A recent study published in the July edition of the journal Cancer Prevention Research suggests that the  polyphenols found in Green Tea may prevent the cell damage that leads to cancer development and progression.

A clinical trial conducted in Italy with 26 participants showed that the consumption of green tea helped lower the likelihood that prostate cancer would develop over the course of the 1 year study.

So why not incorporate some green tea into your daily routine?  We have some great tasting green teas including a Strawberry Green Tea that is packed with polyphenols including ECGC.  This one is especially tasty as an iced tea too!

Well its not everyday that a mega gaming corporation and a big name game publisher decide to join forces and release a game with a tea fighting superhero, but that’s exactly what they did with Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure for the Nintendo DS.

Now I must admit that I have played many games in my day, and we even own a Nintendo Wii, along with a sweet guitar (yes I *am* your guitar hero) but this announcement caught me by suprise.  Henry Hatsworth is described as a “quirky, light-hearted character” who you help explore five different worlds and fight a variety of opponents over thirty different levels. Puzzle-related challenges will be displayed on one screen, while more action-based activities will take place on the other – with the user able to switch between both at will.

The Power of Tea Time

Okay so get this- Henry Hatworth (being the English tea fan that he is) is able to transform into a super hero robot with the sip of tea.  Side note: Some days I feel like I really need a second cup of Organic Kama Sutra Chai Tea but somehow I’m still not in a mood to strap on a utility belt, hop in my teamobile and fight crime …bravo Henry!

The key to Tea Time – Filling the Super Meter
If you run out of silver hearts, you can refill the super meter by making matches in the Puzzle Realm. Refill it once (it turns green- think Japanese Green Tea) to gain additional silver hearts, and make Hatsworth younger.  If you fill the super meter again when Hatsworth is young, (the meter turns yellow- much like a nicely infused cup of Pai Mu Tan Tea) watch out because it’s Tea Time!

When you see the tea cup icon on the screen touch it (with the stylus) to activate Tea Time!  Hatsworth dons his robot suit for a limited amount of time granting him super moves to fight the evil doers.

I’m actually really excited about trying this game out, not only because its starring a wickedly cool looking English gentleman that hulks up on a good ol cup o tea, but because of the meshing of two different types of genres- adventure and puzzle games (two of my favs). 

Check out EA’s official site for more information on Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure

If I were a crayon, I would want to be a green one. Green is my favourite colour… There is just something about it…

There are so many things that are green and great!

Mike Wazowski  from Monsters Inc, for example… He is pretty awesome, with his one big eyeball and little stick arms and legs… What’s not to love?

Of course, you also have green M&M’s and apparently there is something ‘a little bit different’ about them.

One of my favourite green pals that I have loved since my childhood is Kermit the Frog… Also, the best colour in the world – green! As he would say, “It aint easy bein’ green…”

I agree with him, it probably isn’t easy being green…unless of course, you are Green Tea.

Green Tea – Also Green. Also Great. But what makes green tea green? And what makes green tea stand out from the rest?

All teas – come from the same plant, the key difference is in the processing of the tea leaves. Green tea is made by drying the tea leaves, but not allowing them to oxidize, as is the case with black tea. This is what makes green tea, green. This processing, or lack thereof, gives green tea a lighter flavour and colour to be sure, but it also gives it something else that is vitally important… our little friends called polyphenols. The less processed the tea is, the more beneficial it is to your health, because the polyphenols remain in-tact. Polyphenols are the antioxidant compounds found in tea. The high amount of these polyphenols in green tea, is what makes green tea so great! Green tea has been consumed for years. It is an ancient “cup o’ healing”… and now that it is being put to the test in modern times, we can see why it was, and remains, such a popular beverage for one’s health.

The polyphenols in green tea have been proven to:

• Help lower cholesterol levels

• Help lower blood pressure

• Help fight certain types of cancers

• Help with certain skin conditions

• Help prevent food allergies

• Help reduce weight

• Help prevent the aging process…

The list goes on… and I will share more benefits (with evidence) in later blog entries.

There are many different types of green tea, and each has a unique flavour.

The strongest tasting green tea that I have tried is Gunpowder Green Tea. The tea leaves are usually rolled up into tight tiny balls that originally served the purpose of keeping the tea fresh when it was being exported to Europe from China.

Bancha Green Tea is your everyday green tea. It has a slightly astringent taste, being made up of mature tea leaves.

Genmaicha Green Tea has a unique nutty flavour to it because it is usually made by combining bancha

and brown rice and roasting it.

The most sweet tasting green tea that I have tried is Sencha Green Tea. It is a more delicate leafed green tea and a favourite for many people. The best example of this that we offer, is Sencha Kyoto Cherry Rose. A very yummy blend. 

Green Tea… Just one more thing that is great about the colour green.

An article released by the AP is now claiming that obesity is ’socially contagious’. It kinda surprised me that even those who lived far far away from each other but had close relationships still gained mucho weight. Personally I think that lifestyle has a lot to do with it- if all your friends (or rather the majority) are Twinkie-eating, movie watching aficionados then my bet is that you’d prefer to partake in their activities, if no other reason than to be in their company.

On the other hand, if you’re naturally a Twinkie/movie fan and susceptible to gorging yourself in the aforementioned and you happen to have friends that are more active then chances are you might not participate in those activities as much as you might like. Introducing a few healthy options (more greens, smaller portions, no trans fat, green tea rather than coffee, etc) is a great start to decreasing your chance of hanging with the ‘wrong crowd’, and might even help you change some ‘bad habits’ from those you care about the most.

The full article can be found at [Forbes Online]