Tea Time

Miss Pekoe
Tea is one of the healthiest beverages in the world! And my friends don’t call me Miss Pekoe for nothing. I started drinking organic white tea over ten years ago. I continued because not only did I enjoy the entire brewing process, the taste, and the relaxing effect, but, my skin started glowing. So, now I can declare…,
“Why go for a nip or a tuck when you can sip tea from a cup!” There I am (above) in a real tea house praying to the Tea Gods to keep our cups warm and full!

White tea will help relax you and have a positive impact on your skin. This is a delicate (low caffeine) tea, and therefore you don’t want to use boiling water, allow it to cool for a minute or two before pouring. Follow the instructions and step into a whole new world, even for ten minutes a day. If looking, feeling, or staying young is something you seek then give White Tea a try. For those who may feel a little stressed out, or overwhelmed…. keep in mind, the ritual alone of preparing such a fine brew is enough to reap some health benefits. You can not be uptight while preparing loose leaf tea. Tea transports you to another time and place, or keeps you mindfully present if that is your intent. You may not be able to fly to Paris but you can buy a box of Hediard (black) tea (served in the most fashionable and exclusive places in the world) and feel famous. One of my teapots has Chandeliers on it. Using it makes me feel so luxurious and I forget that the word laundermat is still in my realm of living. Purchase a porcelain cup and saucer from Home Goods and carry on!

I also recommend Rishi Tea Company. You can trust that you will be getting only the finest leaves. Most of us don’t think about soil, climate and altitude when buying tea, they do! They also consider how it’s processed. They even have teas that come with a guide book with maps and photos showing where the tea originates. They elevate tea and tea drinking to a whole new level.

Another outstanding tea company is Upton Tea Imports. Their enticing catalog describes each tea in detail. They have an enormous/eclectic selection including Holy Basil Purple Leaf. Right now I am relishing their Christmas (Mélange Noel) tea. I buy it in bulk and store it in my empty Santa Claus Tea Tin (I bought the expensive Santa Blend from Hediard and now that it’s gone, each season I fill the can with Upton’s similar (less expensive) version. This treasure is composed with vanilla, orange peel, rose petals, black tea, cinnamon and cloves. I share it with friends and family all month long.

There is a fantastic tea that actually helps with weight loss and concentration, and happens to be my personal favorite. We’ll talk about that one soon. I speak from experience, over twelve years of daily sipping. I know that fine loose leaf tea truly is a little bit of heaven in a cup. If God is a drinking man/woman, I imagine there is tea in his or her cup.

I have to run... I am being beckoned with a whistle from my tea kettle!

GLOW WITH THE FLOW…

Get Cozy

You know you must be doing something right if a Goddess like Julia Roberts validates your beauty secret. In a recent interview the stunning actress said, “The key to beauty is to always be looking at someone who loves you.” Bingo! That is it for sure. Take a look at the above picture of Aunty and me. I think you can tell we were glowing from the inside, and we always do. I have the utmost optimal relationship with my great Aunty. It’s one where we both simply continue to give with an open heart to the other without ever keeping score. Miraculously, this way of being creates young cells, and gives a shot of Botox to the old. We don’t look 127 do we?

When you strengthen your bonds with loved ones your barometer of agelessness goes up. Married people might want to stop for a moment and remind themselves what drew them to their spouse in the first place. Rekindle your romance in any way you know how. Allow your partner to love you. And you must make yourself loveable in the first place. Be nice. Smile a lot, even if at times it may feel forced. If agelessness is something you seek, loving kindness is a must. Besides, what’s the alternative?

And if you are single, select your partner and friends carefully. If a person is not able to give and receive love, then what is the point? Trying to change people or putting up with a mean spirited person is damaging to the soul. Create room in your life to improve the relationships you now have, and always be ready for love. That in itself makes you Ageless.

Come back soon….tea time is next! I will confess right now…tea continues to be one of the best beauty boosters.