27 December 2010

yerba mate


I forgot to eat the other day..... again....
Food no longer occupies my every waking thought.
And neither does Blogging, or weight-loss.
So I must be getting better!

I was filling Trucky up with gas, and saw the obvious parallell.
Food is fuel! And nothing more. 
Except for what we make it.

Maybe we are making peace with food 
as a representation of making peace with our past 
or peace with our Selves.

Even Breatharians define themselves
by what they eat.... or don't eat. (link)

Thanks for the Comments and support on my 
(very true) efforts to cut back on caffeine.
I really did try, and I am still trying!
I'm holding my own at about 100mg a day.
Two cups of tea. No Monsters, no coffee, no guarana.

Certainly a substance as wonderful a Coffee 
was not meant to be abused. But enjoyed!
Anything can be taken to extremes, I guess.
Which is one thing we all know.
But it's all good, because we are learning alot!

Every day is maybe a good day if we learned something.
No - that's a really good day!

Enter: Yerba Mate
Something new to exploit discover!

This is a cup, by the way.☝☝☝☝
These are mugs and mega mugs.☟☟☟☟
Just saying!

Lots of people have switched out coffee for Yerba Mate.
(Pronounced Yer-ba Mah-tay)
Plus you get to drink from this really cool gourd.
And a metal straw, called a "bombilla."
There is an entire culture around it.

Put the loose tea in the gourd, pour in hot water,
and drink it through the straw.
Now honestly. How cool is that?

 
Celebrity guest shots for Yerba Mate

It has a smokey flavor. Kinda like a campfire, maybe.
Central Market only had the bags.
[Tsk tsk - go figure!]
I already ordered a gourd and bombilla!

The caffeine content of Yerba Mate is a topic of debate.
Some say it has a different kind of caffeine than coffee. (link)
Or is "mateine"  another name for caffeine? (link)
And all kinds of wonderful claims. 
Still, a cup comes in at around 50+ mg of "caffeine."
Just about the same as green tea - or a little more.
Still less caffeine than coffee.

Meh - I live in a great big ol' city.
So getting it is no problem.
It seems to be increasing in popularity.
So the trends make it easier to find.

This is the 2nd time I quit coffee.
First, during induction of Atkins.
Because the book said it helped.
About 4 weeks. And it did!

Caffeine is an Alkaloid.
Atkins is all about the Ketones.
Mutually exclusive, and diametrically opposed.
That's just my thinking.

And now, quitting the Energy Drinks
and only having decaff coffee.
Cutting back now, so I can still enjoy it later!
No more staying up all night blogging, I guess!
At least not for now. Maybe later. Maybe!

Regular green tea kinda makes me gag.
But it's a good base for protein drinks,
or a good mix with Rooibos tea.

And about the Visceral Fat? 
That's what started the whole thing.
I'll take a set of measurements later,
and see if my efforts made any difference at all.
We are almost at the one month mark!
☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕
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Yerba Mate Videos are abundant on YouTube
if anyone is interested. Click any pic to watch a different video!







Argentina, Brasil, Paraguay, Uruguay,
Ecuador, and Chile - everyone is loving 
them some Yerba Mate!
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
If you were here, 
I would make you a cup of Yerba Mate!
Hope you have a great week!

20 comments:

  1. Maybe I'll fly over,
    just for a drink made by your snappy happy hands.

    I'm coffee free again.
    Haven't slept properly for two nights.
    Sigh!!!
    I guess sleep is more important
    than the joy of coffee,
    sensuous and sexy,
    sophisticated and glamorous,
    lifting my mood.

    I could weep.
    I love coffee, full bodied,
    black and rich,
    creamy and sweet,
    iced or hot,
    strong but not too bitter.
    I guess it remains an occasional treat.

    How often is a treat?

    I need my sleep
    more than I need a glorious cup of coffee.

    So sad!

    Fades out, sighing.

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  2. *sigh* right with ya, MargieAnne!
    Hope it gets getter for ya!

