Teas for Men's Health

Tea in America is often thought of as a  women's thing, but tea for men is becoming more and more popular. Many men who drink tea are connoisseurs of tea, run tea companies or are into natural medicine. Even herbal teas are catching on with the male population. For thousands of years Japanese men have been drinking green tea, and for centuries British men have been drinking black tea. Teas like black tea and oolong definitely appeal to the masculine in a man.

Many men like to work out in the gym. Did you know that green tea can enhance the workout and increase calorie burn by as much as 4%? The antioxidants in green tea help lower cholesterol and reduce heart attack risk by 11%. Green tea can enhance performance if you are into running. It can increase exercise endurance by 24%.

If a man is looking to lose weight green tea may be useful. Drinking green tea increases the metabolic rate which causes greater oxidation of fat and helps with weight management. With green tea there appears to be some protection against cancer. For men this would include prostate cancer. This is because of catechins in the tea, the most powerful of which is epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG. In one large study it was found that men who had five or more cups of green tea a day had a reduced risk of prostate cancer when compared to men who drank less than one cup a day.

Men who are interested in ditching the coffee habit may find tea a good alternative. Black tea has less caffeine than coffee and while it is not as good as green tea, it still has some health benefits in it's own right. Many men see black tea as a more masculine tea, and others prefer oolong. Some like green tea. If drinking green green tea  is not appealing, one can always take supplements of green tea extract.

Sources:
http://www.menshealth.co.uk/food-nutrition/drink-recipes/6-reasons-to-drink-more-green-tea
http://www.menscience.com/Benefits-of-Green-Tea-to-Mens-Health_ep_155.html
Kurahashi N et al. Green tea consumption and prostate cancer risk in Japanese men: a prospective study. Am J Epidemiol 2008;167(1):71-77
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-cooper/real-men-drink-green-tea_b_738955.html

Be sure to check out my website at www.valerielull.com. I am bringing out my book Ten Spices for Health and Longevity in paperback. Stay tuned!

Valerie Lull
Author/Herbalist
Ten Spices for Health and Longevity
valerielull923@gmail.com

Green Tea and Weight Loss

January is national  hot tea month. I am writing about teas and herbal teas this month. January is usually the month when everyone is trying to lose weight and live healthy after all the indulgent foods they've had over the holidays. One tea that has a reputation for being helpful with weight loss is green tea. Green tea has been hailed as being one of the healthiest beverages on the planet, and it has been used in Asian cultures for thousands of years.

There are many studies that have been done on green tea and weight loss. They seem to show that the combination of green tea, caffeine, and an antioxidant called EGCG  improve energy expenditure and weight loss in folks that are overweight and obese. Green tea can help with weight maintenance as well as with weight loss.

There is a substance in green tea called catechins. These catechins appear to help with weight loss. The most important of the catechins is EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate). It works by increasing metabolism and slowing down the development of fat cells. The effect seems to vary with individuals. Most people can lose weight but there are some individuals that it does not seem to work for.

Green tea has been  shown to help burn fat especially during exercise. While green tea by itself can enhance fat loss, it works better when combined with exercise and a healthy diet. Green tea can be taken as a tea or as an extract. The extract can come in liquid or capsule form.

Green tea can be used in tea bags, or as loose tea. Loose tea is often recommended because you don't always know what chemicals have been used in making the tea bags.Various other substances can be added to enhance the taste. Below is the formula for making green tea.

1 green tea bag,  or 1 oz. loose green tea
1 cup hot water
Pour water over tea and steep 3-5 minutes depending on how strong you like it.
Drink and enjoy!

Feel free to leave comments below. I appreciate your feedback.

Sources:
https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/green-tea
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19597519
http://authoritynutrition.com/green-tea-and-weight-loss/
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/health-benefits-of-green-tea
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/70/6/1040.long
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/04/29/green-tea-extract-effective.aspx

Be sure to check out my website at www.valerielull.com  I'm coming out with a paperback edition of my recently published ebook, Ten Spices for Health and Longevity. Look for it in the near future.

