Between fifty and ninety-five percent of all pregnant women, as well as some women who use hormonal contraception experience morning sickness, which is also referred to as nausea, vomiting of pregnancy, or pregnancy sickness. The nausea can range from being mild to severe enough to induce actual vomiting. Extreme cases, which are referred to as hyperemesis gravidarum may result in hospitalization to treat dehydration. Although morning sickness can occur at any time throughout the day, it often occurs upon waking since blood sugar levels are at their lowest after a night without food. This condition usually begins in the first month of pregnancy, where it is at its worst between the fifth and seventh weeks and ends around the fourteenth or sixteenth week. At this point in pregnancy, the embryo’s organ systems are being laid down and the embryo is most susceptible to birth defects. Although there is not enough evidence to blame one single cause, there are many theories for possible causes of this condition. Some of these include: an increase in the level of estrogen circulating throughout the blood; low blood sugar, which often occurs during pregnancy; an increase in progesterone which relaxes the muscles in the uterus, preventing early childbirth, but also relaxes the stomach and intestines, leading to excess stomach acid; and an increase in sensitivity to odors, which in return over-stimulates normal nausea triggers. Women who deal with morning sickness are told to avoid foods that are bitter, pungent, or highly-flavored, as well as foods that are likely to contain toxins. Morning sickness offers an evolutionary advantage, since studies have demonstrated that those women with more severe morning sickness are less likely to miscarry or have a child with birth defects.

For those of you who are pregnant and are having problems with morning sickness, there are ways to help. At least half of all pregnant women experience some type of upset stomach at least once during their pregnancy. If the morning sickness is mild, there are a couple things you can do in order to control it. First, avoid any foods or smells that will trigger your stomach to be upset. It’s a good idea to develop certain eating habits which decrease the frequency of morning sickness such as eating small frequent meals and avoiding hunger pains. You should plan on eating a snack high in protein in the evening to regulate your blood sugar and a few crackers or toast in the morning after waking. It’s also a good idea to take a prenatal vitamin daily. If problems consist, try drinking ginger, peppermint, fennel seed, and red raspberry teas regularly. Flat sprite can also help to settle an upset stomach. Some women use acupressure bands, breathing exercises, and aromatherapy to relieve morning sickness. If your morning sickness is severe, you should see a doctor. Your nausea may be connected with other problems or you may be suffering from a type of morning sickness that can endanger your health and cause pregnancy complications. Although the causes are unknown, treatment usually consists of vitamin shots or pills anti-nausea medication, and IVs to re-hydrate you if vomiting is causing serious problems.

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More information on vitamins and herbs can be found at http://vitanetonline.com/ where articles and vitamins are available to browse.

Your children should be reminded about the limits of their traveling outside of the home, to ensure their safety. Is it advisable that your child plays where Children at Play signs indicate where there are children at play? If you cannot be with your child during the day, they must know which homes they can visit, and limits to the areas in the neighborhood they are permitted to play in. Next, warn your child to never talk to strangers or accept rides from adults besides their parents or other familiar adults. For very young children, set a curfew that does not expand past dusk. Also, regardless of your child’s age, ensure that he or she checks in frequently.

Next, when other adults are to supervise your children, you should also take precautions. Use several resources that exist, to conduct background checks for potential babysitters. Closely observe your child’s interaction with a babysitter, and particularly watch for any wary responses. Also, do meticulously research potential day-care centers. Review the center’s activities and personnel, and verify that you can visit and leave the day-care center at any time. A wise action to take involves visiting the center unannounced a couple of times, to assess your child’s wellbeing. Thirdly, if you send your child to camp, engage in a background check of the camp and the employees who will be working with your child. In particular, review field trips that your child will go on, and the adult-to-child ratio. It would be wise to request your child’s day-care center or camp to ensure that there are enough Children at Play signs visible where there are children at play.

On the other hand, if your child remains at home, he or she must also take safety precautions. Children at home who receive phone calls must never reveal to anyone that they are home alone. Furthermore, they should never open the house’s front door except for someone who they can trust completely. Also, ensure that children do not have access to objects such as firearms, which could harm them. Instruct your child about how to call emergency numbers, such as 911, for assistance. Inform them that they may also call the number from any public payphone.

Other summertime safety tips for parents with children include:

• Talk frequently to your child about safety issues, and listen carefully to what he or she tells you regarding them.

• Require your kid to memorize his or her name, address, phone number; and how to contact you or another adult who you trust, in the case of an emergency.

