The Happy Detox Tea Blog: Detox, Slimming & Natural Wellness

Geographical and historical origins of Oolong tea

Oolong tea also called Wulong tea is coming from Taiwan and Fujian region in China.

His name meant " Black Dragon " and comes from its shape and color. The way the leaves are rolled during the production recalls the legendary dragon.

Oolong tea probably appeared for the first time in Fujian region in China, more precisely in the area of Wuyi mountains, during the reign of the Qing Dynasty. It means at the end of 17th century or early 18th century. Specialists found some information about Oolong tea and its benefits in certain poems from that period.

Oolong tea production method

Oolong tea is produced during the months of April and May. The production follows the following steps :

The tea leaves are picked by hand

Depending on the desired quality, it will be picked more or less leaves. For very high-end teas, pickers will gently remove only the last leaf still rolled on itself. For the more traditional teas, it will be used up to 6 leaves (or even more sometimes). Taste and flavours are then very different and of course, productivity is not the same. That can explain the very high cost of some teas only made with buds.

The leaves are dried under the sun

Just after picking them, the tea leaves are exposed to the sun to make a first drying. Not to burn the leaves with a too strong sun, producers regularly protect them with a net, as you can see in the picture below.

The tea leaves are dried indoors, on trays

After spending a few hours in the sun, the leaves are spread on large willow trays. Drying will then continue from a few hours to a complete night. The leaves are then stored in a fairly well ventilated area protected from the sun.

The leaves are slightly broken to promote oxidation

One major step in the manufacture of tea is the oxidation. This step mainly explains the tea flavours and its color.
Oxidation occurs when the inner part of the leaf is in contact with air. To promote such contact, it is necessary to break the leaf.
It is therefore easy to understand that the more you break the leaf and left it in contact with air, more the tea is oxidized. More the tea is oxidized, more it is black. If the leaf is not broken and not in contact with air, it will not be oxidized. And we obtain white teas.
In the case of Oolong tea, oxidation depends on the producers ( from 15 % up to about 75%). In our case, oxidation is intermediate.

The leaves are dried in order to stop the oxidation

To stop the oxidation phenomenon, the tea leaves are then dried.

The leaves are then rolled and dried several times to give them their final form but also to permanently stop oxidation.

This operation can take place dozens of times. The photo below with the tea ball is specific to Oolong tea production. The steps for oolong tea production are slightly more numerous than in the case of a traditional teas.

The leaves are finally sorted to ensure quality

At the end of the process, the leaves are sorted but they can also be rolled manually to ensure a desired characteristic shape.

Oolong tea benefits

Oolong tea is particularly recognized in China but also in the rest of the world for its effects on digestion and for its ability to promote weight loss and thinness.

  Oolong tea is a strong antioxidant

  Oolong tea lowers Cholesterol

  Oolong tea promotes fat burning

  Oolong tea lowers sugar levels in the blood

  Oolong tea reduces stress and has a relaxing effect

Oolong Tea : Taste and flavour

Oolong tea gives rise to a blue/green liqueur with very characteristic aromas and flavours. It is a mild tea with flower aromas and sweet notes which can often remind caramel.
For your information, this tea is also quite low in caffeine.
Find Oolong tea in our  Detox teas Happy Detox Tea! As always, we want to offer you detox and slimming teas with taste and pleasant aromas. This is the main commitment of the Happy Detox Tea team.

For the record, note that the selected producer you can see in this article, is the one which tea had been selected to make a gift to Barack Obama during his last visit to China. It was then a Oolong Organic Fujian flavored with honey produced within the tea gardens. And I will not deny that it is excellent!

Just over a year after the launch of the website happydetoxtea.com, specialising in detox and slimming regimes based around teas and plants descended from traditional Chinese medicine, customers will be able to take advantage of two new creations, with the launch of the brand’s Anti-Age and Energy Boost teas.

These new teas from Happy Detox Tea combine knowledge originating in traditional Chinese medicine with that gathered through more recent research on plants, notably on their antioxidant properties and also on nutricosmetics.

These teas are mainly aimed at women, who understand today that wellbeing and beauty are maintained from the inside just as much as from the outside.

The anti-age tea draws its benefits from white tea from the Fujian region of China (this is the tea with the greatest antioxidant properties), from Chinese hawthorn which helps fight against the lack of firmness and the loss of density of the skin, and from Greater Burdock and its strong hydrating properties.

