Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Please Don't Put My Face On A Stretcher

Do you ever have those days when you walk by the mirror, happen to glance up and immediately think (and sometimes exclaim out loud), "What in the hell was that?!"  Sometimes I have to stay up late getting projects and updates prepared for the following day.  Other times I am so wound by bedtime that I put on the Felicity DVD's and float off to wonderland for an hour or two longer than I should (and then there's those Nancy Grace re-runs that happen at midnight...) only to wake up swatting the nightstands when the alarm goes off in the morning.  Stress and lack of sleep can take a lot out a person.  Aging is not much fun, either - and believe you me I am doing my best to fight that mother off with a fierce, but realistic, determination. 

The truth of the matter is we are going to age - and there is no reason not to do so gracefully and naturally.  To me, that means taking realistic preventative measures along the way to care for my skin and body in general.  Injections are not something I'm interested in (seriously.  did you catch the real housewives of beverly hills last week? it scared the hell right out of me).   The idea of injecting a foreign substance into my skin defies logic.  Who knows what the effects are going to be in 15-20 years when all that stuff starts to run its course.  I would much rather do simple things like get proper amounts of rest and exercise - as well as indulge in copious amounts of tea.  

Do you have any idea how good tea is for you??  Here are just some of its many benefits:
  • Tea contains antioxidants that slow down the aging process by helping cells to regenerate and repair.
  • Green tea, in particular, neutralizes free radicals (still not sure what those are exactly, but I know they're not good!) and helps to reduce fine lines and wrinkles.  Sign me up for 10 cups please!
  • Black tea reduces cortisol - a stress hormone that your body produces - thereby helping you to process stress easier.  No wonder I've been so zen lately.  
  • My dentist swears by it.  She asked me on one of my first visits if I was a tea drinker - which entirely freaked me out because I thought she was going to say my teeth were stained.  Nope.  Instead she said that tea drinkers have less cavities because it fights off plaque.  But you should rinse with water after drinking tea.  
  • My acupuncturist is always ripping on me to drink more tea and not so much water.  She was an M.D. before becoming a Licensed Acupuncturist, so I listen to what she says more readily.  According to her, tea keeps you hydrated without flushing your body of nutrients.  I'm still drinking water, but I've replaced at least 3 glasses a day with tea. 
Fortunately for me I grew up in a family of tea drinkers.  I remember my first sip of my grandfather's English Breakfast.  Everyone chuckled thinking I'd run off...suckers - I sipped away at the whole cup!

        Bodum Assam Tea Press and Bistro Glass Tea Light Warmer   

Having a cool tea press like this on your counter doesn't hurt too much either!  A couple of my absolute favorite teas are Celestial Seasonings Decaffeinated Green Tea and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's Pomegranate Blueberry.  When I am drinking either of them (or English Breakfast, Ginger Peach, Darjeeling...you name it)  I see a noticeable difference in the texture of my skin, and overall health in general.  

You can probably tell from recent posts that I'm really thinking about how to live my life more fully and healthily.  Fashion is fun - but taking care of my inside is just as important as how I look externally.  I mean seriously, when's the last time you saw a depressed prune in a pair of knee-high boots?  

So how about it?  Are you a tea drinker?  I sure see a lot of coffee drinkers and always wonder if people move back and forth between the two beverages.  Would you jump on board if it meant better skin and health in general?

79 comments:

Ms Sublime said...

Have to agree Carrie..I love tea and it has never done me or my skin any harm. Come to London and I'll take you for the best afternoon tea! xx

jemina said...

I prefer tea to coffee, always have :)

I Love your posts, and I really chuckled when I read "I mean seriously, when's the last time you saw a depressed prune in a pair of knee-high boots?"

How true!!!

So cheers from one tea drinker to another
J
XOXO

www.janetteria.com said...

I love tea!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

Collette Osuna said...

Im a total tea drinker....love chai.....Starbucks is my fav, but I have it at home all the time too.....:)

Read my interview w/Susan from ModCloth♥

Stacey said...

