Tea: The Best Green Tea Blends

Copyright � 2007 Jon M. StoutGreen tea is fast becoming one of the hottest ways to look afteryour health. More and more research is surfacing that suggeststhat drinking green tea may be one of the simplest things you cando to live a longer and healthier life.Green tea is special because of the way that it's processed.Though it comes from the same plant as black tea, it is producedin an entirely different way. During processing, black tea isallowed to oxidize, or ferment. Green tea however, is simplydried and then steamed or fired to prevent the oxidation processfrom occurring. It sounds like a simple difference, but it causessome very powerful differences between the two types of tea.The fermentation process that happens to black tea converts thenatural anti-oxidants in tea to other compounds. So, while blacktea is a healthy beverage, it is not as healthy as green tea,whose anti-oxidants are left in their natural state. In fact,green tea contains EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), one of themost powerful anti-oxidants.Anti-oxidants play an important role in protecting our health.The anti-oxidants created by our bodies and those derived fromour diet help to neutralize free radicals. Free radicals areoxygen containing molecules that are created as a by product ofconverting the food we eat into energy. Left unchecked, thesefree radicals damage our cells and DNA, leading to aging anddisease.A diet rich in anti-oxidants keeps these free radicals undercontrol. To ensure that you get your daily dose of anti-oxidantsit's important to eat a diet that's full of plant products,like fruits, vegetables and green tea.Research has shown that drinking green tea is especially helpfulat reducing your risk of disease. Some of the most positiveresearch includes the following findings: * Long term tea drinkers tend to have a lower body weight andlower percentage of body fat. * Green tea has been shown to be effective at preventing manyforms of cancer, including breast cancer, colon cancer and lungcancer. In addition, some studies have shown that chemotherapy ismore effective when the patient is on a regimen of green teaalong with their chemotherapy. * Green tea has been shown to reduce the risk of heart diseaseby helping to lower cholesterol and reduce your chances of ablood clot. * Green tea has been shown to be an effective weight losssupplement. The anti-oxidants in green tea combined with thecaffeine have been shown to speed up the metabolism and promotethe oxidation of fat. * It has been suggested that green tea may be helpful inpreventing Alzheimer's disease. * Green tea may be helpful in regulating insulin, so it may be anatural way to help prevent diabetes.So, as you can see, there are many health reasons for drinkinggreen tea. Most of us in the Western world have grown up on blacktea, and may find the flavor of traditional green teas somewhatgrassy in comparison. If you find that green tea simply doesn'ttaste as good to you as black tea, try drinking a green teablend. When blended with other flavors, green tea can taste quitedifferent than it does on its own.There are a wide variety of green tea blends out there. It'simportant to choose the best quality of loose green tea, whetheryou're choosing a blend or a single tea. Many tea companies willuse lesser quality tea leaves when they're blending the tea withother flavors, because they believe the difference in qualitywill not be as noticeable.So, be certain that you choose your blended green tea from areputable tea company to ensure that you get only the finestquality. If you're interested in choosing a green tea blend,here are some very good and very popular ones to try. * Moroccan Mint � Moroccan mint green tea is one of the mostpopular blends. This is a blend of one or more kinds of mintflavoring with a green tea base. The flavor is light andrefreshing and makes a great glass of iced tea as well as hottea. * Jasmine Green Tea � Another popular choice in green teablends, this green tea is scented with the petals of jasmine.You'll also find Jasmine green tea mixed with vanilla, whichmakes the tea more flavorful. The combination of the scents ofjasmine and vanilla make this jasmine green tea one of the mostfragrant you can find. * Vanilla Mint Green Tea � This is a refreshing green tea blendthat will appeal to any tea drinker. Tea artisans mix highquality green tea with mint leaves and pieces of vanilla bean.These two flavors are pleasing to any palate. This makes a greaticed tea for the summer as well as an aromatic and flavorful hottea.These are just a few of the many blends of green tea available.Experiment with the varieties available to find the ones that youlike best. For maximum benefit to your health, experts recommendthat you drink at least three cups of green tea each day. So,lift your cup of green tea and drink to the delicious flavor �and to your health!============================================================Jon M. Stout is Chairman of the Golden MoonTea Company. For more information about tea,(http://www.goldenmoontea.com/greentea) green tea (http://www.goldenmoontea.com/blacktea) and black tea go to http://www.goldenmoontea.com ============================================================Read More Articles From Jon M. Stout:http://thePhantomWriters.com/free_content/d/index.shtml#Jon_M._Stout

