Tea Time
January 19, 2010
by Carter Schoffer
What do most people know or at least think they know about green tea? For the sake of this missive, two things. First that it’s apparently beneficial in a whole host of ways for one reason or another. And second that it tastes like piss. Or it at least reminds them of piss because of its urine tinge, warmness and less than palate-moistening effect.
Green Tea?
Okay, not all green tea has a urine tinge. Don’t overanalyze, just go with it. The point is, if you crave or enjoy green tea, you’re in the minority.
So keeping score, chalk that up to 1 checkmark for the good guys and 1 big X in the not so much column. Which for all you non-human behaviourists, computes out to — “green tea, you say? Nah, I think I’ll go for a cup of great tasting, diabetic lardass instead.”
This is a problem and it is indicative of an even bigger crisis — literally. People aren’t compelled by what is or isn’t healthy for them. They’re compelled by what’s convenient and immediately gratifying — “give me what feels and/or tastes good and do it now!” And this, my friends, is why Asia needs 4 Billion people – to collectively counter the weight of the 500 million North Americans that would otherwise weigh our planet out of orbit.
But I digress. Back to the topic, putting the above into current context, the translation is: STFU about green tea and how mighty it is until you can make it mouth watering.
Can this self-gratifying / self-destructive mindset be shaped into a more health aware, self-bettering one? Yes but it can’t be done with a single blog so, showing my own human nature, I’d rather provide a hack that will get you drinking and enjoying green tea in no time flat, saving me from the long hours of trying to help you see that your health is more important than primitive reward centre stimulation.
Enter the best damn tasting healthy beverage concoction you’ll likely come across today. For those of you that don’t enjoy green tea as well for those that do and similarly, for those of you that are proactive with your health and those that aren’t, this little combo is a dandy.
In a large tea pot (~1.5L) combine one bag or loose leaf serving of the following 3 teas -
- A quality plain green or white tea to serve as the base. (I like Matcha for this).
- A chai or chai-green blend
- A mint or mint-green blend
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Now add to these a medium to large cinnamon stick and a couple slices, or heck, a chunk of fresh ginger.
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Fill and throw on the kettle until the sound of the water deepens or let boil and then sit for a minute or two. In other words, you want it just short of boiling.
Yeah I know, what kind of vague instruction is that — heat until it makes a deeper sound — but it’s a helluva lot more practical than heat to 81.7° or whatever the heck made up number that’s bantered around by tea-shop hipsters these days.
Okay back on point. We’ve got the 3 teas, a cinnamon stick and some fresh ginger in a big ol’ pot – or a new one – and we’ve got some hot but not so freaking hot water. Now all we have to do is steep this bad boy. For how long? For as long as there’s fluid in the pot. You can make up a pot in the morning, afternoon or evening and sip away at it or make it up the night before, put it in the fridge and have it on hand for the next day.
I personally will go through 2 – 3 pots per day, adding a bag or serving of tea to the mix with each brew.
Why these teas and why cinnamon and ginger? Because, as you’ll find, the combo tastes really good. And not only are you benefitting from the green (or white) tea, you’re also getting a big boost from the super foods that cinnamon and ginger are, not to mention the mint and chai-spice combo.
Give it a try. I bet it just may make a green tea drinker out of you.
Your Body is an Investment
January 4, 2010
by Carter Schoffer
These days I spend a good chunk of my non BT and PN time focusing on the stock market and investing in general. Buy signals, sell signals; bullish indicators, bearish indicators; going long, going short; calls, puts; fundamental analysis, technical analysis; value investing, growth investing, etc, etc all the way down the list of economic and market assessments and investment styles.
But while I find all of these characteristics of wealth at work incredibly fascinating and insightful, if you’re an investor, the golden path of historical success is paved with one very simple concept: compound interest/growth over a long time.
While some of your eyes may be glossing over with the use of the terminology in the opening paragraph, most of you have likely heard something along the lines of “invest x small amount each week, month or year starting when you’re young and it’ll be X large amount by the time you’re 50.” In other words, little by little, you can grow a significant fortune if you’re patient, consistent and have the ability to look beyond the day to day.
Does this sound like anything else in life? A lot of things, likely, but knowing the context of this missive, does it remind you of anything else that’s best pursued, perceived and evaluated in the long run by starting small, keeping things simple and working toward with patience and consistency?
Your wellness, body comp, and mental & physical performance, of course.
People lose fortunes when they try to time the market just like they lose themselves when they crash diet and dive head first into the cardio theatre. Sure, a few people out of a great many strike it rich with big short term gambles, just as a handful can parlay short term “boot camp” bullshit (calm down, it’s in the dictionary) into sustained change but most people — you likely included — at best, will yo-yo up and down, eroding progress with each oscillation.
So remember, just as one should take a long term investment approach to their financial security, so too is it key to approach how you look, feel and function with less focus on the unlikely short-term jackpot and more focus on reliable long term returns on investment.
