Michael Austin

Sir Raymond Winters – Healthy Living Drinking Tea.

/in / / Michael Austin

Not many people in their 50’s can say that they’re avid surfers, or that they compete in martial arts tournaments. But Sir Raymond Winters, Owner and President of Jason Winters International Inc., does both.

Sir Raymond, the son of Sir Jason Winters, isn’t just in the tea business; he also drinks it daily. He’s been a regular drinker of his father’s blend for years, and he believes that the healthy herbal blend his father created 40 years ago is a big part of the reason that he’s still able to stay so active well into his 50’s.

But Sir Raymond is more than just a surfer or black belt. At the end of the day, he’s still the son of his father, and all the lessons he’s learned from his father, along with Jiu-Jitsu and drinking the tea has melded him into the man he is today… It all starts with the tea.

Jason Winters Herbal Tea
In 1977, Sir Jason Winters was diagnosed with cancer. Not wanting to give in, Jason researched ways that he could get rid of his cancer and continue living a full life.

Sir Jason met people during his arduous search who claimed three herbs on three separate continents would help fight cancerous cells, so he decided to mix them together, figuring the worst-case scenario was that the herbs would do nothing. Jason went on to live until December 12, 2004, and always attributed his herbal blend with giving him the chance to live a long, full life.

That same blend is still in the Sir Jason Winter’s Teas today. Sir Raymond can attest to the proprieties of the tea, as well. He drinks Jason Winter Classic Blend Tea and Jason Winters Green Tea daily and attributes his active energy and health to the herbal blend.

But for Sir Raymond, there’s much more to life than just tea. After his father passed away, he was left with a hole in his life. It was then that he found Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Grappling with the Future
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a Brazilian martial art that requires tactic, quick thinking and plenty of practice. Sir Raymond was already in his mid-40’s when he approached the sport, and he wondered if he was too old to pick it up. Over a decade later, Sir Raymond is still competing on the global level!

One of the biggest draws to BJJ for Sir Raymond wasn’t the activeness of the martial art. Instead, he found that the philosophy behind BJJ was just what he needed at the time.

In Jiu-Jitsu, you learn to plan ahead, make quick reactions and avoid making the same mistake twice. Sir Raymond applied this same philosophy to his business and personal life. Instead of letting defeat keep him down, he knew that he would have to get back up, learn from the experience and try again.

One of the most important lessons Sir Raymond learned was that you can be at the top of your game and still lose. Failure is sometimes unavoidable – but how you react and move forward is what defines you.

Sir Raymond won the Pan-American games in 2012, and this past summer he took 3rd at the World Master Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship and won Open Expert Division at NAGA. Along with practice and determination, Sir Raymond still attributes his sustained health and high-energy practice to drinking the herbal blend his father created all those years ago.

Following a Legacy
Family is an important part of Sir Raymond’s life, and the death of his father was difficult. He often wondered if he ever made his dad proud – and the answer came from an unlikely source.

Six months after his father died, he received a letter telling him that he had been nominated to be knighted into The Order of St. John. What’s more, the nomination had come from his father not long before he passed away.

In February 2010, Sir Raymond was knighted into The Order of St. John, the same order that Queen Elizabeth II is a member of, and that Nelson Mandela and Sir Jason Winters were members of as well.

Sir Raymond admits that he isn’t nearly as adventurous as his father was, but he stays very active with Yoga, Pilates, weight training, surfing and practices BJJ well into his 50’s. Determined to stay active, improve and have fun while he’s at it, Sir Raymond hopes that fans of Sir Jason Winters teas will adopt the same positivity.

Michael Austin

Potential Green Tea Benefits for Your Kids

/in / / Michael Austin

If you’re a parent then you know the importance of what your child eats. Making sure your kids get enough nutrients can be difficult, especially with so many foods and drinks being completely void of any healthy properties.

We’ve spoken in the past about the different health benefits of green tea, but most standards of healthiness are for adults. Kids don’t commonly drink green tea, so it’s easy to ignore that they could get the same potential health benefits you get.

Children who drink green tea get the same positive chemicals and nutrients as you, but it may help their bodies in different ways.

