The Lava Bot

If you consider yourself an “advanced” green tea connoisseur, perhaps you may have considered or have even tried brewing gyokuro. Since good gyokuro is expensive, it’s common for people to try it once, not find it to their liking, and then give up on it. This is often a result of an enthusiast brewing it like they brew their normal sencha green tea. Once you have tried a good gyokuro brewed correctly, however, you will understand what a great green tea it actually is.

In case you are not aware, gyokuro is shade grown green tea. About 3 weeks before the anticipated harvest date, the tea bushes are covered under 90% shade. This is accomplished by building an enclosure around the plants using bamboo poles covered with rice straw. All of this of course means extra labor, which has a lot to do with why gyokuro is so expensive in the first place. Obviously, there is a reason why growers go to all of this trouble - gyokuro is delicious!

Probably the most important aspect of brewing gyokuro is temperature. Gyokuro needs to be brewed at a lower temperature than other green teas, about 155 Fahrenheit (68 Celsius.) Since water boils at 212F, obviously the temperature needs to be reduced somehow. Even when cooled, however, one can’t really start the process with water that is 155F for numerous reasons. If one pours 155F water into a teapot that has been sitting at room temperature, expect that the water will no longer remain at 155F, but will instead drop about 15 degrees. Great, now we’re at 140F - too cool for brewing. If in turn one pours that tea into two teacups sitting at room temperature, expect another 15 degree temperature drop. Now we’re at 125 F, and two cold, boring cups of improperly brewed gyokuro. So the devil is in the details, and to brew a good cup of gyokuro, these things need to be taken into consideration.

To brew a good cup of gyokuro, you will need to use more tea. Where you normally can get away with a teaspoon of loose leaf sencha in an 8 ounce teapot, for gyokuro you will need instead about 1 tablespoons of tea per person, and about 5 or 6 ounces of water for each person served.

One other aspect of brewing gyokuro that is often overlooked is the teapot that one brews it in. Gyokuro, like other green teas, is compact. That means it needs a lot of room to expand when it’s brewed. You will never be able to brew good gyokuro (or really, any other good green tea) in a paper filter, tea ball, or anything ridiculous like that. The preferred teapot here would be the ceramic Japanese type which has a stainless steel screen inside as a filter. I’m not talking about the kind where a steel infuser cup sits inside the lid, but instead where the screen actually is butted up against the inside of the teapot. This gives the tea plenty of room to expand. Additionally, Japanese teapots are usually just the right size for the job. This is not to say you can’t use other types of teapots. Western teapots and the like can be used as long as you know what you are doing and take all of the above into consideration.

To get down to brewing, I think I can best sum this up by saying the traditional Japanese way of brewing their green tea is also probably the best way to do it, no surprises there. So let’s make two cups of gyokuro green tea. You will need three empty teacups, your teapot, and a good gyokuro. Start off by boiling your water in a kettle. When the water “just” starts to boil, immediately turn off the heat and allow the water to cool on it’s own for a few minutes. Pour your hot water directly into the empty teapot, filling it, and allowing the teapot to sit a minute or so and warm up. This not only warms the teapot, it also cools the water some. Next, pour the hot water from the teapot into two of the three cold teacups, and then empty the remaining water from the teapot. At this stage we now have a warm teapot, two teacups with hot water in them, and a cold, still empty third teacup. More likely than not, the hot water in those two teacups is still a bit two warm for gyokuro, so what you will want to do is pass back and forth the water between the three teacups, warming the cups and cooling off the water. You usually only have to do this once or twice. This also has the effect of adding oxygen to the water and will improve the taste of the finished product.

All of this does take a little practice to get the hang of, but you’ll soon be able to sense when you have cooled the water enough. Put about one and a half tablespoons of loose leaf gyokuro into the warm teapot, and pour the hot water from the two filled teacups directly into the teapot. Brew for 2 to 3 minutes, not disturbing the teapot. Lastly, pour from the teapot back into the warm teacups, draining all of the tea to the very last drop. If you’ve done that correctly and were patient, you should have one of the finest cups of green tea you’ve ever tasted. For subsequent infusions, simply re-brew for 30 seconds. It’s normal for the second infusion to have a more “green” color than the first. Enjoy your superior cup of green tea!

