Category: Food for Thought

Injustice in Java

In the spring of my senior year, I traveled to Jinotega, Nicaragua on a service trip. While there, I visited a coffee plantation to learn about coffee as one of Nicaragua’s biggest exports. The harsh labor conditions of this plantation were immediately apparent- workers were dirty, exhausted, malnourished, and many had their children in the fields to help the parents fulfill the daily quota. After conducting my own investigation once I got home, I learned that most coffee workers are not guaranteed their basic labor rights. 1 I was torn because I didn’t want to support a business that exploited workers, making them labor under abysmal working conditions, but I still wanted my daily roast. That is when I discovered Fair Trade certified coffee.

Fair Trade certified coffee ensures that the farmers who grow the coffee: “1) are paid a fair price for their harvest and 2) are democratically organized into cooperatives that sell direct to buyers in consuming countries.” 2 The guaranteed minimum price for Fair Trade coffee is $1.26 (US dollars) for Fair Trade specialty coffee and $1.41 for Fair Trade certified organic coffee, whereas the world price for conventionally sourced coffee is around 60 cents per pound. By receiving good and stable prices, small-scale producers in developing countries can achieve job and hunger security and farmer cooperatives can “invest in food, shelter, health care, education, environmental stewardship, and economic independence” 3.  The Fair Trade prices also enable cooperatives to engage in environmentally sustainable ways of farming. Additionally, these agricultural exports are crucial for growth and development of these communities and countries. With such benefits, Fair Trade fosters a socially and environmentally friendly relationship between producers, traders and consumers. And, as a result of all this, the Fair Trade business model ensures quality coffee.

In Nicaragua, I witnessed the harsh conditions of workers who did not receive Fair Trade prices. Coffee worker Blanca Rosa Molina said the difference of Fair Trade prices is “the difference between whether my family eats or does not eat… It means our children can stay in school and that we can have basic health provisions.” 4 According to the International Labor Organization, poverty is the most compelling reason why children work. They report that children contribute “around 20-25% of family income” and their contribution is oftentimes just enough to keep their families out of hunger. 5 In fact, in Sidamo, one place where Starbucks purchases coffee, “over half of children between the ages of 5 and 17 work 30 hours a week on their families’ farms.” 6 By working so much, their education and nutrition suffers. However, many other problems arise. I remember hearing over and over about the problems of child abuse and rape that happens on the coffee fields. Fair Trade business practices, as aforementioned, help prevent these harsh realities.

Despite coffee companies knowing fully about these harsh realities, Fair Trade makes up just 5% of the U.S. coffee market. Many companies feature only a few Fair Trade brews, while the rest are conventionally sourced. For example, the top five selling coffee producers in the US are: Keurig, Folgers, Starbucks, Maxwell House, and Dunkin Donuts. Dunkin Donuts is the only purchaser whose beans are 100% FT certified. Less than half of the coffee Keurig Green Mountain buys is Fair Trade Certified. Only 8% of Folgers and 8.4% Starbucks are Fair Trade certified. Kraft does not use fair trade coffee beans with their Maxwell House products. 7

However, these companies, with Starbucks as the biggest culprit, are able to escape criticism by using similar sounding buzz words, such as “ethically sourced” or “organic,” to try to trick the customer into thinking they are buying Fair Trade certified coffee when they are not. I have observed Starbucks promoting their commitment to buying and serving Fair Trade certified and ethically sourced coffee 8. They make consumers believe that ‘‘Every time you purchase Starbucks’ coffee, you’re also making a difference, helping to improve people’s lives, and encouraging conservation where our coffee is grown’’ 9. They use the label “ethically sourced” to essentially trick customers into thinking they are supporting a socially responsible brand. However, hidden behind the label of “ethically sourced” is a much different practice than the ethical behavior necessary to get the Fair Trade certified labels. The former label comes from Starbucks’ in-house program, called CAFÉ. This CAFÉ program is owned by Starbucks and is therefore up to Starbucks own criteria and standards of whether to label the coffee as “ethically sourced.” Starbucks’ advertising strategy to promote their brand as socially responsible is unethical in the very least.

