The Power of Tea: Boost Your Health and Well-Being

Don’t get me wrong, I love my morning coffee; yet if I ever had to choose either just coffee or just tea for the rest of my life, tea wins hands down! The health benefits and variety of flavors are just too great to give up! Tea is one of the most heart friendly beverage choices, high in antioxidants and heart healthy polyphenols.  No, not that sweet tea at the old greasy spoon, but real tea! Yet many people I talk to either don’t like tea or have never even tried it. This is tragic! I promise you, there is a tea out there waiting for you!

So let’s talk tea

If you want to get picky, tea is actually a very narrow definition—like coffee—meaning a beverage brewed from the leaves of tea bushes that are harvested at varying stages of growth and prepared in various ways, resulting in everything from white teas to green, black to pu-erh (a fermented and aged form of tea leaf).  Most of us also group herbal teas into this category, though technically these are referred to as “tisanes”

Why bother with all these shrubs and “weeds”? (many of the best herbal teas are considered weeds in some circles!)

  • Antioxidants—green teas, white teas, and most herbal teas are great sources of these.
  • Reduce cholesterol—pu-erh tea and rooibos teas in particular are well-documented for this effect and come in a wide range of flavors.
  • Vitamin C—tisanes made with citrus peel, hibiscus, red raspberry leaves, dried strawberry, or rose hips are a great source of vitamin C.
  • Calcium & magnesium—cinnamon, nettle, oatstraw, corn silk, chamomile, and skull cap all provide these essential minerals.
  • Silica (essential for absorbing other minerals)—horsetail & strawberry are great in providing this.
  • Polyphenols—in the limelight for reducing inflammation and cancer risk: green, white, oolong, pu-erh, and many herbals are high in these.
Besides a delicious treat, tea has many health benefits you many not know about!

Now let’s talk functions!

Want to improve your oral health? White tea to the rescue—its minerals and antioxidants protect the tooth enamel and neutralize acids.

Allergies got you down? Rooibos-based teas can reduce inflammation and mitigate allergy symptoms. (If you have ragweed allergies—avoid chamomile tea and opt for chrysanthemum instead).

Looking for something to help your skin and hair? Yup, rooibos again; as well as horsetail, nettle, and oatstraw.

Menstrual cramps or muscle spasms? Chamomile, nettle, and oatstraw can help soothe those cranky muscles.

Is liver health a concern? Hibiscus and dandelion are excellent liver tonics that also can reduce blood triglycerides and reduce sugar cravings! Chrysanthemum is also great for liver health!

Digestive upset? Peppermint and ginger are powerhouses here!

Arthritis pain? Ginger again—and if you like a more savory tea, blends with turmeric and ginger can be a great option.

Stressed out? Trouble focusing? Oolong tea is high in L-theanine which helps calm the brain and has a moderate amount of caffeine helping to maintain focus and concentration. Oolong is the same plant that green, white and black teas come from, but the special fermentation process gives it this special quality.

Just plain stressed? Chrysanthemum and goji berries are some of my favorites to ease a stressful day.

Another reason I love hot tea is it gives me a chance to slow down and immerse myself in the process of making it. Adding the hot water, savoring the aromas released, watching the colors bloom in the water, and then choosing just the right cup or pot to enjoy my brew from. Tea can be an experience to enjoy!

Different teas also benefit from different steeping times—from less than a minute or two for white and green teas, a couple of minutes for darker teas, or even overnight for nettle and oatstraw; so make sure to check the package instructions.  

Last but not least—don’t ruin those health benefits with tons of sugar. If you need a little added sweetness, a dash of fresh honey or stevia for those darker teas often does the trick.  Need to sweeten up an herbal blend? Try a couple of goji berries for natural sweetness and an added boost of antioxidants.


We are thrilled to carry Buddha Chakra Teas! "Chakra" is the ancient Sanskrit word for the seven central points of energy that reside within, helping to balance our physical, emotional and spiritual state. Buddha Teas are expertly crafted from herbs that resonate with each chakra, offering stimulating and flavorful teas empowered by the essence of crystals. Whether you're looking for a morning pick-me-up, a relaxing evening brew, or a tea to promote wellness, we have something for everyone

We carry unique varieties such as:

Root Chakra Tea: When your root chakra is in balance, you feel safe in the world, and free to trust in ways that allow you to take healthy risks, knowing that all will be well. Contains Organic Raspberry Leaf, Organic Ashwagandha Root, Organic Cloves, Organic Dandelion Root, Organic Hibiscus Flower.

