New Mechanism for Berries' Potential Brain Benefits Uncovered
US scientists say they have uncovered a new mechanism by which berries may protect the aging brain. In cultured mouse hippocampal cells, they found that extracts of blueberries, strawberries, and acai berries induce autophagy, a mechanism by which toxic debris are sequestered in the brain. Studies have shown that this "housekeeping" function in the brain declines considerably with age, which can lead to the buildup of proteins linked to age-related mental decline and memory loss.
Antioxidants
10,000 oxidative hits to every cell in our body each day is reason enough to consider antioxidants as an important factor in achieving optimum health. Herbal green tea, acai berry, goji berry, pomegranate, green tea extract, mangosteen and alpha lipoic acid are some potent antioxidants.
Actress Cynthia Nixon speaks up about rosacea diagnosis
That’s why Cynthia Nixon, star of Sex and the City and its two sequel blockbuster movies, was surprised when acne-like spots began appearing on her face in her early 40s.
She chalked it up to adult acne, but when she visited a dermatologist about a suspicious mole, she learned she had rosacea, a chronic vascular condition caused by inflammation.
“I assumed it was acne; I used to have it,” said Nixon, who recently starred in the Broadway play Wit, and can be seen on Showtime’s The Big C. “I was using facials and harsh astringents, and that was harming my skin even more.”
Nixon, 46, who has three kids and is a breast cancer survivor, found stress was a big trigger for rosacea – more specifically when she was stressing out about her skin. Other triggers for Nixon: wine and drastic changes in temperature, like taking a hot bath.
“Once I went to the doctor and got a little medicine and a little advice, I was on the right path,” Nixon said. “I was struggling for years. I could have saved myself a decade of scrubbing."
Nixon has teamed up with the National Rosacea Society (NRS) and Galderma Laboratories to raise awareness about the skin condition. The public service campaign can be found at rosaceafacts.com, along with a quiz to determine if you have it, and suggestions for dermatologists who can help treat it.
According to the NRS, rosacea affects more than 16 million Americans – and 78 percent of Americans don’t know they have it – or how to recognize it.
“It’s important to spread awareness because in addition to the physical symptoms, rosacea can cause anxiety, self-consciousness and embarrassment among sufferers,” said Sam Huff, executive director of NRS, in a news release.
Other rosacea symptoms include facial redness, eye irritation, thickened skin and permanent visible blood vessels, and common triggers include sun exposure, exercise and spicy foods.
Experts aren’t exactly sure why some people get rosacea, but inflammatory response and facial vessels may play an important role, according to the NRS. Rosacea typically occurs between the ages of 30 and 50, and while there is no cure, topical medications, laser treatments and systemic therapy can keep the condition under control.
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Posted on 23 April 2012 | 10:44 pm
The power of tea
However, with grocery stores and health marts practically overflowing with so many types of tea: green, chai, and teas with downright hard to pronounce names, selecting the right tea might seem overwhelming. To help you choose the tea that best suits your needs, it is useful to know a little of the science behind tea.
Scientists recognize tea as being black, green, white or oolong teas – all of which come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. These are true teas, and you’ll know you are getting the real thing when you see “tea” listed as an ingredient on a product’s nutrition label. You may be surprised to learn that herbal teas are not tea at all, but rather infusions from plants that have a much different nutritional profile. Herbal and flavored teas taste and smell wonderful, but there is little evidence that they offer health benefits derived from real tea.
A study done by UCLA, found that drinking three cups (or more) of either green or black tea a day can reduce your risk of stroke by 21 percent. The health benefits associated with tea come from its high levels of antioxidants such as polyphenols, flavonoids and catechins, which fight free radicals in the body and prevent healthy cells from being harmed. Other studies have found that drinking a couple cups of tea a day may also help lower cholesterol and protect against certain cancers.
So what is the difference between black, green, white and oolong tea?
Black tea
Black tea is the most common type of tea in the US and accounts for 75 percent of the world’s tea consumption. Like all tea, it comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. The leaves wither, get rolled up and then enter a lengthy fermentation period. This process gives black tea its distinctive smell and strong flavor, and it maximizes interaction between the antioxidant catechins and polyphenol oxidase. Research has found that catechins help reduce cholesterol, decrease blood pressure and prevent the risk of stroke from occurring.
Green tea
Green tea leaves go through a very different process than black tea. This type of tea gets picked, dried, and heat-treated, so that fermentation does not occur. Green tea contains epigallocathechin gallate (ECGC), which may help to boost metabolism by speeding up the brain and nervous system. The caffeine in green tea along with EGCG has been shown to increase fat oxidation by 12 percent, which is equivalent to burning an extra 80 calories a day.
Oolong tea
Oolong is extremely high in polyphenols, which activates the enzyme responsible for breaking down triglycerides and helps fight the battle of the bulge. Oolong tea is made by bruising the leaves, allowing the release of some of the polyphenol oxidase present in the leaves. This type of tea is then heated and dried before it goes to market.
White tea
White tea comes from the buds and young leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant; it is the least processed of teas and it has the highest antioxidant levels. White tea also contains flavonoids, a class of antioxidants that inhibit the growth of cancer cells and prevent the development of new ones from forming.
Tip: To preserve tea’s nutritional value it’s important to store it properly. Air and moisture will degrade loose tea leaves and tea bags, so be sure to keep these in airtight tins at room temperature.
Tanya Zuckerbrot MS, RD, is a nationally known registered dietitian based in New York and the creator of a proprietary high-fiber nutrition program for weight loss, wellness and for treating various medical conditions. Tanya authored the bestselling weight loss book The F-Factor Diet, and she is the first dietitian with a national line of high-fiber foods, which are sold under the F-Factor name. Become a fan of Tanya on Facebook, follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn, and visit her website Ffactor.com.
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Posted on 22 April 2012 | 12:11 am
Luxury tea trend threatens traditional tea culture
ZHENGZHOU - For centuries, tea has been considered one of the seven daily necessities of ordinary Chinese life, alongside rice, cooking oil, and cheap condiments like vinegar and soy sauce.
Nowadays, however, some tea is no longer a humble necessity, but an astronomically prized luxury good few can afford.
During promotion of this year's first batch of green tea, which usually hits the market in April, a Chinese company rolled out its top tea priced at 26,800 yuan ($4,253) per 100 grams.
The tea, named "Daqi," or "treasure" in Chinese, is a type of Xinyang Maojian, a renowned subcategory of green tea produced in Henan province. The tea comes in a cloisonne container with a jade lid and a sandalwood base.
While ordinary Xinyang Maojian sells at several hundred yuan per kilo, a three-gram cup of Daqi can cost 804 yuan, which, according to its producer, reflects the value of its rarity and "cultural flavor."
"Only a few kilos of Daqi tea are produced every year -- the tea only grows on a tiny patch of land, and our master-level selection and processing techniques have added to its value," said Huang Yixing, vice general manager of the tea's producer Henan Auspicious Cloud Tea Co Ltd.
Huang said the high-profile promotion could increase the fame of Xinyang Maojian, which is not as well-known as China's other famous teas.
"Compared with Anji White Tea, Pu'er, and Longjing, which have all fetched high prices, Xinyang Maojian has lagged behind. We hope our efforts can make consumers realize the tea's true value," Huang said.
China's tea market, which is now the largest in the world, has churned out a large number of luxury teas in recent months. In March, a high-end Longjing tea outvalued gold with an auction price of 180,000 yuan per 500 grams in east China's Zhejiang province.
In another eye-popping story, a Sichuan businessman introduced a new type of tea fertilized with panda dung. He is charging 20,000 yuan for 50 grams of the exotic tea, provoking public debate on his sensational bid to produce the world's highest priced tea.
Some entrepreneurs say they want to push the ancient brew into China's luxury market to compete with chronometers and red wines in appealing to the country's rising parvenu class.
"A watch can easily fetch 1 million yuan with its fine craftsmanship, and we want to show that tea also has this, as well as a profound cultural background," Huang said.
