Terre Pruitt's Blog

In the realm of health, wellness, fitness, and the like, or whatever inspires me.

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Posts Tagged ‘green tea’

My List Of Foods Containing Quercetin

Posted by terrepruitt on August 30, 2014

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia at the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Zumba, PiYo, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classesI was looking in a catalog of supplements . . . one of my Nia students gave it to me after class.  We didn’t even have a chance to discuss it because she handed it to me as she was leaving, so I didn’t even realize it was a catalog of supplements until I flipped through it and saw every other page was an advertisement for a supplement.  Anyway . . . it had an article in it about the flavonoid, quercetin.  It reminded me of the information stating that it has been proven to be an anti-inflammatory and an antihistamine.  Since I primarily mention eating onions, apples, and citrus fruit in my two posts, An Apple a Day and Allergy Relief, I thought I would look up some information regarding what other foods contain this interesting plant component.  I found two sites with the same list.  I went through the list and found the things that I eat or would eat.  Some of the foods listed I didn’t even know what they were, such as Bog wortleberries, dock leaves, and lovage leaves.  Some I wouldn’t eat because they are peppers, such as ancho peppers and hot green chili peppers.  But I would eat some of the items listed.  I DO eat some of the items listed.  I could increase my consumption of some of them.

Here is my list.

Food Chart

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia at the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Zumba, PiYo, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classesThis is a food chart showing fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains rich in quercetin.
mg/100 g.
Apple, raw with skin        4.42
Apricot, raw                    2.55
Blueberries, raw             3.11
Broccoli, cooked            1.06
Broccoli, raw                  3.21
Butterhead lettuce         1.19
Cherries, raw                 1.25
Cherry tomatoes, raw     2.77
Green beans, raw           2.73
Kale, raw                        7.71
Plums, raw                     1.20
Red grapes                    3.54
Red onion, raw             19.93
Spinach, raw                  4.86
Tea, black brewed          2.07
Tea, decaf brewed         2.84
Tea, decaf green brewed    2.77
Tea, green brewed         2.69
White sweet onion, raw      5.19

I love apples.  I could easily eat more of those.  I don’t experience apricots that much, but I like them ok.  I think you know how I feel about blueberries, but I did discover I like them in a green smoothie.  I LOVE cherries!  Not so sure about eating green beans raw, but I just had kale in a green smoothie this past week.  I have received plums and grapes in my produce box.  But I don’t eat them often.  I eat onions pretty much every day in a green salad.  It is good to know that quercetin is in tea.

So what about you?  Do you know what a Bog wortleberry is?  It has a lot of quercetin in it but not as much as canned capers or dock leaves.  Since I don’t know what dock leaves are I don’t know if you would eat a 100 grams of them, but I can’t imagine someone eating 100 grams of capers.  So, I guess it is good that they have so much quercetin in them.  You can still get some from a smaller amount.

I am sure there are a lot of people who eat a lot more than is on my list.  The peppers alone.  I know many people who love peppers.  Anything on my list that you eat?  Anything you might think of increasing consumption of?  What about the full list? 

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Chai Tea Latte For Me

Posted by terrepruitt on April 2, 2013

So in my post Venting Gets Me Good I explain how my complaint about Starbucks’ Chai Tea Latte landed me a great Chai Tea recipe AND cardamom, one of the spices used to make it.  Well, the original recipe calls for “pinches’ which didn’t seem like enough to me and is difficult to translate in a recipe.  So I decided that a pinch would be about an 1/8 of a teaspoon.  I felt that made a bit of a weak tea.  So I have increased the measurements and changed the water to milk ratio.  Also, lately when I have been in the mood to make this tea and have actually had the time and the milk I have not had fresh ginger so I have been using ground ginger.  It works for me and I am not left chewing on ginger.  While my fabulous Nia friend who gave me the recipe pointed out I could use a tea strainer to get out the ginger and the cloves, one reason I like to drink the tea is to drink the ginger and get the benefits from it.

Like many recipes SOMEONE has to have created it.  Then others morph it into what works for them.  I keep telling one of my friends about this recipe and that I made adjustments.  She seems excited to try it so she says, “And you put the adjustments on your blog?”  I had not so that makes it difficult for her to make the tea with my adjustments when I have not noted them.  So I decided to do it.  Plus it helps me.  I use my blog as my recipe book and when I have to keep remember to adjust it is not as helpful as when the measurements are just documented accurately.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia at the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, ZumbaHere is the recipe I have been using and I think it is very lovely.