This anti-aging tea fights against the signs left by time on the skin but also acts on the tonus of the hair.

The Energy-Boost tea has a base of black tea from Guizhou province which is known for being rich in theine, Chinese dates (jujube), known for their energising powers, goji berries, which promote endurance, Greater Burdock, which has great detoxing properties, and Ginseng, which carries countless benefits and which has been considered for many years in Asia as a universal remedy!

The Energy-Boost tea has also been created to help reduce stress and anxiety in order to make consumers feel as full of energy as possible.

In order to form part of an overall healthy lifestyle, these teas, to be consumed in a 4 or 8-week programme, always come with an exercise programme and nutritional advice created by professional coaches. The exercise programmes are suitable both for beginners and those more accustomed to doing sport: they offer daily 15-minute sessions of exercises that will work the main muscle groups and thus promote tonus and vitality, whilst also contributing to toning up the body. The Happy Detox Tea e-book also presents some programmes which are recognised be nutritionists as being the most effective when looking for vitality and balance on a daily basis.

These infusions have been created exclusively for Happy Detox Tea by a Chinese professor who is an expert in the tea from the town of Xiamen (Fujian – China).

In winter, the days are shorter, the weather is often gloomy and the holidays feel far away… So many things push us to look for comfort, and sometimes that means eating a little more freely than usual, leaving us feeling heavier by the time spring comes around!

But it is also possible to stay well, keep feeling light, cope with the cold, stay positive, enjoy yourself and even love this season! Here are 7 nutrition tips to get through winter in great shape!

Load up on fruit rich in vitamin C

Good news: it’s the season for it! Oranges, clementines, mandarins, lemons and kiwis! Eat them as they are or drink them as juice — enjoy!

As for juices, of course, make them yourself and drink them right after squeezing the fruit, otherwise there won’t be many vitamins left.

You can easily have up to 4 pieces of fruit a day. You can also add exotic fruit: mango, pineapple, passion fruit. It’s delicious, good for your mood and brings a little sunshine into your day!

They will give you your daily dose of vitamin C, which contributes to the normal function of the immune system and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue — very welcome during the cold months.

Eat fish, especially oily fish, for your vitamin D

Vitamin D is sometimes called « the sunshine vitamin » because it is the sun that allows us to make it. Ultraviolet B rays (UVB) hitting our bare skin trigger the production of vitamin D. That’s why we can run short of it in winter! Food generally provides no more than a third of our vitamin D needs. But it is a source you really shouldn’t neglect during the cold season!

So we encourage you to eat cooked salmon, marinated herring, cooked mackerel, sardines in oil or oysters! For those who like it, cod liver and its oil are very, very rich in vitamin D. We suggest eating these foods at least 4 times a week.

If you don’t like these foods, a vitamin D supplement may sometimes be needed. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about it.

Enjoy seasonal vegetables for fibre, minerals and other vitamins

Nature is well designed: winter vegetables are rich in the fibre, minerals and vitamins your body needs at this time of year!

What you’ll find at the market right now:

- Root vegetables: from the classic orange carrot and its heirloom yellow, purple or white cousins, to purple-top or golden ball turnips, beetroot of every shape and colour, and lesser-known vegetables such as parsnips, swede or Jerusalem artichokes...

- All kinds of cabbage in every shape, size and colour!

- And don’t forget squash: musk squash, butternut, red kuri and pumpkins!

All these delicious vegetables can be made into soups, velvety purées, stir-fries, or braised or steamed. You can also make detox juices with some of them!

We encourage you to eat them at every meal: at least 2 per meal to get your share of minerals, fibre and vitamins!

And one tip: choose fresh produce — no tins, no ready meals, no frozen food! Treat yourself to fresh, quality ingredients: it doesn’t take more time and it’s better for you, your family, the growers and our planet! You probably know all this by heart already! And let’s not forget the pleasure of cooking a nice meal for the people you love while giving yourself a moment to relax and switch off!

Boost your fibre and mineral intake with whole grains

They are good friends of your digestion and your overall balance. Whole grains and pulses are best known for their fibre, but their mineral content shouldn’t be overlooked — especially zinc.

