juneshjayachandran-blog - Tumblr blog

[juneshjayachandran-blog]

Theyyam - A ritual art form of Kannur, Kerala - PART 1 Merge in with the Divine - Watch Dancing God - Theyyam. Theyyam is a popular ritual form of worship in Kerala, India. Several thousand-year-old traditions, rituals and customs

[juneshjayachandran-blog]

Three cheers and three teas to good health this New Year

New Year greetings and best wishes to you. I hope you have made your resolutions. Mine are mostly about good health routines and habits and if yours are along those lines there is something I would want to suggest. Here goes.

For me good health is about maintaining your fitness levels at the optimum level so that the body can respond to your needs while you take care of its requirements.  I have begun to get hooked on to the idea of health additives, especially different traditional herbal teas. Many of these teas present a tastier and healthier alternative to common beverages. With use I have begun to find truth in the claims about their health-promoting properties. However it all began with a cup of hibiscus tea that my friend served as pick-me-up after my bout of flu.

Get High on Hibistea

Hibistea, a tart flavored, pink-red color beverage made from the colorful hibiscus flowers can be enjoyed hot or iced. A combination of Tulsi leaf (Indian Basil), Cinnamon and Tea leaf adds to the goodness of hibiscus and the overall benefits of the beverage. Hibiscus has antiviral properties that studies have shown to be highly effective against strains of the bird flu. Some studies have found hibiscus tea to have a positive effect on blood lipid levels and on high blood pressure. Another study found that it significantly decreases oxidative stress when consumed for six weeks.

Cinnamon contains polyphenol antioxidants that have anti-inflammatory effects, and removes some key risk factors for heart disease, including cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure. Cinnamon present in hibiscus tea has been shown to be effective in the context of insulin, fasting blood sugar levels and possessing anti-diabetic effects. It is also useful against cancer, and has antifungal and antibacterial properties besides helping fight HIV-1. Tea-leaf rounds off all these benefits as a weight loss agent and bone protector.

Of course, it helps if you check with your doctor before you start on this hibiscus tea regimen and once you do, you are on to a good thing for life.

For more details visit http://bit.ly/hibscustea

Mull over this - Multea

This is a newer entrant in my kitchen and am just about getting used to the bitter and neutral sweet taste of the brew but what I like about Multea (mulberry tea) is the smoothness and the health benefits that only get enhanced when we use it in combination with guava and black tea leaves. Mulberry tea is a good source of vitamin K, vitamin B2, vitamin E, copper and magnesium, for starters.

In terms of specific benefits, mulberry tea contains antioxidants that can inhibit bacterial growth, prevent cancer and cellular damage while also being known to lower blood glucose and cholesterol levels and inhibit inflammation. The drink is useful to those who are trying to lose weight and in preventing atherosclerosis. Its role in vision care, diarrhea treatment, healing cold and cough, reducing acne and improving skin texture are more toppings on the goodness cake that the tea is.

Guava tea leaves bring some striking benefits to mulberry tea such as lowering blood sugar levels, eliminating the flu virus, lowering cholesterol levels, easing diarrhea, managing symptoms of dengue fever and calming menstrual symptoms. This more than compensates for the taste aspect of this tea for me.

For more details visit https://www.ivorynaturals.com/mulberry-tea

More on Moringa tea

Another healthy tea that I have tried out to good effect is moringa tea, rather a combination of moringa (moringa olifera, drumstick or horseradish) leaf, mint leaf, liquorice and tea leaf. It has a mild flavor and a slightly earthy taste that I found easy to get used to.

Moringa, an acknowledged superfood, in itself contains Vitamin A, potassium, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, magnesium, beta carotene, three times as much iron as spinach and is a good source of calcium. It has antimicrobial and antifungal properties while its antioxidants can moderate inflammation. Moringa tea has a stabilizing effects on blood pressure and is known to lower cholesterol.

This tea lowers blood sugar, contains an anti-cancer compound, and regulates thyroid hormones while being beneficial for skin, hair and in treatment of nausea, indigestion and diarrhea. That is quite a list of benefits and we haven’t even talked about moringa tea’s role in boosting excretory functions, weight loss, nourishment and as an energy booster.

The presence of mint leaves and licorice in moringa tea, make it a ‘super tea’ for the benefits that they bring along. Mint leaves contain the highest amount of antioxidants than any other herb and is useful in treating asthma and respiratory, aiding the process of digestion and weight loss. Mint’s role in oral hygiene is well known, but its efficacy in allergy prevention, liver strength enhancement, as a brain stimulant and depression treatment is much less known and adds to the appeal of moringa tea. Mint’s role in aiding breastfeeding, preventing cancer and maintaining healthy skin is not too well known either.

Licorice is the surprise element for me in Moringa tea, acting as it does as a soothing agent and expectorant. This soothing effect helps in reducing upper-respiratory symptoms, such as sore throat and coughing. Licorice additionally works as a weight loss aid takes care of ulcer symptoms, canker sores and digestive problems, such as acid reflux and indigestion.

For more details visit https://www.ivorynaturals.com/moringa-tea

By introducing these three teas, I hope my good deed for the day is done. Go ahead and try them out. If you can get used to the different tastes, these teas will give you the warm glow of goodness in these days of chill weather. I would additionally suggest avoiding adding sugar or milk but instead adding a bit of honey or lime to cheer up on taste. Of course, please do check with your doctor before you start on this tea regimen. And do let me know how your experiences with these teas go or if you have any thoughts you may want to share on these lines.