The Full Moon and Anti-Inflammatory Tonic

“Everything has to come to an end, sometime.” 
― L. Frank Baum, The Marvelous Land of Oz

Yesterday we welcomed the Winter Solstice. Now just 19.25 hours later, we welcome the Full Moon (at 12:48 pm EST) which is also known at the Cold Moon or the Moon Before the Yule. The Moon rules water, and this Full Moon is at 0′ 49″ Cancer – which is ruled by water.

Did you know that Water can absorb the energy of thoughts, intentions and even words?  Research by Dr. Masaru Emoto, found that frozen water changes the way it looks based on what it’s exposed to. He wrote the amazing book The Hidden Messages of Water which documented what happened to water depending on what thoughts, messages and sounds it was exposed to:

“If positive and loving—water freezes beautifully and perfectly when the words are mean and hateful—it looks all broken down. [This] research has been expanded upon by German Professor Boris Koch whose team of scientists confirmed that water holds memory of every being or item that it came in contact with.”

You can watch a YouTube Video on Dr. Masaru Emoto’s study here.

Basically, talk mean to water and the negativity shows up when crystals are frozen. Since the average amount of water in the human body is around 60%, being positive and kind to oneself and others is more than just a matter of politeness, it critical to wellness.

Every full moon is an ending and opportunity to let go. It’s the completion of a cycle; a time to harness the power it beams down to Earth and its residents in order to bring clarity, lessons, energy and release – especially of toxic thoughts and emotions.

Full moon rituals are plenty, but charging water is by far one of my favorites! Especially since this kind of water used to brew tea raises the magic level to the moon. It’s healing, cleansing, releases low-vibrations, balances chakras and helps with manifestation. It may even assist with healing the physical body.

There is a wonderful article written by Spirit Science Central on how to Make and Charge Full Moon Water. I also did a post about this last year and you can read that as well here.

We may be complete with our 25 Days of Tea Giving Annual Event where a whopping 25% is discounted from a featured tea or blend each day, but how could we not add on one more day in honor of this Magical Moon Before the Yule?

If the Full moon is about release and letting go, then it makes perfect sense that the blend to feature today  is our Anti-Inflammatory Tonic.

Anti-Inflammatory Tonic is not to be trifled with. It’s a strong medicinal blend of spices that work pretty quickly to reduce inflammation in the body. It includes superfoods like ginger and turmeric and cinnamon, but it also has orange, pepper, cacao, and some rooibos. EVERY ingredient in this blend fights inflammation. I’ve not encountered one person who’s tried it and not felt some physical change almost immediately. Aside from its super healing powers, it just tastes darn good. Which means you’ll drink it. And that means it can work its magic in your body and wont just sit on a shelf.

One of our customers was an NIH scientist who would stop by to visit each Sunday. And every Sunday she would say that we needed a turmeric blend. I was reluctant given what I had tasted on the market. I took 6-8 months to research and decide what this blend needed to be and have in it, and after reading her White Papers on Inflammation and the brain, I was convinced it was necessary.

So for today only, during the “Winter Solstice–Moon Before the Yule–Full Moon”, please enjoy 25% OFF our Anti-Inflammatory Tonic. Use code YULEMOON25 at checkout on the Pearl Fine Teas website.

And don’t forget to charge your water tonight and use it for brewing your tea!

Happy Yule!
Happy Full Moon!
Happy Sipping!
~The Chief Leaf

 

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Anti-Everything

Turmeric root and ground

Last fall one of our beloved tea customers (a scientist from NINDS National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH) who specializes in researching brain health and Alzheimer’s Disease) asked me if I had a turmeric tea. I didn’t. Though I’m very familiar with the benefits of this spice, her weekly discussions and generosity with sharing her research opened the door to the idea of a new tea blend.

 

I’ve worked in conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Association in the past, creating 3 blends for their Woman’s Initiative luncheon so this really peaked my interest – along with the fact that my kooky, one-of-a-kind grandmother Evelyn (Evie) was a victim of Alzheimer’s Disease and one of the influences behind Pearl Fine Teas.

I had to really think about this and adding a new infusion to the tea menu. Especially since, we don’t grow up with turmeric as regular spice in our meals in the US. For many people, the taste seems bitter, strong and off-putting. We’re familiar with it from eating delicious curries and delights at Indian restaurants, but it’s not typically an everyday enhancement for Americans.

