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Archive for December, 2010

Stamina Tea for Coping with the Holidays

Life this time of year can feel like a marathon of family gatherings, shopping, and general overdoing. Instead of relying on vast amounts of caffeine to keep up the pace, try a homemade herbal chai to build your body’s reserves.

how to make a tea to improve your stamina

how to make a tea to improve your stamina

This energy-enhancing blend stars eleuthero (also known as Siberian ginseng), which helps the body adapt to stress; burdock to gently detox the liver; and licorice to balance the adrenal system (omit if you have high blood pressure). Ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom warm your body and add a spicy-sweet flavor. 

Ingredients

Makes 1 quart

  • 3 teaspoons dried eleuthero
  • 2 teaspoons dried burdock root
  • 2 teaspoons dried licorice root
  • 1 teaspoon dried (or 2 teaspoons fresh chopped) ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon chips (or 1 cinnamon stick)
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom pods

Directions

  • Set your Now & Zen Timer with Chime for 20 minutes.  Simmer herbs in 1 quart of water for 20 minutes. Strain and discard herbs. Pour a cup, adding milk and honey to taste if desired. Keep remaining tea in a jar or thermos. Tea will keep for two days in refrigerator.
  • adapted from Body + Soul Magazine, 2010

    Chime Timers and Clocks with Chime in Bamboo, Walnut, Maple, and Black Lacquer

    Chime Timers and Clocks with Chime in Bamboo, Walnut, Maple, and Black Lacquer

    Now & Zen

    1638 Pearl Street

    Boulder, CO  80302

    (800) 779-6383

    Posted in intention, Zen Timers


    Thoughts on Giving During the Holidays

    Snow at Itsukushima by Watanabe Shozaburo

    Snow at Itsukushima by Watanabe Shozaburo

    1.  Power

    Giving to others is the most powerful thing we can do for ourselves.

    2. Honor

    Approach gift shopping as an opportunity to honor the people you really love.

    3.  Strength

    Share your strengths — and be open to others’ gifts.

    4.  Need

    Help others because they need it, not because you need to provide it.

    5.  Kindness

    Kindness is in our nature; practice giving and receiving it freely.

    6.  Discovery

    Teach what you know, and you’ll discover what you’re ready to learn.

    7.  Presence

    Simply being present is often the most valuable gift you can give.

    8.  Abundance

    Contribute to abundance: If you no longer need something, pass it on.

    9.  Contribution

    Give yourself time to consider what you most want to contribute to the world.

    10.  Welcome

    The right gifts are just as welcome in simple packages.

    adapted from Body + Soul Magazine, 2009

    Natural Chime Alarm Clocks and Timers

    Natural Chime Alarm Clocks and Timers

    Now & Zen

    1638 Pearl Steet

    Boulder, CO  80302

     

    Posted in Bamboo Chime Clocks, Beauty, intention, mindfulness practice


    Holiday Heart-Smart Work Out

    yoga

    yoga

    Calming Yoga Workout

    With cardiovascular disease still holding strong as the No. 1 cause of death in the United States (and with women more prone to death from it than men), now’s the time to make a heart-smart workout part of your routine. As Dr. Dean Ornish, founder and president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, notes, the fate and health of this vital organ is almost entirely in our hands. “Nearly everybody — 95 percent or more — can prevent and reverse heart disease through changes in diet and exercise,” he says.

    When you think “heart-healthy workout,” heavy-duty exercise regimens naturally come to mind. But fitness that boosts the heart isn’t just about getting it to pound faster. It also involves slowing it down. Chronic emotional stress can wreak havoc on its rhythm, functioning, and blood flow, says Dr. Roy Ziegelstein, professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore. Reducing stress with the help of strategies like yoga, meditation, and controlled slow breathing, he says, “is crucial to developing and maintaining a healthy heart.” The following plan will nourish and strengthen your ticker, not just by making it work harder, but by reducing tension, too — something you can definitely take to heart.

    Achieving and sustaining a positive emotional state is critical to overall heart health. To that end, we’ve included a relaxation component to our heart-health plan — yoga moves that help release tension and increase blood flow.

    Standing Forward Bend

    The standing forward bend increases circulation and strengthens the heart while stretching the lower back and hamstrings. It also activates the pineal and pituitary glands, and releases serotonin. To do it, stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart. Exhale and bend forward from the hips, stretching the top of the head toward the floor. Put your palms on the floor or rest them on your shins or ankles. Press feet into the floor and feel the stretch in the back of the legs and lower back. Hold for three to five minutes. Set your Zen Timer to Repeatedly Chime every 3 to 5 minutes.  Place hands on hips or walk hands up the legs as you slowly roll up to a standing position. Repeat two times and increase as you improve at this exercise.

    adapted from Body + Soul Magazine, 2009

    Zen Clock and Yoga Timer

    Zen Clock and Yoga Timer

    Now & Zen

    1638 Pearl Street

    Boulder, CO  80302

    (800) 779-6383

    Posted in Well-being


    Warm Grapefruit Tea Can Help Our Insulin Levels

     Natural Remedies for the Winter Season.

