Rishi took home seven first place awards at the recent World Tea Expo. They are definitely doing something right, and I personally recommend their Jade Cloud tea.
It turns out that the flavinoids in tea may actually help ease symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases, and there seems to the possibility that flavinoids in tea may help repair the damage, not just stop it.
Teaware geeks will enjoy this write up by MattCha about Korean style gimhae tea bowls, complete with a brief history of this teaware style and several pictures of some very nice bowls.
This is a great article on gongfu tea tables, with in-depth comparisons that you really won't find anywhere else. It's very cool of the author to share all the info collected while on his own quest for hte perfect gongfu tea table. Bookmark this one if you ever want to get into gongfu tea preparation!
I like my veggies, not love them, but like them. I have to keep coming up with or trying new recipes to make sure I stay an omnivore and amend my carnivorous habit. Like Jimmy Buffet sings about in "Cheeseburger in Paradise." After reading some research from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago about how vegetables slow and stop the loss of memory in old age I have decided to up the ante and start learning to love them. It seems that leafy veggies are the best at helping cure memory loss. Spinach, and lettuce, followed by yellow stuff like squash, and the old dependable broccoli. All of these contain large amounts of vitamin E which may be the explanation. Of course starting to eat them at a young age may not prevent memory loss later, but there are all the other health benefits to consider, as well as forming good food habits. I wonder if they will help with my current memory problems caused by my sinful life as a teen?
Scientists are working on research that will give us yet another reason to drink red wine, although the experiment is still in its early stages. Researchers at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City found that drinking a moderate amount of red wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, to be specific, may reduce the deterioration of brain and memory functions that is typically associated with Alzheimer's disease. Cab Sauvingnon seemed to be able to prevent the buildup of "plaque" in the brain, the main characteristic of Alzheimer's.
The study has only been conducted with mice, where the results of the red wine were compared to the results of groups that received water or ethanol, so more testing is needed before a conclusion about how this will affect humans is made, but since the amounts given were within the USDA guidelines for wine consumption (1 glass per day for women, 2 for men) it probably wouldn't hurt to get a head start, just in case.
Sure, the smell of apple pie is comforting and welcoming, but when I heard that some Sheraton Four Points Hotels were going to use the scent of cinnamon apple pie as a way to make guests feel welcome, I was a little skeptical. Luckily, it appears they're also using plenty of real pie as well. A Four Points exec has even joined the board of directors of the Pie Council of America (yes, it exists). Other hotels use food smells as well, including green and white teas, fig and bergamot, according to USA Today. Coincidentally, a recent episode of Good Eats also talked about how smell relates to memory and emotion.
Chocolate has been tempting the taste buds and used to boost moods for some time now, but a new study shows that it can improve test scores, too. No, chocolate does not make you smarter, it just helps you focus.
During the study, conducted by researchers at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia, volunteers were given milk chocolate, dark chocolate, carob or nothing (control) and were then asked to complete a series of tests that looked at memory, attention span, reaction time, and problem solving skills. While flavors like peppermint have been shown to alleviate boredom, both dark and milk chocolate resulted in an increase in reaction time as well as in attention-span. Milk chocolate had a noticeably positive effect on memory. Such results are indicative that the positive effects can not only be attributed to the stimulants present in chocolate - caffeine, theobromine and phenethylamine - but might be caused by the nutritive composition of chocolate and the way it is absorbed by the body.
I
recently read an article
about researchers in Glasgow examining how sugary sodas may help increase brain function and boost memory. Researchers
gave test subjects sugary beverages and examined how well they performed memory based exercises such as remembering
lists of words and letters. Those that drank the equivalent of two cans of cola did about 20 percent better than the
non-soda drinkers. To my layman's understanding, this is because our brains need glucose (sugar) to function properly,
whether it comes straight from a soda or gets processed from carbohydrates. Researchers hope to combat dementia from
Alzheimer's with glucose supplements and also help younger bodies learn to use glucose more efficiently. I've always
been told that using a burst of glucose from a soda or candy bar was a short term solution, however. Some people
experience a "crash" afterwards and excessive soda drinkers often run the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The Franklin Institute Online has a detailed yet accessible section
about this sort of brain chemistry. I suggest reading through that in addition to the Glasgow article.
Rishi is putting Milwaukee on the world tea map
I like my veggies, not love them, but like them. I have to keep coming up with or trying new recipes to make sure I stay an omnivore and amend my carnivorous habit. Like Jimmy Buffet sings about in 
Scientists are working on research that will give us yet 
Sure, the smell of apple pie is comforting and welcoming, but when I heard that some Sheraton Four Points Hotels were going to 
Chocolate has been tempting the taste buds and used to boost moods for some time now, but a new study shows that it can improve test scores, too. No, chocolate does not make you smarter, it just 
I
recently read an 
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