10 big benefits of drinking tea

10 big benefits of DRINKING TEA

EVEN THOUGH I'M A COFFEE PERSON, I LOVE TEA FOR IT'S COMFORTING/ FEEL-GOOD FACTOR...

as it's often said, "a cup of tea can fix anything' + tea is also extremely good for you!

Here are 10 good reasons to put the kettle on and make yourself a cuppa...

1. Tea contains antioxidants which protects your body from the ravages of aging and the effects of pollution.

2. Tea has less caffeine than coffee. Coffee usually has two to three times the caffeine of tea. An average cup of coffee contains around 135 mg caffeine; tea contains only 30 to 40 mg per cup. If drinking coffee gives you the jitters, causes indigestion or headaches or interferes with sleep - switch to tea.

3. Tea may reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Unwanted blood clots formed from cholesterol and blood platelets cause heart attack and stroke. Drinking tea may help keep your arteries smooth and clog-free, the same way a drain keeps your bathroom pipes clear. A 5.6-year study from the Netherlands found a 70 percent lower risk of fatal heart attack in people who drank at least two to three cups of black tea daily compared to non-tea drinkers.

4. Tea protects your bones. It's not just the milk added to tea that builds strong bones. One study that compared tea drinkers with non-drinkers, found that people who drank tea for 10 or more years had the strongest bones, even after adjusting for age, body weight, exercise, smoking and other risk factors.

5. Tea gives you a sweet smile. Tea actually contains fluoride and tannins that may keep plaque at bay. So add unsweetened tea drinking to your daily dental routine of brushing and flossing for healthier teeth and gums.

6. Tea boosts your immune defenses. Drinking tea may help your body's immune system fight off infection. When 21 volunteers drank either five cups of tea or coffee each day for four weeks, researchers saw higher immune system activity in the blood of the tea drinkers.

7. Tea protects against cancer. Thank the polyphenols, the antioxidants found in tea, once again for their cancer-fighting effects. While the overall research is inconclusive, there are enough studies that show the potential protective effects of drinking tea to make adding tea to your list of daily beverages.

8. Tea helps keep you hydrated. Caffeinated beverages, including tea, used to be on the list of beverages thatdidn't contribute to our daily fluid needs. Since caffeine is a diuretic and makes us pee more, the thought was that caffeinated beverages couldn't contribute to our overall fluid requirement. However, recent research has shown that the caffeine really doesn't matter -- tea and other caffeinated beverages definitely contribute to our fluid needs. The only time the caffeine becomes a problem as far as fluid is concerned is when you drink more than five or six cups of a caffeinated beverage at one time.

9. Tea is kilojoule-free. Tea doesn't have any kilojoules, unless you add sweetener or milk.

10. Tea increases your metabolism. Green tea has been shown to actually increase metabolic rate so that you can burn kilojoules by drinking just five cups of green tea per day. Of course, taking a 15-minute walk every day will burn kilojoules too.

Beauty-full Foods to get your skin glowing

FOR THICK, SHINY HAIR: Eat iron-rich lean protein such as skinless turkey and chicken, fish and seafood, pork tenderloin, lean beef, eggs, beans, lentils, and soy (tofu, soybeans, and soy nuts).

FOR RADIANT GLOWING SKIN: Load up on foods rich in vitamin C and beta-carotene. Great sources of vitamin C include bell peppers, oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, broccoli, kale, and mangoes. You’ll get a blast of beta-carotene from sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, butternut and acorn squash, cantaloupe, red bell peppers, apricots, spinach, and kale.

FOR SPARKLING, WHITE TEETH: Aim to eat at least three calcium-rich foods per day, including nonfat/low-fat yogurt or milk, reduced-fat cheese, fortified soy milk, frozen yogurt or low-fat ice cream, beans, and broccoli.

Kissable Lips

how to get KISSABLE LIPS

HERE'S HOW TO GET A SUPER-SMOOTH KISSER...

{ready for tonight!}

1. Exfoliate: First apply a thick slick of lip balm to soften lips and leave for 10 minutes. Next gently exfoliate away dry, flaky skin with soft baby toothbrush using light circular motions.

If you suffer from super-dry lips exfoliate once a week until your lips are completely smooth.

2. Moisturise: Apply a creamy balm containing petrolatum, shea butter, hyaluronic acid, dimethicone, or ceramides. Avoid waxy formulas (their ingredients may not penetrate) as well as anything heavily flavoured or fragranced (which can make chapping even worse).

3. Add colour: Try a tinted lip treatment like Lanolips that is super-hydrating and super-glossy

Beauty-Full Eyes

expert tips for BEAUTY-FULL EYES

SOME {REFRESHER} TRICKS AND TIPS FOR GORGEOUS EYES...

{Note-To-Self: The skin around your eyes is much thinner than the rest of your face so it requires special attention.}

To delay the signs of aging, gently pat on an eye cream both day and night, being careful not to drag the skin. Store eye cream in the fridge to make it feel more soothing.

To reduce any puffiness and stimulate the lymphatic system, gently press along your eyebrow and around your eye socket with your middle finger.

Instant glow-getter: Draw a fine line above the lashes of your upper eyelid, taking it out slightly at the corners. Sweep a neutral shade shadow across your brow bone and a medium shade over the eyelids.

Next brush a pale, shimmery shadow on the lower inner corner of your eyes to open up the eye and brighten up your whole face. Finally try a burgundy coloured mascara. It's much softer than black and much more surprising than brown - and it really brings out the colour of blue and green eyes.

44 Life Instructions

44 little LIFE INSTRUCTIONS

1. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

2. Memorise your favourite poem.

3. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have, or sleep all you want.

