FitSugar

Want to Age Better? Swap Your Morning Cup of Coffee For Green Tea

Leta Shy — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:05:42 PST

We all know that green tea has many benefits - eye health, sunburn protection, and disease prevention, to name a few. Now, a new study can add another possible benefit to that list: green tea may help you remain functional as you age.

The Japanese study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, tracked 14,000 adults 65 years old or older for three years and found that those people who drank at least five cups a day of green tea were about a third less likely to have functional disabilities than those who drank little or no green tea. Even those who only drank two to four cups of green tea a day also experienced a benefit as they aged. "Functional disabilities" were defined as the inability to do basic daily activities or necessities, like bathing or dressing, so the more green tea you drink the more likely you are to be able to stay independent when you're older. The study did find that those who drank green tea tended to have healthier lifestyles overall, but the researchers said a positive effect still existed when diet, exercise, and other lifestyle habits were accounted for.

Five cups may sound like a lot, but it's actually a lot less than you think. So, how much tea should you actually be drinking to reap this benefit and possibly remain independent as you age? Read on after the break.

6 Ways to Jazz Up Tea

Leta Shy — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:31:26 PST

When it's cold outside and you want to wake up, what do you reach for? If it's always coffee, it may be time to take another look at tea. The antioxidant properties of coffee's cousin are high, and there are many more ways to enjoy the hot beverage than just milk and sugar. Want to spice up your daily cup? Here are six recipes to jazz up white, green, or black tea!

Source: Thinkstock

Green Tea 101: A Primer

YumSugar — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:29:10 PST

January sure is a busy month. Along with National Soup Month, it also happens to be National Tea Month. We thought we'd start off the festivities with a primer on a very trendy tea. Green tea came from Asia and took America by storm with its claims to fix just about every ailment. But what exactly is this wonder tea? Keep reading to find out.

Do You Know the Health Benefits of These Teas?

Leta Shy — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:11:15 PDT

Between the tea plant's white, green, black, and oolong offerings and the countless herbal teas offered, we've got many options for drinking in those all-important antioxidants, vitamins, and other nutrients. But which teas are known for carrying these good-for-you benefits? Take this quiz to see if you know the health benefits of these teas!

Question 1 of 5

Which tea is known for its weight-loss benefits?

Casa Beta: Tocca Bianca Candle

Julia Millay Walsh — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 10:25:00 PDT

If you've read any of my past candle reviews, you probably know that as much as I'm a candle fanatic, I'm also quite picky about what I light up in my home. The latest candle to come under my scrutiny is Tocca's Bianca Candle ($38). I've had good experiences with the luxury brand's beauty products in the past, but had never tried Tocca home fragrances.

To begin, let's just say that Bianca had me at hello. The 10.6-oz. candle is elegantly packaged in a Tiffany-blue box with the brand's chic, gilded logo. The candle itself arrives in a luxe, milk-white glass vessel, which suits any interior and can be reused with tea lights or even as a small vase. In other words, the packaging is perfection.

Now, on to the scent . . . Bianca's primary notes are of green tea, lemon, and a dash of sugar. It smells herbal with a subtle sweetness, but it's not overwhelming or heavy. It has a truly beautiful fragrance that's light, airy, and transitional. It's perfect year-round, for daytime and evening occasions, but I see myself mostly pairing with a long bath, a cup of tea, a good book, and maybe a glass of red wine.

The candle has a 60-hour approximate burning time, which ranks up there with the best of them. Anything burning over 40 hours gets a high five from me. As single wick candles tend to do, if at the end this one burns too deeply, it'll be a perfect contender to be salvaged in such a beautiful jar. But mind you, this one's made of paraffin wax, so it's not as eco-friendly as its soy-wax counterparts. As for the price, this one is no bargain; I do have some favorites that clock in around $15-$30. But the scent is elegant and understated, so it's a foolproof alternative to pricier Dipytque candles, which cost an arm and a leg at $60.

You can check out a range of Tocca's other scents at Sephora, if you want to sniff before you buy! I'm excited to try more Tocca scents; I think I may be on my way to finding my favorite!

Just How Much Caffeine Is in Decaf?

Leta Shy — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 03:05:13 PST

Ever since my week of clean eating, I've tried to limit the amount of caffeine I ingest. So instead of my normal morning cup of coffee, I've been substituting with green tea or, if I can't resist, a trip to the cafe for a decaf soy au lait.

Some days I go without, but I know that my regular cup of tea or decaf still has relatively small levels of caffeine in it. But since too much caffeine can lead to problems such as insomnia, nervousness, irritability, or irregular heartbeat, I'd thought I'd learn more about just how much caffeine is in those decaffeinated drinks.

Regular drip coffee usually contains about 85 mg of caffeine per eight-ounce cup, while the average cup of black tea contains about 50 mg and green tea 40-50 mg per serving. Want to know how decaf options compare? Read on after the break.

It's Good to Be Green: Tea Quiz

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 07:00:07 PST

I like getting cozy with a mug of tea on cold days and these days, it's widely accepted that tea - especially green tea - is good for you. But do you know why? Take my quiz to find out . . .

Take the Quiz

Smarter Eats: Squeeze the Antioxidant Power Out of Your Tea

FitSugar — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 09:00:06 PDT

Riddle me this: what helps protect the eyes, guards the heart, boosts metabolism, and fights cancer? Why green tea, of course! As if sipping on the tasty drink weren't enough, the reasons to include it in your diet seem to keep piling up. But before you go guzzling your next cup, consider adding a splash of lemon juice.

According to some studies, adding a splash of citrus juice (lemon is optimal) to your green tea can help maximize the effectiveness of the catechins, a powerful antioxidant, in the drink. When lemon juice is included in the mix, the cancer-fighting catechins are five times more likely to survive the digestive process and work their magic. If the yellow fruit isn't your cup of tea (pun intended), try orange, lime (here's a recipe for a green tea lime cooler), or grapefruit. So go ahead and give your next batch of tea a super squeeze.

Foodie Friday Link Time

FitSugar — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:00:52 PDT

Ginger, walnuts, and coconut: this healthy carrot cake sounds divine - Eat, Live, Run
Ways to resist the binge at your next barbecue - Shape
Use the leftovers! Make an everything-in-the-fridge salad - Peanut Butter Fingers
Corn on the cob goes gourmet for the holiday - Mind Body Green
Maximize the antioxidants in your green tea - Nutrition Data
Start your meal with a little fruit with Bella Melone - Better Recipes

Not All Teas Pass the Antioxidant Test

FitSugar — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:00:32 PDT

Though tea delivers all sorts of health benefits, not all teas are created equal. Compared to home-brewed tea, bottled, prebrewed teas contain significantly fewer of the antioxidants known as polyphenols, according to a new study presented at the latest American Chemical Society meeting.

Researchers tested nearly 50 bottle teas and found that half of them contained fewer than 10 milligrams of polyphenols:

A cup of home-brewed green or black tea has 50-150 milligrams of polyphenols. So you'd have to drink between 5 and 20 of those pint-size bottles of tea to get the same amount of antioxidants. That's a lot of tea.

UCLA researcher Susanne Henning puts it bluntly: "Bottled teas are a scam. They're mainly sugar water." The antioxidants in green tea are full of wondrous benefits, including cutting cancer risk and delaying the aging process, but that bottle of green tea you bought from the vending machine will have little effect on your overall health. You're better off relaxing with a cup of tea homemade with hot water and a tea bag, which is cheaper, too.