Oolong tea benefits have been known for centuries in the Orient. The tea has been cultivated and refined to perfection in Taiwan, China and Japan. Oolong, sometimes called WuLong, is taken from the camellia sinensis plant, the source for all true teas. Oolong is different for how it is oxidized or fermented. Its taste and properties lie somewhere between green and black tea.

Oolong tea benefits are similar to those of green tea, though most oolong is oxidized to a greater degree than green tea. It has less of the raw grassy taste of green tea and tends to be a darker brown color with earthier, woody flavors. Some oolongs when less oxidized can tend to have a green tea taste with a flowery flavor. Either way, the benefits of drinking this tea are legendary.

Oolong’s Complex Powerhouse of Polyphenols
Oolong tea benefits are as varied and nuanced as the many varieties of oolong teas. For centuries oolong has been used as a medicine—studied and judged in competitions and festivals like fine wine for all its subtle qualities. The Western world is just beginning to realize what the Asian world has been appreciating for ages.

Taste the distinctive tannin in oolong tea. That is evidence of the complex variety of molecules called polyphenols that come from oxidizing and fermenting oolong. The polyphenols act as antioxidants to eradicate the damaging free radicals that wreak havoc in the body. Scientists have only begun to understand the complex makeup of polyphenols but their benefits are clear.

A Short List of the Long List of Oolong Tea Benefits

• Polyphenols in oolong are known to strengthen enzymes that remove free radicals that cause everything from wrinkles to diabetes to arteriosclerosis.
• Oolong tea is known to promote fat metabolism and to control obesity by activating enzymes that dissolve triglycerides. In China, the tea has been traditionally known to control obesity. More than any other tea it is recognized for increasing resting metabolism.
• Oolong is known for cleansing and promoting digestion.
• Oolong is thought to reduce cholesterol build-up in the bloodstream.
• It is considered a support for the heart.
• It is thought to support and strengthen the immune system.
• It is believed to strengthen bones.
• It is believed to fight tooth decay.
• The tea has long been used in Chinese medicine to improve spleen and kidney energy symptoms.
• The leaves can be brewed many times, improving with each new brewing, unlike other teas.

These benefits are just the start of the many properties offered from this tea, once you start investigating the benefits of oolong tea, you’re sure to find that the benefits may just be too long to list.

When it comes to health, most of us think of fruits and vegetables or laps around the gym until we are tired and sweaty; chances are, we rarely think of seaweed. However, it turns out that kelp is actually one of the healthiest things you can put inside your body. In fact, kelp is called the “miracle plant,” thanks to its healing and therapeutic properties as well as its ability to perform phenomenal acts of wellness.

Kelp’s first talent lies in the fact that it is an ideal source of trace minerals. This means that sprinkling even the smallest amount of kelp on food can provide your body with salt and minerals important to the function of your body. Kelp is also a great source of protein, iodine and iron. All these elements help both the thyroid and blood cells work to the best of their ability while leaving you feeling overall healthy.

When it comes to wellness in kelp, it is ever overachieving because its health benefits are not limited to just the above. It is also rich in Vitamin A, Niacin and Calcium. The iodine and selenium in kelp strengthens the immune system and helps keep your body free of illness. It also helps you heal faster when you are sick. Kelp contains around 1g of fat, 40g of carbohydrates and 7.5g of protein per 100 grams.

The other health benefits of kelp include offsetting malnutrition and mineral deficiencies brought on by poor diet, brain development assistance, and osteoporosis prevention. It’s also beneficial to those who are impotent, anemic and emaciated. Kelp can also help rid the body of toxins by cleansing the insides and help increase metabolism, which aids in both weight loss and weight maintenance. A high metabolism also helps overall health and well being.

Along these lines, kelp can also help dissolve fat through the skin. A kelp wrap, or seaweed wrap, can leave the body looking younger and slimmer. Kelp may also help the body overcome digestion issues and rebuild – as well as maintain – the function of the glands.

As demonstrated above, the benefits of kelp are many. While other things, such as a diet rich in healthy foods and antioxidants as well as a proper exercise routine, can help compound the benefits of kelp. Simply consuming kelp on its own is also an integral step in maintaining your health or healing your body. Kelp is one of the simplest ways to take a step towards a happier, healthier you.

For years now, many of us have been hearing about the benefits of natural remedies. One of the most popular natural remedies in use is in the berry family. From blueberry to strawberry, from raspberry to acai, berries everywhere are basking in the limelight watching as their popularity continues to grow.

Aside from the more common berries such as blueberry, there are many lesser-known beneficial berries. For instance, you might not have heard of the Schisandra berry. Unknown among the Western countries, this berry is extremely popular remedy among the Chinese due to the many benefits that they derived.