• All younger children should be prevented from being near water unless an adult is supervising the child.

Summertime can be a fantastic time for children, creating vivid memories that will last a lifetime. However, take particular precautions, such as having Children at Play signs posted where there are children at play in your neighborhood. This will ensure that your child’s summer will not merely be fun—but also safe!

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Children at Play Signs Child Safety Signs

On average, we need about seven to eight hours of sleep a night to function optimally. In today’s fast paced and high stress society, a third of the population reports difficulties with sleep, and about 10% of people report chronic insomnia, a condition that involves trouble falling or staying asleep, waking up in the middle of the night or too early in the morning, persistently poor sleep quality, and trouble functioning the next day.

There are many reasons why people have trouble sleeping. High levels of stress, anxiety, and/or depression are often the culprit. Other possible causes include medical problems or conditions, chronic pain, use of certain medications, excessive use of alcohol, nicotine, or caffeine, or the presence of a more complicated sleep disorder (such as sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome).

In order to address sleep difficulties, it is important to identify the specific cause. It is wise to consult with your family physician to rule out medical problems that could be causing poor sleep.

If sleep problems are caused by depression, anxiety, or high levels of stress, consulting with a psychologist is a good idea, as psychological treatments such as cognitive-behavioural therapy have been shown to very effective at decreasing anxiety and depression and helping people to improve how they cope with stress. Certain medications that target anxiety and depression can also be prescribed by your physician. If an underlying depression or anxiety disorder is properly treated, sleep problems often improve.

Sometimes people have sleep problems or insomnia in the absence of any other psychological difficulties such as depression or anxiety. In these cases, seeing a psychologist can still be very helpful, as certain psychological interventions have been shown to be effective at addressing poor sleep directly. Psychologists can teach you to learn to relax, cope with stress, and improve your “sleep hygiene” (or habits). Psychologists can also use other behavioural strategies to help target sleeping problems. About 75% of people with insomnia report significantly improved sleep after undergoing such psychological treatment.

Family physicians often prescribe hypnotic medications that help people to sleep. These medications are often helpful for individuals who are going through a stressful period. It is advised to only use these medications in the short-term as they can become addictive and less effective if you use them nightly over longer periods of time. Moreover, some of these medications can result in drowsiness and concentration difficulties the following day. Over the counter sleep supplements have generally been found to be ineffective.

As a general rule, sleeping medication can be helpful in the short-term but becomes less effective over time, whereas psychological treatments are effective in the long-term.

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Dr. Jeremy Frank is a Toronto psychologist in private practice in North York.

Maintenance of personal mobility products is beneficial, but wheelchairs are particularly important to maintain and keep in proper working condition, especially if the wheelchair is a vital component for mobility in your life. Proper care and long term maintenance of a wheelchair will help keep it working safely for years, and reduce the risk of injury or the need to replace the chair earlier than needed. The cost of replacing wheelchair parts or accessories can also be reduced, thus saving you money.

Wheelchairs can be expensive, so it’s important to care for and protect your investment. You will most likely be the first to notice any problems with your wheelchair, so make sure you know who to call in case parts need fixing or replacing. Automatic wheelchairs may need professional care, where as manual wheelchairs are often times easier to maintain with common household tools.

Develop a regular preventative maintenance routine, which includes cleaning, inspecting, and adjusting the critical components of the wheelchair. Wipe down the chair with a clean rag regularly. You can even apply car wax to the frame to make cleaning easier. Also, check to make sure all the bolts and nuts are tight, at least once a month. If upper body mobility is limited, ask for help from a family member or caregiver. Also, check to make sure any automatic wheelchair brakes or anti rollback devices are functioning properly.

Always refer to the owner’s manual when performing maintenance on your own wheelchair. The manual has crucial information regarding warranties, how to take care of your specific wheelchair, which tools are necessary to maintain the chair, and sometimes offer options for wheelchair parts and accessories that are compatible with your chair.

Tools are a good investment that can save money over time too. A bag or container to hold essentials like an Allen wrench set, adjustable wrench, spoke wrench, screwdrivers, and tire repair kit can be very useful. They could also be very helpful in case of an emergency.

Also, performing maintenance on your own wheelchair can provide a sense of confidence and reliance on the safety and performance of your chair. Thorough inspections will help in many situations, but also make sure to have the wheelchair serviced by a professional as well. While many routine maintenance tasks can be safely performed at home, the wheelchair can also benefit from periodic check-ups at an authorized service center, as recommended in the owner’s manual.

