Paying It Forward Pt. 2: I was a recipient, WOW

I had planned to do a Part 2 to the Paying It Forward post I did on on January 9th and share with you ways I pay it forward that weren't listed in my first post.  However I wasn't expecting to be the recipient of such measure.

At 1:05 PM I TWEETED that I had just put a book on my Kindle Love Wish List.

I just wished for: 'Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans... via @amazon amazon.com/wishlist/KIJMG…
— CateyesMD (@cateyesmd) January 23, 2012

I was sharing that information as a means of sharing the title of the book with others.

At 1:13 PM I received an email from Amazon indicating I had received a gift from one of my friends who had obviously seen the TWEET.


AT 1:19 PM I then TWEETED the following:

Touched! TY "Friend" 4 this GIFT: 'Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans amazon.com/dp/B0010SEOYE/…
— CateyesMD (@cateyesmd) January 23, 2012

Of course I sent a personal thank you as well, but wanted to share with others that in this day and time, there are still very nice people around who believe in Paying It Forward.  My "Friend", who holds a public office in the District of Columbia has certainly secured a donation to their next run for public office, should they choose to run again.  Not that that was the intent, but that's how this process works  :-).
Seriously though, I was truly touched at their generosity and can only imagine the feeling it gave me is shared multiple times over when I donate BLOOD and/or PLATELETS through the American Red Cross.  I have been donating blood for many years and platelets for about the last 2-3 years.

You may be asking yourself the following 2 questions now:
(answers from http://www.psbc.org/programs/platelets.htm)

Who Needs Platelets?
Many lifesaving medical treatments require platelet transfusions. Cancer patients, those receiving organ or bone marrow transplants, victims of traumatic injuries, and patients undergoing open heart surgery require platelet transfusions to survive.

Because platelets can be stored for only five days, the need for platelet donations is vast and continuous.

Platelet transfusions are needed each year by thousands of patients like these:

• Heart Surgery Patient, 6 units
• Burn Patient, 20 units
• Organ Transplant Patient, 30 units
• Bone Marrow Transplant Patient, 120 units

Who Can be an Apheresis Donor?
If you meet the requirements for donating blood, you probably can give platelets. Apheresis donors must:

• be at least 18 years old
• be in good health
• weigh at least 110 pounds
• not have taken aspirin or products containing aspirin 48 hours prior to donation.

IMAGINE THIS!

If you began donating blood at age 17 and donated every 56 days until you reached 76, you would have donated 48 gallons of blood, potentially helping save more than 1,000 lives!

How many lives are you willing to save?

Sew Saturday 1.21.12

Today's Sew Satuday is specifically for those interested in learning and/or improving their sewing skills.

Several years ago I recall coming across this site and found it extremely useful.  The site is sewing.org.  Their SEW-lutions Guidelines are easy to read PDF's that you can download and make your own guide book by storing them in a binder.  The guides cover very basic sewing information including tools needed and progress to more complicated information such as installing invisible zippers.

 Check out the site and learn a new SEW-lution!

Review: Kindred

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I read this book over a 2-day period while on vacation and was drawn in from the very beginning. I'm not a sci-fi reader, but this was extremely good without the "science". I thought it was very cleaver to basically end the book where it started off. The Reader's Guide (Critical Essay) was very helpful in understanding the mindset of the Author and gives great insight into the actual time period that the main character time-traveled to. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading books set in slavery times. If you can't stomach slave stories I would stay away because it is very graphic in that sense.



View all my reviews

Book Review: Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Just a quick snippet until my full review...

I started this book and quickly began to wonder if I was going to enjoy it. It wasn't until I was about half-way through the book that the yearning to complete the book and find out how it ends finally developed in me. At this point I couldn't wait until I could read(listen) more without distraction.

I used my Kindle "Text to Speech" feature to listen to the majority of this book, but would occasionally stop to read and/or reread some sections that I had gotten distracted on. I'm actually toying with the idea to read this book through a second time.