You’ll find whole grains in everyday foods such as bread, rice, wheat or quinoa. But be careful: make sure you choose the versions labelled « wholegrain », so you don’t confuse them with those made from refined grains.

Besides their fibre and minerals, they help you feel full for longer. When it’s cold and your body uses more energy, especially to maintain its temperature, these low-glycaemic-index carbohydrate foods are all the more interesting.

We suggest eating these foods 3 to 4 times a week.

Get enough plant protein by eating pulses (legumes)

The great thing about pulses is that they contain large amounts of plant protein, fibre, minerals and vitamins, while being low in fat.

Since plant proteins (except soy) are often lacking in certain amino acids, it’s important to combine grains and legumes in your meals so that all the essential amino acids are present.

Indeed, if just one amino acid is missing, the body can’t make full use of the protein.

Legumes such as broad beans, peas and lentils are rich in lysine, an amino acid lacking in grains, which in turn provide methionine. So by combining the two, you get all the essential amino acids.

Here are a few smart combinations: legumes + grain products or legumes + nuts or seeds.

We suggest eating these foods 3 to 4 times a week combined with whole grains.

Stay well hydrated to face the cold

We often remember to drink in summer when it’s hot, but much less once temperatures start to drop. Yet dehydration is just as common in winter, especially among older people and babies. Dry cold air is particularly dehydrating, and so is the heating in our homes and offices.

Good hydration is essential for your body to function properly. We are made up of about 65% water, and the water content varies from one organ to another: 83% for blood, 10% for fatty tissue. The brain is 70% water, as are the muscles. Water is therefore essential to keep our bodily functions running — all the more so because we lose it constantly! We start to feel thirsty once we have lost 1% of our water, and that has an immediate effect on mental and physical performance!

So we encourage you to drink juices, soups, broths and, of course, tea! On the other hand, limit your coffee and, of course, alcohol!

Make the most of winter to try a detox programme — why not a detox tea programme?

What is a detox programme? It’s a way to give your body a break and support its natural balance.

The detox programme has its roots in the principles of naturopathy, which favours a gentle, natural approach to well-being.

It traditionally accompanies the body’s own natural processes, in which the skin, liver, intestines and kidneys all play their part.

A detox tea programme is a form of detox that works over the long term and never puts the body under harsh strain. It is a gentle programme that brings real comfort. It has its roots in traditional Chinese medicine.

It uses different parts of plants, such as leaves, wood, bark, seeds and roots. These plants are chosen according to classifications developed by masters of Chinese medicine over centuries.

For the best experience, we recommend following a detox tea programme for at least 4 weeks, ideally 8 weeks: Detox Tea 4 or 8 weeks.

A detox tea programme is a gentle and pleasant way to look after yourself. It brings well-being and vitality, supports digestive comfort and helps you feel lighter day after day!

Autumn and detox regimes

The concept of a detox regime is just as original as it is appealing in terms of the benefits it offers. A detox is one of the most natural ways of refreshing and restoring your body), leaving you slim, detoxified and glowing inside and out.

What exactly is a detox regime?

Today, detox regimes are extremely fashionable, especially in the USA. Indeed, almost all the big names in Hollywood are full of praise for them. The principle behind a detox regime is simple: to remove all the toxins found in the body, whilst giving the body a break at the same time.

Where do toxins come from, and how can we get rid of them?

The body can become clogged up and accumulate waste. Over time, waste products can harm and disrupt the functioning of the body. This can then have results such as fatigue, irritability, a dull complexion, hair loss, reduced resistance to infections, and various other problems which may have a serious impact on your health.

We may note that our diet has changed significantly over recent decades. Around 80% of the foods we eat every day are factory-produced, meaning everything is processed and, above all, made unnatural. These foods may contain ingredients which can be harmful to the body, such as acidifiers, colourings, pesticides or texturising agents.

Toxins may also be produced by the environment. We all know that the world we live in today is a polluted one, its atmosphere saturated with greenhouse gases. But that’s not all – tobacco and alcohol, as well as the consumption of certain medicaments, can also overload the body with toxins.

The origins of detox regimes lie in the principles of naturopathy. Indeed, a detox gets rid of all that is toxic and unnatural in the body, and does so in a natural way.

The most important thing to do during a detox is to control one’s diet, favouring fruit, fresh vegetables and fluids. A detox both helps and stimulates the organs that deal with waste disposal, like the pores, the liver, the intestines and the kidneys, in order to get rid of the toxins found in the body.