Sacral Chakra Tea: The Sacral chakra focuses on creativity, sensuality, and our connection with others. This expertly crafted herbal blend is designed to assist you as you flow your way to sacral chakra health. Contains Organic Calendula Flowers, Organic Burdock Root, Organic Fennel Seed, Organic Dong Quai Root, Organic Damiana Leaf, Organic Ginger Root.

Solar Plexus Tea: This invigorating, solar plexus blend, enlivened with the essence of citrine, provides a truly unique tea experience that facilitates those wishing to connect with their power center. Contains Organic Rosemary Leaf, Organic Lemongrass, Organic Ginger Root, Organic Orange Peel, Organic Marshmallow Leaf.

4th Chakra Tea: The 4th Chakra is a vital chakra to work with, and centers on all aspects of love. This tea is carefully crafted with herbs attuned to the 4th Chakra, and includes the essence of rose quartz. Contains Organic Hawthorn Berry, Organic Hawthorn Leaf, Organic Lavender Flowers, Organic Hyssop.

5th Chakra Tea: Powerful throat-centered herbs, and the essence of aquamarine fortify our 5th Chakra Blend to assist those seeking to heal and balance issues dealing with communication, creativity, and self-expression. Contains Organic Licorice Root, Organic Slippery Elm Bark, Organic Marshmallow Leaf, Organic Wild Cherry Bark, Organic Cinnamon Bark, Organic Fennel Seed, Organic Orange Peel.

Third Eye Chakra Tea: This chakra, located between the eyebrows, highlights insight, knowledge, and wisdom. Third Eye Chakra Tea is crafted from herbs intended to open the third eye energy center. Contains Organic Eyebright Herb, Organic Spearmint Leaf, Organic Star Anise, Organic Passion Flower.

Crown Chakra Tea: This 7th chakra can be described as the crown of spiritual understanding. Located at the top of the chakra ladder, the ingredients within our Crown Chakra Tea have been carefully chosen for their resonance with the crown energy center. Contains Organic Gotu Kola Leaf, Organic Lavender Flowers, Organic Nutmeg Seed, Organic Rose Petal.

Each blend is carefully selected for its unique health benefits and delicious taste. Try Buddha Chakra Teas and experience the difference that quality ingredients make!

It's that time of year again, where the temperatures are rising and a cool refreshing drink is starting to sound mighty good! We thought we'd share this recipe that's great for a large crowd (or can be saved to drink later) and is easy to adjust for your sweetness preference. We suggest starting with a little agave syrup (its sweetness is very concentrated!) and adding more to suit your taste if you like things on the sweeter side. Adding fresh fruit slices also makes it double as a sort of 'dessert', and is better than grabbing that big slice of cake!

If you like this recipe, don't forget to check out our 'Rethink Your Drink' series, where we share our favorite non-alcoholic beverage ideas and recipes!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup agave syrup (can adjust for more/less sweetness)

2 quarts 100% grape juice

1 pint lemon juice

1 quart green tea

1 small block of ice or ice cubes

2 quarts club soda

1 lemon, sliced, for serving (optional)

Directions:

Combine agave syrup, grape juice, lemon juice and green tea. Chill for 1-2 hours.

Place the block of ice in a large punch bowl. Pour the chilled punch over the ice. Add club soda.

Serve with lemon slices, or add any chopped fruit of your choice. We like pineapple, limes, and strawberries!

Makes approximately14 servings.

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Getting our kids to eat healthily doesn’t have to be a nightmarish challenge. You don’t have to be a chef to make delicious meals the family will enjoy; you don’t have to be a master negotiator either. Getting our families to eat more healthily often starts with what is most readily available in the home and our own habits and attitudes when it comes to food. Children often mimic us caregivers—so leading by example can be very effective (for all of us!).

Here are a few tips and reminders to help instill those healthy habits—easily!

