Drinking three or more cups of tea a day is as good for you as drinking plenty of water and may even have extra health benefits, say researchers.

The work in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition dispels the common belief that tea dehydrates.

Tea not only rehydrates as well as water does, but it can also protect against heart disease and some cancers, UK nutritionists found.

Experts believe flavonoids are the key ingredient in tea that promote health.

Healthy cuppa

These polyphenol antioxidants are found in many foods and plants, including tea leaves, and have been shown to help prevent cell damage.  Public health nutritionist Dr Carrie Ruxton, and colleagues at Kings College London, looked at published studies on the health effects of tea consumption. They found clear evidence that drinking three to four cups of tea a day can cut the chances of having a heart attack.

Some studies suggested tea consumption protected against cancer, although this effect was less clear-cut.

Other health benefits seen included protection against tooth plaque and potentially tooth decay, plus bone strengthening.

Dr Ruxton said: "Drinking tea is actually better for you than drinking water. Water is essentially replacing fluid. Tea replaces fluids and contains antioxidants so it's got two things going for it."

Rehydrating

She said it was an urban myth that tea is dehydrating.

"Studies on caffeine have found very high doses dehydrate and everyone assumes that caffeine-containing beverages dehydrate. But even if you had a really, really strong cup of tea or coffee, which is quite hard to make, you would still have a net gain of fluid.

"Also, a cup of tea contains fluoride, which is good for the teeth," she added.

There was no evidence that tea consumption was harmful to health. However, research suggests that tea can impair the body's ability to absorb iron from food, meaning people at risk of anaemia should avoid drinking tea around mealtimes.

Dr Ruxton's team found average tea consumption was just under three cups per day.

She said the increasing popularity of soft drinks meant many people were not drinking as much tea as before.

Tea drinking is most common in older people, the 40 plus age range. In older people, tea sometimes made up about 70% of fluid intake so it is a really important contributor," she said.

Claire Williamson of the British Nutrition Foundation said: "Studies in the laboratory have shown potential health benefits.

"The evidence in humans is not as strong and more studies need to be done. But there are definite potential health benefits from the polyphenols in terms of reducing the risk of diseases such as heart disease and cancers.

"In terms of fluid intake, we recommend 1.5-2 litres per day and that can include tea. Tea is not dehydrating. It is a healthy drink."

The Tea Council provided funding for the work. Dr Ruxton stressed that the work was independent.

Reprinted from BBC NEWS article (24, AUG 2006)

Steep yourself in the culture of tea at:
http://www.theperfectpause.com/

Even in the midst of abundance, we are hungry. We will go to great lengths to try to fill the void; violence, overeating, insatiable consumerism. Minds much brighter than my own have pondered the ills and misdeeds of mankind and have wondered what could possibly be done to better our circumstances. In my heart I believe the key is right before us, echoing down through the ages in the wisdom of the sages. Lasting Peace can and will never be brought about on Earth by violence. Violence only begets suffering. Each person must make and effort to change themselves and I believe the key is what I call the "perfect pause", the practice of meditation.

Science is catching up with the sages. Today we don't have to look far to learn of meditation's well-documented benefits; stress reduction, aids the healing process, it can even help you recover from addiction. Meditation can help with all of these conditions and so much more. You may begin to practice meditation for a specific reason but if you make it a part of your daily routine you will start to experience untold benefits in all areas of your life. I know this first-hand.

Those who knew me as a child would describe me as the stereotypical bully magnet; very shy, thin and sporting the trademark coke-bottle glasses. But I also had an insatiable curiosity and people seemed to like me so I got along just fine. My grades were stellar, practically straight A's until the ninth grade. In the fall of 1985 I entered Eastmoor High School and everything changed. The school at that time was conducive to almost every illegal activity imaginable but definitely not to academics. It was overrun with gangs, drugs were sold openly in the hallways and violence was rampant.

