Reunited

Years ago I took a trip to New Orleans with my mom. On our return home trip, we stopped somewhere to eat that had a country store. I bought the cutest mug, but through the years it was one of the few that broke. The other day I was out shopping with my daughter, when lo and behold, there is that mug! Naturally I bought it. Here's to hoping this one doesn't get to meet its predecessor!

I am enjoying a black, green, and oolong tea.

Wine tea?

I was at the store (shh, liquor store) with the fam the other day, when I saw they sell tea with wine. They are made by Republic of Tea, and I saw ones with Chardonnay, Cabernet, and Rose. I will be adding all three to my collection shortly, because, tea. And wine. So there.

For now I will sip my Chinese Restaurant tea made with oolong, jasmine, and green.

And yes, I did drink it out of this mug, even tho I do not golf. It was my dad's I was having a moment.

Tea is Always a Good Idea

Because it's true. Whether it's a hearty black, fresh green, delicate white, or calming herbal tea, it is always a good time for tea.

Today is a black and green oolong.

Brewing Times

My oldest and I used to get into arguments about brewing times for tea. He worked for a coffeehouse, and knew the standard brewing times employees were told to use. I explained their brewed teas had added ingredients, therefore needed longer brewing times to be stronger, but that that didn't make it better.

Of course, I was right. ;)

Anyway, there are differing views on brewing times, but I have found these to be best:

Black and oolong teas - 3-5 minutes
Green teas - 1-3 minutes
Herbal teas - 5 minutes

You can always let your tea steep longer if you like it stronger, but I find oversteeping makes them bitter.

Green tea with lemon and ginseng.

Drink Up and Slim Down

I drink tea for the pleasure of it. However, there always seems to be research into the health benefits of it, and I just see that as a plus. Notice I did not say cream on the top. On tea, that would just be gross.

Last year, in my post, Tea and the Exercise Connection, I mentioned two such health bits:

"...a study done by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that people drinking five cups of oolong tea each day burned an average of 87 additional calories. Not just while they were drinking their tea, but throughout the day."

Today I came across something in the Journal of Nutrition about a study that followed people who drank five 10 ounce servings of oolong tea for three days. They increased their metabolism by 3% more than people who drank water. This translates to 67 calories per day, or 6-1/2 pounds weight loss in one year.

And this, again, from the same post:

"Researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences determined that mice on a high-fat diet that consumed decaffeinated green tea extract and exercised regularly experienced sharp reductions in final body weight and significant improvements in health. After 16 weeks, high-fat-fed mice that exercised regularly and ingested green tea extract showed an average body mass reduction of 27.1 percent and an average abdominal fat mass reduction of 36.6 percent."

Today, again, about another study, this time in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, that researchers found a 4% increased energy expenditure when they gave people green tea extract, instead of caffeine or a placebo. What they believe is that it is the polyphenols in tea, and not the caffeine, that may stimulate metabolism.

This differs slightly from another earlier post, Green Tea and Your Metabolism, that suggested, "...while green tea has about one-third the caffeine as coffee, other metabolically active substances, called catechins, compound the actions of the caffeine. "Caffeine activates metabolic pathways that release stored body fat from your fat cells into your bloodstream," says Paul Arciero, PhD. 

A 2005 study, entitled,  "Ingestion of a tea rich in catechins leads to a reduction in body fat and malondialdehyde-modified LDL in men" concluded that "Daily consumption of tea containing 690 mg catechins for 12 wk reduced body fat, which suggests that the ingestion of catechins might be useful in the prevention and improvement of lifestyle-related diseases, mainly obesity."

Polyphenols, btw, are a type of phytochemical found in plant compounds, like vegetables, fruit, and red wine.  A professor of nutrition at Tufts University, Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg. was quoted as saying that, "Two cups of tea provide as many phytochemicals as one serving of vegetables." Both black and green tea are excellent sources of dietary polyphenols.

Catechins are a type of antioxidant found in the greatest abundance in the leaves of the tea plant Camellia sinensis. 

So, today, for my daily mug and tea:

I'm sipping an oolong and green with jasmine!

New Year, New Tea Adventures

I started this blog at the urging of a friend who insisted I needed to do so. I have neglected it terribly. Initially, my friend wanted me to start a tea blog because she was convinced that I own at least a year's worth of mugs and different teas. While I don't think this is true (okay, maybe the variety of teas is true), I decided this year I would test this theory.


So, every day I will post a picture of a different tea mug. Should I prove right (and my friend wrong) about the number of mugs I have, I will then post pictures of the different tea items I also have, from teapots to tea art.

But, so as not to be completely boring, I will also try to add something about tea. Quotes, recipes, books, etc. You know, to make it a little more interesting. And, if like I said in my very first post, "...even if no one but Susan ever reads my blog" , I will still enjoy posting for my own love of tea.

I begin with the mug that started the whole thing off.

I decided to start the year off with a smoky Chinese Fortune oolong. Seems entirely appropriate.

So, what is oolong tea? It is like a mix between black and green teas. The leaves are oxidized for half the time of black tea. What you get is a reddish brown brew with a full and developed flavor with less caffeine. According to Why Drink Oolong Tea, by Dr. Andrew Weil, there is some research on the positive effects of oolong tea on blood sugar and fat oxidation, but that more research is needed.


