The beauty and vibrancy of the sunflower is illuminated in the sunflower seeds it gives birth to. While growing, sunflowers twist on their stems to follow the sun throughout the day, and their efforts award us with seeds that spring forth with an amazing array of nutrients. Sunflower seeds are a delicious treat that is sure to fortify our nutrients and help improve our health.
The Many Health Benefits of Cherries
Cherries’ health benefits are remarkable. Read on to find out about some of the ways that cherries can help you lose weight , fight free radicals, gain control of blood sugar, lessen arthritis pain, and more. Let’s jump into the health benefits of cherries!
Tea As Medicine
Tea is medicine for the new age, just as it was medicine for the ancient humans of ages long past. In the last 50 years, we moved away from that type of medicine – the lifestyle elixir. Scientifically speaking, green tea and white tea are medically the most beneficial
Close-Up on Brick Tea (Tuo Cha)
When it comes to tea, only recently has the common man gained access to fresh greens and whites, aromatic oolongs and delicate yellows. For centuries, the best teas went to the rich and powerful and the common man drank what he could, when he could. So what did he drink? He drank brick tea.
Bitter Tea: Bittersweet Medicine
I must say I was very proud of the little Kuding leaf and glad that my friends could appreciate it as much as I do. Kuding tea (bitter tea) is grown all over China, in two distinct varieties. The Sichuan variety, which I know very well, is called Qing Shan Lui Shui (Jade Mountain Green Water) and the Hainan variety is just straight Kuding (bitter nail).
Turmeric, Nature’s Root of Health
One taste of turmeric and you’ll know why this vivacious root vegetable has been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine to cleanse the liver, reduce arthritic inflammation, and improve energy levels. This powerful plant is a close cousin of ginger and has the same kind of super-concentrated flavor.
Achiote: Ancient Aztec Antioxidant
Achiote, otherwise known by its Aztec name of achiotl, comes from the Annatto tree (Bixa orellana), and is known for the brilliant saffron color its seeds exhibit after the pods split open to reveal their tiny inhabitants. The intense vermilion hue comes from the high concentration of bixin that the annatto seed contains.
Close-up on Green Tea
In China, the most commonly enjoyed tea is definitely green tea. Greens are easy to process, easy to store, and easy to brew – and they have the added benefits of tasting good and improving your health. Also, green tea is a good base for blends with flowers like jasmine, chrysanthemum and osmanthus.
Close-Up on White Tea
White tea is a very special tea because it is very labor intensive in the beginning, when each fuzzy white baby leaf is plucked by hand from the plant. The highest quality white tea is comprised of uniform white leaves only. The descending grades are basically larger or older white leaves and/or white leaves mixed with darker green leaves and stems.
Ho Shou Wu: Should You? Ancient Herb for Longevity and Hair Restoration
Once upon a time, though, ho shou wu was a crucial part of the ancient Chinese apothecary. Its delicate flowers and rapidly vining stalks were a common sight, and it was second only to ginseng in its variety of uses. Ho shou wu was, and still is, used to treat the common ill effects of old age, including appetite loss, sexual dysfunction, and, most interestingly, hair loss.