According to Wang Yong, head of the Henan Tea Association, the profit margin for luxury tea is unduly high, as its production cost is at most 3,000 yuan per 500 grams.
To make tea appear luxurious, companies tend to overpackage and overprice, contributing to a 10-percent rise in this spring's tea price in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, over the last year, Wang said.
The retail price surge, however, does not please Chinese tea farmers. Many have complained about a drop in purchase price due to a surplus after this year's bumper harvest as well as the exploitation of tea traders.
The bubble in the tea market has also left a bad taste among experts and the general public, many of whom identify the luxury tea trend with money worship, obsequiousness and corruption.
Zhang Jinbo, a professor at the Henan University of Economics and Law, said the competition among tea producers to set high prices reflects the broader social trend to measure things by price rather than by their inherent value.
The luxury trend in tea is also dangerous, because it might fuel a bubble and push up the price of consumer teas, Zhang said.
Although many companies are tapping into tea's cultural elements to command a higher price, Wang said such practices will actually threaten Chinese tea culture.
"In China, the main tea consumers are still middle- and lower-income earners, and the millennium-old culture of tea drinking should not become materialistic," Wang said.
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Posted on 20 April 2012 | 9:56 pm
Antioxidants May Not Help Alzheimer's Patients
"The benefit on oxidative stress in the brain was small and is of unclear significance," said lead researcher Dr. Douglas Galasko, a professor in residence in the department of neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego.
"Patients did not show cognitive improvement in this short-term study; in fact, there was a slight worsening on one test of cognition in patients who received the antioxidant combination," Galasko said.
Aging causes oxidative damage in the brain, which is extensive in people with Alzheimer's disease. Clinical trials looking at whether a diet rich in antioxidants could reduce that risk have had mixed results, the researchers said.
This study does not support using any of these antioxidants once a diagnosis is made of established Alzheimer's disease, Galasko said. "If antioxidants continue to be tested against Alzheimer's disease, newer approaches or drugs may be needed," he said.
This study, published in the March 19 online edition of the Archives of Neurology, does not address whether taking antioxidants could help to prevent Alzheimer's disease, he noted. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia among older people.
For the study, Galasko's team gave antioxidant supplements to 78 patients with Alzheimer's disease who were part of a study funded by the U.S. National Institute on Aging. The patients were placed into three groups. One group received daily doses of vitamin E, vitamin C and alpha-lipoic acid. A second group was given coenzyme Q (a compound made naturally in the body to protect cells from damage) three times a day.
The third group received a placebo. After 16 weeks, 66 patients had their cerebrospinal fluid analyzed.
Among the three groups, the researchers found no difference in markers related to Alzheimer's disease in the cerebrospinal fluid. These markers included the amyloid-beta protein and the proteins tau and P-tau.
Galasko's group did see lower levels of one marker called F2-isoprostane, which could indicate a reduction in oxidative stress in the brain. However, the use of vitamins might have increased the pace of the disease, causing faster decline in mental ability, they cautioned.
Greg Cole, associate director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at the University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine, said that vitamin E alone has shown some limited benefits in Alzheimer patients, but with no evidence that it really works to reduce oxidative damage, and that alpha lipoate -- a form of alpha-lipoic acid -- alone has also had some reported benefits, he said.
"Unfortunately, these researchers found no impact on pathological protein levels, and in their small group of patients, their cognitive function actually declined more than in the placebo group," Cole noted.
The increased cognitive decline might be due to random variation, he said, "or it may be a surprising but real adverse effect from something as seemingly innocuous as an antioxidant cocktail."
His research group has seen similar adverse effects from some, but not all, antioxidant mixes, he said.
"This should be a caution to the supplement manufacturers who typically sell products throwing in some mix of what seems like a great group of sensible antioxidants," he added. "Everyone assumes that they will work well together and are good for you, but they don't test them."
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Posted on 16 April 2012 | 9:42 pm
Sugar-free coffee or green tea: which is healthier?
Sugar-free coffee gives you taste and benefits of coffee with fewer calories. Green tea, on the other hand, is a healthy drink because it is a decent source of antioxidant polyphenols.
A refreshing and calorie-safe beverage, green tea works as a good substitute for unhealthy beverages regularly consumed in today's lifestyles. So, now that both sugar-free coffee and green tea are healthy, we wonder which is healthier. Let's take a look...
Advantages of green tea
Green tea contains flavonoids (epigallocatechin ) gallate, or EGCG. New research published in the Journal of Nutrition reports that flavonoids EGCG extracts of green tea lower the harmful effects of high blood sugar. This EGCG can prevent damage to the major organs like the coronary arteries lining of the heart muscle. (via)
Some researches have found that green tea reduces the respiration quotient and increases your metabolic rate, albeit temporarily and to a marginal extent only. One study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1999, reports that those drinking green tea increased their total energy expenditure by 3.5 percent and a jump in the proportion of energy came from fat, which rose from 31 to 41 percent. (via)
Advantages of sugar-free coffee
A longitudinal study in 2009 found that moderate coffee drinkers had a reduced risk of developing dementia in addition to Alzheimer's disease. Some preliminary research evidence shows that coffee acts against beta-amyloid plaque that may have a causative role in Alzheimer's. These findings were published in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
A moderate coffee drinker who drinks around 3-4 cups of coffee in a day had 65 % less chances of getting dementia later in life. This is a new study from the University Of Kuopio, Finland and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.
Research has shown that a person who is a moderate coffee drinker has less chances of getting gallstones diseases. Two such studies were done by the Harvard School Of Public Health.
Caffeine is the most commonly consumed psychoactive drug in the world. If you take caffeine in the form of coffee, it will increase the effectiveness of the pain killers, especially in migraine and headache medications.
Some primarily studies has shown that coffee helps boost short term memory. The study in 2005 was presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) In which they demonstrated that caffeine modulates short-term working memory. Some cognitive performance tests of simple reaction time, choice reaction time, incidental verbal memory, and visuo spatial reasoning, have shown that participants who regularly drank coffee were found to perform better on all tests.
Roasted coffee contains antioxidant, which in turn contain the anti-cancer compound methylpyridinium. Coffee also increases your energy level after you drink it. But it is a temporary hike. Caffeine can stimulates the central nervous system for a few hours.
Bottom-line: Both, sugar-free coffee and green tea come with their own benefits. Each benefit kicks in only for a few hours, whether it is increased metabolism or migraine relief. Thus, both beverages are good - but in controlled measures. Research suggests that coffee and green tea are good in doses of maximum three cups a day. Therefore, if one uses them as substitutes for unhealthy beverages, they - each - benefit you. Remember, that no single beverage can keep you away from disease and weight gain. If you rely on green tea for weight management without eating healthy and exercising, even eight cups won't help you. Therefore, pick the beverage you prefer based on taste as this will help you develop a lifelong habit, and stick to overall healthy lfiestyle guidelines.
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Green Tea – The Magic Shrub: Benefits of Green Tea
Posted on 14 April 2012 | 8:51 pm
The truth about green tea
HEALTHY FOODS — By Mini Padikkal — Green tea is the second most popular drink consumed worldwide after water. It has many beneficial roles which have made it very common among people. Green tea, the unfermented leaf of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis, is richer in polyphenols than other types of tea.
This is because it is produced by steaming fresh leaves instead of fermenting them as done with black and oolong teas. Green tea retains useful natural products called polyphenol catechins (EGCG-epigallocatechin-3-gallate) the most active of which are believed to be responsible for the health benefits of green tea.
People prefer to drink green tea because of its attractive flavour and taste. Green tea is a popular natural remedy for many health problems and has been used for thousands of years. The following are some of the benefits of green tea and why you may want to consider pouring yourself a few cups a day.
EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate): One of the major benefits of green tea has to do with a compound called EGCG. This is a powerful antioxidant. Not only does it prevent cancer cells from growing, but it also kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. This has been scientifically tested, and in 1994 the National Cancer Society published results finding that green tea reduced certain cancers in men and women by 60 per cent. The ingredient EGCG is a potent antioxidant; about 200 times more powerful than vitamin E which neutralises pro-oxidants and free radicals. EGCG can also block the cancer promoting effect of carcinogens in the body. In addition to cancer, the powerful EGCG compound also boosts your overall immunity. Other health benefits include combating depression, headaches, and infection.
