​Today's story is about how making small changes can make a big difference in your life. Yes... the title of this article is about Oolong tea and it's not a lie; this article IS about Oolong tea and how making a small change, like adding it to my diet, made a big difference in my life, and how you can reap the same benefits.  

​Nausea sucks, but it really sucks when it's caused by a migraine. Worse still, is nausea from a migraine, from a sinus infection. If you suffer from my favorite trio of pain, you can understand the horror it is to have recurring sinus infections. 

For the last five years, I had sinus infections about once a month, which, to the inexperienced means I was sick for 3-5 days, recuperating for 3-5 days, well for a week or two, and then slowly getting ill again to complete the cycle. Needless to say, (or write) it was no fun. 

Then again, as someone with an impaired immune system, I seem to be a magnet for all bacteria everywhere. A papercut can turn into a staph infection (seriously, that's happened), an ob/gyn visit can turn into a UTI, and don't even get me started on skin fungus, bacterial infections, or the inability to leave the house without catching something. To put it simply, I've come to an understanding that I'm prone to get sick.

But the sinus infections were driving me mad, and as I was studying for The Allergy Series, I read a lot about a Chinese tea named Oolong. I learned that it helped with congestion, sinus problems, allergies, and even helped people lose weight. 

Oolong comes from the same plant that green tea and black tea come from, but each is processed differently creating three distinctly unique teas. Being the guinea pig that I am, I ordered 100 bags and began drinking it daily. 

Oolong is the middle tea between the (light) green tea and (dark) black tea. Everywhere I read, it was described as having a fruity flavor, but as a connoisseur of fruit tea, I can promise you that it most certainly does not taste like fruit. 

Since I'm your friend, and we're here together in this space, I'll tell you it tastes like nothing; like a hot cup of weak, flavorless black tea. It's about as memorable as a Steven Seagull movie. It's nearly as rich and flavorful as a bowl of buttered noodles. It's about as exciting as listening to NPR. The point being, oolong tea is forgettable and boring, so why am I telling you about it? 
Because it cured my sinus infections. 

Oolong is semi-fermented and loaded with flavanoids and phytochemicals. It has an anti-allergic effect, promotes weight loss, and has antioxidants like Polyphenol that help lower blood glucose levels in diabetics.

 Oolong has 49.5 mg of catechins and 52 mg of total flavonoids, but it also has Manganese, Potassium, Magnesium, and  L-theanine. And because it's made from the camellia sinensis plant, the same plant used to make green and black tea, oolong also has between 30-60 mg of caffeine (about half as much as a cup of coffee). 

Based on the studies I read from Japan and China, I choose to drink four cups a day in small doses. Usually, I had a hot cup on my desk next to me when writing, taking small sips between sentences. It's known that flavonoids work best when consumed in small batches, so I spaced my four cups out throughout the day- and I did this for 2 months. 

Even though Oolong tea has been used for over 3,000 years, only 2% of tea drinkers consume it. It's used primarily in China and Taiwan, but more and more people are seeing oolong's health benefits, including this girl right here. But let's read what the experts have to say first: 

"In a clinical trial done in Japan, people with allergic eczema that had not improved with medication were given oolong tea to drink for six months. While drinking the oolong tea, the majority of the people in the study experienced a moderate to marked improvement in eczema within one month, with benefits being first noticeable after one to two weeks." writes Dr. Leo Galland in his book "The Allergy Solution." 

After about three days of drinking oolong tea, I noticed I woke up in the mornings without the usual congestion and stuffiness. At first, I thought it was a coincidence, but with each waking morning, I felt better and better. Two weeks later I chose to stop drinking it and test if my symptoms would come back, and if so, how long it would take. 

Just as it had taken three days to start feeling better, it took about three days for me to start feeling snotty again.  I repeated this set-up over and over for a total of 3 months and came to the same conclusion each time: oolong tea was making a big difference in my sinus health, and just by making the small change of adding a few cups of it to my diet. 

 I had no nausea, no migraine (due to sinuses), and no sinus infection when I had 2-4 cups of oolong tea a day along with my regular healthy diet.  But it wasn't just my nose that felt better, my jeans did too. Somehow, in God's mercy, I also lost some belly fat and fit better into my jeans. It could have been that I had more energy from the caffeine and that's what caused the weight loss, but I don't think it was. Oolong tea is known for helping to burn more fat even if you change nothing else in your diet. 

Plus, based on a Chinese study, just 10oz a week of oolong tea lowers total cholesterol, and based on Japanese research, men who drank one or more cups of oolong a day had a lower risk of heart disease.  Being that heart disease is a major cause of death here in the U.S., oolong is undoubtedly worth a try for cardiovascular health. 
It's also been studied on cancer patients, but the National Cancer Institute doesn't recognize oolong as preventing or decreasing the risk of cancer. But studies say otherwise: Women in China who drank oolong had a reduced risk of ovarian cancer. What is proven is that oolong tea boosts the immune system by preventing cellular damage. 

