Author: Bob Gorman

Bob Gorman is a freelance writer and a passionate blogger. He likes writing articles that cover sustainable home building and home remodeling topics. He has written numerous articles and contributed to several blogs. When he is not writing, he spends his time with his four-year-old son and his wife, Lana.

The Green Wonder: 5 Things You Want to Know About Matcha Tea

Organic Green Matcha Tea in a Bowl

Matcha tea is rapidly becoming a cult drink. Artisan coffee, Earl Grey, and generic green tea are all very popular in certain circles, but if you want to cause a stir at your next dinner party, offer your guests some Matcha tea.

So what is Matcha tea and what do you need to know about it?

Matcha is the preferred beverage of the rich and famous. Models drink Matcha shots at catwalk shows and health-conscious celebs such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Victoria Beckham buy jars of the stuff.

Matcha tea originates from Japan and for centuries, Matcha has been used in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. The best Matcha tea comes from a very specific shade of green tea known as Tencha tea. It is well known for its health and wellness benefits, so if you are looking for a nutrient-rich beverage, Matcha tea is a good choice.

1. Match Tea Contains Caffeine

Unlike regular green tea, Matcha tea contains as much caffeine as a cup of brewed coffee. However, whereas drinking strong coffee will give you a serious buzz, a cup of Matcha tea promotes a sense of calm alertness. This is because Matcha tea contains a natural substance called I-theanine, which promotes relaxation. So if you need to chill, ditch the coffee and drink Matcha tea instead.

2. Matcha Offers Health Benefits

We all know green tea is good for us, but are you aware of how many health benefits you get from drinking Matcha tea? Matcha tea is made from whole leaves, so it contains much higher levels of nutrients. Matcha is an excellent source of antioxidants and some studies have found that Matcha can slow the growth of cancer cells.

3. It takes Ages to Make Matcha Tea

Grinding Matcha tea is a labor-intensive process. Traditional Matcha tea is ground using stone mills and it can take up to an hour to grind up to 40g of tea. Unfortunately, traditional tea grinding methods are the only way to make Matcha, as food processors and spice grinders would produce a different flavor of tea – and you probably would not like it half as much.

4. Lower Grade Matcha Tea May Be Contaminated

Tea plants in certain areas are exposed to pollution and may contain high levels of lead, so always buy the best grade of Matcha you can afford. High-quality Matcha tea products are more likely to be cultivated in rural areas free from contaminants.

5. Matcha Tea Powder is Very Versatile

Traditionally speaking, Matcha tea is prepared with a tea bowl and a bamboo broom, but you can use Matcha powder in your baking, for smoothies, and in lattes. (Although you lose many of the health benefits if you add it to cookie dough!) If you do decide to bake with Matcha powder, buy a cheaper product.

Part of the enjoyment of drinking Matcha tea comes from preparing it the traditional way, so have a Japanese tea making ceremony and enjoy your Matcha.

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Environmental Emphasis: The Sustainable Home Recycled

The American dream of a large, palatial home filled with possessions is dying. Simply put, this concept is no longer a sustainable option. Rethinking dreams and ideals is what environmental consciousness is all about, a spur to something brand-new and exciting.

Many of us really ‘live’ in only a portion of our spacious homes. Usually, those rooms will be the kitchen and living room area. Do we need all that extra space that we are paying to heat, cool and maintain? A small home constructed with eco-friendly living space has multiple advantages. First of all, small living quarters can give the illusion of light and space to rest the soul without large actual size. Manageability in heating and cooling will grant freedom from high monthly overhead, not to mention real estate taxes and maintenance.

The key to smallness is design. Proper design can give efficient kitchen, bathroom and storage space without the appearance of crowding.

A practical component to smaller living space is the need divest oneself of excessive possessions. Emancipation from the care and purchase of multiple wanted items can be revolutionary. Lifestyle simplification is a very positive benefit of smaller living spaces.

Location, location, location. This is the realtor’s rallying cry, an especially important issue when the goal is an eco-friendly lifestyle. The wrong location can put the kibosh on an environmentally efficient living plan.
For instance, will there be an area of routine sunlight for solar panels? Is the soil and location suitable to grow some food? Will there be proper air circulation and drainage to provide some natural cooling for the home? Is there a way to walk or take public transportation when leaving the home for school or work?

Choices of building materials for the ecologically-friendly house are so diverse and creative that they are mind-boggling. We will begin with some concepts to keep in mind. Builder-speak specifies the need for a ‘tight envelope’. Simply put, the better a building keeps out rain, wind, cold and heat, the better the envelope.

An unusual recommendation for tight insulating material is recycled steel. At least 65 tons of steel are scrapped and recycled every year, and it can be used economically in the place of forest products for beams and structural support.

Insulated concrete buildings reportedly saved 20 percent more energy than homes constructed with wood framing in cold climates. The secret is in pouring the concrete into walls with insulation material sandwiched between. Creativity with cement and its forms is practically limitless.