I seriously love both. I start my day off with coffee and end it with tea. Sometimes, i'll sip on a cup during the day too. Happy Tuesday! XX

annelise said...

I'm definitely a coffee-drinker, tea doesn't do much for me. I did, though, find a raspberry, cranberry and strawberry tea that I loved. Don't really know why I don't drink it anymore... I've been cutting down my coffee intake for health reasons, but the smell walking past a coffee shop makes me want to hook up an IV!

Diana Mieczan said...

I totally love this post as last week I started to drink tea instead of coffee to get more healthy and not as tired... Its so good to know that black tea reduces cortisol - a stress hormone ...Thanks for all those tips. Kisses,sweetie
Happy Tuesday

Lilacandgrey said...

LOVE tea!! And I am ALL ABOUT the health benefits...We are currently researching Japanese teas to offer @ http://www.roastedgrounds.com...So keep checking in!
<3Cara
PS. Have your heard of tapioca tea?Ever try it?
"Tea Time" Print Giveaway-Come on Over and Check it Out!

Chas said...

Yum I love tea. I didn't know about all of the benefits until now, thanks for sharing!

Closet Fashionista said...

I don't drink tea...but maybe I should try to start XD
http://aclosetfashionista.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

i wish i liked tea - i've tried it NUMEROUS time - but not for me - i'm a black coffee drinker ..

AND OMG that RHOBH was umm NASTY! - and is it me or is it me, but the whole plastic looking thing is SO 90's?!? .. i'm ALL about being healthy and takeing care of my body and looking "ok" - but when i go gray - i'm TOTALLLLLY embracing it - i was talking to one of my girlfriends and was saying how i LOVE women who embrace their gray hair - it looks fabulous! -

Courtney Erin said...

Personally I'm a coffee gal but I do enjoy a cup of tea a few times a week -- but I could never trade my coffee for tea, regardless of the long term benefits!

xoxo ~ Courtney
http://sartorialsidelines.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

i'm a coffee drinker but i used to drink a lot of tea too--sounds like i need to get back into it!

xx aj

Anonymous said...

I love tea. Oolong is my favorite and making it even better for you is adding a slice of lemon.
Tea makes a great gift as well.
I look my age if I dont get 7-8 hours of sleep a night. If I start missing sleep you can totally tell. But this morning I looked in the mirror and thought am I ever not going to look like a little kid? Might help if I acted my age. ;)

MerciBlahBlah said...

I am a coffee girl since The Trips came along, but being married to an Irishman has definitely opened my eyes to The Wonder That Is Tea. I have to say, we CANNOT make tea in the US of A to rival that that I've had in Ireland or England. Don't know what it is, but it's just not as good. Give me a cuppa English or Irish breakfast tea with lots of milk, and I'm a happy girl. It's even better if you're consuming said tea with some home baked scones and a proper "tea" (i.e. biscuits, sandwiches, and MORE scones) to go along with it. Yummmmm...

Mwah!
Shan

Dawn said...

Yep! I would:)

I used to drink tea Always.
Now I drink coffee merely to run my day.
Thanks for the reminder! I'm pulling it all out today.
(And I want one of those cool Tea-Thingys above:))

Haha..."a depressed prune in a pair of knee-high boots".....
(Love your way with words!!!)

Taylor said...

Man I wish I liked the taste of it....but it just doesn't do it for me! It sounds like i need to find a combo that works though....I mean tea had been around for centuries, It has to have been doing some good somewhere! :)

Johanna said...

So funny that you posted this. I woke up on Monday morning looking like a truck hit me. This aging thing - no bueno. I am a coffee girl but if tea helps...tea it is!

Anonymous said...

I will LEAP on board to tea if it would help with all these health shenanigans. I have some pomegranate green tea that I do enjoy, but that's as far as I've made it on the tea bandwagon. What do you suggest? Also interested in acupuncture as it's been suggested to me a couple of times now.