In fact, the Chinese have used Schisandra berries as a staple in their diet for centuries.

Among Schisandra berries, many claimed benefits are: preservation of beauty and youthful appearance, increase of stamina and mental clarity, relief of stress and fatigue, protection against liver disorders and anti-depressant qualities.

Nevertheless, Schisandra berry benefits may not stop there. In medical studies, this berry has suggested an ability to fight hepatitis, produce antioxidants, stimulate the nervous system, improve speed and reflexes and make the brain more efficient.

Although it has only been historically recorded that the Chinese use Schisandra berries, it is not the only country in which they grow. Russia and Korea are both homes to Schisandra vines. It is even rumored that some parts of the Eastern US have these vines as well.

Like all herbs, Schisandra berries might not be right for everyone. Please consult your doctor before consuming any botanicals on a regular basis.

When it comes to thinking about beauty products, chances are you think of name brands, lotions and cleansers available at the local drugstore or shampoos and conditioners sold by your hair dresser. Chances are you might be overlooking what’s under the sea.

It turns out that the sea is the birthplace to several beauty products and treatments. A variety of these products help the skin remain fresh and young (no wonder you can never tell a fish’s age), while giving yourself a sense of renewal.

In particular, seaweed, and the products derived from it, has become a bit of a magic serum when it comes to the skin. It is often utilized as a natural spa treatment, in the form of a seaweed rub for rejuvenating skin.

But seaweed is certainly not the only natural spa treatment available. When it comes to beauty, there is an ocean of possibilities, including:

Sea Salts: Sea salts are often derived from the Dead Sea, surrounded by the lowest known area of dry land on our planet. This region produces sea salts that are extremely high in minerals and nutrients. Many cleansers, exfoliating creams and natural spa treatments utilize sea salt as a beauty aide. Using it can help remove dead skin and dead cells, leaving a glowing, younger-looking complexion. It can also help unclog pores and exfoliate your body.

Kelp: Sometimes called seaweed, kelp is another natural spa treatment. Kelp can nourish and nurture your skin. Just using a little bit of kelp can help relax, detoxify, and renew your body. It is typically sold in strips and can be applied as a mask. Using kelp on its own, or with other beauty treatments, is an ideal way to keep your face looking and feeling fresh.

The benefits of seaweed, or kelp, are not limited to the facial area. Full body, or partial body, seaweed wraps may help tone sagging skin. These wraps can also help eliminate or minimize cellulite.

Bladderwrack Powder: Bladderwrack powder refers to a type of seaweed that grows along coastlines all over the planet. It is known to contain a variety of vitamins, minerals and amino acids essential to health. Though it can be ingested, Bladderwrack powder is often used topically and may help to compress and renew the skin. The powder can simply be added to other cleaning agents such as masks and wraps.

Irish Sea Moss: Irish Sea Moss is a type of marine algae found in shallow areas of the ocean. It is well known for soothing respiratory ailments such as mucous membranes, dry coughs, bronchitis and lung problems. Like kelp, bladderwrack powder and sea salts, Irish Sea Moss is also great in helping skin stay young, healthy and blemish free.

Just as many Eastern cultures have embraced the offerings of the land, using roots, herbs and plants for medicinal and everyday purposes, so have Native Americans. In fact, Native American herbs were among some of the most widely and commonly used herbs in the past.

The Native American culture is a culture of creativity bent on finding original ways to use all kinds of things on Earth; it is almost as if no plant goes to waste. They use herbs to make medicines, teas and even insect repellent.

The variety of Native American herbs is as varied as their uses. Each Native American herb serves a specific purpose and engages in a specific job. Here is a taste of the more common Native American herbs and their benefits.

Sage: Native Americans have historically used this herb for nearly every ailment. Sage, from a scientific standpoint, is said to be an antibiotic, antifungal, tonic and antispasmodic.

Sweet Grass: Sweet grass is one of the most commonly used Native American herbs. In fact, many Native Americans believe that sweet grass was the first plant on Earth. It has been used for everything from crafts, to perfume, from ceremonial purposes to eyewash. Medicinally, it has been used for treating windburn and calming nerves, usually before entering a meditative state.

Parsley: Parsley can be used to help make the bladder stronger and decrease blood pressure. It acts as a natural diuretic, flushing out the kidneys. When rubbed against the skin, it may help relieve the itchiness of mosquito and other insect bites.

Thyme: Thyme is an antiseptic used as the main ingredient in mouthwash. Historically, it has been used as an antibiotic (before modern antibiotics came to be) and to aid with infected toenails. It is also great for respiratory diseases by helping to clear the nasal passages while clearing the throat of irritation.

