Author: Andreas

Sunday Health Hack No. 23 – Make drinking tea a new easy habit, swapping some of the coffee breaks for health beneficial tea time-outs.

It’s teatime, and instead of just picking one variety in particular I want to give you my favourite list of (Green) teas which I consume on a regular day, again always having an eye on health benefits too, stacking them on each other. It’s also one of the most common questions I get when asked about my “drinking habits” :-).

For sure, everyone has stumbled across the many health benefits of tea before, so not of surprise drinking tea is deeply enrooted in many, many different cultures.
The history of tea dates back to ancient China, almost 5,000 years ago. It was popular before the Egyptians built the great pyramids and was traded with Asian countries even before Europe left the dark ages. Still, the Chinese empire tightly controlled the preparation and cultivation of the crop. And for thousands of years tea was used first and foremost as medicine, before eventually tea became also valued for everyday pleasure and refreshment. Tea plantations started to spread throughout China and then Asia, tea merchants became rich, and expensive, elegant tea wares became the banner for the wealth and status of their owners.
Up to the mid-17th century, all Chinese / Asian tea was Green tea. But as foreign trade increased, the growers discovered that they could preserve the tea leaves with a special fermentation process. The resulting Black tea kept its flavour and aroma longer (though losing most of the medicinal benefits) than the more delicate Green teas and was better equipped for the export journeys to other countries.
And here we are.

Today, every supermarket is stocked with hundreds and hundreds of different tea flavours and tea mixtures. It’s tough to make a decision. And many might have even read about that many esoteric / pop-art teas are just chopped stems of the tea leaves (the waste), pimped up with some spices and extra (chemical) flavour, but sold to ridiculous prices through boisterous marketing claims.

It is super okay if you love tea, you already have your own brands and flavours, just for the taste of it. All good! And please continue to do so because at least it adds to your daily water intake.
But if you are looking for additional benefits for your health, quality really matters. And so, to no surprise, we are back to square one, to its original source – Green tea.

After my morning coffee with Chaga mushroom extract, the first cup of tea I indulge is Pu-erh tea.
Pu-erh tea is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. This is the same plant that is used for making Green teas. But the leaves undergo a long fermentation process and then a prolonged storage as bricks or cakes, “aging” under high humidity. Unlike other teas, which get stale over time, Pu-erh can mellow and improve with age like fine wine. Some Pu-erh teas are more than 50 years old, and rare Pu-erh teas sell for many thousands of dollars in Asian specialty stores.
The tea got its name from the ancient tea-trading town of Pu’er in the Chinese Yunnan Province. Pu-erh tea contains a good amount of caffeine but it releases the caffeine slowly over a long time. So, no caffeine jitters or crash, but it offers a nice state of extended mental alertness and sharp thinking.
On the health benefit side, people in Asia drink Pu-erh tea primarily for its weight loss power, as it prevents the body from absorbing the fats in the diet, and it helps to balance and thrive the good bacteria in your gut.
It’s also beneficial for your cholesterol and insulin levels, for your skin, and it’s packed with antioxidants.
My trusted source for quality Pu-erh tea (in Germany / no affiliation): https://bit.ly/38BxzWI

Extra tip: For best Green tea flavour, bring spring or freshly drawn filtered water to 85 degrees Celsius. Allow the tea to steep for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, remove the sachet and enjoy.
And don’t forget – make use of these ~3min for having an extra glass of water too :-).

Later in the morning I switch to a cup of Gyokuro. Gyokuro is a special type of green tea from Japan, shaded from the sun for 20 days with specially made mats which allows the caffeine levels to increase in the leaves, in addition to allowing the amino acids to get stronger, producing a sweeter and stronger flavour.
Gyokuro is considered to be one of the highest grades of green tea in Japan. This quality also comes with a high price, but the taste and the health benefits are worth it. And we are talking one cup a day, and just a few grams of tea.
First, Gyokuro offers the same prolonged caffeine benefits as Pu-erh tea. On the health benefits side, Gyokuro is high in catechins, a powerful bioflavonoid proven to aid in lowering the risk of blood clots, heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. On top of this, Green tea can also block the absorption of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, referred to as bad cholesterol. Drinking Gyokuro also helps lowering your blood pressure, protects your body from toxins, and regulates your blood sugar levels.
My trusted source (no affiliation): https://bit.ly/3lAPLCB

Sidenote: When brewing gyokuro is that the temperature must be lower than other Green teas, and the steeping time is longer. The ideal temperature is 50°C to 60°C, for around 3-5min.

