Oolong

Oolong tea is a variety of tea that falls somewhere between a black tea and a green tea. Anyone who has enjoyed tea at a Chinese restaurant has likely had oolong tea. It’s a natural choice for Chinese restaurants as it is the perfect complement to most meals and is reputed to cut through the grease of a meal. It is commonly called Wulong. Some Chinese translations of Wulong equate to ``black dragon’’ while others translate to ``blue mist’’. The black dragon translation is far more popular, but have you ever seen a black dragon without blue mist? It originates from Mount Wu Yi, or Wuyi Shan in the Fujian province, which is on the sea coast of China just across from Taiwan, another fabulous oolong producing country.
At another time I will explain better what makes an oolong an oolong. For today, I want to discuss the health benefits of oolong as they pertain to weight loss. Oolong has rapidly gained in popularity for weight loss attempts since an alleged endorsement by Oprah In recent years there has been a flurry of new businesses marketing oolong as an ancient Chinese weight loss solution, many of them based on these endorsements. It doesn’t matter if Oprah or Rachael endorsed oolong tea, there is science to support these claims. Studies done in China, Japan and the US all clearly indicate that people consistently consuming oolong lost weight through increased fat oxidation and further see blood sugar levels significantly reduced after a meal. My personal experience has been oolong helps me lose inches, while Pu Erh helps me lose pounds. That’s a perfect combo for me. It’s something different for everyone.
Be warned that the companies getting rich selling wulong slimming tea and the like are selling tea bags of oolong dust, the lowest grade of this tea. This is essentially what you can get at a take-out Chinese restaurant. They are selling typically a one-month supply (60 servings) for about $35 plus shipping. Many of these companies lock you into a auto-ship plan as well. Here is an informative website about oolong without trying to sell you something. In fact, the opening page examines the business practices of the most popular "oolong for fitness" sites.
http://www.wulongtea.org/index.php
A one-month supply (I recommend three cups a day) of nine ounces for ninety servings of organic loose leaf Wuyi Oolong from SensibiliTeas would cost (as of this posting) $25.88 and there is no auto-ship plan. Nine Dragons Oolong, a rolled oolong from the Wuyi region, is also organic and is exactly like what you would get in a Chinese restaurant would cost the same. If you would prefer flavors, all the flavored oolongs at SensibiliTeas are based on a Wuyi oolong. Citron Oolong ($4.50/oz) and Grapefruit Oolong ($3.00/oz) are the most popular.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today's quote is in memory of my older brother,
whom I will greatly miss

Bob Burgess 01/12/1953-01/02/2009

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

---Robert Frost / The Road Not Taken

Pu Erh

If people come into the shop looking for the ``weight loss tea’’, I usually recommend one of two teas. One of them is Pu Erh. We'll discuss the other perhaps tomorrow. Pu Erh (pronounced Pu-Air or Pu-Er) comes from Pu Erh county in Hunan province. It is not uncommon for it to be made up of leaves plucked from ancient trees rather than from carefully cultivated bushes. It is a post-fermented tea. This means that all the normal processing to be a black tea, a green tea, or a white tea has already been done, and then the tea is aged. Essentially, it is composted, but likely without the worms and all. While in the past this composting occurred in highly guarded caves belonging to the emperor, it is now likely occurring in a climate controlled setting. During this processing the tea takes on an earthy quality. Tea can then be pressed into cakes or tuo cha, small single servings of Pu Erh that resembles a tiny birds nest (pictured in this post). It is also available in a leaf form, which seems earthier, but more popular due to the ease of preparation. Some say it tastes like dirt. I’ll tell you the black tea version, which is what I carry at the shop, certainly smells earthy. The older it gets, the more mellow it becomes. I find it to be a very smooth, relaxing cup of tea. It is believed that the caffeine level is reduced during processing. The most popular Pu Erh I carry is Immortal Nectar, as found in this collection.
http://www.sensibiliteasonline.com/teapuerh.html
I admit. I hated the first cup I ever drank, but told myself I must be professional about this, and I continued to drink the sample. By the end of the sample, I wanted more. It had become my go-to tea. And I had lost weight, to boot!

While there is no carefully controlled scientific evidence available to support the notion that Pu Erh is effective as a weight loss tea, I’ve had in-shop results. I invited 15 willing participants to drink Immortal Nectar for 10 weeks – one cup with each meal, for a minimum of three cups a day. Many of those participants had physicals before they started so they knew their exact weight, cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels and C-reactive protein levels. Of the 16 participants, 15 lost weight. After 6 weeks, we started receiving reports about cholesterol and triglyceride levels being greatly reduced.

Cholesterol reduction was the most popular result. After 6 weeks, the average cholesterol reduction was 60 points. One woman saw a reduction of 123 points while another saw a reduction of 102 points. When someone comes to the shop looking for Pu Erh now, it is not uncommon to learn that they have been sent by a doctor. For many, this may be an easy all-natural, organic way to avoid being put on cholesterol reduction meds.

Together they lost 164 lbs. The participant who gained weight (6 lbs.) learned that drinking this tea was not a license to eat Crispy Creme donuts for breakfast and lunch. May common sense prevail.

Love spicy food? Pu Erh is the perfect spicy meal complement.
I asked the father of a Chinese friend of mine how he could explain the effectiveness of Pu Erh in a weight management program. He surprising replied … ``Maybe it’s not the tea.’’ He went on to explain he theory that historically, Chinese consume most meals with a cup of tea while Americans take their meals with a cold beverage. And then he asked ``if you are going to put grease down the drain, would you follow it with hot water, or cold water?’’

Could it be that simple?
Well worth a try, I’d guess. And why not make tea that hot beverage?

No historical facts or links today, so instead I leave you with this simple thought:
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
-- Margaret Mead (1901-1973)