by Неизвестный
• Yogi Tea: The original spice tea on the market. Look for their various blends either Original (loose pack) or in tea bags with flavors such as Tahitian Vanilla and Hazelnut Creme.
• The Republic of Tea: Rainforest Tea, Cardamom Cinnamon, and Cinnamon Chai. Their Republic Chai is black-tea based.
• Celestial Seasonings: Bengal Spice
• Celestial Seasonings: Bengal Spice
• Tazo: Spice
• Sattwa Chai: Herbal Chai Spicy Peppermint Concentrate and Shanti Herbal
• Oregon Chai and Celestial Seasonings Mountain Chai are both black-tea based, but offer decaf versions
Sweet Herbs That Save You Calories
There are several herbs whose natural sweetness makes herb tea blends sweet without added calories.
• Licorice is one of the oldest herbs, used by the Chinese for thousands of years to harmonize and balance their herbal formulas. The sweet component of licorice is glycyrrhizin, which is fifty times sweeter than sugar, so a little goes a long way. If you have high blood pressure, however, you shouldn’t drink large quantities of licorice tea, as it can cause the retention of sodium.
• Stevia, also called sweet herb, is from Paraguay, where the Guarani Indians have used it for centuries to sweeten their food. Stevia’s sweet glycoside, called stevioside, is 300 times sweeter than sugar! With nearly zero calories, it actually appears to help balance blood sugar levels—great news for diabetics and those with hypoglycemia. Stevia is now available as a nutritional supplement, although inexplicably it is banned in the United States as a sweetener (to protect the artificial sweetener industry?). Presently, you’ll find stevia in teas where its sweetness helps bring out the flavor of other herbs.
• Sweet blackberry leaves come from a special variety of blackberry that grows in China. Its leaves are sweet only when picked at the right time of the year, but not as sweet as stevia or licorice. It has a little more astringency to its flavor. A recent introduction to the market, sweet blackberry hasn’t been studied as extensively as stevia or licorice.
FRUIT TEAS
In Europe, fruit teas are the most popular type of herbal tea blends. Fruit teas usually have hibiscus flowers, orange peel, rose hips, and sometimes lemon grass in their base. The teas can contribute significant vitamin C to your diet, and they are delicious iced. Because they usually have a strong citrus accent, they are refreshing and thirst quenching. There are so many flavors of fruit teas, with multiple brands marketed by the same company, that you’ll have to experiment
multiple brands marketed by the same company, that you’ll have to experiment to see which are your favorites. Here are some of mine: • The Republic of Tea: Alpine Flowers Tea, Lemon Wintergreen, Kid’s Cuppa, and Organic Flowering Fruit herb tea
• Tazo: Passion and Wild Sweet Orange
• Celestial Seasonings: Any of the Zinger blends in the fruit flavor of your choice
ROOIBOS TEA
This caffeine-free herb tea deserves a category of its own because it is unique in the herb-tea world. Rooibos (which means “red bush” and is pronounced “royboss”) grows only in the tip of South Africa and was first discovered by the indigenous Khoisan peoples, the Bushmen and the Hottentots. It is the only herb tea that is fermented like black tea, producing a deep red color and body similar to black tea but without black tea’s astringency. You can add milk to rooibos just like black tea. In fact, it is so similar to black tea that consumer taste panels in Britain were fooled into thinking it was black tea. (Personally, I like its flavor better.) Rooibos contains polyphenols just like green tea, giving it similar antioxidant properties. In vitro tests comparing rooibos to green tea, black tea, and oolong showed fermented rooibos to have slightly less antioxidant activity than green tea, but more than black or oolong tea.27 Rooibos also contains vitamin C, minerals, quercetin, luteolin, rutin, and numerous other flavonoids that contribute to its antispasmodic, hypoallergenic, and antioxidant properties.28
Studies in Japan indicated anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and even antiviral activity for rooibos tea.29 In South Africa, it is clinically used for people who suffer from nervous tension, allergies, and various stomach and digestive problems. Rooibos is gentle, soothing, and delicious
Sounds like green tea, doesn’t it? So why doesn’t everyone know about this herb? Well, rooibos simply hasn’t yet had its moment in the media spotlight like green tea has had over the last two years. Also, rooibos is limited in supply due to the prohibition on the export of seeds or plants by the South African growers.
