Health Benefits of Drinking Green Tea

The topic of health has always been important, but over the last year and a half specifically there has been an increase in interest towards health and immune system building. Many people decided during quarantine to improve their health, and for some that was the only distraction while being stuck at home. An important part of mental health is our physical health. Overall, we need a balance in life between our mental and physical health in order to live happy and healthy lives. Along with the obvious things that increase physical health like exercising, there are other things we can incorporate into our lives to improve our health.

I think COVID-19 has made many of us look for ways to improve our immune system and overall help with our health to hopefully avoid getting sick, or at least help our bodies build a resistance. One great product that can help facilitate healthy habits is green tea.

Green tea is a wonderful way to detox the body, plus it tastes great! This tea is full of antioxidants that can help improve brain function, decrease our risks of cancer, and help improve our metabolism to facilitate weight loss. The antioxidant in green tea is called epigallocatechin-3-gallate, but let's just call it EGCG for short. This can help prevent aging by decreasing cell damage.

It’s important to note that green tea contains caffeine, for all the caffeine lovers out there! Now, no it does not contain as much caffeine as coffee, but it’s a great alternative if you need a break from coffee, don't like the taste of it, or if you want to reduce your coffee intake. Yes, it is less caffeine but it won't leave you feeling jittery and will give you a more consistent boost of energy, plus don't forget the EGCG! If caffeine isn’t your style, you can also buy decaf green tea just like you can with coffee.

Another great benefit of green tea is its ability to aid in increasing metabolism and lowering our risk of heart and brain disease. It does this by increasing our bodies ability to improve blood pressure and prevent production of plague in the brain that can cause alzhiemers. Other than these wonderful physical benefits, it can also help our mental health by incorporating green tea into our self care routines. Taking the time to make tea and enjoy it is a great way to take a few minutes to ourselves. Another bonus is green tea has a chemical called Theanine that is a natural chemical proven to have a calming effect, which can also help reduce stress.

Now that you know a little bit more, go out there and buy some green tea! Add fresh lemons for an added bonus of vitamin C or some peppermint for an added freshness. If you are interested, you can also take a look at the resources listed below with even more information on the benefits of green tea. There is also an article that lists some different brands of tea, in case you are overwhelmed with the store's selection.

Sincerely,

Christina Labazzetta, Graduate Student Class of 2022

Resources:

https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/health-benefits-of-green-tea

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-green-tea

​​https://bestproducts-4u.com/best-green-tea-brands/

Complaints or is it criticism???

When living with your partner, you will most likely share many things such as your bed, your finances, household chores, raising children, having pets, common friends, etc., how could you not have some complaints about your partner once in a while even though you love them. It reminds me of a movie I once watched and the quote seems to be very fitting here “Only because I love you doesn’t mean that I have to like you right now”. I’m also pretty sure that some of you can relate :)

What is important though is to remember that there is a big difference between complaints and criticism. Complaints are focusing on a specific behavior or event whereas criticism is expressing negative feelings or opinions about the other person. Such as, if the dishwasher has not been emptied out when you get home from a long day at work and you think to yourself ‘Geez, why couldn’t he or she just put the dishes away’ and might say these exact words. Most often, we like to add ‘evidentiary support’ such as ‘Well, you never help keep the kitchen clean’ just to strengthen our claim. However, my dear friends, this is considered criticism because it expresses a negative judgment of your partner.

A complaint now would be fine and could be expressed as “Oh I was hoping you get to the dishwasher before I got home” which is a nicer way of saying it and asking for help as constructive criticism is meant to be. Starting a conversation when you get home by using a soft start-up and to complain without blame is a healthy and much more productive way to engage in conflict. I highly recommend reading the book ‘The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work’ by Dr. John Gottman. He is one of the leading relationships experts of our time – hands down!!

Simple Mindfulness Exercise

Three Senses

Another mindfulness exercise is simply to notice what you are experiencing right now through three senses – sound, sight, touch. Take a few slow breaths and ask yourself:

• What are three things I can hear? (clock on the wall, traffic going by, music in the next room, people talking)

• What are three things I can see? (this computer, this chair, that sign, that person walking by)

• What are three things I can feel? (the chair under me, the floor under my feet, my keys in my pocket)

Think of these answers to yourself slowly, one sense at a time. It’s impossible to do this exercise and not be present and mindful!