Teas And Your Health

There are many teas that have been drunk throughout the ages. They are basically infusions of plants, usually the leaves and sometimes the flowers, by boiling them with water. Teas can be drunk hot or cold and are used for a variety of ailments. Teas of different sorts are drunk worldwide.

The official tea that we drink is the second most popular beverage and grown in the mountainous regions of China, India, Sir Lanka, Vietnam, Nepal, Georgia, Japan, Kenya, Malawi and Taiwan. The tea we drink is taken from the top leaves and the buds of the Camellia Sinensis tree. These leaves are specially dried and then crushed for maximum flavor.

Tea is a mild stimulant, with small amounts of caffeine. It has far less than its counterpart coffee. It also has small amounts of vitamin A, B2, C, D, K, and P. there are also trace amounts of some minerals. Overall it is good for your health. It is recommended that about 3 cups of tea and more should be drunk a day to get the healthful qualities of this beverage.

There are 4 common forms of tea are:

Black tea
White tea
Oolong tea
Green tea

Black tea is the most common form of tea and is known as the famous ìEnglish teaî as this is drunk predominantly in Britain and the Western world. This tea is drunk hot but can also be used to brew the famous iced tea. It is made from the leaves of the tea plant and is completely fermented. This results in its darker color. It is more of a stimulant than the other teas and a more intense taste. Sometimes it is drunk with lemon but most commonly with milk.

White tea comes from the bud of the tea plant. It undergoes little or no processing (fermenting or oxidizing) this brings out the antioxidants but will reduce the stimulant quality of this tea. Because the buds can only be harvested in the spring season this tea is not so common and fairly expensive.

Oolong tea is fermented more than green tea but less than black. Research has shown that this tea helps the digestive system and is good for metabolism.

Green tea is also not fermented like white tea but is made from more mature leaves so is much more common and affordable. This tea was predominantly drunk in the Orient namely Japan and China, but is gaining new ground in the West as research is showing the beneficial properties of this form of tea. Again it has more antitoxins (flavonoids) and is less of a stimulant. Added to this it has vitamin C and fluoride.

Tea Houses are becoming very popular especially in fashionable areas of Europe like Paris. As more research comes to light we will hear more about the benefits of this popular drink. So the next time you relax with a good refreshing cup of tea you can rest assured that your favorite beverage is also good for your health.

Choc Banana Ice-cream on a stick with raw chocolate and pistachio superfood crunch coating

Ingredients:

Makes 18 Pops
Banana Ice-cream Pops
9 large ripe bananas
18 wooden sticks

Raw Chocolate
½ cup coconut oil (melted)
2 tbsp agave syrup (or maple syrup)
½ cup raw cacao powder

Pistachio Superfood Crunch
¼ cup pistachios
¼ cup cranberries
¼ cup goji berries
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp buckinis
1 tbsp bee pollen
1 tbsp chia seeds

Directions:

Banana Ice-cream Pops
1. Slice bananas in half or whatever shape you prefer. I sliced into rectangles.
2. Skewer with wooden stick.
3. Wrap each banana pop with glad wrap and put into freezer overnight.

Raw Chocolate
4. Combine coconut oil with maple syrup.
5. Add raw cacao powder. Whisk with a fork until combined and chocolate mixture is smooth.
6. Set aside.

Pistachio Superfood Crunch
7. Add pistachios, cranberries, goji berries and pumpkin seeds into a food processor and process until roughly combined.
8. Mix in the remaining ingredients.
9. Set aside.

Assembly
10. Once banana pops are frozen, take out of the freezer and decorate/drizzle or dip into raw chocolate.
11. And then immediately sprinkle or dip into the pistachio superfood crunch.
12. Eat immediately or store in the freezer in an airtight container.

Healthy Homemade Mango Fruit Roll-ups

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups diced ripe mango (from about 3 large mangoes)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 175ºF and line two rimmed baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper.

Puree the mango in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Divide the purée evenly between the two prepared pans, and using an off-set spatula, spread the purée as flat and as evenly as possible until it's about 1/8-inch thick.

Bake the purée for 3 to 4 hours. The fruit roll-ups are done when the purée is dry to the touch and pliable. If the bottom side of the roll-ups is still wet after some time, flip the roll-ups over and continue baking them until they are fully dried.

Remove the roll-ups from the oven. Place a piece of wax paper on top of the roll-ups and then peel off the wax paper and the roll-ups together. Cut the sheet into long strips and then roll up the strips.