But there are indications that its time is coming. Since the lifting of sanctions against South Africa, more and more tea manufacturers are using rooibos as a base in their herbal teas. Two major South African manufacturers are considering introducing their brands of rooibos tea to the American market. If
you’re a black-tea drinker who is not fond of the taste of green tea and wants to be off caffeine completely, I highly recommend looking for rooibos at your local herb shop or trying any of the following herbal tea blends that have rooibos in their base:
• The Republic of Tea: Rainforest Tea and Desert Sage
• Select Tea: Ruby Burst in three flavors
HERBAL TEAS
ON THE HORIZON
The movement in the herbal tea world is toward “nutraceutical” teas, teas that provide stronger medicinal properties by combining good-tasting herbal blends with herbal extracts and other nutritional supplements like vitamins, minerals, and natural hormones like melatonin. Watch for ginkgo-fortified teas, beverages, and foods. Ginkgo biloba has been in the media spotlight lately due to studies showing its effectiveness in helping Alzheimer’s patients. Ginkgo increases the flow of oxygen to the brain by dilating the blood vessels, which is just the opposite of caffeine’s vasoconstrictive effect. Ginkgo is valued for its ability to enhance memory and cognitive processes, so you’ll find it in herb teas whose names suggest optimal thinking. Other examples of nutraceutical herbal tea blends are those specially designed for the male or female, teas for colds or flu, teas for mood improvement featuring St. John’s wort extract, and teas for weight loss, which usually provide only diuretic effects.
Organically Grown Herbs
Herbs are grown or wildcrafted all over the world in many developing nations where labor is abundant and cheap. Harvesting herbs, especially flowers and berries like hibiscus and rose hips, is still done by hand, even though hibiscus is planted and rose hips are collected in the wild. Leaves, on the other hand, like the mints and lemon balm, can be harvested mechanically and because of this, the best qualities now grow in the United States. Due to the pioneering work of a visionary herb grower, Lon Johnson, an increasing supply of organically grown herbs is now available in the United States. Efforts are underway to help exporters in developing nations grow their herbs organically or certify their wildcrafted herbs growing in areas where no commercial activities spoil the environment. A few manufacturers have taken the risk of marketing herbal teas with .organically grown herbs whose steady supply can be variable.
herbal teas with .organically grown herbs whose steady supply can be variable.
Help support those tea brands and you contribute to increasing organic agriculture all over the world. (See Appendix B.)
Alternatives to Caffeinated Soft Drinks
The simple solution is to switch to caffeine-free sodas. Even the cola companies have finally seen the light and are offering caffeine-free versions of their normally caffeinated colas. Of course, at the same time they are sneaking in more heavily caffeinated sodas than ever before. I would like to propose a much healthier alternative. For all the reasons listed in Chapter 8, “The Hard Truth about Soft Drinks,” you should consider replacing those cans of soda with healthier versions that actually contain nutrients, not just empty calories and sugar added to filtered tap water and accompanied by a host of chemical additives.
If you look at the Nutrition Facts box on a can of soda, you’ll see that most
contain upward of thirty-five or forty-five grams of sugar. You’d be amazed at how much sugar that is if you were to see it on your plate. Although your taste buds may now be accustomed to that level of sweet ness, I guarantee you that you can gradually adjust them downward by choosing beverages that have lower and lower quantities of sugar. Your first step might be to choose a blended juice beverage. My favorites use sparkling mineral water as their base and have only juice concentrates added to them, no high-fructose corn syrups or artificial sweeteners. Juice is a natural source of antioxidants and vitamins, but it is high in sugars itself. When mixed with mineral water, blended juice beverages have under thirty grams of sugar. Still plenty sweet enough, but now you’re getting some nutrition along with a superior source of water from natural mineral springs. When you’re at home, you can make your own blend of mineral water with a splash of your favorite juice. Gradually, you’ll find that you can cut down on the juice and drink more and more mineral water.