4. When you say, "I love you", mean it.

5. When you say, "I'm sorry", look the person in the eye.

6. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

7. Believe in love at first sight.

8. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

9. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

10. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

11. Don't judge people by their relatives.

12. Talk slowly but think quickly.

13. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"

14. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

15. Call your mum often.

16. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.

17. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

18. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for all your actions.

19. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

20. When you realise you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

21. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

22. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

23. Spend some time alone.

24. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

25. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

26. Read more books and watch less TV.

27. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll get to enjoy it a second time.

28. Trust in honesty but lock your car.

29. A loving atmosphere in your home is so important. Do all you can to create a tranquil harmonious home.

30. In disagreements with loved ones, deal with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.

31. Read between the lines.

32. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

33. Be gentle with the earth.

34. Never interrupt when you are being flattered.

35. Mind your own business.

36. Don't trust a man/woman who doesn't close his/her eyes when you kiss.

37. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.

38. If you make or have a lot of money, put it to use helping others while you are living. That is wealth's greatest satisfaction.

39. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a stroke of luck.

40. Learn the rules, then break some.

41. Remember that the best relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.

42. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

43. Remember that your character is your destiny.

44. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

60 ways to become the PERSON YOU LOVE

60 ways to become THE PERSON YOU LOVE

Only the time and attention we give ourselves demonstrates how much we love and admire ourselves. Self love requires that we place ourselves at the top of our priority list.

Self-nurturing is everything that makes us feel positive, happy and joyful. When we decide to honour ourselves with the love we need and deserve like the sun we radiate a glow, touching everything and everyone in our lives.

Here are 60 ideas to get you glowing:

60. Eliminate shoulds.

59. Enjoy down time.

58. Run towards your fears.

57. Be dependable.

56. Embrace self-responsibility.

55. Be completely honest.

54. First meet your own needs.

53. Notice the beauty around you.

52. Open your mind to change.

51. Respect your body.

50. Set attainable goals.

49. Go at your own pace.

48. Honour your individuality.

47. Open yourself to umlimited possibilities.

46. See the humour in things.

45. Celebrate your imperfections.

44. Reward yourself.

43. Be flexible.

42. Be gentle with yourself.

41. Be open to being wrong.

40. Laugh for no reason.

39. Light candles.

38. Enjoy nature.

37. Get a message.

36. Congratulate yourself.

35. Know yourself.

34. Appreciate where you are today.

33. Give yourself space.

32. Breathe mindfully.

31. Communicate your emotions.

30. Learn to relax.

29. Meditate.

28. Say no more often.

27. Experience new things.

26. Take mini breaks throughout the day.

25. Create personal affirmation cards, use daily.

24. Hang out with positively happy people.

23. Schedule fun times for yourself.

22. Make your car a sanctuary.

21. Dress for success.

20. Be impeccably groomed.

19. Balance your energy.

18. Recharge your batteries.

17. Refuse to argue.

16. Balance your diet.

15. Sleep sound.

14. Persevere.

13. Feel and express gratitude.

12. Give up self put-downs.

11. Develop your intuition.

10. Learn to hold your own hand.

9. Accept your physical appearance.

8. Keep your cool.

7. Vent in a positive way.

6. Speak kindly of yourself.

5. Be brave.

4. Learn to calm yourself.

3. Listen to music.

2. Make the most of every opportunity.

1. Start fresh each day.

4 ways to start your week off right!

4 ways to guarantee A GREAT start to THE WEEK

MONDAY IS THE FIRST IMPRESSION FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK

It sets the tone and can potentially become a day {that instead of dreading} is respected for its ability to keep us grounded, helping to balance our work and play in a successful manner.

Here are 4 tips to help guarantee a great start to the week...

1. Use the weekend time

Check off the To-Dos

There are usually errands that can’t be completed during the week that begin to pile up just waiting to be dealt with when Saturday arrives. Take the time to group them all together and complete them on Saturday rather than Sunday so that you aren’t burdening yourself with the reminder all weekend of this nagging task.

Stay on Schedule

With regards to your body, try to sleep 6-8 hours as well as staying as close to your “to bed” and “to rise” times as well. Adhering to the same times as best as possible keeps your body in a rhythm, so that when Monday arrives, waking up at five, six or seven, isn’t a shock.

Relax

Scheduling time to relax is a must. After all, unwinding and getting lost in activities we love is what the weekends are for. In order to perform our best during the week, we must strike a balance and rejuvenate over the weekend.

Don’t Overbook

Simply because everything you have planned for the weekend involves activities and people you love, be diligent about not overbooking yourself which may potentially cause you to see the week as more of a respite than the two day weekend. Be savvy with your energy levels and time. After all, we only have so much to give and use.

A Moment to Plan

Sunday night prepare yourself with your planner for what you want to accomplish that week. This is also a great time to plan the week’s meals, create a grocery list and make sure all of the clothes you will need are washed, laundered and ready to be worn. Also try to plan weekly mealsGrocery ShopLaundry – ironing, dry cleaners, etc

2. A work out is a MUST

Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, made a simple suggestion for a happier week... always workout on Monday. Why? Beginning the week by checking one workout off your list immediately as the week begins and taking the time to take of your body is sure to have a positive effect on your energy levels and mood.

3. Tackle the Tough Stuff

First when you get to work, choose to complete a task that will bring great relief when it is successfully put to bed. Knowing you have been quite productive early in the week provides inspiration and lifts your confidence as you proceed through the week, ultimately setting a positive tone.

4. A good Nights Sleep

Go to bed at a decent time, so that when that alarm clock begins to sing, you are capable of starting the day out on the right foot.

With these simple tips, Monday no longer has to be a day to dread, but instead can become a day to ground us and begin the week on a very good note.