Couture Carrie said...

Love green tea!

xoxox,
CC

Kristin W said...

Oooo, I love that tea kettle, but I just can't get into tea. I'm not sure what it is. I can never add enough to it for it to please my taste buds. I do enjoy an earl grey with some sugar and milk...maybe I'll explore that again...

Thanks for the tea tips! That is definitely encouragement to re-try!

Jessica said...

I must admit, I am an avid coffee drinker. BUT- with all of the health benefits of tea, I may could give it a try. Heck, if I had that cool tea maker I'd make tea every day!

Kristen said...

I drink both! Usually coffee (cup in hand right now) but this weekend I was actually all about tea (drank a cup of green and a cup of numi roobios) I love reading about the benefits, this was a really informative post! Makes me want to drink tea more, and more!

Lisa Griffin said...

i was on a really big green tea kick but then i was working too much and went back to coffee- it always has a stronger caffeine kick on me. i like to do coffee in the morning and tea afternoon. i'm really looking for a good night time moisturizer though, where can one buy that oil you are always jabbering about?
www.indramaticfashion.com

Isabel said...

i didnt know that tea was better than water?! im going to start drinking more tea!

Claire Kiefer said...

I am so not a tea person. It's not just cause of how much I love coffee (I mean, the two can peacefully coexist in a home!), but because tea reminds me of the elderly and the infirm. haha! I think I really do have these associations about tea and old people that I need to shake. The other thing is that I don't like it all that much. I think I'd like it more if I put a little cream in it, but that pretty much defies the whole "healthy" point, heehee.

So it is a big deal when I say to you that you may have convinced me to drink a cup of tea (baby steps--it starts with one). I keep reading about the health benefits of tea, and I've ignored them so far, but health + pretty skin + not being as miserable at the dentist?? Sign me up!

I'll let you know when I take the plunge. :)

Jude said...

I am a HUGE tea drinker, so of course loved this post and all the amazing advice - thank you! I actually had no clue about the tea versus water thing, good to know! Yeah, my face is already getting lots of sagging help from gravity, no need to make it worse for myself :)

Marie a la Mode said...

No I am not a tea drinker but your post has inspired me to get out of my cubicle at work right now and get some tea in our office's kitchen! No joke. I'm getting off my butt right. now.

Peetzi Jen said...

I do drink both but I'm a one cup of coffee a day gal. Tea on the other hand...I may drown in it. My husband constantly marvels at the amount of tea I can drink in one day. I'm sending him your post! I drink all kinds of tea...green, earl, lemony, berry types. But my all time favorite is roiboos. Red Lavendar roiboos. Tranquility in a tea bag!

Leia said...

I'm so happy to hear all the benefits of tea because I just LOVE it! Every night I have a big mug of green tea with honey and cinnamon - it's like a dessert (and is particularly useful if I've been naughty and have had a big, heavy dinner). I used to drink one cup of black tea on a daily basis but I had it with loads of milk and sugar, so decided to cut back - now I have a tiny cup of black coffee instead, with only half a teaspoon of sugar. Thanks for the tip about rinsing your mouth out after drinking tea, I'll definitely start doing that!

If you like spicy tea, here's a recipe that I use to make tea the traditional, South Asian way (we call it 'chai' - not 'chai tea' - 'chai tea' is like saying 'tea tea!') :
Equal parts water and milk (one mug of each if it's just for one person) + ground cinnamon + slightly crushed cardamom + slightly crushed clove. Just a tiny bit of each - 1/2 to 1 tsp. Throw it all in a saucepan with one teabag per person or 1 tsp of loose leaf black tea and cook it till the milk boils up a couple of times. Strain, add sugar to taste, et voila! Let me know if you try it :)

Leia

Discovery Street said...

i get in moods for tea...but it just doesn't do it for me the way caffeine does...i always switch to tea when i'm sick though...coffee doesn't go down well when I'm sick.