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The Jerry Ford Company provides revolutionary automatic wheelchair brakes and anti rollback devices for improving the safety of manual wheelchairs.

Acupuncture is an alternative healing practice that originated in China. It has been used for centuries to heal a variety of health conditions.

Acupuncture is performed by inserting needles into pressure points around the body. These pressure points are connected to other areas of the body and when they are stimulated they effect those other areas of the body in a positive way. Acupuncture also is based upon the belief of regulating and balancing the energy in the body.

The practice of acupuncture is even backed through scientific studies that have shown it to be effective for a range of conditions, including back pain, neck pain, nausea and headaches.

Acupuncture is best performed by a trained professional as adverse effects could result if done improperly. The risks of acupuncture include infection, bleeding, nerve injury and damage to internal organs if needle is inserted too deeply.

An acupuncture session usually begins with a diagnostic procedure. The diagnostic methods used include inspection, auscultation and olfaction, inquiring and palpation.

Inspection is focused on the face and facial features. The practioner will look at the tongue and the general health of the tongue to get an idea about the patient’s problems.

Auscultation and olfaction involve listening to sounds of the body and inspecting the body smell of the patient.

Inquiring and palpation is the diagnostic method most closely related to modern medical practices. It involves checking for symptoms like fever and pain. It also involves feeling the body for anything out of the ordinary.

Acupuncture is done using stainless steel needles. The needles are wrapped at one end to make a handle for the practioner. The size of the needle and the depth it is inserted really depends on the nature of the acupuncture and the needs of the patient.

Acupuncture has been used all over the world as a recognized treatment method. It is one of the alternative medicine practices that is most recognized and respected by traditional medicine.

Many people have found relief from acupuncture and have been able to avoid using medications or having invasive surgeries. Like many alternative medicines, though, acupuncture is not going to be able to cure everything. It should be used carefully and the advice of the acupuncture practioner should always be followed.

In many cases you can consult with your physician about acupuncture. Because it is so highly recognized by traditional medicine, your doctor may even be able to suggest a good practioner for you to use.
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Kimarie Hazelbaker, PhD, is an award-winning speaker, teacher, medical intuitive and hypnotherapist. Her goal is to help people discover and explore who they truly are, beyond their physical existence. Visit http://www.AncientSecretsRevealed.com for metaphysical and spiritual information for contemporary times.

The DIEP flap represents the new gold standard in breast reconstruction.The DIEP flap procedure was first described in the early 1990’s and uses a patient’s own abdominal tissue to reconstruct the breast after mastectomy without the sacrifice of any of the abdominal muscles.

This procedure is similar to the free TRAM flap but only requires the removal of skin and fat. However, unlike with the TRAM procedure NO MUSCLE is sacrificed. The blood vessels required to keep the tissue alive lay just beneath or within the abdominal muscle. Therefore, a small incision is made in the abdominal muscle in order to access the vessels.

After the skin, tissues and blood vessels (collectively known as the “flap”) have been dissected, the flap is transplanted and connected to the patient’s chest using microsurgery. The surgeons then shape the flap to create the new breast. Remember, even though an incision is made in the abdominal muscle NO abdominal muscle is removed or transferred to the breast. As a result, patients experience less pain postoperatively, enjoy a faster recovery, and maintain their abdominal strength long-term.

Many women who undergo this form of reconstruction enjoy the added benefit of a flatter abdomen, with results that mimic a “tummy tuck” procedure. The risk of abdominal bulging and hernia is also very small, much smaller than with the TRAM flap method of breast reconstruction.

Travel may be involved for some women seeking DIEP flap reconstruction as only a handful of plastic surgeons offer the procedure. Patients still need to be encouraged to research this option however due to the overwhelming benefits it provides over the alternative techniques. Some insurance companies may still cover the procedure for out-of-network physicians following the appropriate pre-authorization process.

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Minas T Chrysopoulo, MD
Plastic, Reconstructive & Microsurgical Associates (PRMA)
9635 Huebner Road
San Antonio, TX 78240

Tel: (210) 692-1181
Fax: (210) 692-7584

http://www.prma-enhance.com/index.cfm/PageID/1754
http://www.look-your-best.yourmd.com

What is it that takes your breath away? What is it that you can do that releases your passion? Where can you go an experience a state of wonder that nothing else can give you in your life? Where have you been that you dream about now? What is the one thing that you’ve done or feel that you want to do that you believe will touch the depth of your soul like nothing else has or can?