I really enjoyed how it ended and was surprised at the end because you have an expectation of how it's supposed to end and then you see that what your THOUGHT happened...well read it! :-) 

So, It's just January and I've got two (2) books completed towards my reading goal for the year so far.  I'm currently reading the third book: "Same Kind of Different As Me: A Modern-Day Slave, and International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together" by Ron Hall, Denver Moore and Lynn Vincent (Collaborator). Whew...that's a mouthful!  I hope to complete this book before the end of the month so stay tuned for that review.  You can see more of my 2012 planned reading in my "Reading Goal": Do Audiobooks count? post.

What are you reading?

Top Ten Tuesday: Music Artists

OK, so since I goofed and posted a Music Monday on a Tuesday I think it's fitting I post my most recent Top 10 Music Artists as my "Top Ten Tuesday" post.  They are listed in no particular order, just as they come to mind.  These are the artist I've been listening to most frequently lately.

My Top Ten recent Artist:

1. CeCe Winans
2. Leah Smith:  CD "Beautifully Made" can be purchased on iTunes
3. Ameen Butler:  CD "Vertical Relationship" can be found on CD Baby
4. Ben Tankard
5. Donnie McClurkin
6. Marvin Winans 
7.  Francesca Battistelli
8. Israel & New Breed 
9. Angella Christie 
10.  Casting Crowns 

For those that don't know me personally, I'm sure you noticed that this list doesn't include any R&B, Hip Hop, etc. artists.  I do not listen to such artists in my personal leisure time, though I am familiar with such artists and their work through TV, movies and publicly played music when I'm out and about.

I made a conscience decision to cease listening to "secular" artists when I was about 16 years old, which is when I fully committed my life to serving my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  I don't judge others who do, it's just not my choice.  There's actually a story behind when I realized that type music wasn't doing anything to edify my soul, but that may or may not be another post. :-)

MM #2: Donnie McClurkin

Music Monday

It's Music Monday and I want to spotlight Donnie McClurkin. One of my very favorite gospel artists.  I've been a huge fan of Donnie's since his very first self titled project.  His voice is unique and he has the ability to escort you, through praise and worship, into the very presence of God.


While I love many practically all of his songs, the following song in particular always puts a spring in my step and joy in my heart. 

"Days of Elijah"

These are the days of Elijah
Declaring the Word of the Lord, yes
And these are the days of his servant, Moses
Righteousness being restored
And these are the days of great trial
Of famine and darkness and sword
So we are the voice in the desert crying
Prepare ye the way of the Lord


CHORUS:
Behold he comes
Riding on a cloud
Shining like the sun
At the trumpet's call
Lift your voice
It's the year of jubilee
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes


And these are the days of Ezekiel
With dry bones becoming as flesh
And these are the days of his servant, David
Building the temple of praise, yes
And these are the days of the harvest
The fields are all white in the world
And we are the laborers that are in your vineyard
declaring the word of the Lord


CHORUS 2X
Behold he comes
Riding on a cloud
Shining like the sun
At the trumpet's call
Lift your voice
It's the year of jubilee
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes


There's no God like Jehovah (x8--modulate)
There's no God like Jehovah (x8--modulate)
There's no God like Jehovah (x7)


CHORUS X2

These are the days of Elijah
Declaring the Word of the Lord, yes
And these are the days of his servant, Moses
Righteousness being restored
And these are the days of great trial
Of famine and darkness and sword
So we are the voice in the desert crying
Prepare ye the way of the Lord


CHORUS:
Behold he comes
Riding on a cloud
Shining like the sun
At the trumpet's call
Lift your voice
It's the year of jubilee
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes


And these are the days of Ezekiel
With dry bones becoming as flesh
And these are the days of his servant, David
Building the temple of praise, yes
And these are the days of the harvest
The fields are all white in the world
And we are the laborers that are in your vineyard
declaring the word of the Lord


