Tea Party: Red Raspberry Leaf Tea

           

How To:

               Use one mounded teaspoon of dry loose leaf or one tea bag to 8 oz. of distilled water.  Pour freshly boiled water over the leaves/bag. Wait a few moments, however, before pouring the boiling water over the tea, allowing it to cool just slightly. These leaves are sensitive, and will release less bitter tannins if you have just below boiling water.

            Allow this tea to steep for 10-15 minutes, tightly covered for maximum absorption of minerals and nutrients. Most herbal teas benefit from a longer steeping time than your black, green, or white tea.

            Enjoy with or between meals 1-5 times a day.

Flavor:

          It is mild, earthy, and sweet, yet robust enough to be reminiscent of a black tea. You may add honey, agave, or whatever natural sweetener you enjoy. Remember, this is raspberry leaf tea, not raspberry tea, so don’t expect it to taste like fresh fruit!

Good For:

This is the tea God gifted to women and mothers. It is delicious, mild, and a powerful remedy for virtually all the trials of a feminine life. It may be safely used throughout your entire pregnancy without concern, increasing your intake even more as you near ‘the big day’! It may be used just as harmlessly following birth for babies and small children will enjoy the sweet flavor.

Also use Raspberry Leaf Tea to…

•          Relieve excessive menstrual bleeding or pain during the menstrual cycle
•         Regulates infrequent or irregular periods
•        Prevents spotting during pregnancy
•        Aids in avoiding miscarriage
•        Allays the tortures of morning sickness (truly, it does!)
•       Tones the uterus in preparation for childbirth, by promoting strength and elasticity of the uterus.
•      Diminishes the pain of the birth.
•       Helpful for eliminating Braxton Hicks
•        Helps nursing mothers provide nutrient dense milk for their newborns
•           A gentle treatment diarrhea in babies and mild diarrhea in adults
•          Eases nausea, stomach pains, colic, flu and vomiting in children (and grown ups too!
•          Natural antacid
•                   Eases fevers, colds, and coughs
•          Relieves flatulence, gastritis and digestive problems
•           Canker sores, ulcers, or bleeding gums
•          Hemorrhoids
•          Thrush and yeast infections (Candidiasis)
•          Diabetes
•          Healthful for any struggling with chronic diseases

High In:

            Calcium, manganese, iron, potassium, phosphorous, selenium, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1 (thiamine), Vitamin B3 (niacin), Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and Vitamin F (Linoleic Acid).

Product Highlight: PM Phytogen

             Menopause has become something of a joke in our current society. If a woman in her mid-forties does something irrational, it’s laughed off as ‘that stage of life’. If she bursts into tears, or starts wildly fanning herself, people smile at the misery as she jokes about her ‘condition’. But the truth is, women who are actually suffering from menopausal symptoms think it’s anything but funny—and their families heartily agree!

           

            Peri-menopause can result in hot flashes, night sweats, headaches, mood instability, insomnia, difficulty thinking, poor memory, weight gain, breast pain, and fatigue. This is due to either an overload or a deficit of estrogen, respectively. 

                       

            Over 700 hundred years ago in the Chang region of Thailand, an herb called pueraria mirifica was brought to the light. The populace of this region experience the lowest breast cancer rate of the world. They experience little to no peri-menopausal symptoms. Women in their 80’s chase their grandchildren, and men far past their prime enjoy active sex lives and long mountain treks. People have black hair well into their late years. The average life span is longer. Like much of Asia, they maintain a healthy weight and active lifestyle, and sickness is rarely seen. And they themselves attribute much of their health to this wonderful herb!

Pueraria mirifica, which we will call PM Phytogen, is one of the only substances in the world that has naturally occurring miroestrol. Professor Sayan Sawatsri MD discovered that miroestrol has about 3,000 times the estrogenic activity of soy isoflavones. Miroestrol occupies the estrogen receptors in your tissue. If the estrogen level is high, the miroestrol will compete with the receptors, weakening the effect of the hormones. If the estrogen level is low, miroestrol will exert its estrogenic effect to fill up the lack in the estrogen receptors. Thus, whether your estrogen is too high, or too low, this wondrous little herb will provide a balance for your body. It does not interfere with any hormone production-only what your body receives. By doing this, your body does not become dependent on a substitute hormone, and it is able to relieve the plague of peri-menopausal horrors.

We’ve seen dozens of women experience symptomatic relief from Solgars PM Phytogen. They’ve been able to sleep through the night, hot flashes have vanished, and this difficult entry into a new stage of life has been eased. The clinical trials performed in Asia have corroborated what we’ve already seen to be true.

In addition to aiding those experiencing menopause, however, PM Phytogen is helpful for any individual who has a hormonal imbalance. Women who want to come off the pill without a roller coaster hormone ride may use this to help their bodies remain balanced. Men may even use this at half dose to improve their energy, sexual activity, and general health. It may even be helpful for youth in the midst of entering a difficult puberty. If you are having troubles with your hormones, come on in and we’ll work out whether or not PM Phtyogen could help you regain balance in your life!

