Saviour Tea Review - Part 2

Hello, and welcome to the second part of my Saviour Tea review. If you haven't seen the first part already, then you can find it HERE.

In this part of the review I will be giving my personal opinion on each of the products and at end there will be an interview with Ollie, the head of Saviour Tea, and a discount code for any of you who wish to try any of the products discussed in this review. 

I covered all the ingredients and my overall first impressions of the product in the first part of this review, so if you're interested in that, then please read part one first. 

Review

I received four different blends in total, each of them containing two tea bags and I tried each of the blends with my brother just to get a second opinion on each of the products. 

One thing I must point out was the sample packs didn't come with any recommended brewing times like you see on most herbal or flavoured teas. It's not necessarily a problem, but I thought it should be something they should include.

All the teas I tested were made using fresh water, and each of the teas was left to brew for exactly two minutes. Here's a tip for you guys; NEVER use reboiled water to make tea. Always use fresh water. Reboiling water loses oxygen from the water and you won't get the full flavour of the tea by using it. 

So without adieu, let’s get into the review.

Hydration

I tried this tea after I got home from an evening’s BJJ class.

In terms of appearance, it’s very similar to camomile, that being a kind or dark orange colour. Again, the smell of it is very similar to camomile in my opinion, almost indistinguishable between the two. 

Surprisingly, it doesn't taste anything like it smells (that being camomile). It has a fruity taste but it’s very faint, you only catch a glimpse of it a couple of seconds after you swallow it. I assume that faint fruity flavour is from the natural orange oil, which is one of the main ingredients in this particular tea. 

Actually, I found this tea very refreshing, and it definitely did quench my thirst. I could see myself drinking this tea for a considerable amount of time without getting bored of the flavour.

Recovery

Just like the Hydration tea, I also tried this tea after an evening’s BJJ class.

This teas appearance is pretty much identical to that of the Hydration tea with that camomile orange colour. However, the smell is very peculiar. Honestly, I can't think of anything to compare it to. It's totally unique to me. 

Equally, the taste is very unique. It's very hard to think of a word to describe it, you just can't really seem to put your finger on it. I think the flavour is an acquired taste, and personally, I didn't like it that much. If I was to drink this every day, it would seem almost like a chore to me.

Looking at the information leaflet later, I was surprised to see that one of the main ingredients was actually camomile because I couldn't definitely neither smell it nor taste it. However, it did show through in its colour.  

Although, I must say that in terms of recovery it did a good job. I took it in the evening, a few hours before I went to bed, and I found it a little easier to get to sleep, and in the morning my body was noticeably less sore. So if you are looking at that aspect of the product, then I think this would be great for you as long as you can put up with the taste. 

Energy

I took this tea first thing in the morning when I woke up on an empty stomach. 

Right off the bat, I noticed that its appearance is exactly the same as green tea. I'm a very big green tea drinker and I would say it’s a carbon copy in terms of colour.  

Two of the ingredients in this tea are spearmint and lemongrass, and those two smells really come through in this tea. The smell itself is actually a very faint lemon and minty smell, and neither of them really are overpowering in anyway. 

To put it simply, it tastes exactly as it smells. The taste of mint and lemon are again very faint. It’s almost like somebody mixed a very weak spearmint and lemon tea together, that would be the best way of describing it. I must say though, that I really did enjoy this tea. It's hands down my favourite of the range and I could happily drink this every morning. 

So, did it give me any energy? Well, I did notice a difference in my energy level and I did feel much more refreshed and less grouchy in the morning. It does say you can take this before working out, but is it going to replace a pre-workout supplement? No, but then again this is all natural ingredients, so I suppose you can't really compare it to that in some aspects. 

Metabolic

I didn't take this tea at any specific time.

Surprisingly, this tea didn't look similar to any tea I've personally ever tried. It was light brown in colour, almost like a very weak English breakfast tea. 

The smell of the tea was a flowery smell with a hint of fruit coming through towards the end. I struggled to put my finger on what fruit it was, but when I saw the ingredients list, I saw it contained pomegranate oil, and pomegranate was exactly what it was. 