CHORUS 2X
Behold he comes
Riding on a cloud
Shining like the sun
At the trumpet's call
Lift your voice
It's the year of jubilee
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes


There's no God like Jehovah (x8--modulate)
There's no God like Jehovah (x8--modulate)
There's no God like Jehovah (x7)


CHORUS X2

Reference:  http://www.lyricsmania.com/days_of_elijah_lyrics_donnie_mcclurkin.htm

GIVEAWAY WINNER

From time to time I'll enter Give-A-Ways for items I'm really interested in.  However, I have to admit that I don't expect to win because I hadn't to date.  Don't get me wrong, I win a lot at games and/or live drawings sometimes, but I've never won an online giveaway.

Today when I got up I was checking my email accounts and my eyes were drawn to a particular email in my JUNK EMAIL account.  Yes, I have an account that I call my junk email account that I usually use when registering for online accounts, newsletters, and even giveaways.  I do check it periodically, but most times the emails aren't important enough for me to open.

That email was titled "Giveaway Winner".  My first thought was, it's junk, but when I opened it, it said: "Congratulations! You are the winner of the My Memories Suite digital scrapbooking software giveaway on Amelioration!..."

"Amelioration...I remember that name...OMGosh, I really won something!"

Here is another Blogger, who like myself, blogs about her personal interests under the blog name Amelioration.  One of her interests happens to be scrapbooking.  I've been wanting to get involved in digital scrapbooking, but hadn't purchased any software yet.  But thanks to this GIVEAWAY, I'm now a very happy owner of the My Memories Suite, digital scrapbooking software.  I'm sure once I learn the software you'll be seeing some of my work here on the blog.

Thank You Amelioration for making this day an even greater day!

So, I would have to say I'm a believer now.

I believe I too can win online giveaways.  

Guess what?

So can you!

Enter my giveaway HERE.

Stepha Inc.: Ayurvedic Haircare Made Simple

As a person who wears my hair natural I've been seeing quite a few other naturals talk about using the Ayurvedic Haircare method, but I was confused about the process and products.  I recently came across this blog that gives a very through breakdown of the products and how to use them.

Stepha Inc.: Ayurvedic Haircare Made Simple: Amla Fruits Ayurvedic haircare has gained a lot of popularity in recent years, moving from discussions on hair boards to the ingredient ...

I've never been one to obsess about the length of my hair because my hair grows pretty fast.  However, this year I do have a  plan to maintain more of my growth.  Having been natural for going on 12 years the one thing I've always been very slack in is protecting my ends.  I started doing protective styles in November, 2011 and plan to do them more frequently, even when the weather warms up and I'm tempted to wear it out. :-)  As the blog states, I'm going to try a couple products to start out and see how it goes.

So, check out the above linked blog article and let me know your thoughts.  Do or have you used this haircare system? What were your results?

Peace, Love and Hair grease!

Sew Saturday 1.14.12

I know it's been a while!

Unfortunately I haven't done any personal sewing since my last Sew Saturday post in early December, but there's no reason I still can't post a "Sew Saturday".

Recently I started following a Youtuber that sews and her channel name is "withwendy".  Today I'd like to spotlight two of her videos that I would like to try in the very near future.

First up is this tutorial on how to make a slouchy sweater.

I would like to try this in both medium and lightweight knits.  While I love to dress up and be a girly girl, I also really enjoy being comfortable and carefree when I'm lounging around the house or running errands on the weekend.  I think this technique will work nicely on a variety of fabrics so it could be super casual or more "dressy" casual.

 Next is her tutorial on how to make an infinity scarf. 

These scarves "seam" to be all the rage right now and on top of being trendy can really aid in keeping you warm if you use as a layer coordinated with your outfit.

I love the concept of creating clothing items by using a current item you have and love the fit of as a pattern.  With patterns I always have a hard time adjusting the pattern in the areas that don't quite coincide with the pattern measurements.