In my own story, I can say oolong tea has made a difference. After five years of taking Claritin and Excedrin, I haven't had to touch either thanks to oolong tea. Whether that will be forever I'm not sure, but I made a small change that made a big difference in my life. 

Oolong tea isn't just beneficial for allergies or sinus problems, but for weight loss, heart health, and lowering blood sugar levels.... even if it tastes like a hot cup of nothing... it sure does something amazing.  

​“Being a writer means you’ve got to bare your soul…”, I once heard. To write, is to pour emotion, with all it’s brilliant colors and swirls, into black font on white page.
But that’s not what this article is about.
No, what I should have been told is “Being a writer means you’ve got to bare your ho-ha, your lady parts, your va-jay-jay, your….”
This article is for all women, whom I bravely share my girly-bits with to touch on a subject that nearly all women face, but nearly all women avoid. And I’m not talking “avoid” in the polite sense, oh no, I’m mean the “won’t even give me eye contact” kinda avoid.
So if you’re a man, as much as I love you as a reader, you’ll need to slowly back outta the room now… or just stand quietly in the corner like you normally do when she’s at the ob/gyn….because this article, ain’t got no time to be explaining to you the complications of a woman’s body....

​Statistically speaking, right now, 30% of women have a bacterial infection like bacterial vaginosis or a yeast infection, and about 75% of us have had at least one in recent history. If 75% of any group all had one thing in common, you’d think we’d hear about it more often. But we don’t. Why is that? 
Well, from my observations, the va-jay-jay is strictly to be spoken of only when we’re leading up to sex. I mean, what would happen if we openly talked about it like we talk about a sinus infection or a bad migraine? Well, I suppose it wouldn’t be as attractive anymore, and if that’s the case, then what are hoo-ha’s for if not to delight the senses? 

The vagina is one of the most remarkable parts of the anatomy. It’s a hell of a lot more than a pleasure zone, and today we will learn about how to help your honey pot stay healthy. 

So? What did you choose? A? C? 
If you guessed B you are correct! Then again, if you chose A you’d be right too, or C.
​No matter the choice you made, these are the top 3 responses to BV or a yeast infection.
​

​Keep in mind, I’m not against medicine, I’m against bad patient care and unnecessarily prescribing drugs.  
​More than likely, you’ll be diagnosed with bacteria, then given an antibacterial and told it will be better soon, and of course to “come back if you need anything else.” 

​So, on your way home you stop and pick up your prescription at the local drive thru pharmacy. You take your goo or pills as prescribed and in about 7 days, just as your doctor said, you’re better. That's the end of it, right?
​

​The antibiotics your doctor prescribed can cure “symptoms” of BV in about 80% of patients. But 50% of women say symptoms come back 3 to 12 months after treatment. 
And yeast infections? They say that only 5-8% of women have them recurrently, but based on my own life experiences, I’d say the number is much higher than that. 

Now, in this article we aren’t going to get into great depth on prevention, maintenance and upkeep of the pink fortress, but instead, I’d like to give you a few tips you can implement TODAY to get you feeling more like a pretty princess.  
Some Reasons You’d Get Recurrent bacterial/yeast infections that your doctor might not tell you about are (and have nothing to do with wet bikini bottoms): 
Auto Immune Diseases 
Extreme Sugar Intake 
Antibiotics 
Intercourse 

​If you have an auto immune disease, then by it’s very nature, your entire system is at risk for parasites, bacterial or fungal infections. These can manifest not only in recurrent bacterial/yeast infections but also athletes foot, nail fungus, skin infections, recurrent sinus infections, IBS, Colitis, and more.  Bacteria and other pathogens start out in the intestines and colon where over 90% of your immune system lives. The first sign is generally impacted fecal matter along the inside walls of the intestinal lining which then leaks into the bloodstream and later affects the liver, then kidneys, and the bladder last when the body has reached it’s limits on toxicity. Everything works together, or falls together, especially when you have a limited immune system. 
​

​Bacteria feeds on sugar, and, as a matter of fact, sugar is bacteria’s main source of food. The more sugar you eat, the more you feed the bacterial cells and diminish you bodies ability to fight back. Excess sugar alters your bodies pH balance and makes it vulnerable to attack. Girls may be made of sugar, and spice and everything nice, but the sugar doesn’t like us and especially not our bajingo!

