Lisa begins by sharing more news and specifics regarding the Eyes-Free Fitness app.
Mel and Laura An Grymes share nearly everything you want or need to know about tea. Laura Ann has compiled several resources which are shared below.
Finally, Lisa reviews the Freedom Wand, a device that can help people with limitations more easily reach and clean various parts of their bodies.
Here are Laura Ann Grymes’ notes about tea:
Different types of teas
Herbal which is not actually a tea.
Rooibos which is also called red tea or honey bush and is herbal and no caffeine and has minerals and a natural sweetness.
Malange is a fruit infusion from tea leaf camellia Sinensis
Black, Green, Oolong, White Teas can absorb scents so depending on where it is grown and if it has been blended or scented or had herbs, fruits and spices and nut flavors added the sky is the limit on flavors and varieties.
If grown near jasmine it will take on that scent or can be sprayed with essential oil to scent the tea.
Some teas have fruit or herbs or essential oil added like Hot cinnamon Spice from Harney and sons has a red hot flavor and naturally sweet just from cinnamon added to green, black or rooibus tea.
I love adding a lemon or lime slice to my tea or the baby mexican key limes.
Temperatures for Teas
Black tea boiling water or right before it boils steep 3 to 5 minutes Green Tea about 180 Degrees F below boiling 165 to 190 degrees F steep 2 to 3 minutes Oolong Tea boiling or below 190 F degrees to 212 degrees F steep 3 to 7 minutes.
oolong can re steep leaves and have 3 or so infusions White tea below boiling 190 to 208 Degrees F 3 to 7 minutes Rooibus boiling water 4 to 10 minutes Herbals boiling 5 minutes Use filtered water for best flavor
1 tsp of loose leaf tea per 6 oz cup of tea
1 TBSP of larger leaf teas per 6 oz cup of tea
1/3 cup loose tea for 1 gallon of tea
Learning the Basics of Tea
If you steep green tea too long it can become bitter.
So better to steep the shorter 2 to 3 minutes and if like it stronger use a heaping tsp instead of level tsp more tea not longer steep time.
There are many health benefits to teas as well and lots of research being done.
Tea can boost energy as well as help relax you.
It can help improve health and help fight diseases and lots of researching being done in this area from helping prevent cancer to heart health.
It has many antioxidants.
Health Benefits of Tea
Preparation
Can use tea bags or loose tea.
I use a wireless electric tea kettle to heat water and use filtered water.
I use a tea infuser when making a cup or pitcher of loose tea or a french coffee/ tea press.
Steep then gently press handle down and pour tea into desired container.
Takeya has a neat BPA free 24 oz tea pitcher with infuser Or can just use a bag or sachet or teaspoon of loose tea in an infuser that sits down in the cup or a tea ball type infuser that hangs on the side of the cup.
You can also purchase your own tea bags and make your own blend.
Can be easy to more elaborate.
You choose.
I have enjoyed tea for as long as I can remember but in the 90’s my mom and I found this wonderful tea place in Austin called the Tea Embassy
It was a wonderful tea shop in an old house and this is where I learned about many varieties and flavors of teas.
They had large stainless canisters of over 200 teas.
I had the joy of smelling and enjoying the aromas of many varieties and learned black teas can have flavors naturally from honey undertones to natural fruit undertones or floral or even smoky which I am not a fan of.
They had many ways to even prepare tea from tea bags to many types of teapots and infusers They are now a mail order tea place.
It’s important to store your tea in sealed containers for freshness.
I have stainless containers and some in the tea embassy foil lined zip locked packages.
Teas are very absorbent so I do not store it near coffee or strong smells.
Some favorites of mine
Peppermint tea herbal - can add a squeeze of lemon and tsp of honey if sore throat and congestion Love a nice cup of peppermint or spearmint tea.
I also enjoy iced
This helps me when I have a headache
It also helps with nausea and is one of my favorite flavors.
Spearmint, lavender and chamomile herbal would make a good evening tea to relax and help digestion Black teas great way to start the day Green tea is great for energy.
Teas have natural antioxidants and are great for good health.
Teas with lemon, ginger or peppermint can help aid in digestion or settling the stomach.
Favorite teas
Berry Earl Gray black tea
Earl Gray Supreme
Lady Gray black tea
Berry black teas
Shakesphere blend simpson and veil interesting has rosemary and bergamot in it great to start the day.
Secret garden green and white tea with fruit flavors from Tea Embassy Warm winter blend from Wild orchid tea spicy Chai Warm Winter black tea chai blend with fruity flavor cardamon makes wonderful chai Wild orchid teas
Lunch time
Strawberry or blueberry green iced tea or a mint green tea
I get the Strawberry green, Blueberry Green and mint breeze green from Wild orchid Teas mail order from ohio loose teas.
Herbal Peppermint sachets from Harney and sons
Candy cane rooibus from Simpson and veil
Love this when avoiding caffeine
Great hot or iced.
Or
Christmas rooibus from Tea Embassy with candied fruit and nut flavors great hot or iced
Secret Garden green and black loose tea from Tea Embassy my favorite
Hot cinnamon spice herbal rooibus or hot cinnamon spice black or green from Harney and sons in tea sachets or loose tea. Tea Embassy also has a hot cinnamon spice black loose tea
Love Tea Embassy’s Earl Gray Supreme with bergamot and orange added to black tea.
Tea Embassy also has a delicious Berry Earl Gray black loose tea
and Lady Earl Gray black loose tea with bergamot and Lavender
Tea Embassy has a yummy blueberry Rooibus which has no caffeine and add a touch of honey or stevia and it tones down tartness is is fabulous hot or iced.
My mom enjoys Tea Embassy’s snowflake tea which is coconut and almond loose black tea.
Wild orchid teas has delicious blueberry green loose tea, Strawberry Green loose tea, and Mint Breeze green loose tea.
Wild Orchid has a neat warm winter blend that is a fruity chai black loose tea.
Wild orchid also has a delicious Strawberry rooibus loose tea
Found harney and sons mentioned in a fiction book I was reading and it mentioned Hot cinnamon spice and said it was naturally sweet with no sweeteners or sugar added just wonderful sweetness from cinnamon.
It talked about Sachet bags and I looked it up on the internet and bought some to try.
It is wonderful and does have a hot cinnamon spice taste like a red hot.
Cinnamon can help regulate blood sugar and is also wonderful to sooth a cough and can even help break up the yuckiness of congestion.
These are some of my favorite resources for loose teas and tea bags:
Tea Embassy
Harney and sons
Wild orchid teas
Simpson and veil
some simpson and vail teas are not as strong so may need to use more tea to get stronger infusion from my experience
The sites also have all types of infusers and strainers and teaspoons and beautiful tea pots and cups and books.
Takeya 24 oz iced tea pitcher maker is at Tea Embassy or Amazon
I love visiting tea rooms and meeting new people and learning.
The steeping room in Austin is one of my favorite tea rooms.
It has yummy food and desserts and lots of loose teas to purchase and about 4 to 6 teas and you can change your tea selection when dining and try multiple flavors.
The Steeping room Austin, TX
Finally, I like this BPA-free french coffee tea press
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
Stay Connected