Obesity (overweight) is a well-known risk factor for insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes. Patients can benefit from using green tea every day to help boost metabolism. Weight loss benefit of green tea comes from high concentration of poly phenols in green tea which helps to oxidise fat and encourage thermogenesis. Thermogenesis in the body can be defined as the rate at which the body burns calories. Studies have shown that green tea can increase the feeling of fullness stimulating the breakdown of fats. This can help facilitate weight loss by reducing the appetite and food intake.
Patients with diabetes can benefit in many different ways by adding this powerful anti-oxidant to their daily diet. Green tea is low in calories and natural sugars so diabetic patients can enjoy this beverage and reap the many health benefits of this drink without increasing their glucose levels. Research studies have found that green tea can improve glucose metabolism and benefit diabetics in the following ways:
• Improving glucose metabolism by increasing insulin sensitivity • Lowering fasting blood glucose levels • Improving kidney function • Improving liver function • Lowering triglyceride levels • Reducing damage to insulin- producing cells
Green tea is the best anti-aging supplements available. The most important of the active ingredients in green tea is EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate) and this EGCG is responsible for most of the anti-aging health benefits.
The natural antioxidants in tea may have a strong effect on heart disease, controlling blood pressure and lowering cholesterol. Green tea also helps lower your bad cholesterol while boosting your good levels. This can prevent heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases.
Green tea is the perfect choice to improve outer appearance as well as the inner health of people. The anti-oxidants included in the tea not only improve your health but can also improve the appearance of your hair, skin and even improve your eye sight.
Green tea can help beat bad breath, according to scientific research. The study found that antioxidants in the tea, called poly phenols, destroy a number of compounds in the mouth that can lead to bad breath, tooth decay and even mouth cancer. The most common way to reap its benefits is to drink about 3 cups of green tea a day (provides 240-320 mg poly phenols). A cup is made with 1 teaspoon of tea leaves in 8 ounces boiling water. Add a little honey for a special treat. In cold weather there is nothing more satisfying than hot tea and in warm weather nothing greater than iced tea. You can really drink this all year round with ease. Green tea is available in most of the shops in Sultanate in different flavours. So sit back, relax yourself and enjoy the benefit !
— The writer is a dietician at
Atlas star Medical Centre, Al Khuwair, Muscat.
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Green Tea – The Magic Shrub: Benefits of Green Tea
Posted on 13 April 2012 | 11:14 pm
Green tea can save lives: Study
Green tea can save lives, says a recent study.
Drinking one or two cups of green tea every day could help you fight bad breath and even prevent mouth and esophageal cancer, claims the study published in the journal Archives of Oral Biology.
The researchers say the antioxidants, called polyphenols, found in the tea, help in eradicating several compounds in the mouth that can lead to bad breath, tooth decay and even mouth cancer.
Earlier research on the beverage proved that it helps reduce cardio-vascular problems, induces weight reduction and also boosts immunity to a great extent, the latest findings have given more reasons for people to switch their morning coffee with the healthy green tea.
The latest study examines the properties of the polyphenol called epigallocatechin 3 gallate (EGCG) in particular, which helps reduce dental plaques and thus destroys the bacteria that cause bad breath.
“Green tea is rich in flavonoids and has a lot of anti-oxidants. The presence of polyphenols makes it anti-carcinogenic and helps in preventing cancer. It also increases the metabolic rate and reduces the risk of Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s,” points out Dr. Meenakshi Bajaj, dietician at the Rajiv Gandhi government general hospital.
Green tea is made from the same plant as black tea, but the different manner in which it is processed results in it retaining less caffeine and more polyphenols. As it is consumed without milk or sugar it helps in weight reduction.
“A lot of people are consuming green tea these days and it is a healthy trend. However, it is potassium high, so patients suffering from kidney failure should refrain from drinking green tea,” said Dr Bajaj.
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Posted on 10 April 2012 | 11:18 pm
Green Tea – The Magic Shrub: Benefits of Green Tea
Also known as virgin or tea unfermented tea, green tea is made from the leaves of Camelia sinensis. Black tea is different from that due process requires getting off the natural process of fermentation. Immediately after harvesting, leaves are steam, dry run. The drying preserves vitamins (A, B, E and C) and minerals (iron, calcium, phosphorus and potassium)
There is a legend about how green tea first became a drink: A Chinese emperor was drinking hot water when some leaves dropped into his cup. He quickly become fond of the drink and its popularity spread. Those leaves were from a tea shrub, and he is reputed to be the first imbiber of green tea. The only drink more popular in the world today than green tea and its brown cousins is water.
In the last couple of decades many of the powers of green tea have turned out to have scientific merit. Among these, the most significant are the polyphenols found in green tea, which are powerful antioxidant chemicals that work to prevent many different kinds of cell damage.
TOP TEN POWERS OF GREEN TEA
1) Regular consumption of green tea may help guard against heart attacks.
2) 10 ounces of green tea markedly increase your body’s antioxidant powers for a minimum of two hours. This amount of green tea yields the same benefits as 10 ounces of red wine.
3) Green tea helps to lessen indigestion.
4) There is evidence that green tea may help obese people to burn off more fat calories.
5) Green tea contains an antioxidant called EGCG, which attacks cancer cells.
6) Preliminary research indicates that green tea may also help to prevent stomach, skin, and breast cancer.
7) Drinking green tea regularly has long been associated with a longer life.
Green tea helps to prevent arthritis, and those who already have arthritis find that green tea is effective in reducing inflammation.9) Capsules of green tea have a more powerful antioxidant effect than green tea taken as a liquid.
10) Green tea extracts used in shampoos and skin creams have not been shown to provide tangible health benefits.
Green tea does not appear to interact negatively with any medications. It also appears that high levels of green tea consumption do not bring on any negative effects. When green tea does have an unpleasant impact, however, it is usually because of the caffeine contained in it. A simple solution is to purchase decaffeinated green tea. Green tea supplements are also lower in caffeine than the regular brewed green tea.
One caution in terms of effectiveness is not to boil green tea, as this destroys its powerful attributes. There are no clear dietary guidelines for green tea. It is, however, thought that 3-4 cups of green tea per day provides a full measure of protection against cancer, arthritis, and aging. As a supplement up to 250 mg of green tea is recommended as a twice-daily dosage to get the full anti-aging benefits
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Posted on 10 April 2012 | 12:26 am
Jeju's green image befits a world-class environmental forum
As the early morning light hit the green rolling hills of the O’sulloc tea garden in Andeok district, Seogwipo City, late last month, those present for the first tea leaf picking of 2012 could say spring had truly arrived on Jeju.
Geography has made the first tea crop on Jeju an important event for the domestic tea industry.
“Symbolically, it’s important because we’re introducing the fresh [tea] out onto the market first,” said Howard Kim, group director for KPR & Associates. Inc., the public relations firm for O’sulloc farm. “This proves that Jeju is the perfect place to grow tea.”
The island’s clean environment is also a fitting venue for the world’s largest environment symposium. Held every four years, 2012 marks Jeju’s turn to host the World Conservation Congress (WCC).
The Korean government signed O’sulloc to be an official sponsor of the six-day event, Sept. 6 to Sept. 15.
In recognition of this agreement and the first tea picking of the season in the O’sullock tea fields, members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) — the parent organization of the congress — Jeju WCC Promotion Office employees, and WCC Korea Organizing Committee members were on hand for a press event.
“Sulloc tea and its parent, Amorae Pacific, are sponsoring the congress and supporting the congress and all the aims of the congress as well,” said IUCN Director of Global Communications John Kidd. “And of course the congress being here in Jeju, it is wonderful that Sulloc being such an important part of the Jeju economy is supporting the congress.”
