"Tea is hot and getting hotter. From iced to spiced, from austere black tea to sweetened and milky chai, from a flowery pick-me-up to a healing herbal, no other beverage has such a place in the heart of every civilization. No wonder it is the most popular beverage in the world, next to water."
- Sara Perry, The New Tea Book

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Why Drink Tea?

Hey all!

I'm almost finished putting together my first three official teas for sale. I'm hoping you'll try each one, and of course, I highly suggest that you do cuz a) they're all pretty tasty and b) they all specifically remedy three aspects of body imbalance that almost all people struggle with: mood, energy and blood sugar. Plus they're so jam packed with nutrient dense, cleansing, revitalizing, restorative, immune boosting herbs, flowers, roots and fruits that once you start drinking them you're gonna feel so much better that you'll never again wanna go a day without tea! Once you've tried them, please honestly tell me what you think! But I hope that whatever your first reaction, you'll stick around to fully reap the benefits of all the purposeful, meticulous combining of herbs I chose to bring these teas to life.

Indeed, I think the world would run a lot smoother if we all got on a tea routine! Not necessarily the same routine or even the same herbs; but if each of us introduced maybe 4-5 relatively safe, gentle balancing teas into our repertoire and continued to consume them moderately yet regularly over the weeks and months, I bet in time we'd all start noticing how much truly better we feel.

We'd be less stressed and less run down. We'd be more energized naturally, but still somehow calmer and more at peace. It'd probably be a weird sensation at first, so foreign as we realized how off kilter we really once were.

Imagine feeling good, great even, inside and out, mind, body, heart and soul... so good that you'd stop needing to keep reuptaking the more hazard, albeit popular, aspects of existence. And no longer weighed down by a toxic dump of mood swings, junk food, chemicals and the like, we'd all start looking better, actually look like the healthy, happy, fit people we all wish we were. Heck, we'd even smell better; our bodies no longer struggling to constantly clear out toxins.

And no toxins means no toxic thoughts. The vicious cycle of glass half empty would at long last come to an end! We'd all have our glasses full to the brim!! And we'd be free... All thanks to tea! Who knew Fire, Water, Plants and People would turn out to be such a phenomenal elemental combination?!

Still, herbal medicine as a health regimen does takes time. There's no quick fix, no McMeditation that's gonna dissolve all your suffering. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither were all the bodily and emotional imbalances stirring inside us. But kinda like hittin the gym or goin on a diet or studying for a class- the investment of time and commitment to an ideal routine makes all the difference!! At first, it's tough to notice; even sometimes seems worse, as the body starts to detox. This intense release triggers headaches, nausea, fevers, fatigue and hellish moodswings as your system desperately tries to rid the body of chemical sludge. But it's worth it. There's nothing better than being clean and clear! Nothing more precious than health!

As a new tea business owner, I of course want everyone to jump on the herbal remedy bandwagon, both for their benefit and mine, but as an aspiring herbalist and former toxic junkie, I know that timing, moderation, persistence and adaptability are the true keys to changing any aspect of self. So, the herbs I wanna start you all off with are some that many of you have probably had many times before in various blends or as looseleaf. I aim for these introductory herbal teas to be potent but gentle; effective, but not risky enough to make anyone feel buzzy or cause them to suffer any ill side effects.

Of course, everyone's system is different. And there are no set rules for herbal medicine, only guidelines, so make sure you do your own research too and TRUST YOUR SENSES! Remember a small amount will go a long way! Especially with known stimulants and sedatives. All herbs, just like any drug (and perhaps any food or drink product) must be used with discretion. You are what you put in your mouth, so choose wisely my friends!! Health is Wealth and Knowledge is Power!

And as much as I'm eager to start selling you my teas and would be thrilled to be your go to tea lady, because the FDA does not fully regulate the manufacturing and sale of herbal products, it is very important that you, the consumer, thoroughly research the quality and manufacturing practices of any products you plan to take, be they mine or from elsewhere. I can guarantee you that I have chosen to source only certified organic herbs and am taking all necessary precautions in research, development manufacturing and storage to ensure you get the highest quality, safe proportioned dosages of specific herbal medicinal blends and in an eco-chic, informative fashion without having to sacrifice the almighty taste factor!!

FYI, we're gonna also have looseleaf individual herbs, such as Rooibos (non-caffeinated South African bush leaf) that will help with some of the agitation & fatigue and also some Chamomile for calming and restoring the bodymind. And eventually, we'll get ya into some of the more potent "top shelf" nervines known for relaxing/sedating the body and mind so you can better destress and get some rest. Indeed, get a good night's sleep plus maybe some organic green tea or yerba maté in the morning and you'll be pleasantly productive by day and blissfully dozing at night! That sure sounds like a good life to me! At least that is what I wish for and hope my teas can help you achieve too!

Love & Peace.
Be Well.


Until next time,
Jaime

Yera Dé Herbal Teas

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Tonight's Teas

Sweet Dreamzzz everyone. That's what I'm drinking tonight. My specially formulated, not yet released, sleep-enhancing body and nerve relaxant tea. It's a myriad blend of restorative roots combined with a delicate blend of potent herbs and flowers, known for their calming and immune boosting qualities. The intoxicating smell and aromatic flavor of Chinese jasmine balls, along with the subtly sweet tones of sweet osmanthus, chamomile and lavender makes drinking this Sweet Dreamzzz a truly sensuous experience.

