We always have so many amazing stories come in each month and want to thank each and every one of you for sharing!

Our star this month is Shanna Cartmell of Cartmell Chiropractic. We love that she was able to share with the Homeschool Academy that she is a member of. When parents learn about the benefits of Teeccino they often share with their children, giving us the joy of knowing that our health forming teas are making their way through generations.

Here is what Shanna had to say about her experience:

“The parents of our Homeschool Academy congregate in a fellowship hall for breakfast during the students activities. I was able to speak, and offer samples of Teeccino to the parents as well as some teenaged students. Everyone was excited, even some of the die-hard coffee drinkers were willing to give it a try! Some even knew and loved Teeccino already, so the little sample gift was fun for them to try a new flavor. I saw a few open their tee bags and made a cup before they even left the room!” – Shanna Cartmell

Do YOU want to introduce others to Teeccino? Check out our Teeccino Ambassador program – it’s an easy way to request samples to share with those in your community and circles. Learn more here and get started by filling out the survey!

Sadly, the heart has become one of the most disease-ridden organs globally, particularly in the United States. Heart disease remains the No. 1 cause of death nationally, though healthy lifestyle habits can dramatically reduce such unfortunate prospects. One in four women die from heart disease yet women’s heart problems are often overlooked and undiagnosed until it is too late.

Maybe it’s because we women are so good at focusing on others and ignoring our own needs. Our sensitivity can even cause us to suffer heart attacks from the “Broken Heart Syndrome” without any prior heart disease.

This month, I’ve been observing what nurtures my heart while balancing its desires with the necessities of a busy life. Here’s 4 surprising discoveries that are easy to do on a daily basis to keep your heart healthy!

Feed your heart beauty

Gazing on something overwhelmingly beautiful or listening to an extraordinary musical concert inspires the feeling of awe. Feeling awe, it turns out, lowers pro-inflammatory cytokines, proteins produced by our immune system that can go into overdrive and produce inflammation. A daily dose of awe can also beat back depression. Positive emotions are associated with low cytokine levels, and awe and wonder are especially good at lowering inflammation which is so damaging to our hearts.

I’ve found it easy to listen to music that moves me while I’m cooking dinner or driving to and from work. If I take a break from my work for just a few moments to gaze on inspiring art or photographs on my computer, awe can overwhelm me. That quick hit of awe gives me a sense of renewal in the middle of my day. Awe helps me connect to my sense of purpose which is what our hearts love!

Walk Amongst The Trees

Have you heard of “forest bathing”? The Japanese have studied the effects of walking through forests on our immune system and they’ve found that forest bathing, which they call shinrin-yoku, reduces stress, anxiety, and anger. Nature, whether you find it in a local park or by hiking in wilderness, has an incredibly calming effect on our hearts.

Recently I visited Northern California and took a walk through a redwood forest. Talk about awe! My friend who took me on the hike told me about her experience going through chemotherapy. Every day she walked through the forest and sat on a bench looking out over the hills to the ocean. She credits those walks with keeping her balanced, positive, and relatively healthy through such a difficult period.

Ok, maybe we can’t all walk through forests every day, but we can connect with trees wherever we live. Trees breathe out oxygen, purify our air, and emit essential oils all of which keep our hearts healthy. Walking itself is incredibly heart healthy so find your place in nature to walk among trees as many times a week as you can!

Listen to Your Heart in Stillness

You’ve most likely read that meditation is an excellent stress-reducer. Dr. Dean Ornish has proven in his renowned program for reversing heart disease that meditation is a valuable part of restoring heart health.

But I know how hard it feels to find time on a daily basis to sit and listen to my breath. I love to meditate but the demands of the day often are pressing too hard on me in the morning so I don’t feel like I can take the time to do a full-on meditation. Then at night, I’m too sleepy to meditate!

