Green Tea, The Oriental Elixir

We all know that tea is one of the healthiest drinks out there (at least when it is made from real tea leaves and not artificial aromas). The first record of tea consumption dates back almost two millennia. There are thousands of varieties of tea, but now I'm going to introduce you to the queen of teas, the Green Tea.

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What is the difference, you may ask. Green tea does not go through the oxidation process that is used for other teas. (Hence the green color in contrast with the oxidized brown-black color of black tea). With this, the tea holds the maximum amount of antioxidants and polyphenols possible. If you are not already familiar with antioxidants from my previous posts, these are chemicals that will protect your cells from oxidative stress and free radicals (basically what makes us age and have all sorts of diseases).

Among other benefits, green tea contains caffeine, so it makes a good substitute for coffee. You can have many cups of green tea through a day, while coffee consumption more than 3-4 cups is not advisable.

There is something green tea can provide to those who want to lose weight as well. Consumption of the tea raises metabolism rate by 4%, and it encourages fat oxidation, which means your body will be more effective in burning the stored fat.

An interesting fact that may convince you: green tea consumption has a significant tradition in Asia, but at the same time there is a high rate of smoking. However, the rate of cancer and cardiovascular diseases is still lower than the average.

If you'd like to try green tea for yourself, be sure to choose loose leaf tea, as you can never be sure what they grind into tea bags, and often lesser quality tea makes its way into your cup this way.

A bonus tip if you want something very delicious: try jasmine tea! I can guarantee that you will find it so super delicious, subtly sweet and aromatic that you'll find yourself drinking tea all the time.

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Parabens will prevent products from spoiling, but may spoil your health

We use cosmetic products day by day. From our deodorant to the lipstick ladys use, we have hundreds of products that some into immediate contact with out bodies. Usually people don't really wonder about the ingredients of their products. But still, there is a reason to be a bit more conscious about what our cosmetic products are made of.

You may have seen products popping up on shelves with the label "paraben-free". "What is this all about?" - you may ask.
Parabens are a group of chemicals that are used in cosmetic products as a preservative. Ever wondered how you favorite wrinkle creams stay fresh for months? That is the work of parabens. They prevent bacteria, mold or other contaminations from spoiling your expensive products. So what's the problem with them, you may ask.

A study that examined breast cancer tissue, that around the tissue not inconsiderable amounts of parabens were found. From this the study concluded that parabens are bioaccumulative (your body won't get rid of them very easily and for a long time) and that they have some sort of connection to breast cancer.
The study further concluded that parabens are able to act in the body as mimickers of the hormone estrogen, which is in fact in direct contact with the development of breast cancer.

It was also found that sun exposure combined with a product applied that contains parabens, leads to increased appearance of free radicals and direct DNA damage.

What should we, consumers conclude from the above? Women use multiple cosmetics every day, day by day, even wearing them on their skin from morning to night. Among them (though not exclusively) breast cancer is a significant problem. Modern women are aware of the real dangers of breast cancer to the extent that they encourage self-examination and rally for awareness. But everyone should be aware that the whole problem could be prevented with a change of deodorant or a foundation to one that does not contain this questionable chemical.

What can you do to take a step?

Always check the labels! This is the number one rule of conscious consumers. If you find parabens (usually they are in the last portions of the ingredients list) and you are concerned about using a product that contains them, choose an organic product instead.

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• Definition: Parabens (bellasugar.com)
• Chemical found in everyday items such as deodorant and food products discovered in tumours of ALL breast cancer patients (2012indyinfo.com)
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• 40 Women With Breast Cancer Had This "Cosmetic Ingredient" in Their Tissues (habwwe.wordpress.com)
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A Little Help To Choose Sunglasses

Check out my post on why sunglasses are important!

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Rethink Your Drink

Salad, The Gift from Above

Wondering what to cook for dinner and you want some guilt free deliciousness? Well search no more, because I have the perfect tip for you up my sleeve!

It is one of my personal favorites and I cannot get enough of it! You should know about me that I have never been that much of a vegetable fan. The change of heart came when at a restaurant I had some meat that had salad as a side dish. Since then, I’ve learned that the dressing is what makes the difference. I’ve found my favorite dressing and now I will eat just about any plant that is not poisonous if I have this mix beside it.

The dressing is only one of the magical things about this dish! It is super easy to make (I am obviously not a chef), and it is very filling! After you’ve finished your plate you’ll feel like a stuffed turkey and you won’t even think about hunger for quite a while.

Another thing is that it is so simple that it is very customizable. The following method is my preference and it only gives you an idea of what it should be like. Although I highly recommend you to try it this way, but when you already know how to make it, I suggest you create your favorite combination!