Vitamin and Mineral Supplements: What You Need To Know Before You Buy

Important! Read this before you buy another vitamin-mineral or nutritional supplement product. This information is vitally important to your health. All vitamin supplements are not the same. AND there is no one supplement that is good for everyone. If anyone ever tells you that theirs is the one supplement that everyone needs, run, don't walk and don't look back.How do you choose the vitamin-mineral and nutritional supplements that you take? Or maybe you don't take any because you're so overwhelmed by the choices and you don't know which to choose.One product claims it's "the most comprehensive answer to the body's need for life-giving nutrients." It has "100's of healthy nutrients from all natural whole-food sources."Another company says they produce the "highest quality nutritional ... products available" that "make you feel and look wonderful."Still another company boasts "an exclusive line of cutting-edge nutritional products" that are "quality, wellness and life-enhancing."Then there's the product that states it "has a total of 165 nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and whole food extracts" which gives you "a more complete and broad spectrum of ingredients [and] faster absorption..."These are only a few of the claims made for nutritional supplement products available today. There are hundreds of different vitamin-mineral and nutritional supplement products competing for your dollar.So, how do you choose? Maybe you've heard someone say what fantastic results they got from taking a specific product. You tried it and you didn't feel any different. Perhaps you did this a few times, with several different products, and still you got no results. You might even have gotten discouraged and decided that vitamin supplements just don't work. Or quite possibly you continued to take them simply because you felt you needed to, to be healthy, even though it didn't make you feel any different.Why do some people get such fantastic results that they rave about it to everyone who will listen and some people don't get any results at all ... with the same product? It all boils down to biochemical individuality. In other words individual differences. Those who get the most dramatic results are generally the most deficient in the nutrients that product provides. They had deficiencies the product corrected. And why didn't you feel any different? Because the nutrients in that product were not the right nutrients for your body or they weren't in the right proportions.Not everybody needs the same vitamin and mineral combinations in the same proportions. But everyone needs certain amounts of vitamins and minerals to be healthy. Vitamins and minerals are essential to life. And with the nutrient deficient soils our foods are grown on, most people don't get enough nutrients from their food alone to be truly healthy. Even the American Medical Association (AMA) recommends that every adult take a vitamin/mineral supplement daily.So how do you choose a good quality supplement that will give you all the nutrients that you need?First, let's take a look at some facts that you need to know about how vitamins and minerals work in your body.1. Vitamins and minerals work together. They need to be taken in the right proportions to be effective. For example, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, in the right proportions, work together to keep your bones strong.2. If you take too much of one nutrient, it can cause deficiencies in other nutrients. For instance, if you take too much calcium, it can cause your body to absorb less magnesium, phosphorus, iron and zinc. Too much vitamin C can cause a copper deficiency.3. Taking too much of some nutrients can cause the same symptoms as a deficiency of that same nutrient. This happens with calcium, zinc and vitamin C.Your personal needs are also dependent upon your metabolism. Is your metabolism fast or slow? Certain nutrients speed up your metabolism and others slow it down. If you have a fast metabolism, you don't want to be taking nutrients that speed it up even more. If your metabolism is slow, you shouldn't be taking nutrients that slow it down. You want a nutritional product that will balance your unique body chemistry.Choosing the right nutritional supplement sounds complicated, but it's not. It can really be quite easy. You see, your hair holds the key. It contains the blueprint of the mineral balance in the tissues of your body, past and present. And because minerals interact not only with each other but also with vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates and fats, the mineral status also gives you information on your vitamin needs as well.Your hair gives you a good picture of your body's nutrient needs. When you have a hair mineral analysis test, there's no guessing, no trial and error. With proper interpretation of the results, you know what's in balance in your body, what's out of balance and what your body needs. And with the proper selection of nutritional products based upon the results of your hair analysis, you will get the nutrients your body needs.(c) 2006 Christine H. Farlow, D.C. Find out more about how hair analysis can help you improve your health and choose the right supplements for your unique nutritional needs at http://www.healthyeatingadvisor.com/customnutrition.html