I read recently that, ‘Life should not be measured by the number of breathes that you take, but rather, by the number of moments that take your breath away’. I still see Tom Cruise zipping down the ocean side boulevard as he goes and gets Kelly McGinness in the classic love story of ‘Top Gun’. All the while I hear in my mind’s ear that amazing melody and words of ‘Take My Breath Away’.

I will never forget climbing the steps to the rooms of the great masters at the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia on my first trip there. As we opened the huge doors to walk into the presence of 400 plus year old canvases that were once in the studios of Rembrandt, Da Vinci, Raphael and many other geniuses, I came face to face with the most amazing story told on canvas that I had ever seen.

Six feet wide and nine feet tall, I experience one amazing moment of awe as I stood in from of ‘The Return of the Prodigal.’ Since attending Sunday school as a child, I always thought that the story was about a young man who squandered his inheritance living a life of wantonness and the darkest vice. Not until that day did realize that there was a different perspective in the eyes of Rembrandt. He saw the story as being about everyone other than the ‘prodigal’.

If you have see it, in person or in picture, you will quickly realize that Rembrandt was far more interested in the attitudes of the father, the father’s key business associates and especially, the older brother. The ‘prodigal’ is only an obscured figure in the lower left hand corner of this great masterpiece. His back is all you see. His face is buried in his father’s robe.

Two business associates stand to right side of the painting. Confused and seemingly intruding on a very private moment between the father and his wayward son. The older brother peers from behind a large column with a look of surprise and jealous ridden disdain. The ‘awe’ that captured my heart was what the artist intended. I noticed the brush strokes that were put their by the hand of the master. I later heard that a man once spent 3 months in front of this painting writing a book about it. I completely understood why.

Many nights for the past twenty plus years, when I couldn’t find sleep, I would visualize a small lagoon off of the southern tip of the island of Tobago. On the back side of this lagoon stood a small island that was then owned by the Rockefeller family. It was called, ‘Bird of Paradise Island’. Local legend has it that this was the purported island that the story of Robinson Crusoe had unfolded. All I knew was that it gave me a sense of awe and made sleep sweet on many nights.

Recently, I was sent a link in an email that showed the debut of Paul Potts. It was during the Simon Cowell show, ‘Britain’s Got Talent’. This very humble, unassuming, shy man walked on to the stage and in a broken voice, announced that he wanted to sing opera. Each of the judges looked at each other as if to say, ‘there’s no way THIS guy is going to sing opera’. What happened in the next few moments awed even the usually cynical, Simon Cowell. When Paul opened his mouth, a divine gift was unleashed upon the world that will be written in the scrolls of musical history. Needless to say, I’ve watched the YouTube video over dozen times. Not once have I watched it that tears didn’t come to this 6′3″ Texan’s eyes. If you haven’t seen it, you must. (Go to www.YouTube.com and search on ‘Paul Potts’).

In the fast pace that we all live, we must stop and allow moments of awe to extract the breath from our lungs. To stop and look into a newborn babies eyes, stirs within me hope and wonderment. To realize that generation after generation, for hundreds of years, people lived, couples met, conceived child after child in order that one day we could behold the scientifically and statistically miracle of this one baby being born. I think of that one fact when I think about the honor and respect that we should freely give to others on this planet.

Medical professionals have told me that the very real chance that a baby, or you and me, were ever conceived, is millions to one. If any other seed from the male had fertilized the egg of the female, you and I wouldn’t be here. That baby wouldn’t have been born. Your life is a miracle! You are a miracle! When life seems to have been unfair. When things don’t go near what you had planned. Begin to consider your ‘awe’. Look around you. It will take you all of 3 seconds to find something within your present environment that will be one of those moments that takes your breath away.

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Michael Murphy is the author of the breakthrough book, ‘Powerful Attitudes’. He is also the author of the only completely personalized self-empowerment books for adults, on the planet. Michael’s “PowerFirmations” books have been hailed by best selling authors and success experts as ‘the most powerful, personally life-changing book you’ll ever own’. More than a book, PowerFirmations is a success tool and personal development companion. It is like having your own success coach with you 24/7, 365 days a year. Imagine your name, first and last, embedded in over 100 pages of ‘powerful affirmations’. This ‘tool’ for success will instantly immerse you into the success process as it builds unstoppable self-confidence, self-esteem and amazing personal power. To be, do and have all that you’ve ever dreamed of, this book is unparalleled. Michael also publishes a faith-based book called, ‘FaithFirmations’. With over 200 pages of ancient promises and spiritual truths, you name is embedded in several times per page. Michael is a native of Texas which he still proudly calls ‘home’. He is highly active in speaking and consulting for network marketing, direct marketing and Fortune 500 companies. Michael’s ‘Powerful Attitudes’ is available at http://www.amazon.com and http://www.lulu.com.