By my sophomore year the situation worsened and the adults had lost nearly all control. Point blank, if gang members saw something that they wanted they took it. That included jackets in the wintertime or even the very shoes off of your feet. For the students it became the survival of the fittest. In the summer of 1986 I was determined that next year things would be different, I got contacts and started lifting weights. By my sophomore year I had gained about 30 lbs of muscle and in an attempt to fit in decided to adopt the "if you can't beat them join them" philosophy. People I knew didn't recognize me. By my Junior year, I could bench-press nearly 300lbs and was fully assimilated. I had become a product of my environment.

Those last three years of High School I tread a treacherous path and could seem to find no way back. Towards the end of my senior year I began to experience depression and panic attacks for seemingly no reason. I began to feel heavy and macabre. A coldness had me in its grasp and I felt paralyzed, watching the world pass by. That year, I cut classes a total of 112 days and somehow still managed to graduate towards the top of my class. In my heart, I knew if something didn't change my future would be bleak at best. So the search began. I spent countless hours reading self-help books, some of which were slightly beneficial but they were only a temporary fix. After almost a year of searching I came across a small book on meditation and started the practice that changed my life absolutely.

In the beginning the changes were almost imperceptible. The very first thing I remember was the desire to take long walks in the woods. Since I was a product of the inner city, this wasn't easy but I got into my car and drove forty-five minutes to the nearest nature trail. It was the only place that offered me solace. Next came only what I can describe as a softening of the heart. I started feeling empathy towards others, writing poetry and devouring any book I could get my hands on. Slowly and steadily my situation began to improve.

Twelve years later, honestly, the change in me is so complete that the person I once was is a stranger. Although my life is far from a fairy-tale, I realize now that every moment is a thing to be cherished and a chance to evolve. The only thing that haunts me now, is to see how the world suffers and to know that there's a simple solution. It costs nothing and asks not a thing of you but a few minutes of your day and a little practice.

Meditation doesn't belong to any one sect or religion, it is for everyone. What would you attempt in life if you knew, in your heart, that you could accomplish anything? How would you live each day if you had no fear of failure? We as humans, have forgotten how awesomely powerful we are. Through the gift of imagination and the intelligence to bring our ideas to fruition, there is literally nothing that we can't accomplish.

The problem is that there have been many roadblocks put in our path to relearning. Belief systems and patterns of thought have been put in place down through the ages as a means of controlling us. Some roadblocks are even self-imposed. These roadblocks continually loop in our heads day after day as self-limiting thoughts. By continually thinking negative internal thoughts and comparing ourselves to others, many of us become our own worst enemies. "I'm not smart enough", "I'm not as good looking or successful as they are", "This certain person doesn't like me". We can really get quite creative with our negative thoughts!

Most of us have heard of the word "institutionalized" and know its meaning but few of us realize that we have in a way become institutionalized ourselves. As unbelievable as it seems it is common for prisoners who have been incarcerated for decades, upon their release, to find themselves unable to deal with the realities of freedom. Freedom terrifies them. Some even end up breaking the law to get back into prison. These people, who at first grieve because their freedom has been taken from them, strangely begin to find security and comfort behind bars.

The same phenomena occurs everyday in this physical world. When we're young, most of us have lofty dreams and aspirations but if we're not mindful, as the ocean erodes the sand, the routines of life will slowly wear our dreams away. After a few years the dreams, if remembered at all, are pushed back into the farthest reaches of our minds. As our daily routines become etched into our brains, even though we may be miserably unhappy, we lose our ability to even imagine a different way of living. We become so dependant upon the routine itself that we forget that other options that would make us far happier exist and are just a decision away!

As you will experience, meditation is many wonderful things but first and foremost it is a process of relearning who we really are and the awesome power that each and every one of us possess. In many ways it is very sad, we are like sleeping giants that merely have to be awakened.

This modern life is like a double-edged sword. The average person enjoys a reasonable amount of leisure time and we have more information at our fingertips than any other generation in history, yet we have countless distractions. Our senses are assaulted from the time our alarm clocks wake us in the morning to the time we lie down to go to sleep at night. Almost continually television, radio, cell phones, and a plethora of other things are volleying for our valuable attention.

