Month: July 2019

So many of us enjoy drinking tea. Who wouldn’t? It’s refreshing, sweet, and doesn’t drain everything out of our bodies. It’s hydrating and honestly has been said to be very good for us. If you’re like me, you want to know how, but you’re too lazy to research it… It’s okay, I finally made the trip myself, and I’m here to show what I found!

Delicious tea is all around us, but my main focus is green tea. Mainly because when I was wanting to lose weight and shed a few pounds, I remember briefly coming across comments telling me that green tea aids in weight loss. As much as that’s still interesting to me now, I have become even more intrigued by what else this tea can truly do.

Through Healthline.com, their website stated that,

Green tea is the healthiest beverage on the planet.

Ok, so that caught my attention. But why? The tea leaves contain abundant amounts of important nutrients that aid in protecting our bodies cells, molecules, and reducing free radicals in our system. Found within green tea is the compound Epigallocatechin Gallate, which is shown to battle numerous diseases, such as cancer, and maybe the number one reason why green tea is so potent in its healing and rich properties.

Many people may avoid tea because it doesn’t contain the caffeine that coffee gives, but green tea still is considered a stimulant. But what it does have that coffee does not, is the ability to improve the functions of our brains and memory processes. Green tea contains a powerful amino acid called L-theanine. This amino will

“increase the activity of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA, which has anti-anxiety effects. It also increases dopamine and the production of alpha waves in the brain”.

This helps give humans a more natural “buzz” that in the long run will help them be more effective throughout the day and more energized. But, although it is incredibly healthy for you, people who decide to drink it all day long have to also be aware that exercise, diet, and healthy activities will help increase the benefits of green tea, it cannot act alone to heal and improve your body and health. Webmd.com has a Boston nutritionist explain that

“Green tea’s biggest benefit? “It’s all about the catechin content,” says Beth Reardon, RD, a Boston nutritionist. Catechins are antioxidants that fight and may even prevent cell damage. Green tea is not processed much before it’s poured in your cup, so it’s rich in catechins”.

Lowering cholesterol and improving blood flow, green tea became a huge notice for reasearchers and scientists everywhere. In an article written by scholars Sabu M Chacko, Priya T Thambi, Ramadasan Kuttan, and Ikuo Nishigaki,

“The health benefits of green tea for a wide variety of ailments, including different types of cancer, heart disease, and liver disease, were reported”.

So could I be drinking green tea for a long time and see results? My answer would be yes! In their article, Chacko, Thambi, Kuttan, and Nishigaki wrote that

“Long-term consumption of tea catechins could be beneficial against high-fat diet-induced obesity and type II diabetes and could reduce the risk of coronary disease”.

So, as I finish my green tea while typing inside this adorable starnbucks, I think Im going to be leaving here with a great sense of knowledge that I am indeed making healthier options, and will cointue to do so within my life. I want to live a life that is full. I think I know how to do that. Im not going to let anything stoip be from being a healthier version of myself, so that I can be the happiest version of mysefl, every day.

Truth is, everybody loves sugar! 

My stomach started groaning as our car rounded the corner closer to our destination, four hours later. I felt as though my stomach was going to eat itself and I was so excited to eat a hearty meal. My dear friend was letting us tag along as she went home for the weekend. We were excited to meet her parents, but even more excited to eat. Sitting up at the counter of their island I waited patiently as her mother walked over to their large fridge. To my disappointment and complete surprise, the fridge was filled head to toe… with veggies. Mouth dropping open I immediately became uncomfortable. There were no frozen piszas, no hamburger patties, no noodles, no… meat!

My friend started laughing as she noticed my expression. She told me how her parents were extremely healthy and non-meat eaters. Pulling out a large contraption she asked me to say hello to their “juicer”. Still in shock I looked at the giant machine in wonder, completely unsure of what it was. A few minutes later I watched as veggie after veggie, fruit after fruit, was placed inside this machine, blended, and pouring its juice into glasses for each of us. For my drink, my friend took a large ripe pomegranate, lemon, some sort of grass, carrot, and apple. She claimed this concoction would help my body.

Now, I can’t say I had the most amazing experience. Because my body wasn’t used to this clean of a lifestyle, I was sick, tired, and starving. It wasn’t until the next day that I felt as if I had done a serious detox… I suppose in a few ways I did! But this was no joke. The juice… I wanted another! I asked for more pomegranate as it had been deliciously sweet! I then wanted to know exactly what I was getting myself into and decided to research it!

So what are the benefits? 

According to Healthline.com,

“Pomegranates are among the healthiest fruits on Earth”.

These fruits are of course naturally sweet, but not only taste good, they contain high quantities of fiber, bioactive compounds of numerous plants, and different minerals that are all good for your body. Because it is potent in anti-inflammatory properties, such as punicic acid, pomegranates help to lower blood pressure and are also said to aid in heart diseases, obesity, diabetes, and cancer. All of this was great news to me as I felt as if my body was dying from my unhealthy diet finally having an abundance of veggies and fruits hit its system.

Various places offer supplements specifically because pomegranate is ridiculously good for you, and very few people know that or eat it! Enzymedica and pure encapsulations are two great supplements for pomegranate juice! They also taste amazing since pomegranates are so naturally sweet. Webmd.com also talks about how the tree and fruit of pomegranate have been used for various medicines since it is so beneficial to the human body.

Many researchers became interested in how this fruit works because of the immense healing properties it contains. Researchers Ephraim P.Lansky and Robert A.Newman decided to create a scholarly article on its results. Titled Journal of Ethnopharmacology, these scholars helped prove how effective the pomegranate is, stating,

“The pomegranate tree, Punica granatum, especially its fruit, possesses a vast ethnomedical history and represents a phytochemical reservoir of heuristic medicinal value”.

Personally, this was enough to buy me over. I now love having some juices here and there during my week or the month, to help detox my body, and keep my immune system healthy and fighting.

I know that a Healthy Me, Is A Happy Me.