Terre’s Favorite Chai Tea Latte:

2 cups of water
2 tea green bags
10 cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 (heaping) tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 cups milk

Boil the water then add the tea bags.  Let simmer for a few minutes.  (Here is where you decide how long according to how strong you like your tea).  Squeeze out the tea bags and remove them from sauce pan (or whatever you are using to make the tea). Then add all the spices.  Allow it to sit and simmer a bit.  Then add the milk and let it simmer gently.  Add sweetener of your choice. Serve and enjoy!

The original recipe said to use “2 tea bags (black, green, redbush, etc.)” so I it seems you can use whatever you like.  If green does not agree with you, then don’t use it.

I think this makes a very yummy tea.  And I call it Chai because that is what the recipe said when I first got it.  One thing I do like to do while drinking this tea is stir often.  I want to drink the spices and get their flavor.  When all the spices end up at the bottom of the mug it is not as flavorful a cup of tea.  Plus in order to get the benefits from the spices you need to drink them.

One day when I tweeted out that I was making Chai someone responded that she makes it every day and she adds fennel.  I have yet to try that.  I don’t see why you can’t add anything you want.  This is just a starting place . . . .

So . . . . . tell me what you think?  Do you like it?  What changes did YOU make to make it “Chai Tea Latte For You”?

Posted in "Recipes" | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

Venting Gets Me Good

Posted by terrepruitt on January 31, 2013

I go to Starbucks when I have a gift card.  I like Starbucks Chai Tea Lattes.  When I first started getting them they were almost too spicy for me.  Then they seemed to change a bit.  They got less flavorful.  Then one time I got one at a store I don’t normally frequent and I thought my teeth were going to fall out.  It was soooooo sweet.  Yes, I know that the fancy drinks at Starbucks and other coffee houses are a huge source of sugar.  That is ONE reason why I don’t buy them.  I DO have them on occasion when I am blessed with receiving a gift card.  To me they are a nice treat.  But this one hurt my teeth and my stomach.  I chalked it up to this store making them different.  But then I went to the store I usually go to and it was the same thing.  Ugh.  I posted a Facebook status asking if they had changed their recipe.  I know places and manufacturers do that all the time.  One of the responses I received was to make my own Chai.  The response even included the recipe.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia at the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, ZumbaA few days after that I was in the grocery store and I actually remembered while I was in the spice aisle that I needed cardamom to make the chai.  I looked and looked and when I finally found it I almost choked.  It was $12.99.  I didn’t realize it was that expensive.

So, again, I posted on Facebook, I said that I would stick to using my gift cards at Starbucks instead of spend $13.00.  And again the replies were awesome.  People near and far reminded me that I live in an area rich with many cultures and that I could find cardamom at Indian Spice stores.  The major benefits to that would be that it would be cheaper and more than likely better.

But before I could remember to get to a store one of my amazing friends brought me a little box of it.  She is awesome like that.  She frequents an affordable spice shop so she picked me up some.

Here is the recipe that Danielle Woermann (a Nia Black Belt) posted for me on Facebook.  I am unaware of where she got it.

Masala Chai. Serves four.

Boil 3 cups (.7 liters) of water with
4 cloves
2 pinches ground nutmeg
2 pinches ground cinnamon
2 pinches ground cardamom
1/2 inch (1.27 cm) piece of grated fresh ginger

Add 2 tea bags (black, green, redbush, etc.) and simmer for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup (.2 liters) almond milk or milk of your choice, and heat until hot, but not boiling. Add sweetener of your choice. Serve and enjoy!

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia at the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, ZumbaI decided to measure my “pinches” so that I could have a more accurate measure and adjust accordingly.  I used an 1/8 of a teaspoon as a “pinch”.  I think that I need to work on it a bit.  Either the person doing the pinching who created this recipe has REALLY LARGE pinches or they like a more mellow tea.  I think that this might be really good if I made it ahead of time and let all the flavors really seep into the water.  The time that is stated in the recipe didn’t seem to do that.  Also it does help if, when you are drinking it, you actually get some of the spices in your mouth . . . . which also makes for an oddly textured and a bit chewy tea.  But I’m ok with that.

I think I might experiment with chopping the ginger.  For some reason I don’t might little tiny chunks of fresh ginger as opposed to what came off my grater . . . . it was odd.

That is a GREAT thing about recipes though, right?  I love to try them the way they are then adjust them to my tastes.  Maybe this is one that you can make and enjoy — either adjusting or not.

Do you like Chai Tea?  Do you have a recipe?  Doesn’t this one sound yummy?