Valerie Lull
Author
Ten Healthy Teas
valerielull923@gmail.com

Green Tea and Cancer

Green tea is very popular in alternative medicine circles. It is one of the most studied substances in the world of health beverages. Green tea has long been seen in the role of cancer prevention and in some cases a cancer treatment. An article in Medical News Today discusses a study that reveals how EGCG, a component of green tea, can disrupt the metabolism of cancer cells in pancreatic cancer. The researchers see green tea as a new approach to studying cancer prevention. 

In actuality, claims for the use of green tea for cancer prevention have been around for many years and many studies have been done on this topic. According to the National Cancer Institute the following substances in green tea, EGCG, EGC, ECG and EC, are polyphenols that have antioxidant activity that inhibit tumor cells from multiplying and induce cell death in lab and animal studies.  

The American Association for Cancer Research produced research findings in 2012 that show how green tea may work to prevent or slow down prostate and breast cancers. There is also some recent findings from Penn State University that link green tea with targeting oral cancer cells. 

While all this research looks promising, and certainly 2 cups of green tea a day probably will not hurt you, be sure to consult your doctor before using green tea for a cancer treatment. You may be able to use it as an adjunct along with your cancer treatment, but do consult your oncologist first.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/277583.php
http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/tea-fact-sheet
http://news.psu.edu/story/342487/2015/01/28research/green-tea-ingredient-may-target-protein-kill-oral-cancer-cells

Be sure to check out my new website at www.valerielull.com  I also have a page on facebook, it is called Ten Healthy Teas.

My new book Ten Spices for Health and Longevity is now published and available on Amazon.com. It is an ebook. If it does well, I will later come out with a paperback version.

Valerie Lull
Author
Ten Spices for Health and Longevity
Ten Healthy Teas
valerielull923@gmail.com

Matcha

Matcha is a tea that comes from Japan. It is traditionally used in the Japanese tea ceremony. Matcha is the leaf of the tea plant that is finely powdered, it is mixed into a froth and consumed. It is thought to be more nutritionally valuable because being in powder form it is more accessible to the body. One is getting the actual leaf rather than a water extraction.

One serving of matcha is equal to ten servings of regular green tea as far as nutrients and antioxidants are concerned. Matcha is stone ground. According to a Tufts University study matcha has 20 times more antioxidants than pomegranates and blueberries.

Matcha boosts energy throughout the day according to a study and another study found that it improved physical endurance by 24%. It assists in burning calories and does not raise blood pressure or heart rate. Matcha also serves as a cleanse for the body and is a good part of a detox regimen. Some researchers claim that matcha can promote weight loss, support healthy blood pressure, lower cholesterol, enhance mood and reduce stress. The reality is that very few studies have been done on matcha as opposed to regular green tea.

Matcha is grown differently than other teas. The plant is covered before picking. This causes its deep green color. After the harvest the leaves are ground into a fine powder that is also used in food products like ice cream, candy bars and baked goods.  For some people matcha is an acquired taste, though others think it has a sweet taste.

Matcha can cause stomach problems or constipation in some people and it is wise to consult your health care provider if you decide to use it for medicinal purposes.

Sources

http://www.matchasource.com/matcha-tea-health-benefits-s/14.htm
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02735/green-tea-benefits
http://altmedicine.aboaut.com/od/greentea/a/Matcha.htm

Check out my website at www.valerielull.com for more information about healthy teas.

Valerie Lull
Author
Ten Healthy Teas
Lullval@clearwire.net

The Taste of Green Tea

Green tea is probably one of the most studied beverages around. Just about every day you see something in the media about the health benefits of green tea. However, for many people green tea has a drawback, the taste. They want the benefits of green tea but the taste is a barrier. Here are a few tips about how you can make the taste of green tea more palatable.