The Fascinating History Of Hypnosis

When people think about hypnosis, an image comes to mind of aman sitting and swinging a pendulum in front of someone andsaying to them, "You are getting very sleepy." This is an imagethat has been portrayed in movies and the media for years, yetthe history of hypnosis goes back much further than most peoplerealize, and is said to be very helpful and healing in severalways. Those who have undergone hypnosis often recall eventsfrom the past that they previously had no memory of whatsoever,and this technique is often used to bring up repressed thoughtsand emotions in order to help a person overcome certain fearsor other problems. Taking a look at the history of hypnosis isboth fascinating and educational as well. Humble Beginnings: A Brief History Of Hypnosis The Hindus in India are said to be the originators of thehistory of hypnosis by using it as a health tool in which theywould take those who were ill within their village to a placedcalled a sleep temple. Likewise, this practice was used inGreece and Egypt as well. The ancient Sanskrit in a book calledthe Law of Manu spoke of different states of hypnosis; the"sleep-waking" state, the "dream-sleep" state, and the"Ecstasy-sleep" state. Inductions which were hypnotic in naturewere used to lull as person into a sleep state in order to healthem of their sickness or disease. In the late 1700's, a man named Franz Mesmer became the firstWestern scientist to become involved with hypnosis and startedresearching an effect called "animal magnetism" or "mesmerism,"which is a word still used today. He believed that this powerresided inside of humans and animals and used magnetic force asa tool in treating people. In what some consider to be the firstplacebo-controlled trial study, Benjamin Franklin conducted atrial to test the magnetic theory, and it was determined thatmesmerism was only used by the imagination. Within the historyof hypnosis, magnetic therapies are still around today as oneform of alternative medicine, yet Mesmer himself died obscurelyin 1815. Formal psychological study of hypnotism began to be studied inthe 1800's by a neurologist named Jean-Martin Charcot whoprescribed this treatment for hysteria. He also opened the way in the history of hypnosis for its usein multiple personality disorders as well. This approach isstill used today in order to help treat those who suffer withhearing voices, as it can help to sort out and relive theseproblems.About The Author: Ann Merier a prolific writer has written manyarticles about family health and house and garden Topics.http://selfhypnosis.ultimatehealthinfo.com/http://u-can-prevent-id-theft.comhttp://bestairpurifiers.4houseandgarden.com

How To Build Muscle Fast And Naturally

Optimum Anabolics, by fitness guru Jeff Anderson, is amuscle-building program that teaches you how to build musclefast with a unique approach to weightlifting and healthy eating- in fact, some people say his secrets are borderlinecontroversial because they go against what most gurus tell youto do - but they work. How does Optimum Anabolics work? It teaches you how to cycle certain weight lifting exercises,using a specific pattern of reps and weight. On top of that, italso teaches you a specific way to cycle the carbs and proteinyou eat to help fuel muscle growth. These two things combinedput your body into a state where your anabolic hormones - liketestosterone and growth hormones - are maximized resulting intofast muscle growth. ...and it's all done naturally with no illegal drugs orquestionable nutritional supplements. Some of secrets Optimum Anabolics will reveal include: * The hidden formula for "tricking" your muscles into growingfar beyond their genetic limits. * The 8 anabolic factors that must be addressed if you want topack on new muscle. * Why you should never follow the "lift big to get big"philosophy. * The 3 repetition principles that separate the men from theboys. * An unbelievable trick that guarantees you'll get the mostmuscle stimulation from every single repetition. It's all laid out for you in this eBook like a blueprint - youreceive a guide that teaches you the secrets of muscle growthand you receive a second guide that gives you the specificworkouts to do and the diet to eat. I guess this can be anegative if you don't follow instructions very well, but evenif you don't, the two guides give you an excellent startingpoint to creating your own weight lifting routine. So if you're looking to build muscle fast, why do we recommendtrying Optimum Anabolics? Because you won't find another weight lifting program like it.It's unique and proven...and it's all laid out for so you don'thave to think about what to do - just follow the guides. Theprogram attacks muscle growth from 2 angles - exercise andnutrition - and this combination is extremely synergistic. The result is muscle growth you've most likely neverexperienced before.About The Author: If you're looking to build muscle fast, youshould consider trying the Optimum Anabolics muscle-buildingprogram:http://www.weightloss-programs-reviewed.com/optimumanabolics3.html