Product Highlight: Brain Factors

            This is a gold mine of brain empowering nutrients! In fact, as I began researching the cerebral effect of each of the ingredients within this treasure from Natures Purest, I became convinced that I need this. I NEED this. You probably do too. If you’re dubious, take a look at these highlights of the ingredients in this product and be inspired.

·      Acetyl L-Carnitine: This is a highly bioavailable amino acid that swiftly and easily passes the blood brain barrier to work in your brain as a powerful antioxidant. It helps prevent brain deterioration and it also neuro-protective. Athletes use it to assist with nerve injuries.

·      DMAE (dimethylethanolamine): This assists in neurotransmission. It also increases fluidity of thinking, vigilance and alertness, and has a positive impact on mood. Studies have shown it may be effective in the treatment of ADHD.

·      Huperzine A (natural  sesquiterpene alkaloid): This is currently being researched as a medical treatment for Alzheimers and dementia. It increased nerve growth in studies in China. In a double blind placebo study, it was was touted for its efficacy on improving nerve health without side effects, unlike pharmaceutical counterparts.

·      Alpha-GPC: As a natural choline found in the brain, it will enhance memory and cognition. It’s proven effective on restoring brain health to Alzheimers and stroke victims.

·      Vinpocetine: This increases cerebral blood flow and cerebral metabolism. It is used in Europe as treatment for age related memory impairment and cerebrovascular disorders. It protects neurons and is anti-inflammatory.

·      Phosphatidylserine: Improves the endocrine response to stress, and blunts exercise induced stress. It also improves cognitive function and has been helpful for those with ADHD.

·      Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract: This improves your ability to focus as well as lengthening your attention span. It also enhances your ability to store information and has been used as possible Alzheimers/dementia treatment.

·      Gotu-Kola: This is an adaptogen which also happens to be antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and a circulatory stimulant. It’s used for hundreds of years in Asia as a cerebral stimulant.

        I can’t imagine there are many of us out there who don’t need at least a little help in memory and mental clarity.  So, whether you’re just working a demanding job, studying for school, or suffering through some age-related memory loss, ponder the benefits you may be missing out on. 

Tea Party: Ginger Tea

            Ginger has been, from its first cultivation to the present, the most widely cultivated herb. It was first noted in Greek chronicles as early as 200 BC. The Chinese record that they began its cultivation in 400 BC. Even Confucius wrote of gingers healing powers as a digestive aid and stated that he’d never take a meal without it. Ancient literature of the Middle East, Asia, and Europe extol its medicinal and economic virtues.

        During the Revolutionary War, ginger was included in the soldiery’s diet for its healing and energizing properties. Vitamin C was at one time derived from ginger to supply to seafarers a preventive measure against scurvy.

         Virtually every culture in the world has acknowledged ginger as a most excellent digestive aid, and almost as many praise it as a powerful aphrodisiac. Those gnarled bulbous rhizome’s have a history of influence that spans this millennia—and those roots look old enough to have been growing at the beginning of it!

How To:

            

Tea bag: Use one tea bag per 6oz of boiling water. Let this steep for about three minutes, and remove, squeezing the tea bag to extract every bit of zest.

Fresh ginger: Wash your ginger root and dry. Cut off any dry or bad places on the root, then chop into ¼ inch slices. Boil your water in a pot, and add your ginger. Allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes, then strain.

           

Flavor:

            

Ginger is tangy and spicy! Its bite is energizing, and its heat, soothing. If you find it a bit too intense, sweeten with honey and add a dash of lemon. It’s traditionally sipped hot, but also makes a delicious energizing iced tea for those few warmer months we enjoy in Wisconsin.

What For:

            Ginger has been used for centuries as a digestive aid in soothing nausea, gas, indigestion, heartburn, influenza, morning sickness, and even hangovers.  The Japanese praise its uses for joint and spinal pain. It’s used in America to sooth menstrual pain. It’s universal in its use for relief from motion sickness.

            Because of its use as a systemic tonic, hormone balancer, energy enhancer, and ability to improve circulation, it has a rather obvious value as an aphrodisiac. Consider this a delicious alternative to shake up the red wine and chocolate so associated with the boudoir.

            Other benefits include:

·      The active nutrient in ginger, gingerol, has been put through many clinicals, and emerges triumphant against cancerous cells and tumors, particularly those related to the ovaries and colon.

·      Relieves nausea induced by chemotherapy

·      Relieves vomiting

·      Induces sweating during a fever to help the system purify itself by expelling toxins.

·      Ginger and honey provide excellent relief for sore throats.

·      Helps relieve fatigue.

·      Useful for coughs, bronchitis, and upper respiratory tract infections

·      Helps prevent onset of migraines

·      Mild pain relief for post-surgical pain, arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.

Minerals:

Iron, calcium, magnesium, silicon, manganese, phosphorous, and chromium.

Vitamins:

            Vitamin A, Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine), Vitamin 9 (Folic Acid), Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin), PABA (para-amino benzoic acid), Vitamin C, Vitamin H (Biotin)