Change the way you think of traditional smoothies forever

Imagine this - you have just left the gym feeling invigorated, but you need to replenish your muscles. Or you just woke up, and want a healthy beverage to go with your oatmeal, but most juice has too much sugar. You want something satisfying that has a little caffeine and will not weigh you down. Introducing SmoothTeas™! A SmoothTeas from The Scented Leaf is a healthy, easy-drinking beverage with antioxidants and vitamins. You know when you order a smoothie, and you’re trying to drink it but it’s about the same consistency of a milkshake or all you taste is ice? We’ve fixed that. There are no artificial flavors in our SmoothTeas nor is there a thick consistency that makes you feel full or bloated. The best part is, it’s all about personalization, so you know exactly what you’re getting without any added sugar or ingredients. 

• Step 1: Select any one or a combination of our caffeinated and herbal teas on tap, such as Yerba Mate or House Black, GreenTea Mango or Hibiscus Breeze. Add fruit, such as strawberries, mango, bananas, blueberries or pineapple 
• Step 2: Blend with spinach until smooth. 
• Step 3: Enjoy! Experience delicious flavors in this nutritious blend every time while feeling more focused and awake.

Craving something sweet and delectable without compromising your diet? Try a Smooth Tea Shake, which is made with your choice of fruit, your choice of tea on tap and high quality vanilla ice cream. This dessert is creamy and rich yet still drinkable without being too thick. The ice cream and fruit together mix perfectly combined with a hint of zest from any of our teas. Try pairing your SmoothTea Shake with our Orange Vanilla Cream tea or Honey Vanilla Nectar tea for something that tastes amazing without the added guilt. Our SmoothTea Shakes are refreshing not overfilling. Let us know what you think of our SmoothTeas and SmoothTea Shakes! We’d love your feedback.

What the heck is Pu'erh anyway?

Pu'erh tea is an aged tea derived from the Yunnan region of China. Like all tea, Pu'erh is harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant. One main difference is that the leaves that are picked are very broad leaves. The broad leaves yield a higher oxidation level when the tea is fermented, which is what is believed to be the source of Pu'erh's vast health benefits. Some of these include weight loss or control, lowering of negative cholesterol, cancer-fighting properties. But most interesting in my opinion, is that Pu'erh has always been known as 'The Emperors' Tea' and the tea that can best extend your life.
  
Ancient emperors of China are said to have always drank Pu'erh for their longevity. In fact, for many, many years, only royalty were allowed to drink it. Pu'erh has the ability to remove excess waste and grease from the body, and is especially effective if drank an hour after eating. For sore throats, congestion and phlegm, Pu'erh is recommended as it may help alleviate these symptoms. Due to its fermentation, this tea is also considered 'live', and has numerous microbes that are beneficial for digestion. Pu'erh teas derrive their unique flavor by the technique of sun-drying the leaves after they are rolled. It is unlike any tea in the world, and often appreciated like fine wine because of the way it is aged.

The next time you're at the Scented Leaf, order a cup or a pot, perhaps of our delicious Chocolate Coconut Pu'erh, and see if you agree. Cheers to your longevity! 

The Stress Factor: Cortisol and How Drinking Tea May Help

We have all heard that stress can wreak havoc on our minds and bodies. But what exactly are the effects? Some include aging, weight gain, heart disease, diabetes, impaired immune system and gastrointestinal problems. Elevated stress hormones puts the body in a sort of catabolic state. This is the destructive phase of cell life that includes widespread tissue destruction, muscle loss, bone loss, immune system depression and even brain shrinkage! Stress hormones, such as cortisol, can cause elevated blood sugar, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and increased body fat levels due to increased appetite. Stress stimulates cravings for sweet, calorie dense foods and salty, high carbohydrate snacks. 

Cortisol, known more formally as hydrocortisone, is a steroid hormone produced by the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex. It is designed to help you wake up in the morning and in emergencies, to cope with danger. And a spike in cortisol triggers the release of amino acids from the muscles, glucose from the liver, and fatty acids into the blood stream so the body can access a tremendous amount of energy. As a remedy for certain ailments, cortisol helps to prevent inflammation. Short term, this is usually beneficial. However, long-term effects of cortisol, such as those brought on by chronic stress, can have certain negative effects. 

So how can we relieve chronic stress? Here are a few ways to reduce stress and increase your body's recovery after a stressful situation more quickly. Chewing gum – A study conducted by Cardiff University’s Centre for Occupational and Health Psychology found evidence to suggest that chewing gum can often prevent the effect of acute stress. Laugh – Researchers in numerous studies have found that laughter significantly reduces stress hormones in the body, so take five minutes to read or watch something funny and lift your mood. Tea – Studies have revealed that people who drink tea have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their blood. If you drink black tea for example, you will de-stress faster because your levels of cortisol will go down more quickly, say researchers from the University College London. This particular study applies only to black tea, but suggests that drinking tea regularly could prevent prolonged high stress levels. Who's ready for a cup?

