Monthly Archives: September 2010

Hello friends,

Justin here with another post for you. I have been doing some extra research as of late. I have been reading around for more health benefits in certain foods/drinks. Today, I am going to share a bit about tea. I have known about tea and it’s benefits for a while now. But I am learning so much more about it as I begin reading more. At one point in my life, I couldn’t stomach tea. I hated the bitterness of it, and the way it smelled. After a reading about it more, I decided to give tea another chance. I began GULPING it down! I couldn’t take the bitterness. I finally was able to start sipping after what seemed to be a million cups. Now, I am use to the taste. I want to share some information that I found helpful about tea. I am citing this information from (http://www.provida.com/loseweight_fs_drinktea.asp). This informed me a good amount on tea. From speeding up metabolism, to overall caffiene content. This website will give you some well desired information concerning tea.

Here is some great information! You can check out the whole article via the provided link above.

[One of the most widely accepted and researched health benefits of all tea is its antioxidant quality. Antioxidants fight free radicals – electrons that cause cell damage – and can be the cause of many diseases like cancer, heart disease, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, cataracts and Alzheimer’s disease. Tea contains antioxidants called “flavanoids” which inhibit the damaging oxidation reactions caused by free radicals. In fact, tea contains the highest amount of flavanoids of all plants and the antioxidant activity of tea has been compared to that of fruits and vegetables. Whereas tea should not replace the consumption of fruits and veggies, when added to a healthy diet, tea provides extra protection against many harmful diseases and further promotes health and well-being.

Tea Can Help Fight Diabetes (and more!)

Scientists at the US Department of Agriculture say that tea can also be a powerful weapon in the fight against diabetes because it can boost insulin activity in the body by more than 15-fold. They were able to identify tea’s insulin-enhancing chemical, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Diabetes is a disease where the body either does not make insulin or does use the insulin it does make properly. Scientists believe tea increases the body’s sensitivity to insulin by affecting the cell proteins that insulin binds to. The more sensitive the body is to insulin, the more effectively it uses the supply it has. Scientists also believe that this insulin-boosting activity is another reason why tea seems to prevent heart disease and high blood pressure because insulin activity lowers blood sugar levels which damages blood vessels. They hope the data can help to not only treat diabetes but perhaps prevent it as well. EGCG is also believed to block production of an enzyme required for cancer-cell growth and to block the production of histamine, which is involved in triggering and sustaining allergic reactions.

Tea’s Caffeine Content

Yes, tea contains caffeine. Other than decaffeination, processing does not affect the caffeine content. Most teas have about the same amount of caffeine, within the range of 25-60 mg of caffeine in a 6-ounce cup. If you’re not sure how much that is, compare it to a cup of coffee, which contains roughly 100mg of caffeine per 6-ounces. Studies have shown that caffeine, when consumed in healthy amounts, can speed up your metabolic rate, making weight loss easier.

Green Tea

Trivia: Did you know that the American colonists tossed green tea into the harbor during the Boston Tea Party to protest British taxes? We’ll bet that if they knew about green tea’s antioxidant properties they would have thought twice! Green tea is another widely known and extremely studied form of tea. About 20% of tea consumed worldwide is green. Green tea has been used for thousands of years in Japan and China as both an enjoyable beverage as well as an herbal medicine. Over the years, numerous studies have been conducted to discover green tea’s antioxidative effects – and recently researchers are finding that green tea can provide so much more! First of all, how does green tea differ from black tea? The leaves used to create black tea are fully oxidized, while those used to make green tea are lightly steamed before being dried. Green tea leaves are minimally fermented, which gives the tea a light color and a more delicate, fresh taste which can range from fragrant to very bold and vegetal.

The antioxidant properties of green tea not only help protect against prostate, stomach, bladder, pancreas, rectal and esophageal cancers, but are also used to ease stomach problems and to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Green tea is also used to improve impaired immune functions.

Recent studies also report possible anti-inflammatory and arthritis-preventing effects of green tea. Scientists suggest green tea antioxidants postpone the beginning of and decrease the severity of one type of rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease that causes pain, swelling, stiffness and decreased function in the joints. There is no cure for this affliction, so doctors try to alleviate the symptoms. Additional findings in Europe show that the decreased movement of blood cells that cause inflammation across blood vessel walls were relieved when green tea antioxidants were introduced.

Experiments with green tea have shown promising results for your teeth as well. Asian health providers have longed talked about how drinking green tea can promote oral health. Scientific and medical literature now back up this ancient claim – information from research studies demonstrate how green tea works against bacteria that cause cavities in teeth. Also, green tea naturally contains fluoride, which protects teeth from cavities.

