Sunday, August 30, 2009

Tea: Origins, Flavors and Health Benefits

How many times do we just want to drink tea after a heavy meal, but are then bombarded with all the various tea flavours that we get lost. This article answers that need.

What you should always remember is that there are only four types of tea.
1) Black tea
2) Green tea
3) White tea
4) Oolong tea

All these are made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis, also known as the tea plant. Other herbal infusions such as chamomile tea, ginger tea or red tea made of rooibos leaves are disqualified as types of tea since the tea plant is not involved in their making. The difference between the four tea variations lies in the process of making them. In addition, each type of tea has another flavor and various health benefits.

1) Black Tea
The strong flavored burnt Sienna colored hot beverage is the most popular type of tea in the West. Either served with a squeeze of lemon or added milk and a cube of sugar, the cup of black tea is part of daily tea ceremonies that take place worldwide. Black tea is made of heavily oxidized Camellia sinensis leaves. When served plain, it contains no calories, carbohydrates, or fats. A cup of black tea contains more caffeine than any other types of tea but less than in any cup of coffee.

2) Green Tea
The lightly oxidized tea has been popular in China, Japan and Korea for centuries. Recently, rumors on its health benefits increased its popularity in the West as well. It has been proven that drinking green tea can lower cholesterol, prevent cancer, increase metabolic rates and be helpful in variety of other conditions and illnesses. The green tea is lightly oxidized, dried, but not fermented. It is usually served plain, without sugar or milk. Since some of the green tea variants taste a bit bitter, it should be brewed in lower temperature than the boiling point.

3) White Tea
White tea is rarer and more expensive than the other types of teas mentioned above. Originated in the Fujian province of china, the white tea is made of young Camellia sinensis leaves, which go through a long process of steaming or frying, inactivate fermenting and drying. Since the leaves are harvested while the buds are still covered by white hair, it is called white tea. White tea has the most delicate, sweet taste than the other types of tea. Moreover, it contains the smallest amount of caffeine and the largest amount of antioxidant that help prevent cancer.

4) Oolong Tea
The traditional Chinese tea is the common companion of Chinese foods such as dim sum and chop suey in American Chinese restaurants. The oolong tea, black dragon in Chinese, got its name after its long, dark distinguished leaves that look like wild black dragons when brewed. The unique taste of the oolong tea is achieved by a long process that includes sun drying of the Camellia sinensis leaves, light oxidization, cooling and drying processes. The result is a lighter flavor than the popular black tea and stronger than the delicate green tea.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

How To Maximize The Health Benefits Of Green Tea

Whether you are trying to lose weight or improve your health in general, drinking several cups of green tea per day can help. Green tea is the next best thing to a warm cup of hot chocolate to sooth and clam you, especially in the winter months.


Fat Fighting Benefits of Green tea

Drinking green tea can be a great addition to a well-rounded nutrition and exercise program. Green tea works to raise your metabolism, therefore helping you to burn more fat even while you’re resting and sleeping. Although this doesn’t give you an excuse to slack off at the gym, it does help us to burn up the stored fat we carry a little quicker. It also oxidizes the fat. It burns the fat that commonly settles around our middles: the waist, hips and thighs.

The other benefit dieters receive from drinking green tea is having a reduced appetite. We all know that the fewer calories we take in and the more calories we burn are what it takes to lose weight. By this reasoning, green tea is the perfect diet companion.


The Other Health benefits of Green Tea

Dieters aren’t the only ones who should e drinking green tea though. There are many health benefits achieved from drinking this hot beverage every day.

Green tea will reduce your total cholesterol levels, decreasing the bad cholesterol and increasing the good cholesterol.

Because green tea is high in antioxidants it is a good tool to fight the flu. It will help boost your immunity against viruses.

Green tea kills bacteria in the mouth that causes plaque. This is good news for people who fear frequent trips to the dentist.

Green tea helps us to think more clearly. It also helps stave off memory loss, like that associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

In addition, green tea aids people with medical conditions like cancer, arthritis, heart disease and serious infections.


Maximizing the Benefits of Green Tea

Use high quality green tea leaves. Once soaked, the tea should turn out a pale green color.
Experts suggest that drinking mildly hot green tea produces better benefits that making it into iced tea.

Let the tea brew in the mildly hot water for several minutes to help bring out the flavanoids.
Experts suggest drinking between 3and 5 cups of green tea per day for better health.

Skip adding sugar to your green tea. If you feel like you need to adjust the taste, add some honey, lemon or skim milk for added health benefits.

