16th January, 2008: Nutrition: How Tea Helps You Meet RDAs
Are you getting all the nutrition you need? The beginning of a new year is a good time to re-evaluate your dietary needs and to learn how green tea can add supplementary nutrition.
Start by re-acquainting yourself with the USDA’s food pyramid or by developing a customized plan at the MyPyramid Web site. Additional dietary guidance is also available on the site, such as detailed nutrient information. This Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) information (now called RDIs) contains recommendations for optimum consumption of vitamins, minerals and micronutrients.
Next, rediscover how tea can provide an extra boost to a healthy diet with health-promoting phytonutrients “that are very similar to those that you find in fruits and vegetables.”
Your last step is a quick visit to the Afternoon Tea Party blog for a breakdown of 18 healthy compounds found in tea, including antioxidants and Vitamin D. The information is formatted for easy comparison to RDA or RDI guidelines and even includes provides an estimate of nutrients received in subsequent steepings of a single tea bag!
Now, when planning healthful pyramid-based meals, don’t forget to include the nutritional benefits of tea, because this seemingly simple beverage really does go a long way in helping you meet your RDAs!
Posted by Brenda at 6:00 am | Comments (2)
15th January, 2008: It’s a Hot Item: Tea - Celebrate Tea’s Health Benefits During “National Hot Tea Month”
January is “National Hot Tea Month.” What better time to cozy up with a nice, hot cup of Bigelow Tea? Make tea a part of your daily routine. After all, tea is one way to achieve a healthier lifestyle. Perhaps being healthier tops your list of New Year’s Resolutions? This antioxidant, nutrient-rich beverage has been credited with protecting against and helping to lower the risk of heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol, stroke as well as many forms of cancer.
There’s no excuse. Bigelow Tea has a flavor for every palette. Try Green Tea with Pomegranate or the ever popular Constant Comment tea. It’s easy. Shop online at www.bigelowtea.com or at your local supermarket. Wait…there’s more…be sure to check the Bigelow website and blog on a regular basis for recipes, entertainment ideas, more health facts and celebrity tea sightings.
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comment (1)
8th January, 2008: Green Tea is Superman When it comes to Brainpower
Green Tea has proven not only to protect brain cells, but also to regenerate them. A recent study at the Thechnion Institute in Haifa, Israel found that feeding green tea extract to mice with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s protects brain cells from dying, and helps ‘rescue’ already damaged neurons in the brain. Although numerous studies conducted around the world have shown that drinking green tea may help support the brain as people get older, this study is the first to show how the antioxidant in green tea actually works when it crosses over to the brain. The polyphenol of green tea extract (EGCG) given to the mice was equivalent to drinking about two to four cups of green tea per day.
Perhaps even Superman should start drinking green tea? Given all its proven benefits, who knows? Maybe green tea would combat the effects of kryptonite?
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comment (1)
4th January, 2008: A Juicy Story… Citrus Juice Combined with Green Tea Enhances Antioxidant Absorption
New research, published in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, suggests that combining citrus juice or vitamin C with green tea or green tea extract could increase the absorption of antioxidants found in tea by as much as 13 times. The reason for this is that citrus juice and vitamin C appear to interact with catechins to prevent break down in the intestines. Among other health benefits, catechins (tea’s antioxidants) are believed to be responsible for reducing the risk of cancer, heart attack and stroke. According to Mario Ferruzzi, who led the study at Purdue University, catechins are relatively unstable in non-acidic environments, such as the intestines, and less than 20 per cent of the total remains after digestion. In fact, Ferruzzi found that citrus juice increased absorbable catechins by more than five times and vitamin C by anywhere from six to thirteen times.
So pass the OJ to get a boost…a boost in the health benefits of green tea that is! Stayed tuned as more research is ongoing…
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
1st January, 2008: Tea’s Role in New Year’s Resolutions
The most commonly made New Year’s resolution is the promise to lose weight. Unfortunately, “the majority of your New Year’s resolutions become New Year’s delusions by the end of February,” says Dale Berry, Results Coach and author for Selfhelp Magazine.
That doesn’t need to be the case. In addition to the ten tips Berry offers for general resolution success, tea lovers have another ace up our sleeves when it comes to shedding pounds: 2007 has illuminated new potential for tea as a weapon against the battle of the bulge!