  1. Lead by example: Do you display healthy eating habits? Do you choose whole, healthy foods instead of chips or sweets? Is it considered a “treat” when you all sit down for a healthy meal for dinner, or do you save that term for the Friday night take-out pizza or greasy bag of burgers from the drive-thru? Do your kids see you choosing water when you’re thirsty or guzzling back a can of soda? Kids are easily influenced by what goes on in their personal environments; and the choices we make in front of them about food and drink should be considered just as much as, say—not letting a curse word slip in front of them.  
  1. Involve the family in meal planning: Meal planning can be quite fun, and involving everyone ensures that each family member has something to look forward to when it comes to sitting down at the table for a family meal.  If one family member wants a dish that another family member isn’t so crazy about, think of a simple variation you can make so that it’s more enjoyable for them and you don’t have to cook a separate meal. 
  1. Offer (healthy) options: Providing options gives your child the autonomy they crave, while helping you have some control of the nutritional value of their food. Offer things that you know they like—such as apple slices or whole grain crackers with almond butter for a snack. If there’s a vegetable they really like, offer to serve it a couple of different ways with your meal and see which they prefer. Offering choices doesn’t just give them a sense of inclusiveness and independence, it is also is a time saver for you. Instead of scrambling to find a replacement when your kid turns a nose up to something, you can have more confidence about your kid actually eating what you serve them. 
  1. Mix things up: You may have a picky eater, but you don’t have to surrender!  Preparing foods they may not typically love but in different ways may just pique their curiosity.  Consider using different seasonings or methods of cooking, or even making the food more visually appealing and fun for kids. Try using small cookie cutters in shapes or characters they like; or little colorful silicone cups. The key is not to force it. Invite your kids to try something new and different and if they prefer not to try it—describe what it tasted like and tell them why you liked it. 
  1.  Educate your kids about food and where it comes from. Have you ever taken your child to a farmer’s market? This is a great way to learn about where food comes from, the care that is taken in growing and harvesting it, and opens lines of communication with local farmers; and your kid will likely enjoy the experience! There’s also the visual and learning aspect—the colors of homegrown fruits and vegetables are often more vibrant! I also recently learned from our friends at Living Water Ranch that the yellowish tint I’ve noticed in the beef fat means high beta-carotene content. This shows you that beef is a good source of Vitamin A. Even us adults can learn new things at the farmer’s market! Spending some family time at a farmer’s market can make for some great memories and can also be educational (and not to mention, quite affordable!)

These changes may need to be done gradually, and it may take some time for everyone to adjust. If the habits have been in place for a while, just remember to practice patience, understanding, and open dialogue, and the payoff will be huge—with better nutrition, overall health, improved energy, money, and time savings in the end. Eating healthy won’t seem like a “downer” or “punishment”; but a real treat that can be easily shared among the family—and can instill healthy habits that can last a lifetime.

The new year has arrived, and many of us have finalized our resolutions list and are ready to put our plans into action for a flourishing year ahead. More often than not, we aim to focus on our health—and make up for any detrimental behaviors we participated in prior. And let’s face it—while some of us have become rather health-conscious over the past couple years; some of us have picked up or over-indulged in some less than desirable habits recently, especially considering the stress we’ve all been under (crazy times!). Let’s rethink that alcoholic drink into something that nourishes the body and spirit

It can seem difficult to cut back. There will always be a hard week, a reason to celebrate, a social function where drinks are flowing, an encounter with the in-laws (yikes!). You get the idea; things that prompt a drink are plentiful. But the health benefits of not only cutting back your alcohol intake, but replacing it with something that’s good for you are even more plentiful, and it doesn’t have to feel awkward or like you’re making a sacrifice.  

Let’s start with Kombucha! Kombucha is a great replacement for an alcoholic beverage when you’re craving a tangy, refreshing beverage. It’s made from a base of green or black tea and sugar, and is fermented from a week, up to a month. The fermentation process does produce a TRACE amount of alcohol. Less than 0.5%. But that process also creates that zingy flavor that pleases a refined palate with a little “kick.”

Kombucha is high in polyphenols—which promote gut, brain, and heart health. It’s also rich in B vitamins and contains compounds that in some studies have been associated with improved GI and liver function. Be careful to choose kombucha with no added sugar, or if you’re up for trying something new, you may enjoy making your own kombucha at home. 

If you enjoy the art and ritual of creating a cocktail, consider hand-crafting a delicious mocktail instead.  Make one for yourself after a long day and enjoy as you begin to wind down, or offer mocktails the next time you host a dinner for friends at your home! It’s fun to play around with ingredients and cater to your own personal taste. If you love to cook, up your game by pairing a thoughtfully crafted mocktail with your best dinner recipe.  Keeping it more simple, try serving some tacos and pair with this tasty and easy “margarita” recipe

Ice

4 lime wedges

1 ½ oz fresh lime juice

1 ½ oz fresh lemon juice

3 oz simple syrup

1 ½ oz sparkling water

2 tbsp kosher salt (I highly recommend the Margarita Sea Salt blend at Raja Goods! It’s a course, smoked chipotle salt)

Place salt on a plate and set aside. Place a lime wedge over the rim of your margarita glass, swiping it around the glass until the rim is wet. Turn the glass upside down, setting the rim into the salt. Repeat with a second glass. Pour lime juice, lemon juice, simple syrup, and sparkling water in a cocktail shaker filled with ice . Put the top on the cocktail shaker and shake to combine and chill.  Pour into glasses and garnish with a slice of lime.  Enjoy! 

