemon slice
Peel the ginger root and slice it into thin slices. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Once it is boiling, add the ginger. Cover it and reduce to a simmer for 15-20 minutes. Strain the tea. Add honey and lemon to taste.
Note: Keep in mind that if you are making ginger tea as a home remedy during cold and flu season, sweeteners are not recommended.

ABC's of Unconditional Love

                                                     God's Valentine to you
                                                  A- I accept you as you are
                                      B- I believe you are a valuable person
                                            C- I care for you when you hurt
                                                D- I desire the best for you
                                              E- I erase all of your offenses

"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving kindness."
                                                         Jeremiah 31:3b

God bless you as you share this with others over a cup of tea! 

MInister to the unchurched with tea

How about having an Outreach tea on a Sunday for some unchurched?  What better time when they have nothing else going on?  Tea is a great way to show Heavenly Hospitality and share your faith.  Tea does not have to be for a large group.  You only have to have a couple of people. 
Serve some cinnamon toast, tea sandwiches, or scones with your tea. 
If you serve tea sandwiches , they can be made ahead of time and kept fresh in the refrigerator by covering with damp paper towels or lettuce leaves. 
Remember keep it simple and reach out to those who don't know Jesus over tea and it will be a wonderful outreach!
If you plan one around Valentine's day some ideas- take some red and white carnations and put in a vase, scatter red paper hearts or valentine cards all over the table. 
Love to hear if you have a tea for the unchurched and how it went. 

Blessings!

Quote by William E Gladstone

"If you are cold, tea will warm you.
If you are heated, it will cool you.
If you are depressed, it will cheer you,
 If you are excited , it will calm you."

Loose tea vs Tea bags

I have since switched to loose leaf tea from a couple of years ago and it has been wonderful!  Tea bags come from low grade tea and from the fannings and dust.  Loose leaf tea is from whole, unbroken leaves.  Tea bags can be more stale and dull tasting.    I have taken loose leaf teas and made my own tea bags but you still don't get the full benefits as the leaves can't expand like they should in a teabag.  I appreciate tea so much more now that I have gone to loose leaf tea.  I think you will notice a difference too when you switch.  You get much more benefits from loose tea.   Invest in good tea ware.  You will appreciate your tea all the more.  Try flavored teas but if you do flavored teas also remember to have unflavored teas too. You will not regreat it.  Tea is such a wonderful way to share time with a friend or two.  So relaxing.
January is Hot Tea Month so grab a friend and have a cup of tea.  Take time to spend time with friends this month over a cup of tea.  Invite a neighbor for a hot cup of tea.  There is nothing quite as soothing as sipping a hot cup of tea.  Enjoy tea with your friends this month!