It was actually a light fruity tea and was very refreshing to my surprise. You can taste the pomegranate coming through, but it’s light and not too overpowering. You also get a little hint of rose accompanied with the pomegranate and that comes from the rosehip pieces which are an ingredient in the tea. 

The main goal of this tea is weight loss, so I can't really comment on that as I'm not trying to lose weight nor did I try the product for a sustained period of time in order to see any results in regards to weight loss. 

Conclusion

I actually thoroughly enjoyed trying these products, amazingly more than I thought I would. Even though I only tried each of them once, and the review time was relatively short, I really did have blast trying each of them and looking forward to trying the next one. 

Let's get down to price, how much does each of them cost? Each of them individually cost £9.95, or if you want to purchase all four of them together in a bundle, it will cost you £34.95 which is a saving of £4.85. Each of the blends contains in total 20 tea bags which works out at almost £0.50 per cup. 

So, is it worth it? Personally, I think so. You have to remember here, you're not getting your average run of the mill tea here. You're getting a very high quality product, which only uses natural ingredients which have been specifically formulated to enhance one key bodily function. It's intended to support your body the way nature intended it to. 

Who would I recommend this product to? Basically, anybody who lives an active lifestyle. If you fall under this category, I'm sure one of Saviour Tea's products will be perfect for you.

All of the products I tried during this review are available exclusively through the Saviour Tea website. (Please click HERE)

Interview and Discount Code

I thought it would be a good idea to get an interview with Ollie, who is the head of Saviour Tea, that way you can get a better understanding of the products and the reasons behind them. Please take a look below:

What gave you the idea to start a company like this?

The company was born out of a desire to educate. You have probably read my story but just to reiterate. Through negative lifestyle choices I ended up becoming very sick with an illness called adrenal fatigue. I was playing semi-professional rugby at the time and had become injured and consequently reliant on pain killers. I was also running a nightclub in London and was binge drinking up to 3 times a week. Eventually I got sick and was forced to drastically change my life and also re-evaluate what was important to me. I chose to clean myself up and rather than take the prescription drugs offered by the doctors, used a healthy diet, adequate rest and exercise to begin the recovery process. This is where the teas came in. I was recommended certain herbs by an expert in natural medicine to speed up the healing process. They were best taken in tea form but I couldn't find the combinations I needed. I approached a tea supplier and we developed blends that I could use for my recovery. I instantly became hooked and was noticing significant benefits on my general well-being and also training. I was also developing a new passion for life which was nurtured through the teas, healthy living, clean eating and my new love for BJJ. The teas became a part of my lifestyle. I used them as natural supplements to aid my training and no longer needed the chemical based protein and pre-workout supplements, over-stimulating coffees and refined and sugary energy drinks. Instead the teas were naturally working with my body to help energise me, hydrate me, burn excess body fat and send me to sleep in the evenings so that I could recover. I wanted everyone to benefit from the teas and so began the process of creating Saviour Tea and the 'Sports Tea' range. I also wanted to educate people on the importance of looking after your body, mind and spirit which is why it was so important to include my story on the website. I guess you could say that the company was born by taking a negative situation and turning it into a positive.

How much research has gone into selecting the ingredients for your products?

I used the experience of tea specialists that have been in the industry for over 25 years as well as the knowledge from an extremely reputable herbal mediscinist and also conducted my own research. It took me a year to find the right suppliers and to find the quality of tea I was happy with selling to customers.

What is the optimal time to take each of the products?

On a typical training day when my BJJ class is in the evening I go for a Metabolic Tea in the morning to stimulate my fat burning activity. I then use the Hydration Tea throughout the day to make sure I have enough fluid for the evening’s class. I will have my Energy Tea before training to make me feel more alert and naturally stimulated and then the Recovery Tea is best used before bed to relax the central nervous system and calm muscle tension so I can sleep. Some of my sponsored athletes prefer the Energy Tea in the morning as this works as a healthy alternative to coffee. You really can work them around your training schedule and active lifestyle, they are very versatile.

Personally, out of all four, which is your favourite and why?

