How will climate change affect our lives?
This is a question many of us have no doubt asked ourselves. On the one hand, we may imagine changes at a large scale: frequent and extreme inclement weather, transitions to carbon-free sources of energy, changes in the way society functions as a whole.
But on the other hand, many of us want to know what can be done on the small scale, at the individual level. How can we be less wasteful? How can we consume less and do more with what we already have? And on top of all that, how can I feel better in light of all these alarming changes?
Combating climate change requires us to explore both these avenues. But while many of us can only look to the future for those macro-level changes, in the meantime we can take stock of what we already have.
This is the ethos that Toshimi Kayaki outlines in Green Tea Living. While a “green tea lifestyle” is a metonym of sorts for an environmentally conscious way of living inspired by Japan, it is also literally that. There are many uses for green tea, drinking not being the least important of them! In Green Tea Living you’ll find advice about how to be happier, healthier, and help the environment, too.
Let’s see what eco-minded wisdom we can read in the tea leaves.
Green Tea Fertilizer
After drinking green tea, you can use the leftover leaves for fertilizing your flowers or vegetable garden.
Mix the green tea leaves into the dirt for gardening.
The leaves will ferment and make the soil rich.
In case you’ve been using other kinds of raw garbage to make compost, consider this: much of it contains salt because it has been processed or cooked. Green tea leaves, however, are 100% natural, so they enrich the soil without polluting it with sodium chloride.
You can put the green tea leaves in planters and flowerpots, too.
Just put the leaves on top of the soil around the plant or flower, then water. The tea leaves will hold moisture into the dirt.
How wonderful—a terrific triple bonus! This is really green living.
Drinking Green Tea for Relaxation
When I am nervous or worried, my body and mind call for green tea. After having a cup or two, I can relax. I don’t know why it helps; I just follow Grandma’s way.
She always told me to drink green tea if I was tense. I took it for granted that she knew what she was talking about. Current medical reports seem to confirm that she was right.
According to a study at the Nagoya University Department of Psychology in 2007, L-theanine is an amino acid in green tea leaves known to block the binding of L-glutamic acid to glutamate receptors in the brain.
Because the characteristics of L-theanine suggest that it may influence psychological and physiological states under stress, it was suggested that the oral intake of L-theanine could have stress-reducing effects by inhibiting stimulation of cortical neurons.
My friend in France said that even there, drinking green tea is a chic and health-conscious thing to do. Her French friends realize that green tea has caffeine, but it doesn’t make them feel irritated or jittery. Rather, they say, it has the opposite effect—it soothes and relaxes. However, it seems to brighten the mind and spirit. L-theanine must do the trick! What’s more green tea contains an estimated 25mg of caffeine/cup, which is about half of the caffeine content in coffee. As such this provides a boost of energy without any jitters.
Saving on air freshener or other deodorizers
Green tea, which easily absorbs orders, can also be used as a deodorizer. This is because the catechin contained in it has the effect of absorbing odor. It works well for the following:
Microwave oven
Grilled fish or meat on the stove
Refrigerator
In shoes and boots
For deodorizing food waste
It's ok to just leave old tea or used tea in these for a while!
Organic Dye: Changing the Color of Fabric
If you get tired of the color of some fabrics or clothes, or if old whites look dingy or drab—and you still like the style—there is an easy solution. You can change the color! You will be surprised how this can brighten up old clothes or fabrics.
You could, of course, buy a commercial dye, but you can use things from the kitchen or flowers from your eco-friendly garden.
Dark brown: Coffee
Reddish brown: English tea
Yellow: Saffron
Pink: Cherry blossom flowers, roses
Purple: Red onion skins
Light brown or yellow: Cinnamon
Light blue: Gardenias
Light green: Matcha (green tea powder)
Here’s how to use these eco-friendly colors:
Boil the dye substance in water on low heat for about 1 hour.
Put the cloth in the dye pot at the same low heat for 15 to 30 minutes.
Stir frequently in order to avoid uneven coloring.
Check to make sure the color is even and rinse the cloth well.
After rinsing, put the cloth in a bowl with myoban (a type of alum, used to fix the dye) and soak 15 to 20 minutes.
Rinse the cloth again and hang it outside in the shade.
Did you know?
According to medical studies done by Dr. Andrew Weil, clinical professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Arizona and a world-renowned integrative medicine expert, there’s a specific antioxidant in green tea, known as EGCG, that shows “impressive activity against many kinds of cancer, while appearing to protect the heart and arteries from oxidative damage.”
A Japanese scientific study published October 2009 says that green tea can fight against the H1N1 flu. Tokushima Bunri University research reports that it is the catechins from the green tea that can fight against the virus.
Green tea is, as we say in Japanese, yasashii. That means gentle and mild. It’s like soft cotton on the skin to me.
Green tea is well known all over the world now for its enjoyable flavor as well as for promoting weight loss and longevity.
Learn more about Green Tea Living on our website.
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