Kevin Moore is the founder of O-Cha.com, one of the internet’s first and largest websites dedicated to Japanese green tea. Based out of Japan, in addition to offering a wealth of information on the health benefits of green tea, O-Cha.com offers a large selection of loose leaf green tea, matcha, and tea brewing supplies.

http://www.o-cha.com

Contact him at kevinrm@o-cha.com

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In the year 2005, more than 187 million consumers depended on
daily dietary supplements to provide the nutrients omitted from
the daily diet…nutrients that are needed to attain and
maintain optimum health.

Maintaining a strong immunity level built up through proper
nutrients can contribute greatly to keeping you out of the
doctors office. On the other hand, people with low immunity
levels tend to contract many illnesses and often suffer for a
longer duration than healthy individuals.

The DSEA (Dietary Supplement Education Alliance) found in a
recent study (11/05) that certain dietary supplements helped
seniors to live longer and to live more independent lives.

Further evidence of dietary supplement benefits are acknowledged
by the DSIB (Dietary Supplement Information Bureau) who also
reported that nutritional supplements help people live longer,
healthier lives.

Dietary supplements can also help reduce healthcare costs in the
billions of dollars by off-setting healthcare expenses through
better health attained and maintained by receiving proper
nutrients that are needed in the body.

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) recently issued a health
claim for omega-3 fatty acids. Several other dietary supplements
are scheduled to be added to the list in the near future.

Qualified health claims for dietary supplements are now being
released to the public. As healthcare costs and health insurance
skyrocket, preventive self care seems to be more widely accepted
and practiced.

Many individuals can potentially benefit from the use of dietary
supplements. The following dietary supplements may be of value
to the immune system:

- Vitamin C provides antioxidant to cells, and may reduce the
risk of cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer.

- Vitamin E may reduce free radical damage and cut the risk of
diabetes, and cancer.

- Vitamin A helps support mucous membranes, and the skin.

- Selenium may help protect against prostate cancer and is known
as an anti-aging nutrient.

- Coenzyme Q10 may help generate energy for metabolism.

- Omega-3 fatty acids benefit the heart and the nervous system.

People that use dietary supplements can save themselves money,
save the healthcare system money, and in general have a more
healthy and productive life.

Remember…You still have to eat healthy. Get as many vitamins,
minerals, amino acids, and fatty acids in your diet as is
possible. But, you can also consider taking a dietary supplement
to make-up for what is lacking. With soil depletion and other
environmental deficiencies so prevelent, taking dietary
supplements is a good way to make sure that you get all the
nutrition that you may need.

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The French, in terms of diet and disease, are a statistical enigma. They relish high fat food, consume alcohol regularly and often smoke - the very picture of the World Health Organisation’s ‘risk group’. High protein, meat based meals include duck, goose and pork - even cooked in fat as a preference! Butter, cream, pork fat and wine are regular ingredients.

Yet they have comparatively low rates of stomach and colon cancer and the second-lowest world incidence of heart disease after Japan. ‘The French Paradox’ is well known to nutritionists and reasons for this statistical enigma are emerging.

One of their pet names for the English is ‘Les Ros Bif’, in reference to the traditional overcooked Sunday roast dinner. French cooking is much lighter than British, leaving many of the valuable nutrients in the food, rather than throwing them out with the pan water. The French relish their food and eat widely, they often take the trouble to prepare meals from fresh, home-grown, organic produce, meaning they get more minerals and nutrients from food.

They also mix food elements to compliment each other, from a very wide base of ingredients that change with the seasons. High protein dishes are accompanied by generous salads and nutritious, easily assimilated soups are popular. Dried broad beans and chick peas are also part of winter staples, adding anti-oxidant beans and pulses to a wide diet. It is a well celebrated fact that the French eat everything!