Here at Raja Wellness and our new store, Raja Goods—we have a special love for mocktails. We offer blends made from high quality, adaptogenic herbs to be enjoyed along with their many health benefits.  Be sure to ask about our mocktails at your next visit! 

If you’re reluctant to miss out on your favorite spirits, you may want to check out www.ritualzeroproof.com. They offer replacements that taste just like the real thing! Add to a healthy mocktail and you won’t miss a bit of the flavor from your favorite drink. 

Remember, big improvements come from small adjustments. Consider rethinking your drink as a resolution this year. Cheers! 

In Part 1, I wrote about why many of the drinks waiting on store shelves really aren’t good for you because of the sugar in them. I didn’t really touch on the chemicals in them that we might be concerned about, but let’s just say most drinks you can buy aren’t good for you. It’s that simple. Even water can be a concern because of the leaching of chemicals from the plastic- in many cases, we don’t know if they are bad but we also can’t say they are good because it simply hasn’t been studied long-term. So what to drink? Many patients fear that giving up sweet drinks means a life of drinking only water. Never fear, there is hope! Welcome to the wonderful world of teas and tisanes.

Studies have found that some teas may help with cancer, heart disease, and diabetes; encourage weight loss; lower cholesterol, and bring about mental alertness. Tea also appears to have antimicrobial qualities.

“There doesn’t seem to be a downside to tea,” says American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Katherine Tallmadge, MA, RD, LD. “I think it’s a great alternative to coffee drinking. First, tea has less caffeine. It’s pretty well established that the compounds in tea – their flavonoids – are good for the heart and may reduce cancer.”

There is significant literature on the health benefits of tea that I won’t repeat here, but the short version is for most people teas and tisanes are a healthy beverage choice with many varieties and flavors to choose from.

Let’s start with tisanes since most of you are already familiar with teas. Tisanes have no caffeine and depending on the ingredients you choose can have a wide variety of health benefits. The challenge is finding the ingredients locally because many haven’t made their way mainstream yet. Some Asian or international markets will have some. We carry some of these harder to find tisane ingredients for sale in loose form for our communities. They can be brewed and enjoyed hot or cold. In addition to many varieties made from herbs and fruits, a popular tisane is a rooibos. Rooibos teas are a naturally sweet and sometimes nutty herbal tea made from the South African Red Bush. The rooibos tea processing method involves harvesting the red bush leaves, followed by grinding and bruising of the leaves.

Most grocery stores have a wide selection of tisanes (or herbal teas). I recommend reading the labels and selecting those that are organic and without synthetic ingredients. You can even make your own at home from dried or fresh mint, organic citrus peels, fresh ginger, cinnamon...the options are endless.

Teas come in so many varieties- there is a whole world of flavors to explore. Here’s a quick summary of types, all are made from the Camellia sinensis plant:

Black tea made by a process of withering then rolling the tea leaves followed by a long period of fermentation. Then the black tea leaves are fired resulting in a loose leaf black tea with a complex yet recognizable smell and full-bodied, strong flavor.

  • Black tea - made by a process of withering then rolling the tea leaves followed by a long period of fermentation. Then the black tea leaves are fired resulting in a loose leaf black tea with a complex yet recognizable smell and full-bodied, strong flavor.
  • Oolong tea - A variety of black tea where after the tea leaves are picked, they are intentionally bruised by shaking. While the leaves are drying, the edges of the bruised leaves turn reddish in color and the surface becomes light yellow due to fermentation and oxidation. After some fermentation period, the tea leaves are pan-fried to create a semi-fermented tea.
  • Green tea - the tea leaves are picked, dried, and heat - treated to stop fermentation of the leaves. The heat treatment for Chinese green tea consists of roasting the tea leaves in a hot roasting pan whereas Japanese green tea is steamed. After moisture is removed through the heat treatment, the tea leaves are typically rolled and dried again before ready for use. Chinese green tea produces a yellowish green liquor and toasted taste while Japanese green tea is dark green in color and has a grassy taste.
  • White tea - made from the tea buds and youngest tea leaves. It is the least processed of all teas—the tea leaves are simply steamed and then dried. White tea has very little caffeine and brews a light color and flavor. White teas can be appreciated for their subtlety, complexity, natural sweetness, and delicacy.
  • Purehh tea - in which the tea leaves undergo microbial fermentation and oxidation after they are dried and rolled. Purehh teas have a strong taste and sometimes even a smoky flavor. Traditionally they are believed to help digestion, especially after a heavy meal.