What benefits can you expect from a detox regime, and why should you start one as autumn approaches?

The reason why detox regimes are enjoying huge popularity today is because many people have obtained noticeable results from them. After all, when you start a regime like this, you always expect to get benefits from it, don’t you? After following a detox programme for just a few days, you will find yourself feeling as if your body has been renewed and restored from the inside, and more alive than ever before.

A detox allows you to regain energy and to be more resistant to the stress you come up against on a daily basis. By following a detox regime, you will soon find yourself sleeping like a baby once more.

Studies show that the intestine contains hundreds of pathogens such as viruses and bacteria, amongst others. Our body does have a means of protecting itself, that is the gut. However, if the food we eat contains too much sugar, fat or omega 6, this may cause the intestine to deteriorate, as well as provoking inflammatory reactions. Because of this, the intestine is vulnerable. The pathogens migrate towards other systems in the body, and produce harmful effects which impact our health, such as allergies and urine infections.

By starting a detox, you can regain a healthy intestinal ecosystem. Your cells will regenerate in just a matter of days. With a detox regime, you will always get out of the right side of bed! The interaction between neurotransmitters like cortisol, dopamine and serotonin will ensure you are in a good mood every day. And your morale will never be low!

The benefits of a detox do not solely apply to the inside of the body. You can also notice visible exterior effects. A detox will enhance your appearance and give you a fairer, more glowing complexion. It may also help you get back in shape. For overweight individuals, a detox can bring quite remarkable weight loss results.

Our body has been designed to clean itself, but sometimes it can do with a little help. The key is to set off on the right foot before the start of the new season that awaits. Speaking of seasons, summer is coming to an end and autumn is knocking on the door. The effects of the sun on our whole body start to diminish and the days start to get shorter, which impacts our sleeping pattern. The new season also signifies stress and a return to greater activity. We also often find ourselves having to take on new tasks and responsibilities. This is why it’s so important to start a detox once summer is over and as autumn begins.

The main types of detox regime

There are a vast amount of different detox regimes to choose from. Generally, some are based mainly on making modifications to your diet, whilst others are based on manipulation of the body.

Raw food detoxes, which involve a diet of raw foods only. This type of regime relies solely on living nutrients and enzymes.
“Fasting” detoxes, where solid foods are replaced with liquid nutrients
Protein rich detoxes, with foods that are rich in animal proteins (less than 24 hours in duration)
Micronutrition detoxes, with dietary supplements
Fasciatherapy detoxes, to massage and relieve pain in fibrous body tissues
Osteopathic detoxes, involving visceral osteopathy manipulation.

How long does a detox regime last?

The length of a detox regime can vary a lot. It can vary depending on the effects you are expecting, and how well your body tolerates the regime, but will last between a minimum of 1 day and 60 days at the very most. Some people are after a very quick programme that will last only a few days; others wish to follow a regime at a more leisurely pace, for one or two months. You must however be aware that a detox regime is not a slimming regime. Its primary purpose is to give you a break and to relax the body.

Detox regimes consisting of tea, physical exercise and a controlled diet

A tea-based detox is a type of detox which works on a long-term basis and does not have a harsh effect on the body.
Its target is long-term wellbeing. It’s a gentle regime and one that is extremely beneficial for the body. It originates from traditional Chinese medicine, which itself is more than 2500 years old and is based on five key cornerstones:

• Qigong, or exercise
• Dietary regime
• Use of herbs and medicinal plants
• Mssage
• Acuponcture

The tea-based detox regimes offered by suppliers like Happy Detox Tea adopt three of the main aspects of Chinese medicine: exercise, dietary regime and use of herbs and medicinal plants.

Tea or infusion-based detoxes therefore originate from this Chinese medicine. The way they work is linked to the decoction of tea and plants, which allows the plants’ active and aromatic principles to be extracted, as the plants are dissolved in boiling water. All the different parts of plants can be used, such as the leaves, wood, bark, seeds and roots. These plants are chosen according to different classifications that have been drawn up over centuries by professors of Chinese medicine: they are classified by flavour, constitution, meridians and their specific qualities.

The range of detox teas offered by Happy Detox Tea is 100% natural, and all have been formulated by genuine professionals in medicinal plants.