He added that not only will O’sulloc be a WCC sponsor, but “all the delegates who come to the congress — thousands and thousands of people — they’ll all have a chance to have some Sulloc green tea.”
Since 2009 the farming of the tea is 100 percent organic and a growing local business, so “it’s nice that a congress like the WCC, which is so much about sustainability, environmentally friendly agriculture has a supporter like O’sulloc green tea,” said Kidd.
With less than six months until Jeju hosts the congress, Kidd told The Weekly about some of the latest developments.
For one, the IUCN has been promoting the congress, and will continue to do so, through its various international events like the upcoming Rio+20 conference in Brazil this June. During this event, the IUCN — along with several Korean members — will be on hand to promote the Jeju WCC.
Kidd also outlined work on the World Leaders’ Dialog — a series of five debates by heads of state, important environmentalists, and business leaders, as well as a first in the WCC’s 64-year history — and elaborated on the themes that will be tackled during these sessions.
Nature+Climate, Nature+Food, and Nature+Economy, will look to find “nature-based solutions to climate change, food security, and economic growth,” Kidd said.
Nature+People will look at how societies manage and preserve nature through governance, and Nature+Life will examine the importance of biodiversity to our existence by questioning the economic and social value of nature.
Currently, the Jeju WCC Promotion Office is planning to transform the congress into a month-long affair expanding the venue from just the International Convention Center Jeju in Jungmun, Seogwipo City, to various locations on the island like the Haenyeo Museum in the northeast and other cultural sites.
“We have already meet the [residences] of the 11 spots and they support our plan,” said Kim Yang Bo, director of the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province WCC Promotion Office. “They have come together to make the congress.”
He told The Weekly that the 11 locations have already compiled a total of 350 different programs that include festivals, concerts, and workshops to highlight the different village cultures and histories.
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Posted on 9 April 2012 | 12:46 am
Green Tea May Muddle Olympic Doping Tests
The study was a test in a lab dish so scientists aren’t sure if the effects will be the same in people. But some experts say the results are intriguing enough that Olympic testing could be updated to include that possibility.
“It’s interesting that something as common as tea could have a significant influence on the steroid profile,” said Olivier Rabin, scientific director of the World Anti-Doping Agency, or WADA. He said other foods and beverages, such as alcohol, are also known to muddle test results.
“We may need to adjust our steroid (test) to allow us to exclude whether a test is modified by food or training or disease, before we can say that it’s doping,” Rabin said. He said they might have to raise their normal threshold for what is a considered a legal amount of testosterone to allow for any such interference.
In the study, researchers added green and white tea extracts — or catechins — to testosterone and tested whether the enzyme that usually detects testosterone in the body could still identify it. Tea seemed to reduce the testosterone concentration by up to 30 percent and appeared to work best when testosterone was only slightly higher than normal. Similar results have been found in rodent studies, Rabin said.
Experts say athletes taking testosterone for doping purposes typically have 200 to 300 percent more in their bodies than normal.
WADA has tight controls on other commonly consumed substances like caffeine. It bans diuretics that could mask drug use and warns athletes about taking nutritional supplements, which could be spiked with banned drugs.
The researchers said it was too early to tell what the effect of green tea might be in humans, but said other beverages or foods likely produced similar effects.
“There’s no reason to think we just happened to pick the only food in the world that does this,” said Declan Naughton of Kingston University, who published the green tea research with colleagues in the journal Steroids.
Naughton said the green tea contains catechins, also found in white tea, which seem to stop an enzyme involved in detecting testosterone. By preventing that enzyme from working, testosterone largely goes unnoticed in the body and doesn’t get passed into the urine — where officials usually test for the hormone.
Charles Yesalis, a doping expert at Pennsylvania State University, said officials needed to react quickly.
“Athletes will not wait for the clinical trials,” he said. “I’ll bet there are already lots of athletes out there drinking loads of green tea,” he added.
Yesalis said many scientists were aware of foods that could skew drug tests but would not talk publicly about them. “There’s no sense helping out the doping athletes by telling them what to eat,” he said.
Yesalis was unconvinced that new tests could solve the problem. “There’s too much scientific uncertainty that can cloud the results,” he said.
WADA’s Rabin said all atypical results from doping tests involved an expert analysis, not just a lab result. “There’s a human interpretation of the data,” he said, explaining that officials regularly accounted for potentially troublesome results by considering things like intense exercise, jet lag and diet.
Rabin also said it might be possible to test for testosterone in blood rather than the standard urine test.
Some experts said the limited effects of foods like green tea on masking illegal drug use would be too small to help doping athletes. “You would probably need to drink the tea continuously to get any sustained but minor effect,” said Andrew Kicman, head of research and development at the Drug Control Centre at King’s College London, which is providing the anti-doping laboratory for the upcoming Olympics.
“It would be a very foolish athlete who’s thinking of doping with testosterone and thinks he could drink white or green tea to beat a drug test,” he said. “And I personally wouldn’t want to drink nine cups of tea on the day of a race.”
Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2012/04/06/green-tea-may-muddle-olympic-doping-tests/#ixzz1rKNBJiRv
Set Of 3 Kitchen Appliance Handle Covers W/ Apple Design By Collections Etc
Benefits of Green Tea For Skin
Posted on 7 April 2012 | 12:16 am
Green tea could cloud Olympic doping tests
By MARIA CHENG
LONDON
Olympic doping officials are considering whether to tweak their tests after a recent British study showed green tea might hide testosterone from the standard test used to spot it.
The study was a test in a lab dish so scientists aren't sure if the effects will be the same in people. But some experts say the results are intriguing enough that Olympic testing could be updated to include that possibility.
"It's interesting that something as common as tea could have a significant influence on the steroid profile," said Olivier Rabin, scientific director of the World Anti-Doping Agency, or WADA. He said other foods and beverages, such as alcohol, are also known to muddle test results.
"We may need to adjust our steroid (test) to allow us to exclude whether a test is modified by food or training or disease, before we can say that it's doping," Rabin said. He said they might have to raise their normal threshold for what is a considered a legal amount of testosterone to allow for any such interference.
In the study, researchers added green and white tea extracts -- or catechins -- to testosterone and tested whether the enzyme that usually detects testosterone in the body could still identify it. Tea seemed to reduce the testosterone concentration by up to 30 percent and appeared to work best when testosterone was only slightly higher than normal. Similar results have been found in rodent studies, Rabin said.
Experts say athletes taking testosterone for doping purposes typically have 200 to 300 percent more in their bodies than normal.
WADA has tight controls on other commonly consumed substances like caffeine. It bans diuretics that could mask drug use and warns athletes about taking nutritional supplements, which could be spiked with banned drugs.
The researchers said it was too early to tell what the effect of green tea might be in humans, but said other beverages or foods likely produced similar effects.
"There's no reason to think we just happened to pick the only food in the world that does this," said Declan Naughton of Kingston University, who published the green tea research with colleagues in the journal, Steroids.
Naughton said the green tea contains catechins, also found in white tea, which seem to stop an enzyme involved in detecting testosterone. By preventing that enzyme from working, testosterone largely goes unnoticed in the body and doesn't get passed into the urine -- where officials usually test for the hormone.
Charles Yesalis, a doping expert at Pennsylvania State University, said officials needed to react quickly.
"Athletes will not wait for the clinical trials," he said. "I'll bet there are already lots of athletes out there drinking loads of green tea," he added.
Yesalis said many scientists were aware of foods that could skew drug tests but would not talk publicly about them. "There's no sense helping out the doping athletes by telling them what to eat," he said.
Yesalis was unconvinced that new tests could solve the problem. "There's too much scientific uncertainty that can cloud the results," he said.
WADA's Rabin said all atypical results from doping tests involved an expert analysis, not just a lab result. "There's a human interpretation of the data," he said, explaining that officials regularly accounted for potentially troublesome results by considering things like intense exercise, jetlag and diet.
Rabin also said it might be possible to test for testosterone in blood rather than the standard urine test.