Since Bucknell is a Starbucks campus, I was curious to see whether our cafes offered any of the few Fair Trade brews on and around campus. I have pleasantly discovered that Fair Trade Coffee is offered in all locations such as Bostwick and the Commons Café. Even the retail locations downtown always have one Starbucks Fair Trade roast a day. Even more agreeably, I have found that this Fair Trade coffee is purchased from a specific coffee plantation and community in Nicaragua. This is all attributed to the Bucknell Brigade, a campus club whose mission is to assist and support of the Nicaraguan people through service trips to Nicaragua, local fundraising efforts, and the importation of Nicaraguan Fair Trade raw beans.

Fair Trade is not only a business model but a global social movement for empowering the poor. Poverty doesn’t have to be an irreparable problem. The Fair Trade business model helps the poorest sectors in the world and it takes on many forms and can be applied to many different products and situations. We can address exploitation and poverty in the global marketplace right here at Bucknell.

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  1.  “Coffee the Environment and Labor.” Starbucks / Fair Trade Campaign. Organic Consumers Association, n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2016. ↩
  2.  “Global Exchange’s Coffee FAQ.” Global Exchange. Global Exchange 2011, 2011. Web. 19 Apr. 2016. ↩
  3.  “Global Exchange’s Coffee FAQ.” Global Exchange. Global Exchange 2011, 2011. Web. 19 Apr. 2016. ↩
  4.  Litvinoff, Miles, and John Madeley. 50 Reasons to Buy Fair Trade. London: Pluto, 2007. Print. ↩
  5.  “Working to Help Coffee’s Children.” Tea and Coffee Trade OnLine 2nd ser. 176 (2002): n. pag. Web. 19 Apr. 2016. ↩
  6.  “Starbucks 2006 Corporate IRRESPONSIBILITY Report.” Justice From Bean to Cup. IWW Starbucks Worker Union, 2006. Web. 19 Apr. 2016. ↩
  7.  “Does Fair Trade Coffee Cost More to the Consumer?” Equal Exchange. Equal Exchange, n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2016. ↩
  8.  “Coffee the Environment and Labor.” Starbucks / Fair Trade Campaign. Organic Consumers Association, n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2016. ↩
  9.  Ruzich C.M. “For the Love of Joe: The Language of Starbucks.” J.Pop.Cult.Journal of Popular Culture 41.3 (2008): 428-42. ↩

“Empty Bowls, Full Hearts”

800 million people go to bed hungry every night. 3.1 million children under the age of five die of malnutrition every year. Almost 50 percent of people living in extreme poverty are 18 years old or younger. In September 2015, the United Nations set a goal to end world hunger by 2030. This may take a lot of work, but it does not require a new scientific breakthrough nor are the costs expensive – we have the tools and the resources, it’s just a matter of implementing them. What it truly takes is the power of many to make a concerted effort to fight hunger. This week Bucknell hosts the Empty Bowls Project which is an international grassroots effort in which potters and artisans donate ceramic handcrafted bowls which are then bought and used as soup bowls for guests attending the event. The event raises money for Community Harvest Meal in Milton as well as awareness for Bucknellians and the local community in the fight to end hunger.

This year the Empty Bowls Project focuses specifically on how women are disproportionately affected by hunger and poverty. Discrimination against women is a major cause of persistent hunger. According to The Bread For the World Insitute’s annual report, females’ lack of bargaining power, unpaid care work, insufficient political representation all worsen the effects of poverty on their lives. Just by “increasing women’s earning potential by boosting bargaining power, reducing gender inequality in unpaid work, increasing women’s political representation, and eliminating the wage gap between male and female labor could help stem the worldwide epidemic” 1.  Additionally, with mother and fetus as an inseparable biological and social unit. female health and nutrition are inextricably linked with their children. Maternal malnutrition increases the risk of stillbirths and newborn deaths, intrauterine growth restriction, low birthweight (LBW), preterm birth, and birth defects. Thus, improving female nutrition will result in healthier mothers and babies. When we empower women and give them the tools they need to survive, we stand a much better chance of overcoming not only poverty but also intolerance, disease, and even extremism 2.

The Empty Bowls project at Bucknell helps in the worldwide effort to end hunger, extreme poverty, and gender inequality. This annual event, in which people can buy bowls that have crafted throughout the year, raises money for the Community Harvest Meal in Milton. This event has been providing people in our neighboring community with no income in this community meals for a decade now. This year, the focus on women is not only to highlight how poverty adversely affects women but to also promote International Women’s Day which occurs at the beginning of March.