The Green Tea/Caffeine Combination For Weight Loss

The Green Tea/Caffeine Combination For Weight LossCopyright (c) 2007 Jon M. StoutGolden Moon Teahttp://www.GoldenMoonTea.comIn recent years, the subject of green tea has garnered a greatdeal of attention. Green tea has been touted for itsanti-oxidants and their unique ability to prevent illness andfight aging. Green tea has also been purported to help withweight loss, and it has been assumed that tea's anti-oxidantswere also responsible for this benefit. However, some findingsare suggesting that it's not just the anti-oxidants alone thatmake green tea an effective weight loss supplement.It appears that it's the combination of green tea with caffeinethat works magic for weight loss. This two-fold approach of greentea's anti-oxidants (polyphenols) combined with caffeine appearto have an effect that neither substance can have on its own.Green tea's caffeine is unique, in that it doesn't appear toraise the heart rate or blood pressure the way that other formsof caffeine do. So green tea is a good choice for dieters who arecaffeine sensitive. And, we know that caffeine speeds up themetabolism, helping us to burn more calories each day. So, thecaffeine in green tea, while not appearing to significantly raisethe heart rate or blood pressure, does seem to raise themetabolic rate.Green tea also seems to be helpful for weight loss because of itspotent anti-oxidants. Tea's polyphenols have been shown to havemany health benefits because they combat free radicals in thebody that can cause cell damage. These polyphenols also seem towork with other chemicals in the body to intensify fat oxidationand thermogenesis. This creates fat burning heat in the body.Green tea's polyphenols also help depress leptin production inthe body. Leptin is a protein hormone that regulates our appetiteand our fat storage. Lower levels of leptin mean a smallerappetite, but overweight people often produce too much leptin,which may be why they eat too much. If polyphenols can decreaseyour leptin levels, then you'll eat less without dieting. Greentea may also help regulate the hormone that tells us we're full.Obese people often over produce leptin and under produce thishormone, which leads to an increase in weight.Finally, it seems that green tea can help regulate insulin in thebody, too. Green tea helps the carbohydrates that we eat bereleased more slowly, which keeps our insulin levels steady thusreducing our chances of storing fat. Steady insulin levels meanmore efficient use of carbohydrates, which makes taking weightoff and keeping it off easier. When our carbohydrates are notused properly, our insulin level drops rapidly, and we store ourfood as fat. There is also ongoing research involving how greentea might be helpful for patients with diabetes.Several studies have reached similar conclusions regarding greentea and weight loss. One of the most famous studies was conductedby Dulloo and medical associates. This study noted that greentea's polyphenols combined with caffeine produced an increase inenergy expenditure (or number of calories burned) in a 24 hourperiod in their subjects. Further, this study concluded thatneither caffeine nor green tea's polyphenols produced the sameeffect when prescribed independently.In addition, the studies have shown that when the green tearegimen ceased, the benefits ceased, as well. In some cases,higher doses of green tea were needed over time to continue theweight loss effect. This has led researchers to conclude thatgreen tea should become a lifelong habit. This finding correlateswith other studies on green tea's ability to prevent diseasessuch as cancer and heart disease. In parts of the world wheregreen tea consumption is highest, with people drinking 8-10 cupsper day nearly all of their life, the incidences of cancer andheart disease are the lowest in the world.Of course, more research is needed about the benefits of greentea in many areas of medicine. Much of the research that has beenperformed has been on laboratory rats, whose results may besomewhat different than the results on humans. Human trials onlong term use of green tea would take years to conduct and bedifficult to complete, which is why we rely on short term studiesand laboratory experiments.However, even without long term conclusive results proving thatgreen tea can help you lose weight, you have nothing to fear fromadding a daily dose of green tea to your regimen. Green tea ishealthy and has no side effects. Even those who are sensitive tocaffeine can usually tolerate green tea without problems. Even ifyou don't lose any weight, drinking green tea is a healthyalternative to sodas.And, in addition to being an overall healthy beverage, you maygain other benefits from drinking green tea. You may be reducingyour risk of cancer and heart disease. You may see your bloodpressure and cholesterol lowered and you may find it easier tolose weight. So, it seems that for all of us, green tea is ahealthy and refreshing addition to the diet.----------------------------------------------------------Jon M. Stout is Chairman of the Golden MoonTea Company. For more information about tea,(http://www.goldenmoontea.com/greentea) green tea (http://www.goldenmoontea.com/blacktea) and black tea go to http://www.goldenmoontea.com

