Goal For The Green

     Perhaps you have made it a goal to make your health a top priority this year.  Did you know that regular tea drinkers lower their risk of cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke, and osteoperosis, as well as bacterial and viral infections?

     The health benefits of tea are much greater than that of coffee.  Green and white tea is the source of some of the most powerful antioxidants known.

     The true teas are black, green, oolong, Pu-Erh (poo-air), and white. They all come from the Camellia sinesis plant and are very healthy beverages.  Green and white tea have the lightest color leaves, which are minimally processed.  For this reason, they retain more disease protective polyphenols and antioxidants.  The darker teas, (black, oolong, and Pu-Erh) contain healthy theaflavins, that form when their polyphenols ferment and turn orange-red.  Herbal teas that we love to drink for their aroma and flavor, are NOT considered true teas, however, they may still contain beneficial antioxidants.

     If you are a coffee drinker, try to make it a goal to replace some of the coffee you drink with good quality tea.  Experiment with different teas and try to make it a priority to drink at least 4 cups a day.  If cutting back on caffiene is a concern, you can accomplish this by pouring water over the tea leaves.  Let the mixture stand 30-45 seconds. Drain the water and then brew normally.  Much of the caffeine is removed in this process, because it is very water soluable.  The polyfenols are more durable and not affected by doing this.  If you like adding milk to your tea, be aware that it does interfere with the antioxidant levels and activity of the tea.

     It has been said that black tea may lower the risk of heart disease and colon cancer.  Studies have shown that regular black tea drinkers reported a greater feeling of clam over a period of time.  They also had lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone that is thought to play an important role in heart disease. 

     Some people find green tea to have a somewhat ” grassy” flavor. Pleasant flavors to try are Zen, Jewel Green Matcha, and Japanese Sencha.  Japanese researchers have discovered that women who drink 5 cups of green tea a day, cut their risk for heart disease by 1/3.

Most of us set goals as an objective to achieve a desired outcome or a desired state of affairs. In today’s world, it seems that everything is “green” or “going green”.  So, why not goal green?

The thought came to me one day when I was thinking about my Mom.  She was the most organized, well planned, detail-oriented woman I have ever known.  I affectionately named her the “sticky queen.”  There were post-it notes everywhere in her house, on the fridge, on the phone, on and in her checkbook, the washer and dryer, even the bathroom mirror. I thought perhaps she couldn’t remember what she needed to do in a day. She boldly assured me that was not the case.  “If I write things down and stick it somewhere in plain sight, I’m more apt to complete the task. What I don’t finish, I move to the top of the list for the next day,” she explained.

It sounded like a good idea, but I didn’t take it to heart until about five years ago, after she passed away.  I had been one of the last of the great procrastinators, excellent at putting things off.  I always carried my thoughts, goals and plans with me in my head. I didn’t feel the need to take the time to write things down. I had even quit making New Year’s Resolutions, because most of the time I never got past January with any of them.

Mom was a well organized person because she took the time to set daily goals, and she wrote them down.  I now also write down goals, but not on sticky notes.  I’ve come to realize that if you can get in the habit of doing this, you’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish.  It is the fact of taking the action of writing things down that creates visualization.  Visualization paints the picture in your mind of the goal or task you want to create or complete.  Post your goals in writing and with pictures on a bulletin board. Put the board in plain sight, where you can see these goals at least three times a day.  In doing this, you will notice how it helps you stay motivated.  Then watch yourself create what will become your reality.

There are many topics to cover as we strive to goal green and live a greener lifestyle. I think of green as an action and success color.  Green symbolizes earth, nature and life. Green also means go, – or in this case goal.  It is my desire that you will join me, as we set green goals to become Earth conscious, Energy smart, and optimally Healthy, just to name some of the ways to goal for the green.

Here is a list of five inexpensive things that will help you save energy and money.

1. Compact fluorescent light bulbs: It is a fact that if every American household converted five regular light bulbs to five fluorescent bulbs, the energy saved would be equal to taking a million cars off the highway for a full year.  How is that for an ah-ha moment?

2. Outdoor Solar Lights: They don’t burn any electricity or use any CO2.

3. Programable Thermostats: A difference of just 2 degrees can reduce a homes CO2 emissions by up to 9% over the course of a year.

4. Air Filters: If you change the air filters in your heating and cooling system at least twice an year (Spring and Fall) of can knock off 2% of your homes CO2 emissions a year.  There will be less dust and chance for allergies and sickness as well.

5. Electric Hot Water Blankets: This small investment (about $18) can save you 41/2% on your power bill.