There are a variety of herbal tea and juice beverages on the market now that also make healthful replacements for soft drinks. Some are carbonated and some are not. Some have additional vitamins and herbal extracts that place them in the growing category of nutraceutically enhanced foods and beverages. Several ginger beverages that give you a naturally stimulating effect have grown in popularity. Once you start to look around, you’ll find more and more tasteful beverages that provide you with a healthy alternative to sodas.
If you do this for a period of several weeks, your taste buds will no longer find that sugary sweet sodas taste that good. In fact, if you cut down on other sugars in your diet you’ll find you gradually lose the taste for anything that is
overly sweetened. And if you are drinking artificially sweetened sodas, remember this: Research suggests that people who use artificial sweeteners tend to gain weight compared to those who do not use these substances.30 Why take the risk of consuming artificial sweeteners with their possible side effects if they are working against your goal to maintain ideal weight?
Some recommendations:
• Crystal Geyser: Juice Squeeze in a variety of flavors • Tazo: Lemon Ginger and Wild Orange
• Reed’s: Ginger Brew
• R. W. Knudsen: Fruit Teazers and Spritzer Light
Water, the Source of Life
Water is the point of all this, isn’t it? Whether you’re drinking coffee, tea, or sodas, your goal is to rehydrate your body using natures perfect product. Our bodies are 70 percent water, which seems astonishing when you consider it.
Since water permeates every tissue in our bodies and is the medium that carries all our nutrients to our cells, shouldn’t we be rather careful about what kind of water we drink. Coffee, tea, and sodas are ways to make the rehydration process tastier. But we now know that caffeine contributes to dehydration through its diuretic effect. Thus, we are working against ourselves and against what our bodies need for optimal health. If we are supposed to drink eight to ten glasses of water a day, then let’s make sure that what we drink is helping to accomplish that goal. Herbal coffee, green and herbal teas, juices with mineral water: these are all good-tasting, healthy ways to rehydrate our bodies and gain the benefit of their special health-promoting properties that only nature can provide.
CHAPTER 10
Off the Bean and On to Vitality
If the sum total of deleterious effects attributed to habitual caffeine use in any way approaches that which is suggested by the extensive literature on the subject, then an untold number of individuals in the community would appear to be in dire need of the assistance of an effective intervention to control caffeine intake.
—Jack E. James and Keryn P. Stirling, British Journal of Addiction
There Is a Way
You may have tried to quit caffeine already, but come face-to-face with a pounding headache that quickly drives you back to your coffee cup. Or you may have heard stories from others who became depressed and tired when they tried to quit caffeine. Don’t worry—there is a pain-free path to kicking the caffeine habit, and it’s easy to implement. My clinically proven Off the Bean program uses a gradual weaning off caffeine that allows your brain to get used to its normal flow of oxygen again. Most importantly, this program is designed to help you reach this goal without the splitting headache, depression, and fatigue normally associated with caffeine withdrawal.
Headache isn’t the only side effect you may experience, from quitting caffeine. It’s just the most obvious. Your body, which has become accustomed to drug-induced stimulation, needs to recover its natural abundant energy’
supply. After all, most people consume caffeine to boost. their energy levels, so restoring natural energy production once you’re off the bean is critical. If you find yourself unable to muster the oomph to face the day, or crippled by “brain fog” that won’t clear, you’ll get discouraged quickly. Any program for quitting caffeine must provide a variety of successful methods to deal with fatigue so you don’t go running back to caffeine.