When I became sick the thing I really struggled with was sleep. Because my body was having trouble to control its adrenaline output I would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night with a racing heart feeling like I had gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson. I didn't want to use sleeping tablets as they are unnatural and so the Recovery Tea for me was a life saver. The Camomile gently relaxed my central nervous system, the passion flower calms muscle tension and the hops promote sleep. I find after sparring in the evening I have a lot of excess adrenaline and my grips are shot so the tea helps to naturally calm me and the passion flower relieves the tension in my forearms.

How would taking a product such as this benefit someone doing BJJ?

The BJJ community is amazing! To give you an example I recently had a stall at the Body Power Expo in Birmingham. I had just launched the company at this point and so everything was new to me and I was gauging the response of customers for the first time. I was enthusiastically talking to all of these body builders about the tea trying to get the importance of healthy living and naturally supplementing your training across to them but let’s just say most bodybuilders are not concerned with natural products. Feeling a little dis heartened I decided to take some of my products and leaflets next door to the BJJ British Open to see if they would let me put a small stand in there last minute. I ended up chatting to Braulio Estima who was running the event and he was so welcoming. We came to an arrangement and the next day I took my stall out of the expo and set-up at the British Open. One of the best decisions I have made with my business so far, the response was amazing! The BJJ community is full of healthy, happy and aware individuals who pay close attention to what they put into their bodies. They don't want to fill their bodies with chemical laced supplements and energy drinks and instead were welcoming and receptive to the teas, their health benefits and also were intrigued to find out more about me and my story. It was a great day, I met some amazing people and I left the event knowing that I had found a receptive market for my products as everyone was as health conscious as I was. In answer to your question, Using Saviour Tea benefits a BJJ athlete as it naturally works with the body and can be used as a natural alternative to chemical and processed supplements to enhance training performance and general well-being.

What are your future plans in regards to your company?

I am currently working on some new blends for the 'Sports Tea' range as well as new ranges that aim to support and active lifestyle. There are some even bigger goals that I visualise for the company but I won't reveal my plans just yet.

Thanks for taking the time to send me your products; I have had a blast reviewing them. Before we end, is there anybody you would like to thank?

No worries, glad you enjoyed them. Yes would like to thank everyone who has stood by me and continues to support Saviour Tea. Would also like to thank my BJJ sponsored athletes for representing the brand so well. I'm sure most of you within the BJJ community will have heard of them - Sam Gibson, River Dillon and Taylor Pearman. Cannot speak highly enough of these guys. Extremely talented, driven and focused young men who continue to dominate the UK BJJ scene. Looking forward to what the future has in store for them and being part of the journey. 

Is it possible you could supply my readers with a discount code?

Code for your readers to get 10% off is BBKID10%.

This concludes my review of Saviour Tea. I hope you guys enjoyed it! It took a while to get it all done due to various reasons, but I'm glad its finally finished. Remember, if you would like to try any of the products reviewed, use the code above to get 10% off your purchase.

Catch you later,

Giordano   

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Saviour Tea Review - Part 1

Today, I bring you something a little different from my blog. I'm going to be sharing with you guys my review of the Saviour Tea range.

For those of you who don't know, Saviour Tea is a sports tea company currently offering four unique blends which are specially formulated to enhance one key bodily function. Each of their teas only contains natural ingredients and do not contain any artificial colours, flavours, chemicals or preservatives. 

Okay, so, before I start, I want to make it clear that I have no connections or personal involvement with Saviour Tea. This review is totally based off my personal opinion. 

A little over a month ago, I received four sample packs from Saviour Tea. Each of the sample packs were different blends from their range and contained two tea bags. I also received an information booklet telling me about the benefits of each of the teas, and the ingredients they contained. 

The first thing that struck me was the overall quality of the product. Right away you can tell that this is a good quality product. You can tell that no expense was spared on the packaging of the product. The tea bags were silk pyramid shaped tea bags and you could clearly see all of the ingredients that were contained in each of the bags. 

I really liked the design of this product as well. The graphics they use are quite simplistic but it works extremely well. Just by looking at the front of the packaging, it entices you in to find out more about the product.  Even the information leaflet I received was very well put together. Very easy to read and gets straight to the point about each of the products. 