I’ve found that I can get much of the good effects of meditation more informally and quicker if I take a few moments of stillness throughout my day. We keep our minds hyper-focused the majority of the time, concentrating on the task at hand or the screen in front of us. Here’s what helps me relax and expand my awareness quickly:

I diffuse my focus so I can see the peripheral sides of my vision. I take a few deep breaths while observing the full spectrum of what I can see and then I close my eyes. I concentrate on feeling my heart center in the middle of my chest. And I listen. Sometimes I don’t hear anything but I may feel a warm sensation. Other times, a thought occurs to me that seems to come from my heart. I find that the act of listening and feeling into my heart center is key to my well being!

I can practice this at my desk or when doing something simple like sipping a cup of Teeccino. If, like me, you need help remembering to take a break, you can set a ring tone on your phone or computer to give you a gentle nudge.

Eating and Moving for Healthy Hearts

It is a fact that heart disease can be avoided and even reversed through a heart-healthy diet and lifestyle. Moving away from a sedentary lifestyle fueled by a high-fat, high-sugar diet is the first step, while reducing – or altogether eliminating caffeine – further paves the way toward improved heart health. Healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids, minerals like magnesium and potassium, and supplements like vitamin E and CoQ10 are all essential to maintaining or restoring heart health.

If you have heart disease, I highly recommend the work of the most respected heart researcher, Dr. Dean Ornish. His book, The Spectrum: A Scientifically Proven Program to Feel Better, Live Longer, Lose Weight and Gain Health, provides everything you need to put you on the path to heart health. But beyond the physical, we’re feeling, thinking, and spiritual beings. The three tips I’ve shared provide the extra piece that speaks to our inner selves. I hope you give your heart the gift of good health by feeling awe, finding time to be in nature among trees, and taking a moment to listen to your heart!

We’re one month into 2019. How are your New Year’s resolutions going?

Even though at any time of the year, we could set our good intentions for goals or changes we want to make in our lives, New Year’s eve or New Year’s day is the trigger for many of us to reflect and resolve to do better.

Of course, life speeds up again after the holidays and despite our firm commitment to conquering the challenges, our best intentions fall by the wayside. The official statistic from US News is that 80% of people fail to keep their resolutions by the 2^nd week in February.

Wait! Don’t lose hope! Here are 7 ways to help you keep your goals in the forefront of your mind and actions:

1. Set reminders where you’ll see them. 

I like posting little stickies in prominent places that I look at daily.

Nothing like starting the day seeing a note to self on my bathroom mirror. If you commute by car, put another one on the dashboard. Or on the door, at work on your computer, or on the refrigerator or cupboard.

Buy a colorful sticky pad to make your notes to self even more noticeable. I love the pink hearts! Refresh your notes frequently so they don’t fade into oblivion.

Make them encouraging. Stay positive. “Remember to take your vitamins” versus “Don’t forget to take your vitamins” is a better affirmation that doesn’t sound like you’re nagging yourself. Writing affirmations is a highly successful way to train your mind and body to stay committed.

2.  Use your smart phone to schedule appointments with self.  

Want to exercise more frequently? Schedule intentions for walks, going to the gym or yoga classes right into your ca
lendar. Set reminders to pop up an hour or two in advance so you can start to get ready in time to get there.

3. Take a class that supports your goals.

There are so many online classes, it won’t be hard to find one that is relevant to your goals. Get more proficient in a 2^nd language, manage your money better, learn to meditate. There’s a class for everything you can think of and best of all, you can take them anytime of day. Once you have more skills to fulfill your goals, you’ll find it easier to keep your forward motion.

4. Line out the steps to your goal and take one at a time

The best way to accomplish a goal is to avoid overwhelm. Breaking down goals to incremental steps gives you the tools to get started.

Here’s an example. You want to lose weight. Analyze your diet and what changes you can make without too much pain. Decide on your first step. Maybe it’s to rid your cupboard and refrigerator of sugary snacks that aren’t supporting your goals. As part of this step, cut up apples and celery to keep them handy for when you feel the urge for a snack.

