Posts Tagged ‘Rooibos tea’

Green rooibos tea

Posted in Rooibos tea health on 04/07/2009 08:21 pm by admin

Organic green rooibos tea leaves. Photo taken ...
As red Rooibos tea gets fermented and oxidized after harvest, in the green variety of Rooibus tea the fermentation and oxidation are skipped. The tea gets withered and steamed immediately thus preventing oxidation. This results in a lighter and more aromatic taste and a deep green color of the beverage.

As green rooibos tea is “freezed” in its more natural and fresh state in conserves even more of its healing properties.

The amounts of antioxidants and flavonoids are also much higher than in the red variety of rooibos tea. As a consequence green Rooibos tea has increased health benefits over red Rooibos tea.

The other nutrients contained in Rooibos tea remain unaltered. So green Rooibos tea is still a rich source of minerals and microelements.

Rooibos gift set

Steeping

Being very low in tannine green Rooibos tea can be steeped or brewed for much longer than regular tea at a much higher temperature. This way the active ingredients can be extracted in much higher quantities. The same leaves can be used for a second steeping.

The latest research has shown that vitamin c significaly increases the absorbtion of antioxidants in the body. Just 30mg of the vitamin in a cup of tea is enought to greatly improve the absorbtion of beneficial substances from the tea. Vitamin c is however destroyed by heat so it should only be added to cold tea.

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Rooibos chai recipe

Posted in Organic farming, Rooibos recipes, Rooibos tea health, Rooibos tea products on 04/07/2009 08:51 am by admin

Chai or more precisely Masala chai is a very popular drink in South Asia and particularly in India. The main ingredients of chai are a very strong black tea, milk and various spices among which cardamom, cinnamon and ginger. The result is a very sweet drink <a style=’display:none;’ href=http://rooibos-benefits.com > Rooibos tea </a> full of spices that some regard almost as food.

Many of us might be put of by the high amount of caffeine of chai. Fortunately this is where Rooibus tea comes in.

Rooibos tea with is strong aroma can stand its ground to black tea and thus it can be used as a substitute in a variation on the chai recipe. This time we get a very similar strong beverage without the caffeine content.

Ingredients: ( 4 servings )

4 cups of water

1 cup of whole milk

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

2 slices of ginger

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tablespoon of whole cloves

1/2 tablespoon of whole black peppercorn

2 tablespoons of rooibos leaves

Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients together and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and stir ocasionally boiling for another 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Alternative: Mix together all the ingredients except the milk. Boil for 20 minutes. Store in fridge. Add hot milk before serving.

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Rooibos tea for babies: A nature’s boon for your infant and child

Posted in Babies and Children, Green rooibos, Pregnancy and breastfeeding, Red rooibos, Rooibos tea health on 02/01/2009 07:58 pm by ElvinConnor

Have you heard that rooibos tea is great for your baby? The health benefits of a balanced Rooibos Tea Diet are countless. It will not only provide your baby with a vital source of essential minerals, but also relieve a host of allergic symptoms such as colic, insomnia, stomach cramps, abnormal stools, chronic diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and cradle-cap. During pregnancy or breastfeeding, Rooibos offers harmless, soothing refreshment to mother’s nerves, but it doesn’t end there.

Not only is Rooibos good for pregnant and breast-feeding mothers, Rooibos tea has many anti-allergic properties and has become a tried-and-tested cure for crying infants. If your little one is suffering from allergic symptoms like colic, insomnia or stomach cramps, this will surely come as great news. Rooibos also offers precious relief from nappy rash. Due to natural soothing and calming powers of Rooibos,  your baby will benefit from better digestion and untroubled sleep.

The fact that Rooibos is very low in tannin is very important. Because of this, it doesn’t deplete your baby’s iron reserves during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and ensures unaffected absorption of protein. But there’s more: its calcium traces help strengthen the youngsters teeth and bones, while its zinc and magnesium contents promote a healthy skin and a well-developed nervous system. So for many reasons Rooibos Tea is a real boon for your baby.

