August 2008 Entries

Taste Teas from Teajo at Gourmet Feastival in Tampa - August 27, 2008

Today at Teajo Teas, we are preparing for an exciting event, the 17th Annual Gourmet Feastival (www.gourmetfeastival.org), which takes place on Thursday, August 28 from 6 - 9pm at the Tampa Bay Perfoming Arts Center. The event will feature fine cuisine and beverages from restaurants, caterers and other purveyors from the Tampa Bay area. All proceeds from the event go to a wonderful cause, the Centre for Women (www.centreforwomen.org).

Please join us and look for our booth (Teajo Teas), as we will be providing samples of Tampa Bay's freshest and all natural, flavored iced tea, such as Lemon Ginger Green and Red Mango Rooibos! We will also be offering a special promotion for our local customers in the Tampa Bay area. If you order at the event, we are offering free delivery and a 10% promotional discount.

Please come out and enjoy some great food, have fun and support a noble cause!

Rooibos - With its naturally sweet flavor, its more than just another Caffeine-Free Tea - August 26, 2008

With all the media hype surrounding green tea and white tea, it is no wonder that Rooibos (Roy-boss), despite its growing popularity, still remains relatively obscure among the average tea consumer. Unfortunately, we as consumers are at the mercy of the media unless we are fortunate enough to discover gems like Rooibos on our own, through tea blogs or through tea purveyors who carry this wonderful herbal infusion.

For those who don't already know, Rooibos is not even a tea and actually originates from the stems and leaves of plant grown in South Africa known as Aspalathus linearis. I guess anything we infuse in boiling water automatically becomes a tea, but this particular infusion is not related at all to the tea plant, Camellia senensis. What is so special about Rooibos? First of all, Rooibos contains no caffeine, which in itself is very appealing to today's health conscious consumer. Unlike green or black tea, Rooibos contains a low level of tannins, which tend to contribute to the bitterness associated with any of the standard tea varieties. In my opinion, the naturally sweet flavor of Rooibos may be its best characteristic, as the flavor just gets better the longer you infuse it. Finally, Rooibos is full of antioxidants, flavonoids and is also believed to contain anti-aging effects. Rooibos also provides a great base for flavored tea blends as well.

Don't take my word for it, go to your favorite tea shop or online store and try it out for yourself. If they don't have Rooibos where you shop, it's time to find a new source for your teas.

Fast Sugars and the Dangers - August 23, 2008

Western food is, however, loaded with fast sugars, causing a daily panic in our bodies. Since too much insulin in the system can also be sickening and because our body is constantly trying to find a balance, we develop insulin resistance. This causes you to be free of complaints for many years. However, it is a pseudo-balance and it is therefore no coincidence that most people develop complaints and ailments in midlife. As the accumulated damage spans a period of 20 to 30 years, most people will not trace their health problems back to the food they have been consuming all these years. We are currently experiencing an explosion of cancer, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. And these diseases are occurring at an increasingly younger age too!

About Green Tea - August 23, 2008

According to Phyllis and James Balch in their book Prescription for Nutritional Healing, green tea contains polyphenols, including phytochemicals with antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, and other health enhancing properties. Epigalloacatechin gallate (EGCG) is a particular type of polyphenol in green tea that has shown in tests to be able to penetrate the body’s cells and shield DNA from the potent free radical, hydrogen peroxide.

In addition to protecting against cancers, green tea lowers cholesterol levels, and reduces the clotting tendency of blood. It shows promise as a weight-loss aid that can promote the burning of fat and the regulation of insulin levels and blood sugar.



Green tea is simply the unprocessed leaves of the tea plant, unlike black tea which is fermented. During processing, much of the polyphenols of black tea are lost.

In addition to brewing and drinking green tea, there are green tea supplements available. Some of these contain the whole plant, while others contain extracts. Whole plant supplements are usually preferable because they are backed by the integrity of the whole plant. Many green tea supplements are standardized to provide a quantifiable amount of EGCG, viewed as its most beneficial component.

Green Tea Shown to Reduce Risk of Ovarian and Colorectal Cancers - August 23, 2008

(NaturalNews) Green tea has rapidly entered the American market as a claimed cure and preventative for almost everything that ails mankind. It seems too good to be true, but now we are finding out that it is true. Recent studies reveal green tea's benefits as an antioxidant, promoter of glucose tolerance, protector of the liver and detoxification system, and benefactor of the cardiovascular system. Two recent studies show that green tea is also a powerful agent in the prevention and cure of cancers.