Straw is a by-product of the grain industry that is well-known for its isolative qualities. Animals are bedded with straw. Today, people take advantage of straw by building homes from square bales.At first, this concept may seem a lesson in disaster. What if it becomes wet, or filled with insects?

At first, this concept may seem a lesson in disaster. What if it becomes wet, or filled with insects?
Good questions.

According to the California Straw Building Association, straw will last for thousands of years if kept dry. Dryness is paramount. The key is bonding the straw with stucco and plaster for walls and the outside surface. When that is accomplished, straw bales provide structure and good isolative qualities.
Local building ordinances do not often account for straw construction, but, on a case-by-case basis, authorities can manage the situation positively.

Plastic bags seem the quintessential environmental plague. However, if you have recycled them, they may just turn up as a building resource. Brightly coloured bricks are made from plastic bags, which are very difficult to recycle in other ways. The bags are compressed and placed in a heat mould and forced into blocks of plastic. They are too lightweight to be used as outside or bearing walls for a home but are just right to use for room dividers or outside patios.

Bottles become bricks with just a little bit of attention to their design. The Heineken company originated this concept. The owner of the brewery, Alfred Henry Heineken, visited an island in the Caribbean in the 1960’s and was appalled at the lack of housing. Forthwith the company embarked upon a new, brick-shaped bottle that could be reused and built into housing walls.

Some people think that recycling already-used building products will result in derelict design or poor durability. Nothing could be farther than the truth! Though going through old construction waste and configuring it to meet new construction needs is difficult and time-consuming, it can result in a truly unique tribute to home artistry and design.

An internet service called freecycle.org is a site for people wanting to buy or trade construction materials. Habitat for Humanity retails outlets called ReStores that have used and surplus building supplies for sale. The money garnered from the sales is used to financially aid Habitat’s building endeavours for those in need.

Recycling is truly a momentous endeavour today. The technology to recycle just about everything has geared up and produces products from recycled carpet to reformed glass for windows. Agricultural by-products, cardboard, and paper are routinely shredded into home insulation and pressed into particle board. Recycled plastic foam and concrete are formed into Rasta building blocks, lightweight and extremely durable.

The sustainable home concept is thriving through new technologies and the creativity and innovation of builders everywhere.

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How To Make Your Home Office A Healthier Workplace

When you’re setting up your home office, you might be thinking about the computer, fax, and copier, but there’s more to consider than how you arrange your workspace. People spend most of their day in an office, so it’s important to make it the healthiest place it could possibly be.

Air Quality

Green plants can enhance the look of the home office, but they can do much more than that. Plants like ivy are beautiful additions to a home office, and they have the ability to make chemical pollutants harmless. They can also help eliminate mold. If you’re a beginner gardener, choose a type that will be easy to keep alive like a spider plant or a Philodendron. They are hardy plants that can take occasional neglect while keeping the office air clean.

The Scent of the Office

Aromatherapy has been around for thousands of years. Inhaled essential oils can promote healing and recovery. In the office, they can be used to help boost energy levels and relieve stress. Aromatherapy has been shown to help with memory as well. It’s the perfect accessory for the home office.

Brightness and Light

Many people are impacted by the loss of natural light. When you’re sitting in an office all day, your body craves the benefits of natural lighting. Winter depression is a real condition that is caused by less natural sunlight. There are light bulbs that emit a full-spectrum of colors missing from standard bulbs. Along with helping your mood, natural lighting can reduce eye strain and fatigue.

Surrounding Color

Color can also have a positive or negative impact on your mood. There’s a psychology behind the choice of color as well as which ones will have the greatest impact on productivity and creativity. Orange is used to stimulate creativity while yellow stimulates a person’s intelligence. The color you choose will help heighten the traits you’d like to incorporate into the home office.

Ergonomic Furniture

It’s been proven that being hunched over your computer for eight hours a day can have a detrimental impact on your health. You should be sitting with your feet flat on the floor. Your arms should be at a 90-degree angle, and your back should be straight and tall. This means you have to have the right chair. Ergonomically correct chairs will help you maintain a healthy spine alignment, which will reduce pain in the back, head, and neck.

When It’s Time to Stand

Even with an ergonomic chair, you shouldn’t spend your entire day sitting. There are health concerns when people are sedentary. Joints start to ache. Muscles are slower and less responsive. If you’ve ever sat for too long without moving, you know it can be almost painful to start moving again. A standing workstation can relieve many of those aches and pains. You could even purchase a working treadmill, which has a desk built into it for computer work or reading.

The Sound of Music

Silence can become a vacuum when a person is alone all day in their home office. Soothing music playing in the background can help increase emotional well-being. Music can also mask sounds from outside the office that create distractions. The kind of music you choose should be based on whether it will motivate you, distract you, or increase your energy. You might want something soothing to help relieve stress or more energetic music to keep you energized. In the home office, the choice is yours.

Conclusion

A healthy office can increase productivity and reduce stress. Working from home allows you to create your perfect environment.

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