Just don’t like the taste of green tea? Don’t worry. You can still reap the many health benefits of green tea in the form of a pill.


However you manage to include green tea in your diet, including it on a regular basis will help you experience maximum results. Add green tea to a healthy, well-balanced diet and exercise routine for good overall fitness.

Monday, August 10, 2009

How to Make Healthy Food Choices!

It’s Thursday afternoon, you have thirty minutes to get from work, go by the house and pickup Heath, Jamie’s already at basketball practice, oh, and what about dinner? Does this scenario seem familiar? If you’re a working Mom, I can promise that it is a familiar scene.

So how do you make healthy food choices, when you only have fifteen minutes to prepare your meals? Well, the first thing you should realize is that quite often, healthy choices do not necessarily equate to two hour meals. You can make healthy food choices that are as quick to prepare or pickup as the unhealthy ones.

For example, sub sandwiches are a healthier alternative than pizza or burger and fries, but do not really take any longer to pickup. Salads can be prepared in just a few short minutes, and provide for the necessary vegetable daily requirement. Don’ care for the usual salad? Make a Waldorf or fruit salad, either way you’ve changed it up a bit, and still provided a health choice. As for the dressing, oil based or vinegar based dressings are much better for you than the cream based, and are really more tasteful.

Okay, suppose salads aren’t what your kids like. What about other prepared foods that are also healthy foods? Healthy Choice is a brand of frozen entrees or meals that take only a few minutes in the microwave to prepare, and are still healthy alternatives. Baked rather than fried is always a better choice, and many supermarkets today offer baked products fresh from their bakery, ready to go.

Still aren’t satisfied? You want a place to go and actually sit down and eat. There are still many healthy alternatives for a family when going to eat at a restaurant. Restaurants that offer buffet style meals are great choices. Thanks to many of the health conscious consumers out there, buffets have added baked, broiled, and fresh food choices to the display.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are usually always available on food bars, along with broiled or steamed vegetables. Meats are just about as varied, with many of the choices being offered in a fried and baked option. And if you’re up for dessert, watermelons and grapes are just as satisfying as the Boston cream pie.

You can always throw up objections when it comes to healthy eating, the real trick is in realizing it’s your body that will suffer. Or your children that will suffer from the unhealthy choices you make. Why not start with healthy options, set the right example, and you will have children that make health conscious intelligent decisions about their eating.

Okay, now back to our Thursday afternoon juggling act. You’ve dropped Heath at baseball practice, picked Jamie up from basketball, and you have exactly fifteen minutes to make a decision about dinner. As you sit at the red-light contemplating your options, there is a Subway, a Pizza Hut, and a grocery store with a deli in the same shopping center. How can this still be a difficult choice to make?

DISCLAIMER: This information is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read. Since natural and/or dietary supplements are not FDA approved they must be accompanied by a two-part disclaimer on the product label: that the statement has not been evaluated by FDA and that the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease."

Thursday, July 30, 2009

How to Eat Healthy When Eating Out at Your Favorite Restaurant.

This article was written to answer a frequently asked question, "how to eat healthy at a restaurant".

When you are eating out, you probably watch your calories very closely. So to assist you with your calorie counting when dining out, these tips will help you make the most of it. I hope you find this information about how to eat healthy at a restaurant helpful ...

Restaurant Eating Out Tips:

- Anytime you order pasta dishes, be on the lookout for tomato based sauces instead of the cream based sauces. Tomato based sauces are much lower in fat and calories, and tomato sauce can even be counted as a vegetable!

- Always order salad dressings or sauces on the side, as this way you have control over how much you add to your meal.

- When you order grilled fish or vegetables, you should ask that the food be grilled without butter or oil, or prepared with very little or either or.

- You should always try to drink water, diet soda, or tea instead of soda or beverages that contain alcohol.

- When you choose a soup, remember that cream based soups are higher in fat and calories than other soups. A soup can be a great appetizer, as most are low in calories and you fill you up pretty fast.

- Choosing foods made with whole grains, such as whole wheat bread and dishes made with brown rice is a great way to eat healthy while eating out at a restaurant.

- When ordering a baked potato, ask for salsa instead of sour cream, butter, cheese, or even bacon. Salsa is very low in calories and provides a healthy alternative with plenty of flavor and spice.

- If you order dessert, share with a friend. Half of the dessert will equal half of the calories.