One of the most popular and well-loved benefits from green tea is its potential effect on weight loss. Recent scientific research suggests that green tea has potent fat-burning properties. A study done at the University of Geneva concluded these results. In the study, 10 healthy young men of average age 25 who ranged in body type from “lean” to “mildly overweight” were put on a “typical Western diet” of about 13% protein, 40% fat and 47% carbohydrates. One group took capsules containing 50mg of green tea extract and the other group took a placebo. The result showed that the men who took the extract experienced an increase in the number of calories used in a 24 hour period, an increase in fat metabolism and an increase in fat calories used. The conclusion was that green tea has thermogenic properties that promote fat oxidation and increase the body’s calorie burning rate. Also, green tea flavanoids and EGCG, can help prevent obesity by inhibiting the movement of glucose in fat cells. Drink up!

White Tea

Last but certainly not least, there is white tea. A less commonly known version, white tea is created when the leaves and buds are steamed and dried. White tea is the least processed of the three teas. This tea gets its light grayish-white color from the silvery “hairs” that are found on the buds from the Camellia plant. When brewed, the tea is a pale yellow to a light red and has a delicate, slightly sweet flavor with none of the grassy undertones associated with green tea. White tea is found in China and is very rare. White tea is a bit more expensive than the others since it is considered a delicacy.

Don’t let the delicate nature of this beverage fool you. White tea is stronger than it looks and it provides its own special health benefits just like black and green tea. In tests done at Pace University in New York, researchers found that white tea was 10% more effective than green tea in inactivating viruses, bacteria and fungi responsible for streptococcus infections and pneumonia. While green tea stimulates the immune system to fight off disease, this study noted that white tea or white tea extract can actually destroy the organisms that cause the disease. Research also shows that white tea fights the bacteria that can cause cavities and yeast infections. Scientists believe that white tea contains more antioxidants than black or green because its leaves aren’t fermented. White tea also contains less caffeine than green and black tea (about 15mg per serving). Some varieties of white tea include white peony, golden moon, silver needle and white cloud. White teas are produced mostly in China and Japan, but the Darjeeling region of India also produces some fine white teas.] – All cited from the above website.

I hope you find this information beneficial. This shows me something. It shows me that God has placed some amazing healthful things on this earth. He has promised to take care of His creation. He can do that by using His creation to benefit His creation. =)

God bless you guys!

-Justin Willoughby
(One Step)

Hey friends,

I am back with another little word of encouragement for you. I am specifically talking to those who are (overweight and obese). How many of us have went to the doctors, just to hear the words “You are overweight”? How many of us have went out in public, just to see people staring at us, and sometimes people making a joke about us? It’s not fun, and it hurts. BIG TIME. It really doesn’t feel good when you are called overweight or obese. Doesn’t it make you think less of yourself? Like you don’t fit in? Does it depress you?

It would depress me. It made me think I was different, and I didn’t fit in with other “NORMAL” people. Many times I’ve had my weight used against me as a joke, or a life threat. I want to get something across today. If you are experiencing the same type of treatment, well, there is hope. You don’t have to be this way forever. You can overcome this! Sometimes we like to avoid the mirrors, clothing shopping, scales, advice, etc. because they make us feel icky about ourselves. We don’t want to face the fact that our bodies are not what they are supposed to be. We already hear slanders, laughing, and death sentences from people; why do we want to add more to the mix? We usually feel fine when we ignore the things that make us realize how we look, and how big we really are. Where am I going with this? I’m saying it’s easy to get comfortable. It’s easy to ignore the problem and pretend it isn’t there. It’s easy to just continue to live life the way we are comfortable with, probably thinking in the back of our mind, I will do something about it someday. Sometimes we need to let the mirror speak to us. Sometimes we need to let doctors guide us into healthier individuals.  We need to stop ignoring the problem. We are killing ourselves if we think we can go on living a life that causes us to be an unhealthy person. Here is the bottom line. We can let what people say offend us, and make us rebel by eating more, and just not do anything about it. OR we can do something about it! It’s so easy to get depressed; other people can get us down. Some of us are easily hurt, so hiding our emotions in another piece of cake, or a few more cookies will give us a few moments of freedom, only to come back to more guilt and feeling worse than before. We need to take charge of our bodies. We need to chew on some of the reactions we get from people, and the way we look in the mirror. I am not saying we should make HIGH expectations of ourselves. I am saying we should aim to be healthy people, and a healthy weight. We need to be in tune with Jesus. He is the author of yourself! He is the One who knows you better than you know yourself. God know’s the very number of hairs on your head. He should always be the first One we should go to, to get our lives back on track. He will never steer you the wrong way. His GPS is right on target; only we can mess that up.

Overall: It’s time to take action. Time to get moving. Time to eat healthy! Get those fruits and veggies in, get that water in, get them whole grains in. This will increase your life expectancy, and will help you live a life God has called you to live. Let’s not get offended by people, let’s get motivated by people. Many insults will be heard, many insults will be said. We need to get over it, and continue on this journey of health. Take charge of your life today! With God and yourself, you can’t go wrong. I am praying for the people who have contacted me over the last few months. I am always an e-mail away. Please feel free to chat with me. You can check out my facebook (www.facebook.com/justinwilloughby) or follow me on twitter. www.twitter.com/jwillz1986

In Jesus
-Justin Willoughby