Tea's Potential For Weight Loss

Tea's Potential For Weight LossCopyright (c) 2007 Marcus StoutGolden Moon Teahttp://www.GoldenMoonTea.comLosing weight is a topic on the mind of many. It's no secretthat long term weight loss and maintenance require long term lifechanges. In order to successfully lose weight and keep it off youmust consume fewer calories each day than your body uses. Thisallows your body to use stored fat as energy, rather than food.So, eating less is just half the equation. Since you can onlyreduce your calorie intake by so much, it's critical to alsoincrease the amount of calories your body uses each day. This iswhy exercise is so important. Exercise burns calories whileyou're exercising, but also increases your metabolic rate forseveral hours after you finish.Exercising by lifting weights can also help increase yourmetabolic rate in the long term. Because muscle requires morecalories to maintain, even when resting, building muscle is agreat way to help ensure that you burn more calories all thetime.So, as you're attempting to lose weight, it's important to payattention to increasing your metabolism. Part of this equationincludes not decreasing your caloric intake too drastically. Whenyou significantly reduce the number of calories you'reconsuming, your body begins to go into starvation mode, actuallyconserving calories and fat. This can stall your weight lossprogress.A better way to lose weight is to reduce your calorie intakesomewhat, but to put the bulk of your effort into increasing thenumber of calories you burn each day. Exercise is the mostimportant way to do this, but there is another way that you canincrease your metabolic rate that many people don't know about.The secret is tea. Several studies have shown tea to have theability to aid in weight loss by raising your metabolic rate. Inaddition, tea seems to inhibit the absorption of the fat in yourdiet, which may help you lose weight, as well.This ability to limit fat absorption may also be one of thereasons that tea consumption seems to lower cholesterol. Whentriglycerides (a form of fat) rise, cholesterol rises, too.However, it is likely that the most important quality that teapossesses for aiding weight loss is its ability to impactmetabolism. It has long been believed by the Chinese that teahelps with weight control, but there has not been a great deal ofresearch on the subject.However, with all the recent attention that tea has garnered forits ability to reduce aging and prevent disease, more research isbeing done on all of tea's potential.For example, there have been many studies that suggest that tea,particularly green tea, can prevent heart disease and cancer. Teais a potent source of anti-oxidants, which scientists havediscovered are keys to health.Anti-oxidants are important because they fight the free radicalscreated as a by-product of the digestive process. Free radicalsare oxygen containing molecules that damage cells and DNA if leftunchecked. However, a regular diet of anti-oxidants can stop thefree radicals from damaging our bodies.Anti-oxidants are found in many plant sources, including fruitsand vegetables, but none are more potent than those in tea. Forthis reason, tea has gained a great deal of attention for being ahealthy beverage.One study, conducted by the University of Tokushima in Japan,attempted to verify tea's effect on the body's energyexpenditure, or the number of calories burned. The study wasconducted on men, who did not consume any caffeine or flavonoids(the anti-oxidants in tea) for four days prior to beginning thestudy.The study lasted for three days, during which the subjectsconsumed a typical American diet. Each subject was evaluatedprior to the study to get a measure of his normal daily energyexpenditure. The subjects were divided into four groups. Thegroups were given one of four regimens: Water Full strength tea Half strength tea Water containing 270 mg of caffeine (approximately the sameamount found in the full strength tea)The study found that, compared to the men who drank water, themen who drank full strength tea showed an energy expenditureincrease of 2.9%, and the men who drank caffeinated water had anincreased energy expenditure of 3.4%.However, the men who drank full strength tea also had anincreased fat oxidation of 12% over the water drinkers. This fatoxidation increase was not shown in the men who drank caffeinatedwater.So, this study suggests to us that caffeine does help speed upthe metabolism. However, it also tells us that it is not just thecaffeine alone that makes tea an effective weight loss aid. Othercomponents in tea, likely the anti-oxidants, are responsible fortea's ability to oxidize fat in a way that caffeine alonecannot.Tea is a healthy drink, and, worldwide, is the second mostconsumed beverage, after water. So, using tea as a weight lossaid is a safe way to help increase your chances of losing thoseexcess pounds. If tea isn't already part of your weight lossplan, why not add it today? http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/131/11/2848----------------------------------------------------------Marcus Stout is President of the Golden Moon Tea Company. For more information about tea, (http://www.goldenmoontea.com/greentea) green tea (http://www.goldenmoontea.com/blacktea) and black tea go to http://www.goldenmoontea.com