Keep that intention for at least a week before you make any more changes. Then in the second week, take the next step to eliminate and replace a food or beverage that will help you lose more weight. Gradual lifestyle changes like these are more successful in the long run than going on a strict diet.

If you’re ready for the next step, tackle it in the same way. Let’s say your goal is to save money. This is actually the #1 goal over 50% of people make for their New Year’s resolution.

Commit to a small but significant goal of dollars to save in your first month. Decide how and where to save it. Maybe you decide to save money eating out by making your meals at home and bringing lunch to work. Or you decide to brew Teeccino instead of spending money at Starbucks!

Calculate how much you’ve been spending and put aside that amount from every paycheck. When you’ve successfully saved money for the first month, set an incremental increase for the second month.

Keep going as you take each step until you reach your goal. Being successful on one thing will allow you move on to the next thing with confidence.

5. Join a support group!

Talking about your resolutions with others helps!
Keep yourself pumped by sharing progress and receiving encouragement.

There are lots of support groups online for all kinds of goals. Or create an informal support group with friends and check in with each other once a week on how you’re all doing. A group text or email is an easy way to stay informed with everyone’s progress. Be a good cheerleader for others and ask for the same back!

6. Bribe and reward yourself!

Make a deal with self. If I don’t eat any sugar this week, I’ll allow myself to have one (fill in the blank) this weekend after my exercise class. If I save X amount of money, I’ll treat myself to a (fill in the blank). If I exercise X times this week, I’ll reward myself with (fill in the blank).

You get the idea. Keep yourself motivated by giving yourself a reward for accomplishing your commitment over a relatively short period of time. Maybe it’s just a day without sugar. Then reward yourself with something you love to do that feels satisfying but doesn’t compromise your goal.

7. Get back on track as quickly as you can.

Don’t beat yourself up if you slip. Just start again. The path to success is filled with failures but successful people learn from their mistakes and start again.

Same goes for New Year’s Resolutions. Ok, so you didn’t keep your commitment today. Tomorrow is a new day so get on with it! Figure out what happened that caused the slip and decide how you’re going to get past that hurdle the next time it appears.

Here’s how I’m keeping my New Year’s Resolutions:

Personally, I committed to taking my vitamins every day. I used to be so good about taking vitamins but life has sped up so much, my good habit has fallen by the wayside.

I decided to commit to drinking my morning smoothie sitting down at my breakfast table rather than gulping it in the car on the way to work. If I sit down to drink my smoothie, I’ll take my vitamins too. If I don’t, I rarely take them any other time of the day. However, as a back-up plan, I’m keeping a stack of my daily vitamins at work. I’ve set a reminder on my phone for 1 PM, the time I usually take lunch. If I didn’t eat them in the AM, I’m reminded to do so at lunch. It’s working!

I also committed to spending more time in nature. I live near a wonderful hiking trail and yet it can be embarrassing how long I can go without hiking it. I’ve set aside Sunday mornings for a weekly hike up the mountains. To help me keep my promise to myself, I’ve scheduled hikes with friends each Sunday.

What a wonderful way to reward myself for climbing 54 flights of ‘stairs’ and walking 3 miles. That’s the statistic that my iPhone tells me I’ve accomplished after my hike. The real reward though is spending time in the beauty of nature with people I love!

I’d love to hear from all of you about how you’re doing on your New Year’s resolutions. Share with us ways you’re keeping yourself on goal!

“The event was a vision board party. No one there knew about Teeccino and they were all pleasantly surprised about how great it tastes. Some people who attended were vegans and they really liked that Teeccino is non-acidic and caffeine free.”

Thank you for the fantastic photos, Takesha! We are so proud to have you as a Teeccino Ambassador and happy to support your future sharing events! Here’s to a great 2019 to you, Takesha…and congratulations on your $25 Teeccino.com gift certificate!

