It’s easy to boast on and on about the great benefits of drinking green tea. So, that’s exactly what we’re going to do! The Chinese have been using green tea for its medicinal benefits for over 4,000 years. Green teas are said to fight cancer and heart diseases. They are also thought to lower cholesterol, burn fats, prevent diabetes and even strokes.

Why is green thought to be so healthy? Green tea has powerful antioxidants that swarm the free radicals in your body looking for problematic things like blood clots and diseases. Because green tea is so minimally processed, its antioxidants are more powerful than most other teas which are fermented.

There are even studies to show that drinking green tea regularly may help prevent tooth decay by killing the bacteria which causes the dental plaque. Research has shown that drinking green tea, is more effective than taking supplements.

Learn more about green tea:

WebMD

Wikipedia

University of Maryland Medical Center

“Happy New Year” in Chinese:

In Mandarin – Xin Nian Kuei Le – phonetically [shin-nian-kwie-le]

In Cantonese - Gung Hai Fat Choi – phonetically [gong-hey-faat-choy]

Celebrate the Year of the Tiger on Feb 14th at Sweetwaters with an Imperial Milk Tea or a Dragon Eye!

Sweeten the day for someone special with our Chinese New Year inspired Red Pockets! Fill with the traditional Asian gift of money or sweeter yet…a Sweetwaters Gift Card!

We’re proud to announce that through the joint effort of Sweetwaters and Classical Revolution, Classical Revolution was able to raise funds to donate to Partners in Health for Haiti Relief! We’d like to thank Classical Revolution for their continued partnership with Sweetwaters and also for their excellent idea to provide support for Haiti!

For all of you Plum Market shoppers, we have great news! Sweetwaters coffee which has been sold at the Ann Arbor Plum, is now also available at the West Bloomfield and Bloomfield locations! Enjoy Sweetwaters’ finest in the comfort of your own home!

For a map of Plum Market Ann Arbor.

For a map of Plum Market West Bloomfield.

For a map of Plum Market Bloomfield.

Sweetwaters has branched out into your local Busch’s Fresh Food Markets. Our coffee is now available at both Ann Arbor locations of Busch’s . Whether you’re on the north side or south side of Ann Arbor, picking up Sweetwaters’ Coffee is even more convenient!

Click here for both locations of Busch’s Stores.

For a listing of more restaurants and grocers carrying Sweetwaters’ Coffee, please click here.

For more information about obtaining free tap water and TapIt, check out their website www.TapItWater.com

Coffee has often been either vilified or lauded.  Since many of us cannot go without our daily brew we decided to focus on the positive.

Here are some studies that you can feel good about:

A Japanese study finds that smelling coffee may have an effect  on the body that is similar to drinking it.  The research, conducted on sleep-deprived rats, indicates that the aroma of coffee restored levels of mRNA for genes important to brain function to near-normal levels.  Although the study has not been conducted on humans, many of the genes in question do have human equivalents, so there could be similar perks in human bodies.

Findings published in the European Society for Human Reproduction & Embryology in Barcelona indicate that consuming large amounts of coffee (4 cups a day) can lower a woman’s chances of getting pregnant by 25%.

A strong cup of coffee has a greater effect on men than women, according to a study from the University of Barcelona.  When 668 subjects consumed coffee, men and women became more alert 10 minutes after finishing their drink, but the effect on men was more exaggerated.

Coffee consumption linked to lowered risk of dementia. Researchers from Sweden and Denmark tracked coffee consumption in 1,409 middle aged women and men for an average of 20 years, finding those who drank 3-5 cups daily were 65% less likely to develop dementia than those who consumed 2 cups or less.

A study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology indicates that caffeine helps kill human cells that have been damaged by UV light, one of the leading causes of skin cancer.  Several other studies have found that people who regularly drink coffee or tea have lower instance of non-melanoma skin cancers.

A cup of coffee before exercise may give you a healthy boost; a University of Illinois study finds that the practice can result in less muscle soreness.

So, drink or smell a cup of coffee and you will lower your risks of getting pregnant, getting skin cancer, going crazy, and you’ll be able to run a mile without feeling sore – what a miracle!   Take these stories with a grain of salt… or a grind of coffee.

Ginger Ale Without the Can

GINGER ALE is an age-old remedy for sick children and grown-ups alike. Now, homemade ginger ale is appearing on drink menus across the country under happier circumstances.

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Sweetwaters has been working with the Ann Arbor Women artist on creating fun and exciting shows for our Downtown location. We are now proud to announce the gallery line up for the rest of 2009. The Ann Arbor Women Artists is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1951 and has approximately 230 women and a few men with connections to Ann Arbor, Michigan, ranging from beginning to professional artists. The purpose of the AAWA is to stimulate creativity in order to continually raise the quality of the art produced.

May 4th to June 29th

Marlene Blum- Acrylics

Dawn Sgriccia- Oil

Cariline O’Neil – Photography

June 29th  to August 31st

Pam Rosselle – Watercolor

Ilona Brustad – Acrylic

Theresa Rojas - Acrylic

August 31st to Nov 2nd

Laila Kujala – Photography

Barb Anderson – Acrylic

Ruth Krzyzowski - Oil, pastels

Nov 2nd to Jan 4th

Barbara S. Anderson – Acrylics

Susan Craig – Mixed media

Vickie Peterson-Michalak - Digital/mixed media

For more information about the Ann Arbor Women Artists, please check out their website http://www.annarborwomenartists.com/

Now the whole world can see what Ann Arborites love about Sweetwaters! Forbes.com has released an article of America’s Hometown Favorites and Sweetwaters along with Ann Arbor were the only places featured for Michigan!