Causes Of Disability: Arthritis

Always keep a regular check on your body, because any deviationcan lead to temporary or permanent disability. One of the commondiseases that people are suffering from in the world today isarthritis. It occurs both in the old and the young, though theprobability remains high in the elder people. It is also knownto be a cause of disability with many people who are 65 andabove. Therefore, if you feel any symptoms of arthritis in yourbody, immediately consult a good medical practitioner, who willguide you through this situation. Arthritis is a condition in which there occurs inflammation inthe joints of the bones. With due course of time, inflammationstarts spreading and affects all the other nearby joints. Thisinflammation is accompanied by swelling and moderate to acutepain in the limbs. If these symptoms are not administered intime, the condition aggravates, leading to disability. The formof disability that crops up is the inability to move withcomfort. And with age, the person becomes completely bedridden. There can be many reasons that can be attributed for arthritisas there are many types of arthritis affecting the differentjoints. The most common outcome of arthritis is acute pain withless mobility. Thus, it becomes important for you to bring downyour arthritis suffering as soon as possible and thereby avoiddisability. With revolutionized research in the field ofmedical science, several therapies have come up at yourdisposal that surely gives you relief from arthritis. Of them the most effective and the newest in the line is watertherapy. This therapy involves treatment with the help ofaerobic exercises. And all this happens while your body isimmersed in a swimming pool. Strange, isn't it? The reasonbehind this is very simple. The pain that comes along witharthritis will not allow exercising comfortably. But whilebeing in water, the water pressure compensates the weight ofyour body. Therefore, you are in a position to exercise withease. Besides this, the contemporary method remains the use of drugsand prescribed medication to do away with arthritis and relateddisability. This is the last option when the pain becomesunbearable for you and you realize that slowly and steadily youare being pushed into the ambit of disability. So, consult agood physician who will recommend you a set of appropriatemedicines that will help you fight disability due to arthritis. Another common and very old method in relieving arthritis isheat therapy. Heat treatment involves infra red rays for theafflicted joints. This is predominantly a new age method. Theold methods include the use of hot water bottles and the pipcushions. This is a miraculous treatment available forarthritis.About The Author: To get more information visithttp://www.about-disability.com/what-is-disability/,http://www.about-disability.com/disability-and-civil-rights/and http://www.about-disability.com/disability-aids/