by Alana Schachtel
Native Foods Cafe
Hello everyone! I’m Alana Schachtel, the newest member of the Native Foods blog team. I’m excited to share with you all of my tips and opinions on living a healthy, vegan lifestyle.

My challenge right now: where to begin? I’m going to step back from the temptation of revealing all of my favorite healthy foods, products, places, and things to do to offer you something to contemplate. Having a healthy existence extends beyond simply eating healthy. However, we experience the world via our bodies: our 5 senses. Thus, a question emerges; can you be healthy in the mind without being healthy in the body?
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Whichever stance you take, you can probably agree there is merit in taking good care of your body. Taking care of the body is simple! Single handedly, one woman yields the greatest medicine on earth. Can I please get a round of applause for Mother Nature everyone? Whether you have a cold, stress, stomach ache, headache, etc, there is something in nature to soothe you. “Let food be thy medicine, thy medicine shall be thy food!” - Hippocrates
Native Foods Cafe: Shen Nong, another avid tea drinker!
The first cup of tea ever created was an accident. Shen Nong (depicted above), an ancient Chinese emperor, required all his drinking water be boiled. One day, as a servant boiled his water, dried leaves from a nearby bush fell into the pot, infusing brown liquid into the water. Curious, Shen Nong took a sip and found it very refreshing. I first discovered tea when my mother, not accidentally, dropped a bag of Sleepytime tea into hot boiling water as my hyper five year old self refused to sleep. The liquid coated my throat with a comforting heat while minty undertones cooled… It was love at first sip. Today, I drink tea in the morning to feel energized, I enjoy a few cups at lunch and dinner, and I end the day with a fragrant bedside cup. Join me, as I take you through a day in the life of an avid tea drinker!
Rise, shine, and put the kettle on the stove. My favorite morning teas:
Green tea is like the kale of the tea world. Its health benefits are tremendous, the Chinese have been using it to treat everything from headaches to depression since ancient times. Today, there is extensive research that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. Rich in antioxidants, green tea energizes and detoxes. If you are like me, and stay wired until 5am from the slightest bit of caffeine, rest assured (no pun intended) there are caffeine free varieties!
My favorite caffeine-free green tea is Pure Green Decaf from Yogi Tea
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For you caffeine lovers out there, try Yogi tea’s Super Antioxidant Green Tea.
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Yogi tea is one of my favorite tea brands. The herbs are top quality and each tea bag has an inspirational quote to ponder while you sit and relax.
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When enjoying a cup of tea in the afternoon, I want a blast of flavor! Depending on the season, I have a few go-to lunchtime blends. In the fall, I crave the comfort of earthy flavors such as cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and vanilla. My fall tea of choice is Celestial Seasoning’s Bengal Spice.
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According to the box this tea is “ like a trip to an exotic spice market in a faraway land.” Along with being delicious, it can quell many ailments. In Chinese Medicine cinnamon is used for colds, nausea, improving circulation, improving energy levels, and soothing menstrual cramps.
In the wintertime, while many crave candy canes, I crave mint tea! The hot mentholated beverage is always warming my hands as I walk along the snowy Chicago streets. If you like a pure and simple mint tea, I recommend Numi’s Moroccan Mint.

If you want to spice up (again, no pun intended) your mint tea, try Starry Night from Liquid Planet. (Available at Native Foods Café!) Mint is used to treat indigestion, nausea, colds, headaches, and cramps.
In spring I love to enjoy the fruity flavors of lemon and ginger in Tazo’s Lemon Mate tea.
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Lemon is used medicinally to aid constipation, stomach upset, mouth ulcers, and throat infections.
In the summer I like to put a fruity tea over ice. My choice is Celestial Seasoning’s Red Zinger. The light lemongrass, orange, and spearmint flavors blend smoothly with rich hibiscus.
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Hibiscus is rich in antioxidants and vitamin C. It is used to boost the immune system, help high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
Nighttime: before you sleep make sure you steep! When choosing your nighttime cup, make sure you skip the caffeine. I’m all about crawling into bed with some of Traditional Medicinal’s Lavender Chamomile and a good book.
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Or, if you can’t sleep, take my mothers advice and try Celestial Seasoning’s Sleepytime tea. This tea has Tilia flowers and Valerian root which both have natural sedative effects.
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I hope you are inspired to boil up some water and enjoy a cup of delicious, healthy tea!
Until next time,
Alana
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