Lynn Peterson, head of the Bucknell Empty Bowls project, explained that apart from highlighting women’s rights and gender equality, it also is a great way to raise awareness in Lewisburg about the ways we can help our community throughout the year. The Community Harvest, which serves a weekly hot meal program that serves 80-120 people every Monday evening and the Lewisburg Community Garden, which donates organic produce to local food programs, are always open to volunteers. Such programs enable people struggling with food insecurity to put their limited funds towards other expenses in their lives like heating, medication, and other necessities. Lynn’s favorite part about being part of this initiative is that “it is great to see not only our campus community but also people from the Lewisburg area come together to support the EB event.”

The effects of hunger are long-lasting with long-term effects that “can be felt for the rest of a person’s life, impacting a child’s ability to grow and learn, and even snuffing out their chances of survival entirely” 3.   For a simple donation of $10, we can enjoy a simple meal of soup and bread served in a hand-crafted bowl  and then take home the “empty bowl” as a reminder of the many individuals suffering from hunger. With the momentum gathering throughout the years to end this silent pandemic, there is never a better time to act. Famine gives us the chance to transform lives and stop hunger in its tracks.

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Event time & location: Thursday, March 10, from 11:30 A.M. to 2 P.M. and 4 to 7:30 P.M. in the Walls Lounge inside the Elaine Langone Center.

Hope to see you there!

Carly

  1. “When Women Flourish We Can End Hunger.” (n.d.): n. pag. Bread for the World Institute. 2015. Web. 9 Mar. 2016. ↩
  2.  “To End Hunger, Empower Women: Study.” Common Dreams. Common Dreams, 24 Mar. 2014. Web. 09 Mar. 2016. ↩
  3. “The Long Term Effects of Hunger – 2 Degrees Food.” 2 Degrees Food. Union Street Media, 21 Apr. 2014. Web. 09 Mar. 2016. ↩

Breaking Bread Together: The Importance of Traditional Dining in a College Setting

Breaking bread together is one of the most ancient forms of developing and fostering relationships. We like food, we need food, and we have a socially profound urge to share food. Throughout history, we have come together to satisfy our daily hunger cravings by pumping fuel into our body. Eating fulfills our most basic physiological needs and, as a group event, the act of eating in a traditional dining setting also satisfies our entire hierarchy of needs from safety to love, esteem, and self-actualization. Consequently, when we don’t eat together, we can suffer academically, psychologically, and physically.

Research shows that dining together enhances students’ academic performance. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University “found a striking relationship between frequency of family meals and grades. In 2003, the percent of teens who got A’s was 20% of those who ate with their families 5 or more times per week compared to only 12% of those who ate with their families 2 or less times per week.” 1 Although this study refers to family meals, college students are able to replicate this when dining with close friends because intimate meals allow us to be emotionally content and have positive peer relationships. This enhancement of our social and emotional well being carries into our cognitive abilities, resulting in heightened academic performance. Additionally, what seems like a mental break from the day is actually a relaxing way of expanding our knowledge as we constantly learn from our discussions and expand our perspectives. In Alice Julier’s book Eating Together, Julier “argues that dining together can radically shift people’s perspectives: It reduces people’s perceptions of inequality, and diners tend to view those of different races, genders, and socioeconomic backgrounds as more equal than they would in other social scenarios.” 2 Communication, especially in the welcoming environment of a dining area, is the key to understanding others as well as ourselves.

We cannot reap these cognitive benefits with the wrong dining environment. A healthy dining experience facilitates conversations that provide us the opportunity to bond, connect, and share with each other, creating a unifying feeling of warmth and amiability. That means no phones and other forms of technology. Without distractions, we are bound to have spontaneous and unpredictable conversations, allowing us to discover more about each other, whether it is an event from that day or a story from our childhood. When we appreciate the good food and even better company, dining can bring simple joy to our day. 

To enhance your dining experience, try actually cooking the meal. Although, we can bond in the Bison or the Commons, making food with our friends (or family) gives a lasting meaning to tradition and our cultural heritage. When we cook together, we have more time to connect, interact, while contributing to the gradual emergence of a great meal. It invites us to learn more about each other’s backgrounds – perhaps the oregano sprinkled on top was advice given by an Italian grandparent. Additionally, if you cook with just one other person, there is “ truth to the idea that if you cook it well, they will come,” according to Janet Peterson, author of the book, Remedies for the ‘I Don’t Cook Syndrome.’ 3 Even those friends who are busy still have to eat.