Ingredients needed:

Salad:

• I prefer to use a ready to eat salad mix, usually Eisberg, any kind of it that seems appealing
• One head of iceberg lettuce (while the salad mix tends to be a bit pricey, this is very economical to make up the majority of your salad)

Other ingredients:

• Chicken breast fillet
• Potatoes
• Sweet peppers
• Green onions

Dressing:

• Unflavored yogurt
• Mayonnaise

Steps:

• Boil the sliced up potatoes
• Chop the other vegetables up
• Chop up and prepare the chicken breast with your favorite spices (sometimes I use a gyros spice mix)
• Mix the yogurt and the mayonnaise

Now you just have to mix everything together and it will be as delicious as it looks.

The fibers in the vegetables will be beneficial for you digestion, and will help with acid reflux. The probiotic culture in the yogurt will be great for your digestive tract as well. 

With this in mind,

Enjoy your meal!

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Protect your eyes from the sun

Summer is closer and closer every day, and now that we are on daylight saving time again, the number of sunny hours increased instantly. In a previous post I told you about the effect of sun on our skin. Now let's talk about our eyes.

Horatio does a good job at protecting his eyesight
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If you read the post about sun rays, then you know that they can cause all sorts of nasty things. Tanning is a protection mechanism for our skin, but unfortunately our delicate eyes don't have that kind of protection system, while the sun can do the same damage to them as it can to our skin. So put your cool sunglasses on to keep the windows to your soul healthy.

How can sunglasses help?


Although most people wear sunglasses because they can't stand the blinding light of the summer sun, but there are much more important aspects of wearing these accessories. They can block the UV rays of the sun so much less of them reach your eyes. You should look for glasses that cover your eyes enough that they are protected from the sides as well. The bigger sunglasses, the better. Also, look for the indication of UV filtering capability. It can usually be found on a sticker on the lenses. Don't trust them though. In optical shops they can test if the glasses provide adequate protection.

Just as to your skin, you can do much for your eyes if you protect them well. Like your skin will be less wrinkly, your eyesight will be better without the damage the sun has done to it. Among many benefits, sunglasses will help you to stay away from macular degeneration.

So there is no reason to keep your sunglasses in the drawer or in your bag, put them on for healthy coolness!

Eat Your Eggs Darling!

I've never been so much of an egg lover. Through my twenty years of existence I never had an egg in any form that was not dough.
Now that I'm trying to shed the extra kilos gained through the winter I discovered that eggs can not only help you get fitter, but are great complements of a healthy lifestyle!

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Let's see what eggs can do to you!

• they contain lutein, which protects our eyes from oxidative stress, and high-energy protons, thus preserving healthy eyesight
• they contain protein and amino-acids, essential for our bodies
• they contain vitamin D, which protects healthy bones
• they are low on saturated fat

These benefits are great, but I initially started this little research on eggs because I wanted to get rid of that winter fat. 

If eaten for breakfast, they can stop you from consuming up to 400 calories that you would otherwise eat. They will make you feel fuller so you will feel less hungry and eat a smaller lunch.

Also, eggs contain leucine, an amino acid that regulates a protein synthesis which will help your body burn the stored fat.

How to have an egg breakfast?

There are tons of ways really. My preference is hard-boiled because I don't like the hassle. Also, this is the healthiest because there is nothing added to the egg. You can eat them scrambled or as an omelet. My newfound personal favorite is the sweet omelet! If you want to sin a little during your diet, try to whip your egg with sugar or vanilla sugar, and it will be super delicious. Also you can add roasted peanuts or walnuts, prepare it as you would your favorite pancake. The possibilities are endless!

I've been having two hard-boiled eggs for breakfast for the past few days and I have to say it really satiated my hunger.

Also a tip: if you want to make your eggs super easy to peel (and why wouldn't you) add a tablespoon of salt to the water.

How to buy eggs in Hungary

Here in Hungary there is a huge variety of eggs in grocery shops. These days, prices have risen, partly because Easter is near and there is a general increase in prices also.

You should pay particular attention to the number codes on the packaging, because on the tray there is often pictures of green fields and happy chickens, but the reality is that those poor things never saw such a landscape. If you can afford it, support farmers who produce eggs in a way that is not cruel to the animals.

There are also special types of eggs, such as the kind that has a yellower yolk, and also a type which is enriched with omega 3 fatty acid, that can potentially protect you from a range of illnesses ranging from cancer to cardiovascular disease. These types of eggs are on the pricier end of the scale.

Also, in Hungary there are still lots of opportunities to buy eggs directly from the farmers. This way you can get great quality eggs for the same or even lower price. (Otherwise big store-chains would buy eggs from farmers and sell them for a topped-up price. In these big stores you can usually find poorer quality, cheaper eggs too.)

Farmers markets are great places to find such produces, and in Budapest and all over the country you will be able to find them easily. Click here to find the list of the markets of Budapest.

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