Month: March 2023

White Tea – Health Benefits and Purity of Taste

Tea is becoming more and more popular in North America but few of us here have heard of white tea, which is a shame but it too is gaining a foothold on our continent. It isn’t black tea which has had milk added! It is a very special variety which comes to us from camillia sinensis, which is simply the Latin name for the tea plant. Whereas most teas are harvested for their leaves, this special variety is actually the fine white hairs that surround the unopened bud of the tea plant! As you can imagine, plucking these tiny buds is a delicate undertaking. Not only does it taste really good but there are many white tea health benefits.

Most of this variety comes from China, the home of tea. It has a very long history which dates back to the Sung Dynasty (900 AD to 1200 AD), where it was a firm favorite. It has a remarkable appearance and its flavor is delicate and has a faintly sweet taste, which is very pleasant. This tea is pure and is not fermented, but is simply plucked and dried. Some varieties include White Peony and the ultra special Silver Needles.

Here are some white tea health benefits:

It can lower cholesterol

It can also reduce blood pressure

It may also reduce blood sugar

It is good for the health of your bones

It contains more polyphenols than green or black tea

It is rich in antioxidants which helps your immune system

It has antibacterial and antiviral properties

It’s good for the skin

It’s also good for teeth and gum health

It can help prevent the growth of plaque on your teeth

It is used in some brands of toothpaste

So you can understand that not only is this tea very special, has a unique flavor but it’s very good for you as well – what a great combination! Remember the many white tea health benefits. You can even go to tea websites on the internet and find out more, but also purchase it online. This is an easy process and you can have it delivered to your home.…

Five Steps to Help You Conquer Type 2 Diabetes!

A few basic tools are what you need to achieve good self-management of your type 2 diabetes. These tools will need to include changes in how you manage you lifestyle, maybe medications and regular self-monitoring of your blood sugar levels.

Being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes can definitely be classed as stressful… maybe you had no idea you had a diabetic predisposition; you were not aware anyone in your family also had this condition. One of the first aspects of self-management that you may chose to integrate into you life will be stress management… almost everyone feels stressed when they are first diagnosed. No-one wants to think about changing their lifestyle!

How far you take the concept of self-management is entirely up to you but to start with, the aim of self-management is to:

help you feel physically and emotionally better

improve the overall quality of your life

keep you as healthy as possible in the years ahead

What does self-management consist of? Well primarily it means:

educating yourself

monitoring your medical condition

working with your health care team in order for you to adapt to your various lifestyle changes

The first few weeks following diagnosis may be more than you can bear… it may feel kind of impossible. But it doesn’t need to be that way. At first it will be time consuming learning “a whole new language” and it may frustrate you. But really, self-management means overcoming some of your indulgences, those impulses you have allowed to almost rule your life and to some degree, spoil your health.

After a while, many of the things you do will become as routine as cleaning your teeth. Self-management really only means learning what to do and when to do it… when to apply that knowledge to control your type 2 diabetes, your weight and your blood sugar levels.

Five Steps of Self-Management includes:

1. Blood sugar testing or self monitoring: this is linked to all aspects of type 2 diabetes… your health care provider will instruct you re techniques and set an ideal blood sugar level target for you

2. A healthy eating plan: this means a new style of eating that concentrates on healthy foods in reasonable amounts

3. Physical activity: increasing physical activity is something that will help you immediately and in the long term. Physical activity or exercise has the same effect as insulin, it helps move blood sugar into your muscle cells

4. Medication may be prescribed by your health care provider if immediate benefits are needed

5. Stress management: stress raises your blood sugar levels which harms your body over time. Stress relief is useful to everyone.

By educating yourself, practicing what you learn and asking for appropriate advice when necessary, you can manage your type 2 diabetes.…

Avoid A Rip-Off! How to Choose A Life Insurance Company

Contrary to what we have been taught, price isn’t always the best answer. When it comes to life insurance the company that offers the best rate isn’t necessarily the one you should choose. The price landscape for life insurance is fairly level, with maybe only a 1-5% variation in rates by company for similar amounts of coverage. The big factor is to determine how quickly your family will receive the benefit amount if they had to file a claim if you die. If there is a delay in issuing the payment, then what seemed like a low rate at the time suddenly looks kind of pricey considering your family doesn’t have any money. Here are some tips that can help you choose a company that is right for you, and your family.

If you are actively looking for coverage you probably have collected quotes from multiple insurance companies. Once you have narrowed the field down 3 different insurance companies, search online and you will find information on just about all of them. In fact finding out information for insurance carriers is easier than for companies in other industries since it is an industry governed by your states Insurance Commission. One of their duties is to monitor the insurance industry for anything that may indicate fraud or abuse of trust between the insurers and their customers. To that end each state maintains a database of insurance complaints which are public information and found easily online. Do a quick search to see if any of the companies you are considering doing business with have an excessive amount of claims, or more specifically, if there are complaints about failing to pay claims in a timely manner.