As I stated previously, there are four unique blends which are said to enhance one key bodily function. They are:

• HYDRATION - Helps to keep you sufficiently hydrated 
• RECOVERY - Helps to promote relaxation
• ENERGY - Helps to naturally energise the body
• METABOLIC - Helps with weight management 

Next, I'll tell you some more about each of the teas and the ingredients they contain. 

HYDRATION

"Our Hydration Tea is naturally caffeine free. Caffeine acts as a diuretic, which is useful for other functions but its absence from this blend makes it perfect for hydrating the body. Use throughout the day or specifically before and after exercise to quench thirst and refresh the body."

Main Ingredients

• Rooibos - A naturally caffeine free ingredient which is rich in both antioxidants and minerals.
• Natural Orange Oil - Adds an overall refreshing flavour to the blend and Vitamin C. 

Other Ingredients 

• Thistle Petals

How to Use

They recommend that you use the tea either before or after exercise. Although, they do also say you can use it anytime throughout the day, and can be drunk up to a maximum of six times per day. 

RECOVERY 

"This Recovery Tea is a blend of traditional stress relieving herbs. Use in the evening to help you drift into a deep and rejuvenating sleep, which is necessary to help the body recover from fatigue caused by lifestyle and exercise."

Main Ingredients

• Camomile - Helps the body relax and recover from both physical and mental fatigue.
• Hops - Helps to promote a deep and restful sleep.
• Passion Flower - Can potentially help relive the feelings of anxiety and restlessness, as well as helping to calm muscle tension. 

Other Ingredients 

• Rooibos
• Lemon Balm
• Lemon Verbena
• Linden Flowers
• Anise
• Oat Straw
• Cinnamon
• Orange Peel

How to Use

This tea is best used either before bed in order to promote a deep sleep or immediately after exercise to help calm the min and relax the body. It can be drunk up to a maximum of three times per day.

ENERGY

"This Energy Tea is a natural and pure source of mateine – a caffeine like compound. Use in the morning to kick-start your day or as an energy booster before exercise."

Main Ingredients

• Green Mate - A natural source of mateine with no reported negative side effects associated with caffeinated drinks. 
• Gingko - Helps to increase energy by stimulating and enhancing blood circulation through the body.
• Ginseng - Naturally increases energy levels and enhances the body's ability to combat both mental and physical stress.

Other Ingredients 

• Lemongrass 
• Spearmint
• Nettle
• Cornflower
• Calendula
• Sunflower Petals

How to Use

The company recommends you take it either in the morning or before taking part in exercise. It can be drunk up to a maximum of three times per day.

METABOLIC

"This Metabolic Tea can naturally aid weight loss when used in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise. Use throughout the day or specifically before exercise to stimulate your metabolism and help you achieve your weight loss goals."

Main Ingredients

• Gunpowder Green Tea - Contains high levels of polyphenols, which stimulate your metabolism and enhances the body's thermogenic fat burning activity. 
• Natural Dried Hibiscus - Used as mild diuretic to help remove excess amounts of water which can contribute in weight gain.
• Natural Pomegranate Oil - Contains both minerals and polyphenols which boost metabolism and will help you burn fat. 

Other Ingredients 

• Rosehip Pieces 

How to Use

This tea can be used evenly throughout the day in order to maintain a healthy weight or ideally before exercise. It can be drunk up to a maximum of four times per day.

If you would like to find out more information about each of the products, you can find that HERE.

I didn't plan to make this a two part review, but if I didn't, the complete review would be massive. A little too big to read without you falling asleep. I hope from this first part you gained a sense of what the product is about and in the second part I will give you my opinion on each of the products. I also have a short interview with Ollie who is the head of Saviour Tea. I can't wait to release the second part and you can expect that next week.