Ok, enough plugging my own products :) LOL!

Another interesting highlight of my day was researching and tasting famed Chinese aged Pu'erh, a green tea caked and dried for extended periods of time. The herbal fermentation process gives the herb time to evolve in its nutrient composition and increase in potency. Today, I tried a brand name Pu'erh direct from China, courtesy of a friend who happened to be working overseas. Unfortunately, I can not read the label to tell you which company, but I would consider it to be a relatively commercialized product and less quality than perhaps a naturally aged traditional Pu'erh.

Typically, there are two types of processes to make Pu'erh, known as Raw and Ripened. Ripened is usually synonymous with cooked, but does not literally mean that it is cooked; rather that it is fully aged rapidly through a more synthesized production than the raw. Raw Pu'erh could be considered a more naturally aged Pu'erh. The color and leaf texture is much lighter in the raw, because it is barely heated. It almost has a whisp of silver gray embedded in the dark vegetative green tea round.

The ripened, on the other hand, is a much darker tint with hues of brown and orange, with a much more apparent dryness. There does exist, however, more authentically aged Pu'erh, upwards of 50 years that I know of. I have only tried 10 year old Pu'erh once a few years back while eating dinner at a small Asian restaurant and shop called Ching Ching Cha in Georgetown, D.C. I remember the waiter talking me out of trying the 20 year explaining that it's taste and consistency could be likened to mud. Although at this point in my herbal journey, I am more open and eager to experiencing herbs fully and am much more tolerant of the earthier flavors.

Jason also came across a company today that sells Pu'erh from the 1960's. Because of its distinct and developed flavor, as well as it's enhanced characteristics, Pu'erh could perhaps be likened to a fine wine. Not necessarily always particularly palette pleasing, but inviting nonetheless.

I discovered one of the most interesting aspects about preparing Pu'erh is the steeping process. It is actually recommended to consume only a tiny amount at a time, steeped in hot water for just 30 seconds. This is because the content is so powerfully rich, like an interest-bearing savings account, once might say with Pu'erh you get more bang for your buck. After only 4 sips within 30 minutes, I noted a definite increase in alertness, enthusiasm, energy, mobility and laughter! Jason and our friend Nick also experienced a similar perkiness. We only elected to consume a small amount more before we all agreed we felt fully charged.

Let it be known, however, that longevity of steep is a hallmark of Pu'erh. Re-steepable upwards of 20 times, each at a slightly larger interval of 15-30 seconds per steep. Similar to yerba maté, Pu'erh would serve as a wonderful replacement to caffeinated coffee or as an enhanced green tea experience.

Hope you enjoyed learning about new teas! I know I did!!

Again, please feel free and even encouraged to leave comments! I'd really love for this to be an interactive blog and start up community for us health and wellness minded folk! If you'd prefer to contact me via e-mail, I can be reached at: TeasMePlease@gmail.com and also JaimeMFrodyma@gmail.com.

I'll be sure to keep you all posted on official products, sales policies and the grand debut of our Yera Dé Herbal Teas website.

I hope you'll find my starter blends to be delicious and delightful additions to your health and wellness!

Bye for now!

Sleep well.

Sweet Dreamzzz,

Jaime

Today's Tea

Happy Tuesday Tea Drinkers!

As per a wonderful suggestion from my soon to be sister-in-law, I'm going to start posting what teas I personally enjoy drinking and how I use herbal and natural remedies at home.

For example, every morning, I start my day with hot lemon water with powdered ginger, which I use to warm my body, promote detoxification and rev up my digestive system for the day. After that, I drink a variety of herbs and blends depending on what health needs, energy flux or taste cravings I experience.

For instance, this morning, I chose looseleaf yerba maté with a bombilla, which is a filtered straw usually made of metal, but also available in plastic and bamboo. This gives me a high quality dose of vitamins and minerals early in the day, as well as a pleasant stimulating boost in energy.

Yerba Maté's pretty strong in flavor and while I personally appreciate the more vegetative, raw flavors of herbs, many agree adding lemon, honey or cane sugar, definitely enhances plain maté. As a side note, yerba maté is totally resteepable, we're talking 5-15 times. So when I prepare maté, I start with first a cold water shock to the herb, which is quite refreshing to drink, but also helps retrieve nutrients and prolong steepability. After that, just refill as often as needed with moderately heated fresh, filtered water.

I followed my morning tea with a lemon juice facial astringent, basically I rubbed a lemon on my face; and a wildflower honey mask which I left on for about 15 minutes. This combination of fruit enzymes and sugars help promote exfoliation and reparation of skin cells.

My next tea for the day is going to be a chilled Fruitful Prosperity, which is my own personal blend that I'm hoping to have for sale this year, comprised of organic fruit and immune boosting roots and berries. Kinda tastes like tea fruit punch.

After that, I may move on to some mint or cinnamon or perhaps chamomile depending on how my day goes!

Oh and for you braver souls out there, I guess I will also inform you that I do at-home enemas (intestinal flushes) about once a month, using either hot organic coffee, neem leaf and fenugreek powder as an anti-macrobial detox or a cold honey blend for rejuvenation.

That's all for now. Please feel free to add any comments or suggestions!

Be well my friends,
Jaime