Some experts said the limited effects of foods like green tea on masking illegal drug use would be too small to help doping athletes. "You would probably need to drink the tea continuously to get any sustained but minor effect," said Andrew Kicman, head of research and development at the Drug Control Centre at King's College London, which is providing the anti-doping laboratory for the upcoming Olympics.
"It would be a very foolish athlete who's thinking of doping with testosterone and thinks he could drink white or green tea to beat a drug test," he said. "And I personally wouldn't want to drink nine cups of tea on the day of a race."
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Home Appliance Reviews
Tea made from panda feces expected to be most expensive brew in the world
Green Tea for Skin
Posted on 6 April 2012 | 1:06 am
Extremely High Antioxidant Concentrate Can Now Be Extracted From Tea
By Emma Hutchings on April 4, 2012
South African company Green Cell Technologies claims to have created a super-antioxidant extract from tea with an Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) value of 1,700,000 per 100g. This is the highest known commercially extracted ORAC value from any plant material and could be a radical breakthrough in antioxidant health supplements.
According to Beverage Daily, the company says its Dynamic Cell Disruption method has enabled it to produce these green tea and rooibos tea extracts. This destabilises the structures of the plant cells and releases all of the actives instead of just part of them.
Green Cell Technolgies think they have found a way of relieving the body of free radicals with fewer cups of green or rooibos tea. However, Dr. Jorg Grunwald, president of natural products consultancy analyze&realize, has said that the results need to be verified because they seem very high:
Brunswick Laboratories is the only lab recognised as performing legally acceptable ORAC measurements. The range given is practically unbelievable – only spices have been shown to deliver ORAC values of 300,000.
Home Appliance Reviews
Tea made from panda feces expected to be most expensive brew in the world
Green Tea for Skin
Posted on 4 April 2012 | 6:21 pm
Tea: the cup that cheers
By Zhang Yuchen (China Daily) China has around 1,500 varieties of tea. They are divided into seven main categories:
Green tea:
Green tea has historically been Asia's most famous tea and is popular in the West as well. The secret of green tea lies in the fact that it is rich in antioxidant sucatechin polyphenols, specifically epigallocatechin gallate, that fight cancer without any negative side effects. There are indications that drinking green tea also reduces cholesterol levels and may help to control blood clots.
Black tea:
There are dozens of variations, each with its own characteristic, from very sweet and light to dark and dry. It's possible to find the perfect match for every taste preference. Famous black teas are Qimen Black, Yunnan Black, Lapsang Souchong and Minnan Black (also known as Tan Yang Kongfu).
Oolong tea:
The spelling "oolong" (also "wulong") is a phonetic transcription of the Chinese characters, approximating to the sound of spoken Chinese, or more specifically, Mandarin. The correct transcription is "wulong cha" in pinyin. It includes the most famous Wuyi Rock teas and different types of tieguanyin.
Pu'er tea:
Pu'er tea is grown in southern Yunnan province. The tea is famous for its health benefits, history and post-fermentation characteristics. Pu'er has both "raw" and "cooked" varieties. The raw version exhibits a green color and matures over a number of years. The cooked variety is black in color and has an earthy flavor.
White tea:
Not as popular as other varieties, but good alternatives are Silver Needle and White Peony, and a white tea from Yunnan, a fermented white tea cake and white tea bricks. It contains a greater number of antioxidants than other teas.
Yellow tea:
Nowadays, yellow tea is only found in a few locations in China, mainly because it is difficult to process. Only three varieties are well known: Meng Ding from Sichuan province, Junshan Silver Needle from Hunan and the Huoshan Yellow Buds from Anhui. Both the leaves and the brewed tea are yellow-green in color. The taste is fresh, with a slight hint of pepper.
Scented teas:
Scented teas are made by combining high quality tea leaves with the fragrances and tastes of blossoms, for example, jasmine or pomelo flowers.
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Home Appliance Reviews
Tea made from panda feces expected to be most expensive brew in the world
Green Tea for Skin
Posted on 3 April 2012 | 8:15 pm
Tea sends message of hope
By Andrew Stein
MASAHIR TAKADA, A tea master from Japan, prepares tea during his recent visit to Stone Leaf Tea House in Middlebury. Takada has created an aid project for victims of the devastating tsunami that hit northeast Japan last year. As part of his project, hundreds of Vermonters have sent tea with notes of hope to some of the victims. Independent photo/Trent Campbell
Takada is a tea master from Uji, Japan, the birthplace of Japanese green tea (see sidebar), who came to the U.S. this year to meet with his many tea contacts and extend a warm thank you for all of their support since the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami. Before arriving in Middlebury last month to hold demonstrations at Stone Leaf Tea House and Middlebury College, he made an appearance at the San Francisco Tea Festival.
Uji, which is located in western Japan’s Kyoto prefecture, was not directly affected by the tsunami. But after one of the most powerful earthquakes on record — magnitude 9.0 — triggered the most devastating tsunami in Japanese history, Takada worked day in and day out for much of the past year to help thousands of people who were left homeless and without families.
Not all green tea is made alike
What’s the difference between Chinese green tea and Japanese green tea? The way in which oxidation is stopped.
First, it’s important to understand that what distinguishes green tea from black tea is the tea’s level of oxidation. Green tea is the least oxidized of all tea categories and black tea is the most oxidized. Oxidation occurs when we bite into an apple and it turns brown. The same thing happens to tea when its cellular structure is broken and exposed to oxygen.
All green teas remain green because oxidation is halted at an early stage — generally, several hours after the leaves are picked. Heating the leaves to the point where the oxidizing enzymes are deactivated stops this process.
The main difference between Chinese green teas and Japanese green teas is how this oxidation is halted.
In China, tealeaves are roasted using a range of different methods, where in Japan they’re steamed. Chinese green teas are often characterized by a roasted honey flavor, where Japanese green teas exhibit more of a bright oceanic or seaweed element.
Either way, both kinds of green teas and many other teas that come from the tea plant species — camellia sinensis — are packed full of carcinogen-fighting antioxidants that have been proven to help humans detoxify their bodies.
THE PROJECT
When a German friend of Takada’s reached out to him after the natural disaster, Takada initiated what he calls “phase one” of his aid project — emergency packages. Using funds raised by the friend — whom Takada knows through the Japanese martial art of kendo — Takada created packaged sets of necessities: bulk rice, clothes, medicines, various foods and other provisions. The rice was from his own fields and other supplies were gathered from stores across the country.
“Fortunately, I had a lot of stock at this time, so I sent a lot of rice,” he said.
To receive and allocate these packages, Takada had point people in the Japanese cities of Sendai and Ishinomaki, places that were hit especially hard by the tsunami.
Phase two of the project is what brought him to Middlebury — tea.
Using the world’s most widely consumed beverage — and a centerpiece of Japanese culture — Takada delivered foreign sentiments of hope to those in need of encouragement.
“After this donation from the kendo people, I started to make another donation (on behalf of) the many teashops in Europe and the United States,” said Takada, who ships tea to high-end tea shops around the world.
Takada sent thousands of small tea packets, containing Japanese green tea, to these teashops, among them Middlebury’s Stone Leaf Tea House. On each packet was a space to write a note. The packets of tea were, in effect, postcards for families in need to receive warm wishes and tea.
“Each card had messages in English, Italian, French and many other languages,” he said. “On the backside I explained the meaning behind the project and sent it up north.”
Customers at Stone Leaf and the other teahouses were urged to write their message to the Japanese affected by the earthquake and tsunami and send the packets back to Takada.
In total, more than 2,000 tea postcards reached earthquake victims, including more than 200 from Stone Leaf customers and friends. Takada funded this part of the project. It was not aimed at attracting big donations, he said, that just wasn’t the point.
“The people who live in the foreign countries wanted to do something for Japan. This way people are directly attached to people … no big donations will disappear to some place,” he said. “Tea is the bridge between countries.”
To many, a little packet of tea might not seem like much to victims of a natural disaster. But to a society like Japan’s, where the smallest of gestures can carry the weight of the world, this notion spoke loudly about the feelings of foreign nations for the Japanese people, said Takada.