Besides our inner state of being, our physical bodies also improve when we dine in a group setting. Since it takes the brain 15 or 20 minutes for us to recognize when our stomachs are full, people who eat fast are more likely to overindulge. In fact, a study from the University of Rhode Island “found that those who ate slowly ate 1/3 less than those who ate fast. 4 While conversing with friends, we slow down our eating by talking, granting us more time to recognize when we are satiated. Additionally, eating on the go leads to overindulgence. This could be attributed to thinking we are exercising and rewarding ourselves or it could be to mindlessness. We are focusing on our destination and not our food. As a caveat, however, it can be easy to binge in social settings, even with one or two other people. Don’t let your companions’ habits affect how much food you consume. Stay mindful to your own food intake so you can continue to eat socially without the guilt of overeating.

We can’t let the traditional family meal end in college just because we don’t have our mothers calling out to us that our food is getting cold. In college, intimate meals and a healthy dining environment are just as important as they were in our child and teenage years. In the words of sagacious Virginia Woolf, “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”

 

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  1. “Family Meals.” Springer Reference (2011): n. pag. Purdue University. Web. 5 Oct. 2015. ↩
  2. Delistraty, Cody C. “The Importance of Eating Together.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 18 July 2014. Web. 05 Oct. 2015. ↩
  3. Campbell, Carolynn. “Bond with Your Family: Eat Together.” Power to Change Bond with Your Family Eat Together Comments. Power to Change, 27 May 2013. Web. 05 Oct. 2015. ↩
  4. Cohen, Jennifer. “9 Bad Habits That Make You Fat.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 24 Apr. 2012. Web. 05 Oct. 2015. ↩

From Farm to Table: Support Lewisburg’s Farmers Markets

With fall comes a flood of seasonal farm-fresh produce. The aromatic smells, blazing colors, and energetic atmosphere of farmers markets draws in locals, making the process of buying food an experience rather than a nettlesome task. Although the convenient Weis and Giant nearby carries all the items we could ever need, the chain stores somehow don’t create a feeling of abundance or sense of inspiration like a market does. The plethora of ripe tomatoes settled next to the basil, with wafts of sausage coming from the nearby vendor, calls for a recipe to be made. The fruit section especially, with the pink apples, purple eggplants, white raspberries, fuses into an immaculate color scheme that keeps us reaching for more. Every week, the new set up and produce stimulates our sight and scent differently to inspire a new dish.

The authentic beauty of the bounty reflects the power of nature and a hard day’s work. This old fashioned feel of farming and harvesting is hard to find elsewhere. At farmers markets, people connect with their community. Parents chat over fresh brewed coffee as their children diligently pick out the “best” pumpkin, butchers suggest new cuts of meat to their loyal customers, and bakers entice teenagers with their samples. The market itself is a celebration of life. So, support your local and/or college community and check out these nearby markets!

 

  1. The Lewisburg Farmer’s Marketfarmers-market-photo1

600 Fairground Road, Lewisburg, PA 17837

Every Wednesday 8-7 PM 

The half indoor, half outdoor, Lewisburg Farmer’s Market has a plethora of meats, cheeses, vegetables and fruit, organics at the peak of their flavor and nutritional content. There’s a wonderful vitality in the food and atmosphere here. Due to the sheer size, you could spend hours here talking to the passionate and knowledgeable farmers and butchers. If you are going to make it to any farmers market in the area, I highly recommend this one. 

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2. Susquehanna Valley Growers’ MarketIMG_1281

Brook Park Farms, Lewisburg, PA 17837

Every Friday 2-6 PM

This quaint farmer’s market has about ten to fifteen booths specializing in local products and all IMG_1283things for your picnicking needs. Features include fresh cheeses, apples, vegetables, homemade BBQ sauce, and meats.

For more info, click here.

 

3. Ard’s Farmers Market

20080707-marketscenela-corn4803 Old Turnpike Road, Lewisburg, PA 17837

Hours: Monday- Thursday 7 AM-8 PM, Friday and Saturday 7 AM-9 PM, Sunday 8 AM-8 PM.

Ard’s Farm is a great union-pumpkinsplace to buy fresh local produce as well as Ard’s own cheeses and other locally made products. Vendors include the family-run Shaffer Farms that specializes in growing hormone and antibiotic-free beef; a local woman’s company, In a Jam, that produces delicious homemade jams, jellies, and pickles; and the Rip Rap Bakery that uses locally grown organic wheat to bake sourdough, focaccia, and more. During the harvest season, take a hayride down to the pumpkin patch to pick out the freshest pumpkins and squashes. And with the Holiday Season coming up, Ard’s displays local wreaths, tress, roping, and greens – all the essentials you need to decorate. Ard’s also has a restaurant, farm, corn maze, and gift shop.

