I’ve always been a dreamer. Dreams allow us to transcend the confines of our present position and give us space to journey. We are able to visualize the future, revisit the past, resolve a problem, or just keep ourselves entertained. Whether awake (as in aspirations) or asleep, dreaming is a state of complete vulnerability. To […]
May
Guayusa: The New Super Tisane
It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! No, it’s Guayusa (GWHY-YOU-SA): the super hero of the herbal tea world. If you haven’t seen this herb yet, keep looking. Why? It seems to offer the best of everything. It is high in antioxidants like green tea, while also offering a caffeine boost equivalent to a cup of […]
Bye Bye Latté, Hello Guayusa: Why The Amazon Holds the Secret to a Cleaner, Healthier Caffeine
It’s 4am on the river. The fire crackles beneath an iron cauldron. A boiling brew is scooped into makeshift bowls—hollowed out coconut halves. Frederico leads the others around the hearth as they gently wash their faces with cupfuls of warm liquid. In the still of the night he breaks the silence and begins: “everything in […]
Guayusa: The New Tea in Town
Recently I spent time in Napo Province, in the beautiful South American country of Ecuador. I was there to study two plants, one of which is a relatively unknown tea called guayusa. Guayusa enjoys a history of use among some native tribes in Ecuador, notably the Jivaro tribe. Among the Jivaro, the drinking of guayusa […]
Ecuador’s “Superleaf” Tea: Could It Replace Your Afternoon Coffee?
By Emma Weissmann, National Geographic For the Kichwa people of the Ecuadorian Amazon, teatime isn’t an afternoon tradition that pairs dainty finger sandwiches with porcelain cups. Instead, it begins at 3 a.m., when members of this indigenous community gather around a fire and brew guayusa, a highly caffeinated drink with twice the antioxidants of green […]
Traditional Uses & Cultural Heritage
The indigenous Kichwa say guayusa is so captivating that visitors are warned once they drink it, they will always return to the Ecuadorian Jungle. The women say it relieves symptoms of menopause, helps the liver and stomach; soothes and reduces aches and pains and offers balance and strength to pregnant women. Spiritually, elders say guayusa […]