This makes the first step of meditation probably the most work. It is what I refer to as the "physical step" and requires you to do nothing more than quiet your mind. In a way, meditation can be viewed as us connecting to their inner-selves in much the same way that your computer connects to the internet. For us to make this "connection" we must first be able to attain a certain level of peace within ourselves.

Once the mind is still, the second step or "psychological step" begins. This is a chance to release the baggage that we've acquired throughout the years. We begin to gradually break free from all of the misconceptions and self-limiting thoughts and behaviors that we've taken on in our lives. The third and final step is the "spiritual step". This is deep meditation.

The important thing to remember is that the constant practice of meditation itself will engage a natural trinity of healing processes: physical, psychological and spiritual. Meditation must be experienced to be fully believed and it's never too late.

This article was reprinted from a 2004 issue of "EdgeLife Magazine" and was the inspiration for my beginner's guide to meditation entitled, "The Perfect Pause" which is available for $12.95 by clicking this link:  http://my.lulu.com/content/103257

My future sister-in-law Lilli arrived last night.  We all gathered at Shirley's apartment for a homecoming meal.  During this visit we found out about a certain tea party that will be taking place on Tuesday.  With this in mind I decided to post the following:

Asparagus and Prosciutto Tea Sandwiches

Makes 18 sandwiches

54 medium asparagus spears
18 slices firm-textured bread
8 ounces whipped cream cheese, room temperature
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound prosciutto di Parma, thinly sliced
Honey mustard

Cut asparagus spears to fit bread slices.

In a large saucepan fitted with steamer insert, bring 1 inch of water to a boil and steam asparagus until just cooked, about 3 minutes.

Plunge asparagus into bowl of ice water. When chilled, remove and pat dry with paper towels.

Spread bread slices with thin layer of cream cheese, pepper generously and set aside.

Cut each prosciutto slice in half lengthwise, and spread with 1/4 teaspoon or more of mustard. Starting with tip, roll asparagus in prosciutto, spiraling downward as you go. Repeat with each spear.

Cover 9 bread slices with 6 wrapped spears each, then top with remaining slices. With a serrated knife, trim crusts. Cut each sandwich in half across spears. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve.

Lost in a wonderful way,

here we share a small table

in a nameless teahouse

with nothing but a

steaming pot of Gyokuro

to help ease us into deep

contemplation of the

many faces of Edo.

(originally published in the 11/2003 issue of The Edge newspaper)

Patriotism is something to be applauded and I very much agree with the fact that Saddam Hussein needs to be ousted for the good of the world. However, for the American people to blindly believe the two-dimensional reasons we are being given for the "war on terrorism" by our government, we would have to be naive.

This country has tread on very dangerous ground. Americans comprise 6 percent of the world's population but use 36 percent of the world's resources. The events of the past few years have been horrific and inexcusable, but along with pursuing the perpetrators we should consider these events as a wake-up call. We've been forcefully dragged into a horrible reality that the rest of the world has been dealing with upwards of two decades now.

For our great country to survive we must grow to the next stage of our evolution. To grow out of our "adolescence" as a country, where we perform on the world stage with little consideration of anyone else to "adulthood," where we're mindful of the suffering and needs of the rest of the planet. As a nation, we're in a great position right now and the rest of the world is watching, breathless in anticipation. Dig deep; don't always take things at face value for the decisions that are being made now in our behalf will shape our children's destinies.

I'm by no means suggesting that our success is something we should be ashamed of. We are lucky to live in the greatest nation on Earth, but I'm a firm believer that with this privilege comes great responsibility. For great people or great countries to continue their greatness, they must continually examine their strengths and weaknesses, work on these weaknesses and evolve. Our growth-based economy or "model for success" that once made sense and worked so flawlessly should be thoroughly re-examined. This system is based on the American consumer continually buying stuff we don't really need and paying for most of this stuff we don't need with money we don't have (the average American household is $8,000 in credit card debt). An economic system based on insatiable materialism for its health is mathematically set-up for failure.

