Archive for April, 2008
As part of this year’s Earth Day activities in the City of Ann Arbor, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama delivered a special Peter M. Wege Lecture on Sustainability. It was sponsored by the University of Michigan Office of the President and by the Center for Sustainable Systems in the School of Natural Resources and Environment. As an alumnus of the School of Natural Resources, I was very fortune in being able to get tickets for Aubrey and I to attend. His Holiness has long held views on the subject of the environment and has talked about it in the past. One prior address carried these statements:
“We are also being drawn together by the grave problems we face: overpopulation, dwindling natural resources, and an environmental crisis that threatens our air, water, and trees, along with the vast number of beautiful life forms that are the very foundation of existence on this small planet we share. I believe that to meet the challenge of our times, human beings will have to develop a greater sense of universal responsibility. Each of us must learn to work not just for his or her own self, family or nation, but for the benefit of all mankind. Universal responsibility is the real key to human survival. It is the best foundation for world peace, the equitable use of natural resources and, through concern for future generations, the proper care of the environment.”
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April 20 2008 | Miscellaneous and Sustainability | 1 Comment »
As published by the United Press International (UPI), antioxidants found in red wine and tea may help regulate blood sugar in diabetics, U.S. food scientists say. Researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst suggest red wine and tea may help type 2 diabetics by inhibiting the action of alpha-glucosidase, which slows down the absorption of glucose from the small intestine.
“Levels of blood sugar, or blood glucose, rise sharply in patients with type 2 diabetes immediately following a meal,” Shetty says in a statement. “Red wine and tea contain natural antioxidants that may slow the passage of glucose through the small intestine and eventually into the bloodstream and prevent this spike, which is an important step in managing this disease.”
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April 20 2008 | Tea and Health | 1 Comment »
As published in India’s national newspaper, The Hindu, the Darjeeling Tea Association (DTA) has mounted efforts to increase the production of organic tea so that the majority of the “champagne of teas” is organically produced by 2010. Currently, about 37% of the total crop grown in this famous region is organic. “Efforts are on now to cover at least two more gardens that contribute 13% of the total yield under the organic cultivation norms,” a source at the DTA told The Hindu.
It takes about three years to convert a garden from conventional plantation to an organic one. This involves not only a total ban on chemical fertilizers and pesticides but there are also restrictions on the use of some natural items. “For instance, use of tobacco extracts for pest control, is not allowed,” sources said. Pointing out that the movement toward organic production of teas started about 15 years ago, Darjeeling sources said that it commanded a huge premium in the international market.
Happily, we carry a variety of teas from one of Darjeeling’s finest organic estates, Makaibari, including organic first and second flush darjeeling black teas, an organic oolong, and organic silver tips white tea. If you haven’t already, you need to find out what’s so special about these teas right away!
April 20 2008 | Organics | No Comments »
As published on ScienceDaily.com, a group of Egyptian scientists speaking at a recent meeting of the Society of General Microbiology indicate that green tea can play an important role in fighting back illness-causing ”superbugs.” The pharmacy researchers have shown that drinking green tea helps the action of important antibiotics in their fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs, making them up to three times more effective. Green tea is a very common beverage in Egypt, and it is quite likely that patients will drink green tea while taking antibiotics. The researchers wanted to find out if green tea would interfere with the action of the antibiotics, have no effect, or increase the medicines’ effects.
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April 20 2008 | Tea and Health | No Comments »
Now that the weather is (finally) turning the corner into spring/summer here in Ann Arbor, it seems only fitting that we start talking about iced tea! Although we’ll be talking more on this subject in the coming weeks and months, I just wanted to give a “heads-up” primarily to our southeastern Michigan customers about a fun mini-class on iced tea that I’ll be teaching this summer at Washtenaw Community College (WCC). The class,which will be held on Thursday, June 12 from 6:00 to 8:00pm, is entitled, “Iced Tea: It’s Come a Long Way Since the St. Louis World’s Fair!” In this short and sweet two-hour class, we’ll be covering:
- A quick overview of tea (how it’s made, health benefits, etc.);
- The history of iced tea;
- How to make iced tea at home;
- Fun things to do with iced tea.
For those of you that may be interested, click here to register for this class through WCC. Class size is limited, so don’t delay! I hope to see many of you there!
April 20 2008 | Tea Fun | No Comments »
We’re very proud to tell you all about the recent recognition Arbor Teas received for our sustainability initiatives in this month’s edition of Fresh Cup Magazine! Fresh Cup is a prominent magazine serving the tea and coffee industries, gobbled up on a monthly basis by all of us trying to keep up on the latest and greatest. As with our mention in Organic Spa Magazine last year, it’s quite humbling to be discussed in the media beside the “big guys” like Honest Tea and Rishi Tea, to name a few. Hopefully this means we’re accomplishing what we set out to do: deliver the highest quality loose teas as sustainably as possible. Don’t worry, we won’t let the hype go to our heads (although our hats are fitting a bit tighter lately!).
April 19 2008 | Green Business and Media | No Comments »