Tea: a popular beverage for thousands of years
July 29th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Tea has been a popular beverage for thousands of years.
No one knows with certainty who first had the odd idea of taking leaves from the Camilla Sinensis plant and adding them to hot water to make a brew. It may have been an accident at first, with leaves from the bush floating into a heated kettle. But almost certainly, the practice began over 5,000 years ago in China.
However it began, the art spread quickly after the taste and health benefits were discovered by those early pioneers. Eventually, in 800 AD, an ex-monk named Lu Yu wrote the Ch’a Ching, containing all that was then known about the ways of preparing tea. The word spread to Japan by way of Buddhist monks, in particular one named Yeisei, where it quickly became a royal favorite.
The Portuguese and other western seamen later made contact with the Orient. They were introduced to a beverage unlike any other they knew in their native countries. From their travels in the early 17th century, they returned with many treasures, including the precious tea leaves. The importation of this then-expensive novelty rapidly made many of them wealthy.
In the mid-17th century, Britain finally got into the act and began to import tea from China and the East Indies. As is obvious now, it became so popular that afternoon tea is now strongly associated with that country.
With the merger of the John Company and the East India Company, both importers of tea with a near monopoly in the western world, tea spread everywhere. By the end of the 17th century tea imports were 40,000 pounds.
A few years later, though, the novelty had become a commodity. Over 240,000 pounds were imported into England in 1708 and the leaves were being sold in common food shops in Holland and France. Most of Europe doesn’t have the right climate to grow its own tea. The drink that had been imported and made popular by royalty was now consumed by nearly everyone.
At the same time, tea was spreading to other nations around the world. The Russian Tsar Alexis received several chests as a gift in the early 17th century. By the end of it the Russians were engaging in regular trade with China across their common border. The need to travel over a year across thousands of miles kept the price high. But eventually the practice spread throughout society and tea could be found in every samovar.
The United States, as some may remember, had a little ‘ceremony’ called the Boston Tea Party. As an act of protest against the heavy-handed British government, several Americans decided to dump large quantities of the good into the Boston harbor. In reaction, the British government closed the port and troops occupied the city. A revolution began. The results that followed changed the world forever.
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Drink your green tea: it’s good for you
July 17th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Sally Seidman’s article “Tea — Plenty of It — May Do the Body Good” is a great explanation of green tea’s known and unknown benefits:
One substance in tea, the tongue-twisting epigallo-catechin gallate (EGCG), appears to reduce psoriasis, prostate cancer and colon tumors (at least in animals) and is now an ingredient in a growing number of foods, beverages and dietary supplements. But that’s just one of the components of tea that may have health benefits.
If you haven’t yet added green tea to your daily beverage list, it’s time you did. A simple cup of tea can have immense benefits, but remember that you need to make green tea a daily habit.
Green Tea Cream - what can you use it for?
June 20th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
It seems as though you can find green tea in almost everything today, and this is obviously a great thing, however when it comes to green tea cream, many people seem to be clueless as to what they can actually use it for.
The Many Different Uses For Green Tea Cream
There are actually plenty of different things that you can use green tea cream for, and for instance, in your coffee is one of the best ideas. Green tea has caffeine in it to begin with, and so it really blends in well with the coffee, however at the same time green tea contains many healthy components that coffee does not, thus adding nutrients to your daily brew.
Another great idea for green tea cream is to use it when you are baking. After all, there is not too strong of a flavor of green tea, and so thus you can really use it for many different baking recipes, regardless of what other flavors are already included.
Yet another great idea if you want to use green tea cream is to use it in your cereal in the morning, either with or without regular milk. This is a great way to start the day, as you know that you are filling your body with rich antioxidants and nutrients that are going to give you a boost and help to carry you throughout the rest of the day.
You can also come up with other ideas of your own, if you wish, and then if you want you can share the ideas with your friends and family members. Green tea is a great choice for everyone, and there are so many different positive benefits that it has to offer that you really do not want to miss out on it.
It helps with weight loss, curing illnesses and helping to treat diseases, and as well simply for all over good health and well-being. Green tea has been used for thousands of years now as a form of treatment, and so if you have never tried it before then you are definitely going to want to make sure that you do, and you will be surprised at how quickly you notice results.
When you include green tea with an otherwise healthy diet and regular physical activity, then you are going to be able to live a much longer and healthier life in general.
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Green Tea Ice Cream - it’s good for you
June 13th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Green tea itself has many different health benefits, such as the fact that it is full of antioxidants, and so these benefits all remain when it is put into the green tea ice cream. Not only that, but green tea ice cream is cooling and refreshing, and so it is particularly delicious during those hot summer months.
Green tea ice cream is great for many things in terms of health, and in fact it has been used for over 4,000 years now by the Chinese, who have been using green tea as a treatment for everything from headaches to depression.
One of the reasons for the high amount of benefits that comes from green tea is in regards to the fact of the rich presence of catechin polyphenols, particularly that of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which is the most major reason as to why green tea offers so many benefits.
Green tea has also in fact been proven to be able to stop cancer cells from growing, and this is obviously one of the most significant benefits of green tea of all; for something natural such as green tea to be able to positively reflect on a disease as serious as cancer, that really goes to say something about how healthy it is and how beneficial it is to people overall.
There are different ways that you can take green tea, even besides in ice cream, and so if you are interested in receiving the benefits of green tea but do not like ice cream or hot tea, then you can really rest assured because there are many other options.
For instance, you can take green tea tablets, add green tea extract to your food, or drink cold green tea beverages; there is really a form of green tea supplement out there for everyone, and so regardless of your preference you are sure to be able to find a form that you love so that you can enjoy the taste while reaping the amazing benefits of green tea.
Green Tea Concentrate
June 10th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
As the name suggests, green tea concentrate is a concentrated formulation of green tea, and has similar benefits. It’s often sold as a powder, or in the form of pills. You may also find it in a liquid form. Just add water, and you’ve got dozens of cups of delicious green tea.
Taking green tea concentrate can help you to improve your memory, and it will boost your immune system and your metabolism. It will also improve your health, and it can also help you lose weight and be more active.
Many people like to drink green tea because of all of the health benefits, but the concentrate form is easier to use - you can take it to work, or anywhere else with with you.
Green tea concentrate comes in many flavors
If you want to drink green tea, but don’t care for the grassy taste, concentrates come in many flavors, so that it’s more palatable.
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Using Green Tea Supplement Capsules
June 6th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Green tea supplement capsules are capsules that contain exactly what is found in the tea – all of the good things that you might need in your diet, in order to get the best health benefits out of it. However, they are not tea, because they are contained in capsules, like pills. You can simply take these into your body once or twice a day, and you’ll be able to see results as they dissolve in your stomach.
Everyone knows that there are many health benefits to be seen by using green tea in order to hydrate your body, raise your metabolism, and boost your immune system. It is not a shock, nor is it something to be surprised at, that a diet that includes green tea is one that is going to benefit your health in many ways.
The best places to find green tea supplement capsules are at health food stores and other health stores. You are going to want to check and make sure that they contain the same ingredients that you are looking for in the green tea. If you aren’t sure what kind of green tea supplement capsules you need, you should check with your doctor or with someone who knows a lot about nutrition before you make up your mind as to what you should be taking when it comes to green tea supplement capsules.
Green tea supplement capsules are just as safe as drinking green tea is. If you are allergic to anything in green tea, or if your body reacts to green tea, you will want to consult with your doctor before you try the green tea supplement capsules because it will contain the same ingredients. To everyone else, they are going to be perfectly safe.
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