Avocado toast topped with cucumbers, smoked salmon, fried egg and pesto

avocado toast topped with cucumbers, smoked salmon, fried egg and pesto

Blueberry Oatmeal Smoothie

Ingredients

• ½ cup raw oats
• 2 tbsp chia seed
• 1⅓ cup almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 whole banana
• 1⅓ cup almond milk or water
• Agave syrup or maple syrup to taste

Instructions

1. Combine raw oats, chia seed, almond milk in a bowl. Place in fridge overnight.
2. Place blueberries, soaked oats, banana, additional almond milk and sweetener in blender. Blend until smooth

Apples in a Bag

• 1 small apple (Golden Delicious or Granny Smith are my favorite)
• 1 packet of sweetener (Splenda is my favorite), or a spoonful of sugar
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water
• Small handful of raisins, optional
• 
  
• Instructions

1. Peel or don’t peel apple, core and slice or dice. Place in freezer-quality plastic zippered bag along with remaining ingredients. Seal bag and shake well to mix ingredients.
2. Reopen bag just a touch to vent. Microwave on High for 2 minutes– longer if you use a big apple.
3. Carefully (it will be HOT and steamy) open bag and pour over plain or cinnamon-sugar pita chips, flour tortilla chips, oatmeal or ice cream.

Asparagus and Arugula Pizza with Vegan Pesto

• 1/2recipe (2 disks) Jim Lahey's No-Knead Pizza Dough (http://food52.com/recipes/16641-jim-lahey-s-no-knead-pizza-dough)
• 1batch Simple Vegan Pesto (http://food52.com/recipes/22291-simple-vegan-pesto)
• 12ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut in half
• 2cups loosely packed, fresh arugula

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Place each dough disk onto a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a circle with a 10 to 12 inch diameter. Transfer each gently to a cookie sheet dusted with cornmeal or flour. Spread each with 1/2 cup of pesto (about half the recipe). Distribute asparagus evenly over the two pizzas.
3. Place two pizzas in the oven and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until crust is golden and asparagus is lightly browned. Remove pizza from oven. Sprinkle one cup of arugula lightly over each pizza.
4. Cut each pizza into halves or thirds, and serve

Rosemary Roasted Carrots

ingredients

• 2 bunches of small carrots (about 24), peeled
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. minced rosemary
• salt and pepper

instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss carrots with olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with rosemary, salt & pepper. Bake 20-25 minutes or until tender.

Pesto-stuffed portobello pizzas

pesto-stuffed portobello pizzas

Ingredients:

• 4 portobello mushroom caps
• 1/2 cup basil lemon pesto (recipe below)
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 4 campari tomatoes or other vine-ripened tomatoes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Using a soup spoon, scrape out gills from the underside of portobello caps and discard. Spread 2 tablespoons of pesto in each mushroom cap. Top with mozzarella and tomato slices, enough to cover the top of each mushroom.
3. Place pizzas on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until the mozzarella is melted and mushrooms are cooking but still hold their shape (about 10 minutes).

Basil lemon pesto

Ingredients:

• 3 large cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 3 cups fresh basil leaves
• Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Directions:

1. In a food processor, pulse garlic and pine nuts until chopped. Add the basil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Pulse until chopped.
2. While the processor is running, stream in olive oil until the pesto is blended and fairly smooth. Add Parmigiano Reggiano and pulse until combined. Pesto can be refrigerated covered for up to a week.

Nutella Granola Cups filled with Berry Smoothie

Nutella Granola Cups filled with Berry Smoothie
Serves: 12 cups
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
Cups

• 2 cups rolled oat
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• ¼ cup Nutella
• ¼ cup honey
• 4 tablespoons milk

Smoothie

• ½ cup frozen or fresh blueberries
• ½ cup frozen or fresh raspberries
• ½ cup frozen or fresh strawberries
• 4 tablespoons milk

Garnish

• Berries

DIRECTIONS:

Cups

1. Preheat oven to 325 °F. Spray a 12 cups muffin tin with nonstick spray.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the oat and the almonds. Reserve.
3. In a small saucepan, heat the Nutella, honey and milk and stir until combined.
4. Remove from heat and pour over oat and almonds. Stir until coated.
5. Spoon granola evenly in each cup. Firmly press the granola into the bottom and sides of the pan.
6. Bake for about 15 minutes.
7. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
8. When completely cool, delicately run a knife around the edges of the cups to remove them from the tin.

Smoothie

In a blender or a food processor, blend the blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. Add the milk and mix again until incorporated.

Assembly

When ready to eat, fill the cups with the smoothie and top with berries.

No-Bake Chocolate, Cherry and Almond Energy Bars

No-Bake Chocolate, Cherry and Almond Energy Bars

Loaded with protein, fiber, and healthy fats, these bars make for a delicious and satisfying on-the-go treat. If you don’t think your food processor can handle the dates, you can soak them in water for an hour beforehand to soften them up.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups pitted, dried dates
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup whole chia seeds
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds (unsalted)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (unsalted)
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• optional: sprinkle of sea salt

