Friday 4 December 2009

Health Benefits of Tea Flowers and Mindfulness Exercises

The Use of Flowers and Herbs in Eastern and Early Western Medicine:

Eastern medicine and even early Western medicine utilized the various benefits experienced through the use of herbs and flowers. Today, many of these benefits are combined in blooming tea, a tea brewed from tea balls or tea flowers.

What is a Tea Flower?

A tea flower is the same as a tea ball, hand sewn leaves of usually green or white tea that surround a colorful flower that blooms when you drop it in hot water. Thus the name blooming tea. Both flowers and tea are healthy and tasty.

What kinds of Flowering Tea are there?

There are a variety of these tea balls made from different tea leaves and containing different flowers, each with a distinct and beautiful effect. The flowers that bloom within the tea balls enhance the benefits of drinking tea while providing aroma that is therapeutic as well. Each variety of flower has its own special benefits that include many antioxidant qualities.

Herbal versus "True" Tea:

All types of "true" tea (as opposed to herbal tea) come from the same plant - Camellia sinensis. Herbal teas come from various herbs that may be brewed like tea, but are not from the same plant as real tea. The major difference between black tea, green tea, and oolong tea is how the leaves are processed after they are picked.

Green and White Tea:

Both Green and White tea contain polyphenols. Phenols (a chemical compound containing an aromatic benzene ring with a hydroxyl group (OH) attached) are potent antioxidants that attach to free radicals in your body helping to neutralize the free radical negative effects.

White tea seems to have more polyphenols and is considered a cancer-fighting antioxidant. Research at Pace University has shown that white tea extract may actually help retard the growth of bacteria that cause staphylococcus infections, pneumonia and dental cavities. Researchers say that white tea may destroy the disease-causing organisms.

Compounds in white tea have also been found to be effective in enhancing skin cells' immune functions and in protecting the skin from harmful effects of the sun.

Green tea offers many health benefits for those who drink it regularly. Besides offering antioxidant benefits, green tea is believed by many to be excellent as a weight loss supplement Regular use of green tea is an accepted, healthy habit..

Flowers in Blooming Tea:

There are a number of flowers and flower combinations used in tea flowers. Their flavors and aromas vary and enhance the experience through color and beauty thus accommodating your mood.

Benefits include the presence of antioxidants that, as in green and white tea, reduce levels of damaging free radicals that in turn help prevent aging and aid in a number of other areas of health. Flowers are caffeine free whereas green and white tea contain caffeine.

A few of the types of flowers used in blooming tea include osmanthus, lily, jasmine, rose, chrysanthemum, magnolia, globe amaranth, peony, carnation and others. To understand more about the health benefits of tea flowers and where to obtain them, visit A Tea Flower Moment.

Mindfulness and taking tea:

In today's hustle, bustle world, where each day we must deal with a damaged economy and violence whether in the media, on the street or at home, stress has become a major factor in our deteriorating health. Stress reduction is important due to the damaging effects it has on our bodies.

Stress causes the inappropriate release of adrenaline which in turn causes the heart to beat faster and harder, shunts blood to certain organs and muscles at the expense of other organs, and changes hormones, specifically cortisol, a hormone that is important in fat, sugar and protein metabolism. A simple habit started hundreds of years ago in England and thousands of years ago in Asia, combined with making the most of the moment through mindfulness exercises can combat the effects of stress.

A Tea Flower Moment is a website dedicated to helping people navigate their daily stresses without experiencing the often devastating effects of stress. By teaching mindfulness exercises, giving helpful daily tips on mindful living and encouraging the healthy daily habit of enjoying the beauty of blooming tea in a peaceful environment, you combine goodness for your body with goodness for your soul.

A Tea Flower Moment Club offers membership for monthly shipments of tea flowers to encourage keeping the daily healthy habit and mindfulness exercises. Products for creating the perfect environment and for enjoyment of the moment are also part of the website. Visit today.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robin_Eschler

Read More..

Peppermint Tea - Why Drinking it is Good For the Health

Peppermint is a popular herbal tea that is characterized with its strong minty aroma and distinctive taste. It is also known today as mint tea. It is a favorite of many because it does not only have a great taste but it also offers relaxing experiences and various health benefits.

The menthol content of peppermint gives the tea its minty aroma and its superior flavor. Peppermint contains volatile oil, vitamin B, calcium and potassium. The tea is associated with several health benefits because of the healthy properties of peppermint.

Peppermint tea promotes digestion and helps ease diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome as well as stomach cramps and stomach aches. Its menthol flavor helps us to get away with bad breath and relieve us of headaches. It could even help ease cough and colds as well as mild asthma. Sore throat can also be done away through gargling with peppermint tea. Bacteria, fungi, and viruses produced by diseases are also suppressed because of its menthol content. Muscle pains and chronic complaints are also prevented by drinking peppermint tea. It can also be used to treat skin diseases by using it in baths. A decongesting therapy can also be done by inhaling the steam of peppermint tea. Drinking this herbal tea simply offers quite a long list of health benefits.

Tea made from peppermint is prepared by either using dried peppermint leaves or fresh peppermint leaves. It can also be mixed with honey or lemon juice. It is done by adding dried or fresh peppermint leaves to hot or boiling water and then steeping it for several minutes before straining.

Peppermint tea is easily prepared and it offers a great deal of health benefits besides its refreshing taste and aroma.

My name is Darren and I love to drink Coffee & Tea. If you love herbal teas then I think that you will find the information about peppermint tea available on my website of great interest.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darren_R_Sturridge

Read More..