A CUP OF GOLD TEA

Rea's Secret Routine
"S & M" 

Let me know if you take teas on the go?  What's your daily routine?

                                                                                           Enjoy a cup tea!

                                                     

START YOUR DAY OR WEEK WITH A CUP OF...

 

"Saffron Tea"

 

 

 

  

Saffron Mint Tea



 



 

      What a way to kick off the beginning of the week with a nice cup of Saffron Tea.  Right?  We all know what this little thread can do to the body.  (see posting on Saffron)   Shall I refresh your memory?

 

• Mental clarity
• Fends off depression
• Blood circulation
• Fends off fatigue
• Boost Memory loss
• Body purifier
• Cancer prevention
• Enhances the immune system to fight diseases
• Helps eyesight
• Intestinal antiseptic

 

     Simple to make ...

   

 

Add a few threads of Saffron in boiling water



 

 

Did you know...

     Saffron or Turmeric was used to dye the Buddhist monks robes - it gave the robe cloth a yellow-orange color.  Besides the spices, barks, leaves, and flowers were used as well.  "Saffron Robe"

 

  

                                                                                      Ready for your cup?

 

 

 

                                                                                                                        Namaste

 



SHINGLES

"Herpes Zoster"

     Have you heard of it?  Had it?  Saw an outbreak of someone going through it?  Yesterday, I got a request from someone if I knew any natural remedies to help treat the painful virus infection.  Everyone knows I'm a natural remedy person at heart where I don't like taking drugs.  I always try my best to look at alternative routes to help heal the body naturally.  As a reminder if seeking natural remedies and taking supplements as always let your doctor know what you are doing and keep a journal of how the remedies are working for you.  Please be aware not all doctors like alternative methods.  Natural remedies can work quick or it can take time to work.  Do not be discourage.

What is Shingles?

Shingles is a viral infection that causes rashes, blisters, and pain on one side of the body.  It is an acute central nervous system infection caused by Herpes Zoster Virus - like the chicken pox. 

Who is affected?

Shingles normally attacks ages 50+ but it can attack younger people with a weakened immune system caused by stress, diseases, who had the chicken pox, or certain drugs.  Symptoms can last for months or even years.  Pain ranges from moderate to severe.  You can experience stabbing, shooting, burning, and throbbing of pain.  As you get older an increase risk for long term nerve pain may increase. 

Building up the immune system is the key to prevention.

How do we begin in treating it the natural way?

• Cayenne Pepper:  Can help relieve itchiness, pain, and discomfort.  Creating it as an ointment - mix a little pepper in a no chemical fragrance free lotion.   Apply 4-6 hrs.
• Oatmeal:  It soothes burning and itching irritations.  Creating a paste and apply it to the blisters or red spot areas.  Mix uncooked (raw) oatmeal with water to make a paste (do not use a lot of water when mixing it).  You can soak in a oatmeal bath - adding oatmeal to your bath water.  Helps you to relax and alleviate the irritation.
• Apple Cider Vinegar:  With a 100% cotton ball dab it in the vinegar and apply it to the affected area.  Relieves the irritation and itching.
• Vitamin B complex supplements:  Relieves stress and maintains a healthy immune and nervous system.
• Acidophilus Probiotics:  Take daily.  Look for a non-dairy.  Keep it in the fridge to preserve freshness.
• Vitamin C:  1000mg Take daily.  Builds up the immune system.
• Vitamin E:  Apply the oil on the affected areas.  Heals the skin and scars.  Make sure it is 100%   vitamin E - no added ingredients.
• Mediation & Yoga:  Reduces stress, helps circulation, and breathing.
• Acupuncture:  Insertion of needles to various key points of the body to bring circulation throughout the body and strengthen the organs to balance the yin and yang.  When seeking for an Acupuncturist - make sure the person is Certified Licensed, does not reuse the same needles, and make sure he or she wipes the body down with alcohol before starting inserting the needles.  Look for an Acupuncturist who is well experienced in the area.
• Daily Teas:  Drinking several cups of tea daily can help soothe, heal, and prevent shingles.

1. Licorice
2. Echinacea
3. Ginseng
4. Nettle
5. Red clover
6. St. John's Wort
7. Lemon Balm
8. Green Tea 
9. Turmeric (see posting on Pain Killer Tea)
10. Clove
11. Cinnamon

•  Aloe Vera:  "Miracle Plant", "Silent Healer", "Plant Immortality" Applying the gel of the aloe vera to the affected areas will heal the shingles.  Can be mix with herbs to create an ointment or a tea wash.