Instructions

1. Purée dates in food processor until a thick paste forms. Add cocoa powder, chia seeds, cinnamon, and vanilla and almond extracts. Pulse until all ingredients are combined. Add the almonds and pecans; pulse until nuts are well incorporated into date mixture. Stir in dried cherries.
2. Spread large sheet of wax paper on work surface. Transfer date mixture to wax paper, and press mixture into 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. If desired, you can even out the edges by trimming them with a knife. Wrap tightly in wax paper, and chill overnight.
3. Unwrap block, and cut into 8 bars. Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt (if using). Re-wrap each bar in wax paper and refrigerate leftovers in an air-tight container.
4. Two more variation ideas from Kristina:
5. Blueberry, Pistachio and Crystallized Ginger Bars: same as above but omit cinnamon; sub chopped pistachios for almonds and pecans; sub dried blueberries for dried cherries; stir in 1/8 cup chopped crystallized ginger after mixture is blended
6. Cranberry-Orange Walnut Bars: same as above but omit cinnamon and almond extract; sub chopped walnuts for almonds and pecans; add 1/2 teaspoon orange zest; sub dried cranberries for dried cherries

1. 
   

Blueberry almond butter smoothie

blueberry almond butter smoothie — made with a handful of frozen blueberries, about a tablespoon of almond butter, half a frozen banana, almond milk, and some silken tofu for protein.  

Pumpkin Smoothie

Pumpkin Smoothie

Pumpkin is a wonderful source of vitamin A and beta-carotene, making it a tasty and healthy addition to your diet. With autumn in full swing and pumpkin in season, be sure to pick some up at your local grocery to make this delicious smoothie, reminiscent of homemade pumpkin pie!

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

1 15-ounce can pumpkin purée
2 cups soymilk, or to taste
2 cups ice
2 tablespoons maple syrup, or to taste
1 tablespoon vanilla extract, or to taste
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, or to taste (alternatively, can use a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice)

Directions

Combine all ingredients in blender. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes until everything is incorporated.

Nutrition Information | Per serving (1 cup):

calories: 95; fat: 1.7 g; saturated fat: 0.4 g; calories from fat: 14.5%; cholesterol: 0 mg; protein: 3.7 g; carbohydrates: 16.8 g; sugar: 8.7 g; fiber: 3.1 g; sodium: 51 mg; calcium: 129 mg; iron: 2.1 mg; vitamin C: 3.4 mg; beta-carotene: 4920 mcg; vitamin E: 1.9 mg

Raw blueberry banana tarts

Raw blueberry banana tarts

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients for the crust:
1/3c raw walnuts
3 Medjool dates, pits removed

Ingredients for the filling:
1 medium banana
1/3c fresh blueberries (+ extra to garnish)
1/4 tsp vanilla powder
2 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp water (if needed)

Directions:
Line 6 muffin holes with cling wrap. In a food processor, blend walnuts and dates till the mixture comes together. Divide into 6 equal pieces and press into the base of each hole. Chill in refrigerator to set.

While the crust is setting, add banana, blueberries and vanilla powder to the food processor. Blend until combined then add maple syrup. Continue to blend until a smooth puree forms. If the consistency is too thick, add a teaspoon of water. Remove muffin tin from fridge and evenly distribute filling onto each crust (I had some leftover filling). Garnish with blueberries if desired. Place in freezer and allow to set for a minimum of 2 hours.

Grape Berry Protein Shake

Serves 1

Total time: 5 minutes

1 teaspoon dry chia seedsWhat You’ll Need

2 scoops DailyBurn Fuel Shake Blendin vanilla
1 ½ cups seedless red or purple grapes
1/2 cup blueberries
1 teaspoon flaxseed oil
1/2 cup water 

What to Do

1. Combine ingredients and blend until smooth.

Using Yoga For Weight Loss

Yoga can be put to good use for taking off excess pounds through the power of creating a state of mental and physical well being. The basic tenets of Yoga promotes a healthy lifestyle and when combined with a calorie reduction can help to speed up your weight loss. It will increase your metabolism by increasing the caloric burning process. All weight loss is based on using more calories than you take in. It will also allow you to increase your ability to concentrate and focus.

Your thyroid regulates your metabolism and is responsible for the chemical processes that transform food into energy. Yoga uses a series of twisting poses that will help to stimulate the work flow of the internal organs. This will cause your metabolism to increase and burn more calories which will eventually cause you to have a lower body weight. Another side effect is that it will help to improve your circulation and increase your energy level.

The various back bends combined with the forward bends will help to stimulate the metabolism. The poses that affect the neck region can be helpful in stimulating the thyroid if the weight problem is caused by a hormonal imbalance. Poses that will help the most for this include the camel, rabbit, plow, bridge and head stand. Going quickly between the various poses can help to accelerate the weght loss. Beware though that those seriously overweight may find some of these poses extremely difficult and should start slowly with the easier poses and add others as they become more confident in the easier ones.

You can use standing poses to increase muscle strengthening such as the warrior. These will help to create higher endurance and increase your caloric usage.

Remember that a gradual approach is best with all Yoga practices. The long term effects on your weight loss regime will become evident and even more so the inner peace and general well feeling that Yoga will promote within you.