Nikki said...

I drink tea all day long...when I'm at work. Sometimes I'll start with a small cup of coffee because it smells good.

My favorite is the yogi green antioxidant tea (I buy it at trader joes). It smells like fruit loops and doesn't need sugar. Plus it says something about free radicals...but like you I have no idea what that is. I thought it was something about releasing the crazy.

justagirlLaura said...

I drank coffee for years then got Mono and a liver infection all in one [awesome] and couldn't stomach it. Literally. So, I switched to tea and haven't looked back since! I feel so much better after drinking it as opposed to weirdly drugged, which is how I felt after my Starbucks coffee. Ginger green tea is my favorite!

Tiffany Kadani said...

Interesting! I don't drink any tea leaves or coffee but I do like Mint Tea to help my tummy.

Cafe Fashionista said...

Not a tea drinker at all; I basically subsist on coffee alone. That said, I am kind of obsessed with the idea of tea parties - too cute!! :)

In Kinsey's Closet said...

I am only 24 and I am already starting to worry about my skin aging! I am not a tea drinker, but I wish I was. I drink tons of water, but I just can't find a tea that tastes good to me. After reading this I want to find a tasty tea (maybe something fruity if you have recommendations?) to sip in the mornings!

Alicia Lund said...

I'm drinking a cup of hot green tea as I read this! ;) I am a huge tea drinker as in a couple cups a day... usually more in the cooler months but I love iced tea in the summer as well. It feels so cleansing!

Mary @Delightful Bitefuls said...

Well I drink a lot of coffee, a lot... BUT after reading this (!!!) and seeing all these wonderful benefits I'm definitely going to have to kick me tea drinkin' up a notch! Wonderful read! Thanks!

Mary xo
Delightful Bitefuls

Monika @ RocailleWrites said...

I love both coffee and tea. My favorite tea recently is Tulsi, which is an Indian plant similar to basil. It has lots of health benefits as well and tastes absoolutely divine.

You can also use green tea externally as a toner, it calms redness and irritation. xxx

Nikki said...

I like this approach MUCH better! And I'm always interested in ways to do it more naturally!
Those BH housewives were ridic!

xx
Nikki

Valerie said...

I'm with you on not injecting foreign substances into my body and trying to fight aging in natural ways. I love tea and drink a ton of it during the winter. Then I always kind of forget about it during warmer months. I need to be better about it though. Thanks for all the info! I should substitute my second cup of coffee for tea every day. I just might do that.

xo
Valerie

Daniela said...

I really should drink more tea....... I kind of hate tea. But I rarely drink coffee or soda.
D,etc

A Crimson Kiss said...

I'm a die-hard tea drinker-no coffee for me! At first it was because I hated the taste of coffee, then the anxiety I felt after finishing a cup! My favorites are Constant Comments (reminds me of heart to hearts with my mom) and Harney & Son's Paris tea-so divine!

k said...

I've actually kind of switched over to tea recently....i still like coffee on those swatting the nightstand mornings, but as i age (hello looming birthday) i guess i also am trying to be healthier, or realizing that being healthier just makes me feel better in general ( i guess i'm growing up or something?). and while we're on the topic of being healthy, those cinnamon rolls i made - probably SO NOT healthy but worth it nevertheless!!!!!! (they did have apples in them...those are healthy man!)

Amber said...

I always start my day with a cup of coffee and end it with some green tea...I just cant give up that caffeine in the morning

Joie de Viv said...

I am an addicted complusive iced tea drinker! No sugar, just lemon. I do enjoy hot tea as well, especially when it's cold out or at dinner (being Chinese and all). Glad to hear your dentist and acupuncturist all recommend tea. My dentist warns me of stains when he hears how much tea I drink. Have you tried Coffee Bean's Tropical Passion and Swedish Berries? Those are my favorite cold teas. For hot teas, I love the huge selection at Bird Pick.

xx Vivian @ http://diamondsandtulle.blogspot.com

Joie de Viv said...