So, with all her info in hand, I started by deciding to take a 30 day turmeric “challenge” and at her urging used ground turmeric instead of the pills in the store – which are expensive. Each day I increased the scoop a little more (using as much as a full rounded teaspoon or more) and mixed it into a very small amount of organic apple juice (about 1/2 a shot glass). She emphasized that the benefits of apples each day were important for long term health – especially for the brain. (You can read about it here.)

I was worried about too much sugar, so I kept the amount of apple juice low. In my family on my mother’s side, arthritis is present and shows up in our hands. I have had issues with my left hand since I was a kid. Strangely it’s only localized in my middle finger. I can hear the giggles. Even though I’m from New York originally, I can assure you it’s not from overuse of that finger. <smile>

30 days pass and during this time I can say with certainty that the use of my left hand improved by at least 50%. Even I was shocked. I’m a believer in many things and a skeptic at the same time which is why I have to test things out on myself first.

Anti-Inflammatory Tonic

Next came field research and trying/cupping many existing blends to see about taste and ingredients. What I noticed was that many turmeric blends had licorice added to help sweeten it. American’s like sweet. The other thing I noticed was that many were missing a very critical ingredient: Black Pepper. Turmeric’s power comes from curcumin and that needs a receptor to get absorbed into the body. That’s where black pepper comes in  because its enhances bioavailability.

 

With all this turmeric floating around in my system, I have come to actually love the taste of it, but the challenge was/is how to get others to want to drink it and like the taste. Enter the magic of Cinnamon! The natural sweetness from cinnamon is truly a gift from Mother Nature. Not only does it deliver sweet, it lowers blood sugar. (How did she do that?!) The blend also contains elderberry and added orange peel which along with the cinnamon leaves a nice natural sweet finish.

I’ve had this at our Farmers Markets the last 2 weeks and have sold out each time. Clearly there is a lot of inflammation out there and a lot of people wanting to balance their systems, increase wellness and just plain feel better. Here is a breakdown of all the health benefits you may receive from a daily cuppa of our new Anti-Inflammatory Blend and you’ll understand why I almost named it the Anti-Everything Tonic:

Turmeric: Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-Oxidant, Improves Liver Function for Detoxing, Hearth Health, Menstrual Issues, Cancer Prevention, Improved Brain Function, May help with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Ginger: Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-Fungal, Boots Immunity, Digestive Aid, Relief from Nausea, May Help fight Cancer, Ulcer Healing, May Lower Blood Sugar, Improves Heart Disease Risk Factors, May lower Cholesterol, May help with Alzheimer’s Disease. Considered a “Superfood.”

Cinnamon: Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-Bacterial, Anti-Fungal, High in anti-oxidants, Protects Heart Health, Fights Diabetes, Improves Sensitivity to Hormone Insulin, Helps with Cognitive Decline and Brain Function, May lower risk of Cancer, Helps fight infections/viruses, Prevents Candida, Benefits Skin, May help fight HIV Virus, Naturally Sweet.

Rooibos: Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-Viral, Anti-Mutagenic, Anti-Spasmodic. Relieves Stress, Nervous Tension. Aids Bone and Cardiovascular Health. Contains Asphalathin which balances Blood Sugar and improves insulin resistance. Great for Skin. Contains Quercitin and Bioflavanoids. Rivals Green Tea in its level of Anti-Oxidants. Caffeine Free

Elderberry: Cold and Flu Relief, Lowers Blood Sugar, Natural Diuretic/Laxative,  Cardiovascular Protection, Respiratory Health, Boosts Immunity, Aids Diabetes, Bone Health and Inflammation, Skin Health.

Cacao: High in Anti-Oxidants, Plant-Based Iron, Magnesium, Calcium. Contains 300 Phytochemicals, Balances Hormonal Swings, Protects Heart, Prevents Cardiovascular Disease, Blood Thinner, May prevent Premature Aging, Natural Mood Elevator/Anti-Depressant.

Orange Peel: Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-Allergic, High in Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Trace Minerals, Enzymes, Fiber, Pectin. Relieves Respiratory Problems, Prevents Digestive Complications, Improves Heart Health, Improves Skin Appearance.

Black Pepper:  Anti-Oxidant, Anti-Bacterial, Respiratory Relief, Enhances Bioavailability, Aids Respiratory Conditions, Cognitive/Neurological Health.

I hope you’ll give this new 100% Caffeine Free infusion a try and let us know if and how it benefited your health. You can find it in the NEW ARRIVALS section of the website.

Happy Sipping!
-The Chief Leaf