Making a Tea Wash

Lemon Balm, Oregano, Peppermint, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Calendula, Echinacea, Hyssop, or Golden Seal - Boil in distilled water.  Once cool down make a mixture of the herbal tea and mix in vitamin E oil and fresh Aloe Vera gel.  Apply with a cotton ball to the affected areas at least 3x a day.

• Amino Acid Lysine:  Eat foods that contain lysine, such as, watercress, legumes, carob, spinach, fish (wild), shrimp (wild), parmesan, gouda, or gruyere cheese, eggs, soybeans (NO GMOs), seaweed (spirulina, kelp etc.), tomatoes, carrots, orange juice, apples, mangos, bananas, apricots, pears, pumpkin, peas, beets, cauliflower, celery, cashew nuts, Brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans, figs, and sprouts.
• Flax Seed Oil:  Essential fatty acid supports a healthy nervous system and skin. Take 1 tablespoon a day
• Selenium:  100mg a day.
• Vitamin D3:  Take 1000iu or 2000iu daily.
• Tea Tree oil and Lavender Oil:  Mix equal parts of oils and apply on the affected areas.  Lavender helps the skin heal and relaxes the body (nerves).  Tea tree is antiviral -  kills bacteria, soothes the skin, and reduces inflammation. * other oils can be combined as well - Eucalyptus, Chamomile, Geranium, and Bergamot.
• Zinc:  25mg Take daily.  Builds immune system.
• Vitamin B12:  Studies have shown by getting an injection of B12 works quicker than supplement pill form.  It helps with pain relief and drying out the rash.  If you can't get to a doctor for a shot than try taking liquid form but make sure there isn't no preservatives, soy, additives, corn, or artificial colorings in it.
• Ice pack or cool cloth:  Will have numb the pain.
• Turmeric and fresh mint:  Mix turmeric powder with mint juice (juice up some mint leaves) or use aloe vera gel and apply to the affected areas.  
• Water:  Drink lots of purified water to flush out the toxins. 
• Dandelion root and Burdock root:  Helps detox the liver.

• Celery juice or Celery tea:  Can alleviate the pain and help tone up the nervous system.
• Lemon:  Can be rubbed on the affected area to relieve pain.
• Allspice paste:  Grind cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg with a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder.  Add purified water.  Apply to the affected areas. (You can buy the spices ground)

 Hopefully these natural remedies can help those who are suffering with Shingles.


                                                                                                             Namaste

     



 

DAYS LIKE THIS...

 

Love it or Hate it

     When we get snow or rainy days on the East coast I like to stay in doors and just relax with a nice cup of tea, movie, and good food.

My choice of a hot cup of tea...

 

A touch of Cinnamomum Cassia bark gives it a spice kick



Hibiscus (Hibiscus Sabdariffa)
A beautiful flower (Mallow family) that has many health benefits.  (Thank you Mother Nature)
The flower is also known as agua de flor de Jamaica, rosa de Jamaica.  Hibiscus tea is referred as "sour tea" in Iran.  Originally from Angola and now cultivated throughout Sudan, Egypt, Thailand, Mexico, India, and China.

Hibiscus is very high in antioxidants and vitamin C - especially dried flowers.  It contains glycosides hibiscin, gossypetin, quercetin, and the active flavonoids delphinidin and cyanidin.  The natural compound gives it the deep red color.  The flavonoids in the hibiscus flower helps dilate blood vessels for the heart.  Hibiscus has a good side effect for the heart in maintaining blood pressure and cholesterol.  Plus helps to maintain normal body temperature.

Hibiscus is not only excellent for heart health maintenance but for quite a few other areas in the body that can be beneficial for optimal health.

 

More Beneficial Health Performance



• Immune System.  The vitamin C in the flower helps develop and keep the white blood cells active ( a bonus to fight off infections and reduce inflammation).
• Digestion and Bowl function.  Can relieve constipation, gas, and bloating.
• Water Retention.  Encourage fluid balance in the body.
• Weight Loss.  Helps break down starches and sugar.
• Upper Respiratory.
• Positive impact on the liver. 
• Toxic to cancer cells.
• Reduces estrogen levels.  *Those on birth control, hormone replacement therapy, pregnant, or breastfeeding should avoid the tea.

*Hibiscus flower is one powerful plant in which precautions need to be mention.

1. Individuals who has low blood pressure must avoid drinking Hibiscus tea.
2. Pregnant women and breastfeeding women should avoid because hibiscus can stimulate the uterus.
3. People who are on pharmaceutical drugs - acetaminophen (a common over the counter pain reliever) and anti-inflammatory drugs should be careful with regard in consumption of Hibiscus tea.  Why? The natural compound hibiscus flower is made of can counteract in the process of the drugs.  That is why you really need to sit down with your doctor on finding ways on how to start decreasing the amount of medical drugs you are taking and look into more of the natural remedies that Mother Nature has to offer.  These pharmaceutical drugs can do more harm to the body than helping with a solution to the problem.  The body needs to heal and strengthen not put a band aid on the problem and cause havoc to other organs. 

