10 Fact About Tea You Didn't Know

10 Fact About Tea 

There are only three basic types of Asian tea; Green, Black and Oolong. All three come from the same tea plant -- Camelia sinensis.

tea

The differences between the teas result from the way the tea leaves are plucked and processed. Although there are three basic types of tea, there are over 3,000 varietiesto choose from.

Despite their name, herbal teas are not tea at all because they do not come from the
tea plant, but from herb and spice plants.

In recent Dutch studies it was found that men who drink black tea which contains catechins are fifty percent less likely to die of ischemic heart disease. This occurs when our arteries become clogged and are unable to work as they should because of them becoming narrow.

We now know that drinking a half to two cups of tea per day may promote fertility by inhibiting abnormalities in our chromosomes. In a recent test 250 women drank as little as half a cup of tea per day and their pregnancy rates were double those who did not.

A remedy for puffy eyes is to lie in a horizontal position and place either a tea compress or wet teabag over both eyes and leave for about 20 minutes. The puffiness around the eyes will amazingly vanish and your eyes will look and feel
brand new.

One way to rid your refrigerator of unpleasant smells is to place one or two used tea bags somewhere within the fridge. The next day any bad smell will be gone!

A substance called Tannic acid which naturally occurs in tea is said to help in the battle against warts. Apply a wet tea bag to the infected area for about 15 minutes three times daily and the wart will slowly begin to shrink until it eventually disappears.

It is known that men in Asian countries who consume green tea have very low instances of prostate cancer. Many prominent researchers are convinced that this is due to green tea containing many powerful antioxidants and preventative anti-cancer agents.

In recent Australian studies CSIRO scientists found that the occurrence of skin cancer in laboratory mice was greatly reduced when they were given black tea. It is thought that polyphenols which are very strong antioxidants and are contained in the tea are the most likely reason for this
phenomenon.

The costliest teabag ever was created for the 75'th anniversary of the PG TIPS tea company. The bag was filled with two hundred and eighty diamonds and expensive limited edition tea leaves. The tea bag cost 7,500 pounds and would be auctioned in aid of a Children's hospital in Great Britain.

Contrary to what one might expect, Turkey is a land of tea drinkers. Turks drink more tea per head than any other nation, even more than the British and they are now the
world's biggest tea drinkers. The total annual consumption of tea in Turkey is approximately 120 thousand tons whereas that of coffee is only 8 thousand tons.

Choose The Best Healthy Snack For Kids

Healthy Snacks for Kids

Looking for a quick and healthy snack for the kids? Here are a few tasty ideas that you can surprise them with, or let them make on their own.

 

healthy_snack

1. Bugs On A Log: 

They'll love it just for the name! Simply spread peanut butter onto celery stalks, and then top with raisins (the bugs).

2. Melon Balls: 

Show them that ice cream scoops can be used for more than just ice cream. Scoop the "meat" out of watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe and serve them on a tray with colourful toothpicks in each one.

3. Quesadillas: 

You don't have to drive to a Mexican restaurant to enjoy these melted treats. Simply sprinkle shredded cheese onto a tortilla. Fold the tortilla in half and microwave it until the cheese is gooey. Cut the quesadilla into triangle-shaped wedges and dip in salsa.

4. Frozen Grapes: 

 The entire family will enjoy this cool treat once summer arrives. Place a washed bowl of grapes into the freezer for an hour or so. Don't forget to cut the grapes in half for smaller children and toddlers.

5. Peanut Butter Squares: 

Kids will eat just about anything that's covered in yummy peanut butter! Spread peanut butter onto a cracker (or a rice cake). Add a couple of apple slices then top with another cracker to form a little cracker sandwich.

6. Snackers Delight: 

Children change their minds with the wind, so be prepared with a medley of their favourites! Fill each cup of a muffin tin with different treats such as nuts, raisins, cheese cubes, pretzels, carrot slices and sunflower seeds.

Kill Your Stress About Healthy Eating

Tips For Enjoy Eating Healthy Food

Can you enjoy healthy eating? Some people seem to think that healthy eating is some kind of punishment. On the contrary, it's a pleasure!

There are so many delicious dishes that can be made with less fat and sugar. It's a new world to discover. When I go out for dinner or cook in my own kitchen I often choose a vegetarian meal. There are lots of different ingredients to choose from and the combination 

possibilities are almost endless.

eating_healthy_food

Sometimes I just pick a few products in the store without having any idea of what to do with them and then I surprise myself with a new tasty dish. It's fun! Use your imagination. Eat what you enjoy and enjoy what you eat!

You don't have to exclude meat in your food, but we all need much more vegetables. We should try to see the vegetables not just as accompaniments, but as a meal in itself, with its own value.

Relax!

Try to give yourself time in the kitchen. You need to slow down and be free from stress to be able to enjoy eating.

Think of your time in the kitchen as an important part of your day. Make your kitchen a place where you can relax and feel comfortable. Make it nice, put a cloth on the table and some flowers.