After my early afternoon / after lunch coffee with Lion’s mane mushrooms extract I reduce my caffeine intake with a nice cup of Hojicha, another Japanese tea. Hojicha tea leaves are roasted after the steaming process, while other green teas are only steamed. The high temperature burns away most of the caffeine within the leaves. Hojicha has risen in popularity in recent years due to its toasty aroma and flavour.
But Hojicha tea is also high in vitamins (Vitamin A, C, and E) that are known to fight against the common cold, regulate the immune system, prevent scurvy, and even reverse the effects of a compromised immune system.
Additionally, Hojicha tea boosts the body’s metabolism, which promotes weight loss and increases your body’s calorie use, leading to fat burn. So, it’s an ideal after (heavy) lunch as well as a pre-workout drink if you do train in the evening, doubling the calorie/fat-burning effect.
My trusted source (in Germany / no affiliation): https://bit.ly/39D8ESB

As mentioned in former blog posts and hacks, an hour before bed I switch off all electronics (and Wi-Fi) for giving my nervous-system the chance to calm down after a stressful working day. And while I may read a book or drop a few lines in my journal, a nice cup of Rooibos tea goes along with that.
Rooibos (pronounced Roy-bos) tea is made from a bushy, low growing plant, Aspalathus linearis. The linearis part of the botanical name describes the straight, needle-like leaves. It is native to the mountains of Cederberg, South Africa, and no other regions worldwide have been able to successfully cultivate it. The common name ‘rooibos’ means ‘red bush’ in Afrikaans, describing the deep red colour of the tea.
The first people to drink rooibos tea were the Khoisan people, the indigenous tribe from the Cederberg region of South Africa. Over 300 years ago they were harvesting wild rooibos in the mountains to use as medicine for various ailments. They appreciated the healing qualities of the plant and the sweet, smooth flavor of the tea.
From helping prevent heart disease, to balancing blood-sugar, to supporting digestive health (and thus weight loss), to strengthening your immune system, the high level of antioxidants in Rooibos tea have proved to be just as healthy as in green tea.
But primarily, Rooibos tea, which has no caffeine at all, lowers the production of cortisol and by doing so, also lowers the body’s stress levels, which is why it is such a tasty, wonderful bed-time tea.
My trusted source (in Germany / no affiliation): https://bit.ly/3tcONRl

Sidenote: All the above-mentioned health benefits, whether it is weight loss, boosting the immune system or the increase of brain function, are the result of the compound EGCG in Green tea (epigallocatechin gallate). EGCG is what’s known as a water-soluble catechin. While catechins are widely accepted to be some of the most (health) effective of the polyphenols, one member of this group stands out – EGCG. In fact, EGCG is regarded as the most potent antioxidant catechin.

Extra tip: Of course, I always but a couple of slices of fresh organic Ginger to my teas, which not only adds some nice (ginger) flavour but also stacks additional health benefits!

Coffee, tea or me – All yours,  Andreas

Sunday Quote
Tea is the Elixir of Life.
Chinese Proverb

Sunday Music
(Green) Tea is not only an Elixir but also THE way for a long, healthy, centred and strong Life – for you and all Samurais out there.

Sunday Health Hack No. 22 – Twice a year, go donate blood. Besides that you contribute to saving lives of your fellow humans in critical need for blood, think of it as your very own “oil change” for your “machine” (your body) to perform optimal.