No one knows the reason, but there is a close relationship between acid reflux and obesity. A recent and staggering statistic that was published by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) revealed that approximately 61% of the American population is obese or overweight.

That now puts 6 out of 10 U.S. Citizens at risk for gastro-esophageal reflux disease (commonly referred to as GERD) which is now nearing epidemic proportions. Acid reflux, is heartburn in the most severe form.

It is often accompanied by a variety of other symptoms and it is more challenging to treat than heartburn alone.

Statistics like the ones recently released from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) are very telling. Americans, who are prone to super-size everything, now have one more reason to re-think their diet and exercise regimen: acid reflux.

Although researchers are still unsure as to why acid reflux and obesity are linked, they are certain that a notable correlation does exist. If you are a sufferer and you think that your weight might be the culprit, a visit to your family physician may be in order.

Only he or she is qualified to make that diagnosis. The specific measure that is used to determine whether a person is “obese” or “overweight” as it is related to the symptoms of acid reflux is called a BMI, or body mass index, which is a calculation that is based on your weight and height.

BMI typically correlates with, but does not directly measure, body fat. The BMI is the measurement recommended by the CDC because it is inexpensive, readily available and easy to use for both the general public as well as doctors. It also allows you to gauge how your own body mass index compares to the vast majority of the country’s population.

If you would like to see where you rank, you can use the BMI calculator found www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/ You cannot depend on the kitchen scales to accurately measure your BMI, and there may be extenuating circumstances that you may not be taking into consideration, so it is essential that you consult a professional for a proper diagnosis and treatment options.

Once your healthcare provider calculates your BMI it is important to know that current studies have consistently revealed that the severity and frequency with which an individual experiences acid reflux symptoms is greater as their BMI increases. In other words, the heavier you are, the more you risk getting acid reflux.

That alone should be enough to motivate most sufferers to change their habits. Losing weight is not an easy thing to do. Nobody likes the word “diet” but if your acid reflux interferes with your life (with things like “heart-attack like” symptoms) you may be doing yourself a disservice by not exploring all of the non-medically related options that are available.

Prescription medications for acid reflux can be very expensive, especially if you are a cash paying patient. Although they are effective, they only mask the problem: your weight. Since acid reflux and obesity are obviously linked, the right diet and exercise plan may eventually eliminate the need for medication altogether by treating the underlying cause instead of the symptom.

In an effort to discourage the levels of obesity in Britain, recent research is recommending a tax on unhealthy foods, such as those high in sugar, fat and salt. They claim that this ‘fat tax’ could prevent over 3,000 deaths from strokes and heart attacks every year. The research was led by Dr Oliver Mytton at Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham.

One suggested approach is to levy a tax against foods measured on what is called the ‘SSCg3d’ score – an ‘unhealthiness score’ to the rest of us. The SSCg3d score takes into account Energy levels, saturated fat, sodium and NME sugar content (the ‘A’ points), then the total Iron, Calcium, n-3, fruit and veg content (the ‘C’ points). An overall rating is than calculated by deducting the ‘C’ points from the ‘A’ points and given a rating between 0 and 10. A rating under 2 is considered ‘healthier’ food, 3 to 8 as intermediate, and 9 or above is considered ‘less healthy’. To give an example, Spinach scores a rating of -12, whereas chocolate digestive biscuits score +29.

An alternative economic model put forward in the study was to apply VAT to foods with a high level of saturated fat, e.g. butter and cheese, cakes and pastries. This model was found to be the least desirable as it could increase purchases of products high in salt, resulting in an increased number of deaths from strokes and heart disease.

A third suggestion was to introduce a tax across a wider range of food products containing high levels of sugar, fat and salt across the board. Many stores already use the ‘traffic light’ labelling system to indicate levels of sugar, fat, saturates, and salt in their foods. Products containing a red indicator should be avoided or taken in moderation, those labelled as amber are relatively neutral and can be eaten most of the time, while green indicates the healthier choice.

This model could prevent around 3,200 deaths per year and would add 4.6 per cent to the average household food bill, amounting to an extra £2 billion a year. A small cost compared to the dangers of obesity currently experienced in Britain.

Of course this is not an entirely new concept. It was pioneered by Kelly Brownell in the early 80’s. His proposal was to use the revenue gained from the junk food taxes to subsidise the cost of healthier foods. Twenty years on and we still find that healthy foods tend to cost more than unhealthy alternatives.