By now, you’re certainly aware that vitality does not come from a coffee cup or a soda can—but where exactly does it come from, and how can you get more of it? This chapter will show you how to increase your vitality without the crutch of caffeine. The ultimate reason for quitting caffeine is to restore optimal health to your body. If you’ve been consuming caffeine for a decade or more, your body will need to undergo a significant amount of repair. Fortunately, it’s never too late to begin. Following my Off the Bean program will reward you richly with health benefits and enable you to enjoy high-level wellness.
Dealing with Caffeine Withdrawal
Caffeine withdrawal symptoms differ from person to person, but can include up to several weeks of misery. For the most part, the withdrawal reaction has to do with the sudden change in your circulation brought about by the absence of caffeine. Blood vessels no longer constricted by caffeine suddenly open up and allow greater amounts of blood to flow through. And while this is a very good thing, when it comes to the blood vessels in your brain, the sudden increase in circulation can cause splitting headaches.
Other symptoms of caffeine withdrawal, like rebound constipation, are related to decreased muscular stress. With caffeine no longer contracting your intestinal muscles, you may experience sluggish elimination. It may take several months to restore the natural rhythm and function of your colon.
And then there’s fatigue, depression, and “brain fog” resulting from caffeine withdrawal. Even though your nervous system is infinitely better off without high levels of stress hormones coursing through your veins, the adjustment period is often perceived as a “letdown.” Perhaps you always reach for caffeine when you need to perform in a meeting and can’t get your thinking in gear. My Off the Bean program will give you nutritional and herbal support to help you rebuild your mental vitality and recover your natural energy production.
Most importantly, all of the negative reactions associated with caffeine withdrawal can be avoided. How? By decreasing your caffeine intake in stages while you increase a variety of health-promoting habits. That’s the secret behind this program.
Recovering Your Natural Energy
When we were children, we blasted out of bed in the morning, eager to explore the world and express ourselves in the new day. As adults, our experience of waking up in the morning is radically different. We assume that its normal to drag ourselves out of bed feeling as though we’ve been hit by a bus. We accept as normal the absurd notion that it’s okay to need a powerful adrenal stimulant—caffeine—to “get going” And then we wonder why life seems to require more than we have to give. No matter how much caffeine we drink, we don’t seem to be able to recapture the exuberance of our youth. Sadly, one day we stop trying.
Our dreams fade, and we just resign ourselves to a life that no longer sparkles.
What if you could change all that? What would your life be like if you could truly restore your energy and vitality to youthful levels? Well, you can—and
that’s not just my wish or opinion. It’s a clinically proven fact. Thousands of people have already experienced this renewal, and you can, too.
Sure, most people are tired. Fatigue is one of the most common complaints that doctors hear. The problem is that doctors are tired too, and so they look at the patient (who may be forty years old) and say something like, “Well, Ms./Mr.
Jones, you’re just getting older.”
Now that response is a terribly unscientific opinion because it is based on beliefs, not facts. We believe it because someone with authority in a white coat tells us that it’s normal to lose our sense of vitality; we’re “over the hill.” Why do doctors believe this? Because that’s what they see, day in and day out.
Healthy, vital people aren’t trekking into their offices with complaints. All day long doctors see people who are dragged down, and they themselves may be suffering the same loss of energy and vitality from their own caffeine abuse.
What’s more, they were never taught the importance of nutrition. They were trained only to offer you prescription drugs like antidepressants.
If you’re feeling weary and burned out and your physician tells you that there’s nothing you can do about it, what hope do you have? With no solution in sight, you can only look forward to the remainder of your life as a downward spiral of limitations, degeneration, and decrepitude.
Hogwash! There is no scientific rationale for “over the hill.” In fact, science tells us exactly the opposite: that the human body is designed to last about 120
years, and that it is quite capable of sustaining a high level of energy until the very end. No matter where you look in human physiology, from organ systems to the musculoskeletal, brain, and nervous systems, you find tremendous