everythingbyface

How does drinking tea, especially green tea, contribute to a change in lifestyle, awareness and diet? The answer is surprisingly simple. There is nothing you have to do or think about. Within 30 days or so of starting a green tea regimen of four to six cups a day, you’ll start to experience a change in attitude and behavior, based on the empowering belief that we’re all the source of all our own answers.

At first, you’ll notice a subtle change. Instead of reaching for that candy bar or cake and ice cream when your sweet tooth hits, you’ll find that you’re consciously taking a smaller portion or eliminating it altogether. You’ll begin to notice when you go out to a restaurant that you will pick healthier options.

In comparison, 16-ounce Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino without whipped cream has about 280 calories—or 430 with whip. A cup of tea has none or, if you add a teaspoon of sugar, about 15 calories. Honey or raw cane sugar are healthier choices. The high calorie count in coffee chain drinks stems from them being loaded with sugar. Drink one, your blood sugar will spike and later crash, resulting in levels so low that you crave either more sugar or other equally empty calories. You’ll reach for highly refined carbs, fatty and/or sugary snacks or huge portions of food replenish your low energy. Tea does not cause such ups and downs.

Choose loose-leaf tea instead of conventional tea bags. Most tea bags contain broken tea leaves and tea dust. Loose leaf tea contains more vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.

Pieces of Red is a Merlot-based blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. For this particular vino, of which only 500 cases were made, mixed and matched barrels of the ’03, ’04 and ’05 vintages were used. Since the vineyard is next to the largest lake in Washington, the local climate conditions yield cool summers and warm winters, which give the grapes a longer maturation. This Bordeaux-style red displays considerable structure with large tannins, combining flavors of tart berries and pomegranate with earth tones of coffee and chocolate. The wine can be sipped now or aged, and pairs well with steak or lamb.

In case you missed this ultra-sleek, super sexy 4 1/2 inch stilleto stealing the spotlight from other sandals this summer, this is the Gucci ‘Sevigny’ sandal. Making it’s entrance, this is a feminine, but edgy choice. I want to inform you. This shoe is fierce. Fierce on top of fierce. The clean, geometric design is new. It’s the bold, unstrappy sandle, with an audacious heel that will help its wearer reach new heights, literally, in style. This will usher in a new, though possibly short lived era, of sandle design. I love that the ankle strap hugs the ankle right at the top so that it won’t shorten the leg. This slick shoe comes in gold, black patent leather, and black python. Available at Saks (pre-order) and http://www.gucci.com/.