Oh and what was up with the injections on the RH of BH? SCARY!

xx Vivian @ http://diamondsandtulle.blogspot.com

fashion clocked said...

hey lovely- hands up ! i am a HUGE tea drinker... mainly peppermint, camomile, and throw in a cup of rasperry and echinacea or lemon ginseng and ginger and im there too. Love reading all of the benefits. I have heard of the benefits of green tea but also copious amounts can cause a reverse effect on your metabolism and lead to an underactive thyroid, ( affects the hypothamlamus) pretty shocking... all in moderation i guess? Not a fan of surgery or fillers or where they could end up but if they find a good way of plumping up a wrinkle problem free... in a few years i could be there!

on another note- shearlings- awesome was it an acne one by any chance? mega lust.Would love you to stop by . katie.xxx

fashion clocked

Melissa Blake said...

My sister swears by tea. I haven't made up my mind yet.

Natalie Suarez said...

i love black tea.. but i'm a coffee addict!

natalieoffduty.blogspot.com

Valerie said...

You have to try Drybar, Carrie! It really feel like magic. I went in with a greasy pony tail and came out with clean, dry, curled hair. They actually used a curling iron after they finished the blow dry. But it was all so quick! In and out in less than an hour. I'm going back on Friday. Totally hooked.

Kelly Leigh said...

Funny - I am trying to kick my tea habit - but that is cuz i drink it with milk and sugar and biscuits!! Check out jingtea.com for some pretty amazing tea stuff. I was working at a place that stocked their stuff. Flowering teas in a glass pot - beautiful!

Gorgeous Glam said...

Hi doll, when I think of the things that make up my life, tea would be one of them. It's a pleasure and a healing comfort at the same time. I drink about 3-4 cups a day. You must try a brand they have at nordstom's called Mighty Leaf. It's usually by the cafe or coffee shop. You will love it! xoxo

this free bird said...

Val, Kelly and Taj - I'm thinking I need to do all of what you said. Yeah! What you said!

xoxo,
c

Ms. Emmy N said...

I am a coffee drinking, but this post, and that super cute press are changing my mind... I do love English tea!!

Marcie said...

I am SOO the tea drinker. I know I need to drink more green, but I love my earl grey. It makes me sooo happy.

Great post! Thanks for all the reassurances that I'm drinking the right thing.

xo M

Nadia said...

I gave up coffee when I gave up cigarettes! (one and a half years ago). I am now a proud tea drinker. Great post Carrie!

xo, Nadia

She Wore It Well said...

Yep I'm a huge tea drinker. I shall send you a Christmas package with some of my favourite teas from Carlisle Coffee house. My mum wasn't a tea drinker and after drinking some of their blends that's all she drinks now.

Speaking of Felicity - did I ever tell you that last year when I was in Vegas I played roulette on the same table as NOEL! I kept looking at him thinking I know THOSE eyes from somewhere and then I was like BINGOOOOOOOOOOOO it's NOEL FROM FELICITY! B thought I was a bit of a freak!

LyddieGal said...

Every time I pass by teavana in the mall I stop and taste all the samples and I am in love. I want to buy out the whole store.

But in the mornings, I can't deny my coffee. It is a beloved ritual.

Meghan said...

I am a huge tea drinker! I probably have 2 or 3 cups a day. Plain ol' Earl Grey is my favourite, but I live close to a few cute tea shops (Oolong Tea House in Kensington and Teaopia in Market Mall!) and they have some really interesting blends that taste really good.

Josie said...

Maybe it's a matter of finding the right tea, but I just can't do it right now.... I just don't like the taste. It's so good for you, though, so I should probably try to make the switch from coffee and obscene amounts of diet soda to tea!
xo Josie
http://winksmilestyle.blogspot.com

kelli g. { bug miscellany } said...

huh.

there's a lot of things in this post i'd never realized before about tea.

huh.

can i really give up my 2 (ok sometimes 3) cup a day coffee habit? i do like the occasional cuppa tea, but not as a regular practice. hmmmmmmmmmm.

thanks for the (um) tea for thought!