For more info, click here. 

 

4. Route 15 Flea And Farmers Marketberries

150 Silver Moon Lane Lewisburg PA 17837

Every Sunday 8-4 PM 

This indoor and outdoor market has over 125 vendor spaces, offering fresh produce, baked goods, candies, and also flea market items such as candles, books, and all types of collectables. The outdoor market is where the best fruits and vegetables reside with fresh melons, peaches, apples, carrots, asparagus, and more. Be sure to check out the Antique Mall at the back of the market that has an array of antique furniture and vintage clothing. This mall is open every day but Tuesdays, from 10 AM to 5 PM.

For more info, click here.

 

5. Dries Orchards Roadside Produce Stand

Rt. 405 across from the Fence Farmer's Market: Buckets of Apples at Market

Restaurant, Milton, PA 17847

Monday – Friday: 9 AM – 6 PM, Saturday: 9 AM – 5 PM

(Seasonal: May – October)

Located on a country road, this is the quintessential and iconic farmers stand. Pick up tasty tomatoes, sweet corn, crisp apples and even fresh-cut flowers that were just gathered just off the tree, vine or bush that morning.

For more info, click here.

 

If you are interested in exploring farmers markets outside Lewisburg, here is a guide to Pennsylvania’s farm market and stands: PaPreferred.

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Happy hunting,

Carly

Tea Time: 6 Reasons Why Students Should Drink More Tea

 

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“Prince Dharma was touched by Divine grace and went out to preach the teachings of Buddha in China. To make himself worthy of such a mission, he vowed never to sleep during the nine years of his journey. Towards the end of the third year, however, he was overcome by drowsiness and was about to fall asleep when by chance he plucked a few leaves from a wild tea plant and began to chew them. The stimulating qualities of tea immediately had their effect; Dharma felt much more alert and thereafter attributed the strength he found to stay awake during the six remaining years of his apostolic mission to these leaves.” 1

Thus goes the Indian legend surrounding the origins of tea. Tea, founded in China, has been around since 2737 BC. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) tea drinking became an art form and a refined part of everyday life. During this time, a man who grew up in a monastery, Lu Yu, wrote The Book of Tea, the most prominent and influential book in Chinese tea culture. Lu Yu transcribed a “detailed account of ways to cultivate and prepare tea, tea drinking customs, the best water for tea brewing and different classifications of tea.” 2  Also during this century, tea spread to Japan, where only the rich and monks imbibed for medicinal purposes. The monks drank the tea in order to stay awake for long meditations, which explains why tea is so closely associated to Zen Buddhism. 3 As the practice of tea drinking spread from the nobles and monks in Japan to the common people, it simultaneously spread across Asia. Tea then arrived in Europe in the 17th century. And, finally, reached the “New World” on the ships of English and Dutch settlers, where it was so impactful that it altered our country’s history. Today, tea is now the most popular beverage in the world after water, with 15,000 cups drank every second.  1

I won’t tell you not to get your morning cup of joe for obvious reasons, but I will tell you some compelling facts about tea’s many benefits that go far beyond the realm of a caffeinated boost. Here are just the top five reasons why I think more students should consider consuming this aromatic beverage.

  1. Improves Memory

Researchers at the University of Basel in Switzerland found that consuming green tea enhances memory. The researchers divided participants into two groups. One group was given green tea (27.5 grams of green tea extract in a beverage) and the other was given a placebo. Neither groups knew what drink they were given. The researchers “found that participants who drank the beverage containing green tea extract performed better on the memory tasks” due to a “distinctly different activation pattern between their frontal and parietal lobes.” 5 Researchers believe green tea could aid in treating cognitive impairment disorders such as dementia. 5

  1. Boosts Focus and Concentration

Green and white tea contain high amounts of L-theanine, an amino acid found in tea plants. L-theanine, with the help of  caffeine, boosts concentration and alertness. 7

  1. Cleanses Liver

Tea can help us balance the damage we do to our liver from drinking alcohol. Research from Japan shows, “tea is a powerful antidote to the effects of alcohol” due to theanine that “accelerates the breakdown of acetaldehyde” which is a toxic byproduct of alcohol breakdown. Theanine also “blocks toxic radicals,” that our bodies produce when breaking down alcohol.