The Japanese scholar Kakuzo Okakura addressed this in his 1906 classic, “The Book of Tea.”
“Those who cannot feel the littleness of great things in themselves are apt to overlook the greatness of little things in others,” he wrote.
DEVASTATION AND RECOVERY
On a sunny day in the Middlebury teahouse in mid-March, over a pot of steaming tea, Takada flipped through a slideshow, recounting the devastation that followed the tsunami.
He showed pictures of crushed cars and leveled houses in Ishinomaki.
“This is the worst city,” he said. “Everything was destroyed.”
He showed a picture of the kendo dojo in Sendai.
“Some of the people lost their houses, but they still continued their practice,” he said. “It makes their spirit strong. If they stop this practice, maybe they’d lose the power.”
When asked if the tea regions were harmed, he replied, “Not by earthquake damage — by nuclear damage.”
As is well known, the nuclear power reactors in Fukushima, Japan, lost electricity to power water pumps and some of the nuclear materials began to overheat and disperse radioactivity.
While Uji’s tea and western Japanese tea regions were left untouched by the radioactivity, higher levels of radiation were discovered in coastal tea regions along the east side of Japan, including parts of Shizuoka, the country’s largest tea producing region.
The devastation wrought by nuclear contamination from the crushed Fukushima Daiichi reactor has left a sour taste in the mouths of the Japanese. Only two of the country’s 54 reactors are currently operating, and the government is looking to renewable sources of energy for the future, said Takada.
One year later, Japan is still reeling. Much of the Northeast is rebuilding from scratch, and dealing with nuclear contamination on such a massive scale presents many difficulties. Takada said citizens are concerned that the government will try to store the waste from the nuclear reactors in their cities.
Recovery has also been slower than expected because the government must now carry out city planning with new challenges in mind. In many cities, the government will no longer permit residential development along the coast, said Takada.
For those families and people whose homes were destroyed, Takada said they’re living in government housing.
“Everybody is doing their best to recover,” he said. “For the people who lost it all, most people are living in just a simple house that was built by the government. But the conditions are not so good. They want their own houses.
“They are recovering step by step.”
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Green Tea for Skin
Posted on 2 April 2012 | 9:26 pm
Green tea cake with vanilla glaze
By Mollie Zapata
I bet that right now, in your pantry and fridge, you have everything you need to make this pretty little cake. It’s a Green Tea Cake, but there are no powders or potions required – just a few tea bags! And bonus points for those of you looking to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in a semi-classy way, because with just a few drops of food coloring, this tea-flavored cake becomes super-seasonal.
I used Zen green tea, which is infused with lemongrass and spearmint. The resulting cake was lightly minty-fresh-tasting and not too sweet. The frosting balanced it out nicely and added some necessary sweetness.
A lot of people seem to think that as a cake-blogger, things in the kitchen always go well for me. This is sooo far from the truth! One of the best things about baking is getting creative and experimenting … which inevitably results in some super-successes, but also some major baking-fails. This cake was almost a baking fail, but one that I managed to salvage into awesomeness.
Let me tell you how things went down: I envisioned a green tea layer cake, with a light and sweet marshmallow frosting, so I doubled the cake recipe to make two layers. Then I started on the frosting. It takes a long time to get the sugar to soft-ball temperature, so I waited and watched and waited and watched … until I kinda forgot to watch and it got too hot and started to caramelize! I poured it into the egg whites anyways, hoping it would work. It didn’t. What was supposed to be light and fluffy marshmallowy goodness turned into an off-white sticky mess. Bah. I tried to salvage it, but finally wrote it off as a total waste, and to my dismay had to dump it all and start over.
Round 2 of the frosting I decided to stick to simplicity and just make a vanilla glaze. Though the cake didn’t turn out as I had originally envisioned, it did turn out delicious.
Green Tea Cake with Vanilla Glaze
For the Cake:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 tablespoons green tea leaves (about 2 tea bags)
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Green food coloring and green sprinkles (optional)
For the Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-4 tablespoons as needed
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Grease and flour a 9-inch baking pan.
With an electric mixer, or by hand, cream together butter, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pinch of salt, and green tea. Mix on medium speed until the mixture is slightly coarse and sandy. This takes about 5 minutes.
Add in milk, egg, and vanilla extract. And beat until incorporated and the batter is smooth. Drop in food coloring until the batter reaches your desired green-ness (keep in mind that color tends to dull in baking, so if the batter looks a bit too bright you’re probably OK).
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 22 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan to cool completely before frosting.
To make the glaze: Beat sugar, butter, and vanilla. Add milk one tablespoon at a time until it reaches a glaze-ish consistency. Spread the frosting on top of the cake and decorate with sprinkles if you’re using them.
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Green Tea for Face
Posted on 25 March 2012 | 4:37 am
Green tea can beat bad breath, cancer
LONDON: Green tea's status as a superfood is growing gradually, as a new study has claimed that drinking the beverage could help you fight bad breath and even mouth cancer. The study by a team from Israel's Institute of Technology found that antioxidants found in the tea, called polyphenols, destroy a number of compounds in the mouth that can lead to bad breath, tooth decay and even mouth cancer.
The new findings will add to green tea's status as one of nature's so-called "superfoods" , the Daily Mail reported . Past studies have suggested that green tea helps prevent cancer and heart disease and lower cholesterol - and even ward off Parkinson's and Alzheimer's .
In the latest study, the researchers examined the properties of the polyphenol called epigallocatechin 3 gallate (EGCG) in particular.
"EGCG constitute the most interesting components in green tea leaves," the researchers reported in the journal Archives of Oral Biology.
"All together, there is increasing interest in the health benefits of green tea in the field of oral health," they said. Green tea is made from the same plant as black tea but processed in a different way that means it retains less caffeine and more polyphenols . It has been drunk in China and the Far East for thousands of years and is fast becoming popular in UK because of its health benefits. It's drunk without milk, sugar so it is low in calories.
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Green Tea for Skin
Posted on 19 March 2012 | 8:11 pm
Dying man's future in green tea leaves
Steve Horne is pretty close to a medical marvel.
An obese, fast-living chronic alcoholic with diabetes and a raft of health problems, his body began shutting down with doctors suggesting he had only 18 months to live.
Moving to Thailand to live out his last days in style, Mr Horne started drinking green tea while in Hong Kong on a three-week layover and his 150kg frame lost nine kilos and he went to the doctor in panic.
He came out with a clean bill of health and the advice that "whatever you are doing, it's working".
The now 88 kilo man visited Hawera last week to speak with members of Kiwilife Gym about his journey.
"I went into a 7/11 in Hong Kong and I've just picked one (tea product) up that was all in Chinese writing," he says.
He credits the drink, which he picked up by chance, with saving his life and creating a new business opportunity which allows him to help others.
Mr Horne is now 60kg lighter, diabetic medication-free, has acceptable cholesterol and actively exercises.
"It's happened to me so we can use that as a marketing thing," he says.
Mr Horne now sells Tao Ti nationwide as a healthy alternative to softdrinks and says it doesn't taste anything like most bitter green teas.
A portion of the profit from each bottle sold goes into the Bank of Dreams Charitable Trust, which he started after his epiphany.
"The more money we can make, the more we can give back to the community," he says.
The business model is based on the movie Pay it Forward and it's a principal he lives by.
"I come round the country talking to people and inspiring them with my story to make a difference to themselves and those around them."
Tao Ti Green Tea is sold at KiwiLife Health and Fitness Gym.
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All the tea from China
Posted on 16 March 2012 | 4:53 am
Eat your veggies - and your chocolate!
By Melissa Gaskill
We’ve known for a while now that eating plant-based foods is good for our health. Plants contain a variety of compounds that act as antioxidants, helping to rid our bodies of oxygen free radicals, which can wreak all kinds of havoc in our cells.
Clinical trails have even shown that eating moderate amounts of chocolate — which is, after all, a plant based food — can lower the risk of heart disease. Now, lab studies indicate that cocoa may even help prevent some kinds of cancers, including colon cancer.