Posted in "Recipes" | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments »

Healthful Teas Can Be Yummy

Posted by terrepruitt on March 13, 2012

Dance Exercies, Nia, Nia Campbell, Campbell Nia, Nia classes in Campbell, evening Nia, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, NiaI like tea.  Do you like tea?  I like to have tea to warm me up during the day when I don’t want to have caffeine or when I don’t want to just make a hot cup of spices.  I also drink it at night for the same reason.  Herb tea in itself is said to be good for you.  Green tea is supposed to have all kinds of benefits.  I like tea and I do believe that herbal tea has benefits depending on what herb you are drinking.  Echinacea tea would fall into that category. For instance I whole heartedly believe in Echinacea being helpful when you feel you might be catching a cold.  I believe it can help you not get the cold or help make it less severe.  In the same vein I think it can help you get better faster if you are sick.  Echinacea is one of those herbs that helps with immune systems.  Whenever my husband mumbles he is not feeling well, I make sure he has a cup of Echinacea tea. I also tend to believe in the teas that claim to help with certain things (help you sleep, boost your immue system, etc).

Last October we used up the last of our Echinacea tea.  Funny I remember when it was exactly because the studio I teach Nia at had just moved.  I found myself looking around the new area one day in November.  Normally I wouldn’t remember when I bought tea but this I remember.  I wandered into a health food store.  They had a large selection of herbal tea.  My friend and I had just been having a conversation about green teas so I was looking for green teas. I wanted something to replace my Echinacea tea.  There were two I could not decide between.  But then I spotted another one and wanted that.  So I ended up getting Green Tea Triple Echinacea and a Green Tea “Super Antioxidant”.  Not sure I believe that one, but I did believe it was green tea and thought, “Well, what the heck.”

Well, they taste green.  If you are conscious of green taste you know what I mean.  I don’t think my other Echinacea tea was green tea because it didn’t taste like green.  They are ok, I like them but I kind of just save them for when I think I need them.  When I want a yummy cup of tea they are not what I think of.  Plus they have caffeine.

Not all herb tea is decaffeinated.  Green tea has caffeine.  So if you are not drinking coffee because you don’t want the caffeine and you are drinking green tea instead, you you could still be getting caffeine.  Unless it says it is decaffeinated it has caffeine.  Sometimes I don’t mind the caffeine, in fact I will drink it because of the caffeine.  But lately it has been cold here at night and I don’t want the caffeine at night.  I wanted some decaffeinated tea.  While I was buying my calcium I clicked on their tea section and found some interesting looking tea.  It is Echinacea Immune Support.  It was on sale so I took a chance.  Ahhhhh!  I am so glad I did.

Dance Exercies, Nia, Nia Campbell, Campbell Nia, Nia classes in Campbell, evening Nia, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, NiaIt has Echinacea root and Cinnamon Bark in it.  Also Cardamom Seed, Rose Hip, Ginger Root, and Elderberry Extract among other things.  This is not a green tea, but it has other things I like, for instance a yummy taste.  It is really good.  This tea is one that I think of drinking when I want to have a warm cozy cup of tea.  The moment I ripped open the little package I was intrigued by the delicious smell.

Echinacea is good for fighting colds.  Cinnamon and cardamom are anti-inflammatory spices.  Rose hips is high in Vitamin C so it has anti-oxidants.  Ginger can help with chronic inflammation and digestion.  And I just learned about Elderberry being an immune system boost.  So, with all the ingredients in here that I am familiar with I can concede its claim to be Immune Support.  Even if not, it is a good cup of tea.

Do you drink tea?  Do you drink herb tea?  Do you drink herb tea for health benefits?  What is your favorite tea? 

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Natural Appetite Suppressants

Posted by terrepruitt on January 31, 2012

Almonds – They have everything good in a meal; carbohydrates, fiber, fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals.  If you don’t have a nut allergy they are a great snack.

Water –  If you drink water you feel full.  In fact research has stated that sometimes the body indicates dehydration as hunger.  So it could be that you are not really hungry but dehydrated and in need of water.

Ginger – Is also an appetite suppressant.  Not only does it help suppress, but as mentioned on my blog before it helps with digestion once you do eat.

Avocado – Studies have shown that the body converts an acid contained in the avocado to a hormone that increases the feeling of satiety and fullness. But just as with almonds they do contain a high amount of fat so the key is still moderation.

Coffee – The caffeine, coffee stimulates the central nervous system and can suppresses the appetite.  Suppressing the appetite yet drinking  a lot of cream and sugar might not give you the result you want, so black coffee could be the answer.  Don’t drink too much because then you could get jittery AND hungry!  

Apples – With the fiber and the bulk an apple can help fill you up and help with regulating your system.

Sweet Potatoes – As a complex carbohydrate a sweet potato can give you the feeling of fullness and sustained energy.

Tofu – Studies have shown that the hormone peptide is an appetite suppressant. Tofu is a great source of protein and it is protein that is responsible for the release of this hormone.  Helps explain why a breakfast with protein keeps you feeling full longer than one just full of simple carbohydrates. 