- A simple eating healthy tip is when you are full, stop eating. Listen to your body and what it tells you.

- If you get full, take half of your meal home. The second portion of your meal can serve as a second meal later. This way, you get two meals for the price of one.

- If you're looking to eat less, order two appetizers or an appetizer and a salad as your meal.

- If you get a choice of side dishes, get a baked potato or steamed vegetables instead of french fries.

- Always look for food on the menu that's baked, grilled, broiled, poached, or steamed. These types of cooking use less fat in the cooking process and are usually much lower in calories.

- Another way to eat healthy at a restaurant is to eat plain bread or rolls which are low in both fat and calories. When you add the butter and oil, you increase the fat and calorie intake.

- As key ingredients to your meal, choose dishes with fruits and vegetables. Both fruits and vegetables are great sources of dietary fiber as well as many vitamins and minerals.

- If you crave dessert, look for something with low fat, such as berries or fruit.

I hope you found these tips on how to eat healthy at a restaurant helpful and you were able to get something out of it.

And always remember, do not deprive yourself of the foods you truly love. All types of foods can fit into a well balanced diet.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Healthy Breakfast Foods

It is always surrounded by silly excuse of lack of time. And still no one denies that fact that "breakfast" is the most important meal of the day.

Why such a hullabaloo about this early morning meal? Well, for starters, this meal comes after a break of 8 - 10 hours; hence your blood sugar level will be low. Since your body has gone with out food for such a long time, it needs nourishment to kick-start its day. Therefore "breakfast" is considered to be an important and essential meal of the day.

Breakfast benefits both, young and old. It is the key to jump start your muscles and your day. People who eat breakfast (healthy) daily are more likely to

- Consume more vitamins, minerals and less of fat and cholesterol.
- Increased strength and endurance.
- Better concentration and productivity all day long.
- Control over weight
- Low cholesterol = no risk or little risk of heart disease

Children who eat breakfast are likely to have better concentration, problem-solving skills and eye-hand coordination. They will be alert, creative, and less likely to miss days of school.

If you think skipping this meal, will help you lose weight, think again. By passing over this meal, your body will go in the starvation mode and make you crave for snacks especially sweets. Impulsive snacking on unhealthy foods can lead to weight gain. So you motive of losing weight by skipping breakfast stays unachieved.

Try to choose healthy foods from at least two food groups each morning

- Fruits & Vegetables
- Grains
- Dairy
- Proteins

A glass of pure fruit juice, bananas, yoghurt, low-calorie muesli with semi skimmed or skimmed milk, fresh fruit salad with few spoonfuls of low fat yoghurt, fresh and raw veggies mixed with flavoured yoghurt, a slice of toast or plain bread with eggs, boiled or poached are some of the options for breakfast. Kids can enjoy a Smoothie with their favourite fruits; add dash of yoghurt or honey to make it more delicious.

If you look forward to eating different kinds of healthy foods for breakfast, you are less like to skip this meal. If time is your hurdle, think about packing your breakfast or eating on the 'run', its better than skipping it altogether.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

How to Maintain your Mental Health

In recent years people have realized the importance of proper diet and exercise, and recent surveys show that over the last 20 years people are eating better and working out more often, resulting in people living longer, but people are still lacking in their understanding that their mental well being is just as important as their physical health.

Today most people get on average 4 to 6 hours of exercise every day, and make sure that everything they put in their mouths is not filled with sugars or preservatives, but they pay no attention to their mental health, no vacations, not even the occasional long weekend, 60 hour weeks, taking work home with them and even working weekends. All of this for hopes of one day getting that big promotion. What good will it do you when your brain overloads and you have a breakdown in the office.

In the end your physical health will suffer no matter how well you eat and how often you exercise. You will wind up with high blood pressure, stress and tension all of which raises the chances of you having a stroke or heart attack.

In hopes of helping you avoid this I am providing you with the things I do to keep my mental health in tip top condition.

My absolute favorite thing to do to refocus myself is to go for a long ride on my Harley. Nothing brings the world back into focus like riding free like the wind, there is no better forms of therapy as far as I am concerned.

Another great way to relieve the stresses in your life and help put a sparkle in your mental health is a trip to the casinos. Most people go to the casinos and expect to go home a winner, I do not. I go to have a good time.

I enjoy the skill required in
blackjack or poker, or just like pressing my luck on the roulette wheel or slot machine. I also make sure not to take my credit cards with me to the casinos. Every week I put a few bucks on the side and when I have enough to go to the casino I go, and have a real good time. This way I can blow every penny I bring with me and know I am not hurting my self financially.