Tons of Antioxidants

Green tea is stuffed full of antioxidants, one of the leading agents in fighting against cancerous cells.

For kids, antioxidants are going to do the same thing, only they’ll be getting the healthy antioxidants sooner in their lives. Cancer prevention is ongoing, and it’s never too soon to start making healthy decisions to slow down cell degeneration.

Antioxidants are also good for clearing the body of free radicals. While kids might not experience as much stress as adults, they still need to keep their bodies and minds clear!

Better Oral Hygiene

Finally, an easier way to keep your kids from getting cavities.

There are multiple agents at work in green tea, and all of them help reduce the bacteria that leads to tooth decay, gum disease and cavities.

Because oral hygiene is an ongoing battle with kids, drinking a cup of green tea a day is recognized as a way to reduce the chances of getting a cavity. Of course, this shouldn’t replace your child’s regular tooth brushing.

Great During the Winter

Schools are a hotbed for germs and disease, so it’s nearly impossible for your kid to go an entire winter without getting a cold or the flu.

Catechins, a chemical found in green tea, reduces the risk of colds and helps your body recover from colds faster. These catechins also increase your body’s resistance to the flu.

If you’re concerned about your child’s health this upcoming winter, you should consider adding green tea to their diet. They might still get sick, but they’ll have lighter symptoms and recover faster than they would without green tea.

Healthy Bones

Regular green tea consumption has been tied to an increased bone density, a benefit for people that are worried about aging bones. However, this can also be a benefit for your kids.

Kids live a pretty active lifestyle, and broken bones are almost expected at some point while they’re growing up. By including some green tea in their diet, you might help stave off any major injuries by strengthening their bones.

Keep an Eye on Caffeine

While green tea is healthy, it’s important to remember that it still does contain caffeine. Caffeine intake isn’t typically recommended, but because green tea contains smaller traces of caffeine than coffee and many sodas, you’re safer giving your kids a cup of tea than a soda. Not to mention, no sugar or unhealthy artificial sweeteners. If your child doesn’t like the taste, try adding a little bit of raw honey to sweeten the cup.

You should also make sure that your children are drinking tea in moderation. While the amount of tea that would be considered healthy ranges from kid to kid, you shouldn’t be giving your child more than a cup a day. Some children also display negative reactions to caffeine. If your kid shows negative signs, such as sleeplessness or allergic reactions, then it may be best to avoid green tea.

You should always ask your child’s doctor if green tea is safe for them. If you doctor gives green tea a thumbs up, then there’s no reason to avoid these potential benefits!’

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Michael Austin

Does Green Tea Go Bad?

/in / / Michael Austin

Tea drinkers know what it’s like to be cleaning out a cupboard and find one or two tea packets sitting around behind other items. Those packets can be there for a long time without getting noticed, but they might still look the same way they did the day you got them.

But is that tea safe to drink?

Because green tea is actually just the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant, it will go bad over time – just like any other organic material in your kitchen. However, your green tea might last quite a bit longer than you were expecting.

How Long Does Green Tea Last?
Generally speaking, your green tea is going to last a couple of years, assuming normal conditions. Green tea leaves are already dried out, so they can’t go bad from sitting on the shelf. However, the leaves can get drier, and the properties in the leaves can start to fade.

After about two years on your shelf, you may start to notice that your tea takes longer to steep, or that the flavor and aroma are a little off. These are all signs that your tea is past its prime and time to buy more since green tea is a great source.

Determining exactly how long your green tea lasts depends on a few factors, but pre-packaged and loose leaf is the most important distinction.

Pre-packaged tea bags, like all Jason Winters Tea bags, are sealed in a foil wrapper to preserve freshness before they’re stored, so the chance of something floating through the air and infecting the actual tea is pretty slim. Loose leaf, like our Pre-Brewed Tea, is probably going to be in a container that you open and close regularly. Just be careful to not allow moisture in the container.

But if you take special care to make sure your loose leaf tea is completely fresh, it should last just as long as your tea packets.

If you like to prepare your tea in advance and refrigerate, you’ll want to drink it within one week. Frozen tea will last a few months longer, but the flavor and aroma are going to fade after the tea is prepared, frozen and thawed.