Polyphenols in red wine and the intelligent French use of herbs in cooking help to break down fats in the food and aid digestion. Alcohol licensing laws in France also mean that they tend not to ‘binge drink’ as much as countries with more restrictive licensing laws. The anti-oxidant properties of red wine in its moderate but steady intake are a contributing factor to French health.

Research in McDonalds restaurants in France also reveals interesting evidence. It was found in America that the average time it took a person to consume a burger was 11 minutes. In France this doubled to 22 minutes. In France eating is often a cultural and family activity. They take their time eating and conversation is an important part of sharing food. They make eating into a quality time. The French diet is ‘Epicurean’ compared to the American ‘convenience’ diet, where cheap, snack food is widely available wherever you go. The car centred culture of America also means its inhabitants sometimes lack exercise.

The French have an attitude to eating that is not fixated on health or medicalising food, just simple enjoyment of wholesome and fresh ingredients prepared well. People in rural France often value the whole process of food from growing it right through to preparing and eating. It is no surprise that internationally known French phrases include such as ‘Bon appetit’ or ‘Joi de vivre’.

About the Author

DONT GET CANCER by Simon Mitchell.
One antidote to cancer is information - this ebook explains the cancer
situation, some of the ‘forbidden medicines’, and how you can increase
your immunity to all modern diseases. It is a better bet than health
insurance. Preview DONT GET CANCER at:
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Iron is a mineral that is essential to the health and functioning of the body. Deficiencies in iron can have serious consequences for overall health and even energy levels. While iron is important for both sexes, it is of particular importance to women due to biological and reproductive factors. However, world wide, many people do not meet the minimum suggested daily intake of iron resulting in a variety of health problems that range from the mild, which simply increasing the daily iron intake could remedy, to the severe, which often require more complex treatments but could easily have been avoided by sufficient daily iron consumption.

Iron serves several purposes within the body. One of the most important functions of iron in the system is its role is oxygenating the blood. Another essential role of iron is energy metabolism. It is a factor of the neurodevelopment of babies as they grow and develop in the uterus. Iron also serves to promote the important functioning of the body’s immune system particularly in the production of the white blood cells essential in fighting infection and disease. Iron is also essential in properly utilizing the B vitamins.

Women, because of their role in reproduction, need to be especially sure that their iron levels are sufficient especially during pregnancy as the healthy growth and development of their babies depends on it. Because of blood loss during menstruation, most women need to take a little extra precaution during that time period to make sure their iron levels stay at recommended levels.

Iron deficiencies can cause a variety of health problems. Anemia is by far the most common and it results in weakness, fatigue and, to the detriment especially of school children, an inability to concentrate properly. Oxygen is one of the most important life giving forces of the body and due to the essential role of iron in seeing to it that oxygen reaches all parts of the body, via the blood, general feelings of health and well-being rely on proper iron levels.

Dietary supplements that include iron, as well as iron enriched foods, play an important role world wide in achieving the recommended daily iron requirements of the human body. However, like any other dietary supplement or medicine, iron supplements must be used properly to be effective and to avoid inducing other serious health problems. Always remember also to couple your iron supplement drinking with ascorbic acid or vitamin C. This is to help the body absorb the iron more quickly.

An overdose of iron in small children can be fatal. Always keep iron supplements and vitamins that contain iron well out of the reach of children. A reminder for parents who wisely make use of a daily multivitamin and iron supplement for their children: if you are using those brightly colored, cartoon character types, always be sure to remind your children that those are powerful medicines and not merely candy. That way if the bottle is accidentally left down and the child does find it, they are less likely to overdose themselves with it and more likely to call it to your attention that you left it in their reach.

Iron is an essential nutrient for some of the body’s very important functions and processes. For many years, dietary supplements have been a safe and trusted means of making sure to meet the recommended daily iron intake levels. When used properly, iron supplements are a good choice for helping to keep the body strong and healthy.

