While living in Flagstaff Arizona I was privileged to have been introduced to and share in a traditional Yerba Mate circle. Yerba Mate, or Lagenaria Vulgaris, literally means herb cup and is a South American tradition of steeping the leaves and stems of the Yerba Mate tree in a hollowed out gourd and sipping said beverage through a bombilla (straw-like filter). Like the black Chai tea of South Asia swept and gained popularity across North America, Yerba Mate is coming into its own in the states, claiming to enhance health, vitality, and longevity. Boasting 196 naturally occurring active compounds including 24 vitamins and minerals, 15 amino acids, an abundance of antioxidants and naturally occurring caffeine; green teas (144 active compounds) pale in comparison to the perks of drinking Yerba Mate.
Yerba Mate is now a North American coffee house staple and can be found on the shelves of your neighbourhood market, but is most often packaged and served as would a tea. While there are variations in its nutrient strength depending on if it was shade or sun grown and how it was processed, you cannot go wrong or feel any more elated when drinking of this subtropical plant whether iced, from a tea bag, by French press, or in a traditional ceremony. As for purchasing Yerba Mate, one’s best questions may be “Where did it come from?” “How is it made?” “What is it doing for the people, forest, plants, and animals around it?”
Drinking Yerba Mate is a healthy alternative or compliment to the coffee/tea drinkers out there that thrive on the boost of caffeine and as for runners, or otherwise active peoples, Yerba Mate delivers both pre-run stamina and post-run tranquillity. Its’ naturally occurring caffeine differs from that of coffee in many ways including the imbibers ability to feel placidness and should they so wish, to fall to sleep.
Of course, as the wise ones say “Moderation in all things.”
OK. So this sounds too good to be true. I'll bet the FDA will ban it! ;-) I have been looking for an alternative to coffee and the taste of Green Tea just doesn't attract me. I'm definitely going to try YB.