Catch you later,

Giordano

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Nutrition and Supplementation For the Jiu-Jitsu Athlete (By Nick Aboe)

This is a post by Nick Aboe, who kindly agreed to do a guest blog for me, so for that I thank him kindly. Nick has just recently started his own blog (which can be found here) so go and check him out! In the next few days a post will also be published on Nick's blog written by me, so I'll keep you posted. I hope you guys enjoy and here is his article:

 

The human body that we live in, and practice jiu-jitsu in, is a complex and amazing biological machine. I'm sure you've heard the tired old phrase 'you are what you eat'. Interpreted broadly, this can be translated into 'you get out what you put in'. If you put in crap, you'll get crap on the other end. How you feel walking around during your regular day to day, and how you perform on the mat is a direct reflection of how you are treating your body. Whether it be food, drink, vitamins, or a variety of other supplements, paying attention to what you put in is super important for any athlete.  When I started BJJ, I instantly fell in love. I wanted to do anything and everything I could do to get better, and perform better. Naturally I began to adjust my diet and treatment of my body to be geared for jiu-jitsu specifically. There are many variables to account for, but it doesn't have to be confusing or complex. I like to keep it simple, and effective. In this article I will outline a basic guide to giving your body what it needs to perform optimally on, and off the mat.

 

1.  DRINK A LOT OF WATER

 

 

Your body is somewhere around 60-65% water, which is more than half....duh.  Just to perform it's basic functions, it requires a couple liters of clean H2O per 24 hours.  Try to drink water super frequently.  First thing in the morning, dump at least 8oz down your gullet, just to get going.  Drink coffee or tea or whatever you do in the morning, but water must be in there.  As a rule of thumb, if your thirsty then you are already dehydrated.  You should be urinating clear, and often.  It can be sort of inconvenient, but it's healthy and normal to pee once an hour.

 

2.  FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

 

 

Unprocessed, untainted, and uncooked fruit and vegetables are terrific sources of essential vitamins and minerals and should be a big part of everyone's diet.  These should be a part of every meal throughout your day.  The greener the better, the riper the better.  Eating salads with a good mix of vegetables is the easiest way I've found, I hate just eating carrot sticks or cauliflower just by itself.  If you can't get real vegetables in you for one of your meals, you can drink juices like V8 or similar products....just watch out for sodium and sugar content.  Fruits are easy, because they taste awesome.  I will usually do a banana every morning with breakfast, and before training.  Additionally, I toss fresh or frozen banana, blueberry, mango, raspberry, apples or whichever I choose into the blender with my protein shake.  You should be eating fruits and vegetables with most meals, and as snacks.

 

3.  PROTEIN INTAKE

 

Lot's of people overdo and mess up with protein.  Keep in mind what the goal here is....fueling the machine.  Your body does need protein, and athletes tend to need a good bit more, but BJJ players are not bodybuilders.  Don't be pounding down scoops of whey every 2 hours, you don't need that

much.  Besides farting like a monster, whey protein or any other engineered supplement shouldn't be used very often.  I will however drink a nutrient rich protein shake with banana after strength workouts.  Your protein sources should be from natural foods like animal protein (meat) or maybe some dairy, eggs or cheeses, greek yogurt.  I don't do dairy often at all, so I eat a lot of beans because they are a great protein source, but also for carbs and nutrients.  Lean meats like chicken, tuna, and turkey are awesome.  Protein should be about 40% of your daily diet.

 

4.  EATING FATS

 

Your body NEEDS fats, and they should be 20% of your daily diet.  There are a few different types, and they are Saturated, Mono-unsaturated, Poly-unsaturated  and Trans fats. Saturated are found mostly in animal products such as meat, cheese, milk, butter, cream and eggs.  The Mono and Poly are found in nuts, oils, etc and contain beneficial omega-3 and omega-6, and other essential fatty acids.

 

5.  CARBOHYDRATES

 

 

Carbs are our bodies main energy source, and calories from carbohydrates are used by the body before proteins, or fats.  Balancing your carbs with your protein and fat consumption rounds out your diet as a whole, and should be given just as much attention as the other things you eat.  Personally I don't eat a whole lot of bread, mostly because it's usually processed and refined, and contains gluten.  White flour food products I try to stay away from in general.  Your carb sources should be natural, clean, and not fatty.  Some examples are brown rice, rolled oats, potatoes, and beans.  Bananas and other fruits also contain healthy carbs, and fiber.  Organic granola is awesome, and there are also a large variety of organic corn meal cereals with lots of healthy flax seeds, buckwheat flour and stuff like that.