Sometime I just like to sit at a poker table, blackjack table or roulette table and just make small bets. This may not be as exciting as risking large sums of money, but in the end I play longer, and I probably win more often. The best part is because I do not expect to win I am not disappointed when I don’t win, and on those occasions that I do win beside going home with more money I have a supper big smile on my face because the night was all that much better.

Another reason why I love the casinos is how far they are from where I live so I can take my bike out in the morning have a good 3 hour drive to Atlantic City then at the end of the day I get to enjoy another 3 hours on my Harley, and if the weather is really bad I can either take my truck or just stay home and log on to one of the many online casinos available to choose from.

I also enjoy watching an hour or 2 of television every night, some light sitcoms are a great way to lighten your minds load, and laughing out loud for 30 seconds every day is a great way to release stress.

Video games are also great for stress release, if you are mad at your boss what better way to get it out of you then boxing, just imagine you are pounding on your boss and hope you don’t lose.

I hope you try some of these methods or think of some of your own to help keep the stress down in your life and keep your mental health in as good of condition as the rest of you.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Honey – Important Health Facts!

Honey is the most known apicultural product, it is a substance that the bees produce through a complicated process of elaboration, where they absorb the nectar and deposit it in their stomach, then go back to the beehive to deliver it, throwing up repeated times; this way ferments, acid and albumen are added to the nectar. It contains most of the essential mineral elements that our system needs. There have already been found, in the honey, more than 180 different nutritional substances.

The beekeeping is a very old activity. Evidences from Egypt, Mesopotamia and Greece describe ancient beekeeping and the honey is also mentioned in the Bible. It was considered sacred, and was also used to pay taxes and debts. Besides all this, it was used to draw and paint as well. Honey contains proteins, essential minerals and vitamins. It is a food of elevated energy and is also known for its medicinal and therapeutic assets. Honey is a food of easy digestion and enthusiastically assimilated by humans, constituting a healthy source of energy.

Honey consumed as food is important for the balance of the biological process of the organism. It contains glucose and fructose, which goes directly into the blood, becoming an energetic product. Honey can be used as food, as a natural sweetener and as medicine. After some time of use, it assists in the control of rheumatism and arthritis, prevents all types of respiratory illnesses and helps in the digestion. Honey is also used on the skin and is an ingredient for some shampoos. It is used extensively in the cosmetic industry as well (creams, cleanness facemasks, tonics, etc.) because of its astringent and softening qualities.

Eating honey will improve your quality of life, since it stimulates and increases physical resistance; it is slightly sedative, discouraging insomnias; it helps in the healing, it is anti-septic, digestive and laxative, helping in the treatment of gastritis; it is an expectorant fighting the cough, also of smokers. Used externally, it speeds up the healing of wounds and minor burnings, besides hydrating the skin.

With honey – and nothing else –, Nigerian doctors were able to cure serious wounds, burnings and ulcers of skin in 59 patients, which were submitted previously to conventional treatments with antibiotics without any satisfying results. First, the doctors gathered samples of the wounds to be studied in laboratory. The results had shown that the infections were caused by common bacteria – therefore more resistant – as the Pseudomonad, found frequently in infections. After that, the honey was applied on the infected skin. One week later, no micro organism appeared in the laboratory examinations. For the reason that it is slightly acid, extremely viscous and absorbs water, the honey cleaned the wounds, diminished their size and protected them from new infections. According to the Nigerian doctors, honey also has the property of being a bactericidal agent.

It has been indicated to prevent, control or cure the following illnesses:

• Respiratory diseases
• Cramps
• Intestinal disturbances
• Digestive disturbances
• Throat irritation
• Urinary irritation
• Irritation of the eyes
• Dental caries
• Illnesses of the liver
• Rheumatic pains
• Physical fatigue
• Insomnia
• Skin burn
• Stomach ulcer, etc.

The flavour, aroma and colour of the honey differ according to its botanical origin, in accordance with the flowers from where the bee has removed the nectar to manufacture it. The climate, humidity and even the altitude will interfere in these characteristics of the honey. Usually, the clear honey presents weak flavour and aroma. The honey of darker coloration is richer in proteins and minerals.

Here goes an advice: honey fattens less than sugar. 1 tea-spoon or 5g of honey = 16,4kcal. It is also the best option for athletes. Biologists concluded that honey is the best source of carbohydrates and energy for athletes and mature people.