Need some inspiration for your own teas or tisanes? Here are some of my favorites:

  • For stress relief (especially during the summer): Goji Berries & Chrysanthemum Flowers (for variety may be a few rose petals and ginkgo leaves)
  • For sugar cravings without the sugar: Licorice root, dried longan fruit & cinnamon
  • To cool off on a hot day: Mint & dried longan fruit
  • To satisfy that craving for a chai tea without all the sugar: 1 C coconut milk, 1t cinnamon, 1/2t turmeric, dash each of nutmeg and cayenne- bring to a gentle simmer, add a touch of honey if desired
  • To warm the digestion: 1” fresh ginger root thinly sliced, 1 small cinnamon stick or 1t ground cinnamon- simmer for 5-10 min, cool slightly and enjoy! If you add a few goji berries or dried longan fruit you won’t need any sugar at all.
  • For a mild headache: a combination of gingko leaves, green tea and chrysanthemum flowers
  • For women’s health & fertility: red raspberry leaf, goji berries, nettle leaf, red clover and rosehips

If you need help selecting a tisane specifically designed to support your health needs let us know during your next appointment! Do you regularly drink teas or tisanes? What is your favorite?


References:

Tea: A drink made by steeping the leaves of a type of Camellia sinensis in hot water.
Tisane: An infusion of leaves or flowers used as a beverage, e.g. an herbal tea.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/tea-types-and-their-health-benefits

What do you reach for when you are thirsty? Is it a cold soda? An energy drink to get you through the afternoon? Or as many people do around here in Kentucky, a nice tall cup of sweet tea? Did you ever stop to think about what’s in your drink? Are those artificial colors and flavors, the amount of caffeine and the sugar (most often as high fructose corn syrup) really good for you? When you look at the numbers on the label is it really all that bad? What’s wrong with a little sugar in your drink?

This post gives a great summary of what happens when that 20oz of soda hits your body. That 20oz of soda has about the equivalent of ⅓ of a cup of sugar. Would you ever just sit down and eat ⅓ of a cup of sugar? And sometimes the drinks that look the healthiest may have the most sugar. Many fruit smoothies have more sugar than 10 glazed doughnuts!

Now I imagine my diet soda drinking readers are feeling good about their no sugar choice but not so fast! It’s well documented that drinking diet soda is correlated with increased risks of metabolic syndromes and cardiovascular disease.

So how about a nice glass of wholesome juice? It’s natural and can have good nutrients in it if you get the kind without added sugars, so it must be good, right? The key is how much. All fruit is high in fructose but when you eat the whole fruit you get the fiber with it which modulates its effect. Fruit juice is a straight shot of fructose and unlike glucose which can be used by every cell in the body, fructose can only be processed in the liver. Fructose is taken straight to the liver where it is metabolized into free fatty acids (FFAs), VLDL (the damaging form of cholesterol), and triglycerides, which get stored as fat. When you eat 120 calories of glucose, less than one calorie is stored as fat. 120 calories of fructose results in 40 calories being stored as fat. Turns out those little juice glasses used by your grandparents and great-grandparents were about the right size for a healthy serving of juice and more is not better.

So what’s with all these sugars and why do we care? When fructose combines with glucose, it makes sucrose. Sucrose is abundant in sugar cane, sugar beets, corn, and other plants. When extracted and refined, sucrose makes table sugar. “In the 1800s and early 1900s, the average American took in about 15 grams of fructose (about half an ounce), mostly from eating fruits and vegetables. Today we average 55 grams per day (73 grams for adolescents). The increase in fructose intake is worrisome, says Lustig, because it suspiciously parallels increases in obesity, diabetes, and a new condition called the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease that now affects up to one-third of Americans.”

And it turns out for many people there are two main sources of fructose and glucose in our diets: processed foods (even those that aren’t sweet like canned soup) and drinks. This means options for a healthy drink when eating out are often limited to water or unsweetened iced tea. So what to drink? Time to explore the wonderful world of teas and tisanes - which will be in our next article!


References:

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-there-a-link-between-diet-soda-and-heart-disease-201202214296http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-fructose-bad-for-you-201104262425

The products and statements made about specific products on this web site have not been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. All information provided on this web site or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. You should not use the information on this web site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new vitamins, supplements, diet, or exercise program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem. Any testimonials on this web site are based on individual results and do not constitute a guarantee that you will achieve the same results.
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