​Antibiotics do serve a purpose in the medical community but because they are so highly overused, they’re now doing the opposite of their intended purpose. Antibiotics kill bacteria. All bacteria. Good bacteria, and bad. Think of it as a nuke for your flower tunnel; sure, all the bad bacteria are gone (pretty much), but so are all the good. You’ve laid waste to your front bottom, and now need to repair the damages before more bacteria arrive and thrive in your va-jay-jay. 
But most of us don’t do that do we? We take our prescription, killing every last living thing in our tissue tunnels and then go right back to kitkats and Starbucks. 

​If you’re having intercourse, or have had intercourse in your lifetime, then you’ll know that it’s a messy process that requires towels and sometimes showers directly after. So there’s a lot  going on here that changes a woman’s pH levels. 
Any time you have guests over, there’s always a chance of bacteria to be transmitted. If you’ve just treated your infection with a prescription, then you’ve nuked your grounds and will surely flare up again within a week or so. 
If you have an auto immune disease then you are more than likely already used to this cycle.

​That’s generally followed up with typical advice we all already know. “Just make sure you change out of your workout clothes quickly and try to take showers instead of baths.” 
Thanks Dr. Obvious, I’ll make a note of that. 

​There are several foods you can add into your diet to help prevent breakouts and keep your hoo-ha happy, like pineapple. You can stop using scented laundry soap and fabric softeners for your underwear. You can try the over the counter “probiotics” found right next to the maxi pads and the Monistat. But the very best thing you can do for your lady parts (and all your parts) is to eat a clean diet of fresh organic veggies, fruits, cultured foods, nuts and seeds.
 Parasites/Pathogens don’t want to live in a clean environment that’s healthy and thriving with good bacteria. They look for unhealthy terrain to live in. If there’s no unhealthy terrain, there’s no real problems. 
But let’s assume you’re doing the best you can and you can’t clear this infection, or you don’t have enough money for another copay and prescription, or, you’re on antibiotics frequently and can’t do anything about it. Then what? 

​Well, owning my own hooha, I can very happily tell you that I’ve found a product that helps treat and prevent BV and yeast infection flare-ups that actually 100% works AND, best of all- doesn’t hurt you like antibiotics can.
I have researched this product and tested it for over 6 months, while secretly waiting on something horrific to happen and was shocked and pleased beyond measure to find it holds up to it’s promise. 

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Now that we have the boring stuff out of the way, let's talk about why you should be taking New Chapter supplements. 
     New Chapter was founded in 1982 by a couple named Paul and Barbi Schulick. As a child, Paul watched his doctor father make house calls and quickly learned that healthcare, involved care- not just prescriptions. In the early 70's he fell in love with the holistic use of herbs. To this day, Barbi and Paul are actively involved in New Chapter, making it a great company to do business with. 

Every Woman Multi Vitamin 
"Whole-food cultured multivitamin with nutrients for immune, stress, and hormone support"
Most vitamins are created synthetically and will not be absorbed properly, or put to proper use when you ingest them. Synthetic supplements have also been known to hurt folks, but Centrum won't tell you that, will they? 
Example 1.
DeCava explained it best. "Synthetic Thiamine ('Vitamin B1') “will initially allay fatigue but will eventually cause fatigue by the build-up of pyruvic acid. This leads to the vicious cycle of thinking more and more Thiamine is needed, resulting in more and more fatigue along with other accumulated complaints.”
Example 2. 
Kristin Savory explains it best. "Take a carrot for instance. Carrots are loaded with nutrients. Bigwigs like beta-carotene (a precursor to vitamin A) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C), as well as lesser-known players like folicin and mannose. In fact, scientists have isolated about 200 nutrients and phytonutrients in the humble carrot.These 200 nutrients work together in mysterious ways. The little guys help get the big guys and vice versa, There are enzymes, coenzymes, co-vitamins , minerals, and other factors that help the nutrients work together synergistically.

Take a look at the standard multi-vitamin label. We’re content when we see 20 ingredients listed in high percentages. Now think about that carrot again. There’s over 200 known nutrients in that carrot. Foods are complex in their nutrients because nutrients need each other to be properly absorbed and integrated into our bodies.
In our culture, we’re used to the idea that “more is better.” If beta-carotene is good for the eyes, then a whole bunch of beta-carotene must be really good for the eyes.
This type of thinking is not how Mother Nature works when it comes to nutrition. "
​-taken from Empowered Sustenance 

New Chapter's "Every Woman Muti-Vitamin" is on our Resources List because we believe in the product. We take it ourselves and can attest to it's benefits and what it's done in our lives. No one paid us, no one scratched a back; remember we aren't corporate suit and ties. We are fruit 'n veggie lovin' hippies. We share the resources that work, because we care about your development, we care about your health, and we care about your pocketbook. We also provide very affordable, personalized Supplementation Reviews. If you'd like more guidance on what supplements you should be taking to reach your personal health goals, just give your MyCoach a Shout-out and Linda will answer all your questions!