Sniff said...

I used to think just like you, that ageing should happen naturally. And I used to be very healthy - a lot of exercise, never overweight, never much alcohol, healthy food - it didn't matter. Breast cancer hits at random. Sadly, chemo to fight it forces your body into a premature menopause that is anything but a natural and graceful way of ageing. And whether one likes it or not, the side-effects of having that kind of poison injected into your body don't just might show up in 15-20 years - they appear right away.

So when a frown line from all the harsh treatment showed up between my eyebrows, I headed straight for the clinic to have it erased. After chemo, I really don't think anything can hurt me more than that. And since I won't be around in 15-20 years anyway, I live for today and will happily do whatever it takes to make myself feel good and happy right here and now. So along with the tea, bring on the hair dye and the Botox! :)

THE ALTERNATIVE WIFE said...

Oh yes all the way!!! I just love tea! i drink green tea and mint tea all day long. Love it and it is wonderful for you. I'm all about preventing aging and taking care of yourself :)

Leeann @ Join the Gossip said...

Thanks for the info! I am not a fan of hot tea but I am really trying to get into it. Good to know about the benefits!

this free bird said...

Sniff - you get a pass lady...and I agree all the way - if you withstood the chemo there's not a damn injection out there that can get you now. Go girl!! (4 of my good friends survived that bitch ass breast cancer - may it have its own place in hell).

xoxo,
C

christine, just bella said...

I'm both. Coffee in the morning and green tea in the afternoon! I always love hearing all the benefits - go green tea!!

Anonymous said...

all bodum things are the best~!!! especially when you use them to make tea
love your blog!

stylenuggets said...

Tea drinkers rule!! I love the smell of coffee but give me a (large) mug of tea any day at any time and everything's alright with my world.

Unknown said...

totally agree! I'm an avid Tea drinker, i have a few of my favs! I find that i drink more coffee than usual in the summer because Iced Coffee is so much more fun! But fall immediately brings me back to my tea! Great post and props to you for taking the healthy initiative!
xo M

Lori said...

I love both Carrie. Coffee is my morning drink ~ I have one at home and then a stop at Timmies for an XL on the way to work. At night my "inner grandma" comes out and I love to curl up with a steaming hot mug with a touch of honey. Earl Grey Vanilla is a fav along with Blueberry Green tea and then the old standby Orange Pekoe. Bravo for healthier living ~ we only go through here once ~ let's have a great ride! xo

Lisa - respect the shoes said...

I live in the SE - the idea of tea drinking here usually evolves around Lipton or Luzianne and about two pounds of sugar, so I think the localized health benefits aren't so prevalent for me ...

Unknown said...

drinking a cup of earl grey as i type this! i loveeeeeeeeeee tea with all of my heart, anytime, anywhere. i do love myself some coffee in the morning, though. : )

thanks so much for your sweet comment! i myself am falling head over heels for your blog. following!

x

http://fashionhash.blogspot.com/

J. said...

Mmmm that blueberry/pomegrante sounds like something I can get on board with. I just have to ween myself off of the 9 tablespoons of sugar I get out of my caramel latte everyday haha.

Lady Grey said...

I seriously need to drink less coffee and more tea... thanks for the encouragement!
oxo

Unknown said...

I always suspected tea was good for you but I had no idea it was better than water! I'm adding tea to my grocery list right now ;)
I feel rejuvenated just reading this.

xx Cristina

Sarah J said...

oh tea, HOW I LOVE THEE!
wonderful post!

Little Paper Trees said...

you are too funny, your late night tv episodes sound like my own and then i regret it every morning when i wake up looking like a zombie. you've convinced that i need sleep and tea!

Shybiker said...

I have that exact tea-press! And, in fact, it's my second one. I drink tea so often that I wore the first one out!

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