Wasabi – Some say spicy foods make you feel full.  If you like hot and spicy you can be the judge.

Green Tea – Research has proven that green tea helps you feel full.  As with all of these listed, it really is up to you and what you think, but I am sure you have heard about the other benefits of green tea with its anti-oxidants.  Remember unless you get decaffeinated green tea, it does have caffeine.
 
Oatmeal – Slow cook oatmeal has a lot of fiber.  Fiber helps you feel full and stay full.

Green leafy veggies –  With leafy greens it is fiber and the fact that you can eat a lot and actually GET full!  So leafy greens actually fill you AND suppress the appetite.

Salmon – Salmon has Omega 3, fat helps you feel full.  It also has protein. 

Flax Seeds – Omega 3 and fiber.  A winning combination.

Cinnamon – Since cinnamon helps stabilize blood sugar and there is a link between hunger and blood sugar levels, it is logical that cinnamon would help suppress or at least help stabilize the feeling of being hungry or full.

Pine Nuts – Remember, we have already said that protein helps suppress the appetite, well, Pine nuts contain the highest amount of protein of any nut or seed. They also affect the hormones that work to signal the brain that you’re no longer hungry.

Some of these can be eaten as a snack in between meals to help you from being too hungry and maybe eating something unhealthy.  Or then can be added to a meal to help you feel more satisfied and stay full longer.  Or you can combine them to help you keep from in between meal snacking. 

You can add wasabi to your salmon.  Throw some flax seeds, pine nuts, or almonds on your leafy greens.  Sprinkle some cinnamon in your coffee.  Add some ginger to your water.  Apple in your oatmeal.  Avocado and tofu?  Either way you have some health natural ways to suppress your appetite and/or keeping you feeling full and satisfied.  What do you think?

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A Spicy Hot Drink – Make It Youself

Posted by terrepruitt on January 24, 2012

Dance Exercise, Nia class, Nia teacher, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, dance workout, cardio danceThe Nia Class on Friday that I teach is at a studio that recently re-located from Los Gatos to San Jose.  Being in a newish area I found myself dropping by a store I don’t normally frequent.  I ended up buying some tea.  I know that green tea is supposed to be good for you and I found myself liking Chai, so I was happy to find some Green Tea Chai.  Gently spiced with cinnamon and anise.  The box also makes statements about ginger, cardamom, and licorice.  I thought it just HAD to be good.  I had just purchased some honey from a local bee keeper and I was so excited to try the honey with this tea.  I came home and made a cup.  I was very disappointed.  It didn’t taste like anything, except the honey itself (which is fantastic, by the way!).  It didn’t have a flavor that I could detect at all.  I had been thinking that along with some of the benefits from green tea, I would be getting benefits from the cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom, and I would also get some flavor.  With all of that in the tea I thought there would be something.  Maybe I clearly didn’t see the “gently spiced”.  But I was disappointed.

I thought I would try spicing it up myself.  So I added my own ginger, cinnamon, and I even added nutmeg.  I figured that I would be able to reap the benefits of the spices if I put them directly in my tea.  I ended up making a pretty tasty beverage.  I would imagine that I could add my own spices to hot water and make any type of “tea” I want.  I know it shouldn’t really be called tea as tea is make with actually leaves from a plant and not just spices.  All I need to know is it tastes good and it helps keep me warm (it has been a bit cold around here lately). 

And, as I said, I can get the benefits from some of the spices.  Granted the spices do tend to sink to the bottom of the mug in a wet pile, but if you keep it stirred you actually drink them.  That would be the point—to drink them.

One day, I grabbed the cayenne pepper instead of cinnamon — and you frequent readers must know — I DO NOT tolerate spice at all.  I don’t like heat.  I made a really spicy hot concoction.  I saved it for my hubby, because it didn’t TASTE bad it was just to hot for me and I thought he would like it.  He did.  So I guess I can make him some spicy hot beverages too.

As a reminder, ginger is an anti-inflammatory, so it is good for the body to help keep chronic inflammation at bay.  It also has some nutrients and is used as a digestive aid.  I usually use the powdered kind for my tea, but when I have the actual root I toss a little piece in my mug.

Cinnamon is also an anti-inflammatory food.  I have thought to add it to my coffee before and as stated in this post, my tea, but now I will just start making a spice hot water mix.  Cinnamon is also consider a digestive aid.  So why not just add some spices to some hot water and see what you come up with? Or add it to your coffee or tea? 

Honey and lemon are common things to put in hot water, I think I will try that with some of my spices.  Get the whole shebang.  Warmth, water, lemon, spices . . . sound like a winner to me.  How about you?  Spices to drink?

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