Light candles. Many people seem to want to get out of the kitchen as soon as possible. If you feel that way, you won't be able to enjoy your meal. Be present, focus on the meal, don't watch TV or read any paper or magazine while you're eating. Enjoy the food, see how it looks, feel the appetizing smell and taste of it.

Eat slowly!

When you are enjoying something you want it to last long, right? Eat slowly, take your time to enjoy every bite. Chew it well. When you eat slowly like this you will notice that your body 

will tell you when it's time to finish.

You will know when you are content and you can avoid eating too much. Stop eating when you feel content even if there is still food on your plate.

Make a small lifestyle change!

When you go to a restaurant next time, order something new that you haven't tried before. Next time you go to the store, buy some low fat or light products that you haven't tried. Find out if they really are as boring as you might think they are.

Maybe you'll be surprised. Maybe you will find new favourites and get new ideas for delicious meals to enjoy! Then you have made a small lifestyle change. And all major achievements start with the first step.

Chocolate Make Trouble?

How to Buy Chocolate Then Forget to Eat It

Some Say I'm Strange. I Prefer to Think of Myself as Resourceful 

chocolate

 

If you'd like to learn how to obtain quality chocolate, put it in a drawer and forget it's there, learn to use EFT and NLP techniques to conquer your emotional eating. That's what I've done, and it's such a freeing thing to be able to feel right with the world, be happy with myself, my shape, and not feel controlled by something like food.

 I eat what I want, but I do make an effort to make good choices (usually). For example, last night I baked a cake I made on Easter and totally loved (Better than Sex cake). This thing is nothing more than yellow cake, vanilla pudding and tons of whipped cream - not exactly diet fare, but when I can't get a certain food out of my head, I usually either make it or go and get it, and then totally enjoy it. That's what I mean when I said I eat what I want. 

So today, I have an entire cake in my refrigerator.
 

Did I have a piece of cake for breakfast? No. My husband bought me some fresh local raspberries at the Farmer's Market yesterday, and I wanted them so I had some on my cereal this morning. The cake sits and waits. When I was in the kitchen I noted the remnants of last night's grocery shopping.

 I saw a huge, individually wrapped cinnamon roll on the counter. I just "knew" I was going to want to eat something sweet last night since baking the cake was bound to make me crazy so I'd in anticipation of future hunger I bought the following:

1. One Giant cinnamon roll from Sarah's Bakery. (Oops, I weighed this bad boy and it's 15.5 Oz! Almost a pound of dough and sugar - oh my).
2. Small container of Scharffen Berger chocolates. This little clear box comes with 12 squares equalling 2.1 Oz. Individually wrapped. I put them in the drawer.
3. A dozen of my favorite shortbread cookies which I put in a drawer in the kitchen. My husband will eat them if he sees them, so unless he says something about "wanting something sweet" I wait to let him know they are there.

While watching a movie last night (Friday night ritual) I did start to get sort of hungry so I thought about what to do about it. I recalled how I'm feeling much better lately, getting back to a regular routine of exercise, and I just didn't feel like eating a lot of cookies. Yes, they were there, but I just wasn't in the mood to eat them. I had a pang of hunger, but I wasn't really hungry, it was nearly midnight for crying out loud!
 

So, I ate one of those chocolate squares - remember, they're pretty small right? Well I ate it in four bites, letting the chocolate melt in my mouth. I take my time with chocolates and they satisfy me so much more than just popping it in my mouth, chewing twice and swallowing. I'm not in a hurry to get it over with.
 

Discovering Lost Candy
 

This morning I checked my body fat and it just happens I keep my Omron Body Fat Analyzer in the closet on top of a leftover chocolates box from last Christmas. I decided to look inside the box since I thought there was one of those chocolates still leftover and I was surprised to find two of those Christmas chocolates in there (Joseph Schmidt truffles - some of my favorites) and about eight squares of that very same chocolate I bought yesterday (Scharffen Berger). I forgot they were there.
 

So, you see, I handle my cravings by buying the foods I want, then putting them away and maybe eating them, maybe not. For me it's the need to know I can have what I want - and keeping something nearby in case of emergencies. I also know if I leave things out where I'll see them, I'm much more likely to decide to have some, so I put them away. For you it may be different. 

Some of you won't want anything tempting in the house. That's okay too. We're all different. The only way you'll discover how you are is to tackle those emotional issues - the reasons you think you can't stop eating after a handful or two; the reasons you feel like it's out of your control, or not your decision how much you eat, when you eat or what you eat.
 

Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to buy your favorite food and leave it in a drawer long enough to forget it's even there? That's what it's like to not have an eating problem, and that comes from giving yourself permission to enjoy food. You are worthy, you do deserve to be happy.
 

My methods can help - I know because they've worked for me, and I truly have had a sweet tooth since I was a kid. I used to eat bag after bag of candy - I once had 11 cavities in one dentist visit!