Tales of Yerba Mate
I lived in South American for awhile after graduate school and it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. South American is so culturally rich. The people still practice customs their great, great, great grandparents honored for centuries. One of the customs that still exists today is to “taking mate.” Taking Mate is different in each South American country and even varies within regions. For example, Coca Mate is the Mate of choice in Peru and is derived from the coca leaf while Argentineans prefer the Mate with which Americans are more familiar. I took this photo of my morning Coca Mate in Arica, Peru. Yes, it's hot water and leaves but notice what's not included...no preservatives, no chemicals, no food dyes, nothing except what comes from the earth.
Fortunately, I had the opportunity to try many different types of Mate. Main Stream America has caught onto the health benefits of drinking more tea as opposed to coffee. I am still a “bean-aholic” but I still take Mate every other day for mental clarity and digestion. I rarely watch TV but one of my FAVORITE shows is Get Fresh with Sara Snow on Discovery Health. Recently, she had a really cool segment on Mate where she shows the tea leaves being harvested, aging and finally being used in a Mate gourd among friends. Taking Mate with friends is how this tea should be enjoyed. It's really interesting how taking Mate tea is a cultural ritual among South American cultures as well as Asian cultures. Are we more similar than we are different?
If you’re a “bean-aholic” like me you don’t have to swear off coffee but substituting one cup of Mate for your morning java jolt twice a week will increase you antioxidant intake which means that you might not get that office cold going around. If you drink it because you like the taste or you are “taking mate” with friends for fun as long as you’re doing one thing a day to live lightly you’re making your mark!
Fortunately, I had the opportunity to try many different types of Mate. Main Stream America has caught onto the health benefits of drinking more tea as opposed to coffee. I am still a “bean-aholic” but I still take Mate every other day for mental clarity and digestion. I rarely watch TV but one of my FAVORITE shows is Get Fresh with Sara Snow on Discovery Health. Recently, she had a really cool segment on Mate where she shows the tea leaves being harvested, aging and finally being used in a Mate gourd among friends. Taking Mate with friends is how this tea should be enjoyed. It's really interesting how taking Mate tea is a cultural ritual among South American cultures as well as Asian cultures. Are we more similar than we are different?
If you’re a “bean-aholic” like me you don’t have to swear off coffee but substituting one cup of Mate for your morning java jolt twice a week will increase you antioxidant intake which means that you might not get that office cold going around. If you drink it because you like the taste or you are “taking mate” with friends for fun as long as you’re doing one thing a day to live lightly you’re making your mark!
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