According to the Red Cross, every two seconds someone is in need of blood. While the average blood cell transfusion is approximately 1,5-2 litres, donors usually provide around 0.5 liters of blood per donation.
A single car accident victim can require as many as 50 litres. That’s a lot of blood. No wonder we always hear about the importance of blood donation.
But there are a number of huge health benefits for the donors as well which should make everyone think twice.

Several thousand years ago, whether you were an Egyptian with migraines or a feverish Greek, chances are your doctor would try one first-line treatment before all others: bloodletting.
Considered one of medicine’s oldest practices, bloodletting is thought to have originated in ancient Egypt. It then spread to Greece, where physicians such as Erasistratus, who lived in the third century B.C., believed that all illnesses stemmed from an overabundance of “bad blood”.
In medieval Europe, bloodletting became the standard treatment for various conditions, from plague and smallpox to epilepsy and gout.
But by the late 1800s new treatments and technologies had then largely edged out bloodletting.

Still, many health benefits of bloodletting, today best done by donating blood, have even been proven by scientific studies.
According to the Mayo Clinic, one in every 200 people is affected by a condition called hemochromatosis that causes an iron overload. Many of us don’t even know we have that condition because symptoms don’t show until mid-life and overlap with other common illnesses. By donating blood regularly one eliminates this excess of iron.
For example, by getting rid of excess iron in the blood cells, one significantly reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that participants had a much lower percentage of heart attacks and strokes when they donated blood every six months in comparison to the control group which did not donate.
And in another study by the American Journal of Epidemiology, researchers found, in a sample size of 2,682 men in Finland, those who donated blood at least once a year had even an 88 percent lower risk of heart attacks than those who did not donate.

Regular blood donation is linked to lower your blood pressure too and thus again to a lower risk for heart attacks. If your hemoglobin (a protein in your red blood cells that carries oxygen to your body’s organs and tissues) is too high, blood donation helps to lower the viscosity of the blood, which has been associated with the formation of blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks.

Excess iron has also been linked to increase free-radical damage in the body which increased the risk of advancing aging related diseases and even cancer. The Miller-Keystone Blood Center had researched in many trials that consistent blood donation are associated with lower risks of cancers including liver, lung or colon cancers due to the reduction in oxidative stress when iron is released from the bloodstream.

As mentioned in the intro, think of donating blood as your very personal “oil change”, getting rid of old, used, “toxic” liquids, sort of a “detox” too, and your body kick starting to reproduce new fresh “clean” blood.

Sidenote: Donating blood is also a great preventative measurement for detecting “lingering” health issues early on. When you donate blood it is tested for syphilis, HIV, hepatitis, and other diseases. This standard testing indicates whether or not you are eligible to donate based on what is found in your bloodstream.
Additionally, your vital signs will be checked to make sure you are fit enough for the procedure. This exam might turn up a condition that needs medical attention, such as high blood pressure or a heart arrhythmia like atrial fibrillation. And some hospitals and doctor’s even offer to run a full blood test (for checking the mineral levels etc.).

But while there are several physical benefits to donating blood, the most powerful health benefit is arguably “psychological”. Donating blood means that someone (or multiple people) somewhere will receive your “lifesaver” they desperately need. You are helping other humans injured in accidents, undergoing cancer treatment, or battling blood diseases.
The psychological health benefit you receive from knowing you’re helping others can be just as helpful as the physical health benefit. When you roll up your sleeve and sit down in that chair, you know you’re making a difference – and that will make you feel good.​
And this positive feeling of “giving back”, knowing that you will save lives by this simple good “boy scout” deed, has also been linked to positive health outcomes, including a lower risk for depression and greater longevity.

So, my Sunday Health Hack for today – Please overcome your natural “fear of blood” and go donating blood in your local blood donation clinic twice a year.
And just so you know, I am the greatest “chicken” of all, my cardiovascular system going straight into flight modus every time. But it’s worth it. It’s a win-win for everyone.

