Discover the Health Benefits of... ROOIBOS

ROOIBOS (Pponounced ’Roy-Boss’) IS A member of the legume family of plants and grows only near the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. Rooibos tea is naturally caffeine-free, has a natural sweet nutty flavor, and makes excellent hot or iced tea. Rooibos is an all day drink, which can be used as a pick-me-up in the morning, a superb thirst-quencher during the day and at night it helps you to relax and sleep well. There are so many minerals in the tea, including iron, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, that it can almost be considered a nutritional supplement. Rooibos is rich in anti-oxidants, flavonoids, and polyphenols; some not found in other teas. Rooibos contains 50 times greater the powerful antioxidant SOD (superoxide dismutuse), than green tea. Anti- oxidants protect the body from a variety of illnesses caused by free radicals, which are a natural product of metabolism. In moderate quantities, free radicals play an important role in destroying invasive viral or bacterial cells, but when left unchecked, free radicals attack healthy cells and impair the immune system. This leads to chronic diseases, including: atherosclerosis, inflammatory disease, Alzheimer’s disease, AIDS, cancer, and heart disease. Free radical damage is also believed to be the basis of the aging process. Japanese scientists have discovered that the affect of free radials in the process of aging and the decline of the immune system is limited by the anti-oxidants in rooibos. You can get the benefits of rooibos tea by drinking several cups of the brew a day. If brewed for longer than 10 minutes, the anti-oxidant activity increases. The anti-oxidant flavonoids in rooibos are particularly good for the systems of people over 40 and the physically active. The older you are, the less able your body is to combat free radicals on its own. Also, the fitter you are, the faster your body’s oxygen is depleted; as your cells empty oxygen, free radicals are allowed to take control. Drinking rooibos helps to restore a healthy balance. Rooibos tea has become the hottest trend in the tea industry and Mad Hatties is proud to offer the largest selection of rooibos in the area.

“Mad Hatties was something we had to do,” says owner Deborah Simpson. “It was my Mom’s biggest dream to start a business for women to have fun. We had experience with antiques, vintage clothing, and hats. We played with lots of names and love the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland. We tease each other that one of us is Mad and the other is Hattie. We did not open with a tea room, but sold tea in the shop and after numerous requests for other types of teas, we now offer over 180 teas, tea accessories, a tea room, and a vintage chic retro boutique with red hat accessories and other one-of-a-kind gifts from local women artists.”

Her mother Pat Croft adds, “Deborah is great with people and she has done a great job decorating the store. I am surrounded by what I love my daughter, my passion for antiques, and tea. Everything we serve at the tea room is made fresh, but the best part about my job is watching great-grandmothers, grandmothers, mothers, daughters, and granddaughters get all dressed up with their hats to enjoy high tea in each other’s company. I’m very close to my family and seeing this multigenerational experience creates special memories and means so much to me.”

Information on Rooibos provided by Deborah Simpson. Interview by Charity Doyl Mad Hattie’s Boutique & Teas 618 N Sullivan Rd Ste 1, Spokane Valley (509) 892-5455