If you have never had oolong tea, give it a try. Start your new year with a new experience! By the way, January is National Hot Tea Month. So, what better way to begin the adventure?

Tea and Exercise Connection

Every time the new year rolls around, gyms and fitness centers see a surge in new memberships. I don't find fault with this at all; I'm glad to know people are looking to make changes for the better. Sadly, most of the new memberships go from sizzle to fizzle in a very short time.

I have a suggestion.

Drink tea.

I'm serious.

A study in the American Journal of Physiology demonstrated that over a 10 week period, mice that were fed green tea extract paddled as much as 24% longer in a swim-to-exhaustion trial. They also burned more fat than their no tea companions.

Another study on postmenopausal women showed that pairing tea with exercise may have beneficial effects on bone density. The women drank 4-6 cups of green tea a day and did tai chi three times a week. After six months, improvements were seen in not just bone health, but muscle strength, and emotional and mental health. There was also a positive effect on oxidative stress (a precursor to inflammation). This pairs nicely with a similar study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, where participants consumed one cup of tea a week (black, green, or oolong) for ten years. The participants had higher bone density in all areas of the body.

To assist in the fat burning that usually accompanies exercise, a study done by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that people drinking five cups of oolong tea each day burned an average of 87 additional calories. Not just while they were drinking their tea, but throughout the day.

Researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences determined that mice on a high-fat diet that consumed decaffeinated green tea extract and exercised regularly experienced sharp reductions in final body weight and significant improvements in health. After 16 weeks, high-fat-fed mice that exercised regularly and ingested green tea extract showed an average body mass reduction of 27.1 percent and an average abdominal fat mass reduction of 36.6 percent. And it gets better. The mice on the green-tea-extract-and-exercise regimen also experienced a 17 percent reduction in fasting blood glucose level, a 65 percent decrease in plasma insulin level and reduction in insulin resistance of 65 percent. This is significant because the mice that ingested green tea extract but did not exercise or those that exercised but were not given green tea extract experienced less significant changes in weight and health measurements.

Now, first and foremost, I am NOT suggesting anyone take green tea extract. What I am suggesting is drink tea.

Also, in all seriousness, I am not suggesting tea is the be all to end all in regards to your health, and by all means, please exercise. EVERY SINGLE HEALTH ISSUE I have ever read about, especially those that are lifestyle related, always have the same suggestion: exercise. Your body wants to move. If you have concerns, schedule a visit with your doctor before you start.

So, this new year, no matter what your resolutions are, or how good your record is for keeping them, do your body a favor and exercise. You don't need a gym or a fitness center. All you need is a good pair of shoes. Go for daily walks around your neighborhood or at a local park. It really is that simple.

And don't forget to treat yourself to a nice cuppa. The exercise does wonder for the body, but tea does wonders for the soul.

Fall Means Time To Drink More Tea!

Thank goodness fall has arrived! This summer may have been better than last year, but it was still pretty hot here. We have a few more days of heat yet to come, but knowing that cooler temps are just around the corner makes everything better!

We celebrated the fall equinox with some light fare - salad greens over pumpkin pie spiced cornbread croutons, fruit soup and a cranberry/raspberry sorbet. If you are interested, you can find those recipes here. But more than good food, fall means more hot tea drinking! Summers require iced tea. Fall, winter and spring all cry out for curling up with a cup of hot tea and a good book. In fact, hubby and I were out shopping today and I bought two brand new teas that I can't wait to brew! A chocolate ginger and a hazelnut chai.

Today, however, I began my fall equinox morning with a cup of spiced apple chai in a farm themed mug. Seemed appropriate!

There are so many types of tea out there, and often I get asked to explain the differences. I'll try to explain some of it.

Black tea - mature and fully fermented. Has the highest caffeine content
Oolong tea - fermented half as long as black. Rests in between black and green, caffeine wise.
Green tea - dried, but not fermented. Half the caffeine of black.
White tea - dried but not heated or fermented. Light and delicate and low in caffeine.

Herbal - not really a tea. It's true!

Black, oolong, green and white tea all come from the same plant - Camellia sinensis. When it is picked and how it is treated determines if it is black, oolong, etc. Tea contains catechins, a type of antioxidant.Catechins are highest in concentration in white and green teas, while black tea has substantially fewer due to its oxidative preparation. However, research by the U.S. Department of Agriculture has suggested the levels of antioxidants in green and black tea do not differ greatly.

Herbal teas come from flowers and fruits, but not the Camellia tea plant. They typically do not contain any caffeine.

So what the heck is chai tea? Usually a black, but now can be found in green, white and red teas, that is spiced. The most common spices are cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and pepper. You may have heard of a chai latte? That's chai tea with milk. I don't care for it myself, but a lot of people do.

And now I've thrown in red tea. What is red tea? It comes from another plant entirely, and contains no caffeine. It is also known as rooibos and redbush tea.

Brewing time can make a difference in how much caffeine you get, as well. A two minute difference can double the amount of caffeine. Brew whites for a shorter period than greens, brew greens for a shorter time than oolong, brew oolongs for a shorter time than blacks - otherwise the tea can develop what I call a *bite* and for some people, that is unpleasant. If you've encountered someone who didn't like the taste of tea, this could be the reason. Herbal teas can brew as long as you like.

Now, go find a new tea to try!