 

How to Brew Rooibos Tea

Posted in Rooibos recipes on 01/24/2009 09:00 pm by ElvinConnor

Here is how to prepare a perfect cup of Rooibos Tea.

If possible, use natural spring, bottled or filtered water since tap water can effect the pleasant, naturally sweet taste of Rooibos tea.

Rooibos tea is said to develop the best taste and offer the most benefits when steeped for between 5 and 8 minutes. It is ok to steep it longer. If you do so, Rooibos will increase the flavour and full bodied essence of the tea. Because Rooibos is very low in tannins, it will not turn bitter if you brew it longer or if you prefer to drink it cold.

After you boil the water, let it cool down a bit (for about 30 seconds) and then pour it over the leaves. One Teaspoon of Rooibos tea will make one cup of tea. If you wish to make larger quantities, you might want to use three teaspoons for one quart/liter. But ofcourse, you can adjust the quantity regarding to your own taste and enjoyment.

Rooibos tea has a great natural taste and therefore it is not needed to add milk or sugar, but if you like, you can try both and perhaps even add some cinammon.

Enjoy! :)

 

Organic Rooibos tea

Posted in Organic farming, Rooibos tea health on 12/12/2008 07:22 pm by admin

Rooibos, Aspalathus linearis (N.L.Burm.) R.Dahlgr.
Being full of antioxidants means that organic rooibos tea can “take care of itself” when it comes to decay. The rooibos tea antioxidants antioxidants that we acquire by drinking rooibos tea and other teas are used to fight free radicals which are the main cause of ageing and decay.

The same antioxidants can be used to fend off bacteria and fungi in rooibos itself. So it is clear that organic rooibos tea can be preserved for a longer period of time without resorting to preservatives. Additionally it can be cultivated without the use of pesticides and can be offered to the consumers as natural organic Rooibos tea. This also contributes to a sustainable farming and enhances the quality of environment that we leave for future generations.

In this fasion we get in our cup a pure brew of the finest organic rooibos tea without any additives. Rich in minerals and health preserving substances.

 

Red rooibos tea

Posted in Red rooibos on 12/12/2008 07:19 pm by admin

Dragon rooibos
Red rooibos is the classic and better known variety of rooibos. Prepared after the modified traditional method the red bush is first cut and bruised then left to ferment and finally dried in the African sun.

The oxidation step is what gives the tea its famous mahogany-red color and rich taste. Because of the strong and rich fragrant taste the tea is often mixed with other herbs. The most known are vanilla-rooibos, almond-rooibos or some more exotic lemon-apple-rooibos varieties.

The ways to enjoy this tasty and rich healthy alternative to coffee and tea are truely unlimited.

 

Rooibos tea

Posted in Green rooibos, Red rooibos, Rooibos tea health on 12/12/2008 06:58 pm by admin

Red, black and green tea

Rooibos tea

In latter years rooibos tea health benefits have propelled the tea beyond the tea.

Full of antioxidants and flavonoids the plant’s extracts are used in shampoos, rejuvinating products and a host of other cosmetics products.

Calming and refreshing it is indicated for all kinds of health problems. Nausea, constipation, stomach cramps, insomnia to name just a few. Highly commanded in situations where caffeine and or tannine intake are not recommended. With its strong taste and aroma it is particularly indicated in pregnancy to women who find it difficult to give up tea or coffee.

Only in recent year has rooibos achieved its deserved fame. With inventions like red espresso a healthy alternative to coffe

a healthy cup of rooibos

e which expresses the full body and aroma of coffee without the ill effects of caffeine and with a very high amount of antioxidants.

History

Rooibos tea. A delicious concoction, a golden-red beverage consumed for centuries by the

Southafrican Khoi tribe. It has been discovered by the westerners only in the seventeenth century.