Pepper: No longer the peanut butter to Salt’s jelly, pepper, by itself, is finally getting the accolades it deserves. According to folklore, pepper may aid many ailments, including constipation, earache, insomnia, tooth decay, hernia, lung disease and hoarseness. It is also known for increasing metabolisms, acting as a stimulant and helping the absorption of several key vitamins and minerals.

Chances are, you don’t look longingly at flowers, licking your lips and hoping for a taste; simply put, you are not a giraffe. While eating flowers might not be a common thing among the human population, it turns out that they may actually be good for us, at least their extracts are. This is particularly true for the Hibiscus flower.

The Hibiscus flower is actually not one flower but a combined genus of around 220 floral species. These flowers are grown in naturally warm, subtropical and tropical climates, such as the Caribbean. A variety of these species are known for their exceptional beauty and vivid colors, but they have also received accolades for their other talents.

Using Hibiscus flowers for health their health benefits has become a common practice. These flowers may possess similar benefits to red wine and green tea.

This theory comes from a study conducted in Taiwan, as published by the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.

In this study, researchers divided rats into four different groups and provided them with a variety of diets. One group was controlled, one involved high cholesterol, and two involved high cholesterol with hibiscus flower extract.

After three months, the healths of these rats were assessed. The results showed that the rats that received Hibiscus flower extract had significantly lower cholesterol content and no oxidation of low-density lipoproteins. This suggests Hibiscus flowers may have positive impacts on one’s health.

What this means is that Hibiscus flowers may work with your body the same way wine tannin’s do: to help prevent oxidation and the build up of cholesterol.

Of course, this news is not new, at least not to certain cultures. Some countries have used Hibiscus flowers for health benefits for years. In Jamaica, for instance, Hibiscus flowers are used often in soft drinks and holiday drinks, mixed with other herbs and spices. A Hibiscus flower tea is also consumed in West Africa, the Middle East, India and Brazil.

The Hibiscus flower itself contains a lot of Vitamin C and acts as a natural diuretic. In folk medicine, the leaves have been used to treat high blood pressure and liver ailments.

Hibiscus flowers are just one more healthy food to add to your diet and you don’t need to be a giraffe to do so.

In 1513, Juan Ponce de Leon set out to find the Fountain of Youth, a legendary spring that could keep people from aging. What he found instead was Florida. Nevertheless, his quest is one that still exists today. Though most of us do not take the extreme measures of de Leon, we still want to know the secret of youth. One of these secrets is vegetable glycerin.

Vegetable glycerin is a type of compound derived from vegetable oil, most often coconut or palm. It is very easy to produce which makes it a common compound in all kinds of things including food, hair care products and makeup.

Depending on its use, vegetable glycerin has many benefits. The following are just a few:

Skin Care: When it comes to skin, the anti-aging properties of vegetable glycerin really shine. Vegetable glycerin retains moisture so effectively because it draws oxygen into the skin while keeping it moisturized and free from irritants. Both these elements work together to keep skin young and healthy.

Skin Conditions: For people who suffer from skin conditions, such as psoriasis or eczema, vegetable glycerin is often used for its healing properties. It is very pure, simple, and full of antibacterial qualities.

Hair Care: Extremely versatile, vegetable glycerin can be used for hair care. It is ideal for people who suffer from breaking, dry, flaking, or brittle hair. It both moisturizes the hair and strengthens the roots.

Food and Drink: Vegetable glycerin is a member of the carbohydrate family. Despite this, it can be ingested by diabetics and people on insulin. It is used frequently as both a natural sweetener and a preservative.

Homeopathic Remedies: Vegetable glycerin is often successfully used in herbal remedies. It is not only an effective solvent, but its sweet taste can replace the bitterness of many other herbal remedies.

Vegetable glycerin is one of the most commonly used compounds on Earth. Though it can be used as everything from a sweetener to a supplement, its best quality is its ability to help people stay young. It might not be the actual Fountain of Youth, but it’s the next best thing.

Do you love the smell of lavender? You’re not alone. Its easy to absolutely love it. In fact, lavender has been cultivated and used for centuries by all different cultures. Did you know that dried lavender flowers have become the most popular aromatic herb?

Dried lavender holds many different benefits besides smelling so pleasant. Dried lavender flowers are often added to culinary dishes, made into relaxing teas, crafted into an essential oil as a bathwater or applied in small amounts as a skin lotion. It isn’t uncommon to see it added to pillow cases, garment drawers or homemade potpourri for its aroma or added to water and sprayed directly into the air.

Dried lavender has also been used throughout the years as a means of preventing common childhood infections or as a way to soothe temper tantrums in children. However, after all these years, lavender is still a common method for treating burns, eczema, grazes, cuts, inflammation, dermatitis, headaches, migraines, fainting, nausea, insomnia, bacterial infections, and boils.

