Is Tea a Wonder Herb?(Camella Sinensis)

    
 Question, What refreshes the mind, strengthens the memory, ensures longevity, helps reduce excess weight, helps relieve the common cold, and is the one of the most powerful antioxidants around? You guessed it, tea.
    When I say tea I am not talking about herbal tea I mean the camella sinensis plant. In America we have 4 main ways to buy it. White, green, oolong, and black. All four are equally healthy for you. Tea has been scientifically proven to be a nutritional superstar.
    As I use this blog to plant seeds only I want to encourage you to study further and make your own informed decisions about your health inside and out. Most things I write about have helped me personally and I am excited to share. I recommend that you study further on these subjects so that you make your own informed healthy choices.
    I got alot of my information from a book that I suggest everybody read. "The Ultimate Tea Diet" by Mark Ukra. http://www.ultimateteadiet.com/ 
    Mr Ukra is a tea expert and I found his book riveting. This book focuses on weight loss as a whole but it is a wealth of good news about out comforting cup of tea. He points out that the benefit of tea is based on the synergy of 3 elements. Caffeine, L-theanine, and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (say that 5 times real fast!) or EGCG. Apparently these 3 ingredients blended together are a powerhouse for T-cells. This explains why in Japan people smoke like chimneys and they remain cancer free. They drink 6 to 8 cups of green tea daily.
    Now I don't recommend smoking of course and I am not a doctor. This post is my opinion and I encourage you to conduct your own research. Please if you have a true medical problem seek a doctor that you trust.
    My own experience with tea has been very positive. I drink decaffeinated green tea at night and regular during the day. I don't snack anymore and I find it soothing. It has taken the edge off of all my unhealthy cravings. And the benefits just make me feel better about myself.
    That is why I asked for a tea pot for Christmas!
    Thanks for reading,
    Suzy Levi
   

7 Steps to Vibrant Health

7 Steps to Vibrant Health

This is the kind of nut shell article that is designed to motivate. It motivated me as I was creating the list. Health is a choice. Even better bad health can be reversed immediately. These tips are in order of what I think is most important first. Of course if you are starting any health programs please consult a doctor that you trust first. As usual these statements are solely my informed opinion. I must also say that my big goal is to take my own advice. I do make every effort to follow the following 7 steps.

Shall we begin?

1- Think Positive.  For me that is faith. In God and myself. Henry Ford said one of my favorite quotes; "If you think you can or you think you can't, either way you are right." It is never a good idea to start a positive lifestyle by shooting yourself in the foot. Thoughts like "I hope I can", or "this probably won't work for me" are goal busters. Your biggest fan and your biggest enemy will always be you. If you need more help see my article on thought control http://dailydose.typepad.com/suzy-levis-daily-dose/2010/01/control-my-thoughts-or-controled-by-thoughts.html Think that you can, and YOU WILL!

2- Live With a Purpose.What is your big dream? You know that thing that you have always wanted to do. What is stopping you? Can you take a step towards it today? I think that people who live with purpose glow with health. Here is an example, me. My dream is to be a writer. When I sit down to this here blog I feel a great sense of living. Yes I feel alive. True I ultimately want to be a Grammy winning song writer, however writing this blog is me taking a huge step towards the big picture and I love it! The more you live, the healthier you will be!

3- Move it to lose it. Even if you don't have to lose any weight, exercise is so important for health. Exercise makes you feel good, it gives you energy, it makes your heart healthy and, it delivers oxygen to your brain. That last function is big. With an oxygenated brain you will be much more even and positive. Sweat also detoxifies the body. No need to join a fancy gym. Just get out and move. I love to take 5 lb dumbbells for a brisk stroll. 2 birds with one stone, cardio and strength training.

4- Eat Healthy. You know the deal so I wont stay here long. Produce, produce, produce! 1 T of Olive oil in the morning, whole grains and low saturated fat meats. Done!

5- Drink Lots of Tea. Tea is the number one healthiest drink that you can consume. You should drink it once a day, all day long! It has too many benefits to list here so please read my article on it. http://dailydose.typepad.com/suzy-levis-daily-dose/2010/01/is-tea-a-wonder-herbcamella-sinensis.html .

6- Stay as Calm as Possible.The calmer you are the less cortisol your body produces. Cortisol is the fight or flight aide hormone. We all need it but not as much as we sometimes produce. I know this sounds trite but "Don't sweat the small stuff." The everyday stresses are the real damage culprits. Stretch, Meditate, light candles. Relax and let it go. Life is too short to waste stressed and worrying. Believe me I know this first hand.

7- Limit Junk.  It would be unrealistic for me to tell you to get rid of it all. I am sure that there is no junk in heaven, here however is another story. By junk I mean stuff and food. You are valuable to God. So valuable that he sent his Son to die for you. Junk is poison yet every day we stuff our lives with it. In our body's we put, MSG, Hydrogenated Oils, Saturated Fats, and copious amounts of sodium and sugar. Just limit it. You will thank yourself. Exterior junk is clutter. So many people have beautiful things buried in other stuff. Heave ho. Lose 100 pounds in one day. I promise you will feel healthier.

    And there you have it. My 7 step program. I hope it encouraged you to dig deeper. To help you start I will go back to number one. YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Thanks for reading,

Suzy Levi