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A couple of days ago I had small accident.
We'll just say that I was perhaps a little too tired to be slicing an apple and in addition to a couple of ounces of beautiful, crisp, sweet gala apple slices, I wound up with a beautifully sliced thumb as well. It was almost like a surprise holiday bonus. Almost.
Anyway, since I use my thumbs quite a bit as a primate, writer, student, and assistant office manager, my first reaction after suturing myself up (thank you, Girl Scouts) was to scour the Internet for information on how I could help my injury heal as quickly as possible.
And lo and behold! Green tea evidently reactivates dying skin cells (source). Because compounds found in green tea help keep skin cells alive, green tea may help to minimize or prevent scarring. That is good news for me, because the length of the tip of one's thumb is an odd place to have a scar.
I also found that chamomile tea, when poured into a bath, may reduce inflammation and thus help increase the speed of healing (source).
Armed with my new knowledge, I soaked in a chamomile bath and prepared a pot of green tea, drinking one cup and soaking several cotton balls in what was left over. I have no similar injury with which to compare the results, but the wound healed quickly and cleanly. Of course I would have gone to a doctor at the first sign of infection or had I suspected for a moment that I needed stitches or medical attention, but it was a relief to be able to use a low-cost herbal remedy in this instance!
Many of the herbal teas offered by California Tea House are grown at small, organic farms in California; these farms also provide many of the berries and flowers found in other teas. Even large chains like Wal-Mart have begun to offer and promote organic products. In my experience, organic products taste the same as coventionally-raised and produced food items, yet cost much more. So, what gives? Why is it important to eat and drink organic, even when it coems to tea?
1. It's important to support small farms. Most organic farms are small farms (source), which means you can feel fairly safe in that your organic dollars are not supporting unethical labor conducted in third-world countries.
2. By choosing organic, you are choosing to protect the health of farm workers. Because organic products are not grown using dangerous pesticides and chemicals, farmers who work on organic farms do not risk their health by coming into extensive, close contact with these toxic substances (source).
3. It's green! Because organic farms do not use as many chemicals as conventional farms, less energy is used applying these chemicals. Many organic farmers use naturally-occurring fertilizers, and because organic food is typically sold closer to where it is grown than conventionally-grown food, less energy is used for transport (source).
4. There is research indicating that organic foods contain more vitamins and minerals than conventionally-raised food (source).
By drinking tea comprised of organic ingredients, you are doing something wonderful for yourself, the earth, and society at large.
T ea lovers, rejoice: you can use tea to give your locks extra luster this winter!
How, you ask? Well, the tannins found in tea can thicken the shaft of the hair, which of course makes hair appear thicker. Although there's no science to back it up, I have also found that my hair appears much smoother following what I call a 'tea rinse.'
The method couldn't be simpler.
Brew three to four cups of your favorite green, white or black tea. (I have not tried herbal teas so while it's possible they may work as well, I can't vouch for it!)
Cool the tea until it's at least room temperature, if not a little colder.
Shampoo, condition, and rinse hair as usual. Allow hair to dry: it doesn't have to be totally dry, just not dripping wet!
Pour tea into a large bowl and flip your hair into it, being sure to get the tea all the way to your roots. Gently flip your hair back up and wrap it in a towel; allow it to sit for thirty minutes or so (the longer the better in my experience) and then rinse it out. Rinse with cold water for the shiniest results.
As a bonus, if you're like me and sometimes brew more tea than you can drink, you can always use the leftovers to treat your hair!
Christmas is drawing near and a crisp chill is in the air as we all plan our holiday shopping lists. I was fortunate enough to get to sample one of the gifts I will be sending to many people on my 'nice' list this year: Gingerbread Chai Tea. Not only is this blend, which is a subtly spicy combination of Rooibos tea leaves, ginger, lemongrass, vanilla and cinnamon, incredibly tasty, but it's also very healthful.
Ginger has long had a reputation for naturally easing gastrointestinal distress (source), but many people do not realize that ginger is also a potent anti-inflammatory, may fight cancer, and boosts the immune system (source). Ginger also contains a large amount of such vital nutrients as potassium, copper, magnesium, and vitamin B6 (source).
This tea is caffeine-free, which makes it perfect for pregnant women and nursing moms, as well as anyone who has to be up early for work! It has a wonderful complex, slightly sweet, spicy taste when brewed by itself; add sweetener and milk, and it tastes like a quite sweet, slightly spicy cookie! It has an excellent, warm aroma, reminiscent of gingerbread houses and Christmases past, while brewing; it would provide the perfect ambiance for any holiday party!
Gingerbread tea -- in addition to tasting like an indulgent dessert -- has many benefits and is a wonderful choice for this holiday season!
If you are like many people, myself included, it's hard to remember to drink enough fluids when you're not hot. Most of us remember that if we're exerting our bodies physically, we need to replenish them with water, tea, or other beverages; but when temperatures drop and we find ourselves shivering our way into work, hydration is not quite so intuitive. The fact is, however, that the white mist you breathe out is actually water vapor: you lose just as much water in the winter as you do during the summer!
Dehydration is no laughing matter, either. It can cause you to become more susceptible to falling ill and can even cause you to gain weight: the symptoms of dehydration can mimic those of hunger, causing you to overindulge when you're not really hungry at all; you're thirsty (source).
A good rule of thumb is that you should drink half your weight, in pounds, in ounces of water. If you weigh 150lbs, you should be drinking 75 ounces of water, or other beverages like tea, per day, year-round. If you exercise, you should be drinking even more water than that!
Of course, it can be difficult to drink that much plain water each day, so why not give yourself an incentive to drink more fluids by drinking more tea? Brew a cup in the morning; bring a thermos with you to work; and drink a cup with dinner and after dinner. I like to indulge in roobios blends, because I don't have to worry that caffeine is causing me to lose -- and need to replace -- even more water.
The elderly are particularly susceptible to dehydration: According to a study conducted by the NIH in 1991, 6.7% of Medicare hospitalizations were at least partially due to dehydration (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8059883). Make sure your elderly loved ones have access to a wide variety of teas and other beverages to appeal to their taste buds and ensure they remain adequately hydrated! With the holidays drawing near, it may be a great time to stock your grandparents, parents, and aunts or uncles up with teaware, tea brewing accessories, and new tea blends.
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