Stay brave and long-living, Yours  Andreas

Sunday Quote
It is said that blood is thicker than water. It is what joins us, binds us, heals us.

Sunday Music
For some uplifting feelings while sitting in the (clinic) chair, spilling some good old blood …

Sunday Health Hack No. 21 – Put some Reishi mushroom powder into your “Good Night” drink for the best recovery ever.

Today, it’s Mother’s Day. So, let’s honour the most important person in our life, dedicating this Sunday Hack to the Queen of Health.
After having introduced you to the health benefits of Chaga (in the morning) and Lion’s mane (in the afternoon) before, let me finish this little medicinal mushrooms series with Reishi, known as the Queen of Mushrooms, best taken in the evening before bed.
Reishi mushrooms (Ganoderma lucidum for us science geeks), fan-shaped and orange to reddish brown in colour, have been a foundational herb and important adaptogen in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for thousands of years. Also labelled as the “Mushroom of Immortality”, Reishi was traditionally only reserved for the Emperor and royal family, elevating its status to that of a royalty herb.

Reishi mushroom is one of the most incredible adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms, which according to TCM, restores and balances your “Shen”.
“Shen” translates as one’s spirit or emotional balance. Traditionally, the benefits of Reishi are used to improve sleep, strengthens the heart, improve cognition and reduce stress and anxiety – all manifestations of a Shen imbalance.
Reishi restores the emotional balance, calms the mind, reduces stress and supports the nervous system and digestive health. As I have emphasized many times before, much of your “mood” has its roots in your gut.
Stress is a key suppressor of our immune system. Reishi mushroom is known as the ultimate anti-stress herb that helps support the nervous system, and lowers an overactive central nervous system.
And as a potent antioxidant, Reishi decreases inflammation and disrupts the production of inflammatory mediators, which also influence our mood (inflammation in the brain).

But its most important function is, being a potent adaptogen, that Reishi is also a powerful immune system modulator.
Think of it as “THE Commando Bridge” of your immune system. First it “optimizes” the “deployment” of your immune system’s tool-kit (T-killer-cells, antibodies, proteins etc.), sending the right tools to the right place in the right amount to the most urgent “trouble spots” in your body where they are currently needed most.
And next, it also down-regulates an overactive immune system, as is seen in autoimmune diseases, allergies and skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis.

As we all know or at least might have heard of, our “recovery / repair system” is primarily full at work during our sleep.
Due to its “calming” effect, researchers have found that taking Reishi before bed increases the time of non-REM sleep and the quality of REM sleep.
So, first Reishi ensures that your sleep quality is optimal which is beneficial for your recovery processes. And then it also optimizes this ongoing “construction work” during your sleep.

So my Sunday Health Hack for today is – Make yourself a nice “Good Night” drink and add some Reishi powder extract to it.
For my “Good Night” drink I put the following ingredients into a large tea mug –

• 1 tbs organic cacao powder
• ½ tbs of turmeric powder
• a pinch of cinnamon
• 1 tbs of coconut oil
• 1 tbs of organic acacia honey (from my local beekeeper), highly antiseptic!

Then I add some Reishi powder to it, 500mg. The most convenient (and quality reassuring) way to do that is again to get some organic, quality Reishi mushroom extract in capsules. Open the capsule and put the extract powder to the mix.
Then I top it up with hot water (not boiling water, ~90 degrees Celsius).

This “Good Night” drink, which I enjoy while eg. reading a book before going to bed, provides you with many minerals, vitamins or healthy fats supporting your nightly recovery and repair system, and Reishi makes sure that they are put to their best use possible.

My trusted product source in Germany for (very) good quality Reishi mushroom extract is again Sunday Natural, and, again, I do not have any affiliation with them – https://bit.ly/3LVDlke

Queen & hearts,  Yours Andreas

Sunday Quote
The strength of a kingdom (your life) comes from its King (your health). And the strength of a King comes from his Queen (of Health).

Sunday music
Well, let’s honour the Queen by her King, so that when the night has come, please stand by me 🙂