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Note: This article may be freely reproduced as long as the AUTHOR’S resource box at the bottom of this article is included and and all links must be Active/Linkable with no syntax changes.
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About the Author

Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links and information about Vitamins, please go to: http://vitamins.besthealthlink.net/ or for updated links and information on all health related topics, go to: http://www.besthealthlink.net/

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Legend has it that an ancient Chinese emperor was the first to discover Tea when some leaves were blown by chance into a bowl contain some boiling hot water. The tea we drink today is exactly the same and the brewing process has never been interfered with.

In recent Australian studies CSIRO scientists found that the occurrence of skin cancer in laboratory mice was greatly reduced when they were given black tea. It is thought that polyphenols which are very strong antioxidants and are contained in the tea are the most likely reason for this phenomenon.

Tea can be used to kill warts. The tannic acid found in tea is said to be just as effective in killing warts as many wart removers that you can purchase over the counter at the local drug store! Soak a black tea bag in hot water, and then place the damp bag on the wart itself for fifteen minutes a couple of times each day. Slowly the wart will shrink and soon disappear.

Tea comes from the leaves of a tree called Camellia sinensis. The three main types of tea are Black, Oolong and Green. Herbal tea does not come from the leaves of a tea plant, therefore, is not considered to be real tea. Roots, stems, flowers and parts of plants are used to make herbal tea.

In recent Dutch studies it was found that men who drink black tea which contains catechins are 50 percent less likely to die of ischemic heart disease. This is when our arteries become clogged and are unable to work as they should because of them becoming narrow.

The most expensive teabag in the world was commissioned for the 75′th anniversary of the PG TIPS tea company. The bag was filled with two hundred and eighty diamonds and expensive limited edition tea leaves. The bag cost seven thousand five hundred pounds and was sold at auction in aid of a Children’s hospital in Great Britain.

Tea will absorb odors around it. Here is a tip for removing food odors from your hands. Pour some tea over your hands and the tea will remove all odors from your fingers, and leave them smelling great. It even works great with fish odors!

To cure puffy eyes lie in a horizontal position and place either a moist teabag or tea compress over both eyes and leave for about 20 minutes. The swelling around the eyes will to your amazement disappear and your eyes will return to their former glory.

For many years we have known that men in Asian countries who drink green tea have very low instances of prostate cancer. Many prominent researchers think that this is due to green tea containing many powerful antioxidants and preventative anti-cancer agents.

Contrary to what one might expect, Turkey is a land of tea drinkers. Turks drink more tea per head than any other nation, even more than the British, and are now the world’s biggest tea drinkers. The total annual consumption of tea in Turkey is approximately one hundred and twenty thousand tons whereas that of coffee is only eight thousand tons.

About the Author

Lorraine Bevere is the webmaster of Fogtea
tea directory which is
a premier source of information about tea. For more
information, go to: http://www.fogtea.com

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1. Start Exercising first thing in the morning.

As soon as you wake up in the morning workout for at least 30min to an hour. Studies show that working out in the morning has been shown to burn up to 3x as more fat as opposed to working out at any other time during the day. Here’s Why:

During the day your body’s main source of energy is the carbohydrates that you get from eating your meals. As you sleep at night for 6+ hours your body uses up all those carbohydrates as energy for various bodily functions that go on even while you sleep. When you wake up in the morning your body doesn’t have any carbohydrates as energy to use and it will look to burn body fat instead for energy.

For you to take advantage of this morning fat burning opportunity you have to exercise first thing in the morning. Don’t eat breakfast because if you do you’ll just give your body some carbohydrates as a source of energy instead of the body fat that you want to burn for energy.

Another great thing about working out first thing in the morning is that your metabolism gets revved up after your morning workout. Morning workouts keep your metabolism elevated throughout the day. An elevated metabolism throughout the day only means that you’ll burn more calories and lose more weight. If you workout at night you may still burn fat while you workout but as soon as you go to sleep your metabolism will slow down and you’ll miss out on all the extra fat that you can burn during the day if you had exercised in the morning. When you sleep your metabolic rate is always at its slowest.