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  3. oooh and if I were there Id partake.
    off to read more...

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  4. Hope you have a great week too.

    I've been quite intrigued by yerba mate, analyzed the boxes and bottles in Whole Foods (Whole Paycheck) several times -- but never tried it.

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  5. In Paraguagy, as a child, the only people I saw who drank Yerba Mate were the folks riding burros everywhere and smoking home carved pipes (with loose tobacco, not the funny stuff!) Thus, it was considered the beverage of peasants. My goodness, how far it has come! The silver straw with strainer end was always mandatory, though, an heirloom passed down in poor families.

    In one of my novels, it is featured as the favorite drink of a central loveable character, a bruja (a good witch, naturally).

    Hmmm...the parallels here are becoming more and more fascinating! LOL.

    Love,
    Robin

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  6. You're making me think I'm better off with my irregular coffees on random days. Cheering for you wholeheartedly! Whistling even. :)

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  7. Great info on something I've never heard of. Not to likely to try it though as I've never been a coffee drinker. I do like tea but only occasionally. A cup would be good this morning though as it is frigid here. My drink of choice these days is water flavored with sugar free cranberry apple mix. I used other flavor mixes to but cranberry apple is my favorite.

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  8. I had to give up caffeine in highschool when I was diagnosed with migraines and cluster headaches. I've never been a huge coffee or tea drinker, it was the soda that did me in. Thankfully, there are many caffeine free alternatives. Great job stick to you a goal! I'm cheering you on!

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  9. If you were here I would make you a cup of decaf green tea. That is the only tea I have, tea leaves.
    Food is nourishment, yes fuel. Good to keep it in perspective, isn't it?

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  10. I'd love a cup, thank you. Or a gourd. Or are you out of your gourds? :P

    I saw a Wicked mug in a catalog this weekend and thought of you. :)

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  11. I want to come over for some yerbamate :) I'm drinking decaf coffee today, not to bad, maybe I'll sleep better tonight.

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  12. Never heard of it! Glad you found something you like, that will help with all of this...
    Cutting down on caffeine is hard, you're doing a great job!

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  13. Off to make an yerba mate in my gourd with my bombilla :)

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  14. My brother brought a bombilla back from a two year stint in Brasil about 15 years (proper spelling for Brasilians) and I thought it was super awesome. I didn't realize you could get them in the states now, I'll have to look around for one.

    I'm doing low calorie on my diet instead of low carb but I look at dieting the same way I view religion. As long as it's working for you and you're not blowing anyone up in the process; do what ye will. :) I'm just thrilled when I find people who are making progress, regardless of how they are doing it (as long as they're not hurting themselves) because it shows me that progress can be accomplished. I've made a little bit of progress since I started blogging but I've been at a bit of a wall over the holidays. Three freaking holiday parties have not/will not help. I can't wait until it is officially January and all the parties and holiday treat plates are over and done with.

    p.s. feel free to stop in at my blog and say hi some time. I'm always open to receive feedback and motivation. :)

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  15. Drinking out of a gourd looks like a lot of fun. I think I saw yerba on an episode of Anthony Bourdain.

    I find green tea with ginseng a great alternative to coffee. Yes, it has caffeine, but the addition of ginseng makes me feel mega alert. In case you are seeking ideas.

    Good going on your new outlook on food, et al. I think you are right, we seek peace within ourselves. The turmoil boils over in so many ways.

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  16. Anne, I love what you said about food, blogging, and weight-loss not talking up such an aggressive place in your life. I hope to one day reach that place. Thank you for inspiring me.

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  17. I love that picture of you looking at your old grandmother's pictures..... I mean your weight loss pictures! You have to admit they make you look older there and younger now! Never had the tea... better stick with coffee.... unless they serve down by the local barista! I do travel for work, so you never know.

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  18. I thought I was the only person who liked Yerba Mate. I love that earthy smell and taste. Everyone I know in person says it smells and tastes weird. What do they know?

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