I'm still a newbie when it comes to sewing, but aiming to eventually be able to sew a good portion of my own clothing without the use of purchased patterns.

What are your sewing goals?

More Tea Please!

Little did I know when I learned and wrote about January being National Hot Tea Month that I would be writing about tea so much on my blog.  It's like when you buy another vehicle and all of a sudden you start to see that same car and color everywhere.

Well today hubby purchased MORE tea.  As if we really needed any more tea in the house.  Seriously, tea is our family's staple beverage of choice like Kool Aid was many families beverage of choice back in the 70's when I was growing up, and even earlier.

Today's tea purchase included the following:

Blood Pressure:  The Chinese have used the herbs in this delicious, mild-tasting tea for thousands of years to help maintain healthy blood pressure function and to tonify the kidneys and liver.  The herbs are said to nourish the kidneys and liver, calm livery yang and clear heat.  Eucommia is highly esteemed as a longevity herb.  In modern times, it has been research for helping to maintain healthy blood pressure function.  Regular tonification of the kidney and liver was believed to contribute to good health and longevity.  It also was considered to help promote the healthy function of the back, bladder and joints.

Special Relaxing:  A rich and satisfying tea.  It is a relaxing herbal blend, designed to help you relax and recover from work or stress.  It contains no caffeine, additives, artificial flavors or preservatives.  You will enjoy the flavor or Special Relaxing Tea at any time of day any time of year.

Green Tea:  See what I wrote previously about green teas HERE and The Complete Guide to Green Tea. 

Ginger Drink:  An Indonesian traditional beverage, made from pure cane sugar and fresh Java ginger.  Quick and convenient, INTRA Ginger Drink is an ideal drink for all occasions.  Take delight in its distinctive rich flavor and stimulating aroma.  [  Ok, yeah this one really isn't a TEA - :-)  ]

Now I think I'll go try out that Ginger Drink.

A Tribute to My Husband

I loves me 

     some him!

While driving home I was thinking what am I going to write for my blog post today?  Then I thought about my husband and the event he was attending tonight and decided to send him a text message that simply said “Love you!!”.  He responded back “Hey baby. Love you too!”  Of course that made me blush and feel all happy inside.

Last night we were up late watching some Youtube videos and we happened across of The Lexi Show channel and watched the interview with LaShun Pace.  Hearing her testimonies, which included two failed marriages, I’m all the more grateful for my one and only soulmate.

However, I really want to share with you how PROUD of him I am.  Already feeling all warm and fuzzy inside from the text message I arrived home to see a wonderful letter he left for me to read from his Captain for a job well done for his concerted efforts in coordinating with the Marine Corps Toys for Tots campaign.  This was the police department’s 5^th year assisting the county residents by providing over 37,000 toys to more than 15,000 children.  This was his second year coordinating the event for the department and because of his hard work and selfless dedication was a huge success not only for the police department, but the families as well.  When I read the words “selfless dedication” I said “yup, that’s my husband”, he goes over and above what his job expects of him and the amount of time and work he puts into this event even when he’s off the clock is nothing short of “selfless dedication”.  His standards are HIGH the results speak for itself.

Of course he didn’t do this alone.  There were a lot of people who work with and along side him to pull this event off and without naming any names I want to say Thank You to them as well.  I know some of them may read this post. :-) 

After being married going on twenty-two (22) years and together for twenty-six (26) years I’m thankful that we still share a mutual love and respect for one another.

"Honey I'm so proud of you and will always be your #1 supporter in all you do!"

 The look on his face when I read this post to him - Priceless!

Good night!

Green Tea: Don't be Afraid!

Following up to my post about National Hot Tea Month and the benefits of green tea I thought I'd share a great article that explains the proper way to brew green tea.  I know, I know...who knew there was a "proper way" other than to boil your water and let it steep to your desired preference?  I actually learned this tidbit when I hosted a "Tea Party" bridal shower for a friend several years back who adored tea and drinks it daily.  I turned my living room and dining room into a real "Tea Room" with little round tables and chairs.