Want to introduce others to Teeccino? Check out our Teeccino Ambassador program – it’s an easy way to request samples to share with those in your community and circles (that you suspect would enjoy Teeccino!). Learn more here and get started by filling out the survey!

Thanks to the Danish in the 17th century, eating a sweet, yeasty cake made with nuts and flavored with brewed coffee became an enjoyable tradition to be accompanied by a cup of coffee. The British evolved the coffee cake to be spongy and round with a hole in the center to help the cakes bake all the way through. When Scandinavian and German immigrants brought coffee cakes to America, the coffee cake evolved once again. With the increased use of dairy products, Americans began using baking soda for a quick rise and adding dairy like sour cream or yogurt to coffee cakes.

Naturally, we had to try our hand at making a coffee cake flavored with Teeccino! Our taste buds started to salivate as we considered the possibilities. How about a maple pecan coffee cake to go with a cup of Teeccino Southern Pecan?

Knowing that many of you might not eat coffee cake on a regular basis because of course, we’re trying to keep our waistlines slim, we thought we’d develop a recipe for a lower calorie coffee cake by using low glycemic sweeteners and offering both a dairy and vegan version. It turns out that both versions are equally and irresistibly delicious!

Ingredients:

Cake:

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or gluten-free baking flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp sea salt, fine grind

½ cup organic palm sugar (low glycemic) or Swerve® Sugar Replacement (non-caloric)

½ cup maple syrup

½ cup grapeseed or sunflower seed oil

¼ cup brewed Teeccino (any nut flavor but Southern Pecan is optimum)

1 tsp maple flavor extract (Frontier makes a nice one!)

2 eggs (dairy version)

2 tbsp chia seeds, ground (vegan version)

1 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream (dairy version)

¾ cup applesauce unsweetened (vegan version)

¾ cup chopped pecans

Streusel Filling:

½ cup organic palm sugar (low glycemic) or Swerve® Sugar

1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour or gluten-free baking flour

3 tbsp melted butter or vegan butter alternative.

Topping:

1/4 cup Swerve® Confectioners Sugar Replacement

2 tbsp maple syrup

Make the cake batter first:

Get started by preheating the oven to 350º. Choose the pan for your cake and grease it with a vegetable cooking oil, spray or butter. A 8″ square pan or a round coffee cake pan is recommended.

In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sweetener of your choice together. I like to sift everything through a wire mesh to make sure there are no lumps and the flour is light.

In a smaller bowl or in an electric mixer, mix together the maple syrup, oil, brewed Teeccino and maple extract (optional but extra delicious!)

Add the eggs to the mixer for the dairy version. For the vegans version, soak the 2 tbsp of ground chia seeds in 6 tbsp water. Let them absorb the water and then add the soaked seeds to the liquid.

Add the Greek yogurt, sour cream or for the vegan version, add the applesauce to the liquid and mix thoroughly.

Blend in the dry ingredients slowly until thoroughly mixed with the wet.

Add the chopped pecans and mix well.

Make the streusel:

In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar of your choice, flour, and the melted butter or vegan butter alternative. Mix well with a fork.

Layer the cake in the baking pan:

Pour half of the batter into the greased pan. Then sprinkle half the streusel evenly over the batter.

Spread the remaining batter over the streusel. Then sprinkle the remaining streusel over the batter.

Baking the cake:

Bake for 35 minutes. Test with a toothpick. If it doesn’t come out clean, bake for 5 or more minutes until the toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a platter by tipping the cake onto a temporary plate or pan. Then tip it back onto the serving platter so the streusel is now on the top of the cake again.

Make the topping:

Blend the confectioners sugar with the maple syrup. The topping should be the right consistency to drizzle off of a spoon so add more maple syrup if necessary.

My sons and I carry on a tradition started long ago by my great grandmother who made eggnog for her guests at her annual Christmas party. In fact, we use her secret recipe finally handed down on her deathbed. Really! She wouldn’t tell any of her friends how to make her eggnog until finally one pried it out of her when at last, she was unable to get out of bed to host her party.