After close inspection, if the most intelligent among us agree that it's wise to continue a system in which our very survival is based on perpetual growth, so be it. To a simple person like me, it just doesn't make sense anymore. When you examine the facts, this wonderful planet we live on has finite resources. At some point this exponential growth will have to level off and at least become sustainable. Most global conflicts of the last hundred years at the root level have been about financial interests. At its root level this current conflict is no different.

Should we fight terrorists who are bent on using violence to try to destroy us? Of course! But to endanger our children's lives for greater control of an energy source (oil) that's outdated to fuel an economic system that isn't sustainable, no way. For the sake of our futures it's time to look forward instead of suckling at the dinosaur's teat. This has nothing to do with partisan politics and everything to do with the future of humanity. Luckily, we still have time; it's not too late.

I can't believe that it's been eight days since I last posted. I can't put my finger on it but there's something about summer that seems to make the hours pass a little more quickly.   I've decided to take a short break from posting excerpts of the novel and just post a blog of good old-fashioned rambling while listening to Jimmy Buffet here on the porch.  I was hoping to get a little more feedback on the story but I'm sure people are busy with all of their summer activities.

I haven't yet achieved my main goal this year of riding a roller coaster, it's been way too long.  Tomorrow, if the weather cooperates, a friend and I will be heading to a mountain bike park in Eagan.  After seeing pictures of the course maybe this will count towards my goal.

This has been an unusually dark summer and it's high time for some good news. After reading today about the Georgian invasion and the proton collider in Switzlerland (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/15/science/15risk.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss) that may envelop the Earth in a super massive black hole when turned on in less than a month I'm ready for a killer stand-up comedy act or possibly a very long string of them.  This weekend I will be taking a long overdue sabatical from the news.

By taking the "news break" I don't mean to bury my head in the sand but as of late, I often think about the Law of Attraction as explained in The Secret and how powerful this is.  If everyone watches these horribly negative news reports on T.V. it can't help but effect the viewer.  By effecting the viewer it would have to amply the negativity and set off a chain reaction.  This could very well explain the sorry state of the world today.  There is still so much good out there, you don't have to look far to find it, just don't look to the news.

Once hired, Josh was sent to work in a think tank alongside a pool of scientists whose sole purpose was to solve all sorts of technological riddles.  Every so often management brought in a "puzzle" and they were told to figure out what it was and how it worked.  Sometimes he had to pinch himself as it seemed unreal to Josh that they would pay an entire group of people with distinguished degrees to do this. 

The frustrating thing about the "puzzles" was often times it was just a small part of the whole, which made the riddle especially difficult to figure out.  But before every new project was unveiled the scientists were given the same speech by a handful of soulless upper management types. These few words delivered with an icy glare, never once failed to scare the hell of Josh Harkin.

"You are about to enter the land of make-believe.",  They would say. "This is a reminder that not a word of any of this must travel outside these walls.  Understand?  Those of you who breech our trust and hinder the progress of the people will be dealt with swiftly and severely."

This tactic seemed to work because in recent memory no one could recall anyone desiring to find out XenTech's definition of "swiftly and severely".  

Josh was nervous but determined not to let anything ruin tonight. He lived for the first night of a new class.  He definitely didn't need any more education.  He had gone as far as he could go and then some.  But a few months after graduation Josh felt as though a part of him had withered and died.  Whether it just served as a distraction or not, he lived for the classroom, it's the only place where he truly felt at peace.  It was the only place where he felt that people could see the real Josh Harkin. Each new semester was a clean slate, another chance to reinvent himself for the better. 

On the outside he was thin, uncoordinated and plagued by a violent stutter that could make his speech almost unrecognizable whenever he became extremely nervous or agitated.  Those who were wise or patient enough to get past the sometimes awkward first impression were rewarded with much more than his appearance would ever lead you to believe.  He was an extremely generous and kind soul. Not only that, there was a striking intelligence behind those insecure blue eyes and the beauty of it was he didn't have an inkling of how special he was.  The truly great ones never do.