We offer two lengths of detox regime 4-week or 8-week tea detox.

During your tea detox regime, drinking is not enough in itself; it is also vital that you exercise. This is why our teas come with an e-book containing an exercise regime. The regimes we’ve provided for you have been created by sports coaches, and are adapted to suit all ability levels. By doing sport, you speed up the process of eliminating toxins found in the body. It also enables you to strengthen your muscles (stomach, glutes, thighs…) and stimulate your blood vessels.

For a maximum energy level and a perfect detox, you must also follow a good diet and ensure you get all your vitamin and mineral needs. This is why our detox programmes also come with dietary regimes. Our professional coaches guarantee you will get the best results throughout the duration of your detox.

A tea-based detox is one of the best things you can do for your body. Not only is it a natural way of getting rid of toxins found in the body, but it also brings some very satisfying results. More and more people are enthusiastically partaking in detox regimes and thoroughly recommend that you do the same.

It is important to remember that what is commonly called " slimming tea " is actually a mixt of different plants and not only tea. The tea comes exclusively from the tea plant and specifically the Camellia Sinensis plant as slimming teas are composed of different medicinal plants and herbs and not just tea (green, white, black, oolong or pu'erh). And this, although the thinness characteristics of teas also exist.

Origin of Chinese slimming teas

Chinese slimming tea is closely related to Traditional Chinese Medicine which is inspired by the old Asian medicine and enhanced by the contributions of modern medicine.

Chinese medicine dates back over 2,500 years and its fundamentals are based on the following pillars:

The use of herbs and medicinal plants

Acupuncture

Massage

Exercise ( Gigong )

Diet

The earliest traces of therapeutic practices date back to the Shang Dynasty ( 14th to 11th century BC ) but it's actually from the 11th century BC that the first medicinal plants are used. Historians find at this period some elements that demonstrate a few dozen herbs and plants whose benefits on health are known. In the 16th century, nearly 1 900 compositions of plants and herbs are identified. At the end of the 20th, more than 12 000.

Chinese slimming teas are coming from herbal medicine

Herbal chinese medicine results in the use of plants and herbs decoctions. The decoction is a method of extracting the active ingredients and/or flavorings by dissolving the plan preparation in boiling water. It applies to different parts of plants : roots, seeds, bark, wood, leaves.

In herbal chinese medicine, in the vast majority of decoctions, it is used between 5 and 20 plants. The objective is to play on the complementarities and synergies between plants and avoid negative side effects.

In our Happy Detox Tea preparations, we use 5 plants for Morning Detox Tea and 7 plants for Evening Slimming Tea.

These ingredients are listed below with their main benefits :

Morning detox tea Oolong tea : Reduces appetite and boosts energy Cassia tora : Improves digestion and burns calories Lotus leaf : Anti-bloating, boosts energy and burns calories Rhizoma alismatis : Anti-bloating Gynostemma : Boosts energy Evening Slimming tea Crataegus pinnatifida : Improves digestion and burns fats Poria cocos : Anti-anxiety and natural sleep aid Orange peel : Improves digestion and anti-anxiety Cassia tora : Anti-bloating and natural laxative Lotus leafs : Anti-bloating, boosts energy and burns fat Pogostemon cablin : Reduces cellulite and anti-bloating Puer tea : Kill toxins

Plants are chosen for their complementarity and according to their characteristics. There are different classifications for these plants.

Classification according to their nature :

Hot, cold, cool, neutral.

The 'cold' plants will for example deal with problems resulting from excess heat in the body while « hot »plants will treat problems causing a cold effect of the body.

Classification according to their taste :

Acre, bitter, sweet, sour or salty.

Each flavor corresponds to a major organ ( "zang" in Traditional Chinese Medicine ) : Kidneys, Heart , Liver, Spleen/Pancreas and lungs.

Classification according to the meridians (specifically based on the meridians association with organs).

Meridians are in Traditional Chinese Medicine the channels through which "vital" energy circulates in the body.

There are 12 meridians in the body in which the medicinal plants can have an effect.

Classification according to specific benefits

For example « fat burner caracteristics » , « draining caracteristics », « anti-cholesterol caracteristics », etc ...

It is based on these classifications that Chinese herbalists and Chinese professors develop the compositions and especially those that you find in the slimming teas and the detox teas provided by Happy Detox Tea.