Store Your Tea Correctly
If you want to maximize the life of your green tea, you should be making sure that you’re storing it correctly.

You’ll want to keep your green tea in dark places. The sun can dry out the leaves even more, making the tea go bad much quicker than it would sitting in your cupboard.

Room temperature is also good for your tea, but you can extend the life of loose leaf and tea bags by a year or so if you keep it in the freezer. Putting your unprepared tea in the refrigerator isn’t going to extend its life either, and it could end up making the tea go bad quicker than it would in normal conditions. We recommend using your brewed refrigerated tea within one week.

The longer tea sits, the less potent it’s going to be when you brew it. After you brew the tea, don’t expect the quality of the tea to last very long. While you can always prepare tea with a packet you bought last year, you won’t be able to match the flavor and aroma of fresh brewed tea!

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Michael Austin

The Flavor and Benefits of Sage

/in / / Michael Austin

Of the many herbs used to boost the flavor and benefits of tea, sage is among the most common. While many people already use the herb in cooking, they could be getting the added health benefits if they choose to steep a green tea blend with sage in it.

In fact, Sir Jason Winters believed sage is one of the best herbal options when it comes to creating a green tea blend. Our best selling herbal tea blend uses sage, and you can find it in loose leaf or tea bags in our shop.

For tea drinkers that haven’t had tea with other herbs added in, sage is a good place to start. The herb has an incredible flavor, and some of the potential health benefits could end up making your cup of green tea even better for you.

The Potential Benefits of Sage
Sage may offer tons of benefits, many of which work in conjunction with the benefits already found in green tea.

Some of the main benefits found in sage are the anti-inflammatory agents. Chemicals found in sage are great for reducing the inflammation in ailing areas. So, if you are suffering from an inflammation that is leading to respiratory problems, sage is going to help.

Also, much like green tea, sage is full of antioxidants. The more antioxidants you have in your system, the easier it will be for your body to slow the degeneration of cells. Antioxidants also slow the mutation process, so your cells will continue to replicate with a smaller chance of deterioration.

While sage has many other benefits that work in conjunction with green tea, it also offers specific benefits that you won’t get from a normal herbal blend. For example, sage is full of vitamin K. This vitamin is essential for keeping up the health of your bones, and a higher vitamin K intake is going to lead to denser bones. This is particularly important for green tea drinkers who are worried about weakening bone strength.

What Does Sage Taste Like?
Flavor-wise, it’s tough to go wrong with sage. There’s a good chance that you’ve had sage before, if not recently. The flavors that you get out of sage when prepared with food aren’t far from the flavors with tea, but the combination creates a unique and very pleasant flavor.

When paired with our Herbal Green Tea Blend, the flavor of sage is used to complement the natural green tea flavors.

Also, there isn’t much that smells better than a cup of green herbal tea with sage. You might end up making it just for the aroma!

Sage is a common herb, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t special in any way. Green tea drinkers have been adding sage to their blends for a long time, and if you’re ready to get some more health benefits with an awesome flavor, then you should try an herbal blend with sage, too!

Michael Austin

Does Sweetening Tea Ruin Its Healthiness?

/in / / Michael Austin

With all the flavors and blends that come along with green tea, it’s hard to imagine that there isn’t something out there for everyone. Different herbal combinations can create awesome flavors that can’t be replicated in any other way.

Even with the myriad of tea flavors available, there are still people who can’t stomach a drink without it being sweet enough.

Sweeteners have been around for a long time, and sweetening tea is a practice so common that cafes and restaurants offer sugar to anyone who orders tea.

While you’re still drinking the same green tea as other people, adding something to the blend is bound to change what it does for you. Does sweetening your tea actually ruin the healthiness of green tea?

The Bad of Sweetening Tea

As you could probably expect, adding sugar to your tea is going to have a negative effect on healthiness.

Before you stop drinking tea with sugar in it entirely, just consider what happens when you add sugar to your drink. There’s nothing in sugar that counteracts the health benefits of tea, so no matter how much sugar you add, you’re still going to be getting the same nutrients.