Over the past year, we’ve learned how green tea may aid in weight management by reducing body fat and by providing a slight boost in metabolism. That’s encouraging news! And it’s in addition to earlier research that suggests tea helps prevent obesity in the first place. In 2007 we also witnessed how many people enjoy tea as part of plans to beat the battle of the bulge. So, take heart! You’re not alone!
Armed with this new knowledge, there’s no better time than January – which is National Hot Tea Month – to ring in the New Year and celebrate the beginnings of a new you!
Posted by Brenda at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
26th December, 2007: Green Tea May Cut Colon Cancer Risk in Half
MSNBC.com recently reported that green tea may ward off colon cancer. Research, sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research, found that rats fed a diet containing green tea Polyphenon E were less than half as likely to develop colon cancer. The other good news is that these findings were consistent with previously published reports correlating green tea consumption and lower colon cancer rates in Shanghai, China. As a result, researchers believe the latest findings will lead to clinical trials with green tea polyphenals in humans.
In the spirit of the holiday season, drink green tea and toast to all the health benefits green tea has to offer…including digestive health!
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
24th December, 2007: Milk Is Not The Only Drink That Builds Strong Bones - Try A Cup Of Tea
A recent article in the Washington Post states that drinking tea may actually benefit your bones. According to Australian lead researcher, Amanda Devine, “Those who drank tea in the study had a higher bone density over the four years that they were studied. These women lost less bone than those who did not drink tea. More than three-quarters of the women drank tea daily, and they consumed an average of about three cups per day.” In particular, bone density at the hip was found to improve among elderly women 70 to 85 years old.
From now on, when you cozy up with a cup of tea to warm your bones, relish the thought that you may be strengthening them at the same time.
For more on this, click here.
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
11th December, 2007: Good tea for a Cold!
I have a new favorite combo brew of the week… perfect during flu and cold season (which seems to be all around me!!)
Take one tea bag each I Love Lemon herbal and Ginger Snappish herbal, brew together in one cup, add a little dollop of honey.
If you are not feeling well, I guarantee you will feel better and if you are currently healthily (lucky you!), have this combo everyday to ward off those pesky germs! My friend at work just made one up for me-it is FABULOUS!
Cindi Bigelow
Posted by Cindi at 6:00 am | Comments (2)
5th December, 2007: Tea Bag Beauty Tips
Back in November we noted how you can keep trim with tea. But, as it turns out, tea has other hidden beauty benefits to boot! According to writers at ForAHealthyWoman web site, “Your eyes’ beauty depends on tea.” As a low-cost alternative to expensive creams, warm or cold tea bags are a natural remedy for those of us who wake with puffiness or bags under the eyes. Just reuse the same “black tea bags you place into your favorite mug” for immediate relief.
If that weren’t enough, tea bags are also a healthy solution for blemish control and as a lip toner, says Cait Johnson at Care2 Healthy Living Channels. In addition to tea’s skin-friendly antioxidants and vitamins A and C, tea is a natural astringent. Simply place a warm teabag on skin blemishes for several minutes or help prevent pimples by using tea as a facial rinse. For a lip toner, just apply a warm teabag to clean lips for five minutes.
Johnson cautions that “very strong black tea can cause tan-like staining of skin.” To avoid this, be sure to enjoy your favorite Bigelow tea as a beverage first. Then, reuse the tea bags in your beauty regimen.
Posted by Brenda at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
3rd December, 2007: Lessen the Stress this Season
We’ve known for some time now that drinking tea helps people relax during times of stress. But there’s no better time to put tea to the test than the busy holiday season!
Liesl reported in April that when we’re in trying situations, stress hormones return to normal faster for tea drinkers than non-tea drinkers. What you might not realize, however, is how real the problem of holiday stress can actually be. It’s not “all in your mind.” Even the medical experts at Mayo Clinic have recognized the problem; “the strain of shopping, attending social gatherings and preparing holiday meals can wipe you out. Feeling exhausted increases your stress, creating a vicious cycle.”
To combat seasonal stress, take the time to enjoy a quiet cup of tea and limit your consumption of caffeine. Also plan ahead whenever possible to prevent the sources of unnecessary stress. One way to accomplish this may be preparing a make-ahead holiday dinner, following this Food Channel guide. Another is by being realistic about your expectations. Don’t strive for the “Currier and Ives Christmas of [your] childhood,” says Ann Vernon, a counseling professor at the University of Northern Iowa. Instead reassess, prioritize and delegate.
Posted by Brenda at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
