Saturday, April 17, 2010

Is There a Tea With More Health Benefits Than Green Tea?

I began drinking Green Tea about 6 years ago because it seemed everywhere I looked there was some kind of article, TV commercial, or scientific study talking about the benefits of Green Tea and how people in Eastern countries who consume it on a regular basis live longer and healthier lives on average than people in Western countries. This got me wondering what all the hype was about so I did a lot of research online to see what the benefits of Green Tea were and I was pleasantly surprised. It has been known to reduce cardiovascular disease, boost the immune system, reduce your risk of cancer, speed up your metabolism, and so much more. After doing some research on Green Tea I decided I wanted to consume it on a daily basis. The next step was figuring out what brand had the highest amount of anti-oxidants. I figured if I was going to take it I might as well take the most potent brand available to reap the benefits as much as I could. Now I'm sure you can purchase specialty Green Tea from distributor's that are of much higher quality and much more potent than store brand Tea but I wanted to stick with store brands just for the fact that they're more convenient to purchase and appear to have a high enough anti-oxidant level to reap the benefits that Green Tea offers. Bear in mind that if you want to purchase a specialty Green Tea there are several varieties available at different price points. By doing an online search you'll see what I'm talking about. Anyway, after doing some research online on store brand Green Tea's I found that there was a study done on store brand Tea's and that the Celestial Seasonings brand was found to have the highest amount of anti-oxidants of all Green Tea's that were part of the study. After reading this article it was a no brainer that this was the brand of Green Tea I would consume going forward. I will admit that at first I didn't enjoy the taste of Green Tea at all (and still don't to be honest with you) but I wanted to make it a part of my daily life because of all the wonderful health benefits it offers. Like anything else, the more you do something the easier it is to deal with. I don't think I've gone more than two days in the past six years without having a cup of Green Tea. Most experts say that consuming 2-3 cups of Green Tea per day is enough to reap the benefits it offers. I usually drink two cups a day and I feel it gives me just enough energy to help me have a productive morning and I don't get the late morning crash I used to get when I drank coffee. About three years after I started drinking Green Tea (three years ago) I stumbled upon a new product that really caught my attention...Rooibos Tea.




The way I came across Rooibos Tea was actually pretty neat. After I returned home from grocery shopping one day I was in the mood for a cup of Green Tea. As I opened the box I was greeted with a free sample of Rooibos Tea. I thought this was a great marketing strategy on Celestial Seasonings part but I was also excited because I love trying new things and this something I had never heard of before. Instead of having a cup of Green Tea I decided to give the Rooibos Tea a try. I read on the packet that it was full of anti-oxidants and comes from a remote region of South Africa which I thought was neat. I will admit that I didn't like the taste of this tea at all. It was a little too sweet for me but this didn't stop me from going online to research it. What I found was very interesting.



First off, Rooibos is actually a bush and is not in the same family as Tea plants so in all reality it's not even classified as a Tea. Secondly, some studies have shown that Rooibos Tea has up to 50 times the amount of anti-oxidants of Green Tea. This really got my attention because I enjoy leading a healthy lifestyle and I'm always looking for ways to boost my immune system and stay healthy. After reading this I decided to dig deeper into the health benefits of Rooibos Tea. One of the things that really interested me about Rooibos Tea is that it is naturally caffeine free. As someone who doesn't drink a lot of caffeine this was of great interest to me because I could drink it at night and it wouldn't affect my sleep. A lot of people actually use it to help with insomnia because it has a soothing effect. After digging even deeper into the health benefits of Rooibos Tea I found it is good for the digestive system, helps in managing allergies and hay fever, is good for your skin, boosts the immune system, and contains calcium, manganese, fluoride, magnesium, and zinc which all contribute to different health benefits of their own. It appeared I found a Tea with all the benefits of Green Tea and then some. I will say that Rooibos Tea is not well known in the United States. Green Tea has a much larger following and is more readily available than Rooibos Tea. I would recommend giving Rooibos Tea a try if you're a Tea lover and you're health conscious because it is packed with anti-oxidants and has been shown to have several health benefits that can really improve your bodily functions. Celestial Seasonings is the only store brand I have ever come across at the store. As with Green Tea, you can buy Rooibos Tea online through Distributor's which are probably of much higher quality than store brands. They're more expensive but if you're a hard core health nut this may be the best option for you.



In conclusion, Tea as a whole is good for you whether it be Black, Brown, Oolong, Green, Rooibos, or the hundreds of other kinds of Tea's that are available in the marketplace. Green Tea definitely gets the most attention as being the healthiest tea available but take a look at Rooibos as well. You'll be amazed at all the health benefits it offers. My thought is why not consume both Green Tea and Rooibos Tea on a regular basis to reap the benefits of both.

Ron Cheli is the owner of CardioCareStore.com. He enjoys leading a healthy lifestyle which includes exercising regularly and eating healthy. Ron began his career as a Buyer in the retail industry and worked his way up to a General Manager and Regional Operations Manager at two of the largest transportation companies in the world. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Operations Management and an MBA.