But the amount of sugar you add is where the problem starts. Sugar is linked to tons of health problems, including an increased risk of cancer, diabetes and a higher chance of dying from heart disease.

So, even though green tea is good for fighting cancer, adding sugar to the drink could potentially cause more harm than good.

Naturally, this depends on how much sugar you’re adding to your tea. The numbers get complex, depending on how much tea you drink a day, how much sugar you add, your age, weight, height, gender and how much other sugar you consume daily.

The bottom line is that if you want to get more health benefits than not, you should cut back on the sugar you use – or cut it out entirely.

Interestingly, milk in tea could be even worse than sugar. The proteins found in milk can bind the catechins in tea, making them entirely useless. Not only are you getting the negative health benefits that can come with milk, but you’re losing the benefits of tea.

The Good of Sweetening Tea

Tea drinkers understand that there are multiple ways to sweeten your tea. Some artificial sweeteners, like Stevia, are going to be relatively harmless.

But an interesting additive people should try out is honey – and it’s interesting for what it can do.

Honey is naturally good at helping you keep your weight low, relieve cold symptoms and boost your antioxidants. If you know much about green tea, then you know that these are also all health benefits you can get from tea leaves.

By combining green tea with honey, you could actually be boosting the positive effects of both. That’s pretty great, especially if you’re looking for a quick, tasty remedy for a cold.

Of course, using too much honey or tea could end up being bad for you. Honey still contains fructose, a type of sugar. Too much sugar is never going to be good, no matter how healthy the food item is in smaller doses. Consider using a raw honey with no additives.

To get the most of your sweetened tea, just make sure to cut out a bit of your sweetener. A cup of tea on its own is stuffed with benefits, and you don’t want to counteract those because your sweetener isn’t as healthy as you thought.

If you typically drink green tea with a sweetener, we recommend trying one of our herbal blends. The flavors could be more than enough for you to cut that sweetener out!

Michael Austin

Jason Winters Tea Party

/in / / Michael Austin

The first Jason Winters Tea Party was a great success! Thank you all who attended. We’ll keep you posted when the next party will be held.

Visit our Facebook page for more pictures.

Michael Austin

Green Tea Benefits For Men

/in / / Michael Austin

Tea has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries, and many still drink it today because it’s such a healthy drink.
As researchers continue to look into the potential healing powers of specific herbs, they find conclusive evidence that there are some specific health benefits tied to herbs. Many articles can be found stating that green tea, for example, may help inhibit cancer growth in some.

While there are benefits to green tea for everyone, there are some benefits that might interest men – and some benefits that help men specifically.

Tons of Polyphenols
Polyphenols are a source of antioxidants in green tea. The antioxidants that you consume then go on to help in a number of ways, such as the potential for fighting cancer and prevent diseases that can affect blood vessels. Antioxidants do this by fighting the free radicals in the body.
Infertility in men may be tied to an excess of free radicals in the body. While there haven’t been any specific studies that connect green tea with increasing fertility in men, there is some evidence that an increase in antioxidants can help.

Green tea is a great source of antioxidants, so adding some to your diet can’t hurt!

Reduced Risk of Prostate Cancer
As men grow older, the risk of prostate cancer increases. Fortunately, green tea may potentially help prevent this type of cancer, and it can help fight it as well.

A study found that men who drink green tea regularly had a nearly 50% lower chance of getting prostate cancer, which is a pretty significant amount. Also, the antioxidants in green tea will help with preventing other forms of cancer.

Increased Weight Loss
Men know that it can be difficult to lose weight, so everything helps.

Green tea may help with weight loss in a few ways. First, green tea has caffeine, a chemical that can increase your body’s metabolism. Second, green tea is a low-calorie drink that’s full of flavor.

Third, studies are showing that green tea may help with weight loss in a number of ways. Not only does tea increase your energy, but it increases the speed of fat oxidation – meaning fat burns faster if you drink green tea regularly.

However, men should not expect green tea alone to lead to weight loss – but it is going to be a big help when combined with a healthy diet and exercise.

Green Tea May Improve Your Mental Sharpness
Mentally, you want to stay as sharp as you can. Green tea can help.