I digress, back to the subject...turns out that depending on the type tea you are brewing the temperature of the water is key.  Green tea should be steeped in water with a temperature of 170 degrees.  Read the article below for more facts.

Green Tea for the Fearless Newbie!

by Marlena Amalfitano

Make sure you come back now and enter my very first giveaway.  I'll be giving away a sampling of Green Teas from Adagio Teas.  They have so many to choose from you get to select 3-flavors so while you are over there, make sure to note which green teas you would like to try.  Then come back and enter them in the comments section. Open to residents of the United States Only. Mailing address must be within the United States.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Top Ten Tuesday: Getting to Know YOU

In my quest to post daily I'm always looking for day specific themes.  I'm selective about what I choose because I want to incorporate into a weekly schedule.  Today while searching I came across the idea of "Top Ten Tuesday".  I really like this theme because while it's a top 10 list the subject can change weekly, which is a plus for a person like me with so many interests.  :-)

Since I'm a new Blogger and I can be quite the social butterfly I'd love to share a little about myself by answering 10 questions.  And, as would be the normal course if we were meeting face-to-face I can get to know you when you respond via in-kind comment.  So, let's get this ball rolling.

Top Ten: Getting to know YOU!

1) What would you call yourself if you could choose your own name?

I would have to have an "alter ego" to honestly answer that question and I don't so I can't choose.  When I was in school though I would use my middle name on my papers because I liked writing the letter "Y". LOL  However, the nickname "Cat-Eyes" is very fitting for me as I can be very playful and love to snuggle. :-)

2) If you had to teach one subject in high school or college, what would it be?

Personal Finance - This is a pet peeve of mine because if more people would learn and discipline themselves to manage their finances better it would reduce most of their stress and give them a brighter outlook.

3) When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried? 

Oh gosh, I laugh so much I can't recount a specific day to tell you about.  Hubby and I laugh with and at each other daily.

4) What is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

Right now I would have to say the accommodations at a beautiful resort in Mexico my mom blessed my husband and I with to celebrate a milestone anniversary in 2010. I so want to go back to that place and take a bunch of family and friends with us.

5) What do you enjoy doing in your leisure time?

Reading, traveling, doing crafts - crochet, sewing, etc., chilling with my family and friends.

6) What is stashed under your bed/mattress?

 Shoes, shoes, MORE shoes!  And a few other things that have just managed to get lost there.

7) If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be? and Why?

17...I really enjoyed high school so this would have been the perfect age for me.  I was mature enough to make wise decisions, but still young enough to do fun and foolish stuff just for the fun of it with friends.

8) If your walls could talk, what would they say about you (good & bad)?

The good: "If money were no issue she would bless so many people in their need."  I really enjoy being able to help others, but I'm not an enabler.  If I see that you are just using poor money management skills I'll offer to assist you in creating a budget before I give you funds only to aid you in more mismanagement.

The bad: "I wish she would dust".  Enough said, LOL! 

9) What are you passionate about?

Marriage...the fact that I've been married going on 22 years always comes as a huge surprise to folks. One, because they say I don't look old enough. Two, because in this day and time a lot of people are on their 2nd and or 3rd marriage in the same space of time.

10) If you could fix or put an end to one problem in the world what would it be?

Divorce...I think it's a shame that people who say they "love" each other so much can have complete and utter distaste for that same person in just a few short years.  Yes, I know there are some marriages where divorce is the only option, but more often than not it's because the couple has ceased to make the necessary "Love Deposits" it requires to keep their marriage in the positive. (more on this in the future)

And there you have it! Now it's your turn.

I'm posting the question separately below so you can copy, paste and respond in a comment.