There’s a fun story about how the friend returned to accuse her of not sharing the real recipe because theirs didn’t taste nearly as good as hers. I’ll let you in on her secret eggnog recipe and why her friend’s attempt to duplicate her eggnog didn’t work, but first, I want to let you know the best way to drink eggnog: on top of a cup of Teeccino!

Truly, Teeccino Eggnog Latte is absolutely heavenly! I was so surprised the first time I tried it because I discovered that eggnog really tastes much better when diluted in a brimming cup of Teeccino. With its deep roasted body, Teeccino gives the richness of eggnog the perfect platform to become a fabulous holiday treat.

My recommendation is to gather the family and make my Great Granny’s recipe together. It’s not that hard and I’ve made it easy by taking photos of the preparation. Everyone can help and you’ll be rewarded when you top a cup of Teeccino with frothy eggnog. Upon first sip, you and your family will be transported to heaven this Christmas!

Here’s my great granny’s secret recipe on the typewritten sheet of paper that was given to me by my grandmother!

Have on hand two large bowls, a handheld beater, and all ingredients. 

Ingredients:

• 12 brown eggs from free range chickens
• 1 quart milk, organic preferably
• 1 1/2 quarts Half & Half, organic preferably
• ¾ lb brown sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• Pinch of Cream of Tartar
• 1 tbsp nutmeg
• 7 oz brandy
• 7 oz dark rum

Start by breaking the eggs and dividing the whites from the yolks by putting the yolks in a large bowl and the whites in smaller bowl. Be very careful to make sure you don’t get any yolks in the egg whites bowl as that will keep them from frothing correctly.

Add the sugar a bit at a time while beating with an electric mixer. Then add the salt.

Pour the brandy and then the rum down the side of the bowl while beating them into the egg and sugar mixture.

Add the milk and the cream, beating until perfectly smooth.

Add a pinch of Cream of Tartar to the egg whites. Cream of Tartar is the residue of an acid called Tartaric acid that is left over on the side of a wine barrel after making wine. It keeps bubble stiff and stops them from deflating which is just what you want for the best frothy eggnog!

Beat the egg whites in their bowl until you can make little stiff peaks with the froth.

With a large spoon, carefully fold in the egg white froth into the large bowl by scooping the eggnog mixture over the froth. Allow some of the froth to stay on the surface. Don’t mix too much so the frothy whites keep the eggnog light.

Sprinkle nutmeg on the top of the eggnog.

For Serving Pure Eggnog:

With a ladle, scoop into small cups Hint: Have a cloth or sponge ready to wipe up some of the extra foam that may go over the side of the cup. Or if your guests are willing, they can lick it off!

For Serving Teeccino Eggnog Lattes:

In a festive mug, pour it 2/3rd full with brewed Teeccino. I recommend using one of our creamy flavors like Caramel Nut but really, any Teeccino flavor is delicious with it. Using a small ladle, dip into the eggnog to pour in some of the liquid to the cup of Teeccino. Top the cup with the frothy foam. Sprinkle the top with extra nutmeg. OMG, you won’t believe the first sip of heaven!

This recipe makes approximately 3 ½ quarts so you’ll have plenty for lattes and cups of pure eggnog over the holidays!

Dairy:

Like it sweet? Horizon Organic Low Fat Eggnog might be saving you some fat calories, but it was by far the sweetest of all the eggnogs. Although we wouldn’t recommend drinking this one straight, when diluted in Teeccino it makes a very fine Teeccino Eggnog Latte.

Organic Valley Eggnog gets our vote for the best dairy eggnog. It’s rich and egg-y but not overly sweet. Drink this one both as a pure cup of eggnog and as the perfect addition to Teeccino.

Non-Dairy:

Hands down, the team preferred the flavor of So Delicious Coconut Milk Holiday Nog. It has just the right nutmeg and egg flavor without the egg of course. However, it didn’t heat up well and can’t be frothed, so no velvety foam on the top of this nog if you use it to make a Teeccino Eggnog Latte.

