Oregon Yerba Mate

Image by thekellyscope via Flickr

Following my daily workouts, I was having muscle pain to the point I didn't want to exercise the next day. Sometimes the muscle pain would make it difficult for me sleep.  I started thinking it was just a sign of age:(

On our trip to Bend in December, we purchased two packages of Oregon Yerba Mate (Performance blend and Zen blend).  On the way home, we stopped at Dutch Brothers in Redmond to get a drink--we both love the cold raspberry mate.  The girl that waited on us works at Oregon Yerba Mate in Redmond part time and was telling us about the benefits of mate and particularly the blends we had purchased at Whole Foods.  She was extremely knowledgable and we enjoyed chatting with her:)

We started drinking the Performance blend during the day--making it in our French Press. You can continue adding hot water to the tea all day--until the water no longer has flavor.  It took me a bit to get used to the taste as it has a "green tea" like taste and I am NOT a fan of green tea!  I find that I do have more energy during the day but it isn't a jittery energy like I get when I drink coffee (I am not a coffee drinker but have had it a few times), it is more a calm energy.  The Performance blend contains Ginseng, Damiana, Wild Yam, Goat Weed, Yohimbe and Maca in addition to the Mate.  According to the Oregon Yerba Mate website, "This blend is designed to reduce lactic acid buildup during workouts and boost metabolism to burn calories. Performance blend is used by body builders and dieters to burn extra pounds and build muscle." Since I started exercising two weeks ago, I haven't had any muscle pain at all!

In the evening, I drink the Zen blend before going to bed.  Within 15 minutes, any tense muscles relax and I am able to sleep comfortably.  The Oregon Yerba Mate website describes the Zen blend as "a wonderful Alchemy of Yerba Mate, Chamomile, Jasmine, Lavender, and Kava Kava. It works to calm the central nervous system."

Yerba Mate is a plant grown in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Southern Brazil.  It contains less caffeine than green tea but the caffeine does not effect the central nervous system as coffee does but "users report a mental state of wakefulness, focus and alertness reminiscent of most stimulants, but often remark on Mate's unique lack of negative effects typically created by other such compounds, such as anxiety, diarrhea, "jitteriness", and heart palpitations." from www.oregonyerbamate.com.  Yerba Mate has three times the antioxidants of green tea plus 196 vitamins and minerals.  In South America they drink Mate from a gourd using a bombilla. It is often a shared drink--very social. I drink mine by myself, from a large pink polka dotted coffee cup:)

If you get the chance, visit the Oregon Yerba Mate Cafe at 528 SW 6th Street in Redmond, Oregon.  If you can't visit in person, go to their very professional website at www.oregonyerbamate.com.

What is your favorite beverage?  Mine is still water but I do enjoy my mate on a daily basis.  Kat