Green Tea - A Treat (ment)

Did you know that tea is one of the top selling consumable drinks, only topped by water?  Drinking green tea provides all kinds of health benefits.

Green Tea has long been valued in China for its contribution to good health. Popularity of Green tea in the United States continues to grow, showing that green tea is a natural source of antioxidants. These antioxidants help protect the body from accelerated aging and increased risk of diseases. Decades of research show that green tea inhibits the development of undesirable cell colonies, thus making it the healthiest tea available.

Green tea has higher contribution to health than other teas, because of the way it is dried. Green Tea is organically grown and the traditional drying technique used with Green Tea prevents the tea from the negative effects of fermentation. Green tea products come in potency levels. Some supplements contain low potencies of the active polyphenols, while others go as far as using un-standardized green tea leaf powder.

It has been proven that green tea is bursting with health benefits. It acts as a powerful antioxidant, which has been known to help prevent cancer, recover from the harmful cholesterol, and protect against damage caused by free radicals.

Medical Benefits: 

Green tea has many medical benefits, and is known for prevention of the following diseases:

• Cancer,
• Rheumatoid Arthritis,
• High Cholesterol,
• Cardiovascular Disease,
• Infection, and
• Impaired Immune Function.

Other Benefits:

• Promotes weight loss- the leaves of green tea plants help raise metabolism in the body. By increasing the amount of calories burned in a 24-hour period, green tea promotes weight loss. 
• Prevent bad breath- an element found in green tea decreases the growth of odor-causing bacteria. It is said that drinking a cup or two of green tea may help maintain fresh breath.
• Reduce smoking risks- cigarette smokers who drink up to six cups of green tea daily reduces their susceptibility to risks caused by the toxins emitted in cigarette smoke. 
• Beauty remedy- green tea may be used to freshen up the face and sooth tired or strained eyes. It can be applied to spots and blemishes to lessen their visibility. 
• Antiseptic properties- Green tea is also known to treat minor cuts and rashes, and is an effective treatment for sunburn.
• Green teas inhibit the expression of antigens made by the body, substances that can trigger an immune response.
• National Cancer Institute reports that Green Tea has Cancer preventing abilities and Cancer fighting components add new life to the market.

People who have relied on expensive anti-oxidant products are finding that Green Tea is very economical and all natural. Tea is one of the top selling consumable drinks, only topped by water.

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Ginseng Tea - Cheers!

Ginseng tea is great for short periods; this tea can alleviate many symptoms of common aliments and lessen fatigue.  Ginseng is the main ingredient to many of the medicinal teas.  However, prolonged use can lead to insomnia and heart trouble, so be sure to consult your physician before drinking ginseng tea regularly as an alternative to coffee for that afternoon pick me up.

In China, ginseng is held in high regard.  It is believed that ginseng has rejuvenating powers and provides stimulation to the whole body.  Ginseng also offers protection against fatigue.  Ginseng is known to be a stimulant for the central nervous system.  This root can also help with inflammation, fever, and hormonal imbalances to name a few.

The tea is usually made from the Wisconsin ginseng root.  Slices can be steeped to create a tea that is a strong as the consumer would like, or purchased as a powder and brewed using tea balls.  Both of these methods let the drinker control the amount of tea used.  There are ginseng tea bags available from specialty stores, but it is not recommended to buy the tea without reading all the ingredients as some packaged teas are sold as ginseng but in fact have very little of this herb in them, instead using mostly fillers

Consult an herbal practitioner or naturopath as to the right type of ginseng and how to brew your tea.  The tea can be sweetened with a little honey or stored cold in the refrigerator, as this tea is quite good served iced.

Take note, if you are pregnant use ginseng sparingly or not at all.

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Safe Drinking Water Saves Live

Water is one of the most fundamental elements of life. Yet an estimated 2 million children die each year from diseases caused by unsafe drinking water. But this grim picture is changing, thanks to the Children's Safe Drinking Water program and water purification technology by PUR. The program is taking a fresh approach to the global problem of contaminated drinking water and is helping prevent water-related diseases and death in children. The Children's Safe Drinking Water program, initiated by Procter & Gamble (P&G), includes emergency relief work related to natural disasters, education of local communities about the importance of clean drinking water, and the establishment of not-for-profit markets to distribute PUR water-cleaning technology to those in need.

Transforming Contaminated Water Into Clean Water

"This simple, cost-efficient sachet is as small as a tea bag but it makes a big difference," says Dr. Greg Allgood, the director of the Children's Safe Drinking Water program. "The contents of the PUR sachet are emptied into 10 liters of contaminated water, and following simple directions, contaminated water is clear and clean within 30 minutes."

Studies show that PUR sachets reduce diarrhea, a common illness and cause of death in children, up to 50 percent. To date, the Children's Safe Drinking Water program has distributed enough PUR sachets to provide 500 million liters of clean, purified drinking water to children around the world.

How You Can Help 

Procter & Gamble and PUR support the Children's Safe Drinking Water program. When you purchase a PUR pitcher or faucet-mount water filtration system at your local retailer, a percentage of that purchase will go towards the Children's Safe Drinking Water program efforts in Kenya. 

These donations go a long way to help children and expand the program. By choosing a PUR Water Filtration System or replacement filter to provide clean, great-tasting water for your family, you are also playing a vital role in providing clean drinking water to families and children in developing countries such as Kenya.