Archive for February, 2012

How a Burnt Out Banker Found Salvation in Tea!

Tuesday, February 28th, 2012

Even before my job as a corporate banker ended, I was quickly burning out. The 12-hour days and long commute were wearing me down, and even when I did finally get home, I wasn’t very nice to be around. I knew I wanted to start a business, but I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do.

Language of the Leaf began when my husband and I traveled to India to visit a relative and master tea blender for Fortnum & Mason and Twinings.

During this trip, we were invited to stay in the top three Darjeeling tea-producing gardens. Surrounded by the lush green hills and world famous tea plantations, I was enthralled with the tea crafting process. From plucking the fresh leaves off the bountiful plants to carefully examining the leaves during the drying procedure, I followed the leaves through their entire transformation.

While learning about withering, rolling, oxidation, drying (or firing), and even the proper way to ‘cup’ tea, I tasted endless batches of exotic teas. From tasting the liquor to assessing both dry and ‘wet’ leaf, I was obsessed with tea selection and the tea brewing process.

My favourite experience from this trip was on the car ride from airport, when I first caught a glimpse of the Teesta River that flows from China to India. Just knowing we were so close to the origins of the tea trade filled me with a sense of history and awe – and gratitude that now we were a part of that.

After this incredible experience, tea became an important part of my life, and I was so passionate about what I discovered that I needed to find a way to share it with everyone. I knew that people who strive to live a healthier lifestyle would love these naturally blended teas as much as I did.

At that moment, Language of the Leaf was born. Our goal is to elevate tea from an everyday cup to an affordable luxury. Focusing on flavourful blends and aromatic herbs, we wanted to offer a line of gourmet blends that you could enjoy no matter what the occasion.

My goal is to combine carefully selected blends to transform everyday tea drinking into memorable tea experiences.

Language of the Leaf tea offers more than just a hot drink. We bring you comfort in a teapot, a way to celebrate life events, and the first step in creating a healthier lifestyle for you. Is it time for you to pause, reflect and refresh?

 

Why Do Japanese Have The Longest Life Span?

Friday, February 3rd, 2012

Japanese people have the longest life span amongst all nations. On average, they live 10-12 percent more than the total average lifespan of human population in today’s world. Statistics also reveal that the average age of Japanese men is 78 years and that of a Japanese woman is 85 years. How do the Japanese do it?

Imagine looking smart and young even at the age of 60!

Would you like to live that long too? How is it possible to increase your age? Let us investigate the most important factor behind long life span of Japanese people.

Studies Reveal Drinking Green Tea Is The Key To Long Life

  1. Herbs for Health magazine cites a Japanese report stating that men who drank ten cups of green tea per day stayed cancer-free for three years longer than men who drank less than three cups a day (there are approximately 240 – 320 mg of polyphenols in three cups of green tea).
  2. Japanese scientists at the Saitama Cancer Research Institute discovered that there were fewer reoccurrence of breast cancer, and the disease spread less quickly, in women with a history of drinking five cups or more of green tea daily.
  3. Researchers have proved that green tea is a powerful antioxidant with compounds that can shield you from many harmful diseases including cancer and heart disease.

How Green Tea Drinking Frequency Relates To Life Span?

In their study “Can teatime increase one’s lifetime?”, Nakachi et al followed the green tea consumption and deaths (cancer, cardiovascular death and all cause mortality) in a Japanese population for 13 years and found that onset of cancer and death from cancer were significantly delayed in those who drank the most green tea.

In men, mean age at cardiovascular death was 74.9 years in those who drank up to 3 cups, 76.2 years in those who drank 4-9 cups, and 76.8 years in those who drank more than 10 cups. In women, the values were 79.5 years, 80.6 years, and 80.9 years. Even though the women lived longer, here the effect of green tea on lifespan was more pronounced in men.

The Secret Behind Their Long Life

  • Healthy Eating Habits: The Japanese diet does not center on delicacies eaten solely for taste. In fact, most dishes are consumed based on the health benefits people gain from them.  You will be surprised to learn that many Japanese people do not eat what they like; they eat what is good for their health.
  1. No Junk Food – Japanese people avoid fatty foods, foods with high cholesterol and junk/fast foods.
  2. Fish & Soy Products - They love to eat more fish and soy products that keep their cholesterol levels in control.
  3. Fiber: They include a large quantity of starch and fiber in their daily intakes to maintain a healthy digestive system.
  4. Green Tea: And the most important food ingredient is green tea which they regularly take to offset the bad effects of high fats, if consumed
  • Active life style: Japanese are in habit of waking up early and start their journey on foot to the work places. On average, every Japanese walk for 20 to 100 minutes in a day, and we all know the best way to keep our body (especially the heart) healthy is through walking. Those who do not get the time to walk, indulge in physical activities that keep them healthy.

Try Green Tea For A Longer & Healthier Life!

So, now you know the secret – Green tea increases lifespan by preventing death from age-related illnesses, especially cancer.  If you’re after those extra years, you should start drinking green tea during middle age or earlier.

Buy green tea from our store and enjoy its numerous benefits right from today!

Healthy, Fresh & Delicious!