    Zen Timers help Time Tea for Winter Colds
    Grapefruit has a compound called naringenin that studies have shown can make our insulin more effective.
  • 2 cups ruby red grapefruit juice (squeezed from 2 grapefruits)
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons honey
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice berries
  • Directions:

  • In a medium pot, combine juice, honey, cinnamon, allspice, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil over high heat; strain and discard solids. Serve with a grapefruit segment or strip of zest.
  • adapted from Body + Soul Magazine, 2009

    Black Lacquer Zen Alarm Clock and Timer

    Black Lacquer Zen Alarm Clock and Timer

    Now & Zen
    1638 Pearl Street
    Boulder, CO  80302
    (800) 779-6383

    Posted in Well-being, Zen Timers


    Ease a Sore Throat and Drippy Sinuses with Sage Tea

     
     

    Zen Timers with Chimes to Make Tea for Winter Colds

    Zen Timers with Chimes to Make Tea for Winter Colds

    Natural Remedies for the Winter Season.

    Common culinary sage (Salvia officinalis) can help to ease sore throats and dry up sinuses.

    How to use: For a sore throat, make a strong tea by pouring 4 ounces of water over 2 teaspoons of dried or fresh sage. Set your Zen Timer with Chime for 10-15 minutes, steep and strain. Cool to room temperature. Gargle until the mixture is gone. Repeat three times daily. For drippy sinuses, drink a cup of regular-strength sage tea.

    adapted from Body + Soul Magazine, 2009

    Dream Kanji Zen Alarm Clock with chime in Dark Oak Finish, a wellness tool and tea timer

    Dream Kanji Zen Alarm Clock with chime in Dark Oak Finish, a wellness tool and tea timer

     

     

     

     

    Now & Zen

    1638 Pearl Street

    Boulder, CO  80302

    (800) 779-6383

    Posted in Well-being, Zen Timers


    How to Make Slippery Elm Tea for a Sore Throat

    Set your Zen Timer for 20 minutes to make Slippery Elm Tea

    Set your Zen Timer for 20 minutes to make Slippery Elm Tea

    Natural Remedies for the Winter Season.

    A sore-throat soother extraordinaire, slippery elm (Ulmus rubra) products are high in “mucilage,” a substance that coats the throat and helps relieve coughs.

    How to use: Look for slippery elm lozenges at health-food stores; follow package directions. To make a tea, simmer 1 tablespoon dried slippery elm bark per cup of water; set your Zen Timer with Chime for 10-15 minutes, steep, strain and drink.  Add a small almount of honey to sweeten.

    adapted from Body + Soul Magazine, 2009

    Bamboo Zen Timer and Natural Alarm Clock with Gentle Chime

    Bamboo Zen Timer and Natural Alarm Clock with Gentle Chime

     

    Now & Zen

    1638 Pearl Street

    Boulder, CO  80302

    (800) 779-6383

    Posted in Well-being, Zen Timers


    Elderflower Tea – Natural Remedies for the Winter Season

     
    Elderflower Tea for the Winter Season

    Elderflower Tea for the Winter Season

    Natural Remedies for the Winter Season.

    The flower form of the elder plant (Sambucus nigra) can induce sweating, which may help reduce fever.

    How to use: Look for elder in cold formulas. To make a tea, pour boiling water over a teaspoon of dried elderflower. Set your Zen Timer with Bowl/Gong for 10-15 minutes.  Steep 10 to 15 minutes, then strain. Drink up to three cups per day. Or make a tea that combines elder, echinacea, and a pinch of peppermint.

    adapted from Body + Soul Magazine, 2009

    Walnut Wood Zen Timers with Chime, a perfect tea timer.

    Walnut Wood Zen Timers with Chime, a perfect tea timer.

    Now & Zen

    1638 Pearl Street

    Boulder, CO  80302

    (800) 779-6383

    Posted in Well-being, Zen Timers


    How to Make a Sleep-Inducing Tea

    Brew Sleep-inducing Tea for a Good Nights Rest

    Brew Sleep-inducing Tea for a Good Nights Rest

    For occasional insomnia, the following herbs and supplements (found at natural-food stores) may be especially effective. Be sure to discuss supplements you’re interested in with your health-care practicer.

    Sleep-Inducing Tea
    For a relaxing bedtime beverage, Yance suggests combining several herbs as follows: Passionflower and skullcap soothe agitated nervous systems and can help with mental chatter; oat seed strengthens the nervous system and helps people who are too tired to sleep; and chamomile provides a gently relaxing base.
    Brew tea to help you sleep

    Brew tea to help you sleep

    1 chamomile tea bag
    30 to 60 drops passionflower tincture
    15 to 30 drops skullcap tincture
    15 to 30 drops milky oat seed (Avena sativa) tincture

    Set your Zen Timer with Chime for 5 minutes. Pour boiling water over tea bag and let steep for five minutes. Remove tea bag, and add drops of tincture to tea. Stir in a touch of honey if desired. Sip and enjoy.

    adapted from Body + Soul Magazine, May 2008 by Sarah Schmelling
    Chime Timers in Bamboo with Natural Acoustic Chimes for Brewing Tea

    Chime Timers in Bamboo with Natural Acoustic Chimes for Brewing Tea

     

     

     

     

    Now & Zen

    1638 Pearl Street

    Boulder, CO  80302

    (800) 779-6383

    Posted in Insomnia, sleep, Sleep Habits