In many ways Josh felt marked by his genius. He figured out long ago that those who were kind to him usually weren't without a motive. Most times his desire for companionship was so great that he didn't care.  The same intelligence that would allow him to effortlessly pluck concepts from the highest branches of the tree of knowledge sometimes wouldn't allow him to find the words to carry on the simplest conversation with a stranger. 

For as long as he could remember Josh realized that he was different from most people.  More than anything Josh dreamed of the companionship of an equal, someone who could keep pace with the virility of his mind.  When he was a young boy he would sometimes cry himself to sleep at night praying to God that He might bestow this curse on someone else and allow him to experience the rest of his days as a "normal person".

Josh hurriedly gathered his things and swiped his identification card taking care not to make eye contact with anyone and made a mad dash through the skyway and down stairs to the nearest subway station. He rarely passed anyone on the stairs as most took advantage of the elevators.

This particular afternoon the wind and driving rain were merciless. The grey clouds clung to the city like a damp shroud. A top-note of acrid (smog) petrochemical pollution hung in the air as the faint, calming scent of burning wood wafted into the city on the wind. 

To be continued....

Reducing the risk of stroke in male smokers - tea may help

Following an extensive study, Finnish researchers have concluded that drinking more than 2 cups of tea a day (340ml) may reduce the risk of stroke in male smokers.
Information from the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention (ATBC) Study was used to examine the associations between tea (and coffee) drinking and risk of stroke in male smokers. This randomised, double-blind, placebo-control trial was originally designed to determine whether supplements of _-tocopherol and/or _-carotene could reduce the incidence of cancer in men who smoked 5 or more cigarettes per day. At baseline a sub-set of 26,556 men (93% of the original cohort), mean age 57.6 years, were asked about their tea (and coffee) drinking habits - including the average number of cups consumed per day/week during the previous year and the usual cup size. These cup sizes were then converted to 'average' cup sizes of tea of 170ml. About 64% of the men never drunk tea and researchers did not determine the type of tea consumed as they pointed out that Finnish men rarely drink any tea other than black tea - there was no information on whether tea was taken with or without milk. The men were followed up after an average of 13.6 years and the study collected 360,187 person-years of follow-up data. During that time 3365 men suffered a stroke.

Drinking two or more cups of tea per day, compared to drinking no tea, decreased the risk of one particular sub-type of stroke, cerebral infarction, by 21%. This association was independent of age, supplementation group and cardiovascular risk factors (number of cigarettes smoked, Body Mass Index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, serum total cholesterol, history of diabetes and coronary heart disease, physical activity and alcohol intake). There was no association between tea drinking and the risk of intracerebral or subarachnoid haemorrhage.

These findings are consistent with studies carried out in Dutch men and Japanese men and women, although the latter investigated the effects of green tea rather than black tea.
The researchers believe the antioxidant properties of the phenolic compounds in tea may be responsible for the beneficial effects. For example, in vitro and in vivo studies have found that these compounds prevent the oxidation of Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Oxidation of LDL particles promotes the formation of atherosclerotic lesions leading to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Furthermore another study found that black tea reduced platelet activation and C-reactive protein in healthy men; high levels of C reactive protein have been associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke. However further studies are required to determine the exact protective mechanisms.

This study has particular strengths due to its prospective design; the statistical power as a result of the large number of stroke cases; and the extensive amount of information on cardiovascular risk factors allowing for adjustment of potential confounders. One limitation is that tea consumption was only measured once, at baseline, and this may not accurately reflect the actual level of tea consumption throughout the study period.
Nevertheless this large study among a smoking population provides good evidence that drinking more than 2 cups of tea per day may reduce the risk of cerebral infarction in male smokers. It remains to be seen whether these results are reproducible in women and in non-smoking populations and indeed whether the increased level of tea drinking by UK populations would provide additional protection from other types of stroke.