Tony Blair rejected the idea of tax on fatty foods in 2004, as it would make Britain too much of a ‘nanny state’! Perhaps we should all forget the healthy diet and keep popping diet pills such as Acomplia instead?

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Jeff Talbot writes on several health issues including erectile dysfunction, weight loss and hair loss. Popular topics include research into the treatments of these conditions such as the use of Viagra, Acomplia, and Propecia.

If you’re new to flavored teas, no doubt you’re wondering how to choose flavored teas of the best quality. The variety of the tea, the country in which it’s grown, the way it’s processed, the time it’s harvested and the way it’s flavored all affect the way a flavored tea will taste. In many varieties of tea, the time of harvest is particularly important, and can be difficult to understand and determine.

Following is some information that can help you choose the best flavored teas based on their harvest time. Flavored teas come in white, green, black and oolong varieties, and all varieties have different harvesting requirements for the best flavor.

Green tea –Flavored green teas have a very natural and mild flavor and brew to a pale green or light amber color. They are often somewhat sweet, and are described by many to be grassy in flavor. Many people who don’t particularly like the flavor of plain green teas, love flavored greens, because the flavorings mask the grassy taste while leaving the lightness that makes green tea so tasty.

Green tea harvesters often pluck green tea multiple times during the growing season. However, the first pluckings, or the “first flush” green teas will always be the best. This is because this first flush is picked in the spring, before the weather gets too hot. Tea that is plucked later in the growing season has baked in the heat and sun before harvest, which compromises the tea’s flavor.

White tea- All white tea is first flush tea. White tea is, by definition, picked only in the spring, when the tea plant blooms for the first time of the growing season. The tea is harvested before the buds are fully opened and while they’re still covered with a fine white hair, which is why it’s called white tea. One of the reasons that white tea is the rarest of all teas is because it can be harvested just once during the growing season. Flavored white teas are not yet common, but they are gaining availability. White teas are the mildest and sweetest of all teas, and absorb the fragrances and flavorings very well.

Black Tea – Most flavored teas are made from black tea, though other varieties are growing in availability. The best flavored black teas are also made from the first flush, for the same reason that was mentioned about green tea. Later flushes of black tea have been exposed to more heat and sun, and their flavor may have been compromised. The exception to this rule is Assam black teas, grown in the Assam region of India. The second flush of Assam black teas are said to be the best of the season. So, if you find an Assam flavred tea, look for second flush of the season.

Oolong Tea –Oolong teas are semi-fermented, meaning that they go through a fermentation process like black teas, but for a much shorter period of time. Most oolong teas are fermented to about 30%, unless they are pouchong oolong teas from Taiwan, which are only about 15% fermented. The longer an oolong tea is fermented, the more it tastes like a black tea. Therefore, pouchongs are much closer in flavor to a green tea. As with green and black teas, oolong teas are best from the first flush, when the weather is milder and the tea has had more rain.

Oolong teas have a fruity flavor and a very smooth finish that pairs beautifully with many fruit flavors. When choosing a flavored oolong tea, be certain to check as to whether it is a true oolong or pouchong, if you have a preference for a tea that is closer to green or closer to black.

Some of the best tea gardens only sell first flush black, green and oolong tea. Tea gardens that do harvest their tea all throughout the growing season should label their tea according to the harvest from which it was plucked, so there is no confusion about which teas are the best of the year. First flush teas are typically priced higher than teas harvested later in the season.

To choose the best quality flavored teas, you need to consider all of the following elements:

• The grade of the tea – this indicates the quality of the leaf itself.

• The tea plucking – this is a good measure of the tea’s flavor, as earlier pluckings are more flavorful.

• The quality of the flavorings – You should always choose teas flavored with all natural ingredients over those that use artificial flavorings.

By considering all of these elements, you’ll be able to choose a delicious, high quality tea, whether it’s green, black or oolong. Shop with tea merchants that specialize in only the very best quality of flavored loose teas, regardless of the variety.

Flavored teas are a wonderful treat. The combination of your favorite flavors with your favorite tea varieties makes for a great beverage, whether hot or cold, morning or evening. And, if you’ve never compared the taste of really high quality teas with that of inferior teas, you’ll be very surprised at the difference. High quality flavored teas are well worth the trouble and expense you’ll go to finding them!

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Jon Stout is Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. For more information about tea, black tea and wholesale tea go to www.goldenmoontea.com