 

6.  JUNK FOOD, AND CHEAT DAYS

 

 

Eating healthy is a discipline, and it can be hard to do sometimes.  It's SUPER easy to eat badly, with soooo many temptations out there.  Pizza is amazing, but LOADED with fat and calories that you probably don't need.  Cake tastes incredible, and so do candies like snickers and reese's, and exercising will power 24/7 is a tall order.  Give yourself a cheat day once a week where you allow yourself to enjoy something sweet or salty that may not necessarily be awesome for your body.  One day out of the week, if you are being diligent all the other days should not affect you.  Studies have also shown that days like this can provide a needed break from the normal routine and replenish will power.  Also, it can add a sense of novelty once it is over and you get back to being disciplined with your diet.  I like to think that after a week of training my body and eating super clean that I've earned an evening where I can eat pizza and ice cream, and it tastes that much better!  Your human, not a robot.  Give yourself a break and have a cheeseburger once in a while.

 

Try and balance your diet at 40, 40, 20.  This is 40% protein, 40% carbs, 20% fats, making sure to include plenty of vegetables and fruits.  Keep it simple!!  Eating clean, natural, balanced, and consistent will give you an edge on and off the mat.  As a general rule, if it rots, it's good for you.  I try and avoid anything that is processed, comes in a box, and has a long shelf life.  That type of food tends to be bad for you, loaded with sodium, sugar, and bad fats.  Be sure to consume at least as many calories as you are going to burn during training or workouts, and be super conscious of everything you put into your mouth.  You will be surprised how well you feel, perform, and recover when you eat the way nature intended.

 

MEAL EXAMPLES

 

Breakfast : Hemp Protein, 1 ounce almonds, 1 cup raw rolled oats, 1 cup blueberries, 1 banana, 1 cup almond milk

 

Snack : 1 apple, 1 tbsp peanut butter

 

Lunch : 1 can chunk light or solid white albacore tuna with low-calorie mayo, broccoli crowns, 1 cup wild rice

 

Snack : Small garden salad with light low-calorie dressing

 

Dinner : 1 grilled chicken breast, 1 cup black eyed peas, steamed or raw carrot, small serving of linguine pasta.

 

7.  THE VARIETY OF SUPPLEMENTS IS ENDLESS.  WHAT SHOULD YOU TAKE?

 

So, what's the goal here....total body optimization for BJJ right?  I'm not an expert, and I haven't tried everything out there, I can only give my opinion based on my own experiences.  There are LOADS of supplements out there.  I try to get most all of what my body needs from natural food sources, but some things are good to take in pill or powder form.  One supplement that I use regularly is a whey protein powder.  I will sometimes blend up a shake in the morning for breakfast with fresh fruit, or I will drink a protein shake post-strength workout.  That is the ONLY supplement I use besides a multi-vitamin.  In the past, I've taken a bone and joint formula, but never noticed a difference so I stopped taking it.  I am going to be switching from whey to hemp protein, and I'll be doing a review of the product and it's effects.  Another supplement I'm going to be taking and reviewing for my blog, is Alpha Brain from ONNIT labs.  The following is how ONNIT describes their Alpha Brain product.......

 

"The idea behind Alpha BRAIN was to create a fully-balanced nootropic. Our Alpha GPC and Huperzia Serrata contain nutrients that help your body turn up acetylcholine levels full throttle, while other ingredients assist in elevating neurological components vital to remaining calm, focused, and mentally driven. Our Vinpocetine can help the body deliver oxygen and nutrients to the brain, and the combination of neuro-specific antioxidants, led by our proprietary AC-11®, assists your system in clearing away mental fog and free radicals. The result for our thousands of satisfied customers is an extraordinary combination of lucid dreams, mental drive, focus, and mental acuity."

 

Sounds awesome and I can't wait to try it.

 

So like I said, I'm not an expert or a professional, this is just my advice and my opinion so feel free to do things however you like.  Don't hesitate to contact me with questions or comments.  Thanks and I hope this has served you.

 

Nick from SUPERJITS!

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