The plant chemicals in cocoa include catechins and proanthocyanidins, members of a class of such chemicals called flavanols. Catechins are also present in green tea, grapes and berries, while grapes, berries and red wine also contain proanthocyanidins. These antioxidants help prevent DNA and cell damage and inflammation — all of which are associated with cancer risk.
There are three stages to cancer development, according to David L. Katz, MD, MPH, director of Yale University Prevention Research Center, and antioxidants, including chocolate, can play a protective role in each one. The first stage is initiation, when something, such as DNA damage, causes a cell to mutate. Antioxidants can lower this rate of mutation.
These antioxidants help prevent DNA and cell damage and inflammation — all of which are associated with cancer risk.Next comes promotion, when this abnormal cell begins to grow, producing a line of cells. Part of our immune system’s job is to engulf or destroy such a cell line, but if the immune system is compromised or weak, or busy with damage elsewhere in the body, that rogue cell may get away it, Katz explains.
Because antioxidants prevent inflammation and excess of free radicals, they can tip the balance in favor of our immune systems at this point.
The third stage, expression, is when a cancer becomes clinically detectable. This usually occurs after years or even decades, Katz says, and during that time, we can prevent as much as 60 percent of cancers through our behaviors, including things such as eating a healthy diet, avoiding tobacco, exercising, getting adequate sleep — and, perhaps, eating chocolate.
Not just any kind of chocolate will do, though, nor can you eat it in ridiculous amounts (sorry). Dark chocolate and cocoa powder are best, because they contain the highest concentrations of the beneficial plant compounds.
Candy bars, Katz points out, contain added sugar and other ingredients, which reduce the amount of beneficial compounds and add calories. Those calories can lead to weight gain, which increases your risk of cancer and could cancel out the beneficial aspects of chocolate. If you’re a milk chocolate eater, take heart: Katz points out that taste buds can be trained.
In other words, you can learn to love dark chocolate instead. Those sensitive to caffeine should use caution, though, since cocoa contains a similar stimulant.
Until someone studies chocolate’s protective effects against cancer in actual people, rather than in the lab, we won’t know the ideal amount to eat to get the most benefit without harm. But according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center at Oregon State University, randomized, placebo-controlled human trials have shown that 46 grams (1.6 ounces) of dark chocolate consumed daily for two weeks improved endothelial (blood vessel) function in healthy adults, and as little as 6.3 grams (0.22 ounces) daily reduced blood pressure. Dark chocolate generally contains at least 60 percent cocoa.
Bottom line, small amounts of dark chocolate aren't likely to cause harm, as part of a balanced diet that, ideally, according to nutritionists, is at least three-fourths plant based. And it may just help protect you from some kinds of cancer. Praise the Lord and pass the chocolate.
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Green Tea House, Asian fusion restaurant, open in Alliance Town Center
Posted on 14 March 2012 | 6:31 pm
Tapping World Summit 2012
Tapping World Summit 2012 coming soon. Watch out for it.
I've got a remarkably precious treasure to share today.And yes it is produced by my friends at The Tapping Solution, among the world’s largest online personal growth companies.
It’s a free video concerning how to literally re-wire your brain in order to get what you want in life.In the video you’ll learn from EFT expert Nick Ortner about a widely well-known process known as EFT or Tapping, and new information that is proving exactly what many have noted for an extended time… that it activly works to re-wire your brain for greater success to enable you to get what you long for in life.
http://bit.ly/J1Wj4m
Nick will not only clarify this exciting new research, but he’ll really show you how to do the process (it only takes 7 minutes to learn in the video)
This system is not merely scientifically proven, it’s also greatly suggested by a handful of today’s leading experts…
Celebrated authors, speakers and leaders such as Jack Canfield, Deepak Chopra, Bruce Lipton, Bob Proctor, Cheryl Richardson, Joe Vitale and many others are doing it.
Doctors, psychologists as well as psychiatrists are applying it. (Such as Dr. Joseph Mercola, Dr. Patricia Carrington and Dr. Norm Shealy)
Celebs are actually spotted performing it. (Meg Ryan did it in a movie)
Professional sportsmen do it. (and they don’t reveal to anybody because it’s their own ace in the hole)
And most importantly, millions of regular people around the world are applying it to change all areas of their lives (it’s been estimated that around 10 million people have used this system)
Final results using this system border on extraordinary.
The depth of usage for this is amazing.
And Now you can watch a free of charge video from EFT Expert Nick Ortner where he explains how he used this system to transform his life.The tactic demonstrated in this video was shown, in clinical tests, to reduce negative feelings like stress, anxiety, overwhelm and a lot more:
http://bit.ly/J1Wj4m
Posted on 14 March 2012 | 6:25 pm
All the tea from China
AT the wood-panelled Lock Cha tea-house in Hong Kong Park, on the Island side in Admiralty, teamaster Terrance Cheng is explaining the intricacies of myriad types of classic cha, from health-giving green and flowery jasmine to the delicate phoenix oolong.
Our little group forms an arc around Teamaster Cheng at a long wooden table; his utensils have been set out with surgical precision and he explains slowly and lovingly the procedure for proper teamaking. I am pleased to see that rinsing and warming the pot -- he refers to the process as "seasoning" -- before adding the tea leaves are crucial steps.
I grew up with a mother who insisted on the ceremony of tea-taking and would have quite liked to put on gloves and a hat if she had neighbourhood ladies in for afternoon tea in the front parlour (savagely dusted, reserved for "best" and if the Queen should happen to pop by).
Lock Cha, sometimes spelled as Lok Cha, was founded by Ip Wing-chi, a tea trader and connoisseur who retails pure, single-harvest, estate tea from a handful of China's provinces in green, red, greenish oolong, white, the increasingly rare yellow and twice-fermented black varieties. He also runs a larger tea shop on Queen's Road in Central, and prettily wrapped packets of leaves are sold at both outlets.
Teamaster Cheng explains that green tea contains a high amount of antioxidants and says that connoisseurs prefer theirs served in a glass "to better see and appreciate the delicate shape of the leaves".
He makes our pot of green tea with water of a lower temperature (just off the boil, I would say) than the phoenix oolong that follows.
The consensus among our group of novices is that the latter is more delicious, with distinct floral notes. Teamaster Cheng further advises that the longer the tea is steeped, the richer it becomes; I get the sense one could "grow" a pot all day, replenishing the leaves to form almost a kind of stock.
Our afternoon session is one of many free activities on offer as part of the Hong Kong Tourism Board's Cultural Kaleidoscope program, which gives visitors insights into various Chinese traditions, such as tai chi, feng shui and even making festival mooncakes.
With its calligraphy scrolls hung like vertical banners and ornamented room dividers, Lock Cha tea-house is a fragrant sanctuary that seems far removed from the purposeful metropolis on its doorstep. Also in Hong Kong Park is the uniquely specialised Museum of Tea Ware, housed in the 1840s-built Flagstaff House, the oldest surviving colonial building in this one-time British territory.
In a series of tall-ceilinged rooms with french doors is displayed a 600-strong collection of all the utensils and paraphernalia of oriental tea, including precious ceramics from the storied Ming dynasty and humble but pretty little Yixing purplish clay teapots that would have been passed down through generations of rural families.
Some of the more decorative pots have melon-stalk or animal-shaped lids or are designed like fish, with pouting lips for spouts. It's a curious collection and entry is free; you may never feel the same about teabags again.
Susan Kurosawa was a guest of the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
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Spring Forest Healing Fest
Black & Decker DCM18S
Posted on 10 March 2012 | 5:46 pm
Green Tea House, Asian fusion restaurant, open in Alliance Town Center
FORT WORTH — North Fort Worth gets some good-looking sushi at Green Tea House, an Asian restaurant that opened in late February at Alliance Town Center off 35W and Heritage Trace Parkway.
Sushi not always being an easy sell out in the 'burbs, Green Tea House also offers Chinese food and bubble tea, and serves wine, beer, and sake.