• 1) What would you call yourself if you could choose your own name?
• 2) If you had to teach one subject in high school or college, what would it be?
• 3) When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried? 
• 4) What is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?
• 5) What do you enjoy doing in your leisure time?
• 6) What is stashed under your bed/mattress?
• 7) If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be? and Why?
• 8) If your walls could talk, what would they say about you (good & bad)?
• 9) What are you passionate about?
• 10) If you could fix or put an end to one problem in the
       world what would it be?

MM #1: Ben Tankard



Music Monday

 Today is my very first Music Monday and I want to spotlight Ben Tankard, a GospelJazz Musician.  For the past few weeks during my work hours I've been listening to a Pandora channel I created based on this artist.

Unlike most people I have a difficult time listening to (and fully enjoying) music with lots of lyrics while doing any type of work that requires me to really process what I'm doing.  It's just a distraction for me, so listening to the smooth sounds of Ben and others similar to his style has been very relaxing during my sometimes hectic days.

His bio states:

As a modern day "David" and often referred to as "The Minstrel," Ben Tankard has a strong anointing to play under the unction of the Holy Spirit and has witnessed tumors melting, people being raised out of wheel chairs, deaf ears opened, and relationships mended in his concert-crusades.

Tankard states, "signs and wonders must follow when a minstrel plays. We should expect debt cancellations and all other yokes to be destroyed and burdens lifted when our music is played."

Who wouldn't want to listen to music this anointed!

Take a listen for yourself...

Paying It Forward: Ways to Give Back

Earlier today I tweeted that I enjoyed teaching a friends daughter how to sew with the hashtag pay it forward.  I took her shopping for fabric so that she could make a pillowcase for each of her siblings and herself.  We had a blast and even videotaped a good portion of it so I could share it with her parents because they weren't aware that I was going to do this with her.

This  made me think of a movie I saw many years ago titled "Pay It Forward" and I thought it would be a great idea to list some ways we can pay it forward in 2012.  But first, take a look at this trailer for an explanation of what it means.

A Few Ways to Pay it Forward

• Mentoring
• Volunteering
• Become a Foster Parent
• Become a Child Advocate
• Adopt a Child
• Visit a Nursing Home and spend time with the Seniors
• Teach someone your hobby :-)

What ways do you Pay It Forward?

Book Review: Reinventing Rachel

Reinventing Rachel: A Novel by Alison Strobel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a story about Rachel's life and all the chaos that unfolds in a very short time frame that caused her to take some drastic steps. WOW!

Hmmm....while I can kinda see this sorta thing happening in real life it was quite a stretch for me, especially the major relocation in an even shorter time period. For a person to be as devoted to God as Rachel was the amount of time it took her life to COMPLETELY collapse was unrealistic. YET the storyline of how God was clearly using these events to draw her to a deeper and more personal and passionate relationship with HIM was by far the strongest pull on my heart.

As a believer it can be very easy to fall into a PATTERN of what we know we should do, but are we passionate about the lifestyle? Have we developed a personal relationship with Christ to the point that when we are going through difficult times in life we don't completely turn our back on God?

However, God loves us so much that HE will never leave or forsake us. A quote from the book summed this up very nice: "God's been following me like a lost puppy, nipping on my heels and trying to get me to pick him up."

View all my reviews


Book Description: God let Rachel Westing down. For twenty-six years she’s done everything by the book; she figures He should have her back. But then she learns her fiancé is cheating on her. Her parents are getting a divorce. And her Christian mentor has a pill addiction. Where is God in all this? Nowhere, as far as Rachel can see. Wounded, bitter, and with a shattered faith, she quits her job and goes across the country to live with Daphne—her childhood best friend whose soul Rachel once thought she was meant to save. Confident, successful, fun-loving Daphne sets about helping Rachel reinvent herself, and for a while it’s exciting. But when another tragedy shakes Rachel to the core, what little bit of self-possession she has left begins to unravel. A true-to-life story that will draw you in and keep you biting your nails until the end.

