Healthy Habits: Drinking Tea, part 1

My last months of living in Des Moines included a morning off as mommy once a week. I haunted the back corner of a tea house near the capitol building for some peace, enjoyment, time to read and pray. The whole atmosphere was serene and relaxing and I love being someplace where the workers were informative experts--it's a treat in this day of untrained customer service workers. Those men knew tea. There wasn't a coffee pot in sight and no tea bags either. The owners traveled the Eastern world purchasing high quality tea. They served tea in the traditional way of the country from which they purchased the tea. And somehow they landed in Des Moines, opening a tea house they call Gong Fu Tea. From those two guys, I learned to love good tea. I learned how to serve it too for best flavor and someday I hope one of my visits to Des Moines corresponds with one of their tea tasting evening.

Now I am a tea snob. I dislike most bag teas and prefer the subtle nuances of green and white teas. But most people, including the workers at coffeehouses know little to nothing about tea. They think: add hot water, wait, drink.

But first thing first: a little information. Most research suggests that green and white tea are nutritionally superior to the traditional black teas served in the West (Constant Comment, Earl Grey, English Breakfast, etc. ). Black tea is higher in caffeine and lower in antioxidants. In flavor, properly prepared green and white teas are lighter, more subtle than the stronger black teas. Green and white tea do not go through any fermentation. White tea is oxidized only slightly during a short drying time. Green tea is oxidized slightly more and roasted in a pan. Research and common sense indicate that the less processed white tea has the highest concentration of antioxidants*. Both white tea and green tea have been linked (not conclusively)with lowering cholesterol, lowering blood pressure, strengthening bones, and killing viruses and bacteria, including those that cause tooth decay.

But you say, the green tea I have tried was bitter and unpleasant. Here's probably why. Most green and white tea have a precise method of preparation that manufacturers fail to share and that servers never know. First, heat your water to boiling and then let it cool to around 185-195. Pour it over the tea leaves or bag. Second, don't leave that bag in for a long soak, remove the tea leaves in about three minutes (and most of the time you can get a second and third use out of them), remove white tea leaves after two minutes. Hotter water will increase caffeine content and bitterness.

Now, make a cup of your favorite tea. Sit down and relax. I know it will make you feel better.

* For those who love to get technical: Antioxidant is a word that is thrown around the health community as if we all remember chemistry well. I don't remember my chemistry so I briefly researched this morning. First, remember that a molecule is most stable if all the electrons have a partner. An antioxidant is a molecule that can prevent the oxidation of other cells. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that can cause electron transfer, sometimes resulting in free radicals. Free radicals are molecules with an unpaired electron and as such can cause chain reactions within our cells that result in damage to other cells. Antioxidants stabilize free radicals and sometimes repair damaged cells. Oxidation is naturally occurring process in our body so we need a healthy amount of antioxidants to maintain health. It seems, though not conclusively, that as we age our ability to stabilize oxidation decreases, resulting in more health problems. Research indicates that antioxidants may be the key to postponing or stopping health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, macular degeneration, and even cancer. The best source of antioxidants is to eat a colorful array of fruits and vegetables daily.

Healthy Habits: Taco seasoning

Do you buy those little packets of taco seasoning when you want to have tacos? We used to, then allergies hit and I needed a new way of making taco meat. Making your own seasoning is so easy. And all the ingredients are probably on hand. There are no preservatives, anti-caking compounds or other ingredients you haven't heard of. Here's the recipe I use. It's from somewhere out there in cyberspace, a result of a google search. I'll pretend that I am not breaking a major law in the world of writers here and share the recipe anyway because maybe the idea of a healthy seasoning is appealing to you. This recipe will season one pound of ground meat. We use turkey a lot, but beef tastes better to me. And I use leaf oregano.

1 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp each cumin, garlic powder, paprika, powered oregano, sugar

1/2 tsp salt


Add spices to 1/4 cup of water, add to cooked meat. If meat is too dry, add more water.

Wa-la. If you have chopped up all the other ingredients, gotten out the salsa and sour cream, and set the table, then you are ready for tacos!

To be far and accurate, I did a little research. ( Complete aside: did you know that General Mills owns Old El Paso and more surprisingly the organic brands Cascadian Farms and Muir Glen?)The Old El Paso original taco seasoning mix does have msg, anti-caking agents, and partially hydrogenated oils in it, plus 24% of daily sodium. The serving size was the amount of mix to make two tacos. McCormick brand was better---no msg, no anti-caking agents, and no oils, and 18% of sodium, but McCormick's had milk proteins in it, so it still wouldn't work in this family. I would definitely pay the extra for McCormick if I didn't have to make my own seasoning. Let me know if try out the seasoning mix.

Healthy Habits: Pasta substitute

Because healthy eating is so important and because God has arranged my life so that I am constantly learning healthy facts and hoping to develop healthy habits, I decided to share ideas for simple ways to be healthy. My ideas are not originals, just a processing of lots of info into a form you can use. I am going to try and post this Healthy Habits entry once a week or so. Of course, I try to post Tidbits once a week and that hasn't happened. I'll work on it.

I hate squash. Raw zucchini is tolerable. And pureed winter squash makes a good healthy substitute for ricotta cheese in a lasagna, but I generally avoid squash. Spaghetti squash though. Yum. The texture is different from the other squashes. And it fascinates me to watch this pumpkin-like thing turn into noodle strands without effort. Almost as cool as a pomegranate.

Why eat squash? If you don't dose it in butter and brown sugar it is low calories and high in fiber. That means you will feel full longer and it might help your bowel movements if that's an issue.

Here's a favorite thing to do for an easy dinner. Buy a spaghetti squash, cut it in half lengthwise. Remove the pulp and the seeds. Put the halves in a baking pan with about 1/2 cup of water. Bake in oven for 30-40 minutes or microwave for 8-9 until soft. Let cool a little, then scrap out the squash. It will come out in cool spaghetti-like strips. Serve with your favorite spaghetti sauce. Everyone in my family will eat this meal. I can feed all four us with one medium size squash. You can also cook the spaghetti squash whole which can be easier than trying to get a knife through a hard squash, but it takes all day in a slow cooker( with a little water) or an hour in the oven at 400. Make certain to pierce the rind in a few places so you don't get any explosions. And don't burn yourself removing the seeds and pulp. I usually cut my squash in half prior to baking, though sometimes I need T's help.

And for your info, apparently winter squash is the most nutritious member of the squash family. It's high in potassium, beta-carotene and vitamin A. And a squash is really a fruit though most nutritionists label it a starchy vegetable. So how do you cook squash? What I really mean is does anyone eat squash without smothering it in butter and brown sugar? Happy eating.