As previously stated, green tea is a source of caffeine, and caffeine use can keep you mentally alert and sharp. But there are other ways that green tea can help. Green tea has L-theanine in it, and L-theanine is connected to improved brain function.

Different Blends Have Different Effects
Green tea has healthy properties, but men should keep in mind that not all green tea is the same.

Different brands will use different qualities of tea leaves, and some opt to make herbal blends, much like us. Then there are other blends that include other ingredients, such as Sir Jason Winters Herbal Blend with Sage. These blends give you some positive effects like green tea, plus the benefits of other herbs.

Men who want to find the healthiest teas might want to start with a green tea and read more about other herbs that can be added to the blend. Before you know it you’ll find the perfect tea for your health! Shop now!

Michael Austin

Are Prebrewed Tea Blends Good For You?

/in / / Michael Austin

As tea continues to grow in popularity around the world, people are finding new ways to include the drink in their everyday lives. While many tea drinkers brew their favorite blend at home, there are some that buy the bottled version, pre brewed and instantly ready to drink.

But at the end of the day, you’re getting the same nutrients from both drinks. Right?

Depending on what you’re drinking and what you want to get out of your tea, you might want to make sure you brew it at home – particularly if you’re looking to get the health benefits of green tea.

According to studies, bottled teas tend to have lower level of antioxidants than an equivalent amount of home brewed tea – even if the bottle claims that it is an excellent source of antioxidants.

That isn’t the only difference you can find between the two.

Comparing Bottled vs. Home Brewed Tea
Bottled teas are good for a few reasons. Mainly, people might want to buy a bottled tea because it’s easy and ready to drink. Others find that the flavor is better than home brewed tea.

It turns out that the flavor coming from bottled teas could be due to larger amounts of sugar. Not all bottled teas are high in sugar, but it is not uncommon for bottled teas to have higher levels of sugar than home brewed tea.

The biggest difference between the two types of teas, however, is the presence of polyphenols.

Polyphenols are nutrients that are packed full of antioxidants. They’re also incredibly common in green teas, giving the drink the huge levels of antioxidants in every cup.
But polyphenols are fragile, and the longer they’re steeped, the more likely they are to break apart and vanish. Because bottled teas are brewed long before they’re served, many polyphenols can die during the process.

Also, bottled teas are being sold on a per-unit profit, so companies aren’t afraid to cut corners where they can. One way they do this is by using less tea and more water than someone would traditionally use when preparing tea.

As a result, there is a fraction of polyphenols in bottled tea compared to home brewed tea.

Home Brewed Tea Is Proven To Be Healthier
Bottled teas may not to be as healthy for you as home brewed teas. Aside from the additional sugar found in some blends, bottled tea isn’t bad for you – it just May not have as many benefits as a traditional cup of tea will.

Of course, this is all research that has been done assuming plenty of factors – for example, the type of teas used, the bottled teas, how much water to tea in home brewed tea, and more. These studies also don’t take into account the additional benefits you can get by drinking herbal blends, much like the blends that Sir Jason Winters creates.

If you do prefer bottled tea to home brewed tea, keep in mind, you could be getting many more benefits if you prepare your brew at home. Shop Now.

Michael Austin

The Flavor And Benefits Of Chaparral

/in / / Michael Austin

We carry a variety of different green tea blends, each of which is meant to offer a specific flavor while giving some of the benefits that the individual herbs are known for. That’s one of the beauties of our herbal tea.

We’ve showcased some of the herbs we use in our herbal blends in the past, but let’s spend some time talking about chaparral.

The first thing to know about chaparral is that, much like tea, it comes from the leaves of a shrub. Chaparral comes from the arid Southwest, particularly the Baja region of California and Mexico. When you find chaparral in a blend, it’s typically a ground version of dried chaparral leaves.

Chaparral is a common ingredient in herbal blends, and those who drink it understand why. If you put the right amount into your drink, you’ll get the perfect amount of flavor and potentially some of the benefits the herb is known for.

The Benefits Of Chaparral
We wouldn’t include an herb in our teas if we thought it was bad for you!

Chaparral has been used for medicinal purposes for hundreds of years. Native Americans in the Southwest originally used the herb to help ease stomach pain, and modern chaparral drinkers might use it for the same reason.

