Wednesday 25 June 2014

Green tea benefits

What about green tea? This, like white tea has a very positive effect on our health. It is full of flavonoids and is good for us because it is mildly toxic. (See yesterday's post). The toxicity stimulates our own defences which protect our cells from damage.

Substances in green tea also help to inhibit the development of cancer cells. Studies have shown that people who drink a moderate amount of green tea every day are at less risk of developing cancer.

Green tea positively affects the metabolism, which helps us remain at a healthy weight, and reduces the chance of us developing diabetes. It does this by increasing our sensitivity to insulin, so that sugars are removed from the blood before they can do damage. 

Green tea affects our brains; it helps us to concentrate and to keep calm. It also reduces the risk of stroke and has a positive affect on the cardiovascular system. 

It is better however, not to drink green tea immediately before going to bed. It slightly increases the risk of bladder cancer if the toxins are brought into contact with body tissue for prolonged periods of time. If we drink it in excess, it can irritate the lining of the stomach. Dr Verburgh suggests one to three cups a day is optimum for health.

Today I used the rye starter to make bread. I jumped in at the deep end and went for 100% rye which I knew would have difficulty rising well because of the low gluten content. I was right. The loaf turned out to be, shall I say, compact. The flavour was quite good, and I think the addition of walnuts and herbs was a good decision. Apparently I should have let the dough prove in a basket so that the air could circulate, but I didn't have one and was expecting it to hold its shape on a baking tray. Also I had no idea that the dough would be fairly loose and unlike normal bread, so I added extra flour. I  ended up with a mix that was too solid. Next time I'll use a loaf tin.

I shared some of the loaf with my parents who popped in for a cuppa. I think I'll be eating the rest of it by myself. 

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