Other reasons why its good to exercise first thing in the morning is that you get the workout out of the way, and working out in the morning will also reduce your level of stress throughout the day.

Advanced Tip: Want to burn even more fat? Add another workout to your daily routine 4-6 hours after your morning workout. Keep your already high metabolism higher by adding a 2nd workout during the day. If you’re seriously thinking about adding a 2nd workout to your daily routine then try to do your cardio workouts in the morning. Mostly fat calories are burned doing cardio at a moderate intensities. Make your 2nd workout of the day a workout with weights. Mostly carbohydrate is burned doing weight-training workouts. The muscle that you build from weight training will also help you burn fat. 1lb of Muscle burns 50 calories a day or 1lb of fat every 70 days. Not only will you be burning more calories, you’ll look better - whatever your weight is.

2. Eat Breakfast

Another way to keep your metabolism revved up all day long is to eat breakfast. After you workout in the morning as discussed earlier, just have breakfast and you’ll give your body the perfect 1-2 combination to jump start your metabolism.

Eating breakfast in the morning is what gets your metabolism started. Don’t skip breakfast and wait until mid-morning or afternoon to eat, your metabolism will run slower causing you not burn any extra fat.

Think about this way-Your metabolism is a fireplace that’ll burn fat all day long for you if you operate it correctly. When you eat breakfast you are basically throwing a log onto that fireplace to get it started burning fat.

Eating breakfast will help stop those cravings you may have later on in the day and along with working out in the morning, eating breakfast will also keep you energized throughout the day and lower stress levels.

Advanced Tip: Instead of eating only 2 more meals during the day like lunch & dinner, try to eat 4-5 more small mini-meals spaced 2-3 hours apart during the day. Remember the fireplace? By eating these mini-meals you’ll be throwing just the right amount of “wood” on the fireplace to keep your metabolism burning calories throughout the day. Don’t shut down your metabolism by eating big lunches or dinners, keep that metabolism of yours burning fat all day long.

Morning Checklist

1. Workout for at least 30min after waking up in the morning
2. Eat a healthy breakfast
3. Burn fat & lose more weight during the day

Use these 2 tips to reveal that six-pack, fit into that dress for an upcoming event like a wedding or reunion, or to impress that special someone. Whatever your fitness goal is these 2 tips above will surely help you reach them.

Adrian Bryant is a Personal Trainer and creator of NowLoss: The World’s Best Weight Loss Program. Be sure to check out his web site at http://www.nowloss.com. Adrian Bryant has helped many people reach their fitness goals in his 10+ years of personal training. Adrian holds a B.S. degree in Exercise science from Longwood University.

nowloss@cstone.net

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Is bottled water better than tap water?

Nov. 6, 2004

If you think bottled water is safer than tap water, you need to read the following.

A Dutch study presented at a recent meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Washington, DC. found that 40% of bottled water is contaminated with bacteria and or fungi.

Chemical or biological contamination of bottled water has been already found for many years. Some readers might already have known that some so called spring water is actually tap water without any purification. Many brands of bottled water are indeed inferior to tap water in regard to their safety.

The package per se can be a problem. Years ago when I was in graduate school, we did a sensory evaluation on the odor of the bottled water. We found that the opaque bottles often times carry strong plastic odor.

To avoid intake of pollutants through water, consumers need to use as less water as possible. Drinking 8 cups a day may not always be necessary. Let common sense be your guide. Drinking too much water could get you too much of pollutants.

If you buy and drink bottled water, make sure that the bottle is transparent. I suggest that opaque and colored bottles be avoided. At home, you’d better use a filter for the tap water, particularly when you have a kid or two. Filters need to be certified by a third party for its sound quality. There are some products on the market that just self-claim certain benefits. Do not use such products.

About The Author

John Roberts works for foodconsumer.com - an online magazine promoting healthy food and diet.

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