May 2024 Newsletter

Hello everyone and I hope all is well! :)

Mother's Day is this Sunday 5/12 and I wish all you moms and pet moms a beautiful day! :)

My temporary workspace is set up and orders are shipping again! I experienced some delays in getting caught up with operations in April, so a few teas are currently out of stock. I am hoping to have them back in stock before the end of this month. I have started turning the functional herbs live in the online shop and have been prioritizing the ones that many of you had been purchasing in the shop. These currently don't have pictures, but they will be added at some point in the future. If your favorite functional tisane or one you've been ordering hasn't been added yet, please let me know and I will add it asap. If you're looking for any particular functional herbs that you don't see on the website, feel free to email me at kristine@infuseteabarny.com to inquire. One of these tisanes that I just turned live in the online shop is Linden Leaf and Flower Organic Herbal Tisane, which I discuss below.

I continue to sell the remaining latch lock black tins that stored the teas in the shop and they are $5 each. I added this item to the website, but there is no picture yet. Some of these tins have the tan-colored front labels, a few have some minor scratches or small dents. If you would like to purchase any with your next order, please put a note in the Comment section of the cart letting me know which tea or tisane tin you are interested in. I will let you know if I still have the requested tin available before your order is finalized and shipped. Teaware that remains in stock will also begin to be added to the website by the end of this month, but please don't hesitate to email me if you are interested in a particular item that you had seen in the shop.

As a reminder, when you place your orders, PLEASE let me know what's new in the Comments section of the cart, if you would like to share. I have always enjoyed hearing about the things going on in your lives and I miss this very much.

Lastly, I have some great news about a pick-up option that will begin in June. Please see below for details! :)

As always, I appreciate your continued support of my small business!! Enjoy spring :)

-- Kristine, FDN-P

Pick-Up Option

Donna from West Sayville Flowers (my former business neighbor) has generously offered her shop as an option for order pick-ups! This service will ONLY be available on Wednesdays from 9:00 to 5:00, so as not to interfere with Donna's business, and it will begin Wednesday, June 5th. Orders will need to be placed before the end of day on Sundays so that I will have the time to pull them together and get them over to her. If you would like to take advantage of this option, please indicate so in the Comments section of the cart. Please note that a shipping charge will be applied when you place your order, but it will be removed when I manually finalize and charge the order :)

Please be advised that, at times, her shop is closed for a short period of time while they are running deliveries. They will have a sign posted stating this, so please be aware that this may happen if you decide to use this service.

A Personal Note

May 8th is World Ovarian Cancer Day and, this year, this day holds a special significance for me. Three weeks ago I was diagnosed with what looked like an aggressive form of ovarian cancer and surgery almost two weeks ago confirmed it. Ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal cancers, as there aren't any reliable diagnostics and it is usually not discovered until it is too late, having metastasized throughout the body. But I am one of the lucky ones. A full hysterectomy salpingo-oophorectomy with surrounding lymph nodes, appendix and other tissues showed that the cancer was contained within the ovaries. Chemo will be started in a few weeks. I am getting stronger every day and yesterday my husband and I went for a very slow one-mile walk :)

I am lucky because, due to my health history and some genetic SNPs putting me in a higher risk category, I get regular sonograms. My emergency room visit last May also put this potential issue on the map and I've been regularly screened ever since. A sonogram in February indicated that my right ovary was slightly enlarged from the last sonogram in August. Results from additional testing in March and throughout April showed the critical nature of the situation. I am lucky because I keep on top of my health, advocating for myself, and I also have a fantastic doctor that ordered blood work and an MRI immediately to rule out ovarian cancer. Any my gynecological oncologist wasted no time either, with surgery taking place only 10 days after my first appointment with her.

The diagnosis came as a surprise because I take very good care of myself and I take many necessary steps to manage my autoimmune conditions and lower my cancer risk. I am well prepared for this new endeavor as I have been training as an advocate with Dr. Nasha Winters for the past several years in the metabolic and terrain approach to dealing with cancer and I have one of her trained doctors on my team. Now the work begins to dive in deeper to explore my cancer's drivers and how I am going to continue to reduce my risks moving forward to kick this and any other potential cancer's ass and live a long, healthy life :)

Ovarian cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths among women. The American Cancer Society estimates for ovarian cancer in the United States for 2024 are:

• About 19,680 women will receive a new diagnosis of ovarian cancer.
• About 12,740 women will die from ovarian cancer.

Symptoms are non-descript and can mimic other issues - digestive issues, bloating, bowel and/or urinary habit changes. These symptoms usually arise in the later stages of the cancer and early stages, when it is more treatable, are usually asymptomatic or subtle symptoms get missed.

Even though this is a rare cancer, the odds of survival are not great due to the late stage when finally diagnosed. I am sharing my story in the hopes that all of you women who read my newsletter and the men who have women in their lives will be aware of this cancer and take the necessary steps to understand your own potential risks, if any. It is worth the effort!

Ladies - speak with your gynecologist to understand your risk and see if you can get pelvic sonograms annually, if you aren't already. If you do not have a gynecologist, get one!

To learn more and understand the risk factors, visit National Ovarian Cancer Coalition or Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance.

Linden Herbal Tisane

I have been drinking a fair amount of linden lately and I am so happy that I "rediscovered" this delicious herb. It's funny because every time I drink this tisane, I pretty much always say that I should drink it more often. But with so many delicious tisanes to select from, I seem to always be enjoying something new.

Linden is a member of the Tilia genus, which is comprised of about thirty species of trees and bushes. It is also known as a lime tree in Britain and Ireland, which is a nod to an alternate form of the Middle English "lind"; however, it is not related to the citrus fruit. Tilia is at the root of the tree's name in several European languages, including tilleul and tilo. Linden is a deciduous tree that is indigenous to most of the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Linden has held a sacred place in many cultures throughout history and it has been a popular drinking tisane in Europe for a long time. It is a relaxing nervine that may calm anxiety and nervous tension, reduce blood pressure and palpitations that arise from stress, and help promote sleep. It has been used for colds, flu, coughs and fevers and the small amount of mucilage it contains can soothe dry and irritated mucous membranes in the throat and respiratory tract.

The leaves and flowers of the linden tree infuse into a wonderfully soothing tea. It is aromatic, slightly astringent and viscous, and it has a lovely mild sweetness with a floral, honey-like aroma. Linden can be enjoying hot or iced.

Seasonal Teas

Summer teas are available! Returning favorites include: Minted Coconut Lime Green Tea, Cherry Pineapple Herbal Tisane (just about out of stock, but more will be ordered soon), Coconut Fruit Punch Fruit Tisane, Kiwi Peach Fruit Tisane, and Watermelon Fruit Tisane.

The Pleasures of Tea

www.pleasuresoftea.com - online shop

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500+ Loose Leaf Teas, Herbal Tisanes & Functional/Medicinal Herbs

Certified - Tea Professional, Tea Sommelier & Tea Health Expert

Forever Student of the Art & Science of Herbalism

Certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner, MRC Certified Healthy Gut Practitioner, Certified Terrain Advocate, & Certified in Functional Nutrition - Vitality Holistic Wellness