BIZARRE meets BENEFICIAL!

The Bizarre: January is NATIONAL HOT TEA MONTH

I know, right! Who comes up with these "holidays". LOL  However, I love TEA, hot or cold, but more recently I've been drinking more hot tea than ever.  In fact, tea is pretty much the beverage of choice in our household to the point that we have our favorite tea Blood Orange on auto-shipment from a great tea website - Adagio Teas.  This tea is a naturally sweet herbal caffeine-free tea made from blood orange peels with hibiscus flowers and rose hips. If you like flavorful herb teas give this one a try.

A new flavor I've been drinking lately is a black tea call Pumpkin Spice, also from Adagio Teas.  This black tea is blended with natural pumpkin spice flavor, cinnamon bark, cloves, ginger root, cardamom pods and marigold flowers.  I find myself drinking this tea in place of my morning cup of java, which means a lot less calories since I don't add cream to my tea.  Speaking of calories let me tell you about a benefit of a certain type tea.

The Beneficial: Green Tea aids in WEIGHT-LOSS

Every January people make New Year's Resolutions and/or goals, which often include loosing weight and/or exercising more, so what a coincidence that the month hosts a "holiday" that can aid in that goal!

Check out some of the facts below I pulled from Adagio Teas website Tea Knowledge section under weight loss.

Trying to lose weight? Another benefit of green tea!!

Compared to the placebo and caffeine, green tea extract consumption produced a significant 4% increase in 24-hour energy expenditure. If you consume 2,000 calories per day and don't gain or lose weight (you're in energy balance), an increase of 4% would translate roughly into an 80-calorie daily difference. Over a year, this could result in 8 pounds of weight loss.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Nov 1999

Daily intake of the tea burns extra calories

"In a 1999 Swiss study, six out of 10 men taking capsules of green tea extract burned, on average, about an extra 80 calories a day-the equivalent of 3 tablespoons of ice cream, 7 potato chips, or 1 Dunkin' Donuts Munchkin. A second study, conducted by researchers from the US Department of Agriculture, saw an extra 67 calories a day burned in men who were assigned to drink about 5 cups of tea (not green) each day."

Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, June 2003

Recent evidence shows that in the battle of fat loss, green tea may be superior to plain caffeine.

According to a new study, green tea appears to accelerate calorie burning -- including fat calories. Researchers suggest compounds in green tea called flavonoids may change how the body uses a hormone called norepinephrine, which then speeds the rate calories are burned.

Joe Weider's Muscle & Fitness, April 2000

Green Tea Helps Melt Off Pounds

Drinking just three cups a day of green tea seems to help you melt off extra pounds. A study by the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University found that participants who drank three cups of green tea a day lost twice as much weight as non-tea drinkers. A type of antioxidant known as catechins is credited with the weight-loss benefits of green tea. (Replacing a little tea brewing water with lime or lemon juice can help your body activate even more of the tea’s catechins.)

Rodale.com, June 2010

Green Tea Component Helps Decrease Body Weight

This study evaluated the influence of a green tea catechin beverage on body composition and fat distribution in overweight and obese adults during exercise-induced weight loss. There was a trend toward greater loss of body weight in the catechin group compared with the control group… These findings suggest that green tea catechin consumption enhances exercise-induced changes in abdominal fat and serum [triglycerides]. 

Journal of Nutrition, February 2009

In light of all these facts, I think it's time I find me a nice green tea to drink on a regular basis. :-)

DISCLAIMER: I am not promoting Adagio Teas, nor do I make any type commission if you decide to purchase from them.  I'm sharing with you the company who I personally purchase tea from for myself and my family.  You can purchase green tea or any other tea from anywhere.  If by chance you would like to try this company out and would like to receive a $5 Gift Certificate see this Twitter Post. Valid for the next 24 hours only.  Otherwise you can leave your email address in the comment section below and I can send you one directly.