Tea Recipe #1: Berry Tea Smoothie

That's right folks, tea is not just for drinking. You can incorporate tea into your cooking and get even more of the great health benefits throughout your day and your week. Cooking with tea has been going on since drinking tea became popular. If the idea seems too foreign to you, this is a great first recipe to show you how easy incorporating tea can be.

Let's take your typical smoothie. Fruit, yogurt, ice, maybe some flax or granola and some agave nectar, right?  Well, why not use frozen tea ice cubes instead of regular ice? It's simple. Using your favorite green, black, white or herbal tea, brew 1 1/2 cups of tea. Steep as usual then pour into ice cube trays for freezing. Boom.

After your ice is ready, you can use these cubes in any smoothie recipe you'd like. Here is one that we like at the Scented Leaf.

Ingredients:
1-2 packets of Sambazon Unsweetened Acai Puree
3/4 cup frozen mango pieces
1/2 banana
3/4 cup blueberries
3-4 green tea cubes (or any other tea or herbal ice cube)
1/2 cup plain yogurt (or any yogurt of your choice)
1 tsp Agave Nectar (or sweeten to taste)
3/4 cup your favorite granola

In a blender, mix the Acai puree, mango, banana, blueberries, tea ice cubes, yogurt and Agave Nectar until smooth. In a bowl or a cup, pour half of the granola on the bottom, pour in your smoothie, and top with remaining granola and blueberries. Enjoy!

Differences Between Coffee and Tea

So just what are the main differences between coffee and tea? Some people talk about one vs. the other almost as if they are talking about the Yankees and Red Sox. But there are many others who don't feel the rivalry, and who really enjoy both coffee and tea, depending on the occasion. And there shouldn't be any reason why we can't have our cake, or in this case coffee, and tea, too. But understanding the differences will at least let us speak more intelligently about each beverage.  

Let's talk caffeine. Most people know that 1 cup of coffee has more caffeine than 1 cup of tea. But the differences go beyond this. Yes, 1 cup of coffee has about 80 - 185 mg per 8 ounce cup, depending on the brew and the type of roasted coffee used. A cup of black tea contains 40 - 60 mg, or just about half that of a regular cup of brewed java. Green tea is 15 - 30 mg per cup, and white tea contains between 6 and 25 mg. Green and white teas are significantly lower than coffee as they are brewed at lower temperatures for less time. The reason many people get the "jitters" when drinking coffee is that the caffeine is absorbed almost immediately into their blood stream. With tea drinkers, the high levels of antioxidants in tea actually slow down the body's absorption of caffeine, so it is less a roller-coaster ride and more of a smooth, alert ride with no crash at the end.

Black Coffee and Tea with Milk and Sugar

Speaking of antioxidants, tea is full of them. Tea contains Tannin and Catechin, which have been associated with preventing cancer and heart diseases. It also contains vitamins C and E. Not to mention tea can help reduce plaque buildup, help lower blood sugar levels, keep your body from absorbing fat, lower bad cholesterol and help clear your skin. Coffee contains caffeine, trigonelline, chlorogenic acid, phenolic acid, amino acid, carbohydrates, minerals, organic acids, aldehydes, detones, esters, amines and mercaptans. Some of the antioxidants in coffee have been associated with fighting disease or enhancing health, and coffee is said to help during an asthmatic attack by helping relax the airways in the lungs.

Health benefits or not, and caffeine or not, in the end we're going to drink what tastes good to us. As a coffee and tea drinker, I'v also found there are certain times that beg for coffee and others that beg for tea. When I am on vacation, or in a region of the world that is known for their coffee, I indulge. But for the most part, tea is my everyday go-to beverage when I'm not drinking water. I feel better drinking tea personally and like that I don't crash like I can with coffee. There are so many flavors and varieties of tea, that I can spice it up depending on my mood, or choose a calming herbal tisane or rooibos to end the night. Which do you drink? When and why?

Scented Leaf's Raspberry Rose Petal Herbal Over Ice

Real men drink tea

One of the nice things about tea is that everyone thinks and feels differently about it. Some believe there is only one proper way to drink tea, for instance. Others believe tea is only for certain types of people. At the Scented Leaf, we are open to every and all perceptions because we believe tea has been around for centuries for a reason. It is adaptive. People will change the way they incorporate tea in their lives and enjoy it just as much as someone who had a cup 500 years ago.

With that said, we thought we would share a very contemporary display of one's affection for tea, as illustrated by some fierce, strong and very real men. This video is not for the faint of heart, and you should probably be at least 13 to view it.

What we noticed is that these men could enjoy their tea even more if they were drinking Scented Leaf Teas of course, but even any loose tea over bagged tea may have made their heads explode. It would be great to invite them into our shop, but the old "bull in a China store" image comes to mind. We would like at least to thank them for sharing their perspective. Do you have a video about tea you would like to share?