Califia Holiday Nog made from almond milk came in second. We love Califia products but felt that this one’s flavor didn’t quite hit the top mark. I suggest adding some more nutmeg to this eggless nog to give it a bit more eggnog flavor. However, it made the very best foam after heating so you can make a delicious cup of Teeccino Eggnog Latte with a perfect frothy cap!

Making A Teeccino Eggnog Latte

Heat these eggnogs gently but don’t come near a boil; then apply a frothing wand or whisk to give a foamy froth on top your cup of Teeccino. Ok, we’re prejudiced. Our homemade eggnog just can’t be beat!

“I discovered Teeccino through a monthly tea subscription box and I loved it. I wanted people that I know to give it a try, and see if they enjoy the herbal tea as much as I do. I shared the tea packets with family and friends, during my birthday dinner at home. Coffee drinkers where a little skeptical at first, but once they got to try they asked for more. Little kids enjoyed the ones with chocolate flavor, adults loved all the same but the favorites were: Dandelion Coconut , Dandelion Mocha Mint, Chocolate Mint, and Mocha. “

“That evening, we all drink it hot. Some added marshmallows and whipped cream as toppings, especially the kids, and it looked and tasted delicious.
For the people who couldn’t go to my house that date, I made little cute sample packets to give away, so they can try on their own. Some already called to thank me and tell me how much they liked Teeccino.”

“I am glad that people I love got to tried Teeccino, some of them have health issues and aren’t able to drink caffeinated drinks, such as coffee or tea, my mom and sister are one of them. I am happy I had the opportunity to introduce to them an alternative that they actually like, and it’s good for them.”

That is so wonderful, Yvette! We really appreciate this sweet story of how you shared Teeccino with your closest friends and family on yoru special day! Happy belated Birthday to you! We’ll be happy to support your next Ambassador event with samples to share!

Want to introduce others to Teeccino? Check out our Teeccino Ambassador program – it’s an easy way to request samples to share with those in your community and circles (that you suspect would enjoy Teeccino!). Learn more here and get started by filling out the survey!

On Thursday December 6

“I was able to engage with many people who were interested in ways they can prevent, manage and work with family members who have Alzheimer’s or symptoms. The event was to raise awareness for a bigger event the Long Day which demonstrates how when dealing with people with Alzheimers it seems like eternity, hence the organization came up with the name to bring awareness to the cause. Everyone who I spoke to never heard of Teeccino but was willing to try and was very excited by the Coconut Dandelion name and oh when she said the dandelion cleanses the kidneys it was like it was gold!”

Thank you for sharing Teeccino again with such a receptive group, Kay! We’re honored to be included in your health-conscious events and talks. We’ll be sending more samples for you to share soon!

Want to introduce others to Teeccino? Check out our Teeccino Ambassador program – it’s an easy way to request samples to share with those in your community and circles (that you suspect would enjoy Teeccino!). Learn more here and get started by filling out the survey!

“I decided to introduce my Mah Jongg group to Teeccino. I made a pot of the Pumpkin Spice. Everyone thought it was great. One friend said,” it’s not whats in the coffee, it what’s not in the coffee”. In fact, I did not think I would like the Pumpkin Spice, but I was quite surprised to find out how good it was. It is also nice for me to try the different flavors.”

“To tell you the truth, I was a little shy, but the reaction was so positive that it made it easier for me to talk about Teeccino. I was asked where they could buy it as well. Then I asked each one to take some sample packs home. One friend really wanted to try them all.”

This is just wonderful, Lana! We’re so happy to could share our product to such a great response. We’ll be happy to support your future Ambassador events!

Want to introduce others to Teeccino? Check out our Teeccino Ambassador program – it’s an easy way to request samples to share with those in your community and circles (that you suspect would enjoy Teeccino!). Learn more here and get started by filling out the survey!