However, additional uses for the herb have been realized over time. One of the benefits that users have found is the anti-inflammatory property of chaparral. The herb is used to reduce the soreness of areas that are inflamed.

This anti-inflammatory property is one reason chaparral is commonly used in herbal tea blends. The herb is often used to help sore throats, so when you combine it with a hot tea drink you can see why chaparral users opt for a blend with the herb in it!

Chaparral has also been used in the past to soothe the pain caused by arthritis, another benefit of the anti-inflammatory agents.

The key is to use the right amount of chaparral, something that we’ve been careful to do. Too much chaparral might irritate the body, so we’ve measured out the perfect amount for our teas and supplements. 

What Does Chaparral Taste Like?
If you were to find a chaparral leaf out in the wild, you probably would want to avoid eating it. Chaparral by itself is incredibly bitter; putting too much chaparral in any drink would make it difficult to stomach. Which is why Sir Jason carefully crafted his blend with just the right amount of chaparral. Many people even prefer it to the taste of our sage tea blends.

If you’d like to reap the benefits of chaparral, without drinking the tea, then you should definitely try our supplements – particularly the Tribalene with chaparral. This supplement is made with the same ingredients found in Sir Jason Winter’s herbal tea blend, but packed into an easy to take tablet!

*Anyone with any kind of liver dysfunction/disease must always seek medical advice before using any supplement, tea, coffee, etc.

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Michael Austin

Should You Drink Green Tea While Pregnant?

/in / / Michael Austin

Green tea is a super-drink that offers far more health benefits than most other types of drinks. Also, because it’s mostly water, you tend to stay hydrated while getting the benefits of anti-oxidants in green tea.

But for how healthy green tea is, is there a chance that it’s unhealthy for unborn babies?

Pregnant women are often forced to radically change their diet and depending on your current tea-drinking habits, you might have to change the amount of green tea you drink if you’re expecting.

Fortunately, the general consensus among experts is that you don’t have to cut out green tea entirely – but you should definitely keep track of how much caffeine you drink.

Keeping Track Of What You Drink
Because pregnant women need to drink more water than when they’re not pregnant, tea becomes a great way to get your minimum amount of fluids.

Also, green tea has tons of benefits that can keep soon-to-be mothers healthy during pregnancy.

But there’s a limit to how much green tea pregnant women should drink – or anyone for that matter. The main reason for this is the caffeine found in green tea. Yes, green tea has much lower levels of caffeine than black tea or coffee, but there are still traces of caffeine to be found, and too much caffeine can lead to problems with pregnancy, according to one study.

There is no sure-fire method for determining how much caffeine is too much for a fetus, but if too much caffeine is bad for adults then there is definitely a limit. This is why pregnant women often cut out coffee entirely. But green tea has less caffeine, so this might not be necessary.

When deciding whether or not to continue drinking tea, women should consider the total amount of caffeine in their diet. A cup of green tea doesn’t contain too much caffeine, but adding it with other caffeinated products will only build on the total amount of caffeine consumed.

The Bottom Line
If you’re pregnant, the research shows that you don’t need to cut out green tea entirely. Experts disagree on exactly how much caffeine is too much, but expecting women should play it safe and limit themselves to around 200 mg a day – roughly 2-3 cups of green tea, depending on the type of tea you’re drinking.

To be safe, 1 or 2 cups of green tea a day will give you less than the 200 mg of caffeine, meeting the standards of most studies. Of course, some soon-to-be mothers may decide to cut out green tea entirely to avoid any issues which is a perfectly reasonable decision.

Keep in mind that green tea accumulates; if you drink 3 cups of green tea for 5 straight days, then you’ve suddenly consumed 15 cups of green tea in less than a week. Fetuses metabolize all chemicals slower than adults, so the caffeine can linger. Try to keep track of how much green tea you’re drinking each week.

It’s up to expecting mothers to decide what they do while pregnant, but research shows that a limited amount of green tea should not pose any threat to the unborn baby.

Most importantly, a pregnant or expecting mother must always talk with their doctor before taking any vitamin, supplement, tea, etc.

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