We also cannot forget about the calming effect of lavender. Both humans and animals experience a relaxing, sedative effect when inhaling the sweet smell of dried lavender. It is similar to the calming effects of geranium and peppermint plants. This is why these aromatic herbs are favored for a variety of uses ranging from an aid for depression and sleep disorders to helping with premenstrual syndrome. Starwest offers organic lavender dryer bags that bring a relaxing and soothing scent into your home.

Lavender is such a versatile herb that is also can be used for cooking. Many upscale restaurants add dried lavender flowers as a way to add a unique flavor to their dishes. Lavender flowers are a member of the mint family and its wonderful flavor and appearance enhance even the most delicious meals.

Lavender is best used in combination with other herbs, like fennel, oregano and savory. It can also be added with other mint herbs such as rosemary, sage and thyme. Be warned, however, that lavender has an extremely powerful aroma. Try to use it sparingly or your recipe will have a bitter taste. Basically, it will feel like you are eating a meal of perfume.

Beauty and bath products made with dried lavender flowers are used for external purposes only. They make a wonderful gift no matter what the occasion may be for someone close or even as a way to spoil yourself. Next time, you’re looking for that perfect way to spend a relaxing afternoon, don’t forget to bring the lavender.

Generally speaking, a tincture is a solution that uses alcohol as the extract. Many people are making tinctures with alcohol and glycerin, and have been used in traditional and alternative medicine practices. Herbal tinctures offer a popular way to use dried herbs and spices for many health purposes. They are easy to make as well.

Tinctures were used historically to preserve the potency of herbal medications. Although dried herbs can lose potency over time, alcohol-based herbal tinctures enjoy a longer shelf life.

Make Your Own Herbal Tinctures

For the simplest method for making natural tinctures, take a clean glass jar and place your dried herbs of which you want to make a solution in it. Cover it with alcohol or glycerin, cover it tightly with a lid, and let it stand in a cool, dark place for fourteen to twenty-one days. The jar should be shaken each day. After the essence of the herb has been extracted into the alcohol or glycerin, you can strain the herbs out of the solution, and pour it into a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid.

Alcohol with a high alcoholic content, such as vodka or rum, were often used for making tinctures, but the use of alcohol is not mandatory for making natural tinctures. You can substitute glycerin for a non-alcoholic version with good results.

Tinctures should not be confused with infusions. Infusions are created with a water or oil base, to which herbs are added and processed in much the same way as a tincture using alcohol or glycerin. In this instance, making a cup of tea would be a way of creating an infusion, because the herbal essence is extracted from the plant by the hot water.

For additional information on making herbal tinctures, please enjoy this video presentation from Brigitte Mars.

You can find all of the dried herbs and spices you need for making natural tinctures, as well as vegetable glycerin, and tincture bottles in amber or cobalt available from Starwest.

Many people are concerned about the number and kinds of chemicals used in ordinary, everyday products that you use on your body on a regular basis. Synthetic chemicals can be found in toothpastes, shampoos and body lotions. If you are one of those people who have allergies to certain chemicals, it can be challenging finding personal care products such as body lotion that can work well for you and not cause itching or rashes on your skin. It is fairly easy to create your own organic body lotion, however. When you make personal care products for your own use, you know exactly what the ingredients are, and can avoid those to which you are allergic. Even if you do not have allergies, it is a healthier choice to avoid chemicals and use natural and organic products that, after being applied to the skin, will sink in and enter your body.

For how to make your own natural lotion, you can start by taking a cup of olive oil, and mixing it with an ounce of bees’ wax over low heat on the stovetop. Mix until the wax melts, and then pour the mixture into clean jars. Another recipe is to place a pan on low heat, then add a half cup of olive oil, a half cup of jojoba oil, which works as a carrier oil for essential oils, plus a half ounce of cocoa butter and the same amount of bees’ wax. After the mixture has melted, you can stir in a 1/2 cup Shea butter, plus several drops of rose and sandalwood essential oils for a first-rate scented body lotion. These lotions can be stored in the refrigerator to extend their shelf life.

There are other recipes to make organic body lotion. You can use olive oil and add a teaspoon beeswax with 2 teaspoons steric acid and heat over low heat until it has melted. In a separate pot put a 1/2 cup water with 1/2 teaspoon Borax soap and heat to boiling. Take both off the heat and, using an electric hand mixer, beat the oil mixture into the water mixture, mixing until the combination has cooled. When cool, carrier oil and essential oils may be added at your discretion. You can store this in a clean jar in the refrigerator to prevent bacteria buildup.