A swedish botanist Carl Thunberg observed the natives of the Cape area making tea from a plant harvested in the surrounding Caderberg mountains. The plant was called red bush and later rooibos.

The plant’s fine leaves were cut, rolled into bags and transported into the valley with the help of donkies. The leaves were than chopped and bruised on rocks and left to dry in the sun. The dried leaves were then brewed much like tea or coffee in hot water to obtain sweet red drink with a strong aroma. It would then be used as a casual drink and to aleviate many ailments.

The tea was quickly adopted by the Dutch colonists as a replacement for black tea which was already an expensive as it relied on trade from Europe.

In the early twentieth century a russian settler Benjamin Ginsberg exploring the Cape mountains rediscovered the red beverage and the many uses the natives had for it. Being fascinated with the tea he ran a host of experiments perfecting the harvesting and fermentation of rooibos. When he discovered the potential market for the tea he gave locals incentives to cultivate the plant on their farms. His bet payed off.

The rooibos market became one of the most lucrative spice businesses of the time. Since then rooibos tea grew in popularity. It is also mentioned in Alexander Mccall Smith’s detective novels The No.1 ladies Agency as Mma Ramotswe’s favourite drink - the red bush tea.

 

Rooibos tea and breastfeeding

Posted in Pregnancy and breastfeeding, Rooibos tea health on 12/12/2008 12:26 pm by admin

Breastfeeding an infant
In a previous post we covered the implications of drinking Rooibos tea in pregnancy. As a good alternative for mothers who try to keep away from caffeine while pregnant Rooibos tea is also an excellent drink for the breastfeeding mother.

Lets take a look at all the benefits that a young mother with her newborn can get from Rooibos tea.

Being a young mother can be a stressful so staying calm and sleep well it’s a must. It is important not to start drinking coffee in this stage as it can lead to irritability and insomnia. As in pregnancy Rooibos tea can help in this situation. Naturally sweet and soothing its aroma will help a young mother stay calm and sleep well.

It is well known that everything the mother ingests gets to the newborn trough the milk. Another benefit of Rooibos tea, being free of preservatives and additives helps providing the mother and child with a natural and healthy supply of minerals and vitamins without the damaging effects of additives.

Rooibos tea can help preventing anemia, a common simptom among breastfeeding mothers. The tannine levels in Rooibos tea are just around 3% well below the levels found in other teas. Rooibos tea is a good source of iron itself and with the low tannine levels the iron can be absorbed in the blood completely.

Finally Rooibos tea can help alleviate some of the simptoms in newborn babies. Such as stomac cramps, colics, alergies. It is even used against diaper rush.

 

Rooibos in cosmetics and skin care

Posted in Rooibos tea health, Rooibos tea products on 11/12/2008 09:57 am by admin

Very often we find ourselves puzzled by the wisdom of nature. Herbs and weeds are offered to us in abundance at every step to alleviate pain, to soothe us and to help with our sleep. On the other hand it is not surprising that this lore slips us westerners by. So we turn for this wisdom to people who live in a different world in a different time frame. Where conversations last for weeks where meals are cooked for an entire day and where weeds are carefully selected, hand picked and left to dry in the sun we find the indigenous peoples of various lands who can teach us volumes about our bodies and the true way of life.

Turning again to the Kohi tribe in south Africa we find that rooibos is not only an amazing beverage from which our health can benefit. From the extract of rooibos the natives have been making all sorts of preparations used for the care of the body.

A cup of rooibos added to one’s daily bath can alleviate all kinds of skin problems. From eczema and psoriasis to itching and general skin dryness. Even healthy skin can benefit.

In later years we find more and more cosmetic products with rooibos extract. Soaps, lotions, shampoos available on the shelves of specialized stores from around the world promoting the benefits of rooibos

Rooibos has come a long way from an unknown herb being used by an isolated tribe to the place it deserves among teas and now cosmetics. And I’m sure that with the scientific research going on well soon find some new interesting ways to benefit from this amazing plant.