"[Chef William Liang] has more than 15 years of experience cooking in Beijing," said a manager who answered the phone. "When he was in China, he cooked Asian fusion food, so he knows how to do Chinese, Japanese, and Thai."
The house specialty is a dish called Pecan Chicken, but there's an emphasis on healthy cooking, with vegetarian options such as Orange Peel Tofu, no MSG, low sodium, and a minimum of oil used in cooking.
The kitchen has an open design, and there's a sushi bar as well as a boba tea station. The restaurant is one of many opening at Alliance Town Center, a shopping complex built by Perot's Hillwood development company, with an exterior that vaguely mimics the West Village. It boasts about two dozen quick-casual and/or fast-food places such as Jason's Deli and Zoe's Kitchen, and a Baker Bros. American Deli opened on Monday, with a Mi Cocina coming soon. Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital will open there in the fall.
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1 Cup Coffee Maker
Posted on 6 March 2012 | 2:03 am
Spring Forest Healing fest 2012
Spring Forest Healingfest 2012 Online Event
Health is very important to make us productive.Join this online event to erase pain, stress, and sickness from your body for FREE.
- General pain: neck, shoulder, lower back, knee, arthritis, joints
- Migraine headaches, sinus problems, allergies
- Weight control, high cholesterol, and digestion problems
- Hearing or sight problems
- Female or male organ problems
- Kidney or liver dysfunction
- Strokes
- Diabetes and high blood sugar
- Gall or kidney stones
- Heart disease, high blood pressure, and circulation problems
- Depression
- Cancers
- Lung problems
- Autoimmune dysfunction such as AIDS and lupus
- Mental disorders: anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks, addictions, obsessive/compulsive disorder, hyperactivity, dyslexia
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Posted on 28 February 2012 | 8:58 am
How Long Does Xanax Work?
Xanax or Alprazolam is a benzodiazepine class of psychoactive drugs.How Long Does Xanax Work?
Alprazolam has a fast onset of action and symptomatic relief. 90% of peak benefits are achieved within the first hour of using either preparation for panic disorder, and full peak benefits are achieved in 1.5 and 1.6 hours respectively. Peak benefits achieved for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) may take up to a week. Tolerance does not appear to develop to the anxiolytic effects but may develop to the sedative effects within a couple of days. Withdrawal symptoms or rebound symptoms may occur after ceasing treatment abruptly following a few weeks or longer of steady dosing, and may necessitate a gradual dose reduction.
Alprazolam is the most prescribed, and the most misused benzodiazepine on the U.S. retail market. The potential for abuse is low and is similar to that of other benzodiazepine drugs. Compared to the large number of prescriptions, relatively few individuals increase their dose on their own initiative or engage in drug-seeking behavior. Alprazolam is classified as a schedule C IV controlled substance by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)......Wikipedia
It depends on what type of Xanax your are taking. There is the oral xanax, immediate release and there is the extended release. You have to consult your physician for the proper dosage and frequency of taking it.
here are some response from users of Xanax....from sourceRelated Video
usually it's rx'd 1 every 8 hours. so, just see how you feel. if this is a new med for you, it can make you sleepy. so , no alcohol or driving under the influence. it's a short acting med. but, when I take .5 mg I can sleep all night with it and it seems to have a calming effect in the day time. take only what you need. have fun. It won't dull your senses or change your personality. it just calms you to where most things don't bother or irritate you as much. in fact, most of my previous irritants became amusing to me, secretly. It's like, what's the big deal and I just smiled about them and went on my merry way. Good luck.
It starts working in about 20 minutes after you take it. Normally it calms down by acting upon the central nervous system and brain chemicals that trigger the negative moods. It cant be said till how much long it works. If you feel that the effect is running off then take another one if your condition gets serious otherwise I do believe it lasts for max 8 hours.
four-to six hours is the span. It doesn't always do as much for some people who take it, doses are too low, but others can be made really sleepy by it. It depends after four hours if you still feel like its having an effect.
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Posted on 25 February 2012 | 1:38 am
Teas provide benefits for drinkers
By Paige Steele
Tea drinking has played a major role in optimal health to those in the East for centuries and has more recently been widely touted in Western media.
The benefits of drinking tea are vast. Ranging from reducing cholesterol to combating cancer, different teas provide different health benefits and it's important to understand which teas provide which benefits.
According to tea enthusiast Brooke Kueser, senior in education, drinking tea is one of the best things a person can do for their bodies and notes that different kinds of teas provide different advantages to one's health. One of the most popular types of tea, and Kueser's favorite, is green tea.
"[Green tea] aids in weight loss, in that it increases metabolism," Kueser said. "It's also good for you because it contains the antioxidants that a person needs to keep a healthy lifestyle."
Kueser recommends drinking several cups of green tea a day, but admits that one works just fine for her.
"I've started drinking green tea this year," said Reagan Domer, senior in management information systems. "I've noticed a decrease in the amount of colds that I've had and would credit the green tea with that."
According to a Dec. 28, 2011 article on teamuse.com called "The Benefits of Tea" by Media Digest, green tea also helps fight allergies, arthritis and its antioxidants can help inhibit an enzyme cancer cells need to grow.
Black tea is another popular kind of tea among Americans. According to the same article, black tea has been shown to lower the risks of heart disease and is thought to be just as beneficial as green tea.
"Black tea is my favorite," Domer said. "It's a good alternative to coffee as it contains the most caffeine of any tea and Caribou Coffee in the Union has a really good one that I like a lot called Hot Cinnamon Spice."
For people who are looking for anti-aging solutions, they need not look further than oolong tea. According to Sept. 1, 2011 article titled "Oolong Tea Benefits" from teabenefits.com, oolong tea also helps with digestive problems, strengthens the immune system and combats tooth and bone decay.
"Lately I've started to drink oolong tea," Kueser said. "I think it tastes better than green tea and still has a lot of good qualities about it. Plus, tooth health is very important to me."
A tea that has become more popular recently is red tea, commonly known as rooibos tea. This special tea is only found in a bush in South Africa and is thought to have just as many health benefits and cancer-fighting qualities as green tea.
"I first started drinking rooibos tea when I studied abroad in South Africa my sophomore year," said Beth Caldwell, senior in psychology. "I drink a few cups every day and can drink it at night too since it's naturally decaffeinated and I've definitely noticed improvements in my overall health since including it in my diet."
Although each different kind of tea has slightly different health benefits, the effect on overall health remains the same as it is improved with the consumption of tea.
"I just really like the taste of tea and the health benefits are just a perk," Domer said.
Source
Benefits of Green Tea
Wealth for Women Summit
Posted on 23 February 2012 | 3:13 am
The Benefits of Green Tea
Green tea is one of the ancient superfoods gaining new attention recently for its many health-promoting effects. Polyphenols — the class of natural compounds found in green tea as well as in dark berries, vegetables, chocolate and red wine — have powerful effects from cancer prevention to cholesterol balancing.
- Drinking green tea daily may be preventive in several gastrointestinal cancers (colon, rectal, pancreatic) while improving outcomes in breast and prostate cancer.
- Studies demonstrate that people who drink green tea regularly have lower bad cholesterol and higher good cholesterol. It is believed that the antioxidant effects may help keep cholesterol from forming plaques in the arteries.
- The magic combination of caffeine and theanine found in green tea gives you energy while balancing the nervous system to avoid the jitters that can come with coffee. It is also known to increase body temperature by burning fat, a characteristic that has led to some of the green tea diet fads.
If you’re concerned the caffeine will keep you up at night, here are some strategies:
- Drink your tea in the morning and finish by 2 p.m. to prevent trouble sleeping.
- Remember that green tea has 10 mg to 50 mg of caffeine per cup, which is only 15 percent to 30 percent of what you’ll find in a cup of coffee.
- For a less-caffeinated version, try steeping the green tea for 30 seconds, throw out the water, then use the wet teabag or leaves to make your tea.
Source
Green Tea For Skin
Wealth for Women Summit
Posted on 21 February 2012 | 11:51 am