Of course you have to be understanding that these companies literally serve millions of customers and all of them have had a complaint filed with the state insurance commission at one time or another. To put it in perspective, a company that has issued 10 million policies may have a thousand complaints logged. But that means that less than 1% of their customers have had a problem. What you are looking for is a pattern of a large number of complaints regarding one particular area.

Ideally the company you choose will only have a small number complaints on file and, for the most part, if you have shopped online with a reputable agency you will only be considering companies that have an “A” rating or better from one of a number of industry groups such as S&P or AM Best.…

3 Warning Signs of Diabetes – What You Don’t Know Could Kill You

When the point comes of noticing the signs of diabetes, then most people overlook these diabetic symptoms because these signs are harmful in nature and look very normal. This is the reason that diabetes is termed “silent killer”. In this case neither the person loses his hair like in case of cancer nor does he develop any sores as in case of other serious illnesses.

It is important that person must not misconstrue the disease. Though its signs are harmless but it is a serious ailment. Medical specialists are of the view that recognizing the signs and symptoms of diabetes and getting officially diagnosed is critical for the better long-term treatment. The only way of lessening the long-term effects of this aliment is to get this disease detected at its earliest. The earlier the disease is detected the lesser would be the chances of long-term complications.

Following are the most common 3 signs of diabetes that are generally overlooked by many diabetics.

Unquenchable and Insatiable Thirst: It is important to see the doctor and get a diabetes screening test done if you are experiencing a constant thirst. This sign of diabetes is generally ignored in summer season. In these days the culprit is thought to be the season and not the blood sugar level. Sometimes the people blame that strenuous physical activities are the underlying cause of they being constantly thirsty. Under normal conditions if a person is thirsty; drinking 2 glasses of water should be enough to satisfy the thirst but the case is not true for the diabetics. No matter how much they drink they always end being thirsty.

Excessive Urination: It is hard to imagine that going to the rest room again and again could be the cause of concern. However this is the case in case of diabetes. Generally alcohol drinkers think they are going to the rest room again and again as they have taken some extra drink. Whatever the case is it is good to get diagnosed by the doctor.

Tiredness: In this fast paced society who does not feel tired as well as fatigued after the day’s work. But if this tiredness is not going away after the full night’s sleep then it may be the cause of concern. Feeling constantly tired is the body’s way of telling that something is going wrong.

It is important to listen to the body carefully so the disease can be detected the moment it starts to set in.…

How to Make an Herbal Infusion

Herbal Infusions are quite common and simple to make at home. They are basically the same thing as making tea. The enjoyment of herbal infusions (or teas) has been mentioned in documents dating as far back as the Ancient Chinese and Egyptian cultures. Teas are still commonly enjoyed in many cultures around the world today.

Infusions are commonly used for leaves and flowers, the more delicate parts of the herb, as they don’t require as much effort to release their beneficial properties.

Items Needed:

– 1 oz (30 g) dried herb or 2.5 oz (75 g) fresh herb

– 2 cups (500 ml) water

General Suggested Use:

Drink 1/2 cup 3 times daily.

Measurements:

Makes approximately 1.5 cups.

Instructions:

Place your herbs into a pot with a close-fitting lid, like a teapot.

Boil your water in a separate container, taking it off the heat once it boils. Wait for a moment or two and then pour the hot water over your herbs. (Electric teapots work wonderfully for this).

Let them steep (infuse) for 10-15 minutes and then pour through a strainer into your teacup and drink. Remember, the longer they steep (or infuse), the stronger the tea will be.

Infusions can be stored in a pitcher or other container in a cool place. Some like to add a couple of drops of HCL (Hydrochloric Acid) prior to drinking if their herbal infusion has been sitting out in an open container for a few hours.

Alternatively, you can use a tea bag, tea ball, infuser or strainer in your cup, pour the hot water into your cup and after 10 minutes pull the tea out. (You can tie the herbs into a small coffee filter to make a home-made tea bag).

Try using bitter herbs in the morning to help get the digestive juices flowing (your liver will appreciate it even if your palate doesn’t).

Ginger, fennel and other digestive aids make a wonderful “post large meal” tea to help alleviate the discomfort that often accompanies large meals.

Use calming herbs with mild sedative properties in the evening to aid in “winding down” from your day and gently moving your body towards relaxation and sleep. Chamomile is very popular for relaxation in both aroma, flavor and having mild sedative properties.

TIP: Vigorously boiling water can disperse the volatile oils in the steam. This is why we suggest waiting for a moment or two before pouring the boiling water over your herbs.

This information is for educational purposes only and is not to be considered complete nor is it guaranteed to be accurate. The FDA has not given approval of this information. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease or other complication. Always check with your health care provider and/or pharmacist before using herbal remedies, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, have a health condition, or are taking any prescription medication.…