Brewing it - There is an art and a particular trick to brewing your green tea that makes a big difference in taste. You have to heat the water to the right temperature. If the temperature is too high it will be bitter, if it is too low the full flavor will not be extracted. If it is brewed at a lower than boiling temperature your tea will be sweeter and the taste greatly improved.

 The guidelines for the temperature of green tea are between 140 degrees Fahrenheit and 185 degrees Fahrenheit (80 degrees centigrade to 90 degrees centigrade). You can get special tea kettles that you can program for the various temperatures you want for your varied teas, or you can do what I do and take the kettle off the heat just before it comes to a boil. Or you could heat the water in a cooking pot with a thermometer to get it just right.

 Adding an herb to it to make it more tasty - There are an infinite number of combinations you can use to flavor up green tea. Many are available at your supermarket or tea merchant. There's Ginger, pomegranate, raspberry and lemon. Experiment and find one you like.

Sweetener - I like to add a sweetener to my green tea. There is honey if you are not diabetic or watching your blood sugar. For those who are watching blood sugar there is Stevia, Agave Syrup, Xylitol, coconut crystals, or even coconut milk. Stevia is now processed so that it does not have the aftertaste it used to have. This also varies with the brand of Stevia you use.  I am a little hesitant about chemically prepared artificial sweeteners. I would say to beware when using them, some have unwanted side effects.

The unthinkable - Most people do not add milk or cream to green tea. I am the oddball. I like to add a little soy creamer to mine. It makes it a little more mellow and it slides down my throat easier. Some authorities say the milk destroys the health giving properties of the tea, others say it does not. The jury is still out on that. Of course it could depend on what kind of milk you add, dairy vs. soy or almond or coconut milk, or one of the other myriad types of milk that is out there.

Go check out my website for more information on the health benefits tea. Here is the link www.valerielull.com  Have a great day.


Valerie Lull, Author
Ten Healthy Teas
Lullval@clearwire.net

Iced Tea or Lemonade

June 10th is National Iced Tea Day and with the weather getting warmer people are thinking of cooler beverages like iced tea and lemonade to help cope with the summer heat. Both beverages have therapeutic properties and are good for you. There are a million ways to make iced tea. You can make black or green tea from the Camellia sinensis plant and add lemon or lime or whatever you desire and there a million ways to make lemonade. There's pink lemonade, raspberry lemonade, lemonade with mint, lemonade with hibiscus, and the list goes on. 

While you are drinking these delicious drinks remember there is more to them than just flavor. Lemons are good for your liver, they are loaded with vitamin C and potassium and have small amounts of B vitamins. Many people start their day with the squeezed juice of one lemon with 8 oz. of room temperature water on an empty stomach. Wait 10 minutes before eating. It cleanses the body of toxins and has been used for everything from lowering blood sugar to weight loss. 

Iced Tea is a good selection to beat the heat. It is easy to brew up a pot of green tea and add the juice of one lemon. Add the ice and stick in a sprig of mint. Green tea is good for weight loss, prevention of heart and circulation problems and may help prevent cancer. People in Japan have the highest longevity rate in the world. Many scientists think that is because of their consumption of green tea.

Black tea has therapeutic uses in it's own right and can be mixed with lemon and ginger for a tasty iced tea. There was a famous Dutch study where 805 men ages 65 to 84 received the majority of flavonoids in their diet from black tea. They were followed for 5 years.The study found a strong link between flavonoid intake and lower risk of death from heart disease.  The outcome of the study suggested that the black tea had a protective effect on the heart.

For those of you who are worried about caffeine, you can use the decaffeinated tea which is available everywhere. A serving of black tea has roughly 1/2 the caffeine of a cup of coffee and green tea has about half the amount of caffeine that is in a cup of black tea. 

Don't hesitate to write comments about this blog. Send me your favorite iced tea or lemonade recipe and I will publish it in an upcoming blog.
.

Valerie Lull, Author

Ten Healthy Teas

Lullval@clearwire.net 

Web site: www.valerielull.com