The Importance of an Emergency Fund

Surviving this economy has been tough for a lot of people. Millions of people have lost their jobs which has contributed to millions of people losing their homes, cars, accustomed lifestyles, and much more. I'm no stranger to job loss as I was laid off from a position back in 2005 as a Buyer from a manufacturing company that experienced a sharp decline in orders which resulted in a massive layoff. I was lucky enough to have found a new job within six months of my layoff and I didn't have to sell off assets to stay afloat. Granted, getting an unemployment check definitely helped but it's a short-term solution to something that may be a long-term situation.

What kept me mentally and monetarily strong during this time was the fact that I put money into an Emergency Fund on a monthly basis in case anything should happen in regards to my job, health, or anything else where I would need money right away without having to charge or borrow which is something I wanted to stay away from. From watching the news and reading magazine articles and books I have seen that the majority of Americans spend what they make and even borrow to live beyond their means. I found this to be startling. I'm well aware that a lot of us like to keep up with the Jones's, charge things we feel we can pay off in the near future, upgrade our homes or purchase a home that may be a little out of our price range but still feel comfortable taking on a little more risk for the benefit of our family and so on, but I had no idea people were such super spenders who have no regard for saving.

I feel a lot of people in these situations felt they could borrow from their 401k's and IRA's if things got tough but why bother? You get hit with taxes and penalties by doing so and you're setting yourself up for failure in regards to your retirement plans. I think 401k's and IRA's are great investments but I would never borrow from them unless I was absolutely desperate, which is not a position I would ever put myself into. Living within your means is very simple and it allows you to save money in an interest bearing account which will allow you to use this money for emergencies. I feel everyone should have both a regular savings account as well as an emergency fund.

The first step is to pick a bank to open up a savings account that you will call your Emergency Fund. You can do an online search to determine what bank is best suited for you. Each bank offers different interest rates and has different benefits so it is important to do your homework before opening an account. I recommend using an online bank such as ING Direct because you can set up your account easily, earn higher interest rates than your typical brick and mortar bank, and it is more difficult to get your money out if you have a craving to buy something on impulse since it usually takes several days to transfer your money from an online bank to your regular brick and mortar bank.

Once you have opened an account with a bank put your savings on auto-pilot. I have been using a personal budget for two years now and I absolutely love it. I know how much money I have to the penny each and every month which allows me to plan accordingly. It is important to know how much money you're bringing in every month as well as your fixed monthly expenses. Once you know how much you have left over you should subtract your variable expenses to figure out how much you have left over each month that can be put into a savings account. Most experts agree that you should always pay yourself first so my suggestion is to come up with a monthly figure or percentage of your take home pay that you want to put in your savings account and set up an auto transfer each month (or paycheck) for this amount. I know a lot of people probably feel more comfortable doing it manually but this can be a big mistake since it makes it easier to spend these funds rather than put them in an Emergency Fund which is not good.

In closing, I know everyone's financial situations are different but this is no excuse for not putting away money in case something happens. Your Emergency Fund should be completely separate from a regular Savings Account and these fund should not be touched unless absolutely necessary. You'll find that by having this money you'll have less stress and learn to become more financially responsible going forward.


Ron Cheli is the owner of CardioCareStore.com. He enjoys leading a healthy lifestyle which includes exercising regularly and eating healthy. Ron began his career as a Buyer in the retail industry and worked his way up to a General Manager and Regional Operations Manager at two of the largest transportation companies in the world. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Operations Management and an MBA.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Diets Are a Waste of Time.....Just Eat Healthy to Maintain Good Health and a Nice Physique

After New Year's this past year I walked into Barnes & Noble to check out their new releases because I wanted to use a gift card I had received as a Christmas present. What I found in the New Releases section was not what I expected. There was nothing but diet books!! And I'm not even embellishing about this at all. There wasn't one new release in the entire section. This was really disheartening because I'm an avid reader and I expected to find a wide variety of books that were just released focused on different subjects as there always is. Not so much after New Year's I found out. Once the holidays are over and we enter a new year people are dedicated to eating healthy and working out more because they failed to do so the previous year (and the year before that and so on). The sad thing is these people usually join a gym and go on a diet for the first 2-3 weeks after the New Year and then give up because they aren't seeing results after such a short time period. I'm sure Barnes & Noble is not the only bookstore who does this after the New Year. After all, they are in business to make money and what better way to start off a new year than selling a plethora of diet books to unassuming people who come in droves looking for them?