In simpler terms, theanine accelerates the removal of alcohol from our body. 8 I suggest trying dandelion root tea for a thorough liver detox. 

  1. Relieves Stress

A study by University College London researchers found “that people who drank tea were able to de-stress more quickly than those who drank a fake tea substitute.”9 Moreover, they found that those who drank “a black tea concoction four times a day for six weeks – were found to have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their blood after a stressful event, compared with a control group who drank the fake or placebo tea for the same period of time.” Drinking green tea has similar results due to the polyphenols in green tea which reduce stress levels and the damaging impacts stress has on brain, “while increasing levels of calming chemicals in the body.” 10

 

  1. Promotes Better Sleep

College students are one of the most sleep deprived populations, with 70% of college students who have reported sleeping problems and 50% suffering from daytime sleepiness. 11 Drinking tea, which contains theanine, provides the perfect solution for students who want to get a good night’s sleep but not necessarily a longer one. Theanine is “able to improve the quality of sleep, speed recovery from exhaustion, and promote refreshing feelings after sleep.” 12  This is perfect for people who want to get a good night’s sleep but not necessarily a longer one. Just make sure when you reach for the tea at night, you choose decaf!

  1. Strengthens Immune System

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published a study that found how substances in tea boosts the body’s immunity by fighting off infections. Many habits that college students engage in can lead to a weakened immune system such as sleep deprivation, stress, and living situations. 13

This study found that:

“This latest study shows how chemicals—known as alkylamines—which are commonly present in tea (as well as wine, apples, mushrooms, and other sources), are also present in some bacteria, cancerous cells, parasites, fungi, and other disease-causing agents. Drinking tea may be able to prime the body’s immune system against these agents, by teaching disease-fighter immune cells to recognize and remember alkylamines.” 13

To learn 13 MORE reasons why drinking tea is good for you, read Time Magazine’s article here.

My own experience drinking tea is the inspiration behind this article. As I huddled up next to my computer brainstorming about what to write about, I took a slow sip of my hot tea. As the aromas wafted into my nose and the tea dripped down my throat, warming my insides, I immediately felt at ease. I thought about how drinking tea has changed the way I work and relax. Now, here I am, hoping it can have the same effect on you.

 

XX & 3 Cups of Teatea

Carly

 

 

 

 

  1.  “The History of Tea.” History of Tea. Bruits De Palais, n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2015. ↩
  2. “The History of Tea.” Chinese Tea. China.org, n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2015. ↩
  3.  “The History of Tea.” The History & Origin of Tea. Teavana Corp., n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2015. ↩
  4.  “The History of Tea.” History of Tea. Bruits De Palais, n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2015. ↩
  5.  DiSalvo, David. “New Study Shows That Green Tea Boosts Working Memory.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 14 Apr. 2014. Web. 10 Sept. 2015. ↩
  6.  DiSalvo, David. “New Study Shows That Green Tea Boosts Working Memory.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 14 Apr. 2014. Web. 10 Sept. 2015. ↩
  7.  Mitchell, Terri. “Theanine.” LifeExtension.com. Life Extension, n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2015. ↩
  8.  “Hangover Prevention.” LifeExtension.com. Life Extension, n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2015. ↩
  9. “Black Tea Can Soothe Away Stress.” (EUFIC).The European Food Information Council, 9 Oct. 2015. Web. 10 Sept. 2015. ↩
  10.  “10 Ways to Reduce Stress.” Psychologies. Kelsey Media Ltd, Feb. 2011. Web. 10 Sept. 2015. ↩
  11. Hershner, Shelley D., and Ronald D. Chervin. “Causes and Consequences of Sleepiness among College Students.” Nature and Science of Sleep. Dove Medical Press, n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2015. ↩
  12. “Theanine Super Nutrient.” Body Concepts Nutritionals. Body Concepts Group Pty Ltd, n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2015. ↩
  13.  Pickrell, John. “Tea Boosts Immunity and Helps Skin, Study Finds.”National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 29 Apr. 2003. Web. 10 Sept. 2015. ↩
  14.  Pickrell, John. “Tea Boosts Immunity and Helps Skin, Study Finds.”National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 29 Apr. 2003. Web. 10 Sept. 2015. ↩