What to do?

 

Blood Pressure Maintenance



One 8oz cup of Hibiscus tea 2x a day

Restlessness
      
           Add Lemon Balm and Chamomile to Hibiscus tea

Cholesterol

           One 8oz cup of Hibiscus tea 2x a day


*Note:  The Cinnmomum Cassia should not be preferred as the "True" cinnamon.  Ceylon Cinnamon is the "True" cinnamon.  Difference is the Cassia bark is thick, darker, and hard (in picture).  Ceylon cinnamon is light in color, brittle, and thinner.   The Cassia cinnamon is the well known and mostly in all supermarkets than the Ceylon Cinnamon. (You will most likely have to venture out of your neighborhood markets to look for this cinnamon.  It's worth it and better (less toxic on the liver).  I like to use the Ceylon cinnamon for a medical effect tea than the Cassia.  The Cassia I like to use in cooking and adding spiciness to my teas or hot chocolate.

 

My food choice...

 

Turkey & Cheddar cheese sandwich with mustard and tomatoes
(No nitrates and preservatives)



 



      A snowy day like this cannot get me down especially not with the comfort of a nice tea and a good sandwich.

     So, what do you do on a day like this? Or a rainy day?


ALTERNATIVE TO COFFEE

 

 

"Teeccino"

(Herbal Coffee)

 

 

     I stumbled upon Teeccino while flipping through a magazine called "Natural Health."  I recalled an advertisement was in it.  It caught my eye and curiosity got the best of me.  So, I had to do research on it to find out what is "Herbal Coffee" and who has it on their shelves (seen in some NYC Stop and Shop stores and Westerly Health food store NYC).  I am not a coffee lover a "tea lover" at heart.

 

     Teeccino Herbal Coffee is caffeine free (yup no caffeine) with a nice roasted blend of herbs, fruits, grains, and nuts that are ground to brew to taste like coffee.  Coffee beans are not in this product.  You see why I had to check this product out.  It looks just like it but the taste is really good.  You can add any type of milk (dairy or non-dairy), creamers (dairy or non-dairy), and sweeteners (raw agave nectar, raw sugar, coconut nectar, and honey).  I rarely add any sweeteners to my teas.

 

     Teeccino comes in a variety type of flavors:  dark-medium-light roasted, Mediterranean and Maya flavors.  So far, I tried the Mediterranean flavor lines - Hazelnut and Vanilla Nut.  I love the Hazelnut.

 

     The three nutritious ingredients in the products are certified organic:

1. Carob
2. Barley (roasted)
3. Chicory root (roasted)

     The other ingredients added to make it great:  

• Dates
• Figs
• Almonds
• Hazelnut
• Ramon seeds (seed from the Ramon fruit - known as Mayan breadnut)
• Dandelion root (a new line "Teecino Dandelion Herbal Coffee" made without barley- for the gluten-sensitive people)

     The great benefits in drinking it are:

• Provides the alkaline mineral potassium - neutralize acidity and restore alkaline balance.
• Inulin - a soluble fiber from chicory root and dandelion root
• Helps stimulate the liver and bile.
• Natural pure energy boost.
• Non acidic. (good for acid reflux people)
• Helps digestion.

*Allergy alert - product has nuts so those who are allergic unfortunately need to stay away.

     I had to put Teeccino to a taste test with coffee drinkers.  I bought the ground bag and brewed it in a coffeemaker.  I gave my aunt and dad each a cup and had them put whatever ingredients they normally add to their coffee.  I didn't tell them it wasn't coffee.  I waited for them to drink it.

     The verdict:
                  "This is good."  I told them it's not coffee it's "herbal coffee".
                                                                                         What? Not coffee? But it taste just like it." 

      Family loves it.  I love how they packaged it in individual tea bags too.  Recently, I gave a tea bag to a co-worker who was trying to kick the coffee habit.  She liked it.

I hope more stores carry it.  I would love to try the Dandelion root line- unfortunately the health food store I always shop at never seem to have that brand on the shelves.  I tried requesting them to add it in their next shipment but no avail.

Those who would like to check for stores in your neighborhood to find who carries it or would like your favorite store to add it to their shelves  - click here http://teeccino.com/storelocator.html

                                                            (By the way I am not a spokesperson for this product just someone who likes to try new healthy stuff)

Are you ready for your first cup?


                                                         Indulge and enjoy!