Larsson, S., Mannisto, S., Virtanen, M. J., Kontto, J., Albanes, D. and Virtamo, J. (2008) Coffee and tea consumption and risk of stroke subtypes in male smokers. Stroke 39: 1681-1687.

(Continued from installment 6) 

Stephanie rested her elbows on the table and looked Josh right in the eyes, "If the answer is no I suggest you start to ponder it. The world can be a harsh place outside these walls.  Especially for those who have no tangible work experience."

That was about the truest thing Josh had heard all day and the thought of it sent waves of shivers down his spine.  He knew that the big corporations wielded almost absolute power in this faltering economy.  Even someone like Josh, who graduated Magna Cum Laude from a prestigious university, couldn't be foolish enough to jeopardize his job.

When Stephanie got started she had the tendency to drone on and on until her victim looked satisfactorily dejected. Josh caught on to this after a few months and became quite good at the fine art of hanging his head in shame. While going through the familiar routine his eyes glazed over and his mind wandered.  "If she gets on a roll this could take hours. I can't be late, not tonight." 

Mrs. Collier was perhaps Josh's greatest enigma.  She was a short, fat middle-aged woman that didn't play well with others.  She had the volatile combination of abrupt mood swings and a particular brand of vindictiveness that few could match.  Stephanie seemed to take absolute pleasure in belittling him at every opportunity. To his dismay, the more Josh tried to please her the more she seemed to despise him.

Stephanie Collier was part of the angry average.  Not that there's a thing wrong being average. The fact is that most of us are members of this not-so-exclusive club.  But Stephanie was of the worst variety, the only thing she resented more than her own mediocrity was anyone who reminded her of it.  Unfortunately for Josh he did just that. Again and again.

Although he knew he'd hate himself for it, he decided to give her what she so thirsted for.  Like a seasoned actor, his eyes reddened and a tear ever so subtly spilled from the bottom of Josh's eyelid.  The very minute Stephanie spotted it the corners of her mouth turned upward ever so slightly and her eyes took on a softness that you might say bordered on ecstasy.

She equally enjoyed dealing out punishment and benevolence and sometimes did so in almost the same breath. Stephanie was good cop and bad cop all rolled into one.

"Tomorrow, I promise you I'll figure it out tomorrow." Josh said.  You sadistic bitch, Josh thought to himself wishing he had the courage to say it.

"I'll hold you to that. Now get out of my sight." she said with a sense of accomplishment and her hands perched on her wide-set hips.  

People always say that children are cruel but in fact they have it all wrong. The art of cruelty just begins to be honed as the playground fades into a distant memory. In the adult world, after years of practice, it becomes a sleek and strategic weapon with lethal aim. As sad as it seems, at some time or another, we all have our finger on the trigger.

To be continued....

My friend Juan and I took our annual Chicago trip a week ago and had a great time.  We've been making this pilgrimage for the past seven years now and it's interesting to look back and see how the trip has changed throughout the years.  The first few years we were like typical tourists, spending our money in places that have a glossy veneer but lack true substance.  The last few years we've ventured a little deeper into the heart of the city and have truly enjoyed it.  Chicago is constantly evolving, you could literally go back every year and have a different experience.

This trip we ventured out to Oak Park Heights.  It's twleve miles West of downtown Chicago (45min by the green line train).  26 houses that Frank Lloyd Wright designed are still standing in this town, not to mention his own home & studio, built around the turn of the 20th century.  The picture above is of the studio wing of the house.  This was the "first Frank".

The "second Frank" we found at Andy's Jazz Club.  Here we listened to some of the best jazz I've ever seen live. Frank Catalano's band (http://www.catalanomusic.com/) absolutely ripped it up.  At 28, he's already played with quite a few jazz legends and is crafting a nice career of his own.   We had an opportunity to meet most of the band between sets and they were also very down to Earth.  The band just released a new cd this past week, I'm going to make it a point to download it from iTunes soon.