This whole episode was very upsetting to say the least. As someone who has a good understanding of healthy living I will say that diets are a complete waste of time and money. Diets are not long-term programs that focus on overall good health. They usually consist of cutting back your calorie intake to extreme levels, eating nothing but a specific food category for an extended period of time, eating frozen prepared meals (often sold by the same companies putting out the book or an affiliate), and so on. In fact, there are so many different kinds of diets out there it's not even funny. Each one promises you'll lose weight and feel great. What they don't tell you for obvious reasons is that 95% of people who go on diets gain all their weight back once they get sick and tired of the diet or once the diet is over. The weight loss industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and is extremely profitable to the companies that sell diet plans, pills, and meals. Have you ever read the ingredients on a Nutrisystem package or any other prepared meal? If you have an understanding of each ingredient I'd be shocked since most people don't have a clue, including myself.

The simple fact is that diets are short-term programs and often times very unhealthy. Cutting your caloric intake to extreme levels can leave you feeling weak and deprive you of many nutrients you need to maintain good health. If you truly want to maintain a healthy weight and a strong immune system you need to learn to eat healthy and exercise and make it part of your lifestyle not as a short-term fix to your current weight problem. Eating healthy and exercising is an extremely broad topic but here are some guidelines to go by if you truly care about your health and want to maintain a healthy weight:

1) Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night-This really depends on the individual and these are just basic guidelines. Some people require less sleep than this and some people require more. Only you know how much sleep you need to feel energized the next day. It is a known fact that sleep deprivation can lead to weight gain. If you want a strong immune system and want to maintain a healthy weight make sure you get plenty of sleep every night.

2) Don't skip breakfast-This is truly the most important meal of the day. When you sleep at night you're fasting since you're not consuming any food while you sleep. If you want to speed up your metabolism it is imperative that you don't skip breakfast since this gets your metabolism going first thing in the morning. You'll notice you'll have more energy throughout the morning and it will really help burn fat in the long run. I'm not going to recommend what you should eat but make sure it's healthy. Whole grains, a lean protein source, and fruit are always a great combination. I usually have a bowl of Special K cereal with Soy Milk and add blueberries to my cereal. I usually have a glass of Pomegranate Juice or Orange Juice with breakfast as well. On top of this I drink Green Tea for its high dose of antioxidants and because it is known to speed up your metabolism.

3) Eat a small healthy meal every 3-4 hours-I usually eat a 300-400 calorie snack every 3-4 hours to keep my metabolism going throughout the day. It is a known fact that by eating small meals a day you increase your metabolism. I usually pack a couple Tuna Fish sandwiches on Whole Wheat bread and add a Tomato and Romaine Lettuce. Another good meal is fruit with Cottage Cheese. As long as you're eating a light and healthy snack every 3-4 hours you should be good. As a rule of thumb you biggest meal should be breakfast and they should decline in calorie intake throughout the day. It's a big misconception that lunch and dinner should be your biggest meals. What happens after a big lunch? You usually get tired in the mid afternoon which can really affect your work. By eating small meals throughout the day I don't suffer from these tired spells and usually have a ton of energy all day long.

4) Drink water-It is important to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day. Most experts agree you should get at least 64 ounces of water per day. I've spoken to some doctors who say you should only drink when you're thirsty and not overdo it. As someone who used to drink nearly two gallons of water a day I can tell you that the only thing that came out of it was more time running to the bathroom. I recommend getting between 64-100 ounces of water per day. They say if you exercise regularly you should drink more than the recommended amount each day to keep your muscles hydrated.

5) Limit alcohol intake-Most experts agree that a man should drink no more than two drinks per day and women no more than one drink per day. If you're really dedicated to maintaining a healthy weight and good health I recommend having a glass of red wine with dinner a couple times a week at most. Calories from alcohol can really add up and too much alcohol consumption is not good for your health.

6) Exercise regularly-If you don't have experience exercising at all I recommend joining a gym and asking the staff for help. I have also found that people who work out are very helpful when it comes to knowledge of exercise and nutrition. If you have the means and want to hire a personal trainer I've seen many people obtain great results by doing so and it's a huge boost having someone motivate you. Most experts agree that you should get at last 3 days a week of exercise for about an hour each session but this depends on your fitness level and goals. It's really too broad of a subject to get into here but there are a ton of great resources online and in bookstores to help you get a workout program started. I recommend consulting your physician before starting a program though.

These are just a few guidelines to help you lead a more healthy lifestyle and to help you maintain a healthy weight. As a rule of thumb, stick to the perimeter of a grocery store since this is where you will find produce, lean proteins, and dairy products. The aisles are usually filled with boxed and packaged goods that are filled with sugars and preservatives that are not good for you.

Do yourself a favor and do some research on proper nutrition and exercise programs. Just remember that eating healthy and exercising should be a chosen lifestyle and not a short-term fix. Stay away from the latest and greatest diets and choose to live a healthy lifestyle. You'll be glad you did.

Ron Cheli is the owner of CardioCareStore.com. He enjoys leading a healthy lifestyle which includes exercising regularly and eating healthy. Ron began his career as a Buyer in the retail industry and worked his way up to a General Manager and Regional Operations Manager at two of the largest transportation companies in the world. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Operations Management and an MBA.

Thursday, April 1, 2010